My Belly's Askew

In the past week, I've noticed my belly askew at least once a day. As I mentioned before, Emily prefers the right side of me. On occasion she will lean to the left. I wish I knew if it was her head or her rump I was feeling. It's harder than the rest of my belly, so I believe it to be her precious head. Don't want to press on it too much because it is not as hard my head or anyone's yet. Everything I've been told about as far as movement has happened except seeing her hand or foot. Now just waiting for that anomaly.

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

It's late, but I've again been wanting to post for a few days. This time of year is always busy because it is Christmas, then my birthday, and since family is visiting, we also celebrate my sister's birthday. A few years ago, it occurred to me how much my parents' bank account most have depleted in the month of December with three days worth of gift giving and major eating. They always made each of us feel special on our special day though. Lucky for hubby and I that Emily is giving us a good buffer between Christmas and her birthday.

Today was bitterly cold, but we all made it out of the house. We went to the movies to see Kings Speech. Great film documenting King George VI's struggle with a terrible stammer for the majority of his life. I'm fascinated my the English monarchy since living in England. Now I'm curious to know if all the details in the movie are true or not.

So happy I could finally spend another birthday with my family. It's been years. Pictures are coming...but tomorrow.

This & That

I've been wanting to post for a couple days now, but I've been scatter-brained. Here is another post spanning the last 4+ days...

Friday: Routine OB appointment which confirmed I do NOT have gestational diabetes, my blood pressure was "perfect" and low according to the doctor, and no horrible symptoms to report. On my check list is now register at the hospital, make a reservation to have a tour of the labor and delivery unit, and register for birthing/parenting classes. I feel like I have made fixing up the house a priority and fallen behind on the actual important baby prep stuff. I've slowed down a lot with my productivity too. Now truly in the third trimester, I can say I am back to my first trimester ways of low energy at times, frequent bathroom breaks, and always hungry. My low energy is more like lack of motivation. Nothing I can do about the bathroom breaks. This time I am not succumbing to eating whenever. I eat healthy foods, mostly three meals and a snack. Need to get back to drinking more water though. My mom did tell me she had water retention at the end of her pregnancy with me, and so far I've had all her good fortune with no morning sickness, varicose veins, or stretch marks. Thanks, Mom, for the great genes!

Not all of that was supposed to be Friday, but Friday was my longest day in a while. I had to go into work after my doctor's appointment. We had our Christmas luncheon before breaking for the holidays. My girlfriends and I had made plans to go shopping afterwards. We were out for hours and my poor feet had swollen within minutes of sitting down after about an hour of standing. I pushed through it, didn't buy a thing, made a return instead, and went home to hubby where we opted for Chipotle.

Saturday: Uneventful day until around 3pm when hubby said we were going on a date night to a surprise movie and dinner at Outback. On the way to the theater, I guessed that we were going to see Little Fockers, and hubby smiled. I knew I was right. WRONG! When the movie started with Reese Witherspoon, I had to think long and hard before realizing she wasn't in that movie. I whispered to hubby, "This isn't Little Fockers" is it? He replied, "That doesn't come out until next week." So what movie did we see...that's funny...I still have no idea. I should go look up the title. Hubby couldn't even remember the name of after we left. I never bothered to look it up. It was cute though. We chose Outback for dinner because we had a gift card to use up, and we'd both been craving a bloomin' onion. Dinner was delicious, and for the first time we BOTH had leftovers for lunch the next day. Great date night!!

Sunday: Went to church, but felt strange driving there. I almost turned around, but toughed it out. I didn't make it the whole way through the service. When I got home I laid down and spent the majority of the day in day before going grocery shopping with hubby. One thing I've been good about doing for the past few months is cooking dinner. Maybe I mentioned that in a past blog, but hubby looks trimmer. Maybe I would too if Emily wasn't so 29 weeks in the womb. ;) Almost forgot...to end the night, we watched our FAVORITE Christmas movie. Can you guess it? It has to be funny if it is our favorite. Alright, alright...if you can't think straight...it is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Gotta love Clark Griswold. =)

Monday & Tuesday (today): Homebound trying to prepare for my family coming for Christmas and birthdays. Not as much has been done as I would have hoped, but I'm a notorious procrastinator that manages to come through at the last minute. If anyone has figured out how to trick the mind into getting your to do list done early, please enlighten me. Rarely do I get anything done in advance. Now off to make the most of the little bit of daylight left.

Oh...one last highlight...thanks Angela for her help getting Emily's bookcase and wall shelves. All the furniture is in the house now, just needs set up in T-minus about 8 days. It's a guarantee that I will be posting about the fun and mayhem of the nursery.

Day 200: What's Your Baby Naming Style?

Your style is… EARTHY

You pride yourself on being a realist and knowing what’s going on in the world -- and pretty much always having an opinion on all of it, from global issues to local issues. It’s no wonder, then, that you try and do your part in any way you can, whether it’s going organic or springing for cloth diapers. Sure, some might call you crunchy, but hey, you embrace it; you’re a no-frills kind of woman who doesn’t get overly caught up in what’s trendy. And shopping for a baby name is no exception. To you, the most important part of choosing a good name is finding one with a lot of meaning behind it; not just one that everyone elselikes. Our advice: Look into poetic-sounding names that are tied in with nature -- like Meadow, Lily, Cypress, or Forrest. Not only are they melodic, but they often have strong meanings attached to them that are sure to resonate with you.

Earthy names you’d love:

For a girl: Scarlett, Willow, April, Delilah, Meadow, Lily

For a boy: Cypress, Forrest, Hunter, Wyatt, Dublin, Oliver

I don't really agree with the results of my quiz, but my own name did show up. I like trends, so that is wrong. However, as for picking a name...totally do not care what is popular. It must have the right meaning. Take the What's Your Baby Naming Style? quiz for your own results.

Nights of Lights Date

Yesterday I ended my post saying hubby was taking me out on a date to see Nights of Lights in St. Augustine. We were kind of scoping it out for when family comes for Christmas too. It was beautiful to see so many Christmas lights in one place. Unless you live in a big city, you really don't get to see that too much anymore.

Here we are enjoying our evening out in the beautiful fall weather.

Oh...it is confirmed that we need a new camera. Hubby

couldn't get a clear shot of me all night, and I tried my

best at this one-handed snap.

Hubby's photography = pretty awesome even though it is blurry.

What the tree actually looked like.

Amplified lights.

I also tried to get this perfect photograph of a horse and carriage ride parked right in front of this beautiful church, but the camera setting took too long to process and the carriage moved. So disappointing. We had a lovely night nonetheless.

Organic Baby

This was the first football-less Saturday since August. Well, there is one game on right now (Army vs. Navy)...GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!!! Hubby gets a little depressed this weekend every year because his #1 choice of entertainment is over for a while. He asked me last weekend what I wanted to do this weekend in anticipation for an empty Saturday.

Well, our plans are never really plans. All we've done so far is go to our favorite grocery store, Whole Foods. We are on a real organic foods kick. It's been a gradual transition in our house over the years. It started with milk and eggs, then fruits and veggies without a peel, and now meats and most diary products. Emily will hopefully be born a VERY healthy baby or toxin-free. Hubby looks like he has lost weight from all the home-cooking these past couple months too.

I've been decided for years that I want our children to eat organic food from the start. God willing, I hope to breastfeed for as long as possible (praying for a year). All the grocery stores we shop at carry Earth's Best baby food and formula, so I plan to use that brand. Occasionally, I might puree fruits and veggies, but it will all depend on time and cost. It almost seems more cost effective to buy the jarred baby food. Produce is pricy (especially organic) and then there are the container costs and the water bill. Oh, and storage is limited, so recycling the jars is looking pretty good right now.

Keeping with the earth friendly theme of organics, my diaper selection is split. I can't commit to something I've never tried before, but I want to try cloth diapers. I read a long time ago on a facebook friend's page that she was stuffing Pocket Diapers. I was like, "What is a Pocket Diaper?!?!" Well, from my research, it is not actually a brand but a style of cloth diaper. There are lots of brands on the market, but my research found that Fuzzi Bunz is the consumer favorite. So, I'm registered for Fuzzi Bunz. The coolest part of today's cloth diapers are that they come in fun colors and patterns. I'll admit, aesthetics is usually #1 on my list when selecting material goods. However, with cloth diapers and all things B.A.B.Y, I had to go with consumer reviews/ratings. Fuzzi Bunz only come in solid colors, but they are still cute and in my opinion act as a bloomer if worn with only a shirt. I'm sure Emily with be sporting just a diaper and a top from time to time. Also, the diaper color can coordinate with her outfit. Okay, okay, so I'm going a little overboard with the color coordinating. I'm having a girl for heaven's sake. This is my dream to dress my child for as long as possible.

As for the other half of diapers in our household, we will need the disposable kind for emergencies and probably when we are out of the house. Per a best friend's suggestion, I've chosen yet again Earth's Best brand for diapers. She promises they are the best eco-friendly disposable diaper. She is an old and very trusted friend, so I've already bought a few.

If anyone has further suggestions or stories about using cloth diapers, please share. I feel like I can't possibly hear or learn enough in the next 12 or so weeks.

Just wanted to share another picture. It's beautiful wintery weather here on 12.11.10. What a memorable date. Plus, my boots finally arrived. First flat, knee-high boots I've owned. Ordered them online and was a little nervous without trying them on first. They are awesome with fur lining, a mini zipper so I can pull down my pant legs, and comfortable. Alright, I've got to run. We are going to the festival of lights in St. Augustine...whoo hoo!!! Our plan is actually turning in to a reality. Love that hubby of mine!

Our Christmas Card 2010

Cinnamon Sweet Stars Christmas Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Lil' Contortionist & The Disappearing Belly Button

I've heard for some time now from a fellow pregnant co-worker that when a baby gets so big (about 3rd trimester), the mommy will start to see her belly skewed from time to time. Well folks...it happened to me for the first time last night.

Sitting on the sofa after dinner, a long day, and comfy in my jammies, I felt Emily moving around. I lifted up my shirt to see the movement, which is happening each time she moves now too. To my surprise, I saw my belly skewed to the right. I yelled for hubby to come witness because I just couldn't believe it. He was just as amazed. She's a little contortionist inside mommy's tummy. I can only imagine not having enough space to stretch out completely anymore or do somersaults. She is just getting so big, and we notice it the most at night after a full day of eating. I've gotten super hungry again, as well. At work, I space out my snacks every couple hours and eat lunch, but sometimes there is a long gap between my last snack and dinner. Yesterday especially because I went out after work to get some more Christmas shopping complete.

I've been wanting to mention for a while now two other key facts about my pregnancy with Emily. First, for several months now, she has done this thing where she sends what I describe as a shockwave through my abdomen, down, and outward. It is less startling than it used to be, but it stills feels funny. My assumption is that she is hiccuping. It is anywhere from 2-5 times...not very many hiccups, but it makes sense. I'm going to ask the doctor at my next visit to confirm. Second, my disappearing belly button (as I've renamed it). With my every growing bump, my once extremely deep belly button is now almost flat. I hope it doesn't become an outty. Then, I will really feel huge because I thought I would never lose my little black hole. Very soon, I will know what it must have been like to be Adam. It's speculated that he had no belly button because he is the only human that wasn't from the womb of a woman. Eve was created from Adam's rib, so she may not have had one either. What are your thoughts?

In the meantime, here is my first up close shot of The Disappearing Belly Button. I've been hesitant to display pictures of my bare bump because of all the veins. I'm also translucent...LOL!!!

Wish I had taken a "before" The Disappearing Belly Button

Catch Up since Thanksgiving

As you all are most likely familiar with...from Thanksgiving to Christmas is the most chaotic time of year. When I said I was going to post about Black Friday (now just over a week ago), I really thought I would. I've been either too tired, too lazy, or just too busy to blog. Now this is me playing "catch up."

Black Friday (the brief version): Dropped off my sister bright and early in the morning, went to a few stores around the city before meeting my best friend for lunch and a long day of shopping at the mall. Emily was truly my good luck charm because I hit NO lines, had NO trouble finding parking spots, and found LOTS of things I needed as gifts or just for me/our home. It was a warm day, very nicely spent with a friend, but...........my feet had never felt so bad in all my life. I am surprised I managed to drive myself home because I was walking like a crippled person when I arrived home. Hubby instructed me to put my feet up and take it easy for the rest of the weekend. I followed orders.

Cyber Monday: No mega Internet shopping for this preggo lady because I needed a breather still from Friday and I had to work. I did get a great bargain on curtains for Emily's room though.

After Thanksgiving Tuesday thru today (Sunday): Had an awesome week at work. My lessons have been great because the kids are very receptive to everything I've been having them do. I still have to make three kings' crowns for our Christmas pageant happening next week. It will get done after I finish this post. As for progress around the house, hubby and I set up Christmas yesterday. A week behind schedule, but again, Thanksgiving weekend was insane. Forgot to mention the exhaustion after work each day last week too. My bedtimes were between 7:30-8:30pm. I really needed sleep last week. Oh yes...how could I forget Tuesday...my day off...my feet were swollen for the first time. They were so fat (didn't get to take a picture) and barely fit in my sneakers. I do believe it could have been due to the climate getting ready to change from 70 degree weather to 50 degree weather overnight. Hubby was an absolute angel that night and filled up my massage foot spa. I sat in Emily's new rocking chair and soaked my aching feet in hot lavender water as the jets massaged my feet. It was heaven!

Emily has been having the time of her new little life. I feel her move so frequently now that it is noticeable in the car, at church, and when I rest my hand on my belly...she will let me know she feels me touching her. It's so precious!

Overall, I feel productive, energetic during the hours of light outside, moderately tired after the sun goes down, and excited to see my house decorated for the holidays. I honestly never thought I would be this motivated to do all that I have being pregnant. I'm not the type to compliment myself, but this time I'm not afraid to voice that I am voice of ME!!!

Proud Parents

FLORIDA STATE, FLORIDA STATE, FLORIDA STATE...WHOOOOOO!!! We are parents-to-be and very proud today because FSU crushed Florida (our arch-rival) for the first time since 2003. Final score was 31-7 (ouch!). We have been hard pressed for our Noles to beat the Gators ever since. Beating the Gators every year is the goal, but no team in the country beats their #1 rival every year.

Now to add in our proudness, FSU is also playing in the ACC Championship because Maryland beat NC State tonight. Thank you Maryland!! We didn't control our our destiny this season...NC State did for us. I don't know how Maryland did it, but they pulled through in the end.

This is what gator bait looks like at Doak.

Hubby believes me to be the Noles' good luck charm. When I am able to stay up and watch a full game, we 90+% of the time win. When I don't watch a game or fall asleep, we 90+% of the time lose. It helped that today's game was at 3:30 and I managed 12 hours of sleep last night. See next post for Black Friday shopping extravaganza to explain the half a day of sleep. I believe Emily to be our little good luck charm too. Again, see Black Friday post for details.

The Crafty Mommy at Thanksgiving

My sister was visiting us for Thanksgiving, and she makes unique stuffed creatures or animals really. She wanted to make something for Emily. While she was in town, we went to Hobby Lobby and picked up the supplies we needed. I couldn't believe it, but I ended up completing a creation on my own. My sister only needed to stuff hers, and there is still one more to make.

My owl for Emily. The fabrics are soft cotton, felt, a thin corduroy,

and buttons for the eyes. I chose a variety of textures for Emily

to learn and build sensors skills.

Thanksgiving was the next day. Sis and I stayed up till 1am completing the animals. We started cooking around 10am and sat down to eat our feast at 4pm. There were only three of us for dinner, so we chose to have a small turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, marsh-mellowed yams, green bean casserole with the delicious fried onions mixed in and on top, cranberry crisp, croissants, and sparkling grape juice for the non-drinking mommy-to-be.

A fabulous Thanksgiving feast at our house.

Cranberry crisp, marsh-mellowed yams, and mashed potatoes.

Green bean casserole and gravy. Let's not forget that sparkling grape juice. ;)

Croissants in the baskets kept warm, stuffing, and the turkey.

Mom's plate.

Pictures below are of the girls (our dachshunds) chowing down on a special Thanksgiving meal of their own. We gave them two special feedings that day so their little tummies wouldn't be upset later. It was a good plan. They napped shortly after like the little princesses they are.

Oh, and I just realized, we forgot to photograph the desserts. I'll describe them instead. We had two scrumptious pumpkin cheesecakes. The cranberry crisp is also like a dessert because of all the brown sugar, and we made two of those as well. We made one two days before Thanksgiving, and almost finished it by Thursday. That is how we came to make two. Hubby likes apple pie and said store bought would do because of all the other cooking and baking that was needed for the big feast for three...and a half (Emily). It was a wonderful day, but it should go on record here that is was just over 80 degrees. The house was toasty by dinnertime, and the chefs were sweaty. That is why there are no pictures of us. LOL!

100 Days..."TO GO" This Time

I already posted about my 100th day a couple months ago or so. Now, I'm proud to announce only 100 days left to go...maybe fewer ;) Plus, it's Thanksgiving!!! Happy turkey day!

It's a good time to take the poll I have been wanting to do with everyone reading the blog. Please predict the exact day you think baby Emily is going to arrive. The game also asks for weight and length guesses, so let's do it all.

Hubby and I have made our predictions. I will post our predications after I get lots of predictions back from all you readers. Please don't be shy to post, this is part of the fun of being pregnant. Again, I want to print out this blog for Emily to have as a keepsake one day, and your guesses will be in writing...=)

Click on the link below to lock in your guess. Let the game begin!!!

http://www.expectnet.com/games/GuessEmilysBirthday

Week 25 "In Limbo"

Just returned home from another successful doctor's appointment. Now praying my blood work comes back negative for gestational diabetes. Emily has a very normal heartbeat and still sounds like a galloping horse at 148 beats per minute on average. She is such a happy camper and was kicking when my blood was being drawn.

Hubby and I really, really want to see her again. Unfortunately, my OB office doesn't perform elective ultrasounds. If we want one we have to probably pay out of pocket. We need more information before making a decision. I'll keep you posted.

As for the rest of the doctor's visit, it was just Q&A. I told the doctor I feel like I am in limbo because there isn't much to report or be concerned about at the moment. The second trimester has been such a blissful experience. Emily is keeping mommy and daddy worry free and truly excited in anticipation of her arrival.

Now for a day of fun and productivity with my sister, and then, some much needed rest. Looking forward to our plans in the next few days.

Due Date

A couple days ago, hubby and I went to see the movie Due Date with Robert Downey, Jr. and Zac Galifianakis. I really wanted to see it for two reasons: 1.) the trailer looked hysterical and 2.) as a pregnant woman, I want to see all movies about pregnancy and babies. Honestly, it wasn't non-stop humor like The Hangover, but it was funny. Here's the trailer if you have no idea what I am referring to http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/duedate/

My plan the whole time was to take a picture next to the poster for the movie as documentation.

Getting the Nursery Ready: Part I

Without many doctors appointments as often as the 1st trimester (thank goodness!), I haven't felt there is much to report. There is though...all the little stuff...like decorating the nursery finally. Being embarrassed of never having a passion in high school, I finally can say mine is interior design and decorated. Okay...let's throw in buying furniture and accessories, and my passion is complete. Having a legitimate excuse to shop is HEAVEN for me! Just wish I could win the lottery, and then I'd have no worries (financially speaking). I did play last Saturday with zero success.

Back to the nursery purchasing to make my original, back-up original, modified-original, and so forth come to life. Still unable to put in furniture or paint the walls just yet, but the buying had to begin. Here's our latest purchases...

The crib bedding selection process has been the most mentally exhausting for me. I've loved the birdie with branches design from the day I started looking. It's very expensive!! I checked eBay, but not there. I don't want to over do one print, so for now I am simply sticking with the crib sheet and that is why I forced myself to buy the solid pink crib bumper. Trying to trick my mind to be at ease over the decision. Didn't work completely because the changing pad cover is not in the same color families at the pink and lilac in the sheet. I'm still making the subtle animal print of the changing pad cover jive with the softness of the birdie sheet because I have monkeys, elephants, and giraffes in the decor.

I'm not afraid of criticism (not entirely), so please leave me your thoughts. Especially thoughts on the animal print changing pad cover. It would be the simplest switch if I decide to make it. Trust me, I think about it every time I look at all the fabrics and colors together. Ultimately, I'm waiting for the paint to go on the walls before making a final decision.

Stay tuned for more nursery design updates. =)

With Death Comes New Life

It's late, but I wanted to post today because it is a day I need to remember. My grandpa did pass away and made his journey to heaven late Thursday night. He's with God now. I was able to speak to him over the phone and send him my love hours before he closed his eyes to say goodbye. If it were not for that phone call being answered and being told that he was smiling while I talked to him, I would not have made peace entirely with his passing.

I'm sharing this now because I bought Emily a butterfly and flower ceiling hanging tonight, and as I was unwrapping it, the butterflies reminded me of my Gramps. I told hubby about it shortly after, and Emily started to kick. Gramps always made the ladies smile. He's already made his great-granddaughter very excited.

Emily's nursery is now slowing becoming more alive as we buy bits and pieces for it. We still have to wait on painting, setting up furniture, and buying the remaining furniture in order to keep our guest room. Don't worry, I'll definitely be taking snap shots of the before, during, and after.

Our new little life inside me is what makes two grandfathers passing during my pregnancy just a tiny bit easier to handle. Jesus is the reason for their new home in heaven, and for that I am truly grateful.

MIA Mommy-To-Be

Last week was not pleasant for this mommy-to-be. I'm posting this info mainly as a recording for Emily, so that one day she can know all the good and not-so-good that happened while she was in mommy's belly.

Early last week, I received word that my only living grandpa was taken to the hospital. (Note: my other grandpa passed away in mid-July shortly after knowing that he was going to be a great-grandpa.) It has been my dream for a number of years for all four of my grandparents to meet at least their first great-grandchild. Unfortunately, one will not be able to, but it comforts me to know one was on the way. He didn't know Lil' Ri was a she, but that wasn't what was most important to him. I pray each day that grandpa and my two grandmas will be able to meet Emily. We are so close to meeting her, yet it seems so far when someone is fighting illness and aged body. Emily really wants to meet her great-gramps, and he's a fighter just like she has been.

Wednesday and Thursday of last week, I also didn't feel much movement from Emily at her regular times (or at all). I started to panic a little on Thursday night because I kept it to myself that a 7-year-old boy accidentally elbowed me in the belly during check out. He was getting all worked up that I said there was only a few seconds left to browse for a book, and I was right behind is flailing body. He was extremely apologetic, but I just cared for Emily's safety after what she and I have been through. Nevertheless, my little fighter came alive Thursday night after what I can only explain as a much needed two day slumber. She has been back to her regular routine workouts in the afternoon and late evening before mommy's bedtime.

I'll also add for the record that daddy lied to mommy to calm my nerves about Emily not moving. He put his ear to my tummy upon my request Thursday and told me he heard her heartbeat. His face was all smiles while listening, and I was excited. About an hour later is when I finally felt her move, so I yelled to hubby to let him know. I didn't expect him to come running, but he did. Here is why...he said, "Thank goodness because I didn't hear her heartbeat." I exclaimed, "What?!?!" He replied, "Well you were getting stressed, and I wanted you to relax for Emily's sake." I wasn't mad, but he knows I won't trust him again on this matter. We laughed, and were just happy our little princess was with us.

What really has inspired me to post today is that I received a box of new toys and items for Emily's nursery today. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the fabrics, toys, and accessories I've picked out online for her nursery. She is going to be a spoiled, yet modest little girl. She isn't going to understand spoiled as a baby anyways. No harm this early (or so I hope). How can a new mommy not go overboard with the registries?

Lil' Ri's Real Name

How many of you have been waiting to hear the name hubby and I have chosen for Lil' Ri?

It wasn't hard because we have both loved this girl name for quite some time, but actually revealing it makes me anxious. Every person has different ideas of what is a beautiful name, a perfect name, and so on. Here is Lil' Ri's beautiful, perfect name...

(meaning: to strive, excel, or rival)

Mommy thinks she is going to strive to do her best at everything, excel at many things, and be a little competitive (like both her parents).

Her middle name is our one little secret until her birthday. Partly because we are still making certain of it and the other part because we want to have some suspense during this pregnancy.

Has anyone thought of her initials yet? So far, they are E.R. Where did Emily put mommy twice in the 1st trimester? Oh! That's right...the E.R. (emergency room). Again, back to the meaning for her name...she strived to survive and we love her dearly for her efforts. Love you Lil' E! Thanks for hanging in there. BTW...I come from a nickname for every thing family, so Emily already has a handful or more of nicknames.

Kick Me, Kick Me

Who would actually want to be kicked? Well, I can't speak for all mommies-to-be, but I have been dying to be kicked by my baby. My wish finally came true on week 20 as you know. Since that day, Lil' Ri has been kicking (or hiccuping) daily. She has a schedule too. The times I notice and feel her most is at around 4pm and late at night when I lay down for bed. She will be awake somewhere between 8pm-11pm. It all depends how long mommy stays awake and if I eat a snack before bed she is definitely movin' and groovin'. Right now as I'm typing this post, she is moving. I love knowing her schedule! I've even been able to see my tummy pop outward as she moves. I'm not quite sure how to determine if she is hiccuping, so if anyone knows that answer let me know.

Full Time & Preggers

This week I had to work full-time again because I hosted a book fair at my school. The students and their families seemed to really enjoy it especially the family breakfast Wednesday. I woke up SUPER early for that too. Then, Thursday, I stayed SUPER late for a family night.

I bought Lil' Ri four books, but none were her first book. I think I forgot to post the title of her first book, it is "Guess How Much I Love You?" I love her to the moon and back.

Below are the pictures of my book fair. It was also Red Ribbon Week (drug awareness), so Thursdays theme was Put a Cap on Drugs. That explains my hat in the last picture.

The Way to a Woman's Heart

One of the ways to a woman's heart is flowers. Another way is expensive jewelry, and a third is sweets. Hubby gave me two out of three this week. Guess which one wasn't included? LOL! Hubby has given me lots of beautiful expensive jewelry, so I have no complaints.

You need to know the story of how it came to be that he brought me roses and chocolate (Kit Kats to be exact) last night. Last week, I bought two small to moderate sized bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kats as Halloween candy. Naturally, I placed them in a festive container by the front door. It has now been established that hubby lacks total self-control when it comes to sweets and junk food. So Sunday, out of all the small chocolate bars, there were only six Kit Kats left. I told him that the rest were off limits to him and went up to bed. Monday, I went to work, came home, ate some healthy snacks, and then had a little sweets craving. Remembering the Kit Kats, I walked to the container. To my surprise, there was one Kit Kat placed perfectly in the center of the container. He ate FIVE Kit Kats that night!!! I was so disappointed. So, I texted him my disappointment and we played a little back and forth game. He said, "It took all my will power to leave you that last one." That was cute at least. However, I should have known better than to leave the candy out, but I thought he would control himself. He made a big stink about how he has no self-control and that I need to hide all sweets in the future.

The next day (yesterday), I was cooking dinner when he walked in the door with a gorgeous bouquet of red roses and a huge bag of Kit Kats. My heart melted at the gesture. Needless to say, the first thing out of my mouth was "Thank you, I love you, babe!" He replied, "You're welcome, now just hide those from me." LOL!!

These are the insignificant yet meaningful moments in a marriage you can't help but cherish.

Love you, Hubby! Thanks for keeping life playful and romantic.

P.S. Kit Kats not in picture because I had to hide them before it was too late.

The Sweetest Day

If you keep up with all the hallmark holidays, you knew that yesterday was The Sweetest Day. I was out with my friend yesterday who is a card fanatic, and she reminded me that it was The Sweetest Day. We were in the card aisle, and I was reading thru some of them. I found the perfect one for my hubby and bought it.

Last night, The Sweetest Day couldn't have ended more perfectly. While laying in bed watching TV to unwind, I felt Lil Ri' kick me for the first time. Now when I say first time, I mean this was no-doubt-about-it a growing baby kicking from the inside out. She did it eight times, and I was yelling for hubby to come into the room before it stopped. He got there in plenty of time to feel her, and his eyes lit up. I could see it in his face that he was thinking, "Mommy isn't crazy and fabricating ideas in her head anymore." I wrote my card to hubby after the eventful evening, and wrote our memory in the card. I left it on his pillow, and all I remember is waking up to a really late night kiss and an "I loved your card." Today has been a wonderfully relaxing day as well. I love when our love is rekindled. Our daughter-to-be adds to our love for one another each day. It's so incredible!

All in a Days Work...

Today, Lil' Ri has made me incredibly tired to start and then gave me a surge of energy tonight. Let me share...

It was incredible hard to wake up this morning. I made it to work, had a half day with the kids and managed to see 8 classes in 3 1/2 hours. BTW, it usually takes 6 hours. Whoooooo! Then, I had a dentist appointment, had to buy a birthday card for a co-worker (I also bought a little Halloween candy and a present for Hubby just to tell him I love him). Then, I came home to bake a dark chocolate bundt cake, make meatballs for sandwiches for dinner, ate, listened to 90s music that made me cry a few too many times (hormones again), and then made icing from scratch to drizzle over the cake. To top it all off, I washed all the dishes. Whooooosh! I'm spent! Now to fold some laundry, lay down in bed, and watch a TV show to unwind before lights out.

I'm so delighted to go to bed with a clean kitchen and a full tummy. Praying I make it thru tomorrow considering my legs have been aching since this morning and are throbbing now. Going to put them up.

Like I said, "All in a days work." What we can do when we set our mind to it.

Need a Laugh?

Hubby made me laugh and smile again by making me listen to the youtube video below. We promise we did not get our name for our blog from this, but it must have been in our subconsciouses somewhere.

Click Here for Video

Telling the Coworkers

Here is how I told my coworkers I'm expecting a little girl. I worn PINK of course! I went to bed planning to wear blue the next day. When I woke up, I said, "I can't wear blue. It will be misleading." So I quickly picked out something pink. Every time one of my coworkers asked, "So...boy or girl?" I tugged on my sweater. Let me just say that I had at least three blank stares from ladies going what is she doing? They each figured it out after a few moments. It was such a fun day telling people in person.

The story behind the picture titled Mommy Hearts Lil' Ri's Tooshie":

Where my hands are placed on my tummy is where her tooshie is right now. The ultrasound technician found it first try. I've decided to keep her girlie parts sonogram in her first album so as not to embarrass her this early in her life. It's a cute shot though. ;)

Our Girl

Introducing the first profile sonogram of Lil' Ri. She is my everything (just next to hubby of course). I'm in love with her little nose and lips already. She looks like her daddy so far. Oh...and her tummy is "well nourished" according to the ultrasound technician. She said I was feeding her well. Yay, one thing done right!

Lil' Ri's 1st Wardrobe

Tuesday, hubby and I went baby clothing shopping to buy one outfit (like I mentioned in the last post). She is her mommy's daughter though, therefore, she needs a closet full of clothes. Practically a new outfit for each day of the month...LOL!

Super excited to start buying for her in general but especially for her nursery, so I have to leave some moola for all that's on the design board.

Ooooooo!!! I'm just so happy I could burst. Well, I could burst if I wasn't so tired out from all the excitement and going to work. Enough said...check out her new apparel. She's going to be stylin'.

Look What the Stork is Bringing Us...

...sugar and spice, and everything nice because that is what little GIRLS are made of. Yes, we are delighted and overjoyed to announce that we will be bringing into the world a little girl. She is going to be the apple of her daddy's eye (& mommy's of course)! Hubby was hilarious today when we were leaving the doctor's office. He said to me as we were walking out, "The third thing that ran through my mind was how we have to pay for her wedding." I immediately laughed and then asked, "Well what were the #1 & #2 things to enter your mind?" He said, "#1 was 'WOW! How amazing! #2, I can't remember right now." Daddy is already slightly worried about keeping his little girl safe and happy...awww...how cute (for now).

We immediately called family. To start the conversation, we asked each, "so what do you think we're having?" Each mom, dad, sister, grandparent said the same thing..."a boy." We were shocked because every friend of mine immediately looks at me and says, "it's a girl." Hubby agrees, it is totally 100% expected that I would have a girl even though we all know the man's swimmers are what decides it all. I'm just so "girlie" he says all the time.

Her ultrasound pictures are coming. I'm honestly too tired from shopping and baby registry stuff this afternoon to upload it all. She is adorable if you ask me. Her nose and lips are too cute for words. She was yawning and sucking her thumb a little. It was the first time we ever saw her facial features. Really words cannot describe the feelings I had during the ultrasound, so I promise to post the pics soon.

P.S. We bought several outfits for her already and hung them in her closet. She's already costing us big bucks and we're just getting started. Coupons were handy though so it wasn't awful. We love her dearly, so money doesn't matter.

Curiosity Hasn't Killed This Cat

There are three possibilities for tomorrow's ultrasound. Three you ask? Well, here are the choices...

1. A boy

2. A girl

3. An uncooperative baby

The curiosity for hubby and I (plus everyone else in our lives) ends tomorrow. It has been so wonderful to hear all the excitement around us from family and friends wanting to know as desperately as we do what we are having. So far the vote is..."It's a girl!" My close girl friends in town all think it is a girl, my students think it is a girl, and hubby had a dream this weekend that it is (go figure) a girl! Well, I still believe there is a good chance of there being a baby boy in my tummy. All the pregnancy myths have been completely useless pertaining to me. For instance...

It's a boy: My bump is sitting low and, in general, I've had no major symptoms.

It's a girl: My chest has grown and I have had acne.

In about fifteen hours, my life will change one more time this year. When hubby came home tonight, I told him that I know understand why some couples want to be surprised in the delivery room. The tension building on tomorrow's ultrasound is making me anxious. So far, I have just loved knowing that hubby and I created a little version of "US." I love for my life to be symmetrical and even. Even numbers are my favorite, even years are my favorite, and even numbered birthdays are my favorite. No reason for it, just has been like that since childhood.

Having twins (one boy, one girl) would keep my life perfectly symmetrical. I manage to make it thru each odd year and odd birthday without any upsets, so it's just another year of so of being a little unbalanced with the numbers. All I know is mommy and daddy are going to love, loVE, LOVE this baby to pieces. We both can't wait to spread and share our news with you all tomorrow.

Last chance to get your vote in. I won't except any, "that is what I thought" or "I knew its" once we let the cat out of the bag tomorrow. So, do you think it is a boy or a girl?

Productivity Heaven

Hello all! This past week has been uneventful in Babyland, yet extremely productive. For the last two weekends, I've forced myself to curb my urges to spend countless hours online surfing the Web for baby stuff. With both possible nursery designs complete and registries for the most part put together minus the gender specific items, I told myself to get to the real work that needed to be done.

Real work = preparing our home for a baby in almost five months to the day.

On my non-work days, I managed to organize and reduce the amount of stuff in our master closet. In turn, this freed up almost 100% of space in the soon-to-be nursery's closet. The other 5% maybe of stuff is Christmas stuff that is moving into the garage. The garage is still in the process of getting a minor face lift to support the additional boxes. My cousin was in town Friday, and I put him to work going to the hardware store to by a sturdy shelving unit. Hubby and I began putting it together yesterday, but the hammering of metal was too much for the baby's teeny tiny ears. We'll finish it soon. That's the productivity report for this past week. Twenty-two more weeks of small jobs here and there, and our house will be a perfect, sophisticated, baby-friendly home. I'm refusing to let our home turn into a disastrous playhouse.

Too Cute to Not Share

Hubby emailed this to me today because he knows I love Dachies and this is a picture of a puppy one at that. How cute is the saying too?

Yes, I know this has nothing to do with Baby Ri. Daddy is just keeping Mommy smiling.

Nursery Design Update

Our potential girl's nursery needed more work, so check out the latest design plan below.

Off To The Races

Today I had a routine doctor's visit and got to hear the baby's heartbeat. I couldn't believe my ears when the nurse found the strongest area because it sounded like I was at the race track listening to horses running. I'd never heard it that loud before. I also believe that I felt the first kick from my little one. Right after the nurse moved the sound monitor on my belly for the last time, I felt a quick jab to the area. I wasn't going to say anything to her, but she then asked if I had felt the baby kick yet. Of course I told her I thought I just experience my first one. I've been excited all this week about the baby being able to hear and that I might be able to feel movement. Sure enough, my little one has already made mommy proud.

Again, we earned an A+...nothing less would be acceptable in this family (lol). All levels of sugar, protein, and my blood pressure are normal. I've gained a normal amount of weight, but the number sounds scary. I'll save that till the end of the pregnancy (maybe).

I loved today and feel closer and closer to our baby every day. Tonight, I just asked hubby if he thinks the baby knows what love is? He said, "No." I'm not sure what my answer is to the question, but I know the minute I hold my baby he or she will know.

A Modern Nursery

Some of you have asked what I plan for the nursery, so here is my design board of ideas. This is why I was up till 1am this morning. If you can't tell, I've picked most colors and items for a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I would love a boy, but I just couldn't fit it all on one page. I'm so in the design & decorating mode right now that I might make another board just for a boy. I also am aware that it may not all go together...just ideas (i.e. growth chart, artwork, etc).

BTW, modern is not my home's style. I've always wanted to have a little modern in our home, and a nursery seemed the perfect place to start.

Here is the boy nursery plan as I said I would probably finish today.