The Geyers in Chattanooga

down for the count

2012-01-25T14:32:00.001-05:00

We had such a wonderful weekend that ended with a not-so-wonderful stomach bug! I had book club on Friday and church on Saturday then Sunday was a big day! My dear friend Batch drove up from Atlanta to spend the morning with us, then my parents arrived and THEN my sister and Chase showed up to surprise us too! They all were here for the baby shower my sweet, sweet friends threw for us that afternoon. It was all-around perfect. We had an awesome evening of family time afterwards (including Jet's Pizza, of course) and we woke up to a Monday off work (David and Chase still had to go). Mom, Dad and Ashley all got to go to my doctor's appointment with me that morning which was extra-special - more about that in my 37 week post! After M&D hit the road, Ash and I ran a bunch of errands and had the afternoon to spend together. It was awesome. When the boys got from work we went out for a celebratory dinner at Ash & Chases' fav spot Food Works for Chase's recent raise.

The stomach bug hit me and David at the exact same time around 1am Monday morning. Ash couldn't sleep, so she helped us a ton (David didn't make it to the toilet first time around...) and I was up for the duration of the night. I moved to the couch (it's actually more comfortable than our bed for me) and made trips all night to the hall bathroom while David bounced back and forth from our bed to our bathroom. It was pretty much the definition of misery. David took naps on and off all night/day, but being 37 weeks pregnant and sick as a dog made for total sleeplessness for some reason. My doc called in a prescription for us and it helped immediately. Unfortunately, drugs that are supposed to make you drowsy NEVER have that affect on me. David was out like a light, but I didn't go to sleep until 5:30pm Tuesday evening. Fortunately, by that point I was so worn down, I slept for 15 straight hours (minus potty breaks)! Thank the Lord for the drugs... they cleared our symptoms up right away. David went to work today, but I've been home resting, cleaning and hydrating. I've washed everything in our entire house to try and get these terrible germs out of here.

So... needless to say, I'm behind on everything else in life! Here's to getting back on track (for a few weeks at least...)

shower #4- UTC

2012-01-20T10:04:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, my office threw me and Crawford the sweetest shower. They really went all out to include my favorite people and serve my favorite things! We had punch, Publix cake, strawberries, Stacy's pita chips and hummus, pretzel bites, chicken nuggets and my favorite chocolate desserts. It was so sweet that they were SO thoughtful in planning everything out. Marsha made the awesome tree that had tiny baby socks hanging from it! It was so nice to have everyone from my office plus people from all around campus that I've loved working with (including some Student Foundation kiddos!)there to celebrate. We got SO many amazing gifts! I was floored. David said it felt like Christmas when we got home that night and went through everything all over again.

We are so thankful for our UTC family! I'm certainly going to miss coming to work here every day (ok, I probably won't miss it every day), but I'm so glad David is on the Alumni Board and we'll still be super connected no matter what.

Crawford guessing contest

2012-01-19T16:32:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok, so I'm just totally copying Melissa's blog (love that girl). I can't believe we're close enough to Crawford's due date that he really could arrive at any time. So, it's time to guess away! When do you think he'll get here?

Guess the following in the comments, and true to form in copying Melissa, I'll reward the winner with a gift card!

Birth date

Time

Weight and Length

Due Date- February 14

Measurements- at 35 weeks and 6 days he was measuring 36 weeks, 2 days and 6 lbs. 5 oz.

Cravings- Cold fruit. Ice cold water. Carbs.

Aversions- Leftovers.

Weight gain- 29 pounds (can't believe I just put that on the interwebs)

Other- I totally think he's going to be late (but I thought he was a girl). I'm not "so ready to not be pregnant" like a lot of people have asked me, and I could really use a few more months (yes, months) to mentally wrap my mind around this whole thing. David's guess is that he'll weigh 7lbs. 14oz. and arrive on February 13. My dad had a dream that he was born the 12th. I'm thinking the 19th.

shower for baby Stroud

2012-01-18T08:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday I drove to Birmingham for the day to help throw my sweet college friend Brit a baby shower. David was anxious about me traveling, so Mary Shelton came along too! It was a total blessing to have her around- not because I really thought I would go into labor, but because we got such quality time in the car to and from Bham. She and I have actually spent several days together in the last week doing wedding stuff, and it has been SO nice. I love Jan term :).

Anyway, we went to Birmingham. I dropped MS off with her fiance Pat, and I hung out with Ashley, Chase and Candace over breakfast. It worked out perfectly to have a few hours to spend with them before I started in on shower stuff. Ash just got a new job - working DAYS - (yay, Ash!!) so we're really hoping her schedule will still permit for her to get up here with Crawford comes. I'll do my best, Ash!

The shower was so great. I have loved being pregnant with Brit. As an OB nurse (in grad school to be a family nurse practitioner married to an OB/GYN med student), she knows so much about what is going on with our bodies and our babies. Plus, it's just super fun having a friend to text and say "my boobs are huge!" or "what are you plans for diapering?" (we're both doing cloth, btw), etc... I love this friend, and I loved celebrating baby boy Stroud with so many other people who love him already!

Currie Way pals; Stroud fam

boy babies!

beautiful mama!

week 36

2012-01-17T18:59:00.002-05:00

I went to the doctor for my 36 week checkup yesterday, and everything looks great. Mr. Crawford is measuring right on schedule and weighs about 6 lbs. 5 oz. right now. At that rate, if I go to my due date we're looking at an 8+ lb. baby. I've sort of expected that all along (I was 8lbs. 4oz.), but we'll see.

Not much has changed... I'm feeling lots of hiccups, TONS of movement and my fingers are swollen like sausages in the mornings. I had gained 1 pound since my previous appointment two weeks ago.

We're exactly four weeks away from my due date. Holy moly. I made a list of things to have done one month out, and we've accomplished nearly everything. It's been a very productive week!

We went to the hospital one night last week for an infant CPR class (which was pretty much just a refresher from our life guarding days), and while we were there we got a tour and pre-registered.
After a whole lot of rigmarole, we bought a new vehicle. A 2008 Honda Odyssey. A mini-van. We discussed, debated and prayed over this decision WAY more than I expected to, but we're both really pleased with our purchase. We paid cash (woo hoo!) for a vehicle that will last us a good long while, and that was the goal.
We installed the car seat in said van.
I have our bags packed (as much as I can a month out...) and in the car.
Stanley Steamer came and cleaned the carpets in the two upstairs bedrooms and the grout in the kitchen! Hallelujah! Our house feels so clean.

We have so much complete, but I'm starting to freak out about this kid arriving. David is getting more and more excited with each passing day, and his excitement level mirrors my fear level.

Holy crap, we're having a baby.

first day at the new job

2012-01-16T08:54:00.004-05:00

So proud of my handsome man!

my pregnancy must-haves

2012-01-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about what things I've appreciated the most for the past 35.5 weeks, and this list just about sums it up:

iPad. I go to bed super early (like, as early as possible... 9pm latest) and David is sweet to come to bed with me almost every night. We read, pray and then I roll over to sleep while David fires up some shows on the iPad until he's ready to go to sleep.
24oz. Tervis tumbler. I fill it up with ice in the morning and keep pouring water on top of it all day. My boss calls it my sippy cup.
body pillow. The intermittent sleep I do get every night is 100% attributable to this modern marvel. That, and the three or four other pillows that make up my fluffy nest. My poor husband has very little room in our queen size bed these days.

Tylenol. I was an ibuprofen kind of girl pre-pregnancy, and I've found that most people don't have Tylenol on hand. I carry a giant bottle in my purse now so I'm never without something I can take. Granted, I've found that Tylenol doesn't help me much with headaches, but it's been great for my tailbone and back pain.

donut pillow. I seriously could not live without this thing. It's actually Jodi's and I'm going to have to find a replacement to give back to her because I'm sure I've worn this one out beyond the point of returning. I've joked about making a strap for it so I can wear it around my body and have it accessible at all times. It stays in my work chair during the week and I take it home on the weekends.

heating pad. Another "could not live without". I had been rocking a vintage version that was on the fritz, but David blessed me with a brand new version for Christmas. Nothing says romance like a new heading pad!

Netflix. See the first point.

insurance. Especially as both of our job situations are changing right as we are having a baby, I'm super thankful for the timing of it all. We're all covered and we've even gotten to take advantage of a few insurance benefits because of the timing.

Grands buttermilk biscuits. = all of my weight gain.

husband's tshirt wardrobe. I still squeeze into my t-shirts too, but if I'm leaving the house I throw one of his on because it actually covers the whole belly. He likes it when I wear his stuff, too!

Barely There underwear and bras. Sorry if it's TMI, but the moment I knew I was pregnant I needed new (bigger) underwear and bras. The sizes have just kept going up, and these are super comfy! I buy the underwear at Kohls when they go on sale and they send me a $10 off coupon.

week 35

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm super uncomfortable, and maybe that's because I've grown so much in the past few weeks. Thankfully, I'm feeling really good. I still don't sleep well very often, but that's pretty minor. I've had some new hip pain, and my tailbone and back are still not cooperative, but all-in-all, I'm SO fine. Who knows what the next 5 weeks will be like, but for now, I definitely can't complain.

We made some good progress on our "things to do before baby comes" list this weekend. The list really isn't that long, so we're feeling good about being "ready" (I know there's really no such thing). I'm still feeling confident that Mr. Crawford is going to come late, but I want to be prepared just in case he comes early. I don't exactly know how to balance the two conflicting stances... oh well.

Exciting things coming up:

Brit's baby shower in Birmingham this weekend
Carpets being professionally cleaned this weekend! Woo hoo!
David starting his new job next week.
Three (!!) Chattanooga baby showers in the weeks following
Just 15 more days of work

favorite gifts of 2011

2012-01-09T08:56:00.001-05:00

I know Christmas was lots of weeks ago, but David and I got some pretty awesome gifts that I didn't want to neglect to mention altogether.

My dad gave David his very favorite gift of all. He's been talking about buying a Little Tykes basketball hoop since we found out about this baby, and I've been asking him to hold off until we at least had a child who was able to use it. My dad couldn't resist, and David LOVES it! Seriously, he had it set up in no time and he plays with it all the time. Love him!

The hoodie he's wearing was a Christmas gift too!

Greg gave us one of the other best gifts of the year: oragami birds for the nursery! We hung them over the crib right away, and I love how they look! It's extra special to me that Greg (Uncle GG) made them. I hope Crawford loves looking at the one day.

David had me believing that he hadn't gotten me anything for Christmas (which was mostly fine, but I probably would have bit a bit disappointed), so I was totally shocked by these Tiffany's earrings that he gave me! I love a little blue box under the tree, and I've been eyeing these earrings for a while now.

Also, David made me all emotional by giving me a pregnancy massage - from David and Crawford. Granted, my emotionals are ridiculously unpredictable, but opening that made me cry! I have it on my calendar, and I am counting down the days!

shower #3- Ohio people

2012-01-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

David's mom and sister threw us the sweetest shower in Oxford last week. We had it at LaRosa's Pizzeria, and it was perfect! We got to see so many sweet Ohio friends and Geyer-side family members, and it really meant a lot to us that everyone came. Several people drove more than an hour to be there, and I still can't believe it. One of the highlights was meeting my dad's cousin and his wife (Johnny and Sue Bourke) for the first time. That's right... they drove 1.5 hours to come to a baby shower for some kids they've never met before! He and my dad recently reconnected on facebook after being out of touch for nearly 45 years. It's so cool to have new family members!

We came home with the van loaded down with goodies for the wee one. Everyone was far too generous, and we are so blessed!

Christmas break part two- Ohio

2012-01-05T08:19:00.000-05:00

We left Columbus on Monday, drove home to do laundry and repack the car, and headed north first thing Tuesday morning. We were so excited to see the Johnsons again - especially those babies :). It was amazing how much they had changed in just two weeks! While we were in town we got to celebrate Jayme's birthday, have a baby shower (more in another post) and visit with David's mom who was in town too. Easter (the next time we'll see the Johnsons) won't come soon enough!!

weeks 33 & 34

2012-01-04T08:53:00.002-05:00

These past few weeks sure have flown by. I knew the holidays would make the time pass quickly, but it's amazing how quickly it has happened.

Honestly, not too much has changed during weeks 33 and 34. Since we were out of town all of last week, I was a bit nervous about sleeping and all the driving, but it was great. I've been sleeping really well (maybe because we've been on vacation for about 2 weeks??), so no complaints there. The car rides were made better by leaving in the mornings (my back didn't have time to start hurting yet) and utilizing my donut and body pillows. I reclined in the back seat for most of the ride home from Ohio and that worked pretty well. David is such a servant, and he drove every mile of our travels. He's quite the servant in SO many areas of our marriage... I am so thankful for that man.

One new development (other than the --- pounds I've added on) is swelling in my hands. My feet haven't swelled much at all, but my hands have started to in the mornings. I never thought about swelling being uncomfortable, but it definitely is. It's so weird!

This baby is still moving a TON. I tell people that he generally moves more often than not, and it's true. I'm so thankful for that reassurance. He's been getting hiccups nearly every day (usually in the evenings), and he's hanging out on the right side of my belly most of the time. I'm also still having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. We went shopping at an outlet mall one day last week, and my contractions were so strong and regular I was starting to get worried. As the day progressed I knew it wasn't real labor, and David realized that I was just super dehydrated. I drank about a gallon of water at dinner time and the contractions subsided majorly.

We went to the doctor yesterday for my 34 week check up, and everything is looking great. They did my Group B Strep test, and while he was down there Dr. B checked me. He said my cervix are really soft already and the baby is SUPER low (I could have told you that!). In fact, he felt his head!! I freaked out and had everyone in the room laughing at my excitement. I know this news doesn't mean anything at all and Crawford could still make his appearance after his due date, but it just makes the whole process seem so immanent.

Christmas break part one- Columbus

2012-01-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

We had a whirlwind Christmas week. We spent time with both of our families, drove about 1,300 miles, gave and received lots of presents, ate way too much food, watched 26 episodes of Friends (in the van, on the road) and seriously enjoyed spending every day for almost two weeks together.

We're both back at work today, and I'm struggling. I miss David. I'm exhausted. I'm huge.

Yesterday marked 34 weeks completed in this pregnancy, and I've fallen way behind on my weekly updates. We go to the doctor this afternoon, and I promise to take a picture and post my update tomorrow! Baby boy and I have done some serious growing over the holidays... yikes.

I guess the best place to start my Christmas break recap is the very beginning. We spent the 23rd-26th in Columbus with my family, and it was great. Other than Chase (Ashley's boyfriend who got an appendectomy for Christmas), we all had a really nice time together. It was pretty bittersweet for me because I knew this was the last traditional Bourke family Christmas we'd be spending together. David and I have planned to spend Christmases at our house when Crawford is here, and I really look forward to creating our own family memories. I was hormonal and excessively emotional, but I survived.

We loved spending time with Greg, who is home from Boston for the break. I hate that he lives so stinking far away, but when we're all together it's like we were never apart. The next time we'll see GG is over his spring break when he'll come to meet his nephew, which is pretty nuts to think about.

We had such a great time with the Bourke side of the family, but we packed up and headed north to Ohio for part two of Christmas break!

a new season

2011-12-30T19:56:00.002-05:00

Just in time to kick off a new year, David has a new job!

He will start on January 16 as the Manager of Capitol Planning at Mohawk Industries. We feel so blessed by the timing of this new opportunity, and we don't hesitate for a second to acknowledge the Lord's hand in this new phase of life. Just as I am quitting my job (Feb. 3 is my last day at UTC), David will start this new one. It definitely will be an interesting transition as we adjust to all kinds of new in 2012, but we are excited to see what the Lord has in store!

it is finished.

2011-12-24T05:32:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of. Recovering this chair turned out to be the biggest pain-in-the-rear, but I finished it. It was hard for me mostly because I had no idea what I was doing, and I considered loading the thing back up and taking it with me to Columbus so my mom could help me. If you come to my house please don't inspect it. In fact, please don't even move the pillow out of the way. Fortunately, the thing is comfortable and the pattern on the fabric is super forgiving.

week 32

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little (ok, a lot) behind on this week's post. Sorry... Our evenings have been full, and getting this picture taken took a few days!

This week has been a good one on the baby front. We spent Saturday in breastfeeding/daddy boot camp classes, accordingly. Even though neither one was earth-shattering, we both learned a few new things and had plenty to discuss afterwards. I found myself sitting there thinking about actually meeting my little man, and I'm getting so excited! We also went to a childbirth class Monday night, but it was pretty lame. The lady just read straight from a PowerPoint and we watched a bunch of outdated videos. David said he could have taught the class, and he's pretty much right. Once again, I'm so thankful for the advice/examples/testimonies of so many friends and family members! I feel pretty well-informed because of their willingness to share with me. I say well-informed because I know I can't be prepared at all. I have low expectations of this whole having-a-baby thing because I have no idea what it is going to be like.

Other miscellaneous stuff: I have noticed that my fingernails and toenails are growing SO fast! I wish my hair was doing the same... I want it long again! I've had ~~side effects~~ gas from milk pretty much throughout the whole pregnancy, but it has gotten intense in the last couple of weeks (ask Beth!). I talked to the doctor about it and have since been taking some medicine for the lactose issue. It seems to be working like a charm. My only concern... does this mean the baby will have cows' milk allergies/issues?? Please say no!

We're gearing up for a big Christmas on the road, and we are both so excited to spend time with our families. It is NUTS to think that this time next year we'll have a mobile (presumably) little boy on our hands, and Christmas will be a whole different ball game.

a closet cleanup

2011-12-21T14:27:00.001-05:00

I have been feeling an overwhelming urge to nest lately, so I decided to do some good with it. I called Lynn, asked if I could come over and organize their game closet.

A Suburban full of giveaway stuff, five garbage bags and about three hours later, we (me, Hayden, Lynn and a bit of help from the boys) had accomplished this:

Before and after (obviously)

It felt SO good!

Now, on to the next closet I can find...

shoes for Paige

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Pinterest, I was really motivated to make the babies' Christmas presents this year. I re-made a few things I've done before (the best burp cloths and a taggies blanket for each kid), plus a couple new projects. I made them each a bapron, and they are so cute! I've made several now for baby shower gifts, and I need to make one for Crawford. I just use flannel and store-bought bias tape, so it's actually a really simple project. Flannel is my favorite baby fabric because it's so absorbent. Now I make nursing covers out of it too- it just makes sense! On Black Friday I bought 19 yards from JoAnns (it was $1.49/yard!!), so I'm well stocked for baby projects into infinity.

Also, using this tutorial (with a few alterations... ribbon for the straps, no faux suede sole, no interfacing... ok, so I took the lazy way out) I made Paige some of the sweetest shoes! The first pair was a pain to make, but as soon as they were finished I had to make a second.

week 31

2011-12-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

After spending last week with the Johnson babies, I am even more excited for my own to arrive! I sure hope Crawford was paying attention to how well-behaved his cousins were because it would be super nice if he was the same way. It's a little wild to think that Beth had those babies at the exact point in her pregnancy that I am right now. Crawford weighs approximately what Paige and Bryce did when they were born (3 lbs. 3-13oz.). But hopefully he'll wait until February-ish to make his entrance into the world. It was nuts holding Paige and thinking that I might birth a baby her size (she is 8 lbs. 13 oz... hopefully he isn't that big, but my brother was 8 lbs. 13 oz. so you never know).

At the doctor this week, Crawford measured right on schedule. The visit was pretty uneventful, which is amazingly reassuring! I am so thankful for a pretty boring pregnancy.

I'm feeling really great, overall. I'm going to bed crazy early and loving every second of sleep I get. I've gained one pound in the past two weeks, so I'm getting used to the way my body is right now (just as it's about to change, I'm sure). I'm drinking lots of water and consequently, peeing a ton.

I won't go back to the doctor until after the new year because we'll be traveling for Christmas to see both of our families, but I'm ok with that. David and I are counting down the days until we begin our holiday traveling, and we are so looking forward to this last Christmas as a family of two. Next year will be SO different!

my week with the babies

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I left town on Wednesday to head to Ohio and spend some long-overdue time with Beth and the babies. I flew up there and David and Patrick Bryant drove up Friday night to join me. It was pretty wonderful to not have to make the 6 hour drive twice (especially by myself one way!), and I cannot stress how much I LOVED my time with the Johnsons. I had never spent any time with David's family without David, but it was totally wonderful. Jayme is back at work and Brianna goes to all-day kindergarten, so Beth and I had all day Thursday and Friday to hang out, do craft projects, watch movies (4 Harry Potters in 4 days!) oh, and take care of two totally adorable newborn babies. Who, by-the-way, are about as close to perfect as two babies come. Seriously, they are the most pleasant, easy going kiddos ever!

beautiful Paige! Unfortunately, I hardly took any pictures of Bryce... he likes the swing and Paige likes the vibrating seat. Obviously, it's easier to take pictures of a kid in a stationery chair than one that swings.

Beth had a to-do list for us, and we were able to accomplish every project. We made bed skirts for the cribs (out of burlap, which is a bit heavier than I expected and they need some tweaking... sorry Beth!), a pelmet board for the window (with a crooked ribbon... ugh! I may have left Beth with more work than she had when I arrived), hung the two awesome monograms she got to go above the cribs, changed out some ribbon on a frame and hung it too.

Left side before and after

Right side before and after

Like I mentioned, Patty spent the weekend with us so he could see Ohio and go to his first hockey game. We also took it as a great opportunity to begin training him on baby care. He was a natural! Not to mention, Brianna was obsessed with him. She was so excited for him to come because she thought he looked like Justin Bieber :). haha!

Brianna, as usual, loved seeing her Uncle David. She's big on calling us "Aunt Emily" and "Uncle David" right now, which is adorable. She LOVES her baby brother and sister, and really is such a helpful big sis.

All in all, it was such a sweet time away from home. As we pulled away early Sunday morning, I told the boys that if we didn't have plans to see the Johnsons again in just a couple short weeks, I definitely would have been crying!

week 30

2011-12-06T09:19:00.000-05:00

Week 30?! What in the world. I cannot believe that I'm 75% of the way finished cooking this baby boy.

I haven't spent much time thinking about labor and birth, but several reminders lately that our little guy could come next month have made his impending arrival much more realistic! I've been crossing things off the to do list (unfortunately, not the chair yet...) and starting new ones! Our plan is to have all the essentials in place about a month before his arrival, even though I am certain he will make his appearance after February 14. My last day of work is officially going to be Friday, February 3 and I plan on spending the remaining couple of weeks sleeping, reading and doing fun craft projects rather than stressing about stuff I need to get finished.

In my 30th week, I have found the following symptoms to be most evident:

Forgetfulness. I walked into my boss's office the other day and said "what do I do with my time sheet? I can't remember." I've turned in 40 time sheets since I've worked at UTC... seriously? She cracked up laughing at me because she knew it was the pregnancy brain talking.
Braxton Hicks contractions. They are pretty constant these days. I have them more often when I'm walking or doing something strenuous (like sitting up in bed, ha!).
Movement. I've been feeling him more for a while now of course, but he's graduated on to doing stuff that literally takes my breath away. It's amazing how busy he is! I love the constant reminder that he's growing and moving inside of me. I'm definitely going to miss that after he's here.
Peeing. A TON. It's so weird that I will sometimes feel like I have to go so badly then it's just a tiny trickle that comes out.
Intolerance. I have zero tolerance for stupid people. We've had workers updating our smoke detectors at work, and they have been all-around inconsiderate. I laid into this guy and I think he got the message. Don't be a jerk to a pregnant lady. Just don't.
Back/Tailbone pain. I've gotten pretty used to this since I've been dealing with it since the very beginning of my pregnancy, but it's still not fun. Jodi's donut pillow is literally a lifesaver, and coupled with a couch pillow from home my desk chair at work is bearable. I use my heating pad in bed at night, and I ice my tailbone as often as I can.
Other minor stuff: a little heartburn, my feet get numb when I sit at my desk for long periods of time, leg cramps (mostly in my right leg) in the middle of the night
Counting kicks. Not a symptom, just a new development...

Overall, I am so good. David is so good to me, and I love listening to him pray for our son every night. He is going to be the best dad, ever. We're just loving this season all the way around. We have so much to be thankful for!

lovely weekend

2011-12-05T08:57:00.001-05:00

We really did have a lovely weekend. For the first time in a countless number of weeks, we had very few things on the agenda, and it was good for our hearts. A few highlights:

Friday night we rented a Red Box movie, ordered a pizza and vegged out. I feel asleep about 1/4th of the way into the movie, and got an awesome night's sleep!
Saturday we ran a bunch of errands together, pretty much finished all of our Christmas shopping, and crossed a bunch of "to do" items off our list. Definitely my favorite way to start a Saturday.
That afternoon we went to Ellie Ehinger's first birthday party! I cannot believe she is (almost) one. It was adorable to see her running around with her friends, smashing into her cake and opening the occasional present. We went to church afterwards, and I crashed when we got home (which is becoming our new normal).
Saturday night church makes Sundays even more awesome. After sleeping in (until 8am! that is late for us!), David painted the porch, I worked on (and finished) a bunch of sewing projects, and we met the Lapinski's for lunch at Ichiban. For the first time ever, I ate my entire meal! Who does that at Ichiban?! I was starvin like Marvin. I reminisced about how the last time we ate there, as soon as I was finished, I ran to the bathroom and threw up my whole meal. I'm so thankful that season has passed.
Instead of taking a killer nap like I was planning to do, Leigh convinced me to go walk with her. David dopped me off, and us two pregnant ladies walked from the Linhoss house to our house (3.25 miles). It was so great to spend time with Leigh, be outside on a beautiful day, and feel like I was doing good things for my body. My tailbone hated me for the rest of the night (I'm so over that), but it was well worth it.
Then (I know! More good stuff!), our small group girls went to see Breaking Dawn together. The movie was just fine, but the company was even better. We made fun of it pretty much the entire time, oh, and I ate a ton of candy.

Well... that turned into a play-by-play instead of just a list of highlights, but I guess that's what happens when everything you do in a weekend was good. I am so thankful for weekends that roll on by without any fuss. Low-key, productive and David/friend-filled is my kind of quality time, and it seems that the holiday season brings this kind of time around most regularly. Thank you, Lord!

in the works

2011-12-02T09:33:00.000-05:00

Oh, the chair. I know this doesn't look like progress, but it is! Making a "pattern" was my step one in the arduous process of recovering this bad boy. I know I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill on this one, but whatever. I'll just be glad when it is finished.

My first attempt at crocheting. I have a ways to go, but I really had fun learning! I'm flying to Ohio next week, and I'm excited about working on a few projects on the plane.

Because we aren't going to be around for Christmas (we'll be gone the 23-30th), we decided not to put our Christmas tree up. Bah humbug, I know. Our house is still on the market and cleaning is already a hassle, why add more clutter to the mix? We did get out my favorite Christmas decor- the Christmas card holder (with ours at the top! They are in the mail!), Willow Tree nativity and Christmas village. Because we buy Christmas village pieces the day after Christmas (there is a store in Columbus that has them 50% off on the 26th), it was so fun to put them out this year. It was like opening new gifts!

SD- sights

2011-12-01T06:20:00.000-05:00

Balboa Park

Automotive Museum - Their special exhibit was all about Volkswagen! Unfortunately, it was extremely lacking in that it didn't include anything about the Chattanooga plant (which is the only US plant and making the only American-made VW). Don't worry, I left lots of comments :)

Air and Space Museum- the helicopter is (pretty much) just like the ones my dad flew in the Marine Corps!

beach at Hotel del Coronado

San Diego Zoo

La Jolla Cove- our favorite location of the whole trip. It was beautiful!

PS- I didn't wear that orange scarf the entire trip, just most of it. It was surprisingly cool in SD, and I was slightly unprepared... Thanks for the scarf, Beth!

SD- family and friends

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

One of the best parts about our recent trip (second only to massive amounts of sleep) was that we got to see so many special people.

We left Chattanooga and went straight to the McLeod's house. We hadn't met sweet Magnolia yet, so it was even more of a treat. Blair and I talked all things pregnancy and mommy-hood, and the Davids... well, I don't know what they talked about. David and I love these friends so much, and our time together was so sweet.

Blair, David and Magnolia McLeod

We flew to San Diego on Sunday, and as soon as we landed we jumped in our rental car and headed to meet Dale and Becky Burke. We met at The Beach House in Cardiff by the Sea, which was a beautiful spot on the ocean. Unfortunately, the weather was horrible, and we didn't get to enjoy the typical experience you get while eating there. It definitely didn't damper our time together, though! The Burkes are good friends of the Geyer family from way back. Dale was the first pastor of the church David grew up in, and Becky and Cathy are still really close friends. We calculated that David hadn't seen Dale and Becky since he was 12 (and I had never met them, obviously) , so we had lots of catching up to do! We visited for nearly 2.5 hours until the restaurant basically had to kick us out. It was SO special to meet them and hear about the many wonderful things God has done in and through their lives.

Dale and Becky Burke

Finally, Monday night we met up with my cousin Felicity, her fiance Reggie, my cousin James (Felicity's brother) and his girlfriend Carleigh. Felicity and Reggie live in San Diego, but James and Carleigh were just in town visiting from DC! We had actually hoped to see James when we were in Virgina a few months ago, but it didn't work out, so it was an even more special treat to meet up on the west coast! We hadn't seen any of them since our wedding, and David had never really spent time getting to know these cousins. We ate and laughed and hung out all night on Monday, and we met up with James and Carleigh again for lunch on Tuesday (in the Gaslamp District). They were such a fun bunch, and I hope we can meet up with them again soon (maybe on the east coast next time).

James, Carleigh, Reggie and Felicity

weeks 28 & 29

2011-11-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

Week 28

I was officially 28 weeks pregnant while we were in California, so the picture is fitting (I'm on the beach at the Hotel del Coronado). Traveling across the country pregnant made me a tiny bit nervous, but everything was great. I broke my own tradition of never peeing on an airplane because, well, it was a long flight. In fact, the day we traveled west I peed 14 times. Yes. We kept track. I mean, it was ridiculous. My back and tailbone did bother me a lot on the plane, and I was really glad I brought a neck pillow- that I used for my back! I tried an icy hot patch, but panicked when it started tingling and feeling weird. I've since checked with the doc and know I'm safe to try again.

I slept like a ROCK on our trip. I don't know if it was just because we were out of town and worry-free or because of the king size bed (we have a queen), but regardless it was glorious. I literally slept for 12+ hours a night and napped each afternoon. Why must we return to real life and work?! We did tons of walking the whole time we were there (when I was actually awake), and I felt great!

Week 29

I went to the doctor for my 19 week appointment and everything is looking great. I passed my glucose test and got to see our little man (who was, of course, sleeping during the ultrasound). The highlight of the appointment was noticing that Crawford has giant chubby cheeks!! Oh, I hope he keeps those for the next 10+ weeks! We're onto the every-two-week schedule for doctor appointments, and that makes me really happy. I know I sound like a broken record, but I am SO thankful that Dr. B does an ultrasound at every appointment. That should have been my one thing to share at Thanksgiving this year. I've told David we're never moving away unless Dr. Brody comes too.

I have gained a significant amount of weight. I'm still below average on the babble pregnancy weight gain calculator (my fav pregnancy/baby/mom site), and even though I'm sure it doesn't matter, that makes me feel better. I'm already pretty sick of the clothes I have to wear to work, and I have 2 months left to go.

My mom made a cute "countdown to Crawford" sign for us, and we love flipping those numbers every day. We're 75 days away from his due date, but I'm totally expecting him to be late. My parents have thrown their guesses in the hat, and I think we'll start writing them down to see who gets his birthday correct. We'll know before too long! We have SO much to look forward to this month that I know it will fly by, but I'm already anticipating that January will inch along slowly.

still here

2011-11-28T10:43:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus. We've been on-the-move, and stopping to blog just wasn't a priority.

David and I left town last Saturday (yikes, it's been a long time!) to begin our Thanksgiving week. We decided to take the whole week of Thanksgiving off work to provide for some quality time together and a getaway trip. We spent one night in Nashville, hung out with the McLeods and took off early Sunday morning for sunny San Diego. We knew we wanted to take a "babymoon" trip, but we debated back and forth for a loooong time about where we wanted to go. Our criteria ended up looking like this: warm-ish weather (but not too warm... I don't have warm-weather clothes that fit), somewhere we've never been before, sights to see but not so many that we felt like we had to be on-the-go constantly. Thus, San Diego. It really was the perfect trip for what we had in mind. We got to see some friends and some family, see some sights, do some fun things and rest a lot. Pics and details to come.

We arrived at home at 3am Thanksgiving day. After sleeping for a few hours (D made an airport run around 6:30! yikes!), we roused our sleepy heads to do a little laundry, a little cooking and a little parade watching. We joined the Hudson/Mosier/Bryant families for lunch, and loved our time with them (of course). Jim and Nancy Hudson hosted, and it was such a nice day. Before we prayed, we stood around in a circle, holding hands and sharing what we are thankful for. There were tears shed (mine, of course) and laughs all around (Jay tried to get away with a "pass" and Margaret Anne simply said her traditional "dogs!"). Of course, we have so much to be thankful for this year, as we do every year. Making a life really puts thankfulness into perspective, and we certainly didn't want to overlook that this year.

Even though we got home on Thursday, it felt like our long weekend was a total blur! We did so many fun things (Black Friday shopping, first annual family football game, smores and pizza at the Hudsons, breakfast with Anna, Jessica's baby shower, Alabama/Auburn game party, Calvary kids at church), and by Sunday we were ready to crash. I didn't leave the house all day, and it was glorious. I even learned how to crochet!

Now, we're starting off another week full of activities and fun, and counting down until Christmas!

nursery update

2011-11-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

I've been saying that I'd update the ol' blog with pictures of the nursery, but it wasn't until the progress we David made last night that I felt ready to do it.

We really have made lots of progress, and I'm happy with the way things are turning out. I should note... in all these pictures, the green paint looks like puke. I promise, we did not paint our nursery puke-green. It's much better in person.

Ok, now onto a list (because that's how I do things):
1. We got the chair from Columbus.

2. I made a pillow (that Wendi embroidered).
3. My mom recovered the cushion.
4. We sanded and painted the side table.

Obviously, this pink chair isn't quite cutting it. I have every intention of spending lots of time making a slipcover for this bad boy, but I haven't mustered up the energy to do it yet. In the mean time, I keep pinning tutorials I plan to follow. It's my December project! Hold me to it!

5. The pelmets are finished! Wendi (my monogramming lifesaver) monogrammed the one you see from the hallway and when you walk in the door, and I love the way it looks.

6. Crib "skirt". I say "skirt" because I made it in about 10 minutes with a piece of linen that I cut to the right length and some sticky velcro circles. It is nothing fancy, but it serves the purpose of covering that blank space beneath where the crib mattress goes (currently, the only purpse the crib serves is to corral gifts that don't otherwise have a home. Where IS all of this stuff going to go?!).

7. Full bed. We knew we wanted to keep the bed in the nursery, but we didn't like how it stuck out so far in the middle of the room. So, we bought a cheap-o metal bed frame to switch out with the head board/foot board bed frame and turned the whole thing sideways. Actually, David did all of this. I was at dinner with some girlfriends :). We still need to change out all the blue things on the bed (to brown accessories), but at least it's out of the way! And, the bench works well under that window, so it'll probably live there. Now it's just a place to set stuff that needs to be hung on the wall to add to that lone frame...

8. Miscellaneous. I made this pillow and taggies blanket both out of some satin that had a "G" embroidered on it from our wedding. I love the way they both turned out, but I'm particularly obsessed with the blanket. Nothing new on the other side of the room, but the bottom shelf of the bookshelf is FULL of books now! I need to get different baskets for the top 2 shelves, because this kid already has tons of stuff.

week 27- THIRD Trimester!

2011-11-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

Two thirds of the way to meeting this baby?? How is that even possible?

Once again, a weekly post in bullet point format (sorry, I'm getting lazy). At 27 weeks pregnant, I am:

peeing a ton.
figuring out work stuff (new insurance, leave time, etc.).
eating fruits and carbs, but thankfully not much dessert!
writing thank you notes as quickly as possible (and feeling very, very blessed by all the gifts).
overall, feeling like a house (and really hating that every pound I gain shows up in my face. Why can't it go to my butt??).
noticing that my belly button looks like a cheerio that fell down my shirt.
dealing with these symptoms= back & hip pain, leg cramps at night and feet falling asleep at my desk.
trying to finagle a way to sleep at night with the heating pad on my back and about a half a dozen pillows to prop me up. Then, reconfiguring the whole set up each time I get up to pee.
trying to find a place for David to fit on the bed (what with half a dozen pillows taking up all the room).
loving feeling Mr. C move all the time. He's getting into a daily rhythm, so I know when to expect him the most.

baby showers

2011-11-14T08:53:00.000-05:00

I know I'm super behind on posting about my baby shower last week, so I figured I'd just do both showers in one post.

Shower #1- Columbus shower

My parents next door neighbor Brenda threw us an amazing couples shower before we got married, and she did it again with this baby shower. She is THE ultimate hostess, and she really has a gift for making things beautiful and enjoyable. She arranged the gorgeous flower arrangements, prepared the most amazing lunch and dessert, used her fine china, silver and crystal and did it all with so much grace! I would have been a stress ball, but she is such a natural.

This shower had so many highlights, so I posted a whole bunch of pictures on facebook. I got to see a whole bunch of sweet friends from Columbus who made time to be there. Additionally, my Aunt Susie, cousin Mary and her daughter Reagan drove up from Jacksonville and my cousin Kim and her daughter Amber drove down from Atlanta! It really meant SO much to have family there since we see each other so rarely. Also, my high school government teacher (who is still friends with my mom through Curves) and my longest-time friend came! I hadn't seen Mrs. Thacker probably since high school, and Niki is currently wrapping up med school and traveling around for residency interviews. It was so fun to see them and catch up with them both!

Buckley fam (sidenote: 5 of the 8 of us have Louise as our middle name!); with Niki and Mrs. Thacker

Shower #2- Birmingham shower

This past weekend my sister threw a book shower in Birmingham! I just went down for the day to hang out with Ash, Courtney, Jonathan and my parents and it was so nice. Ashley and Courtney spent the day preparing everything, and it was all perfect. I got to see so many fun Birmingham friends, and we got SO many awesome books. Ashley figured since I love to read so much, the book theme was appropriate- I couldn't agree more.

my dad painted my fingernails :)

MS, Jamie, Kara; Mom, Raylene ("Gran") and Rita

Awesome set up! Ash even made the onesies herself (so much for not being crafty!)

Caitlin, Jenn, Ashley, me, Jamie, Mary Shelton, Kara, Courtney and Jenny; GranMols and Grandy

Not many pictures of me will survive from this weekend because... well... it was definitely an ugly day. I haven't gained too much weight (I'm actually on the low end according to those online calculators), but it ALL shows in my face. Ugh. Oh well. Crawford is worth it!

"This is a time of abundance in your life. Your cup runneth over with blessings... you are now traipsing through lush meadows drenched in warm sunshine. I want you to enjoy to the full this time of ease and refreshment. I delight in providing it for you."

I read this in my devotional a few days ago and it could not be more true after the past two weekends.

check out my dad

2011-11-10T09:44:00.001-05:00

He's pretty great!

http://qmyvoice.com/

(Especially listen to the Biographical one- he submitted a video using the same script to become a contestant on Survivor about 5 years ago.)

cushion: check!

2011-11-09T16:26:00.001-05:00

One of the things we needed to accomplish with our trip to Columbus this weekend was to retrieve my new (to me) rocking chair that my mom and I found at Goodwill. In discussing how I am going to recover the thing, my mom offered to do the cushion for me (because I knew I'd screw it up). She just texted me a picture of the finished product (yes, already!) and it looks AMAZING. I decided to order fabric from fabric.com, which was a bit of a gamble, but I really love how it looks. Now, I just have to recover the rest of the chair!

Thanks, Mom!!

Now seriously... when do you want to come help me do the rest of the chair??

week 26

2011-11-09T08:51:00.001-05:00

Mr. Crawford has had the hiccups! He usually gets them in the wee hours of the morning, so I only kinda pay attention to them. It's usually during that time when I'm between fully asleep and awake, but it's fun to know he's still going strong.
I had my first baby shower this weekend! It was so, so wonderful. Full post coming soon.
Watch out, world. I'm irritable and moody like whoa. Seriously, everyone and everything is annoying to me (sometimes... I guess it's not like that 100% of the time).
The belly button is officially an outie.
We took Monday off work and stayed at my parents house for a long weekend, and we loved it. Obviously it was so nice to be with my family, but another huge perk was that we sleep in a king size bed at their house. I had the best 3 nights sleep I've had in 6 months, and I wish I could have brought that bed home with me.
Cancel what I said last week about only feeling Crawford move below my belly button. He's graduated to moving all around, everywhere, all the time. It was fun that my mom, dad and sister all got to feel him move (at home, at church and at JoAnns!) this weekend.

The Rimers of Eldritch

2011-11-04T12:42:00.003-04:00

Last night we went to Baylor to see Grace as Nellie Windrod in The Rimers of Eldritch. The play was... interesting... but Grace was great! She definitely stretched herself for the role, and we loved getting to watch her. Being there made me miss going home to see my brother's high school plays, and I'm sad he's performing so far away now!

week 25

2011-11-03T11:09:00.002-04:00

I figured it'd be fun to have my 25 week picture in my Halloween costume since Oct. 31 is my 25th week checkpoint.

I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions very regularly (like 3-4 times a day), and Dr. Brody said they are worse when you are tired or dehydrated. Well, I'm always tired... And, I have to decide if I'd rather have the contractions or be up all day/night going pee. I do drink a ton of water, and I can tell a difference when I'm slacking. Fortunately, the Braxton Hicks contractions are pretty cool to watch! It doesn't hurt at all, but because this boy is sooo low, every time one happens I feel like my belly is full of bricks. It's weird. It's especially strange if I'm standing when it happens. If I'm sitting or lying down, I don't notice it as much (unless I'm looking at my belly!). Anyone else have them a bunch?? Melissa??

Crawford is still a little jumping bean in there. Some days he moves constantly all day long, and he seriously is so low. Obviously I don't have anything to compare it to, but I hope it's all good that he's hanging out in my pelvis, not so much my belly. I seriously haven't felt one movement above my belly button!

I've gained 13-14 pounds, and except for pictures from unflattering angles (a picture on the stairs at the baby shower?? what were we thinking?), I'm feeling pretty good about my body.

We head to Columbus on Friday for my first shower on Saturday, and I CAN.NOT.WAIT! Two of my cousins and their daughters and my aunt are all coming (plus my sister from Bham), and it means soo much to me that they would all travel to be there!

trick or treat

2011-11-02T09:55:00.001-04:00

The Linhosses

The Bogensbergers

The Rochas

The Geyers

shower for Wuby/Shiloh

2011-11-01T11:45:00.001-04:00

This weekend was full! David's grandparents were here until Sunday morning and as soon as they left, baby-shower-prep began! It's always nice to have special occasions at your house so there is some immediate motivation to get stuff done. David made our weekly grocery run (he always does, it saves us money!) and got started on the crib while I mopped and vaccuumed and cleaned the house. We make a good team, and we had all of the essential stuff ready in time for people to arrive.

This baby shower was definitely the most special one I've ever been a apart of. Every baby is a gift, but the sweet girl that Jan and Andrea are adopting from Ethiopia is a particularly special blessing. As I write this, they are on their way to Ethiopia, and they will meet their daughter on Thursday! It has been a long road for the Asches, but their unwavering faith has been such a testimony to so many of us. On top of the fact that Jan & Andrea are bringing home Wuby/Shiloh (Wubnesh Ademitulu is her Ethiopian name that will remain as her middle name, Shiloh is her new name!), they are in the process of moving back to Michigan. So, the shower was especially bittersweet knowing that we won't get to be a part of this little one's life on a daily basis like we would all so love to do. The Asches will be near family and Shiloh will have no shortage of people to love her, and for that we're all thankful.

SO many wonderful people came to celebrate Andrea and Shiloh, and it was such a special day. We laughed and we cried, and hopefully we'll all get to meet our new little friend in no time!

Africa-shaped cookie cake (turned sideways); Wendi and Ellie

Maya in her Halloween costume; Andrea, Emory, Anna and Jodi

Opening such thoughtful gifts!

Mother-in-law from Germany, Andrea with her Ethiopia baby, Mom from America- SOO SPECIAL!

hostesses with our new scarves

love this friend!

We're going to miss you!

a place for baby to sleep

2011-10-31T13:57:00.001-04:00

David's grandparents stopped in for a visit over the weekend on their way to Sanibel, and it was so fun. We ate at Southern Star Friday night and spent time together at home for the night. David had to work Saturday morning, so Grammy Rae and I figured out how to work my new serger (which was a pain.in.the.butt. but we she eventually got it working) and Papa Dale played with the dogs and rested. David made it home around lunch time and we all went out to lunch, then on to Children's Fair! We got our new van on Friday, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to go ahead and buy our crib. Unfortunately, the crib didn't fit in the van... David and our neighbor (and his truck) went back that afternoon to pick it up, and D got it put together the next morning (just in time for a baby shower... details to come)!

We love it! The nursery is really coming together!

shirts for Crawford

2011-10-27T11:30:00.000-04:00

Can't wait for a little guy to put inside these onesies!

week 24- 6 months!

2011-10-26T09:10:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I'm six months pregnant! It seriously has flown by, and I'm sure February will be here in no time! This weekend begins a month of craziness for us, and by the time we're back on a regular schedule it will be December. That is nuts.

We had to re-schedule my usual Monday doctor appointment because Dr. B was off delivering some twins, and I was bummed at first but it worked out perfectly because David wasn't going to be able to come on Monday. Everything was great with Dr. Brody, as usual. I hope I never take for granted those uneventful doctor's appointment. The best news is the Crawford looks wonderfully healthy and he flipped over! Yay for being head down :). His movements are SO big and pronounced now, and we should just get rid of our TV because I can watch my belly for entertainment for hours. Now that we saw him again, it's fun to feel him move and be able to identify what body part we're probably seeing/feeling.

Because of the trip we're taking Thanksgiving week, I won't be able to go back to the doctor for FIVE weeks. Good thing we have a lot going on because it's going to be torture to wait that long, I'm sure. They will do my glucose test at that next appointment and then I'll begin going every two weeks! woo hoo!

We've begun the pediatrician interview process, and it's just weird. Of the three we're checking out, I know we'll be well taken care of no matter what we decide. Other than my usual pregnant gasiness, I've discovered that drinking milk = GAS. Whoa nelly. Unfortunately, milk is one of the few healthy things I've craved, and I feel like I need to drink it as much as I can. So, watch out down wind...

I got my second shower invitation in the mail (this actually should have gone on last week's post...). My sweet sis is throwing a book shower for us in Birmingham! I can't wait to hang out with her (two weekends in a row!) and my other Birmingham friends in just a few weeks. Should be fun.

So much good stuff going on, and we are so thankful. I haven't said it enough, but David has been totally wonderful. For the first few months he was busy holding my hair back and cleaning up more vomit than should be discussed, but lately he has been just as helpful. I have been a list-making, cleaning-out, organizing, project-doing fiend, and he is so willing to do whatever it is that will make me happy (and keep me from crying). He constantly encourages me to rest as much as possible, and he is SO loving... I just don't deserve him. When I want to go to bed at 8:45 (every night) he goes with me because he knows that I hate going to bed alone. Considering that I'm up all night long, that man is getting some good sleep these days! I don't think he could have one more ounce of excitement to meet this little boy, and it is the cutest thing I've ever seen. He is going to be the best daddy ever, but definitely not at the expense of continuing to be an amazing husband. I can't wait to share this new journey with him.

1 window, a monogram and a changing pad

2011-10-24T19:28:00.001-04:00

Since I want to go ahead and post nursery progress even though it is truly a work in progress, here are 3 things that are mostly finished:

1. The window coverings in the dormer

We made pelmets/cornice boards for the two windows in the nursery, and this one is finally finished. The other one is getting monogrammed (!), so it isn't complete yet. The pelmet project ended up being more involved than I planned for, but they are hanging sturdily and we hope they stay that way!

I made curtains out of some white fabric that I got at a yard sale a long time ago, and I added the pom pom trim to the center of them. They're a bit long, but once my rocking chair (recovered in this fun fabric! I can't wait!) is in there you won't even notice :).

We bought the side table on clearance at Hobby Lobby, and it was a fun green color that totally went with the room when it was going to be brown. It didn't work with our now-green room, so we spray painted it brown, and it's good to go.

2. Wall monogram

I promise this is hanging straight... I just can't take a good picture apparently. I made this over Labor Day out of mostly extra stuff I had around the house - 3 flat canvases, scrap fabric from other nursery plans and I bought the letters at HL (of course). I would show the rest of the bookshelf, but it is currently covered in crap that needs to find a new home.

3. Changing pad cover

Nothing revolutionary, but I was really proud of my sewing work (for once!). We bought the changing pad at the JBF sale this weekend so I could go ahead and make my cover, and I love how it turned out (I used this tutorial- thanks Pinterest!). The fabric is fleece that I bought out of JoAnn's clearance bin months ago, and I love it! My mom helped me find some more of it at her JoAnns, so I'm trying to think of other projects to use it on.

My goal was to have most of my big projects knocked out by the time we go to Columbus (Nov. 4!) because as soon as we get the rocking chair THAT will be my big project. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I think I'm going to forgo my 2nd biggest project... crib bumpers. After all the talk in the news lately about not using them it seems silly to spend so much time and effort to make some. We have ones that came in our bassinet (off CraigsList) that actually match the room really well, so I'll probably throw that in the crib if I feel comfortable enough to use it. We're going to get the crib this weekend (when Papa Dale and Grammy Rae come!), and I'm pretty sure that will make it feel like a nursery. Nuts!

small group bdays

2011-10-19T15:34:00.002-04:00

We've had fun celebrating birthdays with our little small group lately!

First was Jodi's (which fell at a perfect time for a picnic in the park):

Then, was Paula's:

We haven't been studying much lately (ok, really nothing at all), but a) we're getting started on a new video series TONIGHT and b) we've been enjoying doing life together. That counts as fellowship, right??

week 23

2011-10-18T19:08:00.001-04:00

One more week gone by...

I feel like I'm having a growth spurt or something... does that happen to pregnant women? Just in the last few days I feel like a totally different (large/uncomfortable) person. Bending over, rolling over, standing up, etc... have all become more challenging. I feel like I'm being whiny, but as I told David, it's SO weird to get used to your body being so different from how it has always been. Sleep is still elusive, and that's just annoying. People keep saying that is is preparing me for when the baby comes, and while I understand that, laying awake all night long now isn't doing anyone much good. It will be much more justified when I have a little guy to tend to. After 3-4 days of waking up before the crack of dawn, I am totally spent.

I woke up Monday morning feeling rough and since I have tons of sick time, David convinced me to stay in bed a bit longer. I went in to work a little late, but I didn't make it all day long. I even ended up calling the doctor because my belly just felt weird. After talking to my mom and the nurse at Dr. B's office, I think I either sat too long at work then stood up and tweaked something or Crawford was sitting/laying in a new/funny way. Regardless, I spent the afternoon and evening in bed (and was sooo bored).

This little boy is sure to be a busy little fella for all the moving he does inside of me. It is constant and I love it! Whenever he is still for a long time I get worried, so I'm glad he's so busy to remind me that he's doing well :).

This picture grosses David out because of how my belly button looks. Ha! He has so much stuff to look forward to that is going to be WAY more gross than that (it sort of looks like my belly button is wearing a hat).

We've made some progress in the nursery, and one day I'll take pictures and blog about it... Nothing is 100% finished so I think I'm just holding out until I can show completion. I'm waiting for Grammy Rae's visit next weekend so she can help me with a few sewing projects!

We go to the doctor on Monday, and I CAN'T wait! We're getting closer and closer to meeting our little fella, and we can't wait!

photo booth with Ella

2011-10-13T16:27:00.000-04:00

She wasn't that into it, but man she's cute!

week 22

2011-10-12T09:22:00.003-04:00

ugh... I got paint all over my shirt when I was crossing off the 20 and 21... It's going to bug me until I'm able to cross that darn 36 off!

Well, week 22 hasn't brought much of anything new, which I suppose is a good thing! A few nights ago we were able to feel a lump that must have been a foot/elbow/knee or something, and it was just sticking out. That was really fun. Also, I can do some cool tricks with my belly button these days, and it totally grosses David out.

We are making some progress on nursery projects, and I'm hoping to get a bunch of things crossed off the list this weekend. There is SO much fun stuff to look forward to in the next month, I can hardly stand it. I got my first baby shower invitation last week and I'm so, so excited. I'm mostly excited to be in Columbus with my family and friends, but I suppose the party and the gifts will be fun too :).

cutest invitation ever! notice the monogrammed blanket... LOVE!!

This is a gross story, but I want to remember it so I'm writing it here... Sunday night I ate some ice cream and almost immediately knew it was a bad idea. I went to the bathroom expecting to just throw it up, but much to my surprise nearly all the food I had eaten that day came up too. As soon as I was finished I went straight to bed! I don't know how I was sick like that for 4 months... it totally wipes me out! Anyway, when I woke up Monday morning I realized I had gotten my first uninterrupted night's sleep in weeks, and it was so refreshing. So, as it turns out, if I throw up before I go to bed, I don't have to pee in the middle of the night!

PS- I hope I look like Melissa does at 21 weeks with her THIRD baby! Sheesh! She's amazing.

to Grandmother's house we go

2011-10-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

Last year I went to Virginia to visit my family, but I traveled solo. We knew we wanted to make this an annual trip, but I definitely wanted David to be able to come along this time. Our plans were set to go over Labor Day weekend, but Hurricane Irene left most of my family without power for more than a week, so we rescheduled for this past weekend. It was a SHORT trip, but really all we could fit into our busy fall schedule and we figured some visit was better than nothing (and we were right).

It was pretty special because David has only ever met any of these family members (my dad's step-mom, step-brother and his family) at our wedding, so this was really his first chance to get to know them. We divided our day on Saturday between Grandma and the Coopers, and it worked out very nicely! Even though she's not a morning person, Grandma got up to hang out with us early on Saturday, and we walked around a cute outdoor market and she showed us around her Richmond neighborhood. Uncle Phil, Aunt Annie and baby Cooper picked us up for lunch where we met Claire and Travis. We loved visiting with them all together! They are a hoot.

After lunch, we chatted with Claire for a long while before heading out to do some baby shopping. I so wish we had a Once Upon a Child in Chattanooga! That place was awesome! We got to hang out with Claire, Travis and Cooper a bit more before going back to Grandma's (aka "BB" to Cooper) house for the evening. Cooper was enamored with David, and he kept saying "bye bye David!" over and over again (though he of course wouldn't say it for the camera, and he wouldn't say it to anyone else!). It was precious.

We ate pizza, watched Fox News and talked to Grandma for a while Saturday night. It was so relaxed and normal, you would think we hung out all the time (which was a BIG shocker to me and David). We're already planning for a return trip in the spring with Crawford!

Of course, I hardly took any pictures at all, but these are the ones I did manage to get...

me and Claire; Coop eating a snack

taking a walk in "Gertie's Garden"; David enjoyed the golf simulator at Grandma's house

And some videos (that only my family will care even a little bit about...):

18?!

2011-10-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

Last night we celebrated Patrick's 18th birthday.

What?!

This guy is just wonderful, and we're so thankful to be his friend. Sitting at dinner with the Bryants (we missed Mary Shelton!) + both sets of their wonderful grandparents, I couldn't help but think about our live 18.5 years from now. I pray our son is as grounded, respectful and fun-loving as our Patty. Fortunately, Crawford is coming into this world with some awesome role models.

what I'm...

2011-10-06T14:41:00.000-04:00

reading: Jesus Storybook Bible (David reads it to us every night. It's sweet family time!), Babywise (ugh... talk about overwhelming!) and Breaking Dawn (yeah, I'm random). AND this awesome article. A must read for parents or parents-to-be like us. Wow!

listening to: Pandora- I rotate between my Phil Whickam station and my Mozart station. Ha! Also, Ash sent some awesome instrumental cds (Hymns of Hope, Autumn in New England, Sacred Sounds of the Mountain) that I play when my Pandora runs out for the month (which will probably happen this week for October... ooops.)

wearing: other than trying to maximize my last few days/weeks of summery maternity things (my 3 pairs of go-to work maternity pants are capris...), I'm pumped about two new pairs of shoes:

I've been looking for/wanting to buy some go-to, wear-to-workable (ish), wear-with-socks, flat (but supportive) shoes, and these were the winners. I agonize over shoe purchases, so it was quite a victory to buy two pairs that I'm really happy with. The Lands End clogs are obviously Dansko knock offs, but for $40 (instead of $120), I'm pretty pumped. Plus, Danskos have always felt super heavy to me and these are much lighter. The Toms were Hayden's idea, and I'm so glad I took her advice! I might be pushing it wearing them with black work pants all winter, but oh well.

watching: We're enjoying having new shows come on each week. Some of our favorites are the Little Couple, 19 Kids and Counting (don't judge), Modern Family and Grey's. My favorite show right now is 30 Rock. We watch it on the iPad (from Netflix) and it is awesome! Last night we went to watch an episode and noticed they added another season (or more? 30+ more episodes!) to Netflix and I was pumped!!

eating/drinking: I've added a glass of milk to my grands biscuits routine, and I'm feeling pretty good about that. I haven't had milk to drink in years!

week 21

2011-10-05T08:26:00.001-04:00

This was a big week on the baby front. Pagie went home Friday, and to all of our surprise, Bryce went home Saturday! The whole Johnson family is home together now, just as they should be.

On the home front, we've been busy little bees trying to get some stuff ready for baby G. We spend lots of weekends out of town, so the fact that we were actually home this past weekend made for some serious productivity.

David has been anxious to go register for a while now, but I've been holding off for some reason. We planned a date night on Friday to Target, and it really was so fun (lame?). David bought me my favorite cold weather drink (carmel apple spice from Starbucks) and we meandered through all the aisles. After registering with Sarah and Jodi, not to mention being friends with tons of mamas with babies, I felt like we knew what we wanted/needed pretty well. We decided to register at Target and Amazon.com. I know Babies R Us is great, but honestly, ours is kinda bobo... plus, it's on the opposite side of town and I'd rather not have to go over there. Dumb, maybe, but oh well. I don't even like registering at Target (their website sucks right now)... Amazon is awesome though. They have virtually everything plus the universal registry feature! We're still adding/editing all the time, so please send me your suggestions!

David felt Crawford kick for the first time on Sunday, October 2! He's felt him a few more times since then, and it is so fun to share that experience with him! I told my sister that I hope C's arms work because so far, he's only used his legs to make his presence known (which he does regularly).

We started painting over the weekend, and finished up today! Hayden and I spent hours in there, and David joined me last night to finish up. Within 20 minutes, he had dropped the roller, and it ricocheted off my leg, onto the bed and then the floor. So, he spent the rest of the evening googling how to get paint out of carpet and such while I finished up... Oh well. Now, the room is totally and completely green and ready for the next steps of decorating and organizing. We love it! I'll post pictures soon.

Speaking of organizing... I tend to be a "nesting" type all of the time, but that instinct has kicked into high gear. I will randomly walk through a room and pull everything out of a closet or cabinet to reorganize and declutter. Our house doesn't have much room for storage, so I'm constantly wanting to maximize all of our spaces. I'm bound and determined to not have one thing in our house that we don't use regularly. Next projects: craft supplies (heaven help us) and the attic (we just have to fight the squirrels who live in there).

Sleeping has become a bit of a game for me. Some nights I do and some nights I just don't. Saturday night I almost fell asleep at the dinner table, but I was up and at 'em at 5am on Sunday morning. I'm waking up to pee between 3:30-4:30am, and I almost never fall back asleep. I'm hanging in there though!

As excited as we are to meet our little guy (and, man are we!!), I'm getting giddy over thinking about all the other people who are going to love him and love on him when he arrives. My parents are going to be the best grandparents. Ashley will totally spoil him (and probably let him drink before he's 21), and Greg is going to LOVE having a little one around (he'd much prefer a kid to the dogs that have taken over our family). Oh, and all of the Bryants! I can't wait to see Patty and John hold him, and we're already training Hayden to be our primary babysitter (even though she says she won't do diapers... hm...).

So much to be excited about! Praise the Lord for his blessings.

Tuesday thoughts

2011-10-04T11:26:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that "overwhelmed" could be the word to describe my pregnancy thus far, but over the weekend I had a mini revelation about what that ought to mean for our lives right now... (Be prepared. This is rambly and random.)

At church, we are working our way through the Bible in 20 "big picture" lessons that correspond to weekday readings the congregation is following along with. (Side note: It's pretty cool that as David and I are reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible before Crawford comes, we are staying right on schedule with the Sunday messages.) Sunday's sermon was about Moses and the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt. Of course, that story ends with the dividing of the Red Sea.

We had dinner with a precious family last week, and Kelley made a side comment that has resonated in my heart for a week now. She was talking about the season of life when she and Shelby were pregnant together, and how it was something Jesus did for them just to be sweet. It brought tears to my eyes because a) I've heard Shelby talk about the same thing and b) I am totally in the midst of that season of sweetness too.

I've shared this before, but even if the only thing God ever gave us was salvation ( = eternity in heaven with Him!), that would be enough. Shoot, that would be WAY WAY more than enough. Yet, in addition to eternal security, He continues to give us blessings upon blessings every day. Sometimes the blessings he gives us are radical and earth shattering (parting the Red Sea, growing a human inside another human, healing cancer and leukemia) and other times, they are subtle whispers (like being surrounded by friends in the same season of life).

After a few pretty hefty parenting conversations (cloth diapering, vaccines, etc.) the other day, I was tempted to feel overwhelmed (notice a theme??) and stressed about the important decisions we need to make. When we got home and had time to talk about it, David and I realized that we shouldn't be bogged down by conversations like that, but reminded of how blessed we are. We spent the entire day Sunday with dear, sweet friends that we are beyond thankful for.

So... is this time of life full of important decisions and lots to learn about? Absolutely. But, it should only be overwhelming in that God shows His goodness to us through every facet of our little lives. We want to do everything perfectly as we welcome this little guy into our family and the world, but the color of the nursery or which birth classes we attend are not going to matter in the grand scheme of his life or certainly of eternity.

*Edit to add: We sang this song at church Sunday, and it totally encapsulated my feelings... What can we do but worship our God who is SO good to us?

So what can I say

What can I do

But offer this heart O God

Completely to You

So I'll stand

With arms high and heart abandoned

In awe of the One who gave it all

let the nursery work begin

2011-10-03T13:17:00.003-04:00

At the last minute (after a much-needed Saturday afternoon nap) Hayden was roped into helping me paint the nursery. We got about 75% of it completed, and I love it! It's a big change of plans from the original nursery idea, but I like where it's headed. Oh, and big thanks to HayHay who, as it turns out, is a MUCH better painter than me.

PS- I could hardly get out of bed on Sunday because I. was. so. sore. What's that all about?!

big baby news (not mine)

2011-09-30T14:44:00.002-04:00

Paige is going home today!!

I got to meet the newest member of our book club/VW/friends family! Maya Jaklien Williams Hale was born yesterday, and she is a doll baby!

So much to Praise the Lord for this weekend!

week 20

2011-09-28T20:47:00.000-04:00

HALF WAY THERE!!

I know, the second half will go by much slower (considering the first four weeks of this 20-week stretch are basically unaccounted for), but with all the holidays and travel and showers and nursery coordinating going on, I am sure we'll be plenty occupied.

We saw Dr. Brody (Best of the Best! Again!) for my 20-week check up yesterday, and it was so fun. It's so hard going four weeks in between seeing this little guy! I realize now how spoiled I was to get to go every two weeks for the beginning of this pregnancy. Not to mention, I'm still spoiled since we get to SEE him at every single visit! Seriously, Dr. Brody is the best.

Anyway, Crawford is doing just wonderfully. His heartbeat is good and strong, and he looked just like he is supposed to at 20 weeks. He is still in the breech position (feet down), but I already knew that because I can feel this little boy kicking like crazy. All the movement I feel is reealllly low on my abdomen, and he's a busy little bee these days. David loves hearing about how much he's kicking because he's sure it means he'll be a soccer player like his daddy :). I keep trying to catch a chance for David to feel the kicks, though I know it's too early for that. I thought he could still flip flop around in there, but Dr. B said he's pretty much stationary in his feet-down position. Granted, it's no concern at this point because he has plenty of time to turn over before February gets here.

We started talking about pediatricians, birthing classes and delivery preferences, and it's wild to me that we're already far enough along in this process to do that stuff!

I've gained 7 pounds, and I'm loving all of Beth's maternity stuff. Apparently I still don't "look pregnant" depending on what I wear (which is hard to imagine from that last picture above!), but I'm sure before long that will switch to people asking if it's multiples... People just have to say something (which is annoying... don't be one of those people!).

the motherload

2011-09-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

I had been looking forward to our trip to Ohio for a number of reasons, one (pretty insignificant) of which was inheriting some maternity clothes! I'm to the point where I can still wear most of my stuff, but it's uncomfortable and given the choice I'll always choose loose-fitting. Beth had quite a collection of maternity clothes, and I made out like a bandit. We filled two giant garbage bags (that barely fit into our toy-sized car), and I'm having so much fun with my new-to-me wardrobe! Thanks, Beth!!

shower, race, babies

2011-09-26T20:21:00.000-04:00

1. Shower. We had planned a baby shower for Beth in early September, but we cancelled it when the babies were born so early. It worked out perfectly that everyone was willing to reschedule it for a weekend that David and I were already planning to be in town, so we were able to kill two birds with one stone! Beth has so many people who love her and the new babies, and it was so nice to be able to celebrate them.

Grammy Rae and cousin Lydia

Uncle Joe, Aunt Connie and Beth (who does NOT look like she had twins 4 weeks ago!!)

2. Race. David ran the State-to-State half marathon in Oxford on Sunday. Though he really wanted to run this race a while ago, as we approached race day, he was kind of dreading it. His training wasn't nearly as consistent as last time, so he was anxious about how he would do. Plus, he was coming down with a cold, stayed up late Saturday night hanging out with his friend Mike, and knew the course was super hilly and boring. Regardless, he finished in 1:55- only 3 minutes longer than last time!

Brianna looked like such a big girl with her purse and her hot chocolate... she's so grown up!

first sighting of Uncy Dawid

Worn out, and D with Katie Rhodenbaugh!

It was great to see our friends the Pechans, also waiting to cheer on their daughter Jessica! She did a great job too!

3. Babies! Definitely the highlight of my time in Ohio... Since David was feeling sick he didn't want to be around the babies (which was a big bummer), but I took lots of pictures for him. They are so. sweet. Of course, all new babies are sweet, but I love Paige and Bryce so much already. I met David's family when Brianna was 3 months old, so this is my first time loving on newborn niece/nephews. I cannot wait for Crawford to be here and for the cousin-loving to begin! These are lots of lucky kiddos.

Pretty mama! Beth has been a rock star this whole time. She has been run ragged nursing around the clock, taking care of Brianna and going back and forth (an hour) to the hospital, but she has shown such grace!

The doctors are saying that Paige is doing well enough to possibly go home this week. Pray with us that Bryce will catch up to his sister so they can go home together!

Miss O

2011-09-23T09:18:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week we got to babysit for our new friends Matt and Samantha. They recently moved here from Dallas, but Samantha and David grew up in the same town and we connected through mutual friends. We had so much fun with this little lady, and it was a totally unrealistic impression of what parenting will be like (aka... super, duper easy and fun for the entire time). Olivia loved Harley, and in typical Harley-form, he was mostly indifferent (unless he thought he could get food out of the deal).

Come back soon, Olivia!

weeks 18 & 19

2011-09-20T20:05:00.002-04:00

Week 18

Week 19

I guess you can tell I spent most of the day in bed today... yikes!

Emotions: Overwhelmed. In every sense of the word. I've hashed this one out with friends recently, so I'm reluctant to go in depth again... Let's suffice it to say that I am so thankful for the grace of God that sustains me.

I had a conversation with my boss where she lovingly admonished me to chill out. I'm struggling with wanting to do it all (carry stuff, run up and down the stairs, etc.) and be totally competent and not look like a wussy. I don't want to be whiny or for anyone to think I'm slacking on my job because I'm pregnant, so I think I'm erring on the opposite side of productivity.

Granted, the past few weeks have been nutty. After our trip to Ohio this weekend, we'll be pretty chill for a while, and it will be good.

Oh, and I'm irritable like whoa.

Movement: Yes! I first felt him kick (I think that's what it was...) on September 12 while waiting at Abra Auto Body (no, I did not run into a pole at the bank drive through... nope.). I was waiting for the "flutter" feeling everyone talks about, but it felt more like a "thump, thump, thump" to me. I've been feeling whatever this feeling is a whole bunch lately... pretty much every day! It's usually when I'm sitting up and totally still (like at the movie theater yesterday) or laying on my back (like this morning at 5am when I woke up randomly and definitely couldn't fall back asleep since I could feel him so much!). At my last doctor's appointment he was feet down, and it definitely still feels that way. All the movement I feel is super low, but this morning I felt some crazy movement that may have been him flipping around. We'll see!

Growth: Definitely. I'm rocking out a pair of black maternity capris I snagged for $12 at Old Navy as much as humanly possible. They are the bomb. I've gained about 5 pounds so far, and I feel good with that. I know I won't feel this way for long, but I'm anxious to look obviously pregnant. Depending on what I'm wearing, you can't tell at all (well, I can tell...). Several nursing professors told me today that I looked like I had lost weight! I would normally be pleased to hear that, but it's super counter-productive at this point (oh, and definitely not the case).

Cravings: Cold fruit. Wine (don't worry, I'm not partaking... it is on my list to ask the doctor about though...). Carbs.

Miscellaneous: Itchy stomach!

We go back to the doctor on Monday for my 20 week check up! I'll be halfway, and I can't wait! This is the first time I've gone 4 weeks in between visits (I went every 2 weeks for the first several months), and it seems like forever... We can't wait to see our boy!

baby stuff

2011-09-19T10:24:00.002-04:00

While, I have been steadily collecting baby paraphernalia over the past several months (mostly from thrift stores and garage sales), we recently made what I would consider our first major baby purchase.

We are in a giant quandary about the whole nursery (you could basically scrap this whole plan...), so we've been diligently researching all kinds of furniture options. We ventured to Children's Fair because, well other than Babies R Us, they have the monopoly on good-quality baby furniture in Chattanooga. We didn't make any decisions on furniture, but David was quickly sold on a different item. First, I should mention how extremely not impulsive this man is. Second, I should mention how extremely thrifty he is. Third, he bought a BOB jogging stroller. On a whim. What?! Yep, that was my reaction. David is big on buying quality things (rubber wheels, not plastic, etc...) that will last a while, so that was his motivation here. Plus, they had a 2010 model (ridiculous that the model changes each year...) WITH the car seat attachment for nearly $200 less than what that package would normally cost. We couldn't pass it up! Plus, we had already decided on just getting jogging stroller with the car seat attachment instead of your standard travel system (we do also have a snap and go stroller, courtesy of Craigs List).

Anyway, David was/is pumped. I'm excited too! He pushed that thing all around the house and raves about the shocks. Harley is freaked out by the thing.

Second on our must-research list (second to crib/furniture) has been a rocking chair. I have been SO torn about what I want/what we want to spend, but while in Columbus a few weeks ago I found an awesome solution! My mom and I found this chair (that rocks and swivels) at Goodwill! Price? $25! Oh, and... it was 1/2 off! Yep, I paid $12.50 for this awesome chair.

Granted, it needs a slipcover something fierce, but it is super sturdy and even very clean. I figured, instead of debating about the "perfect chair" we should just use this one until we know exactly what we want- that is, if we decide to make a major investment in a(nother) piece of furniture down the road. We couldn't fit it in the Audi, so it's hanging out at my parents' house until we make our next trip to Columbus (in our new Routan! We are trading in the convertible for a mini van... haha! It'll be a fun no-commitment test. Thanks, VW!)

weekend projects

2011-09-16T09:07:00.000-04:00

When our Labor Day weekend plans changed at the last minute, David and I ended up at home with a lot of time on our hands. It was WONDERFUL to just sit around and rest for several days. Our weeks end up so busy and our weekends usually have plans booked far in advance, so this was a true rarity. We watched tons of Law & Order SVU (DVR-ed) and 30 Rock (on Netflix). The rain started on Sunday night, and it pretty much kept us home bound all day on Monday. By that time I was starting to get a little stir crazy, so I busted out the craft projects.

2 new pillows:

an updated lamp shade:

and a baby monogram (that's finished now... oops):

I stayed pretty occupied and had so much fun finally doing stuff around my house. It had been way too long!

lake wedding

2011-09-13T08:55:00.004-04:00

This is mostly for my family who wanted to see pictures from the lake wedding (oh, and Claire will appreciate it, I'm sure :)).

Again, I'm back-tracking several weeks here... David and I (mostly David) helped out one Saturday with a wedding at the Bryant's lake house. The bride was the daughter of one of Kevin's employees, and it really turned out to be such a nice event! The bride really made every detail special for the two of them, and I know their day was that much more memorable because of her hard work.

The whole day was a family affair, and everyone pitched in to help out. We all served food and refilled drinks and took pictures, and it worked out really well as a team effort.

This day wore.me.out. so I headed home early (to meet Ash & Chase who came in town for the night!), but David stayed until the bitter end and helped shoot fireworks off as the bride & groom left for the evening (by boat!). I know he was super helpful to the Bryants and the Cochrans, and they really appreciated all of his work. The Bryants went above and beyond to make that day special for Linsey and Brandon, and I think they're considering a side business in the wedding industry... maybe... :)

all grown up

2011-09-12T11:17:00.004-04:00

I am oh-so-behind on blog posts, so forgive me if they come fast and furious over the next few days...

A cough... few... cough weeks ago I hurried up the mountain after work to watch Laney at her first football game! She is on the JV dance team at Signal Mountain Middle School, and oh. my. word.

I seriously died watching. I laughed. I cried. I kept hitting Shelby saying "Did you see that? Oh, she's so good! Look how happy she is!" and being all-around annoying, I'm sure. She was the most precious thing I have ever seen. Ever. So grown up and mature and... coordinated!

Now, a few observations:

How the heck is Laney old enough for this kind of activity? Isn't she still, like, 5?
Make up, zebra print uniforms, coordinated feathers... holy moly
Out of all the Jenkins girls' activities I've seen over the years (swim team, cross country, dance recitals, etc.) dance team is BY FAR the most entertaining one yet.
If she ever has a boyfriend, I swear I will kill him. Mark, I'm sure you'll beat me to it, but I'll tag team with you.
I kept catching myself saying "Whoa, he caught the ball! Whoa, he blocked that guy!" and being all-around impressed that those tiny little boys (seriously, they were tiiiiny) actually played a real game of football. How do they know how to do all that stuff?
I am so thankful this baby is a boy. I would not know how to handle all that craziness! Granted, the football playing may have been just as overwhelming as the dance team, so who knows what we're in for!

week 17

2011-09-06T12:46:00.003-04:00

Compared to my 16-week belly, I feel like I'm smaller now than I was then. It's weird how some mornings I wake up with no signs of being pregnant. I'm trying to remind myself to enjoy it while it lasts, but I'm definitely ready to look obviously pregnant (not like I just ate a big meal). I'm still wearing all my normal clothes sans belly band and I'm still about +2-3 lbs. Sleeping is weird. I've been a belly sleeper my whole life, so I'm beginning to adjust to a new way. I'm not good at sleeping on my side yet, so I wake up a lot throughout the night. Fortunately, I'm not having to get up to pee anymore, so I can usually fall back asleep pretty easily.

The good news... I'm feeling human again! I haven't thrown up in about a week, and it's awesome. I forgot how wonderful it is to not be sick- I totally appreciate it now!

I forgot to mention... my sister gave me THE BEST pants for my birthday. I'm wearing them in my 16 week picture, and I rarely take them off (at home). I would love to finagle a way to wear them to work, and I would really never take them off then... They are going to be the bomb to have from now until... forever. I will wear them forever.

Sorry for the bare belly pics each week... I definitely didn't think I'd be the kind of person to take those, but at least for now, I don't think you can really see my bump when it's covered up. And admittedly, I walk around the house with my shirt pulled up all the time because it's so cool to see the changes. Weird, I know.

You can't tell in this picture (because my shirt is pulled up... geez!) but with 16 weeks completed, I'm 2/5ths of the way through this pregnancy! Ha! Not a normal milestone, but one this fun little shirt will help me celebrate :)

Just so I remember later... things I'm craving: fruit (strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples), ice cold water (cup FULL of ice with water poured on top, refil the water after every swig) and biscuits (individually frozen buttermilk Grands have saved the day)

week 16

2011-09-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

Even though I forgot to cross out 15 on my shirt, this is really my 16-week-old baby belly! It looks huge uncovered! He's really doing some growing in there.

I'm actually feeling really good (right now)! The weekend apparently really took a toll on me, and it's pretty much taken all week to recover. I literally went to bed by 8pm every night this week, and I felt like I could have slept until noon the next day. It was awesome and ridiculous. Our 3-day-weekend plans have changed because of good ol' Irene, so we're staying home and getting stuff done! We (totally a team effort) did manage to get the house vacuumed, the kitchen mopped and the laundry and ironing done this week, but not much else. I'm anxious to start on some baby related projects, but I can't really justify that when there's a lot of other stuff that needs doing.

PS- Did you see my facebook status? True story. I definitely just ironed a pair of pants with furniture polish instead of starch. Oops. At least they smell lemony fresh! And no, I'm not going to wash them and start over... it worked just fine :)

nursery plans

2011-08-31T12:07:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling totally overwhelmed lately. Not with anything in particular, but just with every little thing. Like how my kitchen floors desperately need to be mopped, but I just. can't. do it. Maybe that's because I got home at 7:15, ate dinner and went to bed? Literally. I really thought this second trimester was supposed to be one full of energy? Not so much... I'm hopeful that is still to come. Oh, and I just ate three bagels at work. Amen.

In the mean time, I have the best friends ever. My birthday kinda stunk because we spent it in the car and I was sick allll day. I did come home to the sweetest balloons, brownies, chocolate and cards from Jodi AND Sarah, and we did eat dinner with the Bogs (well, they ate dinner, I nibbled on biscuits), so I can't really complain. However, Monday night topped all. I was meeting Jodi for dinner while our boys played golf, and she had wrangled up so many sweet girls to join us for a surprise birthday celebration. I nearly cried, I was so overwhelmed (notice a theme?). It was so nice just to visit with the girls, and for some of my friends to get to know one another. I love worlds colliding. I'm seriously still freaked out that they did that. I feel so loved.

Since I'm not being productive on, well much of anything, I like to at least plan my future productivity. Since our house is for sale all of this is subject to change, but for the time being, our current nursery plan goes a little something like this...

this paint color on the walls

this rug on the floors

some fun fabric like this and maybe this and this

several DIY projects such as this

oragami mobile-thing made by Uncle GG

linen crib skirt and pelmet boxes and bumpers

a cool (homemade) sign like this

We've got a lot to do!

First things first...

2011-08-29T15:11:00.001-04:00

Meet our new niece and nephew!

Bryce Neil (3 lbs. 13 oz.) and Paige Elizabeth (3 lbs. 2 oz.) were born at 6:39 and 6:40pm, respectively, on Wednesday, August 24. We still cannot believe they are here and doing so well. David and I left early Thursday morning to drive to Ohio to be with his family. We were able to spend most of the day Thursday with Beth and Jayme, meet our new family members, then hang out at his grandparents' house for the night. We stopped by the hospital again on our way home Friday, and everyone was doing so well after a good night of sleep. Beth is home now, and they are beginning the adjustment of having babies in the hospital. Keep praying for the Johnsons!

PS- I took a zillion pictures, and I'll share them as soon as I have permission from Beth. These two were from Jayme's cell phone, and they are the best shots of their sweet faces!

Secondly, whew. What a week we've had! Between two birthdays (well, four technically!), a trip to Ohio, a wedding at the lake and a visit from Ash & Chase, we're worn out. Lots to blog about! Plus, Mr. Crawford is a whopping 16 weeks grown today, and he's doing splendidly and still making me puke a bunch. A full update to come...

prayers and birthday

2011-08-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

1. Please pray for Beth right now. Her water broke Tuesday night, and she has been in the hospital having contractions ever since. They have been trying to get the contractions to stop, and they have slowed down, but haven't stopped completely. There is a chance they will deliver these sweet babies today (at 32 weeks). Please join us in praying fervently for Beth, Jayme, Brianna and our new niece and nephew, Paige and Bryce.

2. This is so much less significant now, but we celebrated David's birthday at Ichiban last night with the Bryants:

weeks 14 & 15

2011-08-23T12:33:00.000-04:00

Week 14

Week 15

Finally, some growth! As of this morning, I have gained 4 pounds, and I've never been so happy to gain weight! My pants are getting a little tight, but the maternity pants I have (thanks, Beth!) are still too big. I think I'll be busting out the tummy sleeve before too long.

Fortunately, my nausea has subsided. Unfortunately, I'm still throwing up pretty regularly. It's totally random and intermittent, but I can feel it coming and usually get to an ok place to take care of business. Hey, it's an improvement.

The newest turn of events is my new bff, the chiropractor. Well, he's not really my bff yet, but I'm banking on it in the future. When I saw Dr. B last week and told him about my tailbone pain (that had already been going on for a month at that point), he was kind of surprised. He said the fact that it had already begun this early in my pregnancy was probably a sign that something else wasn't quite right. He referred me to a chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy, and I'm glad he did. Turns out, my pelvis is totally twisted thereby causing my pain. I'm seeing him 3x a week for a few weeks, and hopefully we'll get it straightened out by then. In the mean time, my tailbone pain has pretty much gotten worse because of all the stretching and adjusting. He assures me that I'll feel some relief after 6-8 visits. I'm holding him to that. For now, I'm spending every evening doing ridiculous stretches and icing my back and tailbone, which is turning into a time consuming regiment. Considering that I'm going to bed by about 9 every night, I'm not very useful these days.

A fun note for this week... today is David's birthday! He's the big 2-6. He's pretty hard to celebrate for special occasions (he prefers that no money be spent), but I tried really hard to utilize his love language. When his alarm went off this morning (which I usually don't even hear), I got up and told him to keep sleeping. I walked the dog, emptied the dishwasher and took out the trash (seriously, a labor of love for this pregnant lady). Nothing much, but I usually sleep through all of these morning activities, so I hope it was nice for the tables to be turned for once. David is the most selfless husband, and I could not be more thankful that he was born 26 years ago today!

gg

2011-08-22T16:26:00.000-04:00

My baby brother (whom, my kids will call "Uncle GG"... I just decided) was visiting the great state of Georgia for a brief time over the weekend, and that was just too close not to see each other. He lives in Boston, so our visits are too few and far-between. Greg and the 'rents drove half way (thanks meetways.com!) and we met at Applebees for a 3-hour-lunch-and-visit time. It was wonderful (though we missed Ash!).

Uncle GG

the kids + Molls; our boys-in-blue, as usual

By the way, check Greg out! After a director saw him perform in Oklahoma, she cast him (as "Greg", no less) in A Chorus Line! He's a rock star.

blue, blue, blue!

2011-08-19T09:04:00.001-04:00

I wanted to recap our gender reveal party a bit more because we had so much fun. We totally realize that we could have found out the gender at the doctor's office, sent out a big text message and called our families (and there's nothing wrong with that!!), but we're glad we took advantage of an opportunity to celebrate and hang out with our friends. And that we did! It was soo cool that most of our closest Chattanooga friends were all there. There were 24 adults and 6 kids/babies, so we were thankful that the weather was nice enough to allow some overflow onto the porch. Our little house has a hard time with crowds, but I think we made it all work just fine. Jodi's love language is gifts, and she insisted on making all the food for the party. I talked her into letting us order pizzas and I made the cupcakes, but she out did herself on everything else. There was tons of food, and everyone ate and visited for a while.

Around 7:30 we realized it was getting late and it was go time. We called my sister and my parents (they had requested to be on speakerphone. too bad we don't have face time :( ), and opened our present. Back up: when we went to the doctor on Monday we asked him to help us pull off our surprise. I had embroidered a boy and a girl onesie with each of our chosen names, and he selected the correct one and put it loose in this box. He taped it up so we wouldn't peek, and we took it home to wrap it. It worked out perfectly, and we weren't tempted at all to cheat! I was shocked!

So, David pulled out the blue onesie (as you can see in this video that Wendi took! I LOVE it!) and we were so excited. SHOCKED. But so, so excited. I think I would have been super shocked either way. Honestly, I'm having a weird time wrapping my mind around this whole we're-having-a-baby thing. It still doesn't feel real because I don't feel pregnant yet, and for the baby to have an identity now makes it feel very strange! I'm obviously so pumped and excited, I'm just expressing it more slowly (which is surprising). David, on the other hand, is totally comfortable and ready for Crawford to arrive tomorrow. It's adorable. He constantly talks about "our son" and "Crawford", and he has been telling Harley all about his brother on the way. It warms the cockles of my heart to see his excitement for our little family. He is going to be the BEST dad ever. Hands down.

February 14, 2012... hurry up and get here!!

A bunch of pictures HERE.

it's a...

2011-08-17T09:15:00.000-04:00

BOY!!

Crawford David Geyer

baby day

2011-08-16T08:34:00.000-04:00

Well, we went to the doctor yesterday and he was successfully able to identify the gender of our little peanut. I went in confident that it wasn't going to work out for us to know the gender this early (14 weeks), but Dr. B proved me wrong. It's still very surreal to me since (other than being sick... still) I don't really feel or look pregnant. I've gained a whopping two pounds, but I'm sure that will start picking up now that I'm pretty much only throwing up once a day- and only on week days (I don't get sick if I can sleep in and take it easy in the mornings). I'm surprisingly not anxious to know the gender, but I know it will be really fun to find out tonight.

So yeah, tonight! We're having a big party (like, 30 people... yikes!) to hang out with our friends and reveal the gender of this little one. Dr. Brody helped with our reveal plan, the house is clean and in party-mode, and we're ready to go. Well, except that a realtor just called and wants to show our house to an out-of-town client this morning... Oh well.

So guess away! What do you think baby Geyer is? Boy or Girl? (Oh, and we'll reveal his/her name tonight too! I'm probably most excited about that part :) )

I'll be wearing pink tonight- my guess is girl!

the Lambuth weekend

2011-08-14T14:00:00.000-04:00

Whew! What a crazy, fun-filled, emotional and exhausting weekend. My dear Jamie married her long-time beau John, and we all celebrated with days of activities. Thursday was the bachelorette party (a cooking class!) followed by lingerie shower. Friday was the bridesmaids luncheon, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and Saturday was the big day. It was such a fun time to catch up with so many college friends, many of whom I haven't seen for years. Six of the seven Currie Way girls were together, making that the best we've done since 2007.

Jamie was radiant. Seriously, that was the only word we could think of to describe her all day! She was so graceful and calm- just as you would hope to be on your wedding day.

cuuuute Georgia (sister of the flower girls); prayer time for the bride

the Hamiltons; me and Kris

GranMols and Grandy

me with Mrs. Lambuth!

KRay

dear Melissa! Due with baby Richie #3 exactly one week after me! Love this friend soo much. Wish we lived in the same town!

Jen, Kris, Jme, Kara, Brit and me - 6/7th of Currie Way

love these friends.

One of the (non-wedding related) highlights was spending time with my fam! I stayed with Ashley all weekend, and we got to visit a few times but not for long. She works 7pm-7am (which means she sleeps during the day), so we kind of passed like ships in the night. However, she unexpectedly got off work at 11 on Saturday night, so we were all able to hang out together Sunday morning. It was a short amount of time, but we did a craft project (name cards for a wedding), opened birthday gifts (hence the gardening hat above) and ate a big breakfast at IHOP (my second breakfast of the day). It was so nice to be together, and we missed Greg terribly!

humorous anniversary

2011-08-10T21:10:00.000-04:00

So, for our 3rd anniversary, David and I had plans to keep it low-key. He made dinner reservations at Porter's Steakhouse (thanks, Living Social!) and we exchanged gifts.

David's, Mine

We both decided to let these gifts suffice as our anniversary AND birthday presents because they were both much more than what we would usually spend. However, we were BOTH super excited about what we got! I felt such a sense of accomplishment because David is impossible to shop for... the best gift I can usually give him is to not spend money, which is lame. He loves his new boots though, and that was the best gift to me.

Attempting a "traditional Emily jumping picture" as Andy requested

My parents were on their way back to Columbus after a long weekend with some family in N. Kentucky, so they stopped in to spend the night. They knew we'd be gone for dinner, but it was fine that they just hung out at home (they were here Friday too! and we'll see them in Birmingham this Saturday! love it!). While we were at dinner Andy called David, but he obviously didn't answer. On the way home I was talking to my sister (who had just talked to my dad) and she said something about Andy being at our house...?? It was true. Apparently he had texted a bunch of times, but David never got them. So, we got home from dinner to find my parents hanging with Andy! Ha! It was awesome! They had actually gone to dinner while we were gone. I love that our house is a place where people feel comfortable just dropping in.

So, we all got to visit for a while before the 'rents went to bed. I stayed up with the boys for a while (Andy helped us eat our anniversary dinner), then I retired later than I should have (still only like 10pm). David and Andy stayed up until after midnight, but I'm glad they did. I love those boys.

Though it wasn't what we expected, it was such a fitting way to spend our anniversary- with people who have been with us from the beginning and love and support us no matter what!

1,095 days

2011-08-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

That's how long David and I have been married. 3 years today. It feels like forever, yet it kind of feels like we're just getting started.

I've read a few blog-land love stories lately (namely here and here), and though I didn't marry my college professor or a man 39 years my senior (true stories! must read!), I do think David and I have a sweet story that I want to preserve.

Summer 2005.

My sweet friend Kara convinced me to work with her at a camp in Chattanooga. She was the dock mama. I was awkward. I did love it right away, and I made some stellar friends almost immediately. I did not notice the guys. I should back up...

So, I'm 19 years old. Just finished my sophomore year at Samford (yeah, I'm young for my grade). Never had a boyfriend. I went to a teeny tiny school from 4th-12th grade with approx the same dozen guys the entire time. I graduated with 32 others, and dating wasn't really the thing to do. Juvenile crushes? Guy who were like brothers? Absolutely. Dating/marriage material? Not so much. I should back up again...

I'm in 7th grade. My youth pastor (a woman! gasp!) was sharing her testimony with a group of middle school girls, and she told us that her fiance was the only guy she had ever dated/held hands with/kissed. I sat in that little classroom and prayed the same would be true for me. I didn't totally hold God to it, but it was always in the back of my mind as the desire of my heart.

Fast forward back to camp (am I making you dizzy, yet?). I guess we probably met at some point during Staff Training, but I seriously don't remember it. In our all staff photos we are sitting directly in front of each other, but all I remember is that his name was either David or Matt (everyone just called him "Geyer", and our friend Matt "Cash"... I knew one was Matt and one was David but I didn't know who was who). Actually, I do remember being jealous of the group of EKU people who were all buddies because I didn't have that from school (just KRay).

Things were a little crazy for both of us right off the bat. David's sister had a baby (Brianna!) and his car broke down on the drive to Ohio. My Grandpa died, and I spent a week with my family and in Virginia. Back at camp, things were awesome, but still, no interest in the guys (that I recall... someone feel free to correct me!). Until... the last session of first term (the only part of the summer I was scheduled to work) was a two-week camp. The first interaction with David that I recall is super embarrassing for me. I walked out of the Bob as he was walking in and we were wearing the same shorts. Yeah, they were boy's obviously. They were looong Nike basketball shorts, and of course he commented on my outfit. I was embarrassed. From there, I remember the shameless flirting began. It got around to David that I didn't like people touching my ears, so he enlisted his cute little campers to basically torment me by touching my ears when I least expected. I, of course, was immature and dramatic and loved the whole thing.

So, in the middle of the two weeks, we had one "counselors free night" to hang out around camp while the campers watched a movie. A group of us played beach volleyball, but one by one everyone started bailing on us. Soon enough, David and I were the only ones left. We each stayed on our side of the net and kept hitting the ball around (I'm sure he was impressed with my skills... ha), and we had an amazing conversation. About death. Literally. We talked about all the people in our lives who had died and how it had affected us. You know, casual conversation. Come to think of it, I really feel like that is the kind of result you get from the camp environment= intentional, meaningful conversations. Praise the Lord for camp!

While all of this was going on, my girlfriends (Batch, Blair, Kara and Ginny I think) were sitting on a bench nearby planning out our lives together. It didn't take long for word to get out that "Geyer likes BourkE" and vice versa... soon enough, my cute 7th graders were all over it. They would sing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" every time we saw him around camp. I was mortified (but I secretly kind of loved it)!

It was obvious that there was mutual interest, but I was still a bit freaked out. For the first (and only) time in my life, I spend a whole night on the top bunk in my cabin awake and in prayer. I really felt like the Lord was keeping my rapt attention all night to give this potential relationship over to Him completely.

So, 2 week camp ended along with my allotted time at camp. Since I was just working first term, I packed up and headed home. David (known still to me as just "Geyer") and I wrote back and forth some and he called on his 24 hours off on the weekends (this was back in the day where counselors couldn't use cell phones or internet and camp actually lasted the better part of a week... as camp should be!). I remember how much he made me laugh, and I loved talking to him. I was really anxious to get back to camp for the end-of-summer get together. Then, Laurie called. They had some sick counselors and needed help in the office for one week! I dropped everything (literally, I was in Savannah at the time) and hurried back to Soddy Daisy.

It turned out to be a horrible week at CVP. Counselors were dropping like flies, and I was moved from the office to a cabin to help fill in for the shortage. I lasted one night and then was out of commission due to a massive staph (staph! everyone has staph! infection!) infection in my leg. I felt horrible to be at camp just to help out, and instead I was requiring more attention to tend to my ailment. I spent the second half of the week on my back in the Du and it was no fun. I saw David a couple of times, but it wasn't much...

So, the last week of camp (Urban Camp) rolled around, and I loved being in the office and spending more time at camp and with my friends. David and I talked as much as possible, and it was evident that a romance was budding. He invited me to come to Ohio to meet his family and hang out for a few days post-camp, pre-school, and I was psyched! Oh, and his parents would PAY for it! Whaaa? I was so excited, and a bit freaked out.

So, I went to Ohio. It was great. I met a whole bunch of his friends and nearly all of his family. Everyone was so nice, even though I'm sure everyone was wondering what the deal was with this girl from Georgia (even though I, disappointingly, didn't have an accent). I, too, was wondering what the deal was, and I kept waiting for the "DTR" to happen. Sooo... it never did. He took me to the airport and that was that. It was still very platonic (no kissing/cuddling/hand holding), but only sort of...

Blair was positive we were dating, so I believed her. Then, I got up the courage to ask David what the deal was. He quickly corrected us, and told me we were not dating. Yet. He wanted to meet my family before we started dating, and I was glad to hear that! I did sort of wish he had volunteered that information a bit earlier in the game, but whatever. I started racking my brain for an opportunity for David (who lived in Ohio and went to school in Kentucky) to meet my family (that lived in Georgia). I couldn't make it work, so I just went on believing that we'd be just friends for a while...

Then, our birthdays (his- 8/23, mine- 8/26) rolled around. I sent him a box full of junk. He told me he mailed his gift too. He even paid extra for tracking so he could keep an eye on it until it got to me. He had me fooled big time, and he surprised me on August 27, 2005 (my sister's birthday) in Birmingham! My friends and family were all in on it, so he got to meet everyone and be a part of the whole celebration. By the end of the weekend, we were "officially" dating, and I was smitten...

Love you, Dave-o. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thanks for handling our relationship with care even from the beginning. You put family first six years ago, and nothing has changed one bit. Love you more than I ever thought possible! Happy 3rd Anniversary! Only 80 more to go :)

pictures to come...

week 13

2011-08-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

Dreams. I started having craaaazy dream this week. Exhibit A: Ashley was elected the mayor of a tiny town in Alaska. She refused to live in the mayor's mansion, so she (and me and David?) lived in an igloo that was really just an underground ice cave. Inside the cave was a pond with a giant whale. The end. (I did just finish reading Sarah Palin's autobiography a few weeks ago...) Exhibit B: Ashley, again, was the leading lady. She helped Greg pierce his ears... 4 times in each ear! We (me, D, mom & dad) were sooo upset that they didn't just do two holes to "see how he liked it" before they did 4. Ridiculous.

Body. I'm not showing yet, and I haven't gained any weight, but some days I definitely feel like I've grown. I think I've made the connection that on days I don't throw up (3 days this week!), I can tell a difference in my body. Kinda makes sense, right? My pants were a bit tight yesterday for the first time. I'm anxious to start showing so I'll actually feel pregnant not just sick and chubby. Sometimes I even forget there is a tiny human inside of me. We have the ultrasound pictures taped on our bedroom mirror, and I could just look at them all day long.

Symptoms. After having two good days Monday and Tuesday, when I started off really sick Wednesday morning I just about had a break down. Wednesday just about made up for the good days, and I was so emotional. I think waking up early is what contributes to my nausea. Seriously! When I sleep in (until 8), I don't get sick. Throwing up in the shower is a new thing, and noo fun. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, and man am I hormonal. Poor David. I've been waking up every night at about 4:45 to go pee. I get back in bed, but I feel like I've just fallen asleep when David wakes me up. It makes me cry. Another new thing is the hunger. OH, the hunger! My stomach is a bottomless pit, and when I feel hungry I get crazy. Like, get out of my way, I need to eat NOW crazy. It's very strange.

Looking ahead. I'm really looking forward to my next appointment on the 15th. I'll be 14 weeks and we're hoping to find out the gender! Well, we aren't going to find out, but the doctor will. We're planning on finding out with our friends on the 16th. We have our names picked out, and I can't wait to know who this little one is!

week 12

2011-08-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

** Now that I'm nearing the end of week 13, I guess it's time I post week 12. No picture this week... I pretty much look the same.

The tale of this week is pretty simple... throwing up. You know you've been throwing up a lot when you decide what to eat based on what is easy to throw up. Just for the record... yogurt, bananas and apple juice= easy, macaroni and cheese= worst possible thing ever. If anything could ruin my lifelong mac & cheese obsession... this week's experience just may have done it. I might shed a tear over the loss.

No new symptoms, just trying to keep as much as possible down. Nothing seems to help, so I'm just dealing with it as it comes and hoping the end of this first trimester brings... at least different symptoms :). I'm ready to pass this one (oh, and the acne. OH the acne.) along.

As the week progressed, the throwing up ebbed into plain ol' nausea, and I got to add in bloating to my repertoire of symptoms. Bloating is weird. You could literally feel the gas in my belly, but it just sat in there to aggravate me.

Saturday, July 30- first day I didn't throw up! We celebrated! I giggled when I overheard David telling other guys at church this news. I was happy to know he was as elated as me :)

Technically, with the conclusion of this week I'm in the second trimester! Woo hoo! However, I don't feel very accomplished... I mean, if 12 weeks= trimester 1, then wouldn't 24 weeks=2 and 36=3 and we're still left with 4 leftover weeks... I think we'll celebrate the end of this trimester at about 13 1/3 weeks. Just so we're realistic, you know.

thoughtful gifts

2011-08-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

Since announcing that we have a baby on the way, people (mostly) have been so kind.

Andrea sent a sweet card and Preggie Pops home with David for me! What a thoughtful friend!

Ashley mailed us these adorable gowns (gender neutral colors, though she said she was tempted to go ahead and buy pink :))- and she didn't even know, baby gowns are about my favorite thing ever!

Mom made the sweetest journal for me to keep up with all things baby. I have been wanting to get a baby book, but I just might turn this into a pregnancy-keepsake-baby book all in one. Afterall, it's homemade, so it's already sentimental.

We are the champions!

2011-08-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well, really they are the champions... The Greginators won the league tournament! This picture is actually both final teams, because the championship game came down to the two VW teams! Our guys played one game in the playoffs (and won it in PKs), had a one-game break (when the wives all went to our house for popsickles, brownies and time in the AC), and finished it off again in penalty kicks to seal-the-rec-league-championship-deal.

I think I was the most excited person there. Everyone else was just hot and tired.

Margo

2011-07-28T09:56:00.000-04:00

We had a real treat this week, when Megan Stephens paid us a visit! She has been gallivanting around America for 2.5 months working on support raising and visiting family and friends. We were so lucky to be a stop on her journey and to visit for the night! We ate lasagna, chatted away the evening and she even spent the night. Meg is doing awesome work for the kingdom while working super hard to start Young Life in her city in India. We're so proud to call her a friend! Keep up the good work, sister!

We are jolly (nod to Meg). We thought it was awesome that we both still dress like we work/live at camp. I would prefer to only ever wear shorts & a t-shirt all day, every day.

One hilarious part of our evening was when David stuck his hand behind the couch cushion (not sure why...) and found a CHRISTMAS PRESENT! Hahaha... we were practically rolling on the floor laughing. Unfortunately, it was just some lotion from some one's stocking (probably Ash or Greg since they were sitting on the couch when we opened presents), but it was still an awesome surprise 7 months later. I'm a bit nervous about what else we may find back there...

week 11

2011-07-25T20:04:00.000-04:00

Well, the word is out! It's so funny how facebook makes any message spread like wildfire... I'm really glad we took the time to tell a lot of our people personally before they read it on facebook. There were a few people we didn't get to in time (thanks to a few over-zealous aunts), but everyone is super understanding.

I think the painting is finally finished (near me, at least) in my office, so I'm resuming a normal schedule! Oh, and my Internet was down all last week so that made for even more work-from-home time, which was nice. I am glad to be back on a normal schedule so I can pick up the productivity a bit.

Now that our house is on the market, we're focusing on that full-swing. We're going to need to buy a new car in the next few months too (this one isn't very baby friendly), but we're just taking things one at a time.

J/K on the paint being finished... apparently they are going to torture me by painting trim and doors until February when I have this child.

I am a hormonal disaster. Blair shared baby Magnolia's birth story and I sobbed. Like, ugly cried. Then, at dinner I cried telling David about it. Then, I cried thinking about John and Patty Bryant holding our baby. Not to mention, I have been totally, irrationally moody. Poor David. This is my public apology to my husband. You are wonderful, and I totally don't deserve your grace.

Ok, the last two look like an alien (like, a real alien), but the first one is a BABY!!! You can see it's sweet little face with his/her hand right there. This was my first abdominal ultrasound (and my 4th overall), and I was concerned they wouldn't be able to see the baby since I'm not showing yet... wrong! There it was! It (so weird to call it an "it"... I totally think it's a girl) was facing out, so we saw it like in the last 2 pictures for a while, then all of a sudden she started doing gymnastics (my kid, for sure!)! All you mamas can go ahead and laugh at me, but I was freaking. out. Laughing, crying, shrieking. Dr. B was laughing with me because I was enjoying it so much! I kept saying to David "Did you see that?!? Did you see THAT??" It is such a miracle that a tiny little 2.5" creature is already such a complete human inside of me, but you can't see it or really tell it is here yet.

So many thoughts flood through my mind as I look at these images... more than anything, thank you, Jesus for this baby.

spreading the news

2011-07-24T17:07:00.000-04:00

Beware: another long post!

We wanted to tell our families about our new addition in person, if possible. It worked our really well that my parents came into town for a quick visit and we had already planned our 4th of July weekend in Sanibel. My plan was to video tape all the reactions, but I only got a few...

Mom & Dad Bourke

Ashley & Greg

The day my parents went back to Columbus, Ashley went from Birmingham to their house. It worked out perfectly for me to send her gift with them, and we called on Skype for the big reveal. While we were chatting, Greg got online! David put on his shirt, and we revealed the big news to him that way. I couldn't record our Skype conversations, but I took screen shots to capture it.

"Aw. You've been a mom for 25 years, now you get to be one in real life."

"Are you excited to be fat?"

-Greg Bourke

The Geyers & Johnsons

The Bryants

I didn't get these pictures (or a video) for the actual reaction, but we told the Bryants about our addition in a fun way. While were were all eating breakfast I put this bun in the oven and told Hayden to go get it out. She got it right away and shared the news with the fam.

The Bogensbergers

We had planned to tell Greg and Jodi one night that we already had plans to eat dinner at their house. Little did we know, they were throwing us a "thank you party" for helping when Ella was born (which was the nicest thing anyone has ever done, and equally unnecessary because we didn't do much!). David broke the news by saying "we aren't going to be able to go on the Mediterranean cruise after all" (something we had been planning on doing in November) and responding to the "Why?"s by telling them "they won't let you cruise when you are 28 weeks pregnant!" Jodi flipped. It was so fun! We were able to make our party dual-purposed and celebrate baby Geyer too!

We had so much fun telling all of our close friends and family. We both spent hours on the phone to try and reach everyone we wanted to tell personally before they saw it on facebook, but we weren't entirely successful. Becca had one of the best reactions when she burst into tears, and Monty had the best response when he said "I didn't even know y'all were sleeping together!" (which will only be funny to you if you know Monty Hogewood :)).

Thank you, friends, for making this such a special time in our lives!

week by week catch up

2011-07-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

Today I am 10 weeks, 5 days pregnant. It freaks me out how much longer I have to go, but that's part of God's plan for growing babies so I'll take it! I guess I haven't really said this on here, but baby is due on Valentine's Day 2012. I hope the kid isn't born on Valentine's Day, but it is nice to have an easy date to remember (February 14, in case you didn't know). As soon as we found out there was a baby on the way, I starting ~~writing~~ typing everything down. I want to remember all of this journey, so my blog is likely going to be my outlet for most of that. Read or don't, it won't hurt my feelings.

*This is long. I mean, 6 weeks long. Don't bother reading if you don't want to, but this is here for my future recollection. I guess that applies to everything on my blog :)
**Oh, and counting by weeks is confusing... When you are "5 weeks" that means you have completed 5 weeks, but that also means you're entering into the 6th week... make sense? It took me a while to figure out which week I should be celebrating (hence the pointing to the wrong number sometimes...).

Week 5

Whoa. I still can't believe I'm pregnant. I feel like it's not really true because I don't feel pregnant at all. I'm sure I will with time, but the days are dragging on! I'm not going to lie, I've had a hard time staying focused this week. I've subscribed to about a thousand pregnancy-by-week emails and read about everything there is to read about growing a baby.

I'm so anxious to start telling people! It's so hard to keep it a secret, but it's also really fun to share just with David. Granted, I'm sure he's overwhelmed with my every thought/emotion/concern that I tell him...

It was crazy to be at the soccer game yesterday with Wendi (Ellie), Jodi (Ella), Leigh (Max) and Saskia (baby girl on the way) and to also secretly be pregnant! From there, we went to the Rochas (Kate & KJ) with the Linhosses (Max again) and Sarah (baby Lawhorn on the way). I've been so looking forward to one day fitting in with the mommy crowd (which is all of my friends), and it's weird to finally be pregnant and still be waiting.

Week 6
I'm so glad Beth is pregnant right now! I am very easily disguising all of my questions and google searches as "involved aunt" research :). Of course, I'm SOO excited that our babies will be 4-5 months apart too!! God's timing is so perfect. I used to be sad watching my other friends be pregnant together (Sarah, Jodi, Blair, etc.), but what a better gift than to do this with my sister in law? Granted, she's having twins and she'll be finished with I'm half-way through, but it's still going to be awesome. As soon as we can talk about it :).

I still don't feel pregnant, but it's weird to wake up in the morning and see some of the things I'm reading about happen to my body (boobs!). I also cannot sleep at all. No idea why, but I have the hardest time getting comfortable enough to fall asleep... last night I slept on the couch. I think it's the dog.

We have all kinds of Bourke family drama going on right now, and I feel a bit selfish trying to stay out of it. I want to protect our little bubble of joy and keep out any unnecessary negativity.

First "craving" (though, David asked if it was a pregnancy craving or just an Emily craving, and I honestly don't know the difference): at 10pm I had a craving for a Little Debbie snack cake (tulips now!). My dear husband got some at BiLo. Granted, he was returning a redbox so it wasn't a special trip or anything, but it was a little out of the ordinary to sit in bed at 10:30pm eating junk food!

Week 7

6/20- Today is the first day of my 7th week, and it started out a little scary. Yesterday I felt some really weird pain in my stomach while I was walking around (at the Just Between Friends sale w/ Jodi & Anna... yeah, it was hard to keep it in that I'm pregnant!), and it got worse and worse. Of course, David and I were googling like crazy (bad idea), and I was nervous... It eventually tapered off and I slept like a rock (I can do some serious sleeping... and, I've started taking a nap when I get home from work! ha!). I'm kind of a hypochondriac anyway, but I wanted to call the doctor just in case. He is out of town this week (figures), but his nurse wanted me to come in so the PA could check things out. They did an ultrasound and everything is perfect! Praise the Lord! I even got to see our little bean's heartbeat fluttering on the screen. Wow. I cried (of course). We go see Dr. Brody next Monday, and I'm even more excited now!! I can't wait for David to be there with me.

I just had a revelation. A scary one. Once the 12 week mark passes your likelihood of a miscarriage goes down drastically, but you're not out of the clear until that baby is breathing oxygen. BUT THEN, you have a CHILD to care for! You're NEVER out of the clear.

This week has been wonderful and horrible. My nausea has been awful, but our office is being renovated and I've been able to sleep in every day. It has been a HUGE blessing from the Lord. A few pregnancy firsts happened this week. 1) Emotions. I sobbed like a baby during this performance on America's Got Talent (I LOVE her!), and then during the 19 Kids and Counting special about Anna having her baby. Like, ugly crying. 2) After being nauseous all week, I threw up for the first time. Apples unfortunately were the culprit.

Week 8
We got to see you today! Dr. Brody was crazy busy, and I ended up being his last patient of the day- #47! Plus, he did 2 surgeries and delivered 5 babies! Nuts. Everything looks perfect, and hearing your heartbeat was amazing. I got all my questions answered, and it looks like I'll get to go to the doctor every 2 or so weeks just to watch things move along!!

I woke up Tuesday morning feeling pudgy. I am not showing at all yet, but I just feel fluffier than usual. I'm not used to this and I'm not sure I like it right now. I bought a tankini to wear at the beach this weekend because I'm not comfortable with my body right now. David says I don't look any different (other than my "huge boobs"). I keep weighing myself expecting to see a change, but shockingly there hasn't been one yet. In fact, my weight generally fluctuates a whole lot day to day, and now it has been insanely consistent (122.4-8 every day).

I heard these lyrics today ("Whatever You're Doing" by Sanctus Real), and it totally describes what I'm feeling (though it's not about being pregnant at all):

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Unfortunately, the nausea has reached (what I hope is) a peak. I've gone from mostly feeling fine with a few bouts of "ew I feel like I could throw up" to feeling mostly like I need to hang out by the toilet with random spurts of "ahh... so this is what it feels like to be normal". I've been throwing up every day, plus lots of dry-heaving sessions (sorry if it's TMI...) intermittently throughout the day (which might as well count as throwing up). We were in Sanibel for the weekend, so I found myself heaving on the side of the road, in the bathroom on a cruise boat, in several restaurant bathrooms, etc. Not. fun.

My mom decided she wants to be called "GranMolls". Love it!

Can you tell I feel like crap?!

Week 9

I've been away from work intermittenly for a few weeks, and now I'm back in action. I've been really really anxious about how to handle my nausea and exhaustion at the office since no one knows yet. If things get bad, I'll definitely tell my boss.

I'm starting to freak out about how long this process takes. I think it's just being sick that makes me super nervous to think of how far away February is. I know the second trimester tends to lessen these symptoms, but my MIL threw up (everything, every day) for 4.5 months. It's all worth it for this baby. No doubt in my mind. I read this today in one of my weekly emails, and it hit the nail on the head for how I'm feeling:

As pregnancy has blossomed in the public eye, so have our expectations: work performance must not drop, weight gain must be kept to a minimum, we must strive for healthy, active, happy, glowing, gorgeous, perfect pregnancies.

Problem is, the reality of pregnancy does not always work so well with these ambitious intentions. The first trimester can be particularly brutal. Nausea is hardly inspiring. And with the body on overdrive, building up blood supply and the placenta, your energy level can plummet to previously unimaginable depths. Exhaustion can be intense. Full-afternoon naps are not uncommon for those who can manage them. The rest of us just pass the early months of pregnancy in a haze of semi-consciousness, longing only for the couch.

Some suggest powering through, but that can be tough. We think there's something to be said for heeding the body's call to rest. And there's definitely something to be said for cutting yourself a break. For the vast majority of women, the cloud of bone-tiredness lifts, at least slightly, after the first trimester. So, yeah, you've always imagined yourself being perky while pregnant, but pregnancy is long. There's plenty of time for perkiness; this may be more of a time to be prone. (You'll be missing that position soon enough, anyhow!)

7/7/11- I told my boss. After spending the morning yesterday over the bathroom sink and finally calling it a day after lunch, I figured it was only right that I fess up. (Oh, and she was awesome. She always is.) After all, I might have lots more days like that in the near future and she needs to know what's up. It doesn't help that our office is being painted right now. It's sort of a cruel irony that the time when my senses are heightened, the smells I can now pick up make me nauseous.

Week 10

I love getting to go to the doctor every 2 weeks- and on Mondays! Seeing our little peanut again was so cool because it actually looked like a baby. The picture isn't very good, but I could see both arms and legs wiggling around so clearly. It was amazing. Because I'm going to the doctor so often, David is only able to come every other time. I hate him missing out of any of this, but duty calls at work. Fortunately, since we get an ultrasound at EVERY appointment he'll be able to see a whole lot through the process!

I have been so, so sick. I finally got a prescription for Zofran today, and I am so glad I did. I also experienced a new symptom that was pretty unexpected: tail bone pain. What?! I was in tears last night (7/12) because it hurt soo bad.

The Zofran doesn't seem to help much, but the nausea and vomiting is becoming intermittent (instead of constant). It's still pretty regular, and nothing I do seems to help. EVERYone who has ever been pregnant or known a pregnant person tells me what helped them, and I know they are all trying to be helpful but it's a bit annoying (I think I need to get used to this... ugh.) (close friends- tell away! It's the strangers slash random people who's advice doesn't matter much to me...).

I feel like I've grown! I still haven't gained any weight, and I guess that makes sense with all the stuff that isn't staying down. All my clothes still fit just fine, so it's probably in my head. Oh well.

We've been spreading the news, and it is SO fun to see people's reactions. I love the feeling I get when someone is genuinely excited for us. We are so loved!

tiny little bump? maybe?

Jme's shower

2011-07-22T09:18:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I made a quick trip to Nashville to hang out with my college bud and wife-to-be, Jamie. She had a wedding shower, and since I wasn't able to make it to the last one in Birmingham I really wanted to make an effort to spend some time with her and celebrate her upcoming nuptials. We were only together for about 24 hours, but we maximized our time with the two moms chatting about all things wedding (and some baby talk mixed in there too!). Jme and I stayed up way too late laying in bed having heart to heart talks, and it felt like the good ol' days. I LOOOVE being married to David, but there is something so sweet about the time I had living and sharing life with other girls. I am so thankful for Jamie's relationship with John and how it has edified her in more ways than she probably expected. They are going to make a lovely married couple, and I am literally counting down the days until we all convene in Birmingham for the festivities (3 weeks from today!!).

opening gifts with such grace

Maid of Honor, Christine

nooot a good picture (of either of us), but the only one we took. Love you, Janer!!

first baby project

2011-07-21T15:01:00.000-04:00

I saw this adorable countdown shirt a while back, and I knew I wanted to make one to document my pregnancy. I started according to her directions (minus buying a $32 shirt... mine was $10 at Tarjay), but when it got to tracing every single number AND then cutting them out I called it quits. I loved a good freezer paper stencil, but that was a little excessive so I figured out a different (easier) way to accomplish the same result. I drew a grid on my shirt using a washable fabric marker, and then traced the printed letters using a small paintbrush and the fabric paint. Sidenote: best way to do freezer paper stencils or other fabric painting? Use your regular acrylic paint (I have tons of this stuff), and buy some fabric paint medium to add to it. Then you don't have to buy expensive fabric paint in every color you want! It mostly worked like a charm! My shirt is by no means professional looking, and I did bump it one time and mess up a few numbers, but overall I am very pleased!

I've been taking week-by-week pictures (though, it's pretty unnecessary at this point... nothing has really changed) that I'll update soon!

the Greginators

2011-07-20T11:36:00.000-04:00

David has been playing soccer with a group of (mostly) VW guys again this summer, and it has been so fun. He is LOVING playing again, and I must say, he's pretty dang good. He has scored 6 of the 10 goals for the team this season!

And while he loves being on the field and with these guys, I love, love, love hanging out with the wives on the sideline! These ladies are some of my dearest friends, and it is SO fun that we're all having babies together.

Our last soccer game picture together was before any babies were here!

Saskia- baby girl due in September

Me- baby (??) due in February (holding Max Linhoss. His mom Leigh was sick, so I was on Max duty!)

Jodi- Ella, 7 weeks old

Andrea- baby girl en route from Ethiopia so soon!

Wendi- baby Ellie, 6 months old

We have one other friend, Anna, in our book club who is expecting baby Emory in September, making our book club baby count up to 6 in almost one year! If our baby is a boy, he'll have tons of girlfriends to choose from. If it is a girl, she'll have an immediate group of best friends! I can't wait!

PS- after 1 day on the MLS, someone is showing our house tonight! Pray!

let's sell this house!

2011-07-19T08:19:00.000-04:00

Our house has been for sale like this...

for a while now. Sorry for the fuzzy picture... it was so humid outside, my lens was all fogged up...

Not any more!

Now that we have a more immediate desire to find a more fitting house, it's for sale for real! David has been working on getting his real estate license (it turned into much more of an ordeal than we expected) and setting up Realty Zone, LLC with his buddy Dan. They are in full-swing house selling (and buying!) mode, so let's hope our house sells!

Check it out on the MLS!

a letter

2011-07-18T10:45:00.001-04:00

written June 6, 2011

Dear Baby,
This morning we found out you are here! Well, you're inside me. I can't believe it. I want to shout it from the rooftops, and yet, I want to keep it our little secret and revel in the joy I share with only David.

Today I was hopeful that it was true, but as always I was cautiously optimistic. I woke up extra early this morning out of excitement (but constantly trying to temper that...), raced to take the test and jumped back in bed to wait out those five minutes (David was outside walking the dog). I didn't say anything to David when he came back in, but while he was in the shower I set the positive test at his sink- knowing that is the first place he would go after the shower. I had a perfect view of his reaction, and it was perfect. He said "you have two lines??!" we cried (well, I cried) and hugged and laughed. Then we got ready and went to work =). Not your ordinary Monday morning, yet a completely normal day.

We have wanted you for so long. Even before we "started trying" we have wanted you. We didn't have to wait nearly as long as some people do, and I am beyond thankful for that blessing. We started this process expecting, well, a process. God prepared my heart for NOT instant gratification, and I am so glad he did.

We went into this month so hopeful, but still trying to have realistic expectations. After lots of months with no success, they were going to fix me, take care of the problem, and hopefully make it possible to make you! It worked.

More than anything, God is so good. This has been a month of understanding. I cry thinking about God's goodness- not only in giving you to us, but in loving us enough to do what is best. I (finally) learned a huge lesson this month. We talk about "God's timing" all the time in our Christian culture, but it has a new meaning to me now. As a Type A planner-person, I can quickly leave God out of an equation when it "works" according to my timeline. If you had come right "along schedule", God wouldn't have received any glory. Now? He gets it all. Just as He should, little one.

I was born for this. In high school we had to do a project on the career we hoped to have one day. Sort of a "what do you want to be when you grow up" research project. My career? Homemaking. I believe we are all called to things in life, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God called me to be a mom. I think knowing that made the waiting process easier. I knew you were coming, I just didn't know when.

Is it going to be hard? You betcha.
Do I wish our families lived in town? More than ever.
Is there a whole lot of logistical stuff to figure out and work through? Of course.

But, this is my commitment: No complaining. No whining. No stressing about the little things and being distracted from the total joy it will be to carry you inside me for the next 36 weeks. I know that will be hard, and maybe I'll fudge a little bit to David, but this is too good to not revel in.

I am beyond grateful for all my friends who have gone before me and let me walk beside them through this process. I have learned so much from their experiences, and I know that will make my turn even more enjoyable.

This was my devotional reading this morning from Jesus Calling, and it is literally Jesus saying these things to me:

Seek My face, and you will find fulfillment of your deepest longings. My world is filled with beautiful things: they are meant to be pointers to Me, reminders of my abiding Presence. The earth still declares My Glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear.

You had a darkened mind before you sought Me wholeheartedly. I chose to pour My Light into you, so that you can be a beacon to others. There is no room for pride in this position. Your part is to reflect My Glory! I am the Lord!

This completely reinforces exactly what I felt God was trying to teach me- my job is His glory. Period.

Well, this has gotten longer than I intended it to. It won't be the last time. You'll learn, baby, that I'm garrulous (and I like vocab words). So is your Grandy.

We love you more than words.

Always and forever,
Mommy

4th of July in Sanibel

2011-07-13T16:52:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the silence on the ol' blog... We have been up to some fun things!

For the 4th of July weekend, we made our way down to Sanibel to hang out with the Geyer and Johnson families, and we had a great time! It is probably the last time for a while that we'll all be in Sanibel together since Beth's babies are due in October (yay!!).

Unfortunately, the weather messed up our plans a few times, but we were all flexible and had a good time regardless. We went to the beach, did some shopping (we love the outlets!), struck out about five times on restaurants being closed, swam at Cathy's friend's pool, sweat(ed?) a bunch and hung out at the house.

On Sunday we took a boat cruise to Cabbage Key and saw dolphins along the way! It was SO fun, and reminiscent of our whale tour in Hawaii.

and a cute random video of Brianna signing...

We had a great time! There are a bunch more pictures HERE.

proud to be his cousin

2011-07-05T09:33:00.002-04:00

VERY cool article interviewing my cousin Steve... check it out!

fun with the 'rents

2011-06-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

My mom and dad came for a 2 night visit this weekend, and it was so fun! We ate Jet's Pizza, got froyo from the new Top It Off (SO great!), went to the Market, watched David win a soccer game (and score!), watched Law Order SVU, snuggled with the puppy, did lots and lots of talking and laughing, and ate Mexican of course.

Unfortunately, I only took pictures while we were eating Mexican... the least eventful part of our time together.

progression of a picture with Molls...

clean plate club!

I am so, so thankful for my parents. I'm thankful for their honesty and openness with us kids, and for their willingness to rearrange their schedules and drive to Chattanooga on a whim! Love you guys.

summer toy

2011-06-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, on a Tuesday morning, David sent me an email with an attachment saying "want one?". I didn't look at the attachment, but I assumed it must be some free t-shirts or something so I replied "sure!".

It wasn't a free t-shirt...

VW offers their employees lease specials on a regular basis. It's always a good deal, especially since they cover the license, registration and insurance. We've never needed a car, so we haven't bothered with the program. However, this was a special lease offer. Only once a year do Audi's become available and they always go quickly. In this case they notified the employees first thing in the morning, they were available at 11am and by 11:15 all of the cars were reserved.

I'm so not a car person, but David IS! I haven't seen him this excited about something in a long time, and it's been so fun for him to treat himself. He is super frugal and an awesome saver (thank you, Jesus!!), and he totally deserves this splurge. We have the car technically for one year, but I doubt we'll keep it that long. It probably won't be much fun to have a convertible in the winter, so we'll likely turn it in before it gets too cold.

In the meantime, we're taking advantage of the opportunity to sell our Trailblazer and upgrade to something that can last us the next 5+ years (I have to admit...I'll be sad to see it go).

Oh, and just days after David ordered the Audi, this was my fortune cookie fortune:

"Something on 4 wheels will soon be a fun investment for you!"

Post Script- I wrote this a few weeks ago and just forgot to post it. In the mean time, we've sold the trailblazer! It only took 2 days on Craigslist!

splish, splash

2011-06-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

We had a super fun weekend. I mean, most weekends are good because they are weekends, but we just kept saying "man, it's been such a good weekend" this time.

After early morning productivity (D- grocery shopping, me- yard sale-ing), we spent Saturday lounging at the lake, and it doesn't get much better than that. We were in the water most of the time because it is so blasted hot, but floating in the water is a pretty nice place to be on a Saturday afternoon. That night we served in the children's ministry at church, but in a new-to-us capacity. Usually we're assigned to a classroom, but we were asked to become supervisors (I guess there aren't many couples who serve together to do this job) and WE LOVED IT. Seriously, this is so our niche. David rocked it, as usual. I loooooved watching him as such a good leader but I also caught him loving on kids too. Perfect combo.

Sunday was awesome. We were pumped about sleeping in, but that didn't happen. It never does. We were up at 6:30 and by 8am had done 3 loads of laundry (me) and detailed both cars (D). We really spent the morning being uuber productive, so we rewarded ourselves with a mid-morning nap/dvr catch up time. David's soccer team played at 3, and despite the scorching heat and lack of subs they won! I love it when he has these teams, because I so enjoy my time on the sidelines with the wives. It's wild that the last time these guys played together there were zero babies in the mix. Now, just about everyone on the team has one! It makes the sidelines a really cute place to be!

After soccer we hung out with the Rochas, Linhosses and Sarah eating dinner and relaxing in the pool. Proof:

Man, our friends have super cute and hilarious (see, Kate above) kids! We have so much fun with them.

PS- TODAY is Max's FIRST BIRTHDAY!! Happy Birthday, little guy! We're so happy you were born!