*Slush Puppies - How I love thee*

10+ years ago, on a sad day in Georgia, we lost the only remaining gas station in our city that served Slush Puppies. Our last 7/11 was taken over by Circle K, and from that day on, we had to travel over an hour to treat ourselves to the sugary, frozen goodness of a Slush Puppie. Oh how I've missed my favorite slushy!! I've tried and tested every single slushy I could get my hands on since then, hoping to find a replacement, with no luck. Nothing even comes close.

Last Saturday after dinner I had the worst case of heartburn I've had in a while. We didn't have any Tums left, so I stopped by a gas station on the way home to pick up a few packs. I've been to this gas station plenty of times, but rarely ever went inside. In fact, if I said I'd been inside twice, that would probably be pushing it. So off I go, walking the aisles looking for Tums. I found my Tums, but something else caught my eye. I look up, and what do you know?!? My old friend, the Slush Puppie, is in front of my eyes!


Ahhh!!! How did I not know this placed served the best drink in the world!!! I seriously thought I would have a panic attack in the middle of the store from being overly excited. I grabbed the biggest cup I could find and overfilled it with my favorite flavor, cherry.

I am now in pregnancy heaven!! I really don't think any other food/drink could make me as happy as these silly little slush puppies! If you've never had one, please, for the sake of my sanity, GO FIND ONE IMMEDIATELY!! You will thank me for it I promise!!

29 Weeks... and the lull of "after Christmas"

So Christmas is officially over, and we're now in the sloooow week before New Years. Why does this week seem like the longest of the year? All the adrenaline and excitement of Christmas is over, and it's still too early to be excited for 2010. (At least for me it is)

Not much exciting news on the pregnancy front. She's still in there, doing her thing, kicking away and making my heart melt a little more each day. :) I love the way she plays little games with me. It's like she knows the difference in my voice when I'm talking to her compared to anyone else. She kicks on cue when I start talking to her!

**How far along? 29 Weeks... 11 to go!!

**Total weight gain/loss: Man this question stings... 25

**How big is baby?: She's around 2 1/2 lbs now. :)

*Maternity clothes? This question seems a bit ridiculous this late in the game.

**Stretch marks? Still just the lonesome dove.

**Sleep: Actually has continued to be God sent. I'm still loving life! (For now)

**Best moment this week: The loan documents are being set up for our mortgage! We'll be moved in soon!!

**Movement: The last few days she's become a wild child.

**Food cravings: I found a gas station that still serves Slush Puppies... you know, the BEST SLUSHY IN THE WORLD?!?! oh.my.gawd I'm going to gain another 25 lbs before this is over.

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? Still hanging on for dear life.

**What I am looking forward to: Getting a slush puppie after work...hehe

**Weekly Wisdom: Cry all you want. Listen to mushy songs and cry your eyes out. I guess that's not really wisdom, since it doesn't come with a "great outcome" per se, but I've really been taking advantage of my (alone) crying time lately.

**Milestones: Next week we'll be 3/4 of the way to 40 weeks. Wow.

28 Weeks

Christmas is this week!! This time of the year always makes me emotional. It's a time to reflect on everything that has happened in the past year, both good and bad, and thank God for everything he has blessed us with. I know that's what Thanksgiving is for, but Christmas is my "thanksgiving". :) I love the emotions that you feel during this time of the year.

With that being said, the last thing I need right now is another reason to make me emotional. This week has been terrible in that I've cried more than I've smiled. I'm so truly happy right now, but I have seriously had emotional breakdowns over absolutely nothing. For example: We're ->this<- close to finishing our house. While Jack was tiling the master bathroom this past weekend, I went off to find two mirrors for above our vanity. I came home with two very plain, rectangular mirrors. (Don't get the wrong impression though, I really liked these mirrors!) Come to find out, our electrician just so happened to put a plug right were the mirror needed to be. Who puts a friggin outlet directly above the faucet?! I was so pissed that we couldn't use my mirrors! I started crying, and didn't stop until about 30 minutes later when Jack suggested we just go buy some oval mirrors. Problem solved. I'm still embarrassed to admit that my entire emotional breakdown was a result of that tiny little dilema, but it was. I've cried because our driveway is muddy, even though we had 2 inches of rain in one day. I cried on the way to pick up my dog from the groomer because I just knew she hated being there. I cried because I dropped my mixing spoon with spaghetti sauce on the floor, and had to get another spoon out of the drawer. I've literally cried over everything! I'm even going to admit that as I type this, I have tears in my eyes just thinking about all the crying I've done. Ugh...

Enough of that. Here's my weekly update:

**How far along? 28 Weeks! 12 to go!

**Total weight gain/loss: I'm skipping this question until next week. I'm praying the weight I've gained is due to some major water retention, so I'll update next time. :)

**How big is baby?: She should be just above the 2 lb. mark now!

*Maternity clothes? Oh yes...

**Stretch marks? Still just the lonesome dove.

**Sleep: Woohoo!! I feel like a new woman this week!

**Best moment this week: Feeling what I assume was her heel. :) I touched it, and she reared back and kicked the snot out of my hand. How cute?!

**Movement: She's been a little more laid back this week, although she's still very active in my opinion!

**Food cravings: Koolaid... cherry to be exact.

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? You can see it through my shirt, although I wouldn't completely call it an "outie".

**What I am looking forward to: Christmas!

**Weekly Wisdom: Emotional breakdowns are yet another symptom of pregnancy... they have to be. (Don't tell me if they're not. K thanks.)

**Milestones: We have (hopefully) less than 3 months before Lily is here!

Welcome to 3rd tri!

We've made it! This is officially "the final stretch" of pregnancy! Compared to the first trimester, second tri flew by. I have an appointment this morning for my glucose test and check up, and I am dreading having to drink that stuff! Who knows, maybe I'll like it. (A girl can hope.)

Jack and I are doing something a little different during delivery. Some might find it a little "weird", considering you'll have someone you don't know watching you give birth, but I think it's beautiful. We've hired a wonderful photographer that will meet us at the hospital when I go into labor, stay during the entire labor and delivery, and capture those first moments of our baby's life. I think having those moments on film will be something so special to look back on later down the road. I would love for Lily to not only hear about her birth, but see the pictures of her first cry, the look on her daddy and my face when we first see her, etc. (Note: She doesn't photograph the actual "birth" part, so all of the pictures are very modest and PG rated.)

**How far along? 27 Weeks! 13 to go! (Literally 3 months)

**Total weight gain/loss: Another good week! Only 1 lb. :) Total = 21

**How big is baby?: Still huge. :) A little under 2 lbs.

*Maternity clothes? Oh yes...

**Stretch marks? Still just the lonesome dove.

**Sleep: Ehh - I guess I shouldn't complain since it's better than last week, but still not all that great.

**Best moment this week: Catching her rolling/flipping/kicking on my ipod. I've watched it about 3,123,596 times already. :)

**Movement: We have a very active little girl.

**Food cravings: I had the weirdest urge to eat a container of cream cheese, by itself. Don't worry - I didn't. ;)

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? It's still holding on! I'm waiting on the perma-outie, it just hasn't quite fully happened yet.

**What I am looking forward to: Carpet and harwoods being installed in the house this week! Electricity will be turned on, closet systems installed, tile work finished. We're on a roll!

**Weekly Wisdom: Don't give in to everything you crave. Could you imagine what would have happened if I ate that entire container of cream cheese like I so desperately wanted?

**Milestones: Making it to 3rd tri!

26 Weeks

First off, I apologize for being extremely late this week. It's my final week in school (for this semester) and with exams and such, I've had a one track mind. This has really been a hard semester for me, but I'm determined to get the hell out of these classes and never look back, so I've been a study crazed pregnant lady lately. On with the pregnancy news: We hit our double digit countdown!! I am in total disbelief that our baby girl will be here in less than 100 days! It gets more real to me every day.

We went on our hospital tour last Satuday, which was interesting. We live in a decent cized city, with 5 or so hospitals, and we decided to go with the smallest of them all. What interested us in this particular hospital was the fact that because of it's size, the nurse to patient ratio was outstanding. (We confirmed this during our trip to L&D. They were so attentive, and checked in almost constantly) Only a few, and I mean maybe 1 or 2, babies are born there each day. Compared to 10+ at the other hospitals, I find it comforting to know that Lily's birthday will be even more of a special occasion to the staff. They are also very family oriented. It's a religious hospital, and their beliefs translate into their jobs. They truly try and take care of their patients like they were a member of their own family. Once you're in your post delivery room, you may have as many visitors as you'd like. That was important to me, especially since the other hospitals are only allowing two visitors during your stay. Jack and I have our entire immediate families within 20 minutes of the hospital, so of course we'd want more than 2 visitors.

**How far along? 26 Weeks! 14 to go!

**Total weight gain/loss: I'm excited to report- 0 this week!! Total is still 20.

**How big is baby?: Huge. Okay around 1 3/4 lb.

*Maternity clothes? Oh yes...

**Stretch marks? Still the same - just that one lonely mark on my boob.

**Sleep: Horrible. a disaster. pointless. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. I'm itchy, sore, can't breathe, and I have to pee constantly. Makes for a wonderful night of sleep. (Or should I say, lying in the bed wide awake all night?)

**Best moment this week: Everytime I hum, she starts kicking. I don't think she's too fond of my actual singing, but she likes the humming. It makes me melt every time. :)

**Movement: She still thinks she training for a heavyweight kickboxing match. I love it!

**Food cravings: blah - anything I see, I eat. So I guess my craving is food in general? Healthy, I know.

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? Wow it is sooo close to being a permanent outie. I'd say about 3/4's of the day it's out.

**What I am looking forward to: Finishing the house! We only have 2 weeks or so!

**Weekly Wisdom: Take advantage of the time you're sharing with your baby right now. Talk to them, sing, even hum. It's amazing to see them react to your voice!

**Milestones: Less than 99 days left! Seriously?!

Not so "girly" bedding.

We've decided on Lily's nursery colors and bedding! We still don't have a house to decorate, but it all looks good on paper, right? This is the set we've chosen for her crib:



Notice: No pink. :) We've already gotten some mixed reviews as far as likes/dislikes, but all that matters is we absolutely love it, and that's what we're going with.

We decided to put chair rail in her room to spice it up a little, so above the rail is painted the same green that's in the bedding, while below the rail is a solid pure white. (Yes - I realize that it's going to get dirty... it's okay)

Her crib is just a bit darker than the one pictured, and not so "majestic" looking. We also ordered our glider, which came in last Saturday! Unfortunately, we have absolutely nowhere to store it, so it's still boxed up somewhere in a cold warehouse. Poor chair. :P

25 Weeks!

After a little scare in L&D, I'm glad to report Lily is staying put for the remainder of this journey. (At least that's what her and I have discussed);)

25 Weeks... I'm shocked at how fast everything is happening! This Saturday we will only have 99 days until our EDD. 99 days. As in, a little over 3 months. Really? Where did time go? I honestly don't remember anything other than pregnancy milestones since June. The rest of the months seem to have disappeared!

**How far along? 25 Weeks! 15 to go!

**Total weight gain/loss: Alright fine I'll tell you... 20.

**How big is baby?: As big as my stomach is getting, I'm pretty sure she's a giant.

*Maternity clothes? Oh yes...

**Stretch marks? Still none on my stomach, butt, thighs, or back. That's good news right?

**Sleep: Sucks. I've been dead tired this week, and I fall asleep fine. It's just around 2 when I get a random burst of energy that lasts until around 5. (I get up at 6)

**Best moment this week: Knowing my baby girl is okay.

**Movement: My goodness, my little kick boxer. She hates anything to touch to stomach (or loves, I can't figure out which one). If the dog, my phone, the remote, whatever is on my stomach, she tries to kick it off.

**Food cravings: Nothing really this week. Still loving the mexican though. ::gasps::

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? Still half-way. It's playing peek-a-boo, but it only comes out in the afternoons.

**What I am looking forward to: This Saturday, when we'll have less than 100 days until Liliana is here! ::faints::

**Weekly Wisdom: If you are in the least bit worried about something you're feeling, don't hesitate to go to the hospital! You never know, and I promise you that just knowing everything is okay makes up for any stupidity you might feel for the unnecessary trip.

**Milestones: She's recognizing the slightest touch on my stomach now. It's so cute!

Excuse the hair - it was 10:00 at night.

A trip to L&D... already?!

Yesterday morning I awoke to the weirdest pressure in my lower stomach. I assumed baby girl was sitting low and went about my normal morning routine. I took a shower, got ready, went to work, all the while feeling this immense pressure. Then I started cramping. It wasn't "exactly" like a period cramp, but that's the best way I can describe it. I felt it in my back and stomach, and along with the pressure I started getting a little worried. So I called the doctor. All the while I'm thinking to myself, "It's probably just poop cramps, or maybe she's just sitting weird". As soon as I described to the nurse what I was feeling, she puts me on hold to talk to the doctor, then returns in a panic. She's telling me to go straight to Labor & Delivery, that this was NOT normal for 25 weeks, etc. So I freaked out. I called my mom & Jack hysterically crying, thinking I did something to cause this, or that baby girl was in some sort of danger. It's too early for contractions!

I get to the hospital (Jack met me there, thank God) and get checked in immediately. The nurse hooked me up to all sorts of monitors, took a urine sample, the whole 9 yards. I also got the wonderful experience of my first internal exam. Holy.sh*t.

Long story short, I wasn't dialated, my cervix was perfect, etc. She told me to get rid of some of my stress, and keep an eye on how I'm feeling. (Like I could not notice that feeling again?! )

Thank you God that it was all a scare. I'd rather be trucking it to L&D over nothing, than God forbid something happening and me not going.

24 Weeks - Happy V-Day!

What a huge milestone! We've made it to 24 weeks! As of this week, if the baby were born, she would have around a 50% chance of living outside the womb. (Lily, that doesn't mean it's time to come out... lets wait a good, oh, 13 more weeks at least) She's been kicking up a storm lately. When Jack gets home from work, as soon as his hand touches my stomach she's kicking him. She loves her daddy already. :) In other news, I do believe I'm going to outgrow our house. I feel like a beached whale already, and we've still got a ways to go! It's pathetic... I get up and put on (what I think are) cute clothes, fix my hair, actually put makeup on, and I feel somewhat confident walking out the door. Then I look at my "bump" pictures for the week... holy sh*t. My face is fat, my butt is growing by the second, and I have no distinquished lines on my body... besides my fat rolls. All in good cause, yes, but still a little unnerving.

**How far along? 24 Weeks! 16 to go!

**Total weight gain/loss: I hate this question... 17

**How big is baby?: around 1.5 lbs

*Maternity clothes? Oh yes...

**Stretch marks? Still the same.

**Sleep: Bad week for sleep. Jack's exhausted from working 17 days straight, so I think he's still "working" in his sleep. He flings around like a mad man. TGI Thanksgiving weekend!

**Best moment this week: Having to work only 3 days!

**Movement: Tons! I swear I think she recognizes voices. She's only kicking for Jack and I right now. :) I love it.

**Food cravings: Chinese... and still Mexican.

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? Still half-way. It's playing peek-a-boo, but it only comes out in the afternoons.

**What I am looking forward to: Finishing the house this month and moving in! Getting Lily's nursery finally decorated and set up, and stuffing my fat face for Thanksgiving.

**Weekly Wisdom: I think pre-pregnancy photos should be well hidden until after the baby weight comes off.

**Milestones: We've made it to viability day! Thank you Lord!

23 Weeks!

She's still stubborn as can be! We had to have another U/S yesterday because she was hiding her face the entire 30 minutes at the "big" one, and this time she had not only her hands, but also her feet in front of her face! She gave us wonderful profile pictures, but each time the tech tried to measure her lips, up went the hands and feet. She's hilarious. :) I'm convinced she thought the U/S wand was a soccer ball, because she was actually kicking it (no matter where the tech moved it)!

Here's her sweet little profile pic... at 23w 2d:












**How far along? 23 Weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: blah... 13 lbs.

**How big is baby?: 1 lb. 3 oz. at 23w 2d!

*Maternity clothes? Completely - I went on a serious shopping spree last weekend. hehe

**Stretch marks? Still the same.

**Sleep: Pretty good this week! More pee breaks, but I feel more refreshed in the morning.

**Best moment this week: Seeing my baby girl again! She was actually sucking her little fingers this time. ::heart melts::

**Movement: More consistent. She's getting on a schedule for the most part.

**Food cravings: Mexican is still sounding good! Maybe I'll continue to like it after LO is here - I'd bet a million dollars she's going to love it!

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? hehe It's a half innie, half outie now. When I lay down it pops out. :)

**What I am looking forward to: This Sunday, the 21st, is Lily's Viability Day! We're getting close!

**Weekly Wisdom: Stay away from drama. I think that says it all.

**Milestones: My baby girl weighs over a pound now. :)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

22 Weeks!

Not too much to report this week. We've been extremely busy with work/school/house things so the week just flew by! Our next appointment is next Tuesday, the 17th, so I'm super excited about that! We get another U/S to measure sweet girl's little face. :) Until then...


**How far along? 22 Weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: none this week... still up 10.

**How big is baby?: A papaya :)

*Maternity clothes? I'm just about at the point of no return with my bella band/regular pants. I really need to go shopping for more maternity pants!

**Stretch marks? Still the lonesome dove perched on my boob. Lovely.

**Sleep: Ehh - It's okay I guess. Compared to last week I can't complain!

**Best moment this week: Buying our glider!!

**Movement: A little less than last week, but definitely stronger kicks.

**Food cravings: I'm still on a huge sweet tea kick. Mexican sounds yummy, which is still blowing my mind.

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? My poor belly button is stretched to the max already. :(

**What I am looking forward to: Our appointment next week!

**Weekly Wisdom: Don't hold off on peeing. If you have to pee and you hold it, your baby will let you know just how ticked she is. How? By using your full bladder as a trampoline. Go pee as soon as you realize you might have to. Trust me.

**Milestones: Lily is somewhere between 10.5 and 11.8 inches long now, and weighs a whopping 12.7 to 20.8 ounces! Grow sweet baby girl!

Once again, I apologize for the backdrop.
It's another pool house pic.

::sings:: We are the Champions....

Although 90 percent of my family is disgusted with this statement this morning... I have to say it loud and proud.

My Yankees won the World Series!!! No one believed it would happen, especially not before 7 games. What made it even sweeter was the fact that Pedro Martinez was starting pitcher for the Phillies. With my whole family being Boston fans, it was great to put an ass whoopin on a former Boston idol. ::gleams::

What's Boston's saying? "Take those 26 rings" and shove them where? I think we just showed you what we can do with our 26 rings... and that's keep on adding more. :)

From ESPN

21 Weeks!

All my life, I've hated Mexican food... I mean hated it with a passion. The smell alone would make me gag. Jack, on the other hand, absolutely loves it. He always has. Well I must say this little girl is developing her daddy's taste buds, because two nights ago I started actually craving Mexican!! It was the weirdest thing! All I could think about was a big enchillada with lots of chips and salsa. Let me emphasize that this is extremely weird because I've never had an enchillada! We went and indulged last night at Jack's favorite mexican joint, and from the first bite to the last, my sweet baby girl was letting me know she was enjoying it. She kicked harder last night than I've felt her kick so far!

**How far along? 21 Weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: 10 freakin lbs...

**How big is baby?: A banana. :)

**Maternity clothes? I haven't been able to button my pants for a good long while now.

**Stretch marks? ::gasps:: I think one might be starting on my boob... lovely.

**Sleep: Besides the horrible leg cramps, tossing and turning, getting beat up by my rough sleeping husband, having to pee constantly, and my dog waking me at random hours in the night... it's been okay.

**Best moment this week: I bought a new maternity dress from Target. Love it.

**Movement: Tons! She's a kicking machine!

**Food cravings: Have done a complete 180 since last week. I've craved mexican and sweet tea this week.

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? It's almost completely flat. Looks like a weird closed mouth smiley face. hehe

**What I am looking forward to: Getting our house finished, school ending for this semester, and Christmas!!

**Weekly Wisdom: You can never really be depressed during pregnancy if you keep reminding yourself what an amazing gift from God you'll receive in a few months.

**Milestones: Baby Lily's taste buds are forming! ( This might explain the mexican.... hmm)

House update - Getting close to finish!

So it's been awhile since I've updated the pictures of our house progress, so here you go! The outside will be completely finished by early next week (we're waiting on the soffits and front porch columns), and the inside is finally coming together. Jacks put the first coat of paint on all the interior walls except the nursery, tiled the kitchen and guest bathrooms, trimmed all the windows and doors, and now he's installing the base boards. We're still pretty much on schedule to finish around Thanksgiving, and I've really got my fingers crossed!

Driveway to house

Front porch view - painted

Back view - painted

Kichen Cabinets Installed

Tile Work (Kitchen) by Jack

Front Door - Stained

19/20 Weeks - Half Baked!

Time is flying by! I completely forgot to post my 19 week update last week... sorry! We had another appointment on the 20th and we got to see little one again! This was originally our "Big" U/S appointment, but since we cheated and had the gender determination 2D/3D done, it was strictly the anatomy scan. She looks wonderful, measuring exactly to the day! She weighed 10 oz. already, and was still as shy as can be. We go back on Nov. 17th for another scan to see her face. She had her little hand spread out covering her face the entire time. I told you she was shy! ;)

She's been kicking pretty consistantly now; I can usually feel her at least 15 minutes out of every two hours. Jack felt her for the first time at exactly 19 weeks! When she gets in her kicking moods, she means business... already. I love it!

**How far along? 20 Weeks! Halfway there!

**Total weight gain/loss: Ugh - 8 lbs.

**How big is baby?: A cantaloupe! Seriously?!

**Maternity clothes? Still sporting the belly band most days, but loving my maternity pants.

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Okay this week. I wake up sore all over... I've heard this would happen. ::cries::

**Best moment this week: Seeing our baby girl again! My heart is a big pile of mush right now!

**Movement: More and more each week. My favorite thing about pregnancy by far!

**Food cravings: Mmm still Sbarro's ziti and pepperoni and mushroom pizza. Add candy to the list - lots and lots of runts and gummi bears. I'm so healthy. ;)

**Gender: Sweet baby girl!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? It's getting pretty flat, but it's still in.

**What I am looking forward to: Decorating the nursery in the next month or so! We've picked out the bedding.

**Weekly Wisdom: Take each day at a time. Don't let one moment of your pregnancy go unrecognized. There is something new to experience with every passing moment.

**Milestones: Halfway there! I can't believe we have around 20 weeks left before baby girl is here!

I think I had another growth spurt! ;)

19 Weeks / 20 Weeks

18 Weeks - and kicks!!

As I was sitting in the school parking lot last night, waiting on 5:30 to roll around so I could start my dreaded Calculus class, I felt something... well... different. Then I felt it again, and again, and again. Liliana was kicking!! My heart started racing and I was so excited I was shaking! How in the world am I supposed to sit through Calculus silently while our baby girl is making her kicking debut!? So I didn't go to class. ::snickers:: I grabbed the phone and called DH, which of course he was over the moon! I continued feeling her for almost 5 minutes solid, then nothing. I can't believe we're here already! We've been looking forward to this stage for an eternity (well, it seems like it) and now that it's here I'm in shock!!

**How far along? 18 weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: Oh man... 6.5ish...

**How big is baby?: A sweet potato! How cute!

**Maternity clothes? Um... yes. Still working the belly bands too.

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Not so great - I wake up around 1 and just stare at the clock until 4 or 5.

**Best moment this week: The kicks!!

**Movement: Finally!! Holy cow I can't believe it!

**Food cravings: Sbarro's ziti and pepperoni and mushroom pizza. (and you wonder why I'm up 6.5... thanks Sbarro's!)

**Gender: Girl!!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Feeling her kicks every day!

**Weekly Wisdom: If you don't feel like cooking... don't. ::hehe that's all I've got this week::

**Milestones: Liliana is yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing now!

17 Weeks

"Our baby girl." It's magic to my ears. :) We're both absolutely in love with our little girl already. When we were coming home from finding out Saturday, Tim Mcgraw's "My little girl" came on the radio. There has only been once in my life when I've experienced a feeling like I did when I heard that song, and that was the day of our wedding. I'm so completely overcome with emotions right now... I honestly don't see how my heart will be able to handle the continuously growing love I'm feeling once my baby girl is here. It's all so much, and I'm starting to realize just what mothers mean when they say there is no love like the love you have for your child.



17 weeks feels amazing... we're almost halfway there!



**How far along? 17 weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: One this week... 5 total.

**How big is baby?: An onion!

**Maternity clothes? Still in between the belly band and maternity pants.

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Wonderful this week! I'm over the moon. :)

**Best moment this week: Finding out the sex - we're having a baby girl!

**Movement: We saw her kicking and punching away...but I still can't feel it. As long as she's okay I can wait!

**Food cravings: Candy and carbs...that about sums it up. ;)

**Gender: Girl!!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Feeling her moving!

**Weekly Wisdom: You can't prepare yourself for the moment you find out what your LO is, so don't try. I can't begin to explain the feeling!

**Milestones: Baby girl is developing finger prints!

::My Sweet Baby Girl::

Yes - I said Girl!! DH was right all along! We are over the moon! It's unbelievable... so amazing to actually know who I'm talking to in there now! She looks amazing - and made it obvious she's going to be a daddy's girl. Neither the nurse nor I could get her to respond, and as soon as she heard her daddy's voice, she stretched and posed for him. Sweet baby girl. :)

Here is her first "real" picture:

16 Weeks - Less than a week until we know!

I look like I'm 20+ weeks!! I'm assuming it's because #1 - I'm only 5'1", and #2 - I have a short torso. I haven't gained anything this week, but it feels like I've doubled in size!

We have an appointment scheduled for this Saturday to (hopefully) find out the gender! I'm so excited! I'm already having a hard time going to sleep, so I can imagine how I'll be Friday night. I had a dream last night we went, but the dream ended right before they could tell us what it was. What a tease! I've had 3 dreams so far it's a little girl, and one very early on that it was a boy, so we'll see. :)

In other news, we scored an excellent deal on a pack n play and a lovely brown and lime green stroller from a yard sale this weekend! They both looked brand new, and total we spent less than $75 for both of them! I love deals!

**How far along? 16 weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: None this week - still up 4 total.

**How Big is Baby?: An avacado!

**Maternity clothes? Still in between the belly band and maternity pants. I have one maternity shirt I'm loving right now though! (It's in my pic for this week)

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: I'll sleep a lot better after our next appointment. I'm too anxious to sleep right now. :)

**Best moment this week: Counting down to our big appt!

**Movement: I'm still waiting patiently. ::that's a hint LO::

**Food cravings: Still those dang Welch's fruit gummy things. Oh.my.goodness.

**Gender: 5 more days!!!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: I've said it a million times - finding out what this LO is! I'm looking forward to the kicks also!

**Weekly Wisdom: Check our garage sales and consignment shops. Some moms consign/sell items they've never used, and you can really score a deal on necessities!

**Milestones: LO can now hear my voice! (I've got to watch what I say now...)

15 Weeks... I know I'm late.

There is so much going on right now! The house is being sheetrocked as I type, school is taking it's toll on me mentally, and work has been extremely demanding this week! So yes... I'm 4 days late, but better late than never, right? ;)

We had our 2nd blood work appointment this past Tuesday, which I handled much better than the first. I didn't even cry when they stuck me! I held it together the whole time. The doc came in a went straight for my stomach with the doppler. It was the cutest thing! I had waffles and syrup for breakfast (yes I know, real healthy... I don't care... they were sooo yummy) and I think LO was sugar high off the syrup! The doc found the heartbeat immediately, but only for a second. LO jumped about 2 inches to the left... hehe. Sweet baby, just like it's daddy, always joking around. ;) LO would NOT sit still for anything! The doc was laughing along with DH and I, and needless to say we couldn't get a good read on the BMP this time. The doc estimated it to be around 150ish, which is excellent!

**How far along? 15 weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: Gained 2lb... up 4 total.

**How Big is Baby?: A naval orange!

**Maternity clothes? Most of my pants are now maternity, but I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy shirts.

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Back aches are much better this week, but my head is constantly throbbing as soon as I get up! :(

**Best moment this week: Hearing our LO at the dr.'s office, and everything checking out okay!

**Movement: I'm waiting patiently.

**Food cravings: fruit snack gummy bears. Hide.them.

**Gender: We'll find out soon! Still feeling girl though! 9 more days!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Our gender determination appt. in 9 days.. holy cow!

**Weekly Wisdom: Don't feel guilty for sitting on the couch with your feet propped up... you deserve it! No one else can understand how your pregnant body feels after a long day of work (and school!)

**Milestones: LO is squirming around a lot in there now!

14 Weeks*

Not too much to report this week. GA won their game Saturday night against rivaled USC (South Carolina, not the Trojans) and I couldn't be more excited! I got really sick/dizzy Sunday morning, and it didn't pass until late Monday night. I thought it might have been dehydration, but the dr. seems to think I had a virus. Whatever, I'm just glad I don't feel like that right now.

Oh!! We find out (hopefully) what this LO is on Oct 3rd! Wow- I'm super excited about that! It's not our anatomy scan, that will be Oct 20th, but the place I'm having my 3d/4d U/S done offers a 15 week gender determination. I know it's controversial to some, but this is our decision and we're going for it! Our luck LO will be "hiding" during the initial U/S, so we'll have to wait until the 20th anyways. My fingers are crossed though!

**How far along? 14 weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: Still at up 2lbs.

**How Big is Baby?: A lemon :) (which seems smaller than last week's peach... weird)

**Maternity clothes? Slowly adding these in one piece at a time.

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Okay besides the back aches and massive headaches I wake up to every morning. :(

**Best moment this week: You can feel my actual "bump"!! It feels like a ball at the bottom of my tummy. It's the sweetest thing knowing that's my LO in there!

**Movement: Getting closer!! I can't wait!

**Food cravings: Candy. Nerds, sweet tarts, laffy taffy, etc.

**Gender: We'll find out soon! Still feeling girl though!

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: My bump is actually turning into a "bump"! I can't wait to watch it grow every week, knowing it's baby and not just bloat!

**Weekly Wisdom: DO NOT get dehydrated. Drink tons of water, then drink even more. I promise, dehydration (if that's in fact what happened Sunday) is the WORST!

**Milestones: LO can now suck it's thumb and wiggle it's toes! :)

Excuse the weird face/hair - this was taken on "Sick Sunday"

House Photos

Here's a little update on what's happened within the past week. Doors and windows were installed, and we passed our framing and electrical inspections. DH is finishing up with the plumbing, and the heating & air should be done by today or tomorrow. Insulation should go in the end of this week or early next week, and the Hardy Board is being delivered Friday. (They have to order it).

Some updated pics:

With the door, windows, and roof installed

Big french door in family room looking into back yard.

Pre-Stained Front Door

Master bedroom french door looking at back patio.

Goodbye 1st Tri!

Tomorrow, the 9th, will officially be the beginning of 2nd trimester! Friday afternoon after dinner DH & I brought out the doppler and started searching. What do you know?! Within 5 minutes we heard a strong little heartbeat! It was registering around 160 bpm, which is a pretty nice increase from the 143 bmp back at 7 weeks 2 days! It sounded so perfect, and of course I teared up instantly. I honestly can't describe the surreal feeling you experience listening to your baby's heartbeat. What a true miracle!


**How far along? 13 weeks!

**Total weight gain/loss: Up 2 total. Woah, slow down! That's 1 lb./week the past 2 weeks.

**How Big is Baby?: A peach :)

**Maternity clothes? Still mostly belly bands. I'm wearing 2 of my Old Navy maternity pants for <6>

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: It was actually not too bad this week. Only once a night pee breaks. :)

**Best moment this week: Entering 2nd tri and hearing LO's hb on our doppler!

**Movement: Getting closer!! I can't wait!

**Food cravings: Not so many this week. Nothing really sounds appetizing.

**Gender: Still feeling girl.

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Finding out what our LO is! My feeling is girl, but I'd be excited to be surprised either way!

**Weekly Wisdom: Sleep as much as you need. (Notice, I didn't say want. I'd be sleeping all day long.) From what I've heard, you'll cherish these last few months of sleep.

**Milestones: 2nd tri!! LO is starting to form teeth and vocal cords!

Sad circumstances = horrible week.

If any of you reading this believe in praying, please take a moment and pray for two of my friends (and their families); this week has been devestating for them.

One of my best friends, A, hurt her ankle wakeboarding in June. She never went to the doctor, and the pain just kept getting worse. Finally, in mid-August, she went in to have x-rays done. The doctors were concerned with what they saw. They sent her for testing at Emory in Atlanta, and the news was unexpectedly horibble. She has cancer. 24 years old, she has a 1 year old and lives a very active, social lifestyle. The doctors don't know what kind of cancer it is yet, and I'm praying it's not bone cancer. (If it is, she could suffer months or years fighting this deadly cancer, and face the possibility of losing her leg.) She's such a great mother, such a wonderful, refreshing person to be around! I can't imagine being faced with the difficult decisions that await her. Please pray that God gives her the strength to fight this, and if it is at all in His will, she will make it out of this and never look back. Her son, first and foremost, needs that for her.

I also was shocked behind belief yesterday to come home to the news that a high school friend, whom I dated for a brief period of time, was murdered early Thursday morning. That statement in itself brings a flood of emotions; everything from hatred (I wish I didn't have) towards the murderer, to an overwhelming sense of sadness and lose, to a gut wrenching feeling that this is all a horific nightmare, and somehow I'm going to awake knowing Rob and his family are safe in sound in their beds.

The most sickening detail of this murder is the fact that Rob was murdered BY HIS OWN MOTHER. I believe being pregnant, feeling that maternal sense, makes those words even harder to phatom... if that's even possible. Rob's father died two years ago by a massive heart attack. I'm not trying to make assumptions, but I do believe that his passing was too hard to deal with for his mother.

She wrote a detailed two page letter Wednesday night, describing how she planned to carry out the murder. She also described why. Rob was in debt because of his troubled past. His mother described how she wanted relief for herself and her son from his debt. That was her motive. She was such a weak person, she couldn't handle a circumstance that 90% of people are in at this moment. Get the Fvck over yourself! This world is becoming more and more evil, psychotic, unphatomable. I don't understand.

I just ask that everyone please say a prayer for these two individuals and their families. I can't imagine, and pray I never have to know, how these families are feeling this morning. It breaks my heart a thousand times over. God bless them.

12 Weeks - yes I said 12 weeks.

Seriously? Time is creeping by (in that I'm so anxious and excited to meet out little one) but at the same time it is flying! I can remember at 4 weeks, waiting for our first u/s at 7w 2d, thinking, "Oh my gosh... how do people find the patience to last 40 weeks?!" I felt like I would lose my mind before that first appointment. Now here we are, 12 weeks and still going strong. Thank you God! We haven't heard back from the dr. regarding my blood work, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

I ordered a doppler off Ebay last week, and it came in last night. Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything. I promised myself I wouldn't freak if it happened, so we're going to try again tonight. It's not the same quality of doppler the doc uses, so that eases my mind a little.

**How far along? 12 weeks!!

**Total weight gain/loss: Up 1 total.

**How Big is Baby?: A plum! Grow baby!

**Maternity clothes? I ordered lots from Old Navy, but it will be a while before I make the switch. I'm getting my money's worth out of the belly bands. ;)

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Tossing and turning this week... but less pee breaks! (for now)

**Best moment this week: Making it to 12 weeks- that's such a huge accomplishment to me.

**Movement: Getting closer!! I can't wait!

**Food cravings: I could have killed for McDonald's fries last night. (don't worry, no killing spree for me - I ate plenty of McD's fries for dinner)

**Gender: I'm starting to lean towards girl again. :)

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Getting good at using the at-home doppler. I know it's going to be amazing to sit and listen to the heartbeat for as long as we'd like. <3

**Weekly Wisdom: Whatever weight issues you've had in the past... screw them. Pregnancy is not the time to worry about weight. I promise you, even if you don't gain a single pound in the first tri, you will look like you've gained plenty! (I have the pictures to prove it!)

**Milestones: Baby's brain continues to develop, and tiny fingernails and toenails start to form. Vocal cords are also formed this week, and baby's kidneys are now functioning! After swallowing amniotic fluid, your baby will now be able to pass it out of the body as urine. And the intestines will make their way into the abdomen, since there is room for them now.

Excuse the nasty door - this was taken in the pool house.

The house is framed!

We're on a roll! Within a week, our piece of land went from a huge pile of concrete to a completely framed house! It's amazing to walk through and actually see the room layouts and details, instead of only visualizing them. What a whirlwind this has been so far, yet I would do it all over again at the drop of a dime.

The house last Tuesday, day 1 of framing. This is standing to the far right, looking into the garage:

And here is what progressed within two days (last Thursday):

What a difference! Now I'm rushing to pick out exterior colors, roof colors, shutters (we're still not sure we're going to use them at all), column design, stone, trim colors, etc.

I finalized the cabinet choices last week, and I'm thrilled about the choices! The electrical, roofing, heating & air, and plumbing rough-in (thanks DH!) will be complete by next Wednesday, then it's insulation, sheet rock, and we start the fun stuff! (Painting, trim work, flooring, etc.)

11 weeks & a heartbeat!

So we've made it to week 11! I feel like every week is such an accomplishment, and here we are so close to 2nd trimester already! We went yesterday for my blood work appointment. Let me just start by saying this was one of my biggest fears of becoming pregnant. I hate needles with.a.passion. I knew going in that yesterday's appointment would be tough, and it started out that way for sure. The woman taking my blood was a newly hired nurse who had no idea what was going on. A lead nurse had to walk her through the process. I'm sure there are plenty of women out there who would be fine with this, but I wasn't. I was scared out of my mind. Needless to say we got it taken care of, I survived, and we moved on. They moved us to a regular room w/ a bed, and the doctor came in and told me to lie down. Why do I need to lie down? I thought this was a blood work only appt.? She took out the doppler and within a minute we heard the most beautiful, comforting sound in the world; our baby's heart was beating away! I would go to thousands of blood work appointments if I was guaranteed to hear that precious sound every time. That was worth every ounce of pain. :)

**How far along? 11 weeks

**Total weight gain/loss: I'm down .6 from last week, which totals -.2

**How Big is Baby?: The size of a lime!

**Maternity clothes? Belly bands are still going strong. I ordered some maternity clothes this week though. :)

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Has been a lot better, besides the pee breaks. I think I'm just exhausted from everything.

**Best moment this week: Hearing that miracle of our baby's heartbeat.

**Movement: Getting closer!! I can't wait!

**Food cravings: Okay I totally craved french toast at like 9 at night. So I made me some. hehe

**Gender: This will be interesting. I'm right about 50/50 now.

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Making it to 2nd tri, and getting a real bump. (Not just bloat) It's actually starting to get hard now!

**Weekly Wisdom: Take deep breaths. Stay calm. Remember that God will not give you what you cannot handle.

**Milestones: Hearing the heartbeat on the doppler! That decreases the risk of "the horrible thing" to under 3%. Yay!!

Okay please don't laugh at the growth spurt this week.

Well, actually laugh all you want... it's not like I can hear you! :)

The building begins!

Back in mid-July, DH and I sold our first house together to pursue our dream of building a house. It's been a hectic year so far, preparing for construction, getting all of our ducks in a row, organizing and managing our money to a tee, etc. The building has finally begun! August 7th was our "ground breaking" day: the first day of construction. We had our foundation crew out there at the crack of dawn getting everything ready for our foundation to be poured. On the 13th, the concrete for our slab was done! Here are some pictures of the progress so far. Sorry the angles aren't the best. We're surrounded by woods, so there's only so much room I can back up to take the pictures.

This is the left side of the house. Front porch is the shallow part.

Facing the right side of the house from the front porch. The garage is completely cut out of this picture.

Our framers started yesterday morning, so I'll have pictures of the completely framed house by early next week! What a huge difference just after framing! It actually looks like a house now!

10 weeks already!

Here we are, 10 weeks along already! I'm still in a daze, wondering every day if this dream is actually happening. I have an appointment a week from today, but I'm almost positive they're just doing blood work. I really wish they would pull out the doppler and give it a try. I'd feel a thousand times better if we heard the heartbeat again. Living in a constant state of worry is something I'm definitely going to have to get used to!


In other news, we started building our house last week! I'll post some pictures in just a little while... not too much to see yet though. School started back yesterday as well. I'm only taking two classes, but with working full time, the house being built, being constantly tired and icky, I'm pushing my limits. Not too much longer and everything will be over and done with! (Hopefully I'll have some hair left at the end of this journey!)



**How far along? 10 weeks

**Total weight gain/loss: I'm up .4 this week, for a total of .4

**How Big is Baby?: The size of a small plum! (Over an inch long now) :)

**Maternity clothes? Belly bands are still my best friend.

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Some days are wonderful - others, not so hot.

**Best moment this week: Making it to 10 weeks!

**Movement: Not too much longer.

**Food cravings: More aversions than cravings. I crave anything that will stay in my stomach.

**Gender: Ohhh I don't know. I was so pro-girl, now I'm torn. I keep referring to LO as "him". hmm..

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Making it to 2nd tri, and my appt. next week!

**Weekly Wisdom: Don't let yourself get hungry. My goodness it feels like someone is tearing your stomach from your body if you get hungry. These are some MEAN hungry pangs.

**Milestones: LO is growing so fast now! Over an inch long!




You can really tell a difference this week! (just way thicker in the mid-section)

9 Weeks

Okay, I promise I'm not a total slacker. At our last dr.'s appt., the baby was measuring 6w5d, which would put my "week change" day on Thursday. The dr. didn't change my due date, so I was really confused as to when to do these pictures. After a week of debate, DH and I decided to just stick with Sunday as we had been and continue.

No real updates this week - I'm still not feeling so hot, but I have to admit I've had more energy the last week or so. (Granted, I'm still taking at least one nap a day) Every pair of pants I own are now too tight to button, so I've graduated to using the belly band full time. So I guess that's about it for this week! We have an appt. on the 25th for blood work, and I'm really hoping they'll schedule the NT scan soon after that. I'm going crazy not knowing how LO is doing in there!



**How far along? 9 weeks

**Total weight gain/loss: I've gained back the 2 I lost, so now I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight.


**How Big is Baby?: LO is a green olive!!


**Maternity clothes? None yet - but I'm wearing my belly band full time now!

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: Hasn't been the best lately - I'm dead tired but can't stay asleep.

**Best moment this week: I had my first baby dream, and it was a boy! (contrary to my guess though)

**Movement: Not too much longer.

**Food cravings: They vary every day. If I want something specific for dinner, I literally cannot swallow anything except what I'm craving. I HAVE to have it. Poor DH. :)

**Gender: I still feel girl, even though I dreamed it was a boy.


**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Hearing LO's heartbeat on a doppler. What a relief that will be.

**Weekly Wisdom: Invest in popsicles... they taste good even when you don't feel so hot.


**Milestones: 9 weeks, the baby's fingers and toes can be seen! Little ears are formed, and eyelids are almost completely covering the eye socket. So amazing!



My 9 week bloat, which is considerably bigger than my 7 week bloat. Oh boy..

The most beautiful sound!!

Well, yesterday was our first real appointment, which was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. As soon as we arrived, we got called back to the sonogram room. Since I'm so early on, they did a transvaginal U/S (aka the dildo cam). It was definitely not as uncomfortable as I was imagining. We got to see our little bean for the first time, and saw it's little heart just beating away! The tech even turned the sound on so we were able to hear the heart for a few seconds- it was beating at 143 bmp. Of course I completely lost it as soon as I saw our baby. She measured everything and said the baby was measuring 6w5d. Based on my LMP the dr. said I was 7w2d as of yesterday, but I knew I wasn't that far along due to my O day.

I think yesterday is when it truly hit me that we were going to have a baby. What an amazing feeling to see something growing inside you; something you've wanted so badly for so long. This is our baby, and I thank God every chance I get for giving us this opportunity, this gift.

Here is our little bean's first picture!!

7 Weeks!!

So here's my first little weekly questionare thing. (I love these) :) Our first appt. is tomorrow morning and I really don't know how I'm going to wait that long! I remember back at 4 weeks, thinking the 28th would NEVER get here. Well, here it is!! I'm so nervous and excited! If I don't throw up from my m/s tomorrow, I'll definitely lose it to nerves. Wish me luck!

**How far along? 7 weeks

**Total weight gain/loss: I'm down 2lbs. this morning, but it flutuates

**How Big is Baby?: LO is a blueberry :)

**Maternity clothes? No- I did order belly bands from Etsy. This bloat is crazy!

**Stretch marks? None yet ::crosses fingers::

**Sleep: It's okay - I have to pee all the time.

**Best moment this week: LO doubled in size. That's exciting!! Grow LO!

**Movement: Not for a while

**Food cravings: bleh. The only thing my stomach can handle is powerade. I hate food right now.

**Gender: Everyone, with the exception of my little brother, thinks it's a girl. (Including me)

**Labor Signs: Let's hope these stay away for a while!

**Belly Button in or out? In

**What I am looking forward to: Our first appt. is tomorrow!! U/S!!

**Weekly Wisdom: Try not to stress to hard: if something is going to happen, stressing won't stop it.

**Milestones: I'm still amazed I'm pregnant, let alone 7 weeks now!

...and my 7 week bloat...

6 Weeks

Sorry I'm so late... it's been a crazy week at work. Not to mention m/s hit me like a ton of bricks last weekend. All day long I feel like I'm going to puke. Fun, let me tell you. I bought Sea Bands on Monday morning, and they actually do help out a little. I haven't thrown up yet (thank God) but trust me, sometimes I think if I could actually puke I'd feel better. I know that's not the way it works though, unfortunately. Some of the ladies on 1st Tri recommended eating any kind of sour candy. I invested in some sour jolly ranchers last weekend. Okay - do NOT put a jolly rancher in your mouth when you're feeling sick. You WILL gag. I think it's because the darn thing is shaped like a toothbrush head...okay honestly I don't know why but it was terrible! I was gagging so hard I was crying! Ugh...

So here's my first "bump" picture - just a lot of bloat!

What a relief!

So we've finally done it. We sold our house! Yesterday was closing day, and what a huge relief it was. We've had so much going on lately, with trying to sell our townhouse, moving into our temporary house, finding out we are expecting and dealing with the fatigue (Which is kicking my butt hard!), and getting things in order to build our new house, all while maintaining our full time jobs. Oh, and school starts back for me in less than a month. Needless to say, we needed that load off of our shoulders.

In other news, I'm 5 weeks, 4 days today!! Our little bean will be the size of a sweet pea on Sunday! DH laughs at the comparisons each week. This week (week 5) LO was the size of a sesame seed, so I HAD to go to Arby's just to get a sandwhich with sesame seeds on it. We sat there and beamed at the fact that the sesame seed represented how big LO was. We're so weird I swear. It's amazing how excited I get at each passing day already. That's the first thing on my mind when I wake up. My first sonogram is a week from Tuesday and I'm thrilled! I really don't know exactly what to expect, but I hope we can at least see a heartbeat. (Even typing this gives me butterflies, and the most joyous, refreshing reminder of how wonderful life is.) I'll post on Monday with my 6 week bloat pictures... and believe me, the bloat is ridiculous!

::What a surreal moment::

I'm in denial. I tested three times Friday, but I couldn't see anything until 20 minutes or so passed. "It's an evaporation line". That's what I told myself over and over again, and believed. Saturday morning I POAS for a fourth time, and after 20 minutes, the line was even more faint than the previous tests. That was my confirmation that this cycle was over. Those damn internet cheapies played a cruel game with my mind.

DH and I ate breakfast and I went back upstairs to finish getting ready. I couldn't resist. For the 5th time, I tested. This time it was with a +/- test, so I knew there would be no guessing. What the hell do you know?! It was definitely a +!!! I feel to my knees and starting crying hysterically. After a good 10 minutes, I pulled myself together long enough to grab DH's "surprise" and set it at the top of the stairs. I called for him to come help me. (He always tries to help pick out my clothes, so he assumed that was what I wanted) I sat on the bed and waited while he picked up the card and box and studied it. I directed him to open the card first, which said something along the lines of, "You're going to shine at your new job", and the inside, "As if you don't shine enough already". I wrote at the bottom, "I'm so proud of you baby. I love you. A." In the box was a t-shirt that said, "Fatherhood, the toughest job you'll ever love." As soon as he opened it he teared up and grabbed me. He just kept repeating, "Is this real? Are you serious?" That was one of the most amazing moments of my life so far.

I'm in love with this child already. This is our baby, the deepest symbol of our love for one another. Thank you Lord, for you are the only one who could ever understand what this means to us. Thank you.

High Maintenance Pain in my Arse

Those are the words I used to describe the lady that is (supposed to be) buying our house. I have never in my life seen someone so demanding of petty things like this woman is. Let me start with a little about our house:

We live in a 2 story townhouse (I bought it before DH & I were married) close to town. Since we moved in, we've remodeled almost every square inch. We put down hardwood floors, tile, etc., which we did ourselves, as well as new lighting/door/plumbing fixtures and knobs throughout. I'd like to think we have one of the nicest units in our neighborhood. We've worked extremely hard to get it where it is.

So we put our house on the market in February. We have a few acres in the country that we're building a house on. In early May, we received a legit offer and accepted. In the state I live in, it is highly encouraged by lenders to have the house inspected. Fine. I was almost looking forward to it, seeing all the work we've put into it. So the buyer had it inspected back in late May. We got a 17 PAGE REPORT with things the buyer and/or inspector wasn't satisfied with. Let me fill you in on the extent of these "problems": 1. a light switch cover in our kitcken was loose. Not the receptacle itself, the plastic cover that screws in. 2. Our windows in the guest bedroom were hard to open. Okay. We've never opened them, so I was intrigued by this one. Turns out once you open it the first time, it opens nice and smooth the rest of the time. It was stuck from not being opened in so long. 3. The buyer didn't like the tile in our foyer, so she wanted it re-done. I could go on but I'm assuming you get the point.

This lady is nuts! A home inspection is designed to point out STRUCTURAL flaws, major cosmetic errors (i.e. sheetrock not puttied, etc.) and NOT petty shiit like, "Well, I don't know how to use a screwdriver, so I'm going to need you to screw in the light switch cover for me."

So the inspector had to do a walk through last Thursday to determine all the petty things he's pointed out were fixed. And they were. I assumed this would be a breeze, but of course I was wrong again. He came back with another 12 page report of NEW PROBLEMS. Okay let me get something straight, the buyer has the right to ONE inspection, which was done, and "problems" were fixed. I'm not going to play a back and forth game with these inspections. You had your chance to find all of our mistakes. I'm done trying to please you. Ugh - Selling our house is going to be the end of me.

Please keep your fingers crossed I don't lose it on this lady. thanks.

Who am I?

So I've come to the realization that I've never really introduced myself. So here goes...

DH and I were married 3/31/07 in a beautiful pavilion overlooking river rapids. We dated a little over 2 years before we were married, and as corny as this sounds, we have spent literally every single day together since we met. He is my best friend, my entire world; he understands and loves me in ways I never imagined possible. We have two dogs, a yorkie and a shihtzu (my babies). I'm a routine person. I have to have things on a schedule (for the most part) and follow said schedule meticoulously. I'm driven, a hard worker, and I believe anything worth having is worth working for. I take my career very seriously, and my marriage even more so. I have a bad temper at times, but a tender heart that is easily pursuaded with the right words. I dream of becoming successful, having a family, and enjoying life to the fullest. I'm a Christian, and truly believe that everything happens as part of His plan, not ours. Our life is in His hands.

So that's a little about me... now you know.

Grammy's Wedding

As promised... here are some pics of my grandma's wedding, along with a few others we took during the trip.

As a side note - AF showed on Sunday, thus starting our 2nd cycle charting. On the up side, my LP was 14 days, and my total cycle was 31 days. I started drinking green tea again today, and taking the advise of some of the GP Mama's, I've up'ed my intake to 2 drinks a day.

This is the "Big Boot" outside L.L. Bean's original store.

Portland Head Light - The first light house approved by George Washington.

My baby sister (flower girl) ready for the wedding.

DH and I

My daddy walking my grandmother down the aisle.

Bride and Groom cutting the cake.

First Dance