A Wedding Story

Lavender = Spring

2012-01-28T17:57:00.000-05:00

Spotted these two pieces on the J.Crew Factory site yesterday. The graphic print is so feminine and the lavender cardigan would look so cute with khaki trousers. They make me feel inspired for Spring, what about you? Remaining Christmas money, you are officially spent.

5 Favorite Baby Things

2012-01-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm blogging. Pick your chin up off of the floor, because I know it's shocking.

I bring you my favorite things for baby. When I was pregnant I researched so many baby products, but no review is better than that of a new mom. Over the past three months I think I've learned a thing or two. Here are my must haves for baby.

What can I say, I'm a paranoid mama. The Angelcare monitor system has been the best investment that we could have made for Avery. I knew before I ever had a baby that I would be the kind of person who needed to check on baby every twenty minutes at night, just to make sure she was breathing. This monitor took the worry away.

There is a sensor pad that goes underneath of the mattress. Every time the baby breathes, a very faint beep sounds and a little digital pendulum swings, so that you can see and hear that the baby is breathing. Maybe that sounds too much for some, but my mind has never been more at ease. It's truly wonderful. Our individual receptors that go in our bedroom and downstairs even display the temperature so we know how warm the nursery is. One of my absolute must haves for the nursery.

When it comes to nighttime sleeping, swaddling baby is a must. Many people say their baby hates being swaddled, but I believe it's a way to re-create a womb like feeling and calms them after they've been fussy. Avery wasn't always an angel when we first swaddled her, but now she knows it's her sleepy time and she's very comforted by the tightness of the swaddle.

Don't waste your time on expensive swaddling blankets, because babies will break out of them faster than you can say "screaming baby." The SwaddleMe blanket by Summer has velcro tabs and ensures that, when done properly, baby will stay soothed until they wake up. It's even one of the 5 "S's" per The Happiest Baby on the Block. When in doubt, swaddle!

Since I went back to work five weeks ago, Avery needed to learn early on how to drink from a bottle. I even worked several days when she was only five weeks old, so we started her early on bottles with pumped milk. I had several friends recommend Dr. Brown's bottles and they have worked wonderfully. I've read complaints about having to wash extra parts, but it's really not a huge ordeal.

These bottles are proven to reduce air bubbles and colicky fussiness in babies. We have them in the four ounce size and just recently we purchased the eight ounce size. It's always nice to have at least six of each size for various food amounts throughout the day. Avery would give these her seal of approval!

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times, I love our Bumbleride Indie stroller. To me it was worth every penny. It's such a smooth ride, going over curbs and gravel with no problems whatsoever. It's easy to take in and out of the car. Very easy, actually. Indie's aren't the least expensive stroller on the market, but they make a great investment. We have a Maxi Cosi Mico carseat, and although the Mico wasn't advertised as "compatible" with the Indie without a $40 attachment, we have had no trouble whatsoever placing it in the Indie. It's a snug fit and I'm glad we tried it that way without dishing out the extra cash on the adapter.

For nap time, there is no better item than the Rock n' Play Sleeper by Fisher Price. We like to lay a fleecey blanket inside of it and place Avery inside for daytime naps. She loves her Rock n' Play and knows that she can settle down for a good nap once she's laying down. I've even learned to take a little nap here and there (let's face it, teaching is exhausting, especially with an infant) and it's so nice to rock her beside me while I'm resting.

When my mom picks up Avery to watch her for the day, she also picks up the Rock n' Play. We have all learned to love the power of nap time!

Okay, I said 5 favorite baby things, but this must be added to the list. For Christmas Avery's Nonni bought her this Tiny Love Princess Mobile and Avery just loves it. It spins around and plays sweet, soft music. She will lay in her crib for thirty minutes and watch the mobile go round so mama can get some things done.

Buyer beware, these things run through batteries, so have some extras on hand just in case!

Other favorite things worthy of a mention...

Boppy pillow, Bumbo seat, white onesies, soft toys, wrist rattles, Medela pump and parts, fleece blankets, thick hooded bath towels and crinkly toys/books.

Have a question on a baby product? Please let me know and I'd be happy to pass a recommendation on!

Avery's Growth So Far

2012-01-15T08:35:00.001-05:00

I've never seen anything grow so fast in my life! Stay small little girl, it's going by too quickly!

From Avery

2012-01-11T16:12:00.001-05:00

Hi blogger friends. My mommy is so busy educating fifth graders and taking care of me that she has no time to blog. She hopes to get it together sometime soon. Meanwhile, I am getting so big and mommy thought you all would like a new photo of me. I really am so cute.

Love,

Avery

First Day of School

2012-01-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

Today I started my first real teaching job. I'm an official fifth grade teacher. It was overwhelming to even think of going to work while Avery was so little, but I'm really excited about it. I have spent the past few weeks preparing and working in my classroom. Here are a few pictures I snapped this morning before our busy day.

I also got my hair chopped off by an over zealous scissor stylist. I'm definitely shorter than I wanted to be but I worked my round brush this morning, and I worked it good. I'm also not sure about the darkness on the very bottom and underneath. Hmm.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T20:56:00.003-05:00

Happy 2012 friends! I resolve to blog more in the new year, like more than twice a month. Ahem, December. My main excuse is this precious peach that keeps me on my toes 24/7. But don't you worry, Christmas season recaps to come!

Our Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-15T12:42:00.000-05:00

{via Tiny Prints}

Avery at One Month

2011-12-01T16:56:00.001-05:00

Avery is one month old! Here's what she's up to...

Weight: 10 pounds, 3 ounces (75th percentile)

Length: 21 5/8 inches (75th percentile)

One month checkup: At our monthly checkup Avery got the Hepatitis B shot and screamed bloody murder. I'm not sure who it hurt worse though, Avery or her mama. I cried like a baby too. The doctor thinks she may have some reflux issues, so we are elevating her a bit. I'm still off of dairy and soy for the meanwhile to see if that helps with the colic. Colic is so hard to deal with. The child screams nonstop. I'm actually looking forward to her being a little older and for the colic to subside.

Sleep: Avery is doing very well at night. I nurse her around 10 pm and put her right to sleep in her crib. She wakes up around 3:30 to nurse again and then usually sleeps until around 7. There have been nights where she has slept a lot less (or maybe even more). She must be swaddled with white noise playing in the room. I change her quickly and nurse her all in the dark. It helps her to stay very sleepy.

Days aren't as great. She fights naps like a champ. It takes up swaddling her and rocking her in the FP Rock 'n Play sleeper to get her down for a nap. She doesn't nap terribly long unless we are in the car and out and about. Yesterday I took her to Nordstrom for lunch with my best girlfriend and mom. She slept through our entire lunch and proceeded to scream the rest of the time in Nordstrom. Now, I am not one to have a crying baby out in a public place but my mom was there and walked her outside and calmed her down while I got some shopping done.

Eating: Avery is a healthy little eater. Sometimes she wants to nurse every hour and it's hard to keep up a supply. I've started to supplement a bit of formula because sometimes she is so hungry she will scream until she gets food. The doctor put her on Alimentum formula for fussy babies with milk sensitivity. This is only a supplement and not for her main nutrition source. She is still hurting me a bit when she nurses. I hope this resolves soon because mama is sore!

Play time: Avery loves to lay on her activity mat and watch the hanging animals. Sometimes I see her try to swat at them. She is tracking very well with her eyes and is able to see a lot more than she did several weeks ago. She likes to look at pictures in books and even a baby flashcard app I put on my iPhone. She loves her Boppy newborn lounger and will move her arms and legs all around when she lays on it. Although she seemed to like her swing a lot in the beginning, we don't use the swing much. She will cry very quickly if we leave her in it for too long.

Scariest moments of the month:

We called 911 for her last weekend. I was nursing her at my parents house and she started to choke and didn't catch her breath very well. My mom grabbed her to get her to burp and she stopped crying and was very still. Scary! We think it went down the wrong way and it took her little body a few moments to get herself back together. The paramedics came to listen to her and said she sounded okay. Later on she spit up some bloody mucus, so needless to say my sleep was shot that night.
We use an Angelcare monitor and it went off last night three times. I don't think I've ever lept out of the bed faster than I did at 1 am. It was terrifying. I ended up sleeping (sort of) in the nursery chair so I could be with her and so my husband could get sleep without me freaking out every five minutes. My theory is that she was in such a deep sleep that her movements weren't detected. I called Angelcare customer service and I've set it up to the highest sensitivity level and they want me to call back tomorrow and let them know how tonight goes.

Best moments of the month:

We've enjoyed watching Avery grow over the past five weeks. She is a joy, a very loud joy, but a joy nonetheless.
Taking her to church.
Cuddling up with her on these chilly fall days.
We have taken her out a lot because A) mama needed to get out of the house and B) I like for her to be out and used to the noises around her.
Halloween and Thanksgiving were very special having our sweet girl with us.
We even took her out to a Christmas tree lighting downtown but the night ended early because Miss Fussy wasn't having it.
At the Hanging of the Greens service at church Avery got to hang an angel ornament on the tree. She was so sweet and good for most of the service.

Christmas Tree Lighting

Thanksgiving

And we learned that headbands aren't quite her thing. Oh well.

Tuesday Thoughts & Happenings

2011-11-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

It's rainy and dreary here today and mama has got to get out of the house today. We went to the mall on Saturday and strolled Avery around, however my husband got so nervous to have her out we went home in about an hour. He goes to work and gets out and I need to do the same. It saves my sanity! So while she's napping I thought I'd blog a bit about what I'm thinking today...

For starters, my husband started a blog. Seriously, I think it's so cute that he did this. I guess my years of blogging made him curious. He is in law enforcement and enjoys competitive shooting with the occasional hunt. He's started a blog for shooting enthusiasts, so if you know a guy who is into that kind of thing, forward him on to Shooter's Digest.

This whole Black Friday starting at midnight is completely crazy to me. What happened to setting aside a day to give thanks and not go crazy at the stores? I feel bad for the store employees who have to work at Wal Mart all day and not get their holiday off. In the past few years my mom and I have thoroughly enjoyed going shopping early on Black Friday and having our annual Chick Fil A breakfast. If you want a good deal, I guess you need to get in line at 9 pm on Thanksgiving day to even cut a break. No thanks.

We went to the pediatrician last week for Miss Fussy and the pediatrician has cut dairy out of my diet in case Avery has an allergy. She even wants me to eliminate whey, casein, and soy which are in basically everything. I'm going to abstain from dairy products but if there's a bit of whey in something, oh well. I gave up sugar and carbs for three months due to the gestational diabetes and now I'm giving up dairy. Right before the holidays. I guess you'll do anything for your children.

I'm not sure how I feel about Kelly Ripa without Regis. It's different to see her in Regis' seat and how the opening credits are only pictures of her.Do you think she can hold the show on her own? And who do you think her co-host should be? I always thought she and Jeff Probst were hilarious together.

We are going on our first official date night tonight to Juleps in downtown Richmond. This date was supposed to occur on Friday night but we neglected to make reservations and of course they were booked. My parents came over on Friday and we ended up going to Chili's and Barnes and Noble on our own. It was nice to get out for a bit. I'm looking forward to a really nice dinner tonight.

Do you watch The Sing Off? I'm truly amazed by the talent of these performers. I'm kind of sad that Afro Blue was voted off and that Urban Method is still there.

Avery actually slept well last night. Praise the Lord! She went down around 10, woke up at 1 and 3 to feed and went back down until 7. Mama is so happy for nights like this. If only she would not be so fussy during the day. I think she's got colic. The cry is truly incessant unless someone is holding and rocking her. Even then it's a struggle to get her to sleep. I hear it gets better but right now I feel like we are never going to get over it.

On Thanksgiving we are going to Justin's parents for brunch and then I'm taking Avery to my parents for a late lunch. He has to work on Thanksgiving but at least he's off for Christmas. At my parents I plan on handing her over to Nonni and then I'm headed upstairs to nap on their amazing Tempurpedic mattress. Can.Not.Wait.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Do you stay home or travel to visit family? Happy Tuesday friends.

Avery's Birth Story

2011-11-20T19:30:00.001-05:00

These are our last pictures as a couple. Without a baby. When we returned we would have a baby to bring home. We could not have imagined how much our lives were going to change. Here is Avery's birth story...

We left for the hospital on Wednesday, October 26th with bags in tow. We excitedly went up to Labor & Delivery and immediately went to our birthing room. The nurse handed me a gown and I walked into the bathroom with so much nervous anticipation. I even locked the bathroom door, out of habit in a pubic place, not knowing that pretty soon an unlocked door would be the least of my worries.

The nurses were great and they started the Cervadil medicine pretty quickly. We had family visit us and around 8 pm I took an Ambien so that I could have a nice, last night of relaxing sleep. Which actually didn't happen. Even with Ambien I am the world's lightest sleeper and awoke every time the nurses came into check my monitors or do whatever nurses do during the night. I woke up around five and took a shower. Somehow I found it in me to blow dry and straighten my hair. My sister was going to come do my makeup, but truly I never even cared about how I looked five minutes into my induction. The makeup job was DOA.

At around 6:30 the doctor broke my water and very shorty after they started Pitocin. At first the contractions felt mildly like menstrual cramps. Within an hour they.hurt.like.the.dickens. Not having a very high pain tolerance, by 8 am I requested an epidural. There were six women in labor at the time and they said if I wanted the epidural then I would have to speak up because it would take a while. The contractions got to the point where I would close my eyes, put one hand up to my forehead and press on my temples while breathing. I can't imagine how it would feel without an epidural. The contractions were not for the faint.

Yes, here I am in all of my painful glory. And I was only three centimeters dilated. Wimp.Of.The.Year. But low and behold, my knight in shining armor (the anesthesiologist) arrived around 10:30 and quickly made me feel amazing. The needle hurt and stung but within ten minutes I felt like a new girl. I just remember saying over and over how great I felt. My feet were slightly numb and I was able to still wiggle my toes, which I was happy about. Epidurals are a God sent!

Here's where the story gets good. My sister and I started watching Days of Our Lives (an old favorite) together around one. Anything to keep my mind off of what was happening. I remember my mom, mother in law and husband all sitting around and talking. Suddenly, I felt this incredible pressure, like I needed to push. My mom freaked out a little bit and called a nurse in. She checked me and I was pretty much fully dilated. It happened quick y'all. This was around 1:30.

We waited a bit (I can't remember why) for the action to get started but I was in shock that this was actually happening. My L&D nurse, who was incredible, told me that she wanted to see how I could push. At this point everyone left the room except my mom and Justin. I started my pushes and immediately thought I was going to throw up. Somehow, the feeling subsided and I was able to start my good pushes. It's a bit uncomfortable to have two people holding your legs high in the air and you're laying back, completely awkward. I did have one spot on my left side that didn't take from the epidural, which was good because I could tell when I needed to push.

All of my coaches were so amazing. Justin was so enthusiastic with his chants of push, push, push. He could see Avery's head crowing and told me she had a full head of hair. Soon the doctor arrived and as soon as she got there I knew I had to push even harder. The excitement of everyone around me cheering me on was incredible. There was no screaming or grunting, yelling or rude words called out. In the words of my dear friend Ashley, I just put my chin to my chest and just did it.

Before I knew it, her head was out and seconds later the prettiest little thing I ever did see was laying on my chest. In a little under 45 minutes of pushing, our princess had arrived.

Here is my, "I can't believe I just had a baby" face. Wow.

I was able to hold her for a short while and remember asking the nurses if I could touch her. "She's yours," they exclaimed. She was mine! All mine. And Justin's too.

They took her to the warmers and cleaned her up and weighed her. She swallowed some fluid as she was born so they made sure they suctioned her out well. I kept asking if she was okay, and of course she was. They asked how much I thought she weighed and I guessed 8 pounds. I wasn't too far off because she was 8 pounds, 4.3 ounces respectively.

Justin and I decided that after she was born we wanted to have time to be a family of three. We had our family members wait a bit longer than they wanted to I'm sure, but we needed this time together. Within about thirty minutes I was able to nurse her and she fed for thirty minutes total. I was shocked! It was so natural and beautiful and I wondered to myself why breast feeding was ever so scary to me. It's a very special bonding time and I will never forget these moments with her in the hospital.

As soon as the family came in, tears of joy were shed. She was so adored from that first day by everyone. Her grandmothers were over the moon. It's a special kind of grandmother thing. My mom is on the left and Justin's mom is on the right. Nonni and Sugar love their sweet girl.

This pictures of my sweet daddy and Avery is one of my favorite pictures of all time. He is so in love with her. She'll have her grandfather's wrapped around her little finger. She may already. My sister and brother were there too. She is the first grandchild and first niece for everyone. Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matty love her so!

My good friend Katy is a nurse at the hospital and she dressed up Avery's crib with lots of cute things. My favorite was the pumpkin that they had foot printed. All of the Halloween babies got a set of pumpkin footprints. Does it get any sweeter?

One thing that makes me sad is that we don't have any pictures of Justin, Avery and me together after she was born. I think because Justin was taking the pictures and I just didn't think about it. Here he is helping the sweet nurse give Avery her first bath. I sat in the bed and watched while snapping some photos. He couldn't have been more proud. I think he beamed all day long.

While she was getting her first bath, her Pops came to the hospital to meet her.

And let me tell you, girlfriend has some hair. It's slightly wavy when it's wet and then we brush it straight. She may have some wave in it yet, something we'll wait to see one day.

Later we were moved to the Mother/Infant unit and Katy got to be our nurse. She was so great! We love nurse Katy. This is a shot from the next day after I had showered and cleaned myself up some. It felt so good to wash my hair and just feel like me. I will say I truly was not prepared for how I would feel after the delivery. These are things no one tells you. I'd like to do a post about that soon(ish).

We had such an amazing experience in the hospital. Our nurses were amazing. Our time there was amazing. I have no horror birth story for you. Even that part was amazing. My mom told me I was her hero.

Justin loves his little girl so much. He is so protective. I'm not sure if he knew he would be able to love this little girl so much. She has stolen his heart, and mine too. I won't tell you that it's easy, but anything worth having it worth working towards.

And here we are. Sleep deprived, excited and nervous all wrapped into one. With our little bundle of joy. Our lives will never be the same.

Headed home!

Avery Elizabeth is Three Weeks Old

2011-11-17T16:14:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe Avery is three weeks old. Part of me feels like it has flown by and part of me fees like she's been with us forever. She is a joy. The faces she makes are priceless. Her sleeping smiles make us laugh. And sometimes when she's nursing she grabs onto my hand and holds it for the longest time. I am so in love.

This week she weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces, which means she has gained over a pound in a week. She is quite the little eater. She loves to lay on her activity mat and watch her Rainforest music/sound machine. Avery is sleeping pretty well at night and has woken up only once for a middle of the night feed for the past three nights. We are hoping this pattern continues! Here are some other things we've been up to this week.

Avery went to church for the first time. We dressed her up so cute and she was pretty good. I fed her in the nursery and then she had a meltdown. Daddy left us after church to go have some daddy time and I feel like everything fell apart. We definitely need two people to manage right now on outings.

I'm not sure who enjoys activity time/tummy time more, Avery or daddy. She loves him so much. I think the feeling is mutual. And seriously, look at that hair.

We gave her a tub bath for the first time. Thinking she would scream, we had prepared for the worst. But, she surprised us and did surprisingly well. I think she enjoyed sitting in the warm water. What a doll.

Another hair shot. This girl definitely did not get my hair, luck for her. I think it might even be wavy. It's lightened up more than when she was born and she's losing a lot of it too. I'm wondering what she'll look like one day and what color her eyes are going to be.

Avery's Nursery Sneaky Peeky

2011-11-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

More to come...

Avery Elizabeth is Two Weeks Old

2011-11-10T14:43:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my baby girl is already two weeks old. Time is flying by and we are enjoying every minute with Avery, even if it's two a.m. and mama hasn't had any sleep for a day. Right now she is on her activity mat, cooing, and we are just stare. She has brought such joy to our lives. Here's what's going on at two weeks.

Avery likes to feed every several hours during the day and we're working on longer stretches during the night. The longest stretch she's gone is about four-five hours and for that mama is so grateful. She loves to nurse and I've found breastfeeding a lot more relaxing and wonderful than I ever thought it would be. It's our bonding time and I love being close to her.

After a week we were so tired of not getting any sleep (meaning: zero) so we purchased the Moms On Call 0-3 month seminar. Praise the Lord for MOC! We put her in the crib at one week exactly and she's been in her crib ever since. Now this was a hard decision but I needed my sleep too. I cried the first few nights because she was away for me, but it was truly the best decision for us. We have the Angelcare Monitor and it gives us such peace of mind. I don't ever have to wonder if she's breathing because the monitor has the fainest beep sound every time she takes a breath, so I know she's okay. I can get sleep stretches now and I am so grateful for that!

Avery enjoys tummy time on her activity mat and she's a lot more alert now. We love when she has her eyes open and is alert. She is not very fussy for the most part and we're enjoying our little bug so much. At her two week doctor appointment she was back up to birth weight and she's gaining about one ounce per day.

Here's what we did this week...

We voted.

We became a lot more alert.

We took our first few strolls in our Bumbleride stroller.

We took our first trip to Nonni's house.

We learned to love our paci (praise the Lord).

A Baby Changes Everything

2011-11-03T15:03:00.000-04:00

I am proud to announce that our daughter, Avery Elizabeth, was born on October 27, 2011 at 3:33 in the afternoon. She weighed 8 pounds, 4.3 ounces at birth and was 20 1/2 inches long. She came out crying, with strong lungs may I add, and ever since has stolen our hearts. We are incredibly in love with this blessing God has given us. There isn't much time at the moment to give an account of every detail, but hopefully soon I can write her birth story. I can't believe as of today she is one week old. Here is the last seven days of pictures! Enjoy and I promise I'll be back soon...

Like Christmas Eve, But Only Better

2011-10-25T17:20:00.000-04:00

Well friends, we've reached the end! I cannot believe how excited, anxious and nervous I am. This is my last night at home before we head to the hospital tomorrow and the anticipation is enough to keep me awake all night tonight. The hospital bag is packed and all we do now is wait. We are over the moon to meet our sweet baby girl Avery.

I can't wait to see her sweet face and to count all of her fingers and toes. I am so overwhelmed by joy to see my husband hold his daughter for the first time. The thought of it brings tears to my eyes. The pain and agony of the labor process will be worth bringing my sweet angel into the world. I am so proud to be able to be her mom! God chose us to be her parents and Avery to be our daughter. It's the most precious gift we could ever be given.

Thank you for your prayers for our family! We will be admitted at 5 pm tomorrow evening after the lung maturity results. We are confident, along with our doctors, that she will be ready to enter this beautiful world on Thursday. So like I said, it's just like the anticipation on Christmas Eve, but only better.

38 Weeks and We Have a Baby Date...

2011-10-21T17:52:00.001-04:00

**In lieu of the "weekly" baby post, here is what is really going on!

We had a weekly checkup yesterday with a growth/fluid ultrasound and now officially have a date that baby will (hopefully) be here! If all goes as planned, Avery's birthday will be October 27, 2011. I can hardly contain myself.

Our ultrasound was confirmed that we are having a baby on the larger size, so my specialist suggested a lung maturity amnio to confirm lung development. I have done a lot of research on the matter and the only major risk is that I go into labor, which is going to happen anyways! The specialist said that this is a routine procedure that he performs all the time. He's even offered to let Justin do it...just kidding here but those were words straight out of his mouth. He knows how to keep the humor in sweaty situations. So, please no "amnio" horror stories of a friend's, friend's, cousin's sister. Thanks.

After the amnio we go to L&D for a bit to be monitored to see if it does put me into labor. If everything looks good we get to go home for the afternoon and wait for the lung results. I am praying at this point that her lungs are ready and that she is able to make her debut. If they nice and ready, we go into the hospital at 5 pm for the start of our induction. They will start the Cervadil that evening and Pitocin in the morning. We cannot believe how close we are to meeting our baby girl.

I feel like I am against the clock to get everything finished. We still need to put up the window treatments, pick up the chair, put together the bookshelf and have some art work hung BUT it's all going to be okay if it's not done (repeat to self 20 times). The important things are done and for that I am so happy. She has clothes, diapers, sleepers, wipes and the big stuff. And for now, I am okay with that.

This baby will be born before Halloween now, so I am very happy that I purchased a few pumpkin things that she can wear to be festive. We cannot wait to dress our sweet little pumpkin up for her first Halloween.

So, there is my baby brain dump. I feel a bit out of sorts that everything is moving so fast now. I would like to ask for prayer for a friend if you would please take a moment to lift her up. A dear friend from church, who I am in the praise band with, lost her mother very unexpectedly this morning. I cannot imagine such a loss, so I ask you to pray for her and her family. They are dear Christians and I'm assured her mother is rejoicing in heaven (what a wonderful day that must be), but a sad loss for the family members. Thank you for keeping her in your prayers!

Chew Beads

2011-10-18T10:02:00.001-04:00

Have you heard of Chew Beads? I saw them in a local boutique and was so intrigued by these colorful necklaces, made for babies to chew on. This past weekend a friend received a pair at her baby shower and it convinced me that I will need a pair to wear with Miss Avery, especially when she starts teething.

Features of Chew Beads (from the Chew Beads website):

Beads are made of 100% silicone
Soft on baby gums and teeth
Clean with dish soap and water (dishwasher safe too)
No BPA, PVC or other chemicals
Have a breakaway clasp for added safety
And there's more on their website

There are two styles of necklaces and several bracelet styles as well. My favorite is the Jane necklace and I especially like the emerald and grey colors. Perfect for fall and winter. Each retails for $29.50.

Chew Beads in action!

So what are your thoughts on Chew Beads? What color/s would you choose?

I'm Loving...

2011-10-15T10:10:00.001-04:00

These "Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze" by Skinnytaste. Could they look any more delicious? And under 200 calories each? I'm sold. The glaze is optional too which would leave the cupcake a mere 93 calories, but what fun is that?

Fraser Fir candles by Thymes. This scent will knock-your-socks-off because it smells just like a Christmas tree. We burn it during the Christmas season and I even put the hanging air fresheners inside of our *cough* fake tree since my hubby doesn't want to pay for a real one. At least it smells like the real deal. This scent is awesome y'all.

These headbands from Casual Cutie on Etsy. Have you seen baby headbands this cute before? I purchased the turkey band for Avery to wear on Thanksgiving. I will kick myself if she comes before Halloween that I didn't buy the whole set. The gingerbread girl is next on my list. They're just as cute in real life too! Check out her shop because everything is precious.

These flower tables by Pottery Barn Kids. I purchased the one in white this week to go beside the rocker in the nursery. It is so sweet and we have her duck Jellycat sitting on the bottom shelf. We're also really loving duck Jellycat. Justin helped me pick it out. I cannot wait until it all comes together.

Courageous

2011-10-13T20:42:00.001-04:00

I want to encourage everyone, if they haven't, to go see the new movie Courageous. It's from the creators of Fireproof, and even though it doesn't star any big name celebrity, it's worth the trip to the movies. Courageous was so moving and powerful and Justin and I both thought it gave valuable life lessons, especially for men and fathers.

I love that the movie is based on men made a courageous effort to lift up their families and become wonderful fathers, loving husbands and all around good Christian examples. Maybe our world would consider these men "wimpy" but I love how these men stood up for what was right. You will laugh and you will cry. Okay you will cry a lot. And don't just wad up a bunch of toilet paper and stick it in your purse like, ahem, some people. You may walk out of the theater with TP fibers all over your face. Classy. Stick with tissues.

We highly recommend this movie to anyone! We were also fortunate to get free tickets since J is a "first responder." Thank you to Noble Warriors for the generous donation!

Halloween Decorating

2011-10-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

It's Fall y'all and I've been busy trying to organize the house and decorate for Halloween before our "big arrival." I finally found the perfect place for my Halloween rag wreath. You probably remember from this post that I found the cutest rag wreath tutorial via Pinterest. It's originally came from the Sassy Sanctuary blog so if you'd like the tutorial, please visit Krystal for all the how-to details.

Here's what I used:

1 - Wire wreath form from Ben Franklin

2 - Two yards of four different fabrics from Joanne Fabrics (1/2 yard of each)

3 - Wooden letters from Michaels Crafts

4 - Happy Halloween glitter sign, Martha Stewart from Michael's Crafts

To note, I actually only tied the fabric strips on three of the four bands of the wire wreath. I would have run out of fabric if I covered all of the bands. I also did not double knot my fabrics like in the original post. There wouldn't be such long fabric strips on the wreath, they would have been a lot shorter.

I found the glitter sign and it was originally hanging on our back door. Then I placed the wreath over top of the sign and thought it looked really cute together so I kept it like this. It turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

This week I got real creative and decided to clear off my kitchen shelves (from Ikea) and make them Halloween themed. Overall I like what I've done but I feel like something is still missing on the bottom shelf. Perhaps in the middle? I'd also like to fill the two vases with something fun, like Spanish moss and mini pumpkins, but suggestions are welcome.

I have a candy dish that my friend Rachel gifted me and it had a blue and white polka dot ribbon woven through the sides. After a thorough ribbon finding mission I found this plaid at Ben Franklin and wove it through the dish. It was finished off with mini pumpkins and gourds from a local church pumpkin sale. Great prices on the minis.

I bought these wire vases at a yard sale last year at $15 for the pair. Until this past Friday the inside vase was a sky blue, mostly to coordinate with the window treatments in the kitchen. On Friday I bought some black spray paint and went to town. Not only do they look perfect on the shelves now but I'm not sure why I did this last year. I just love them. Don't pay any attention to the Garden Ridge tag. I'm keeping it classy.

The frames are from Marshalls and are usually in our living room. I swiped them up and put them on the shelves. The colors work great. The wedding pictures inside of them did not. So, the photos were removed and I replaced them with homemade art. I have a drawer full of Halloween scrap booking supplies, so I put them to use.

So there you go, all of my Halloween decorations so far. I knew if I waited too long to do it all then I wouldn't get it done (especially if the baby comes early). I'm enjoying the new shelves and wreath and I'm looking forward to changing it all out for Christmas!

I Live For Tees

2011-10-08T14:06:00.001-04:00

When this baby is born, I know that I'll want to buy a few new pieces (perhaps in a few weeks after birth) so that I'll feel comfortable and presentable in my clothes. This is where tee's come in. They are forgiving and comfy and if I need to run out of the house I won't feel like a complete slob. And I don't want to keep wearing my "ruched" side shirts. Dead giveaway of a preggo top. I've run across a few options and wanted to share.

This Perfect Fit Ruffle Henley from J.Crew would be a great everyday piece. I've decided not to play around too much with colors that just won't look great on me, even though I like the color in general. It's gotta look good and complementary to a pale, winter complexion. Great layering piece too.

Another J.Crew find, the Factory Ruffle V-Neck tee would be great for everyday. I'm drawn to how neutral the color is. Perfect to pair with jeans or darker pants.

Could this not be anymore perfect with jeans and a sweater? Factory Stripe Tee from J.Crew. I've found that the Factory items are just as nice quality and usually carry a great deal.

Ann Taylor Loft Ruffle Henley in Passion Red. I love Henley's and the overall look of this one. It appears to be forgiving.

ATL sure makes it hard to use pictures from their website. Makes me happy for my little Snipping Tool. It will make your life a lot easier when trying to use a picture from Adobe Flash Player. Very off subject but necessary when blogging!

A dressier option, this Catalon tee is from Anthropologie. I haven't shopped much here because of the prices but I'm starting to believe in the "less is more" philosophy. Meaning, less pieces in my wardrobe but these pieces will be nicer quality and hopefully last longer. After getting rid lot a lot of clothes during my pregnancy, I've realized I could part with so many pieces that I need to choose my clothing more wisely.

Another Anthro tee, this Renewed Folds Pullover seems forgiving and I love the color.

Other places that I love to shop for tees are Target, Talbots and anywhere else I may find a great tee selection. For the Fall and Winter I'd love to find choices in gray, gunmetal, plum, deep burgundy and taupe-y hues.

So tell me ladies, where are your favorite tees from?

36 Weeks

2011-10-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 36 weeks (I say ninth month from a book I have, The Bump says eighth month)

Size of the baby? We go for another ultrasound next week but I'd say she's getting closer to seven pounds. We'll see on Wednesday. Can't wait to see her sweet face again.

Maternity Clothes? This question is getting so redundant. I have several shirts that still fit and I refuse to buy any more long sleeved shirts. My wardrobe is quite boring these days.

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? It feels as though she may be slowing down a bit. She's running out of room in there!

Sleep? Awful, awful, awful. My legs ache all night.

Cravings? Dr. Pepper! I was really bad last week and had a Dr. Pepper and Chickfila chicken sandwich and my blood sugar numbers skyrocketed. It made me really nervous BUT Dr. Pepper is a miracle worker for, ahem, when it's hard to go to the bathroom.

Symptoms? Lots and lots of pressure. Yesterday my doctor told me that she has dropped very low and it feels like I have a bowling ball in my pelvis. It's such a strange feeling. I do have a lot more room up top now so breathing is a bit easier.

Best Moment of the Week? Just knowing that we're entering the home stretch. A girlfriend of mine who was several weeks ahead of me just had her baby this week, so I am the next one to have a baby out of all my preggo friends. Exciting and nerve wracking at the same time!

What's Been Going On (Pregnancy Wise)

2011-10-05T16:07:00.000-04:00

The ninth month is killer. It hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. Why I thought months 6,7,8 were rough is beyond me. This is God's way of getting you ready to embrace labor!

I had a prenatal massage at Red Door Salon this morning. I have been in a half state of semi-sleep since I left. The masseuse focused on my arms and legs and it was wonderful. Every pregnant gal needs a good pregnancy rubbin!

We walked around the State Fair of VA yesterday for three hours. Poor Justin carried the camera around and we didn't take one picture. My priority was not to fall down while walking. I did eat one piece of pizza and it was the best dag'on thing I've ever put in my mouth. I'm paying for all of the walking today, as my legs are killing me.

My bladder has taken a beating lately. I was never one to constantly "go" in the beginning or middle of my pregnancy, but now I feel like I go all the time day or night.

Also, for some odd reason my hands hurt in the morning. Like, cannot grab my pillow and move it hurt. It takes a while to work them out. And now I sound like I'm 80.

Her movements are stronger than ever and I feel a lot of pressure from her moving her back and butt around.

Speaking of pressure, I've been having lots of low pressure and menstrual-like cramping over the past week (sometimes it gets very painful). Does this mean that something could be starting soon? It's also different from Braxton Hicks contractions. I had about eight hours on and off on Saturday with those. All I could do was lay down on my side and drink water.

I cry a lot. For no reason. The thing that really gets me are Pampers commercials. And A Baby Story on TLC. And when I think of J holding our sweet girl for the first time. And pretty much anything else.

Minted Holiday Cards

2011-10-03T10:56:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, time to start thinking about Christmas cards (cue jingle bells)! I'm thinking about them extra early this year because I want our first Christmas card with Avery to be extra special. In my mind I wanted to send out separate Christmas cards and birth announcements, but with the timing of her birth it makes more sense to just send out one very special dual purpose card.

My plan is to have newborn pics taken in the hospital and have a special little Christmas hat or headband for her to wear for several of the pictures. So, I started looking at Minted's holiday card collection and I am so torn as to which design to choose. They are even offering 20% off of Holiday cards from now through October 10th. It's never too early. I've attached a banner on this post and below my header so you can just click and shop. Here are some of the cards in the running...

Told you, hard decision!

I've used Minted before so I can guarantee that their quality is beyond the other invite/announcement companies out there. We used them for our Save the Dates for our wedding and it was probably the favorite of any cards I've sent out. If you're a new reader, here's the image I ordered from Minted. It was perfect!

35 Weeks and Hair Product Love

2011-09-30T16:48:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 35 Weeks (and I totally forgot to do a 34 week post. Shame. On. Me.)

Size of the baby? Avery weighed 6 lbs 3 oz as of this past Tuesday. Big girl! Bless her heart in the 93rd percentile.l

Maternity Clothes? I'm loving my maternity leggings and loose tunic type shirts. I purchased a maternity slip late in the ball game and it's the best thing I've ever purchased. The slip is a spandex (think Spanx) like material and I'll wear it long after the baby comes. It's a smooth feel under all dresses. I highly recommend one.

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? All the time. She's been less active now at night, which is nice, but there is a lot of pressure on the side of my abdomen when she moves her back and behind around. It's a strange feeling.

Sleep? What sleep?

Cravings? I have been craving Gummy Lifesavers, pumpkin anything and chocolate milk.

Symptoms? Lots of pressure down low and lots of (period-like) cramping. I think my body is starting to prep itself for labor.

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing sweet Avery on the ultrasound this Tuesday. She looked like a real baby. Her nose and lips were so cute and I couldn't believe how she is actually inside of me. I cried for the first time during an ultrasound, besides the time at 20 weeks when my dad cried in the ultrasound room which made me tear up a bit. Can anybody not hold back tears when their dad cries?

35 Weeks of Baby Love (forgive my husbands laundry in the hallway)

On another note....

After obsessing with the blog The Small Things Blog, and after watching Kate's various hair tutorials (I especially love her Bouncy Curled Under), I can vouge that this Aquage stuff she recommends really, really works! I've never had my fine hair look so voluminous. I met my BFF Ashley for lunch at Nordstrom today and she said my hair looked extra poufy. What a friend!

Find it. Try it. Love it. And watch Kate's tutorial on how to actually use it.

Front - Super Poufy Back - Extra Super Poufy

And then someone snuck into my shot. I guess she wanted her own photo op.

Lastly, could these headbands at Nordstrom be any cuter?

Playing Catch Up

2011-09-28T11:29:00.005-04:00

I don't even know where the time is going. It seems to be flying by. Blogger brain block has gotten the best of me and it's hard sometimes to even think of a creative post. Maybe it's the baby brain. Who knows. Thanks for being patient and hanging in there with me. Here's just a compilation of what's been going on lately.

1. Yesterday we had an ultrasound to see how big Miss Avery has gotten. And let me tell you, she's gotten big. Four weeks ago she was 3 lbs 12 oz. As of yesterday she was 6 lbs 3 oz at just shy of 35 weeks. If you're wondering how that compares, it's like she's a 37 or 38 week baby, although my uterus was only measuring 34 weeks. We had a laugh about it but then my doctor brought up the idea of a c-section.

Major anxiety set in. If she's too big towards the end of the pregnancy there is a risk (especially with having GD) that her shoulders could be too big to deliver vaginally. She even mentioned doing an amnio to check for lung maturity but I'd rather just wait to go naturally then to have the amnio. I want to do what's best for my baby but I'm scared. I will also add that my blood sugar numbers have been great and they don't have much to do with her size.

2. Speaking of GD, I am craving anything and everything sweet. It has been rough. And you know what's on the top of my list? Salted caramel anything from Starbucks. I treated myself to a SC short size hot chocolate (read: kids size) at Target one day and it was delicious. I've even tried the SC mocha latte and frappuccino and they were soo good. When this baby comes, J will be running to Starbucks daily for me.

3. We ordered the chair for our nursery. After much consideration I dropped the Pottery Bard Kids chair idea and opted to order one from a local baby boutique, Rattle and Roll. It was considerably less and there was no charge for shipping. The fabric is a green and white geometric design and it's perfect.

4. Also, we finally ordered our stroller! We went with the Bumbleride Indie in seagrass. I did a lot of stroller research and this one had great features (and looks pretty modern). I love the air inflatable tires so we can take it virtually anywhere. I wasn't a huge fan of the travel system strollers and J preferred this one too.

For a car seat we're going with a Maxi Cosi Mico, which had amazing safety features. Dilemma...what color should we go with? Black? Steel Grey? Brown?

5. Do you tweet? I finally signed up for an account for this blog {@aweddingstory} but I've got to admit, it is so confusing. I'm still not sure if I love it and I've seen a lot of exclusivity between bloggers. If I get a mention, I love to respond but a lot of people do not reciprocate. Maybe I jumped on the bandwagon too late in the game.

6. Have you been watching any of the new prime time programming? We are loving The Sing Off, The Biggest Loser, Up All Night, The Office, NCIS and several others. I'm trying to give Whitney a try but I'm not in love with it. The DVR is so full and I love it!

7. We've been taking our pre-baby classes and they have made me feel much better about the overall baby experience. I took a breastfeeding class and surprisingly I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to lots of bonding time with Miss Avery.

8. I've been so excited to decorate for Halloween and Fall this year and I've been finding great ideas on Pinterest. My fabric rag wreath from this post is almost finished (fabric sneak peak above) and I can't wait to show you! Here are some great ideas I've found via Pinterest.

via

Giveaway alerts!

Happy Home is giving away a Scentsy plugin + lots of Scentsy goodies!

Simply Smithwick is giving away a $20 Starbucks card!

Essie Winner

2011-09-26T10:34:00.001-04:00

I know I promised to announce the winner on Friday but somehow the time got away from me. So, without further adieu, the winner of the Essie giveaway is....

Courtney @ One Fine Wire

Courtney, get in touch me with me today {elassiter13@gmail.com} and let me know which polish you'd like in addition to Lady Like and also your contact info so I can mail your package right out! Congratulations!

And a huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered the giveaway, blogged, FB'd or tweeted. I'm excited to get to know my new readers. Everyone has been so kind. Have a great Monday!

Essie Giveaway for Fall - Closed

2011-09-19T13:16:00.004-04:00

Y'all sure do like nail polish posts! After lots of reader comments and emails, I've decided to host an Essie Giveaway for Fall from their latest collection, Brand New Bag. Each color is inspired by a handbag. Your nails will be ready for latte sipping and pumpkin picking! Sound like fun? I thought so. Here's what's up for grabs...

One (1) bottle of my favorite polish for Fall, Lady Like (#5 below) and one (1) bottle of your choice from the Fall 2011 collection. The colors for you to choose from are below! Note-Colors are not true to real life, but just examples.

1/Glamour Purse

2/Power Clutch

3/Very Structured

4/Case Study

5/Lady Like

6/ Carry On

The contest is valid from today, September 19, 2011 to this Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 12 pm EST. To enter you must leave a comment and be a follower of A Wedding Story or join on the sidebar. Google reader does not apply.

Other entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and send me a link.
2. Tweet this giveaway and use @aweddingstory to share.
3. Share this on Facebook with a link to this blog post.

There is a total of four entries for this contest! Good luck! Winner will be announced Friday morning by Random.org and will have over the weekend to claim their prize. Please email {elassiter13@gmail.com} to claim your winnings! Otherwise, a new winner will be contacted.

Nail Polish Favorites

2011-09-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

I was at Target last week and just about fell over when I saw the new Fall Essie 2011 collection colors. They are tres lovely. So, I whipped my phone out right in the aisle and googled several of the colors. I found this really fun polish blog, Musings from Manhattan and she has reviewed almost all of them. Score!

Here are the two I chose and I love them. I've found that neutrals and soft colors look much better on my skin tone than pinks or reds (which I use to wear all the time). And they look better when your nails are are the shorter side and clean looking. Please note these are NOT my nails but from the Musings from Manhattan blog. Her nails are what I'm striving for.

Essie Glamour Purse, Fall 2011

Essie Ladylike, Fall 2011 (currently on my nails)

What is your favorite nail color for the fall? Please share!

33 Weeks

2011-09-15T14:25:00.002-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 33 Weeks

Size of the baby? Avery is around 4.5 pounds and over 17 inches long. This is crazy to me. It is still so surreal that there is a baby inside of me, even though she reminds me of it every minute of the day. We have another ultrasound in a little less than two weeks, so we'll get an update on her size. I'm truly okay if I go over my due date now as long as she is healthy. I have to remember who this is all about.

Maternity Clothes? I'm trying not to buy any more maternity clothes BUT the fall clothes out there are too cute. Hopefully I can wear some of it after the baby and cover myself as I lose the weight.

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? Constant. She moves all over the place and since she's so big now, I can definitely feel the pressure of where she moves or positions herself.

Sleep? On and off. I guess that's to be expected at this point. I've been waking up in the middle of the night for hours on end. I know I'm being prepared to have a baby.

Cravings? Strawberries, which I can eat. Praise the Lord! And Archer Farms (Target) Caramel Crunch trail mix. I can't eat too much at a time but it definitely satisfies my sweet and salty cravings. Gingersnaps too. I can eat 3-4 with a glass of tea or milk.

Symptoms? A little more cramping this week. I was in Target last week with my mom and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt like I was starting my period. The doctor decided to go ahead and check my cervix and although I'm not dilated yet, she's definitely dropped down and headed into place.

Best Moment of the Week? Lots of them! Here were my favorites:

Having the carpet installed in the nursery and entire upstairs. It's an amazing change.

Going to my first baby shower. My BF hosted a beautiful shower for me at a swanky hotel. I'm still waiting on some pictures and when I get them I'll make sure to post. I couldn't eat any of the sweets at the shower so Ashley requested I be served diabetic foods and they catered to my diet. It was amazing. Avery is a lucky little girl to have so much love surround her and her mama.

Getting my diaper bag! It was my birthday gift from Justin and I couldn't be any more thrilled. It's a Kate Spade Stevie diaper bag in black and white. It's not really zebra, more of a woodblock pattern and inside is a deep purple with gold polka dots.

33 Weeks (looking very tired)

32 Weeks and A Birthday

2011-09-07T11:49:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 32 Weeks

Size of the baby? Avery is probably over four pounds by now since she was 3.12 last week at this time. She is really growing and my belly is the size to prove it!

Maternity Clothes? Yes and I'm so excited that my maternity jeans that I bought back in March still fit in September. Score!

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? Sometimes I feel like she's going to jump right through my belly button. She moves around like crazy and I love it most of the time but sometimes she'll wake me up numerous times in the middle of the night.

Sleep? This week hasn't been so great sleep-wise. I cannot seem to get comfortable. Hopefully in another eight weeks or so I will be able to sleep comfortably although it will be for very short spurts.

Cravings? Of course I have cravings but I can do nada for them.

Symptoms? Waddle walk, sore feet and hands, headaches, cramping. It just keeps getting more fun. The gestational diabetes diet has made me very sluggish and very tired. It feels like all my calories are going to the baby and I'm depleted. I actually subbed in 2% milk for the skim milk the doctors office recommended and it has made me feel so much better. You can actually become depressed and off-kilter mentally if you don't have enough fat in your diet.

Best Moment of the Week? Today is my birthday! I guess 29 isn't so bad after all. It means Avery will be coming soon. Justin also surprised me with the fact that he got to take the day off. That's truly the only birthday gift that I need. He took me to Cracker Barrel this morning (after giving me the sweetest card ever) and I indulged in a really yummy breakfast. My blood sugar numbers were fine too (although I don't need to check my morning numbers, just did it to check and make sure they were normal). The biscuit with jelly was like a slice of heaven. I've got a fun filled day ahead and even though it's pouring down raining, it won't get me down!

Accent Wall

2011-09-05T14:37:00.001-04:00

Please tell me I'm crazy for even thinking it. I'd probably be even crazier to attempt it. At eight months pregnant they would say, what are you thinking!? Oh, but I wanna. I found this tutorial for painted wallpaper at Jones Design Company and I'm highly debating it for one wall of the nursery. I'm not into accent walls but I thought this just might do the trick. I am in love with it!

Too ambitious? Too perfect? Let the voting commence.

Accent Vlog or I'm So Embarrassed

2011-09-02T20:35:00.001-04:00

I got a wild hair to jump on the bandwagon and do an accent vlog today, so I'm linking up with Jenna's Journey. This would have been posted about ten hours earlier except for the fact that it took 300 minutes to upload my video to YouTube. There must be an easier way.

Anyhow, I am so embarrassed. I actually can't believe that I'm posting this but sometimes you have to go out on a limb, ya know? Real life friends and mom, here is your daily laugh!

Please excuse my: a) dark roots b) awful bra lines c) overall heftiness

The instructions are to say these words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

So, what do you think? Do I have an accent to you? After I watched it back again, I thought that in no way sounds like me, but my husband thinks it does to a tee. Zoinks! Hope you've had your daily dose of entertainment!

31 Weeks

2011-09-01T15:32:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 31 Weeks, 1 day

Size of the baby? We had an ultrasound this morning and Miss Avery weights approximately 3 lbs 12 oz and is in the 75% percentile. Oops, big girl! She was moving all around and the sonographer called her very "busy." So busy in fact that she kept taking the wand and jabbing my belly with it to get Avery to turn around. Sore momma, that's all I have to say about it! Oh, and we confirmed that she is definitely a girl! If she goes to full term we're looking at around a healthy 9 pounder (as long as blood sugar levels stay normal).

Maternity Clothes? Most definitely. How will I ever go back to regular pants with a waistband and zipper?

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? She is definitely a mover. Over the past few days I've felt her in a different way than I had before. To the left of my belly button I feel a pressure sensation. The sonographer confirmed that it was her back rising and moving. I can put my hand there and feel her back and then feel her move away a bit. She is head down with her back on one side of my belly and her limbs on the other side.

Sleep? Not too bad these days, praise the Lord!

Cravings? Let's be honest, I can't give into my real cravings because of GD. However after a peach twizzler, peach tea and peaches in syrup craving, I gave in and bought some peaches. But they spiked my blood sugar. Go figure!

Symptoms? Headaches here and there and higher blood pressure. This week it was 130/77, which is very high for me. They are going to keep an eye on it just in case. I have changed all of my eating and have lost over 4 pounds in the past two weeks. Total gain this pregnancy has been 26 pounds and I probably won't gain too much more at all. Not a bad deal!

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing Avery on the ultrasound again and seeing how big she has gotten. I just love her so much and can't wait to hold her in my arms. I also got two see Avery's two best friends today, Sam and Bella who are 11 weeks old. They are waiting for Avery to get here so they can play!

31 week bump!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-08-31T09:27:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday friends! I'm linking up with Jamie for WILW today and I'm excited because I always, always, always forget to do it. Here are some great things to love on this beautiful day. What are you loving today?

I am LOVING this new blog I found, It's The Small Things. Kate does these fab hair tutorials and offers advice on products and what not. I feel like I may actually be able to do this volumized bob if I took some extra time on my hair. I may attempt it today. She recommends Aquage Uplifting foam for roots and volume. I may order it today!

I am LOVING this Halloween wreath and it reminds me that Miss Avery will be here very soon. Since I'm not working right now I've got to stay busy and this may be a good craft to do just that. The thought of cooler weather and Fall just makes me so happy!

I am LOVING that I've joined a Community Bible Study and our groups will take place on Thursday mornings. It's a study for women only and we'll be doing the Beth Moore Daniel Study. My mom is a core group leader and they even have a nursery for when Miss A arrives. I'm excited to go and meet new people who love Christ!

I am LOVING this Rosette Knit Dress from Garnet Hill. It would be so great for the fall and beyond. Even pair with a cardigan, tights and flats for winter. I can't wait to buy regular clothes again and I'm very much looking forward to shopping in the regular stores.

I am LOVING that my own personal 30 day photo challenge starts tomorrow. I've had lots of great ideas for pictures and I hope that you all love them too. Anybody want to join with me? Tomorrow's challenge is self-portrait. I would love to see your photos too!

I am LOVING this tutorial I found online for taking photos of babies. I'm still deciding whether or not I will get professional pictures done or do them myself. I have the camera, so why not try? I'm having a hard time forking over the money to someone else when we are spending so much already on little one. Check this out because it's got some great ideas!

I am LOVING these baby clothes organizers. It's almost like you're at a store, but you're at home! This would be a great way to keep her little clothes organized by size so mama isn't going crazy looking for something. Gotta stay organized!

Randoms

2011-08-30T16:59:00.002-04:00

1. Maybe you'll think I'm crazy for even asking this but do you think pets might be able to sense you are having a baby? We have two sweet kitties but one isn't really into me like she is Justin. She just LOVES Justin and will follow him around the house and sleep on him every time he sits down. Now she's doing it to me and she's never done it before. She lays right on me at night and sits on top of the toilet while I take showers. Call me crazy but I feel like she knows. As I type this she is laying on me and rubbing her head on my belly.

2. We were without power from Saturday evening until around mid-day yesterday. It wasn't fun but we survived. I feel fortunate because there are still many people in the area without power. The one thing that literally brought tears to my eyes was throwing away everything in the fridge/freezer. I kept asking Justin, "can we keep this" or "does this really have to be thrown away?" It made me feel so guilty for being so wasteful.

3. I'm sure the Food Lion owner down the street cried a lot more than I did about their food. I went grocery shopping today and they had to throw away ALL of their dairy products and a lot of frozen items. There was no milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, yogurt...nothing. Ugh.

4. {I wasn't going to touch this one but will anyways.} I usually enjoy watching fall programs like Dancing with the Stars. I for one will not be watching this one. If you saw the cast reveal then you know that Chaz Bono will be a contestant and will be dancing with a woman. I find this very non-family friendly and a rather strange choice for the show. That's all I'm going to say.

5. I went to the doctor today and I've lost 3.2 pounds this week and over a pound last week. Goes to show you that eating a healthy diet without sugar, salt or carbs can quickly take off the weight, even for a 7.5 month pregnant woman. We have another ultrasound on Thursday and I can't wait to see how much she's grown.

6. I'm completely undecided on whether or not I'll have maternity photos or newborn photos professionally taken. I would love to capture the memories but it's expensive. Maybe I should just do them myself? What did you do when you had your baby?

7. My birthday is next week and I cannot think of a thing I want except for baby things. My mom said she will not give me baby things because it's MY birthday. And I guess I can also kiss that birthday red velvet cupcake goodbye.

8. So, Kim Kardashian is debuting a pop album? Should be riveting.

9. I've decided to quit selling Stella & Dot. It was a fun year while it lasted but I think sales really isn't my thing. It was very hard to get people to throw a party, even friends and family. All of my earnings went right back into the jewelry and I spent a lot of money that just ended up being wasted. I really enjoy doing it but it's tough to get people on the bandwagon and I think some of the pieces are very pricey for most.

10. And yes, kitty is still on me. See! I have a feeling she might be protective once Avery is here and lay in front of the crib or something. Really didn't think cats would be like this but she sure is a different kind of cat.

Suggest Your Diaper Bag

2011-08-29T21:55:00.002-04:00

I'm having a hard time deciding on the perfect diaper bag. I used to see diaper bags and thought that I'd never be able to choose between all the beautiful ones. Now I can't find one that I'm 100 % in love with. I'm leaning towards the Petunia Pickle Bottom Sashay Satchel but can't yet commit. Others I've looked at are Vera Bradley bags and Kate Spade (outlet - who am I kidding) nylon bags. If you have a fabulously stylish diaper bag, please suggest it and tell me why you can't live without it!

Thanks for your help ladies!

Hurricane Preparedness

2011-08-27T11:33:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah, I think I'm ready.

{If we lose power, then that's a different story!}

30 Weeks

2011-08-26T16:17:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 30 Weeks, 2 days

Size of the baby? Baby App says that Avery is about 15.7 inches long and 3.2 pounds. Since I have GD that could all change fast. We have another ultrasound next week with a fetal medicine specialist to determine her health and her size.

Maternity Clothes? Everything I wear is maternity except for one pair of non maternity comfy pants from Tarjay. My shirts are all getting a little short, as evidenced below.

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? I feel a lot of movement but I've read that movement can start slowing down since she is running out of room in there.

Sleep? I've slept a lot better this week! My pubic bone pain is not so bad this week and I'm sleeping great!

Cravings? I have a lot of cravings but I can't indulge in them. Boo! I'm trying to crave skim milk and cucumber slices but let's be real, who really craves that when pregnant?!

Symptoms? Just blood sugar issues because of GD. I'm a little nauseous when I go to bed so I have to take a little snack up with me.

Best Moment of the Week? Being able to spend lots of time with my hubby. We have been busy preparing for Avery's arrival. After the new carpet is installed in two weeks, the nursery can be put together. Finally!

30 Weeks of belly love!

Forgive my awful iPhone pics!

Pity Party For One

2011-08-25T14:38:00.000-04:00

So, remember how I failed my first glucose test and so I had to take the three hour glucose test? Well, I failed that one too. I officially have gestational diabetes and I'm officially depressed about it.

I truly thought I'd be okay with it, but after my "welcome to diabetes" consult yesterday I don't think I'll ever be okay with it. It's one of those things that until you've been there, you don't know what it's like. The nurse practitioner did her best job trying to explain everything to me yesterday. But, she's been handling matters like this for years with patients and it was just my first day. To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement.

She showed me how to test my blood sugar with the needle device and test it with the meter. She explained what your numbers should be for fasting and after meals. She also gave me a very strict diet plan to follow. However, I'm still confused.

So what I have to do is test my blood sugar first thing in the morning, one hour after lunch and one hour after dinner. I prick my finger (each time I've messed it up so I have to do it twice...ouch) and squeeze a little blood onto a test strip in my meter. Then I take my number and write it down in a little journal for my doctor. It's not too bad but with GD you have to time everything perfectly, so the timing and scheduling of meals and testing is crucial.

Now when it comes to the diet, I'm not going to lie, it is hard. Not only is it eating healthier but you can only eat so much of one thing at a time. You can't just eat whatever you want as long as it's healthy. No fruit before noon, no fruit juice at all, a very limited amount of fats and no sugar or white flour. Breakfast today was a cup of skim milk and half of a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter. Did you catch that? Only half! I told the nurse that I was most likely going to starve. I need to go to the grocery store and get creative because 9+ more weeks of peanut butter, string cheese and bananas is going to get old in a hurry.

And one thing that I really don't like about the diet is that sugar-free and artificial sweeteners are "okay." This is not okay with me and I refuse to put any of it in my body. These FDA "approved" sweeteners make me feel incredibly sick to my stomach and give me headaches. I'll pass on the chemicals, thanks.

The scary thing about GD is that it really could happen to anyone. In my case it's most likely genetics. More scary? 50% of GD sufferers can become affected with Type II diabetes within 5-10 years after the baby. Some even have diabetes for life and it never goes away after the baby is born. I'm terrified of this since three of my grandparents had Type II. If I can control it with diet alone then the baby should be more normal in size but if my numbers continue to go up she may be very big and come early. An ultrasound next week will tell us how big she is as of now.

I also got a call today that I did not get the job I was really hoping for. Bummer.

I am thankful to have a very supportive husband, family and friends. Thank you to everyone who reached out with your sweet comments, emails, phone calls and support you have given me! This is far from a death sentence but it is still scary to go through. Forgive my pity party for today as I try to become acclimated to my new normal.

It's Finally Here!

2011-08-24T11:15:00.001-04:00

After a long, much-anticipated wait, my Erin Condren 2012 planner is finally here! I placed an order almost a month ago and then a hacker deleted a gazillion orders, including mine. I re-placed my order and had to wait an agonizing two and a half weeks for it. But now it's finally here and I love it! Here's why...

1} It's personalized - can it get any better than that? You can even upload a snazzy picture to the cover. Whoa baby. I decided to make this our family planner and added all of our names to it. Like my husband is ever allowed to touch this!

2} It's got a great laminated cover and side binding ring to hold it together! It's heavy duty and will hold up over numerous throws into the diaper bag! Plus the colors are vibrant and beautiful.

3} It has wonderful quotes and inspirational thoughts inside. The graphics are amazing!

4} Not this has much to do with the planner but I purchased these Paper Mate colorful pens to use with my planner. Oh, but check out the tabs on the side. They make it so easy to flip to the month at hand.

{Did I mention that I love the cover?}

5} There is truly a spot for everything in this planner. Here is the double sided pocket folder. It also comes with a clear zippy pouch for special things (which they included fun, free, personalized stickers. Um, hello!!). There is a space to write down everything and there are stickers to mark certain fun occasions. They truly had me at the stickers.

So if you were in doubt about purchasing an Erin Condren planner, it is so worth it! Even my husband mentioned that he could understand why it retails for $50 (go for the coupon codes, y'all). It's very thick and will get you through 2012 and the rest of 2011 organized and in style!

30 Day Photography Challenge

2011-08-23T08:30:00.001-04:00

Over the past year I have majorly neglected my camera, and it shows. Between teaching and my pregnancy, I have found no time to take pictures. The frustration that I now get over taking pictures is killing me! I found this fabulous 30 day photo challenge on the White Peach Photography blog (through Pinterest) and I'm going to take the month of September to work on my photos. I've gotta practice up for Avery's arrival because then the picture taking is going to be non-stop. So, get ready for photo overload in September!

What's Been Going On

2011-08-20T14:38:00.000-04:00

This has been a very crazy and busy week around here! I'm thankful that it's Saturday and I have nothing pressing to do, so I'm going to clean up around the house and relax. Augh, Saturdays, how I love you! Here's what's been going on lately around these parts.

We went to dinner at the Brio Tuscan Grill at Stony Point with my in-law's this week to thank you for all the work they did around our house while we were on vacation. My mother in law painted the nursery walls and trim and it's just beautiful! That deserves a big thank you in and of itself.

Anyways, we had a few gift cards generously given to us after I had a bad experience there several weeks ago. After this dinner we probably won't be going back anytime soon. We were just not that impressed. Although, I did get to eat this beauty the night before getting the call about my glucose test, so at least I had one last hoorah with sugar if I do have gestational diabetes. I've really been watching what I'm eating. I even went to Olive Garden yesterday and had soup, salad and absolutely no breadsticks.

We did a little shopping after dinner and ended up at Baby Gap. Their little girl stuff is so precious for the fall! Justin found this little number that he loved (for some odd reason), so I had to take a picture of him holding it. I think he's getting more and more excited about having a daughter! Nothing like a little faux fur vest to melt daddy's heart. Ha!

I also went shopping this week with my mom and I found the cutest Halloween tree at Pier One. I love Halloween, not for the spooky part of it, but for the fun of it! And this tree screams fun! Look at all of the ornaments you can buy to go along with it. I feel like this would be perfect for our kitchen table at Halloween.

Yesterday we headed up to Ikea to buy baby girl's dresser for the nursery. We just love Ikea. I researched the Hemnes dresser in white and decided it was the one for us. It has eight drawers and I purchased drawer organizers to go in each one to sort out all of her things. We are so excited to be making progress.

Here is the dresser with a full width mirror over top. I'm wondering if I should go with this mirror now instead of four prints over the dresser. I think it would make the room seem bigger and add a really neat focal point to the room. What do you girls think?

The matching Hemnes side table. Loving this piece too! I was thinking of doing a cute lamp on top and putting it next to the glider. And it retails around $100, which is not bad at all.

I saw this idea and instantly liked it. They are picture ledges with various sized frames. I was even thinking of wrapping the mats with coordinating fabric from the room and making them pop with color. The pictures would be Avery at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Colorful, patterned scrapbooking paper would be used in the frames until the picture is ready to be added.

And here is Avery's Nonni getting her dresser from the shelves. I had to document this. And yes, that is my mother. I think she looks like she's my age in this picture. Go Nonni! And no, I'm not sure yet how we're going to spell Nonni. Noni, Nonny, Nonni?

We saw The Help last night and it was incredible. The movie lived up to the book in my opinion and the cast and setting were perfect. It was emotional and endearing. The costumes were out of this world and everyone was dressed to a tee. I just love that time period! I highly suggest the movie but do read the book first! And take tissues to the movie. That is the best advice I've got!

Sorta Kinda, Terrified

2011-08-18T17:46:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's the mommy guilt already setting in, but, unfortunately I got the call today that I failed my one hour glucose test. I feel like I've done something wrong and I've already failed at this pregnancy. Have I been diagnosed yet with gestational diabetes, no. But I can't help but already doom and gloom myself into having it.

I guess I would feel better if I didn't google things of this nature. My husband thinks the internet is the best and worst thing to happen to me because I research way too much. Sure, I can cut down on my sugar and carb intakes (although I'll have to unselfishly give up the cupcake I bought today, twenty minutes before I got the call), and if it turns out I do have a bigger baby I am okay with having a c-section.

The one word that terrified me out of my mind? Stillbirth. As soon as I saw the word, the worst case scenario, I clicked off of the website. I cannot live in fear for another two months. Heck, maybe I'll go in for my three hour test and pass with flying colors, however I truly think I will be diagnosed with GD. But for now, I am scared.

Has anyone experienced gestational diabetes or passed their three hour test after failing the first one? Any helpful advice or positive support is welcome!

29 Weeks

2011-08-17T16:09:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights - Not too many more of these left!

How far along? 29 Weeks

Size of the baby? Baby App says that Avery is over 15 inches long and just about three pounds. If one more person asks me if I'm having twins I just.might.lose.it.

Maternity Clothes? Thank goodness for fabulous friends! My BFF Ashley let me borrow a ton of clothes so I'm enjoying some fun new additions to my maternity wardrobe. I don't want to buy too much now that I'm in the home stretch.

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? I feel her move constantly and I love it! I know exactly where she's laying and I feel her little sweet feet kick my right side like no one's business!

Sleep? Sleep is okay. Rolling over this week has been, honestly, painful.

Cravings? More chocolate chip cookies and flavored tea. Ruby Tuesday has a yummy peach tea that I just love!

Symptoms? Other than bone pain at night I'm feeling pretty good this week! I went to the doctor yesterday for my 28 week check and my glucose screening. The orange drink was not halfway as bad as some have made it out to be. I'm very nervous about having gestational diabetes because it runs in my family, so hopefully I won't be getting any calls this week! Blood pressure was 110/68 and Avery's heart rate was 142. My doctor said everything looks perfect!

Best Moment of the Week? Getting my shower invites in the mail! I have great friends who are hosting several showers and I'm probably more excited about these than I was about my bridal showers. I can't wait for them!

29 Week bump with awful lighting! Wow, that's bad.

And if you were ever wondering where I was taking these pics, it's in our downstairs bathroom. I'm looking forward to "lightening things up" in our next house. This dark trim needs to go, lickety split!

Blogs Worth a Look

2011-08-14T17:13:00.000-04:00

Thought you gals may enjoy some of these blogs as much as I do! Happy Sunday!

Eighteen 25 - A crafty haven of DIY and printables. Love!

The First Grade Parade - Seriously I feel like Cara is my friend! She is fab and has some of the best teaching ideas out there. Check her out if you teach or will teach someday.

I Heart Organizing - Maybe it's the nesting phase in me, but I am all about reading how other people stay organized. I need to get a few ideas about several things around the house. Great idea site!

House of Smiths - Fun decorating ideas! Make sure to check out the DIY section. I especially love the tutorials for how to make the perfect shelf displays!

Brown Paper Packages - All sorts of DIY projects. Makes my heart leap!

Pawley's Island Posh - Julia is incredibly talented at interior design and photography! Her beautifully done pictures make me swoon, seriously. She is now a Richmonder and I hope to get together with her soon. Check out her former home on Pawley's Island. Gorgeously done!

Skinny (by Fabulous K) - Weight loss motivation with a Fabulous K twist! Great WW friendly site.

28 Weeks

2011-08-11T22:01:00.006-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights - From the beach!

How far along? 28 Weeks, 1 day

Size of the baby? Baby App says that Avery is around 15 inches long and 2.5 pounds. I don't know why but I feel like she's bigger than that, but maybe not. I am looking huge! I'm getting lots of pity looks from people on the beach.

Maternity Clothes? Yes! I went to buy some new bras this week and I was about four billion sizes bigger than my regular bras from before pregnancy. Somehow, I could still wear them although they were a lot more, ahem, filled than normal! This new size just about made my eyes pop out of my head. Oh how pregnancy can change your body!

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? All the time. And I mean all.the.time. I love my little gymnast baby!

Sleep? I've been sleeping so well at the beach this week. I have absolutely no sleeping gripes to speak of!

Cravings? Big, giant chocolate chip cookies. Like the Mrs. Fields in the mall kind. We are talking all kinds of yummy!

Symptoms? My ankles and feet have been so swollen that my family likes to laugh at them, jokingly of course. Back pain is now a norm and the pubic symphasis pain continues, although I've learned to manage the pain.

Best Moment of the Week? Relaxing at the beach! I'm enjoying my last vacation before children and I'm soaking in every free moment that I can. I know that life will never be the same again but for that I am happy!

My 28 week bump picture. Somehow I always end up conveniently wearing this red t-shirt in my bump photos. I wish my bathroom were this light inside, so I'm enjoying not using my dark wood bathroom in this week's shot.

And hubby decided to jump in the picture with me. He loves his girls!

And just to document, I present to you my swollen feet. Will I ever see my ankles again?

Sponsor Showcase: Silver Lining Decor on Etsy

2011-08-08T08:30:00.001-04:00

Turquoise Enamel Flower Necklace - $48

Turquoise and Plum Purple Drop Bib Necklace - $32

Enamel Flower Turquoise Beaded Necklace - $42

Cluster Necklace - $64

Red and Black Beaded Glass Necklace - $42

Yellow Flower and Green Glass Beaded Necklace - $38

Braided Turquoise and Red Glass Beaded Necklace - $36

The oh-so-creative Rachel at Silver Lining Decor is generously offering A Wedding Story readers 15% off of any order from her ETSY shop this week. Offer is good through Friday, August 12th at five p.m. Please use code: wedding story2011 Check out all of her fun and vintage inspired jewelry!

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

2011-08-05T09:58:00.001-04:00

Today my parents have to put one of our family dogs down. Jesse seemed healthy until several months ago when she started rapidly losing weight and running into things around the house. It was only a matter of days until she went completely blind and fell off of my parents deck. My mom took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with diabetes and possibly other things wrong but they opted out of those tests. Mom has been trying to regulate her insulin with special food and shots but nothing seemed to work. In the past week she has been very disoriented and has been stumbling while she walks. She was also constantly running into things around the house and banging her poor head up pretty badly. She was twelve and it was her time.

My parents took in Jesse as a rescue four years ago to be a companion for their other lab Lucy. They took to each other right away and Lucy actually calmed down once another dog was around. They were good little doggy friends and I know Lucy is going to miss Jesse being around.

My family has never had to put an animal down so this is especially hard. I couldn't go with my parents to the vet because of the pregnancy. I can't let myself get really upset and worked up about it so I'm trying to stay pretty calm. I went to their house last night and gave her a nice, long petting on her face and belly which she loves. It's hard to say goodbye to a friend, but she was in pain and obviously had no quality of life anymore, so I thought I'm remember her in this way. Goodbye sweet Jesse girl!

My Pregnancy Essentials

2011-08-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy lasts a glorious nine plus months, so in this time I've found some things that I really love and I wanted to share them with you. If you are expecting, I would love to hear what your essentials are. There is nothing like sharing great ideas with friends!

Boppy Body Pillow

I bought this pillow (other mamas may have found other great pillows too, this one just worked for me) and it has been my nightly best friend since around ten weeks. I have rigged this pillow into so many different positions that I have found great sleeping positions. I'm not really sure how a pregnant woman could sleep without some sort of body pillow. Sometimes I even find my husband lingering on one side of it in the morning.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter

I bought this lotion very early in my pregnancy and began slathering it on daily after my shower. I don't mind the scent, although I've heard negative things about the smell, but to me it is quite a reasonable fragrance. It moisturizes my skin and makes it itch less. Whether or not it will "prevent" stretch marks is still up in the air but at least I am doing all I can to help myself.

Bio Oil

Another attempt at keeping stretch marks at bay. Now I know that genetics play a huge part in getting them but I'm attempting to cover all my bases! I use this before bed and give myself a belly massage. The scent is very nice and as long as you don't use too much it's really not very greasy. It hydrates my skin and I always feel very soft. Here's hoping to a miracle!

Motherhood Nightgowns

I was never really a nightgown wearer pre-pregnancy but I have found that these nightgowns are the most comfortable thing to wear around the house and to bed while pregnant. I believe they are also great for nursing so we will see if I can stand to be this un-covered when the cooler weather hits.

Motherhood Leggings

These are some of the most comfy things I have ever worn. The belly panel can be worn high or folded down and both ways are so great. I've been wearing them out of the house, around the house and even to bed. I'm looking forward to the fall and wearing tunic tops and leggings. I've never been so comfy!

Pedicures and Foot Rubs

My sore feet love to be pampered and if I could afford it, I would go every week! It feel so wonderful to have your sore feet rubbed and scrubbed and this is definitely something that I indulge in to make myself feel amazing. I'm contemplating calling and making an appointment just for a foot rub from my favorite pedicure place.

Some other favorites:

A great hair stylist, Chick Fila sweet tea, ice cream, a group of supportive friends and a very supportive hubby, comfy shoes and flip flops. Somehow with all of these wonderful essentials, I will get through my third trimester!

27 Weeks

2011-08-03T21:09:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 27 Weeks

Size of the baby? Baby App says that Avery is around 14.6 inches long and over two pounds. This is our last week in the sixth month and our first day of the third trimester! I've never had anything go by so quickly in my life!

Maternity Clothes? Now more than ever. I am really loving my pregnancy leggings because they are so comfy and movable!

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? My little gymnast can now be seen and felt by most anyone who touches my belly but I'll save that for hubby and family! Last night we laid back and watch my belly go crazy with movement. Justin can feel her and see her move and he is getting very excited!

Sleep? Sleep is okay. I've learned to actually not sleep with my Boppy body pillow in between my legs anymore because it makes me symphasis pain a lot worse. I wake Justin up when I roll over because I'm so uncomfortable and grunt and moan to move. Ooops!

Cravings? Nothing much this week but I have been enjoying salads for the first time this pregnancy.

Symptoms? Pubic symphasis pain, hip pain and some stretchies. I'm not too keen on those but I'm trying to get over it! I'm also very stuffy and congested.

Best Moment of the Week? Justin being able to feel her and see her move. He just beams! I can't wait to see him hold his daughter. It's probably what I'm looking forward to most besides seeing what she looks like and hearing her sweet little cry.

I switched sides today to really switch things up. Ha! I am also loving my new haircut!

And since I'm feeling extra emotional and sappy these days, here are some of my favorite songs about little girls and families. I've really never felt more blessed and fortunate in my entire life than in these days before Avery comes. It's happiness that cannot be described. I told you, I'm sappy.

Catching Up

2011-08-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday friends! There are so many things that I have wanted to blog about but I haven't found the time. Summer school teaching is now over so I feel a little more "free", if you will. No more researching and planning the perfect first grade summer school lessons, although I will miss the playground chats with the other teachers during recess. Here's what's been going on in our world...

We finally registered! One more thing to scratch off the list. Whew! I promised Justin that if he went to register with me then I would go see Cowboys and Aliens with him. I think he got the better end of the deal. I told him that I could register for everything in an hour and I finished three minutes shy of my time goal. The movie lasted two hours and was awful. I probably wouldn't even watch it again if it comes on cable one day.

I decided after some long agonizing to go with the Bumbleride Indie stroller. A local stroller store tried to convince me to go for a Valco Baby or a City Jogger Elite but I'm sticking to the Bumbleride. I think it will be the best choice for us.

We also decided to go with the Maxi Cosi Mico carseat. I'm kind of excited about it.

Our beloved flat screen TV has gone kaput. Let this be a lesson to all to unplug your expensive appliances and electronics before a major storm. The storm also killed our Wii and our flat screen upstairs. Thankfully, Wal-Mart honored our warranty plan without my receipt. Major points to Wal-Mart!

I found this amazing home-organization and cleaning schedule via Just Mommies. Here is the link to August's cleaning schedule. It makes a lot of sense and I think it will help me to really keep everything around the house clean and organized. Great link ladies! Kind of excited about this too!

We are finally headed on vacation this Saturday! One whole week at the beach in South Carolina...I can hardly contain my excitement.

I was called in for a fifth grade teaching position interview. I think it went really well and would love to work at this school. I'm praying that they thought the same!

Please say a prayer for my blog friend Caroline at Simply Smithwick.

Please have a wonderful Monday friends!

26 Weeks

2011-07-29T17:12:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 26 weeks, 1 day

Size of the baby? According to my favorite baby app, Avery is around two pounds and 14.2 inches long, give or take. She can now hear me and other around and her eyes are fully developed.

Maternity Clothes? Always but I have to be honest, I'm looking forward to shopping for some new regular clothes once she is born! I'm kind of itching to get back to J.Crew!

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth

Movement? She is moving all of the time, at almost all parts of the day. I love to feel her move and watch her move under my skin. When I first started feeling little movements I was always so nervous that I hadn't felt her but it was too early to feel constant movement. If I had only calmed myself down and known that this gymnastics show was coming!

Sleep? I found an incredible new sleeping position that has changed my sleep. I'm getting pretty good rest for the most part except I'm still waking up every time I turn over in bed because it is so painful! I know that it's not recommended but I've been sleeping on my back a little more too (propped up with many pillows) and it makes me feel so much better.

Cravings? Brownies and thick chocolate chip cookies. Yummy!

Symptoms? The pubic symphasis pain has been excruciating this week. Sometimes it feels as though my pelvis might split open. I'm looking forward to this part of the pregnancy being over.

Best Moment of the Week? Summer school is now over so I don't have to be on my feet or go to the playground and stand, at least for a little while. My husband is now on board for our "to-do" list too, so I know things are going to start getting done around here!

26 week baby bump

Rain Boots

2011-07-28T13:23:00.000-04:00

These metallic Hunter rain boots have just made the birthday list!

Thank you Chassity at Look, Linger, Love for sharing!

Feeling Behind

2011-07-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

Ladies, I am feeling behind in a big kind of way. I guess this is my way to vent about how things for the baby just aren't getting done around here. There are a lot of things to do and my baby ticker says that I have 99 days left as of today, give or take. I try to not hassle my hubby too much about getting things done for the baby but to be honest, I'm starting to have a little bit of panic mode set in. Here are some of the things that I would like to be finished to be done for our upcoming arrival...

Tear up the carpet in the nursery (and whole upstairs for that matter) and have new carpet installed. Also, move out all guest room furniture and organize hubby's clothes so that they will all fit into our bedroom.

Have walls and trim painted in the nursery. Must also get new paint swatches and buy paint.

Buy coordinating fabric for curtains and have them made and installed.

Set up crib and bedding. Those are the only things we actually have for the baby.

Make a trip to Ikea and purchase the changing table/dresser. Assemble.

Register. As in register for everything baby will need. Babies R Us keeps getting put off every weekend. Ugh. At this point baby will have nothing ~~momma~~ she needs!

Finalize stroller and car seat and order them. Install car seat.

Find a pediatrician and make an appointment for them to come to the hospital.

Order artwork for baby's room and have ceiling fan installed.

Have carpets in our downstairs steam-cleaned.

Pick out diaper bag and order/purchase.

Arrange newborn photo session with photographer.

Obtain baby items and organize/clean them.

Maybe it sounds mellow dramatic to have 14 weeks left and all of these tasks to accomplish, but I thought I had plenty of time. I didn't want to jump the gun and do anything too early but now I feel the clock is a'ticking. We go on vacation the week after next and I'm actively pursuing a teaching job. August is going to fly by and if by some glorious chance I get a teaching job (oh please, say a prayer), I will spend all of my extra time writing up my sub plans for eight weeks of maternity leave. What I'm getting to is, time is flying!

Please tell me I have plenty of time because my nesting instincts are kicking in and I want things done now. Thanks for listening, it feels good to just let it out. Has anyone else felt like this before? Did you get it all done?

Amazing Erin Condren Planner Deal

2011-07-25T20:00:00.001-04:00

(I'm gonna be one on-the-ball momma!)

I cannot take any credit for the amazing deal I'm about to share, but, today Erin at Blue Eyed Bride blogged about a fab score on an Erin Condren life planner. A few days ago she introduced them to me and I was sold! I need to get myself very organized before my sweet girl arrives and I figured this planner would be a good jumping off point, however I didn't want to spend $50 on it.

Enter Plum District, a fun deal-of-the-day kind of spot (is there any other kind?). For the next day or so you can get Erin Condren's life planner or any other of her fun paper products for $25 instead of $50. If you google a promotion code (I found one, so email me if you can't), you can get an additional $5 off for a whopping 60% off these planners. Find the great deal here and order yours today! I simply cannot wait to receive mine in a few weeks. I may be up until midnight trying to decide which design I prefer.

Happy shopping and a huge thank you to Erin!

25 Weeks

2011-07-22T14:28:00.002-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 25 weeks, 2 days

Size of the baby? Avery is getting bigger! I held up an eggplant at the grocery store this week at thought to myself, "that is huge!" She could weigh over two pounds now. It's feeling so real!

Maternity Clothes? I'm wearing maternity clothes for the most part. I can still wear my regular pajamas since the bottoms are so stretchy.

Gender? Girl! Avery Elizabeth we are looking forward to meeting you!

Movement? She now moves around all the time. Her normal busy times are first thing in the morning, after lunch and just before bed. I can see her kicks all the time!

Sleep? Sleep is touch and go. I did something awful to my neck while sleeping this week and this is the third day of not being to move my neck to the right. Sleeping on my left side hurts my neck a lot so I'm sleeping on my right side and (gasp) my back with some support pillows.

Cravings? I'm trying to eat a lot healthier so I've said bye-bye to my cravings for now. I do love to go to Sonic and get an Ocean Water or a Limeade every now and then.

Symptoms? Normal pregnancy stuff. My feet are kind of swollen too but maybe if it weren't so hot they'd go down.

Best Moment of the Week? Being able to see her move through my skin. I've also been seeing Halloween stuff in the stores and I know that means we're getting closer. Depending on how my October appointments go, I may buy a Halloween bib and hat for "just in case." Although, I know if I do that she'll come two weeks late.

Sorry for the awful bathroom lighting! Blech!

Our Baby Name Reveal

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

Our sweet baby girl has a name and I am so excited to share it with you! I decided on her name a long time ago, before I ever knew that I was pregnant or expecting a girl (but of course hubby had to agree with the name too). I think it's so beautiful and definitely the name meant for our little angel. I truly can't wait to see her, hold her, kiss her and love her! She is so precious to me and her daddy. If you guessed Avery Elizabeth from our baby name blog post, you would be right!

Avery, we cannot wait until you are here! We love you so much!

I'll be back tomorrow for a 25 week post. I am feeling rather sick today (sore throat, cough, headache, nausea) so hopefully I can perk up tomorrow and take a bump picture for you guys! Today was the last day of summer school for the week and I need to get some rest. It was a long four hours to say the least! See you tomorrow!

Things They Just Don't Tell You

2011-07-18T19:17:00.001-04:00

I'd heard it was true. There are things about pregnancy that people just don't tell you about before you get pregnant. It's not all butterflies and rainbows but it sure is close once you start feeling those tiny baby kicks. Here are some things I had to find out for myself. I'm gonna get real here folks, so, you've been warned.

1. You get stretch marks in places you didn't think you'd get stretch marks. Places that didn't grow like you thought they would yet, still, the stretch marks are there. Why haven't I quite gone up a bra size since I have stretch marks under my ta-tas? Oh Lordy, will I ever be the same? The mark of true motherhood I suppose.

2. You swell all over. Your ankles, your fingers...even your toes. My wedding rings won't fit so I'm wearing a "faux" diamond in case nosy people want to get all up in my biz-ness. Although, a good excuse to pull up the handle of the reclinder with a Sonic limeade in hand.

3. You get out of breath going up a flight of steps. True story.

4. Random people will say the most obnoxious things to you. A stranger at Target asked me if the baby was on my sciatic nerve because I was, "walking so funny." Like mama always said, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

5. You will find that people who look about as far along as you are are actually due tomorrow (and you have three months to go). Embarassing. My husband blames it on Chick-Fila. I plead the fifth.

6. The act of rolling over in bed may become excruciatingly painful. I woke up one night and thought I may be delivering my child in the bed. Is that normal? Yep. It's bone pain and you have to suck it up and get used to it although it feels short of being stabbed every time you roll over.

7. Swimming in a pool is the best feeling in the world because you body feels truly weightless. Getting out of that pool is a different story. My apologies to the people at the pool today that you had to witness that.

8. You become very forgetful. Like when you leave a size tag on the back of your shorts that reads: LARGE - LARGE - LARGE - LARGE - LARGE - LARGE. And then you go to the post office with your tag still on your pants and no one.says.a.word. They were probably thinking, "poor LARGE pregnant girl."

9. The hormones will rage like no other. You will cry at your husband for looking at you wrong, you will cry at dawn dish detergent commercials and even when someone else is telling you about their daughter's sick mother-in-law's cousin's niece. Everything becomes a big deal for about an hour and then you move on.

10. As much as pregnancy can change you body and mind, I wouldn't trade any second with my sweet baby girl for the world. I would take every pain and jab again when it's all said and done just because I love her so much. She is already my world!

How We Told Our Families

2011-07-16T16:40:00.001-04:00

I realized that I have never talked about how we found out we were pregnant. Sorry to break it to you but there are no pictures of pregnancy tests or surprised faces in this story. It all happened back in Februrary...

February 28th to be exact. I started feeling flu like symptoms the day before so I thought I would make a doctors appointment to try to quickly relieve my misery. At this point I was several days late but didn't think too terribly much of it, although in the back of my head I believe I knew the whole time. I told my doctor and she decided to give me a pregnancy test just in case.

And then I waited. For 45 minutes. All by myself. With the flu.

My doctor walked in and gave me the news. "Well, you're pregnant and you have the flu," is what she said. I was in shock, a happy shock, but shocked nonetheless. I left the doctors office feeling excited and nervous to tell my husband. We weren't planning on starting a family quite yet so I was anxious to how he would take the news.

Justin was on a long weekend ski trip with buddies from college and he was on his way home as I returned home from the doctor. My mom came over to bring me chicken noodle soup and I couldn't look her in the eye because I was afraid my face would give it away. I don't know why I thought this but you know when you have a secret you feel like everyone around you "just knows." Justin called me while she was here to tell me he would be home in about thirty minutes. I made a point to tell him on the phone that my mom was there but he proceeded to ask if I was pregnant. And I told him NO! Oh Lordy, I felt so badly for lying to him but it wasn't the time or place to discuss it. My mom left and as soon as he walked in the door I broke down and told him and apologized for not telling him over the phone but he completely understood. I think he was in shock for about five minutes and then afterwards he told me that he was extremely excited! Hallelujah!

Now, I needed to get over the flu. It took me 10 days to recover. It was miserable.

I took this pic in the doctors office minutes after I found out.

Fast forward a week and a half. I am feeling much better and we are excited to tell our families. I decided not to tell them while I was sick because my mother would have been worried to death. We told them on March 9th which I believe was Mardi Gras. I wrapped up two onesie sets that said "I Love Hugs From Grandma" and pretended that they were "Mardi Gras" gifts. A far stretch, I know. I thought someone had to be on to us.

We went to Justin's parents house first and gave his parents the gift. They were happily surprised and we cried and talked about how excited we were. Then we went to my parents house and it so happened that my brother and sister were there too. Now this never happens that we are all unexpectedly together so I was excited that I could tell them all together. They bought a king cake for Mardi Gras and I made a huge deal out of the fact that Justin got the piece with the little baby. We gave my mom the gift and when she opened it she was too shocked to speak. My sister bawled like a baby. My dad said he couldn't wait to see me humongous at the beach, spoken in true dad fashion. Everyone was very excited.

And there is our story.