7.27.2012

Oh, for the Love!

This Morning:
As I sit here in my living room full of everything that was in our downstairs closet just 15 hours ago I'm overwhelmed and ready to just throw it all away. I mean, this stuff has been in a closest for the past 6 months, how much do we really need it all?

15 Hours Prior
There was only an hour and a half to go before we began our first birthing class and I was headed to the kitchen to make dinner. As I walked on the linoleum meeting up with our front door I noticed a wet spot--lazy me walked right on past thinking Travis must have spilled a little water when he brought my cup up to me earlier. Then Travis followed my same path and actually asked, why is the floor wet? All I can think of is this scene from Christmas Vacation:


We followed the trail of water and realized after pushing our couch away from the wall, an area of about 5' x 4' of carpet was soaked! Travis stomped his foot on the wet carpet and water splashed up! Where had all this water come from?! The wall met up with our ginormous living room closet so we opened our closet door to pull out blankets, a basket of scarves and gloves, cardboard boxes full of DVDs and Travis' tools, a tent, sleeping bags, and a few other items all soaked. We finally saw where the water had come from: our A/C unit!

Now remember, dinner is already cooking...and while I'm having to tend to that and pull things out of the closet to dry the flooded closet floor, Travis is gathering towels from all over the house to dry up where the water had come up through the carpet in the living room. Maintenance quickly came over (they are awesome!) and fixed our a/c (apparently it was clogged because of how hot it got yesterday and the clog caused a leak).

At this point we had 10 minutes to scarf our cold dinner down and try to get up as much water as we could until we left for our birthing class (I was NOT going to miss that class! Nothing could stand in my way!) After 10 minutes we were on our way, happy as clams to get out of our disarrayed living room and on to learn how to deliver Juice Drop!

The birthing class was amazing! I had forgotten all about what had just taken place at home. I had so much joy and love in my heart for my baby girl there was no room for me to think about our flooded living room. We learned so many great things from relaxation and breathing techniques for labor to remembering throughout the whole process this is all about her. I felt so much peace walking away that I felt like I could do this labor thing right then and there, C'mon, let's GO! 

While we did have a major mess to deal with when we got home, we laughed at how well we handled the whole situation. We didn't get stressed, we didn't get upset at one another, I didn't cry (lol). Maybe it had to do with the fact that nothing of real importance got damaged (in fact, nothing got damaged!) or maybe it had to do with the fact that following our little flooding escapade we were able to think about nothing but our baby girl and dreaming about the day when get to finally meet her. I'm going to go with the latter on this one :)

DiSaRrAy! You can see where we've set up our heater to dry up where the water had come under the wall and into our living room. We are so close to having it all dry. All that's left is reorganizing our closet, which is something we've been wanting to do! 

7.25.2012

"Asante sana SQUASH banana..."

I'm feeling very low today...

No, I'm not in a bad mood. In fact, I'm the opposite. I'm very happy!

I'm low in the sense that I feel like Juice Drop is beginning to descend and everything feels like it's now in my pelvic region.

Awesome, right?! That makes me happy!

It also makes me wonder how soon she's going to arrive. Based on the week I'm on, the baby is not supposed to make her way to the pelvic region for another couple of weeks. Eeeek!

I also had a very good dream last night...

I dreamt that Juice Drop came today at exactly 32 weeks. In my dream we were so happy. We weren't nervous at all because we knew how big she was! I was able to see her face and she was absolutely beautiful!

I'm just saying, if she came today I wouldn't be mad at all :)



How far along? 32 Weeks
Total weight gain: 26 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: Rough, especially when she's on the move and it's too distracting to fall back to sleep after I just got up to pee. 
Best moment this week: Arriving home from our Babymoon to a surprise--Juice Drop's Car Seat!! Thank you Evans' Crew, you guys are Da Bomb Diggity! 
Miss Anything? Being able to go anywhere without feeling like I need to find the closest bathroom upon arrival.
Movement: Several times throughout the day. Her movements are becoming stronger and I can begin to  tell what body part is what :)
Food cravings: Nada
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger.
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing ALL THE TIME (even when hardly anything comes out!), shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness, swollen fingers and toes (this heat is redonkulous!)
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? It made me so sad to have to remove my ring in the middle of last night. It almost hurt it was so tight. I managed to get it off and then this morning put it back on when the swelling lessened.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Our 2nd Baby Shower this weekend in Greenville!!!

I'll leave you with a special picture that shows my new invention created by Juice Drop: The Belly Table.


7.22.2012

This Pineapple was on a Babymoon!

Miss me!?

Actually, you were probably relieved that you got a week without me bogging down your inbox, bloglovin', or Facebook newsfeed! The only person who might have missed me is my Mom, ha!

So where have I been all week? You ask...well, there's this new thing that new parents go on called a "babymoon". It's the last vacation before baby gets here. When I first heard of this idea I knew we had to go on a babymoon since we didn't really have a honeymoon (downfall of getting married at 19 and in college).

So we've been on Amelia Island, Florida for the past week, soaking up the rays, living it up in the waves, eating, eating, and more eating, and talking non-stop about the little one who will change our lives forever in less than 2 months! Rafts, coolers, and beach umbrellas are the greatest inventions when it comes spending hours on the beach. Seriously, I don't know how we lived without these things before!

Since we were without the internet (it was actually really nice not being plugged in 24/7) I wasn't able to post my weekly update (again, my mom is probably the only one who wondered why it never showed up on Wednesday). We still took my weekly picture on Wednesday even though this post is a few days late, and I've included some other pictures of our amazing week. Enjoy!

How far along? 31 Weeks
Total weight gain: 26 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: Most nights are ok but I get those occasional few throughout the week where I’m wide awake, I have to pee 5 times, and/or I can’t get comfortable!
Best moment this week: BABYMOON!!!
Miss Anything? Sleeping through the night
Movement: Several times throughout the day…now it’s beginning to hurt!
Food cravings: Nada
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks—they’re starting to worry me, she is ok, right?
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing, shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? It's on but getting tight!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Working on the nursery this week (and I’m being for real this time, something will get done!)

The sunsets are breathtaking!








We loved Arte's Pizza so much that we ended up eating there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! A little ridiculous, I know, but we couldn't get enough! 


The Crab Trap was delicious! We shared crab legs and shrimp, my favorite :)



We did a little perusing around downtown and ran across a quaint little shop that sold candles...check out the scent of this candle! It actually smelled really good! ha!



We ate lunch at T-Ray's Burger Station (at one time was a gas station--looks kind of sketch, eh?) and was voted best burger in Florida! It got my vote! 

 We ate breakfast one morning at the Parkway Grille which had Uh-Mazing pancakes! 


A HUGE Thank You goes out to my Aunt June and her husband Rick for graciously allowing us to stay in their vacation home on Amelia Island for the week! Your generosity means the world to us!

7.12.2012

I Don't Wanna Miss a Thang

So, you know how I told you that my new favorite past-time is lying on my side and feeling Juice Drop move all around?

Oh, it still is but she is so distracting! 

She's not just moving during certain times of the day anymore, it's like constant movement all day long. My hands won't leave my belly even for a second because I love the feeling of her foot poking out or a roll across my belly or a hiccup or the occasional feeling of a bomb going off.

It's seriously the most amazing feeling EVER!

I thought of this song the other day and it's perfect for what I'm experiencing. I can't get it out of my head!



Side Note: I must admit Steven Tyler is a little scary.

I can only imagine how much more this song will come true once she's here and in my arms!

That girl has stolen my heart in a big way.

7.11.2012

My Baby Cuke

Swollen feet, swollen fingers, back pain, rib pain, heartburn, peeing all the time and sometimes uncontrollably.

What am I? An 80 year old woman?!

Nope, just 30 weeks pregnant!

What's the difference between me and an 80 year old woman then? All the movement I get to feel from baby Juice Drop! One of these days I'm going to have to film her movements because it's truly indescribable!

Forget about soccer or softball for this little lady, I think we may have a gymnast on our hands!


How far along? 30 Weeks
Total weight gain: 21 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time 
Stretch marks? Nope J
Sleep: Good, not great...starting to realize what it's going to feel like getting up every two hours
Best moment this week: Celebrating with family and close friends our first Baby Shower! **pics below**
Miss Anything? Being able to go through a whole day without back and rib pain
Movement: Several times throughout the day and night. My new favorite past-time is lying on my side and getting to see and feel her move--the joy of the day :)
Food cravings: Nada
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks, especially when I have to pee really bad...which is every couple hours lol
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing, shortness of breath, and memory lapse
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? It's on but getting tight!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Our Babymoon on Amelia Island in Florida next week!

Our Baby Shower this past weekend was so lovely! 

Yes, it was 107 degrees outside.

Yes, it felt like it was over 90 degrees inside.

Yes, I was overheated, swollen, and exhausted by the end of the night.

But, we had an amazing time with family and great friends celebrating Juice Drop!

My baby pictures. I can already see that Juice Drop has my button nose :)

I can't get enough of that little cowboy sitting on a pumpkin.



Let the Baby Shower games begin! Who can guess how big I am with a piece of string?



Daddy guessed about 7 inches bigger...thanks.

    

Someone was very generous and made me feel great!


 Pops almost took the prize but my best friend Erin beat him by 1 inch! :)

Like I said, it felt like 90 degrees inside so Travis had to fan me while I opened gifts!


Best Friends. I'm so happy they could share this day with us!

Grandma Terri (along with my sister and mom) did so much to make this day so special for us!

My Family

Mami (my mom) wanted to be velcroed to Juice Drop all day.


James drove 3 hours to join us. That's a best friend!

We ended the evening with an 80th birthday party for Travis' Grandpa. I mean, just look at the guy--he's stylin' and profilin'! Juice Drop is lucky to have a Great Grandpa as great as he is!


3 Generations :)




7.04.2012

God Bless America and Our Little Acorn Squash


Happy 4th of July, Folks! 

Let me be the wet blanket here...I'm not one to go crazy over Independence Day. 

Yeah, I enjoy a good fireworks show, I love the cookouts, and the sparklers...but with it being so close to our anniversary, the past 7 years of Red, White, and Booms just haven't been the same as they were when I was growing up. 

Side Note: Travis and I first locked eyes the summer after our high school freshman year during our town's fireworks display only to then meet that following school year in gym class :) Cue the "aww's".

However, I'm realizing this year is different. 

I think it has a lot to do with where we're living now. 

Living in a neighborhood where sometimes you don't even feel like you're in America makes you appreciate your homeland that much more. We are surrounded by people who seek refuge in America because their home country wasn't safe, whether from war, religious persecution, or just because they are looking for a better life for their family. We hear stories all the time about what life was like in my country and can't help but be thankful for our country

This past week I've thought a lot about the blessings of America, the fact that our forefathers wanted a place of freedom for all, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and a place where we could worship our God openly without having the threat of persecution and even death on our shoulders. 

While I believe 'Mmerica can be over glorified a little too much at times, I am so grateful for this place I call home and thankful that God led us to stay right here and is allowing us to see our country with a new set of eyes. 

So God bless America, Land that I love!

Anyways, who wants to talk about Independence Day when all anyone wants to see is a bump, right?! 



How far along? 29 Weeks
Total weight gain: 21 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time...found 3 non-materninty tank tops at the Gap for only $5 each and bought them in a large so I'm pretty stoked about that! 
Stretch marks? Nope J
Sleep: Not so great 
Best moment this week: Celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary. Even though we didn't do much it was still lovely, especially knowing this will be our last one alone :)
Miss Anything? Sleeping!
Movement: Several times throughout the day and night. My new favorite past-time is lying on my side and getting to see and feel her move--the joy of the day :)
Food cravings: Hot dogs! I'm so excited to eat one at our baby shower cookout this weekend! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks, especially when I have to pee really bad...which is every couple hours lol
Symptoms: Back and rib pain like none other! Braxton Hicks, peeing, shortness of breath, and my forgetfulness has been horrible! I forgot a friend was coming to visit, an appointment with the insurance company, and to pay a bill!
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Spending our weekend with family and close friends in Ohio for our first baby shower!!!

Enjoy the 4th! I know we will with our neighborhood booming all night!
snapshot from the 4th of July, 2008



7.03.2012

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Florida Style...

Beach Rain.
Sanibel Shells.
Island Winds.
Feet in the Ocean.



Silly.
Lunch.


 Home Depot.
A serving Husband.
Nails.
The Shell Factory.



Fishing.
Last Skype Sesh with Stef.
Tropical Storm Debby.
Vanity Plate.



Dinner.
Big Burger.
Burt's.
First sunshine in days.



The Mucky Duck.