The Lucky Layman's

Elyse Love ~ 2 Months

2012-02-15T10:17:00.004-06:00

Weight: We find out officially tomorrow, but based on Nick's scale experiment we're guessing right at 10 pounds! She's definitely growing like a weed and starting to get a few little rolls on her thighs and arms! We've also got some chubby little cheeks which are absolutely adorable! She's been wearing size 1 diapers for the past several weeks, and she'll be in those for quite some time. The newborn diapers just weren't cutting it anymore!

Clothes: Elyse has outgrown ALL of her newborn clothes. I haven't brought myself to box them up yet, but she's definitely not newborn sized anymore. Most all of her 0-3 month stuff fits great. Our little girl is SO long that she needs the 0-3 month stuff for the length more than anything. We've got a closet full of 0-3 month clothes, so I'm hoping she stays in these for at least the next month if not longer!

Food: Elyse is still eating great! On the days when I have to work I'm able to nurse her basically every other feeding and the other times she has a bottle from either my mom or Nick. She's taking the bottle really well which definitely makes this working momma happy! She always seems like she gets plenty to eat and is a happy little girl after meals...these are my favorite times with her because she's so alert & just happy!

Sleep: Elyse had her first night of sleeping all the way through about 10 days ago. During her 8th week, she slept through the night 4 of 7 nights but I'm not naive enough to think that's going to last forever. She hasn't slept through at all this week which is honestly fine by me. While I would love a full night's sleep, momma is a little uncomfortable when I don't nurse her for 8-9 hours! She's still napping really well, taking a short nap in the early morning and then 2 longer naps in the late morning and afternoon. She also always takes a bit of a nap during dinner time for Hubby & I which makes it nice for us to enjoy dinner together. Right now she really wants to be up when we're up so she normally just takes catnaps or dozes off with us before her last bottle before being put to bed for the night. She's a great sleeper and I know it's only a matter of time before she starts sleeping through more consistently!

Activity: She loves to lay down on her back and look up at the ceiling, but we're also giving her plenty of tummy time. She got a new activity pat & pad from Mamaw & Pappy which helps her to elevate her head during tummy time, this makes it much more enjoyable for everyone. In fact she's been on her tummy for almost 20 minutes just now completely content and just hanging out in the floor with momma. She also loves to stand on our laps & be thrown into the air. We've got a strong little girl who's definitely got some growing muscles!

Personality: Oh the smiles! She has these incredibly gummy grins that she is starting to give us several times during the day & it just warms my heart! She is definitely starting to develop a little personality and it's so incredible to watch her grow & change each day. She's also starting to communicate with us through more sounds than just her cries. She will coo & grunt & you just know she's talking to us...especially when she's ready to eat! I love those sounds so much sometimes I just like to annoy her a little bit so she will keep talking to me!

Likes:
*her pacifier~she's definitely most partial to the Nuk pacifiers so we now have 5 in our possession, she'll still take the others, but Nuk's are definitley her favorite!

*music~Gigi bought a collection of children's songs and anytime we're playing the floor I love to have that playing in the background. They remind me so much of VBS and Sunday School when I was a little girl. Sometimes we sing and I move her arms & legs, but other times we just listen to all the songs about God & his love for us.

*attention~Elyse doesn't always have to be held, but she would definitely prefer to be where all the people are! Several times during the day I will lay her on her activity mat or put her in her Mamaroo while I work around the house...she doesn't seem to mind being by herself for a few minutes as long as she can see/hear me!

*bath time~ This has become time for Elyse & daddy to spend together and she loves it! She just hangs out in her little whale tub while he gets her all nice and clean. I'm definitely looking forward to bath times in the future when she can actually play in the water!

Dislikes:

*I honestly can't think of anything specific that she absolutely dislikes. She has gotten much better at the clothing changes & the diaper changes. While she might still cry during these times, she's not inconsolable and as soon as we're finished she's a happy happy girl! I'm so thankful for this happy girl!

Two Month Milestones:

*First Manicure: 1/29/2012

*First Dinner Date out with Mommy & Daddy: 2/3/2012 to Houlihan's
*First Night to Sleep through the Night: 2/5/2012

*First Day at the Babysitters: 2/6/2012

Weekend Rewind~An Early Valentine's

2012-02-13T10:07:00.005-06:00

We had a pretty wonderful weekend with plenty of time to get refreshed after my first week back at work. I almost think that working 3 days made me more tired than taking care of Elyse full time! ha!

Friday Hubby & I were both at work so the evening was incredibly low-key. We had leftover enchiladas for dinner, I made a quick trip to Walmart while Elyse napped and we finished off the night with a Redbox movie...I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker. A cute movie that was definitely applicable to our lives right now! We also were able to use Facetime and let Hubby's parents watch Elyse open her Valentine's day boxes...so fun for them to be able to see her even though they are 12 hours away. Can't wait for them to move back to Missouri!

Elyse's Valentine's Day boxes from Mamaw & Pappy

Facetiming with the Grandparents!

Momma & her Houndstooth baby

Saturday morning we had some family snuggle/nap time in bed and literally didn't get up until close to 10:00am...with an 8 week old this was quite the accomplishment! We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon lounging around the house. Saturday night Hubby & I left Elyse with my parents & we went off to enjoy an early Valentine's Day dinner. We headed to Springfield to run a few errands and make a few returns before going to Branson for dinner at Level 2 Steakhouse. We had a fabulous relaxing meal together with just the 2 of us. Unfortunately I failed to take any photos of us...guess that goes to show how our priorities have changed! ha!

We made it home just in time for Elyse's last feeding of the night and in time to put her to bed. She slept through the night again...which just as a note, does NOT always mean that Momma sleeps through the night. She was quite restless between 3-4 am, but finally settled back down and we all enjoyed the good night's sleep!

After church on Sunday we came home & while I would have loved to just veg all afternoon, we were in charge of dinner for Small Group so I whipped a few things thanks to Pinterest and then worked around the house a bit. I also managed to get in a quick photo shoot with our baby girl! Elyse & her Valentine's Day monkey from Hallmark

Elyse & Daddy

Our best attempt at a family photo...someone is getting a wee bit tired!

We also had some play-time in the floor with her new playmat from Mamaw & Pappy. She loves it! and tummy time is much more enjoyable for everyone since her head is elevated off the floor!

Just hanging out...

Momma are we done with pictures yet?!?

Raspberries on my stomach & some lovin' from daddy!

We finished off the weekend with small group & then we all came home & crashed. I was exhausted and headed to bed as soon as we fed Elyse for the last time. She didn't sleep completely through the night, but I did manage to have solid sleep from 10:00-4:30, which I'll take!

A Few of Elyse's Favorite Things

2012-02-09T13:15:00.000-06:00

So I do promise that eventually I will get back to writing some posts that are not solely baby related, but let's be honest. This is the season of life I'm in and it's also the season of life that a ton of my favorite blog friends & real life friends are in...so really no apologies for writing about all things baby-related!

Elyse is 8 weeks old this week! yikes! She is growing so fast! In the past 8 weeks we have definitely discovered some things that are working wonderfully & others that she doesn't really care about...babies are certainly all completely different & you never know what will work for one baby over another, but here are just a few of Elyse's favorite things and also a few of my momma must-haves!

The Halo Sleep Sacks--seriously these things are like magic! Elyse loves to be swaddled! We originally swaddled her arms up at her chin with her elbows bent because that's how it seemed she was in the womb; however once she got a bit older she would get her arms out and then startle herself awake while she was dreaming. Once we started swaddling her arms down she slept so much more soundly and for much longer periods of time! We have 4 of these that are on constant rotation!

Halo Sleep Sack

With a December baby & the fact that Hubby & I like to get out of the house, we knew we needed something to keep Elyse cozy in her carseat. I found this JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me at one of our local specialty stores, but it's also available at Babies R Us. This is such a wonderful thing. It's stretched onto the carseat & zips at the bottom. The top part just kind of flops over making it easy to leave on when she's in the car. We just flop back the top part and she can still see out! Kind of hard to explain, but a fabulous purchase!

JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me

We started putting Elyse in her crib in her own room less than 2 weeks after we came home. No one was sleeping very soundly including Elyse! One night after her last feeding and when she was practically asleep I swaddled her up, placed her in her crib, and turned on her Sleep Sheep. We all slept much better that night and we've never looked back. We start the "whales" on her sheep every night before she goes to bed and I use it most days for her nap as well. This sheep isn't necessarily magic, but I would definitely recommend some sort of noise maker.

Cloud B Sleep Sheep

I had always hoped to be able to breastfeed and I knew that inevitably I would have to feed Elyse either while in the car or somewhere that wasn't in the comfort of my own home. And of course that happened only a few days after coming home when we were at one of my family Christmas celebrations. I wouldn't consider myself a crazy modest person, but I also wasn't about to just breastfeed Elyse out in the open. I decided to buy a stylish nursing cover/apron and it was the perfect solution. It's definitely made those otherwise very awkward feeding times much more comfortable for everyone!

Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover

When deciding on a swing/bouncy seat for Elyse, we had originally planned on getting the Fisher Price Snugabunny series. However, Hubby found the Mamaroo at our local baby store & fell in love. With our fairly small living room the Mamaroo took up so much less space & we decided that it could serve both purposes....a swing & a bouncy seat in one. For Elyse it has worked just fine and she enjoys being in the Mamaroo when I'm fixing dinner or folding laundry. My mom does have the Fisher Price bouncy seat & Elyse seems to love that too, of course every baby is different & has their own preference.

4Moms Mamaroo

This probably goes without saying, but every mom should have a Boppy or something similar. My mom made a Boppy cover from a pattern she found at a local fabric store & we used the fabric from Elyse's nursery to make it a little more fun! The Boppy is great for nursing, but also wonderful for when your arms are just tired or when you need to sit your baby down for a bit and want them to be able to sit up just slightly on their own.

Boppy

During our hospital stay, Elyse seemed to have these mid-afternoon breakdowns and we knew it wasn't because she was hungry or dirty...she was just unhappy. Hubby & I had decided that we hoped to keep Elyse from being a thumb-sucker so we made the decision to try and give her a pacifier to soothe her. She took to it right away and it instantly seemed to calm her. I realize that some moms are completely against a pacifier & are concerned with nipple confusion; however, I didn't ever experience any confusion problems & the pacifier seems to make her happy when nothing else will. A happy baby definitely makes for a happy momma...so a pacifier it is! We eventually switched from the hospital issued Soothies to a Nuk just because she can keep it in her mouth easier.

Nuk Pacifier

I'm sure there will be other things that become favorites as time passes, but for now these are the things that are must-haves for our family!

Weekend Rewind~Birthday Celebration!

2012-02-06T13:01:00.001-06:00

All I can say is that my first birthday weekend as a momma was absolutely fantastic!

Friday night we headed out with Elyse & some friends for dinner at Houlihan's. She was perfect during dinner of course we might be a little partial...probably thanks to her little nap she took beforehand...

Taking a peek at momma...or sleeping with one eye open & one eye closed!

Saturday (my actual birthday) Hubby, Elyse & I lounged around the house for the entire day. We still woke up early so I could feed Elyse & of course open LOTS of presents, but we seriously spent most of the day watching tv & relaxing.

My birthday box from the mother-in-law...complete with 29 "lit" candles!

My baby girl and my stack of gifts from Hubby...practically a brand new wardrobe from Banana Republic! And almost every single thing fit perfectly!

Saturday evening we went out to dinner with my parents & had a great meal. I was seriously SO ridiculously stuffed after crab wonton appetizers, caesar salad, sushi, pan seared sea bass, and chocolate souffle for dessert! Yummmm!!!

Elyse took a quick cat nap before heading out to dinner...check out those crossed ankles! She's a lady already!
Our precious family of 3!

Sunday we headed to church and then went on down to my parents' house to help with the Super Bowl/Birthday party preparations.

Elyse lounging around in Papa's arms! I'm loving her in the green...I may have to stock up on that color!
Elyse & her piano activity station...she's still a little small to enjoy all the features, but she'll be loving it so soon!

Passed out in the Boppy...but still cheering on her team the Dallas Cowboys, even if they didn't make it to the Superbowl!

Mini-cupcakes...chocolate, strawberry, white & red velvet cake! Mmmm...

The birthday girl...with funfetti blondies!

Making a wish...for a year that just comes close to as good as 28 was!

And time for another mani/pedi from Aunt Millie & Uncle Nick! The polish is definitely growing on me!

I'm back at work this morning...I dropped our baby girl off this morning & managed to only break down twice. She's in great hands, and it wouldn't work any other way! I am so unbelieveably thankful that Gigi is able & willing to watch our baby girl 3 days a week!

29 Years Old

2012-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today is my 29th birthday! I'm normally a crazy person when it comes to my birthday, and while I'm certainly excited about all the presents & food & celebration that will come along this weekend...a precious little girl has captured my attention this year.

I can't even imagine how my 29th year could top my 28th year. With finding out we were expecting much sooner than we had imagined, to our Babymoon in Hawaii, to preparing for our baby girl and finally welcoming her into this world...my 28th year was pretty incredible.

I'm so excited to see what 29 will bring...in my life, in Hubby's life, and in Elyse's life. It's sure to be a wonderful year full of lots of love, laughter, & joy!

just when you think...

2012-02-03T10:58:00.000-06:00

...you have it all figured out and you've settled into some sort of normalcy, everything changes again.

Today is a cloudy, rainy, windy Friday which I guess is more than appropriate because today is a bittersweet day for me. It's the perfect day to cuddle up with my baby girl and do nothing but enjoy her & all her precious little features. The perfect day to sit on the couch and hold her while she stares up at me with those big blue eyes and the perfect day to get down in the floor and play with her as she kicks her tiny legs and tries so desperately to communicate with me. The perfect day to try and catch just a little snooze as she takes what is supposed to be her LONG afternoon nap, but sometimes I think she wakes up early just because she wants to cuddle with momma.

Today is what I would call my last official day of maternity leave. Now before I convince you to feel TOO sorry for me, remember that I do work FOR my parents and work WITH my husband and my MOM will be the one watching Elyse and I am ONLY working 3 days a week. And let's not forget that even on the days I work, I'll be seeing Elyse every day over lunch. However, these last almost 8 weeks have absolutely flown by and I honestly can't believe how much she's changed and just how much I absolutely LOVE this little girl that God brought into our lives. I have just managed to start figuring out Elyse's complex, changing every day schedule; only to have to start back to work a few days a week.

If someone had asked me a few years ago if I saw myself as a full-time stay at home mom, my standard, typical answer was probably not. I just couldn't really imagine myself staying at home all day every day with our children. And then if someone asked me 9 months ago if I was going to stay at home full time my standard response was...I don't know, we'll figure it out. Working with family certainly offers a lot of flexibility that I wouldn't have otherwise, so it wasn't a decision that we had to make immediately. And today, if someone asked me today if I would ever be a full-time stay at home mom my response will still be...I don't know, we're going to figure it out. Right now our plans are for me to work 3 days a week and be home with Elyse the other 2; however, I'm not naive enough to think that those plans might have to change yet again. Nick & I will be making those decisions based on what's best for Elyse, and our current set-up certainly isn't set in stone.

While I'm going to miss being around the house & catering to Elyse's every need, there are certainly things I'm looking forward to as I prepare to go back to work. I'm looking forward to being back in a job that I really did enjoy. I'm looking forward to accomplishing something on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Fridays that is completely different from what I will be accomplishing the other four days of the week. I'm looking forward to some adult conversation that doesn't necessarily involve dirty diapers, breastfeeding, or sleep schedule (of course in a small office I'm sure there'll still be plenty of that). I'm looking forward to having a reason to get dressed up and wear more than just sweats & t-shirts. And I'm looking forward to being with Nick more, working beside him, and continuing to navigate our new roles as parents & co-workers.

The discussion of working mom vs. stay-at-home mom will always exist and I honestly can't say which is better...because it's not about which is better overall, but which is the best decision for our family. Right now I feel like I'm about to experience the best of both worlds. Because while I'm looking forward to all those things about job, I know that each week I'll be aching for Wednesday & Thursday when I get to spend two whole days at home with our baby girl...cuddling and singing and going for walks and doing whatever else we want.

I'll be longing for those two Mom Days each week when we can just be mother & daughter hanging out in our jammies.

Our Newborn Christmas Baby

2012-02-02T09:43:00.004-06:00

So I realize Elyse is 7 1/2 weeks old...but I can't help but share her precious newborn photos. I can't hardly believe she was ever this tiny, but here's the photos to prove it!

All photos courtesy of Turner Creative Photography.

Weekend Rewind ~ Springtime in January?

2012-01-30T09:27:00.004-06:00

I know that so many parts of the country have been experiencing some crazy winter weather...not heavy snows & frigid temps, but abnormally warm & windy days that makes it feel more like Spring than January aka the month when we normally receive the most snowfall. I have mixed feelings about it...I certainly love a beautiful winter snowfall but I'm also quite glad we haven't had to deal with sub-zero temps with Elyse--I have a feeling we'd be staying home a lot more if we had normal winter weather!

We had a pretty fabulous weekend, low-key but fabulous anyway! Friday night we took advantage of a gift card we received after Elyse was born and treated ourselves to dinner at McAlister's. We also had a little bit of a sad night as one of our favorite shows had it's series finale.

Hubby & I have been Chuck fans since it first aired several years ago and we're so sad that it's over. It was a fun, family-friendly show that still had many of those spy/action movie aspects...but without all the crazy blood, gore, violence and language. Shows come to an end all the time, but this is one that we'll really miss! Elyse wasn't too excited about Chuck, she passed out early in Daddy's lap!

Saturday we spent most of the morning lounging in bed with our baby girl. We had a quick dinner before heading out to run a few errands and then going to a Missouri State basketball game. It was a "maroon-out" but Elyse doesn't have much maroon so we dressed her to the nines in her Missouri State gear!

Starting her out right with jeggings & pink Uggs!

Our sweet family minus a happy baby~she wasn't too excited about the hat!

Thankfully the game had a great outcome and Elyse was a very good girl the entire game! It helps when she sleeps for at least half of the game, but even when she's awake she was a happy girl! I'm so glad the noise doesn't bother her...we love going to the games!

After the game we sent Elyse off with her Papa, Gigi, & Uncle Nick and Hubby & I took advantage of a Groupon to a local fondue place. We hadn't made any other plans so we were home LONG before we needed to be for Elyse's last nightly feeding, but we had a good time and it was nice to have a fun evening out together. I'm so glad that we're making this a priority! Not that we don't absolutely LOVE being with Elyse, but maintaining our relationship is so important as we walk through this parenthood adventure!

Yesterday we headed to church where we heard a fabulous sermon on finances, we grabbed a quick lunch and then came home to relax for the afternoon. We just spent the day hanging out and trying to get a few things done around the house. It's amazing how fast times flies when you're at home trying to take care of the baby to-do list!

We did find time for a manicure...

...but Mommy & Daddy really aren't sure how they feel about it, it makes her look like such a big girl!

We headed back out last night to witness a very special time for one of our great friends. Andrea was baptized last night in the pool at our local YMCA; she's been a believer for a long time but had never been formally "dunked." It was so great that we were able to be there to support her for this special moment!

We love you girl...and are so happy for you!

It's a little bit of a bitter-sweet week for me. More about it later on this week, but with our present plans this is my last week when I'll be home with Elyse. Next Monday I go back to work part-time for 3 days a week. My mom will be keeping Elyse and I'll still see her every day at lunchtime, but it will definitely be an adjustment after I've spent the last 7 weeks with her practically all day everyday!

Six Week Momma Reflection

2012-01-27T12:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my 6 week post-partum visit and I decided it was the perfect time to do a little reflection of my first 6 weeks as a momma...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good...

~Nursing has gone much better than I could have hoped. Elyse caught on incredibly well and she is gaining weight like a champ! Sometimes I wish I could eat 8 times a day and it be considered a wonderful thing...ha!

~I'm grabbing sleep whenever I can. Everyone always says to sleep when the baby sleeps and it's so true! For the first month I tried to nap at least once during the day when Elyse was sleeping. Once Hubby went back to work after the first of the year I spent several days at my parents' house and I would nap while my mom would watch Elyse. Thankfully I'm getting about 8 hours of sleep each night in 2 4-hour segments...I can't ask for anything more than that!

~As of today I have lost all but 14 of the 40ish pounds I gained during the pregnancy. Thank goodness for nursing!

The bad...

~Time...seriously where do all the hours go in a day?!? I used to have these grand plans of what I might accomplish during a day...but with feeding & diaper changing & laundry & pumping..the day disappears so fast!

~So I might have lost most of my baby weight, but things definitely aren't where they should be! Now that we've got a little bit of a routine going I can start finding a little bit of time during the evenings to workout just a bit...5k in May? Maybe?

The ugly...

~Hormones, hormones, hormones! Oh my goodness, in the first few days I was seriously OUT OF CONTROL!!!! I'm not going to lie, I had my own version of PPD and it was not a fun time. I had serious paranoia...everything from not being able to produce enough milk to feed my baby to some seriously crazy ideas that my high blood pressure was going to cause me to die! Yeah, it was crazy...and definitely not the best moment in my life. Thankfully those hormones have leveled off & I'm not a crazy momma!

~Ok, so maybe that's not entirely true...there are still some days when the tears flow freely & I feel like I'm doing a terrible job of being a mom! However, I am SO blessed to have such a strong support system to lift me up and just be my shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen when I need to vent. I was certainly OCD about the details before Elyse and while I still care about the details, I have learned to relax just a little bit!

~Google. Yes, Google is horrible for a new mom. In those first few weeks I spent most of Elyse's feedings on my phone searching all sorts of stuff from poop color to sleeping patterns to my diet to infant hiccups. Let me just tell you...Google will make you even more crazy than you already are! I'm sure there was a small bit of truth in what I read, but it was consuming me! After a serious chat with my best friend & my mom, I decided to stop reading anything and to just follow my motherly instinct. That instinct seems to be serving me pretty well right now...so who needs Google!

And because no post is complete without a picture of Elyse...

Bath time for my Baby Girl with those big Baby Blues!

Elyse Ann's Arrival~Our Stay at the Hospital

2012-01-26T21:02:00.000-06:00

I decided that Elyse's birth story wouldn't be complete without the details from the rest of my hospital stay. Someday I'll have Elyse read this to know exactly how hard it was for us...but for now this is for my own memory...which is even more important since I honestly don't remember much of it anyway! This will be long and detailed, so feel free to skip ahead to the end where there's some precious pictures of our baby girl!

Let's go back to the beginning...if you want to read Elyse's birth story you can check those posts out here, here, and here.

With my exhausting, stressful, and long delivery process my recovery was definitely not the best time of my life. Just to put it bluntly, Tuesday night and Wednesday are pretty much a complete blur. There are certainly details and visitors that I remember, but I was definitely not in a good place. Because of Elyse's evening arrival on Tuesday and the unplanned c-section, no one came by on Tuesday evening as we settled in and enjoyed our new bundle of joy. Hubby's sister & our nephews did stop by for a brief time, and apparently they were quite hilarious as they examined Baby Elyse! Of course the only thing I remember about their visit is why they left...yup, I became nauseous & sick so they promptly headed out. Definitely not a pretty picture!

I had heard from multiple people that if possible we should send Elyse to the nursery overnight during our hospital stays so that Hubby & I could at least catch some sleep in between feedings. And because of my exhaustion this didn't even become a question. We sent Elyse to the nursery that first night and the nurses brought her in so I could nurse her at the proper times. In addition to these wakings, my own nurse came in every 2 hours to check my vitals. Ughh...sleep was just not to be had that night!

Wednesday was not a good day as I had various family members come by to visit around lunchtime and during the afternoon and I honestly barely remember them even coming to visit. It's one of those things that I feel a little bit bad about now, but I was definitely not in a good place that day. I remember telling my mom that I thought I was going to be in the hospital forever. This simply came from the fact that I felt so horrible that I didn't know if they would ever release me to go home. I also know that I was feeling depressed because I wasn't even feeling well enough to ENJOY Elyse. Everyone was so happy that she was here and talking about how beautiful she was, but at that point I couldn't see any of that.

Our hospital has what's called "naptime" for the maternity ward each day from 1:30-3:30. If you choose to participate, all visitors (both hospital & family) are kept from coming into your room so you can simply rest & enjoy your baby. We chose to take advantage of this time each day & I'm so glad we did....Hubby took care of Elyse while I tried to catch up on some sleep. After naptime on Wednesday I woke up in a horrible sweat. Elyse was laying on my chest and honestly I'm surprised she didn't slide right off of me. I realized that part of the reason I was feeling so horrible is that I was running a fever...once the fever broke after my nap I felt like a completely different person.

I finally got my IV removed on Wednesday afternoon and Hubby promptly helped me take a shower...since I hadn't showered in almost 36 hours. Thank goodness Hubby & I decided to take quick showers before we ever headed to the hospital!

Due to how horrible I was feeling on Wednesday, Hubby & my precious family sent word that we would prefer no visitors on Wednesday night. I just wasn't in a place where I was ready to see anyone and the exhaustion was just now starting to go away. My parents did come visit and it was a nice break to see them...but otherwise it was a pretty quiet night with just our family of three.

Thursday was a much better day & we had several visitors come to see our precious baby girl. Nursing was going well except for Elyse's initial aversion to the right side. (we're still not sure what that's about, because she still nurses better on the left compared to the right!) We had several people come by to visit on Thursday evening and it was so nice to see my family & friends.

Friday was come-home day & my doctor acted as if she would be their early Friday morning to release me. Well, the hours came and went and finally after lunch I made a quick phone call to find out when she might be arriving. My blood pressure was a little higher than what they prefer, but she sent me home with instruction to take it easy & stay hydrated so I could start to get some of this crazy fluid off my body. We loaded everything up, taking everything but the hospital's bassinet with us and headed home as a family of 3. What a strange feeling that was for them to just ship us out with a brand new baby! I definitely felt like that episode of "Up All Night"...shouldn't there be an instruction manual for this?!?

I think we finally made it home sometime around 4ish on Friday afternoon. The first night was honestly a TON better than I ever expected it to be. Elyse woke up several times, but Hubby & I alternated and I actually got more sleep than I expected. It's definitely a good thing since we had our first Christmas of several on the Saturday after we were released from the hospital!

Say Cheese!

2012-01-25T10:33:00.003-06:00

I'm quite proud of myself...I finally caught a little grin from Elyse on camera!

Can't wait to see so many more of these cheesy grins!

Weekend Rewind~Growth Spurt

2012-01-23T15:40:00.003-06:00

I was definitely ready for the weekend to arrive as we've decided our precious little angel was having a bit of a growth spurt...I mean what else could explain the reason she decided to turn into a one-eyed monster! ha!

We had very few plans this weekend which was definitely a nice break from last weekend!

Friday night was a night of nothingness. Nothing really sounded all that exciting for dinner so Hubby & I ended up fending for ourselves from whatever was in the refrigerator...thankfully we did have a few options! We hung out watching tv and playing with Elyse before heading to bed with visions of extended sleep in our dreams!

Elyse enjoying her Mamaroo & her Wubbanub Puppy pacifier!

Saturday morning we laid in bed practically the whole morning just cuddling with our baby girl and trying to figure out exactly what schedule she would LIKE for us all to be on. Just when we thought we had it figured out and she changed her mind! I feel like all I did early on Saturday was feed her because instead of the 3 hour feeding schedule we had been on, she was wanting to eat every 2 1/2 hours! That 30 minutes makes a huge difference!

Saturday afternoon we headed down to my parents' house for dinner with them & my brother & SIL. My mom fixed up some yummy soup & chili and then we just spent the rest of the evening relaxing. For us as new parents, it's always nice to get out of the house and have someone else take care of your baby for awhile...the only thing I was responsible for was feeding.

Momma & her baby girl!

Yesterday we had church and again we had another Elyse-driven schedule, but thankfully we're learning to just go with the flow and adjust everything as needed. After church we had time for a quick lunch at Qdoba before coming home just in time for Elyse's next meal. We spent the afternoon just lounging around watching football before heading off to Small Group. Again, we ended up in a place where we walked in the front door and basically passed off Elyse until we walked back out! I hate to sound like we aren't enjoying her...because we certainly are! She's an absolute joy & has completely stolen our hearts! It's just that sometimes we need a break! Speaking of which...I'm headed down to my parents' house tomorrow to spend the day with my mom. So thankful for grandparents!

Elyse Love ~ 1 Month Old

2012-01-18T14:00:00.000-06:00

Weight: Probably about 8 lbs...but it's just a guess from Hubby stepping on the scale with her! She is still wearing all newborn diapers...I can't see her moving to size 1s really anytime soon. We definitely have a petite little darling!

Clothes: Elyse is mainly still wearing all newborn clothes, but some of her sleepers are starting to get quite small! Last night she did sleep in a 0-3 month sleeper and it fit her quite well. I would say that several of her newborn outfits will be stored away very soon...awwww, my growing baby girl!

Food: Elyse is my little piglet! She is eating like a champ! Nursing has never been a struggle for her and she got the routine down right away. I'm so thankful for this, and even though I had the typical new-mom concerns in the beginning about being able to provide for her, those concerns were wiped away when she gained almost a pound and a half in the 11 days after we left the hospital! Last night we gave her her first bottle of pumped milk & it went so well! This will allow Hubby to help out with the feedings or also to free us up if nursing her isn't an option due to the circumstances.

Sleep: For a newborn baby, I really can't complain about Elyse's sleep schedule. She normally goes down after her last feeding at about 10:30, will sleep until about 2:00-3:00 am before waking up for a feeding and then will sleep again until 6:30-7:00 am. After being home for 2 weeks or so, I started putting her in her crib for naps and then quickly transitioned her to the crib for her nighttime sleep as well. The past few days have been a little rough when it comes to sleeping during the night and naptime...but I'm really convinced that she's going through a growth spurt; or at least I hope that's what it is! One overnight feeding was definitely nice!
Activity: I guess Elyse has as much activity as any newborn baby. I have really tried to focus on letting her be as independent as possible from the time we brought her home. During her waketime we are trying not to hold her ALL the time, but sometimes the precious girl just wants some good quality cuddling! We have an activity mat & Mamaroo that she enjoys being in which is certainly helpful when I need to get a few things done around the house. She has had strong neck & back muscles from the time she was born but we are still working on tummy time as well. She seems to HATE it most times, but there are times when she doesn't seem to mind. I do love to put her on her tummy and put our hands behind her legs...she pushes off like a champ & just scoots across the floor...sometimes screaming her head off the entire time! It's really quite pitiful! ha!

Personality: Elyse change so much everyday & while she obviousy doesn't have a ton of personality quite yet, it's certainly starting to make an appearance every once in awhile. She has a very happy disposition most of the time...mainly only crying when she's hungry or just really, really wants to be held. She also seems to think she may miss out on something so sometimes, even at a month old, she fights taking a nap even though I know she must be tired!

Likes:

*her pacifier~thankfully it doesn't seem to matter which one

*music~she's got her own playlist on the iPad!

*movement~anytime she is REALLY mad, we can normally calm her down with rocking, swaying, butt-patting, or some combination of the above

Dislikes:
*changing clothes~I wish all baby clothes had buttons and didn't have to go over her head!

*diaper changes~although sometimes she stays incredibly calm during this process

One Month Milestones:

*First Missouri State Bears basketball game~12/31/11

*First Walk around the subdivision~12/31/11

*First Sunday @ Our Church~1/1/12 with Mommy, Daddy, Papa, & Gigi

*First Shopping Trip~1/11/12 Out with mommy & Gigi to lunch, Babies R Us, & Target

*First Smile~1/13/12 @ mommy & daddy before daddy left for work

Busy Weekend Rewind...with a baby...

2012-01-16T15:05:00.003-06:00

In our life before Elyse, it was not uncommon for us to have cram-packed weekends that involved us simply going from one activity to another or just running home only to change clothes and head out again. This is just our life. We enjoy being busy & spending time with friends & family which of course sometimes leads to busy weekends.

Well...this was our first BUSY weekend with a baby. And we survived.

Friday night we voted for dinner out so we made our first excursion out with Elyse for a meal. Of course it was just pizza at our local pizza place about 5 minutes from our house, and Elyse slept through the entire meal...but it was our first family dinner out anyway! After dinner we came home and had our "1 month" photo shoot! More on that in another post...let's just say that there will be quite a few outtake photos from our experience.

Saturday morning I stayed at home with Elyse while Hubby went off for his last work-related test ever! He has now officially passed both of his insurance exams. Yay!!! Any other test he would take would be of his own choosing...I am so proud of him!

Daddy & Elyse opening her 1 month birthday present from Mamaw & Pappy

We had lunch together and then I headed out to a baby shower for one of my college roommates...her baby is due tomorrow!!! I took Elyse with me to show her off so I have absolutely no photos...I was mainly just concerned with keeping her content & asleep the whole time I was gone.

After the shower I raced home, fed Elyse & then we abandoned our daughter for the first time. Ok, we didn't abandon her...we left her with Papa, Gigi, & her Uncle Nick so she was in great hands. Hubby & I had date night and it was so nice! We had dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant (Maria's), we went to the mall and walked around for a bit so I could give Hubby some birthday ideas for myself, and then we got frozen custard before heading back home.

First date night as parents!

It was such a refreshing evening to be together as a couple and to be reminded that our relationship still exists and is still wonderful...even though our focus in life has totally been turned upside down! We were home in time for me to feed her at 7:30, but even those couple of hours out of the house were fabulous. I can see lots of quick date nights in our future and maybe next time we might be able to work out dinner AND a movie!

Sunday we made it to the early service at church, came home to do some work around the house while Elyse took a nap, and then headed back out to a Missouri State Bears basketball game. She still sleeps through practically the entire game & it's another excuse for Papa & Gigi to see their granddaugther so she's certainly no trouble!

Mommy & Elyse before church...

doesn't our sweet girl look excited?!? ha!

The game went into overtime which kind of made the rest of our day a little hectic. I ended up feeding Elyse in the car before we headed home, we raced into the house and cooked up a quick snack before heading back out again for our Small Group kickoff gathering. We just gathered together for snacks and to catch up before we'll dive into our study in a few weeks. It was so great to be back with all our great friends. We are so blessed to have such a fabulous small group!

Elyse & I have finally started to get on the same schedule, so hopefully my days will seem a bit more normal! I've actually been incredibly productive today & haven't even tried to fit in a nap...dinner is in the oven and things are being checked off my to-do list! It feels great to get in some sort of routine!

Elyse Ann's Arrival ~ A Dramatic Entrance

2012-01-12T14:15:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: Extremely long, detailed post with what might be considered a little TMI!

Hearing the monitor hooked up to Elyse's heart rate fluctuate so much definitely created quite a bit of stress for all of us who were in the labor & delivery room. As various nurses came in and out and as fetal monitor after different fetal monitor was attached to Elyse's head, Hubby & my parents were beginning to realize that everything wasn't going quite as smoothly as we had hoped. Of course, no one was voicing these concerns to me and I was only focused on that dilation number...which was fast approaching a 10!

I had finally dilated to a 9, which I knew meant that the time of pushing was coming soon. There were still the same concerns about Elyse's heart rate, but I still assumed I was on the verge of delivering this baby. I mean, I'd been in labor for almost 24 hours, was dilated to a 9, and I was ready to meet me baby girl!!!

At some point a little after 4:00 pm (which let's remember for a moment is almost 24 hours after my first labor contraction), the doctor came in and looked over all my records and the situation that she was dealing with. Even with all the drugs and all the exhaustion and all the stress, I will never forget the words she spoke to me. She looked at all of us and said..."Right now, you have a healthy baby & you're healthy...and I don't want that to change." It quickly became apparent that I wasn't going to be delivering this baby naturally.

I remember asking something to the tune of ..."does this mean I have to have a c-section?" And after that everything that happened seemed to be chaotic, urgent, and all a blur. I burst into tears, and I'm pretty sure that Hubby & my parents were on the verge of tears as well. This wasn't what we had planned, and this wasn't how things were supposed to happen after 24 hours of labor! I was supposed to start pushing and meet our baby girl in just a few moments!

While the doctor acted as if there was an option in the beginning, there really wasn't. As each contraction occurred, Elyse's heart rate would plummet and as she continued to move down the birth canal no one could really know what would happen. They assumed this had something to do with the location of the umbilical cord but obviously no one could know for certain. Apparently the whole "pushing" part of labor could last 5 minutes or 2 hours...and my baby's health would potentially be at risk during each contraction.

Nurses started flooding into my labor & delivery room as surgery preparations begun. They kept reminding me that everything was going to be ok, but everything wasn't OK! I was seemingly being rushed into an operating room and it seemed as if everything had a very "emergency-like" tendency to it. I remember the nurses giving Hubby a quick run-down of what was going to happen and when my family would be allowed in the recovery room.

The other thing that will be vivid in my mind forever is that just a few moments before I was wheeled out of the room I asked my daddy to pray. And pray he did. It was hard to focus on his specific words, but he prayed for Elyse and for me and for the dr's hands as they worked to get Elyse out as quickly as possible. And he prayed for peace. Peace that this was the right thing to do and that everything was going to be just fine.

As he said AMEN, I'm pretty sure I started to roll...and I was taken into a bright & sterile operating room that I had seen during our tour of the hospital but I never expected to occupy. My doctor and a whole team of nurses hurried around making the preparations and the anesthesiologist came back to my side to pump up my epidural to surgical level. I'm so thankful that I had opted for an epidural earlier in the day...as this prevented any other delays in the procedure! A few minutes later Hubby was scrubbed in and was placed at my side.

It seemed like hours & I won't go through any of the surgical details, but after just a few short moments Elyse Ann Layman made her official arrival into this crazy world. 6 lbs 4 oz, 19 1/2 inches long and absolutely perfect!

Elyse's 1st Photo (thanks to whichever nurse snapped this photo!)

As she was born, I remember crying out "does she have hair?", "is she crying?" and then I got my answer to both questions...yes & yes! Elyse was brought over to Hubby who held her over to me so I could see the precious miracle that we had just brought into the world together.

Momma's first kiss

I swear it took way longer for them to wrap up the operation than for them to actually get to Elyse. The group of doctors I see are known for their operations and apparently the doctor who performed my caesarean is known to be a "fast-cutter." (sorry for the tmi!) I'm sure my dad was really comforted when he was told that the lady who would be performing surgery on his daughter was a fast-cutter! ha!

Dr. Derrough and our beautiful Elyse...I am so thankful for this doctor!

One of the worst parts of the process was after Elyse had been born and they were wrapping everything up. I think with the exhaustion and the shock of what had just happened, my body couldn't handle it...and I got the shakes like I've never experienced. Of course I couldn't feel the lower part of my body, so basically all that was technically shaking was my head and my arms but they were uncontrollable! I also got quite nauseous and thankfully they quickly put something into my IV to help with the nausea...but those shakes just wouldn't go away! The nurses eventually rolled me into recovery where I was still trying to fight off those shakes. I kept trying to pull my arms up to gain some sort of control, but the nurses kept putting them back down so my blood pressure cuff would operate correctly.

Poor baby kinda looked like she'd been through a battle...which I guess she had been!

Ughh...those shakes! My body almost starts to shake just thinking about them! The entire team kept telling both me & hubby that the shakes were completely normal, but they were TERRIBLE!!! I'm not sure how it came about, but finally someone mentioned that there was something I could take, but it might make me nauseous again...I looked at one of the labor & delivery nurses and she said "I would take it." And I'm SO glad I did. Literally 2 seconds after they put those meds in my IV, I could feel my body completely relax. Oh sweet relief!

A few moments passed & eventually my family was allowed into the recovery room to check on me and also meet the newest member of my family! The entire process from the time the c-section decision was made to the time Elyse entered this world was only about 30 minutes...it seemed SO much longer than that! I think my family was finally able to make it into the recovery room about an hour after Elyse was born and then I was wheeled up to my hospital room about an hour later.

Never been so happy to see my momma!

This picture practically brings me to tears...My SIL, my brother, my momma and my daddy...all there for Hubby, Elyse & I when we needed them most!

My entire entourage headed up together...Me, Hubby, Elyse, my parents, my brother & his wife, & my best friend. Complete with bags, balloons, stuffed animals, & flowers...I'm sure the nurses got quite a kick out of the huge gathering of support we had gathered around us! Thank goodness we ended up with a private room; there wouldn't have been enough room for us all otherwise!

The rest of that evening is a total & complete blur...I don't remember hardly anything except for my mother-in-law arriving a little before 10:00 pm. She got on the road as soon as she could after Hubby called her first thing that morning and after a LONG drive from Michigan she made it a little before 10.

Whew...what a long day for Hubby & I along with the rest of our families! But the goal in the beginning was to deliver a healthy baby...and that's what we did (along with an incredible team of doctors & nurses!)

Our first photo as a family of 3...I remember asking someone to take this and it's obviously the most un-flattering photo of me possibly ever taken...but it's our first family photo and I'm proud of it anyway!

More recaps to come, but for now I have to go and check on my precious baby girl who is fighting her afternoon nap like crazy!

Elyse Ann's Arrival~Hours 1-23

2012-01-09T19:38:00.000-06:00

At the very end of the work day on Monday, December 12 I experienced my first true labor contraction. I was afraid that I wouldn't recognize a labor contraction when they first began...wow was I wrong! My contractions were all in my back and the sharp pains I experienced could be described as nothing other than the beginning stages of labor. I walked to the back of our office and was able to catch the attention of Hubby long enough for him to realize that something was going on. We had been advised in our childbirth class to stay home as long as we were comfortable or until my contractions were 5 minutes apart for at least an hour.

So at 4:45 we started timing them...Initially they were about 30-45 minutes apart. But the same pain every time and with each contraction I was more certain that Elyse would be arriving very very soon!

We had plans that evening for our small group Christmas party at a local pizza place. There wasn't any reason to stay home with contractions so far apart, so off we went. We obviously decided to keep the labor a secret so as not to excite anyone at dinner, but Hubby sat close by and each time a contraction would come I would simply squeeze his knee until the pain subsided. After dinner we came home and wrapped the last few Christmas presents we had & I mentally prepared to leave for the hospital sometime during the middle of the night.

Hubby & I both headed to bed...but there would be no sleep for me. My contractions began to get closer and closer together--about 10 minutes apart at this point--and finally at 2:30 am I decided it was time to wake Hubby up and start making preparations. We both decided to take quick showers knowing that it could be awhile before we had a chance again, loaded up the car, said a quick goodbye to Bogey and headed to the hospital. I think it was about 3:30 am when we finally left the house and my contractions were definitely at the 5 minute point.

It was a rainy night and we were practically to the hospital before Hubby turned on his flashers. We honestly didn't need them, but I think he just wanted to experience driving with his flashers on with his pregnant wife in the seat next to him! We headed to Labor & Delivery, all the while hoping that the nurses would affirm what I thought I knew...I was going to have a baby! After being examined in a triage room and a quick phone call to my dr. (who just happened to be on call that night), the nurse gave me the news...I was going to be admitted to the hospital @ 4 cm dilation. We weren't being sent home and we wouldn't be leaving the hospital before our baby girl was born!

Hubby & I had made the decision early on that once admitted to the hospital we would only be calling our parents & my best friend. They would be responsible for making any other calls, but we really only wanted immediate family & my best friend in the labor & delivery area. Everyone else would hear about Elyse's birth as soon as she was actually here.

The next few hours all kind of blend together...ice chips, bathroom break, contraction...ice chips, bathroom break, contraction...I was dealing with the pain fairly well and while I was making some progress, I could tell this was not going to be a fast process. Sometime between 10 & 11 am, the doctor on call (which wasn't my actual dr. anymore) came to check on me and again asked if I was planning on an epidural. Since my answer was yes, she wondered what I was waiting on and the preparations were made for the quick procedure.

Sidenote: I was TERRIFIED!!! This needle-fearing girl, was oh not-so-excited about getting the epidural, but the pain level was getting to the unbearable point. I made the decision to just get it over with and while it was definitely not pleasant and I considered passing out...Hubby was in front of me holding my hands and being my rock. It wasn't nearly as bad as I think it could have been and as things turned out, I'm so glad that I made the decision to have that epidural.

About 30 minutes-1 hour after I received my epidural, Elyse's heart rate started doing some strange things and my water had yet to break on its own. An entire team of nurses came into my room and they broke my water in order to place a fetal monitor on Elyse to more accurately monitor what her heart rate was doing during each contraction. It was a little bit of a scary moment with so many nurses in my room, but I was assured that everything was fine. Also with my lack of much progress, they started some Pitocin in my IV and in a matter of about 45 minutes I went from 5 cm to 8! They obviously cut off my Pitocin right away because that was just a little too much progress too fast!

For the next couple of hours I made slow, but gradual progress. However, during each contraction we would all listen & watch as Elyse's heartbeat would go from normal to extremely slow and it would always have a hard time rebounding after each contraction. We're not talking minor changes, we're talking a movement from around 120 bpm down to 60 bpm. They switched out the fetal monitor several times, trying to convince me that maybe they just got a "bad batch" of monitors that were having trouble properly registering Elyse's tiny heart. They moved me around to a variety of positions trying to get the heartrate to stabilize, but nothing seemed to be working for any extended period of time.

Looking back, I think they were simply trying to keep us all calm until the doctor on call could get out of surgery & come check on me herself...

Elyse Ann's Arrival~72 Hours Away

2012-01-06T20:49:00.005-06:00

The second weekend in December was scheduled to be just like any other December weekend...busy, busy, busy! Honestly, we never expected to make it through the entire weekend without welcoming our baby girl...but make it we did. We had 3 Christmas parties in 3 days, who would have thought we would really be able to attend all three of them?!?

Since I never got a chance to do a weekend rewind, let's just run down the timeline of the 72 hours before Elyse decided to begin her entrance into this world:

Friday~December 9: Date night (and what would be our last date night before parenthood) @ one of our favorite local pizza places & dessert @ The Cup

Saturday~December 10: Gigi's predicted day of Elyse's arrival & our office Christmas party...not to mention a full moon!

Hubby & I @ our office Christmas Party

All the girls @ our office

Sunday~December 11: Morning church service, a beautiful day which resulted in a trip to Branson Landing to try and WALK this baby out, Church Christmas Party & Gifts for Foster Kids Celebration

Hubby & I @ Branson Landing (I think we walked close to 2 miles that day along with lakefront...not sure if that actually worked or not?)

Monday~December 12: Work all day & Small Group Christmas Party @ a local pizza joint!

@ my parent's house over our lunch hour on Monday, December 12...and my last pregnant photo: 39 weeks, 2 days

And at 4:45 pm on Monday, December 12 I experienced my first contraction...

New Year, New Life, New Normal

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

For most of the working world, today is the first official day back to work after the end of the crazy holiday season. But for me, I consider it my first "official" day of maternity leave here at home with my baby girl. See, thanks to a very understanding boss (who happens to also play the roll of grandpa), Hubby has been home with me practically every day since Elyse was born. He did go into work 2 days last week, but I also headed down to my parents' house to catch a LONG nap while my mom watched Elyse.

We've spent 3 incredibly hard & wonderful weeks together as we have learned to navigate this incredibly rewarding, ridiculously trying new adventure called parenthood. Hubby & I have learned more about ourselves, and more about our strengths and weaknesses than we could have ever imagined. We've realized that even though we knew that "We would never be ready..." we really had no idea how "Not ready" we were.
I'd love to sit here and type that things have been all rosy & fun, but I'd be telling one of the biggest lies I've ever told. Parenting is SO hard...and we're only 3 weeks in! However, parenting is also the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. God blessed us with an incredibly beautiful, perfect baby girl and the love I have for her has already taught me so many things about myself.
In these first 3 weeks of Elyse's new life, we've already experienced so MANY firsts (which I'll try and post about very soon) and I can't even begin to imagine the things we are going to experience in the next weeks, months, and years of our first born's life. She has already changed SO much from the little 6 lb 4 oz newborn that we brought home 3 weeks ago...so I can't hardly handle how much she will change as our life continues to move forward! These 3 weeks have been so hard and I've definitely had some low moments, but I know I'll be so sad when these days of her FULL dependence on us are gone.

Life as we knew it before December 13 is gone, the holidays are over, and our new normal will begin to take shape beginning today. Elyse & I will spend our days either at home playing together, sleeping, and working to keep up with the never-ending loads of laundry...or some days we'll head down to my parents' house for a little time with the grandparents & to see Daddy over the lunch hour.

As we move into 2012, life for the Layman family will be unlike anything we've ever experienced. Sure there will be hard times, but if I've learned anything in the past 3 weeks it's that those really, really, difficult times are simply temporary and tomorrow is certainly another day. Honestly, tomorrow might not be any better either...in fact, it could be worse, but it's all a matter of perspective and simply putting one foot in front of the other and doing what's best for our baby girl. In order to keep that perspective, I have plans to go back and post some of my experiences in these first 3 weeks as a new mom...both the good and the bad.

Even with all the struggles, life couldn't be more perfect than it is right now. Hubby & I have an absolutely awe-inspiring amout of support around us and I am so incredibly thankful for the blessings that God is pouring out on us each day. And trust me, blessings come in both small & large packages these days...from a LONG afternoon nap to 7 1/2 hours of sleep in a night or from precious friends bringing over dinner to a day with NO plans whatsoever...Hubby & I are certainly learning to appreciate the little things. And maybe the littlest thing we are loving most of all is our precious baby girl...what more could we ask for in this incredible thing called life?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T17:31:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

I can certainly tell you how we'll be spending our Christmas weekend...spending time with our own little Christmas miracle!

Elyse Love ~ Unconditional & Perfect

2011-12-18T17:58:00.002-06:00

Elyse Ann Layman

Born December 13, 2011 @ 4:45 pm

6 lbs 4 oz, 19 1/2 inches long

Of course there will be more photos and a birth story to follow, and trust me our daughter decided to make an entrance in dramatic fashion,...if I can only pull myself away for long enough to type. She's perfect in every way & we're loving our life as a family of 3...God is so so so so Good!

From our family to yours...

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

(front)

(back)

Since I really have no idea when my last post will be before Elyse's arrival, I wanted to share our Christmas cards this year with all my blogging friends. We included a "save the date" on the back of the card for Elyse's arrival and I just love how they turned out! Tiny Prints did an amazing job again this year!

Merry Christmas friends! May the next few weeks be full of joy, love, peace, and hope as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. We'll be not-so-patiently awaiting Elyse's arrival, and have decided that there could be no better Christmas present than the precious miracle of our first child. (of course I'd definitely take her several days before Christmas!)

Elyse Love ~ 38 Weeks

2011-12-08T16:53:00.000-06:00

38w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of our dr's appointment yesterday, I am at +37. Water retention has set in and I think it's definitely contributing to some of my weight gain. Frustrating for that total number, but I also keep reminding myself that it's not "true" weight gain but simply a fact of the late stages of pregnancy.

Gender: Our baby girl...Elyse Ann! Oh how excited we are to meet you!

Movement: She's still a moving little girl! I keep reminding her that she would have much more room to do her gymnastics & dance moves if she would come out and join her momma & daddy in the real world.

Sleep: As I reach the end of this pregnancy I am so grateful that good, quality sleep has been fairly easy to come by! A quick visit to the bathroom each night and I'm back to bed for the rest of the night...guess that probably won't be happening much longer!

What I miss: Putting on my own shoes and socks and tying my own shoes! ha! I've resorted to having Hubby help me with this and it's super annoying! I also can't wear most of my knee-high/riding boots because of the swelling in my legs...oh the joys of late-stage pregnancy!

Cravings: The yummy holiday treats have started to roll in and I've definitely taking advantage of those! But I wouldn't really call it a craving...more like just a desire to eat whatever I want at this point!

Symptoms: Definitely just a pregnant momma waiting on the arrival of her baby girl...I haven't really had any "labor" symptoms except for Braxton Hicks so I'm not sure when she's going to decide to arrive!

Maternity Clothes: This weeks' photo is all non-maternity except for a camisole underneath. I've made do with a lot of the clothes I already had in my closet and I'm making some of the flowing, loose-fitting summery dresses work with leggings and cardigans. I'm not about to go buy any more maternity clothes at this stage in the game!

Best Moment this week: I guess it would be our dr's appointment yesterday. Elyse was hiding from our nurse and so finding her heartbeat was a little more difficult than normal...but once we tracked her down it was good & strong! The dr's appointment was also a little frustrating because I haven't made any progress since last week. Ughhh....come on baby girl, come out and play with us!

Baby To-Do List: We're as ready as we'll ever be. The bags are mostly packed except for our toiletries, our Christmas shopping is virtually done and we have big plans to do most of the wrapping tonight. Now it's just time to wait for her arrival...and who knows when that will be!

And another belly bump photo...I keep hoping that each week will be the last appearance of my big belly! Maybe this week will be the last one...

A Simple Prayer from a Stranger

2011-12-06T15:09:00.002-06:00

Today was like any other day. Hubby & I got out of bed, came to work, had lunch with my mom, and came back to work this afternoon. About 2:30 that all changed.

A man came into our office with his mother who is an existing client to ask some questions and make some changes. One thing led to another and I went up front to introduce myself and it was of course very obvious that I am expecting a child any day. This man is a long time Baptist preacher at a nearby country church and started discussing his congregation and even invited us all to his church.

I graciously told him that Hubby & I attend church regularly and we made small talk for a brief moment before began to leave. However, God had other plans for Him today. Before he walked out the door he looked at me and said "Well I'm just an old-time Baptist preacher, but can I say a quick prayer for you & your baby before I leave?" I was dumb-founded.

Myself, a coworker, and this gentle man's mother circled up and joined hands right in the front of our insurance agency while we listened to this Baptist preacher pray an absolutely beautiful prayer over the delivery & arrival of our baby girl. Tears were definitely filling my eyes and I think the only thing keeping me from completely breaking down was just the awe I was in regarding what was happening.

Our baby girl could arrive any day, at any moment; but God chose this day to send a stranger into my life to bless my soul & put my heart at ease. God is going to bring this baby girl into our lives when it's her time to shine...and it's just not her time quite yet.

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Weekend Rewind @ 38 Weeks

2011-12-04T15:33:00.004-06:00

When we originally found out that we were expecting a baby in December, for Hubby & I there became an unwritten, unspoken rule that we would seriously limit any weekend obligations for the month of December and even for the month of November.

No major plans were made and for the most part we tried to keep our schedules pretty clear. In my mind we did this for several reasons...a lack of knowledge in how I would be feeling, the possibility of an early delivery, and maybe most practically--the desire to watch our spending with a new baby on the way. While there have been a few times where I miss having those crazy weekends, the ability to veg out and relax for an entire weekend has certainly been enjoyable.

Hubby & I had absolutely NO must do items this weekend which meant I've spent most of it in comfy clothes doing the few things I needed to do from the couch. (let's be honest, it's also my vain attempt to help my ankle bones find the service again! ha!)

Friday evening we attended a Friends & Family event at the new Famous Dave's location that is opening in our area. One of the business partners is a client of ours and so Hubby & I joined my parents for a business appearance, that was really nothing more than an absolutely free meal of BBQ! We had a huge meal and I honestly probably ate WAY too much...but it was all so yummy! We also made a couple of other quick stops to take care of some additional Christmas shopping and we also stopped at Target for a few things for Elyse.

I've decided that quick stops for Elyse are going to be part of our weekly routine...similar to those stops at Lowe's & Home Depot we had 4 1/2 years ago with a new house to furnish! Except this time it's a little human being we have to furnish! ha!

Yesterday was ridiculously laid back for me. I had spent Friday night sleeping on the couch for comfort & I honestly didn't hardly move until early afternoon. I had been ordered to take it easy from Hubby & my momma so I didn't want to disobey! I wasn't completely unproductive as I got our Christmas cards all ready to be mailed...definitely one of my goals to complete before Elyse arrives.

We headed out last night for a nice dinner at one of favorite places...5 Spice China Grill. It's basically a local version of PF Chang's but in my opinion it's SO much better. They seriously have the BEST lobster & cream cheese wontons I've ever eaten! We also made a quick pass by one of the crazy Christmas light displays in town, stopped for a bit of froyo, and then came home for a movie on the couch. We had rented Crazy, Stupid, Love and it was ok...I fell asleep for about 30 minutes in the middle so I honestly can't give it an honest review, but Hubby enjoyed it.

Today has been another laid-back day on the couch. We headed to church, grabbed some lunch and I came home for a brief nap. We have our last official Financial Peace small group tonight and then it will be time for another week.

I honestly can't believe that anytime I could be away from the blog world for awhile because Elyse has arrived...don't worry I'll be posting a photo and birth announcement as soon as I can after she makes her appearance!

Yummy Yummy Cookie Goodness

2011-12-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I hosted my 4th annual Christmas Cookie Exchange for all the lovely ladies in my life! I was hoping that Elyse would hold off so we could all gather together. Thankfully, and maybe for the last time in her life, she listened and we were able to eat some yummy soups & delicious cookies all while having a great time with friends!

I invited close to 15 fabulous ladies from my various circle's of friends, but unfortunately with crazy December schedules only about 5 were able to attend. At first I was honestly a little bummed, but our small intimate group made it a wonderful evening anyway. We were able to all sit around the same table, share in the same conversation, and eat way too many cookies since there were only 6 varieties to choose from!

Last year I had 12 of my friends come and that was almost TOO many cookies to be able to try them all! I know that may be hard to believe but after stuffing our bellies with yummy soup & appetizers, there's only so much room for the sweet treats. However, I just love filling my house with fun conversation and love that comes when all my girlfriend's get together so I wouldn't trade a big crowd for anything.

The recipe I chose this year was of course from Pinterest and could certainly be considered a Pinterest Success! Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies...so delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

8oz. (1 brick) Cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 c. Butter, softened (1 stick)

1 egg

1 t. Vanilla

1 (18-ounce) box red velvet cake mix

Powdered sugar, for rolling/dusting

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

3. Beat in egg, then the vanilla.

4. Beat in the cake mix.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.

6. Roll batter into tablespoon-sized balls and then roll them in powdered sugar.

7. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes.

The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

This pregnant momma honestly wasn't too disappointed with the small crowd, since a small crowd also means a quick & easy cleanup! Next year hopefully the turnout will be a little more successful, but if not I know that me & my girlfriends will make the best of it!

The group this year...without my momma who's standing behind the camera!

Myself, Jennifer, Bethany, Jacinda, & Andrea

Thanks for coming girls, it was a fabulous evening!

Elyse Love ~ 37 Weeks

2011-12-01T10:35:00.004-06:00

37w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of our dr's appointment yesterday, I am at +35...which is officially on the high end of average. It seems that my weight gain has practically disappeared and the only weight I'm gaining is going straight to Elyse! However, the water retention has definitely begun...I figure I've made it this far, so I should consider that a success.

Gender: Our baby girl...Elyse Ann! Oh how excited we are to meet you!

Movement: Lots & lots of rolling...and honestly there are times when I mistake her movement for a nice long Braxton Hicks contraction! It's quite amazing to lay in bed or on the couch and watch my belly roll from one side to another.

Sleep: Thankfully sleep is still coming very easily. I wake up feeling rested and ready to go. I'm trying to enjoy my sleep as much as I can since I know these sleep-filled nights will be gone very soon!

What I miss: The countdown is on at this point, and anything that I miss I know is only temporary. I'm looking forward to having turkey sandwiches, caesar salad, putting on my own shoes & socks, painting my own toenails (thanks mom!), and lots of other things...but holding Elyse in my arms instead of my belly will be oh so worth it!

Cravings: 1st pregnancy = Craving free for this momma! I've also pretty much decided that I've made it this far...I'll eat what I want! ha! My appetite isn't crazy out of control so I just eat small servings of yummy holiday goodies & seem to be pretty satisfied!

Symptoms: Hmmm...water retention is the big one this week. I feel like my face has gotten a wee-bit puffy and my cankles are officially here to stay. Sure, they might unswell just a bit, but for the most part I wake up with cankles and go to bed with cankles. Thank goodness for leggings & Ugg boots!

Maternity Clothes: Honestly everything I have on in this week's photo is non-maternity. I'm pretty proud of that fact & so glad that the various fashion styles right now have enough "flexibility" to be worn at all stages of pregnancy. Non-maternity pants were pushed to the back of the closet and the bottom of the drawer weeks ago...but leggings & tunics are still able to be worn in some cases!

Best Moment this week: Our dr's appointment yesterday was pretty wonderful. I breath an internal sigh of relief every time I hear that heartbeat going crazy! While I hadn't made any huge progress, I'm still moving forward which is encouraging. My mom is predicting Dec. 10...anyone else have predictions?

Baby To-Do List: I've got a small list of items I need to pick up for the hospital but for the most part I'm just SO ready for her arrival. I've started gathering things for our hospital stay in the nursery so that when the time comes we can throw everything in a bag and head out.

The first official December belly bump...I guess we'll for sure be having a December baby! We've been planning on a Christmas darling all this time...might as well make it official!

The LLLOOONNNGGG Weekend Rewind

2011-11-28T18:53:00.004-06:00

It was quite the adjustment to go back to work today after being off work for the past 4 days...and even more of an adjustment since most of those days included little to no official plans! Hubby and I had a great Thanksgiving holiday and it was so great to spend time with friends, family, & just our little family of 2...soon to be 3!

We started off with our one and only Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday at my parents' house. I was in charge of the mashed potatoes and thankfully 2 pans turned out to be enough for the almost 40 people who filled my parents house. I was a big fat failure when it came to taking pictures on Thanksgiving, but I was forced to spend plenty of time resting so as not to overdue it with helping out. Definitely a hard thing for this girl to do!

We had a wonderful meal, followed by some time outside in the beautiful weather. As is tradition, we also had a Thanksgiving Day craft for the ladies. I'd share more details...but some of it turned into a Christmas gift so I can't share the details!

However, this is what the table looked like while we were getting our craft on!

Hubby & I spent the afternoon and evening with my parents' & my brother & SIL, just hanging out together...after the craziness of the crowds, it was nice to spend some quality time with just the 6 of us.

With no official plans for Friday or Saturday, Hubby & I took advantage of the Black Friday sales online and managed to get probably 95% of our shopping done without ever leaving the warmth of our bed! Since we obviously have no idea when Elyse will arrive, it's so nice to have so much of my shopping done. I'd love to be able to say that I was super prepared and finished up early, but that's just not true! However, I've only got a few things left to take care of and shopping will be done for this year!

We did stop by Lowe's and cashed in on some Black Friday deals there...including a great deal on another storage locker for the garage. Something about bringing another person into this house, makes additional storage a necessity! Hubby also spent a lot of Friday working on the outside lights before we headed out for a gourmet dinner at Chick-Fil-A and a little bit of legitimate Black Friday shopping. We checked a few more things off our list before coming home for a movie on the couch. The perfect Black Friday if you ask me!

Saturday was another day full of decking the halls! Hubby was incredible and unloaded almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of these boxes, put ornaments on the tree as I unwrapped them, and even spent a ton of time decorating the house. That's normally a task I look so forward to...but this year, the whole process was just a bit overwhelming! However, Hubby knew how important it was to me and so we knocked out the decorating in no time flat!

We took ALL of these boxes...

and created this....

and this...

and much, much more that I'll get show later on!

Saturday night we enjoyed dinner with my parents' before heading out to a Missouri State Bears basketball game...it was a crazy overtime win, but a win's a win!

Sunday we had a fabulous church service and then came home for a bit of R & R. We had plans to have another productive day but both ended up napping on the couch! Ooops!

Last night we headed to Silver Dollar City in Branson with my parents for the incredible light display. If I'm being honest, it was also an attempt at possibly jump-starting Elyse's arrival! ha! All of the walking is bound to encourage her arrival to be sooner rather than later...right?!?

We had a wonderful evening as there was basically NO one there. We had hot chocolate, a funnel cake, and cinnamon rolls...yum! The food is incredible at SDC!

Hubby on a rocking horse...he tried to convince me to hop on, but there isn't much hopping left in this momma!
One of the beautiful light displays!

My wonderful parents

Hubby & I while riding the train

The highlight of the park...the singing tree...absolutely stunning!

Hubby & I

It was a fabulous evening and maybe a new family tradition...the weather was just perfect with just a bit of a chill in the air and the lack of a crowd made it even better!

Today it's back to the grindstone, but wonderful to have another Monday going to work together with Hubby. It's crazy to think about the fact that we have no idea when my last day at work will be...I have this feeling Elyse will definitely be making her debut before Dec. 17th! Only time will tell!

Elyse Love ~ 36 Weeks

2011-11-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

36w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: And some of the big news from our first weekly appointment is...NO WEIGHT GAIN in the past 10 days! Yippee! At this point my doctor wasn't concerned or anything because my stomach is still growing and Elyse is most likely packing on the pounds as well. This means that I'm still at about the +33 mark for the entire pregnancy...not too bad if I do say so myself!

Gender: Our beautiful baby girl Elyse Ann...she hasn't even arrived and I know that she'll be just beautiful!

Movement: Gymnastics, dance movements, sports...I'm not exactly sure what all she's doing there, but she's a busy girl! There have been some recent times where she decides to push her little booty out so far & it's not very comfortable for this momma!

Sleep: Sleep still continues to be pretty great. Sure there are those occasional nights when I'll toss and turn or wake up early, but thankfully sleep has followed me into my last weeks!

What I miss: Life as a pregnant woman has become my normal, but I'm certainly hoping to go back to my normal self very soon! I still miss bending over & my energy level & being able to go, go, go...but this is all just part of the process!

Cravings: 1st pregnancy = Craving free for this momma! And my hunger level seems to be completely back to normal...I've been doing great with 3 daily meals & maybe just one small snack.

Symptoms: I just seem to get uncomfortable really fast! I can't sit in one position for too long without moving. I've got some slightly swollen ankles that are hanging around for now and at times those slightly swollen ankles become full-on cankles! Thankfully lots of water & just putting my feet up for a bit seems to take care of the cankles! ha!

Maternity Clothes: Not really an option at this point! ha! I've got several non-maternity items that I can still wear but those items are becoming fewer & fewer!

Best Moment this week: Lots of fun this week! We had our first weekly appointment on Monday & Elyse has definitely started to make her decent. Of course my doctor isn't going to give any predictions of going early, but it's so nice to know that she's making some progress! We also found out that she's head down & all ready to go! We couldn't really ask for more...

It was also a pretty awesome feeling to know that her nursery is practically completely ready for her arrival. We certainly still have some details to deal with, but for the most part we're as ready as we'll ever be!

Baby To-Do List: The list has been put on hold for the most part until after Thanksgiving. But after Thanksgiving we've definitely got some things to do! You know those really un important things like installing the car seat, packing the diaper bag, preparing the hospital bag, etc.! ha!

And....here's the Thanksgiving baby bump! I can't believe that at next Thanksgiving our baby girl will be almost a year old!

Give Thanks to the Lord!

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

At our Thanksgiving church service last Sunday, we were reminded again & again that we should be thankful TO THE LORD for the blessings in our life. And so...

via

I'm so thankful to God for...

the precious miracle of a baby who will arrive so very soon!

an incredible husband who loves me for me and supports our family is ways that leave me speechless.

a family who never ceases to support, encourage, & love on each other in good times & in bad.

our furry son Bogey who makes me smile each morning & night.

a small group who lifts me up and makes me laugh on a regular basis.

a cozy home that Hubby & I can call our own.

the resources to give back to others and support those causes that are dear to our hearts.

a God who loves me, sent his son to die for me, and guides me through each & everyday regardless of how I treated Him the day before.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Elyse's Nursery Reveal ~ Modern with a Little bit of Flair

2011-11-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

And so it's time...while every single little detail isn't complete, my goal was to be practically finished with Elyse's nursery by Thanksgiving and I feel like I certainly met that goal! After a lot of hardwork, love, and creativity, I'm so thrilled to see my vision come together. I was going for a blend of modern but girly with just a little bit of froo-froo!

My goal was Thanksgiving, so I thought it only appropriate to post the big reveal the day before. Most all of the pictures can speak for themselves...so here it is...our baby girl's nursery!

The Details:

Crib, Dresser/Hutch Combo, & 5-Drawer Chest of Drawers (located in other room): Davenport by Baby Appleseed

Rocker/Glider & Ottoman: Storytime Series by Best Chairs in Joker fabric

Raspberry Shaggy Raggy Rug: Ordered from Bella Baby

Bedding, Curtains, Quilt, Fabric-Covered Canvases and Embroidery Hoops: Various fabrics from Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, & Fabric.com all made with love by Gigi & Grandpa

Tissue Paper Pom Poms: Pomtastic via Etsy

Ornaments: Hobby Lobby Christmas Decor

Matching 11x14 Bible Verse Prints: MissNibbit via Etsy

Closet: Closetmaid Cubeicals Storage & Fabric Drawers from Lowe's & Target

Weekend Rewind: Breaking Dawn, Basketball, & Baby Girl

2011-11-21T19:00:00.003-06:00

It was certainly a busy, busy weekend and it was followed up by a busy Monday...which would explain why I'm just now posting our weekend rewind.

Friday night Hubby & I went our separate ways...he headed to dinner with one of his guy friends and I headed out for girls' night with fondue and a viewing of Breaking Dawn!

A local fondue restaurant sponsored a VIP Breaking Dawn night that included a drink voucher (non-alcoholic of course for me!), a voucher for fondue, and a ticket to Breaking Dawn! We met up around 7 and stuffed ourselves silly with yummy cheese fondue & chocolate fondue with all the trimmings!

Bethany & I @ Fedora Social House

Our spread of dessert fondue...oh my goodness, we were SOOO full!

The movie didn't start until 9:45, so this momma was EXHAUSTED by the time I got home...but it was such a fabulous evening with some great girls!

Saturday I headed to work until noon and then Hubby sent me to bed for a nap. We had plans to run several errands for Elyse on Saturday afternoon and I definitely needed to sleep after a late night on Friday! We were able to check several things off the "must-buy" list which is definitely a great feeling. After our errands and dinner we headed to the home-opener game of the Missouri State Bears. Hubby & I are season ticket holders this year, along with my parents so I'm definitely looking forward to lots of games this season! We've already got some good intentions of taking baby girl to the games...hopefully we're actually able to get that accomplished.

Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving church service and then came home to work on Elyse's nursery. I finally had most all of the wall decor so it was time to get it all hung up. I am SOOO incredibly happy with how everything turned out! My plan is to do a big nursery reveal on Wednesday...the day before Thanksgiving, my deadline for having everything done! But for now...a little sneak peek of some of the details...

Today was a fabulous Monday even if it was busy! We had our first weekly OB appointment and I'm so happy to report that Elyse is starting to make her move...definitely so crazy to think that hopefully in less than a month we'll be meeting our baby girl instead of just watching her roll around in my tummy!

Not only was it an exciting baby day, it was Hubby's first day at his new job and our first day as co-workers...everything went so well and I know that it's going to be such a fabulous opportunity for our family. Thank you God for having perfect timing!

A New Level of Teamwork

2011-11-18T11:05:00.003-06:00

When Nick & I were first married, we quickly discovered that regardless of the situation we would have to be a team. We would need to be a team when it came to finances, and our faith, and decisions for our household.

As we prepare for Elyse's arrival I know that we are about to embark on an experience that will require teamwork in a way that we've never even imagined. Teamwork to make our baby happy & to protect her & to raise her in a home that loves Jesus & to teach her to respect others & have respect for herself & to discipline her when necessary & love on her every second of every day.

However, today as we are 4 weeks away from Elyse's due date, Hubby & I are less than 6 hours away from starting a new adventure where being a team will be ever so important. At 5:00 today, he will pack up his things and walk away from the job he's held for the past 5 1/2 years. At the end of the day today, he'll leave his job as an accountant and enter the world of insurance.

Starting on Monday, Nick will come to work with my dad & I and the other employees here at our insurance agency. Beginning then, we will have become a team in almost every single sense of the word...at home, at work, and as we prepare for parenthood. Once Elyse arrives, and when I eventually come back to work we'll be together practically all hours of the day. We'll ride to work together, drop Elyse off together, have lunch together, ride home together and spend our evenings playing with our baby girl together.

While some couples might be scared of all that "quantity time" we're so excited for the additional "quality time" it will bring us as a family. We have been praying & hoping for God to open doors in regards to Nick's job, and for both us & my parents, this seemed to be exactly where God wants us to be. This certainly wasn't a situation where doors were flung wide open...more like a situation where doors were slammed shut.

We certainly don't know exactly how all the details are going to play out, and we know that it certainly isn't going to be easy...but we are so excited to see how God uses this new opportunity to strengthen our family & make us stronger than ever!

A team...now and forevermore.

Elyse Love ~ 35 Weeks

2011-11-17T16:00:00.000-06:00

35w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I certainly don't feel like I've had any massive weight gain & thankfully I haven't been retaining much water so my weight gain should be right on track...this would put me about +35ish. That sounds horrendous when I actually type it out, but we've only got around 4 more weeks so while I'm certainly not "pleased" with my weight gain...it's still at a level that I consider manageable to lose once Elyse arrives!

Gender: Why a baby girl of course! Elyse Ann will be here so soon...I can't believe how fast time has flown by!

Movement: She's definitely GOT to be crowded in there! Meal times and when I've been drinking a ton of water seem to make her incredibly active...think that might have something to do with taking up even more of her space as my food digests! It's so fun to feel her going crazy in there...and it will be so strange to actually have her in my arms and not feel her move around inside!

Sleep: Awww..sleep. It's honestly been great and I hate to even mention it for fear of jinxing it! Still just once a night to the bathroom and back to bed! I'm hoping this routine will continue in the future...up once for Elyse and back to bed! ha! who am I kidding?!?

What I miss: As Elyse continues to grow, she is pushing on my stomach and digestive tract...I guess this is normal, but sometimes after a meal I am extremely uncomfortable as all the food I just ate digests. I go back to feeling just great after a little while, but it's definitely not a fun feeling. I'm also starting to just be uncomfortable in some cases...mainly in the evenings after I've been sitting for long periods of time. It's also becoming more & more difficult for me to bend over and pick things up. And seriously, let's not even talk about how badly this girl needs a pedicure! Thankfully it's boot season & not time for flip-flops!

Cravings: 1st pregnancy = Craving free for this momma!

Symptoms: Discomfort is really something I've begun to notice at various times. When I'm feeling uncomfortable 5 more weeks seems so far away, but when I'm feeling great 5 weeks seems like it will be here so soon! I was looking at some earlier bump photos and it's hard to believe how much my body has changed in these past 35 weeks. It's just the little things...a little bit of roundness to my face, a little more in my arms, and definitely a whole lot more in my belly!

Maternity Clothes: Yes please! There are still of course a few items that I can wear that aren't true maternity...I'm definitely thankful for the empire-waist tops or tunic trend right now!

Best Moment this week: Hmmm...not really sure what the BEST moment would be. We finished up our child-birth classes, I attended my epidural interview (so that all the paperwork is taken care of should I want the epidurl...which at this point I'm planning on), and we received some of the artwork in the mail for the nursery.

Baby To-Do List: Had a little bit of a concern moment yesterday as I realized all that we still need to purchase...but the word "need" really isn't correct. Sure, there are a few things we truly do NEED to buy before Elyse arrives and NEED to do before we head to the hospital but for the most part we've got absolutely anything she would need...even if she came today. I'm trying to keep all that in perspective and know that anything we don't have right now, we can always buy as we need it!

And....here's the bump! I'm not exactly sure what to call it, but it's definitely not just a BUMP anymore! Thankfully Hubby's little angle on the shot takes a little of the hugeness away!

My Salvation Story

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today over at Through Clouded Glass, Callie is hosting a link-up for us to all share our Salvation stories. So many times I mention my salvation or faith in Jesus Christ, but I've never actually taken the time to put my testimony out there for the world to see.

So here it is, the story behind the biggest & most important decision I've ever made in my life...

Unlike some Christians, I honestly don't know the exact date or even the exact year of when I accepted Jesus as my personal savior. As I've thought about it over the years I can tell you that I was probably 11 or 12 and it happened at VBS. While I can't recall the exact date, I can tell you almost every single detail of how it happened.

When I was in elementary school my mom was the director of Vacation Bible School (VBS) and so I spent a lot of extra time at the church during that week of singing, crafts, & recreation. I remember one evening afterwards going into my parents' room and asking several questions, and then I remember asking more questions of my mom the next morning before we headed off to church.

Apparently, my mom knew that I was oh so close to making a big decision and she asked my pastor to speak with me. I'm not gonna lie, I was so nervous as I went into his study & talked about what it meant to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. I remember repeating a very simple "sinner's prayer" after we talked and when I walked out of his office I was so excited to be able to call myself a Christian!

Being in elementary school when I made this decision, I honestly can't say that there was this HUGE change in my life when I became a Christian...while I was certainly a sinner, I hadn't been some radical child who was making incredibly poor decisions. However, I knew I needed Jesus in my life and I also knew I wanted to go to heaven...and a personal relationship with Christ was the only way I was going to get there. Because as a small child of course you want to go to the good place and not the bad place!

Obviously as I grew up, I went through the peaks & valleys of my Christian walk. I had those moments when I was on fire for Christ and ready to share my faith with anyone who walked by. Of course I also had those times when I was a typical high school student with my own version of rebellion (even if it was a little more calm than what most might consider rebellion). I was always involved in youth group & managed to be a 'good kid' even in the craziness of high school.

As I graduated and went onto college, I really feel like I came into my own as a Christian girl. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I joined Campus Crusade for Christ and it changed my life. It challenged me to be a better person & to strive to live like Christ instead of just going through the motions of daily living. It was with Crusade that I really feel like I grasped what it meant to be a Christian and why that decision I had made all those years ago was so important.

I could go on and on about how God has put incredible people in my life to push me to be a better person and how those same people have helped me to find my place. Just as one incredible example...one of my best friends' Jennifer I met in a college class...she was involved in Crusade & I decided to join her...we lived together for 2 years and became great friends...and it's actually she & her husband who are the reason that Hubby & I first visited Northbridge Church. While she & I aren't in small group together, it's because of her that Hubby & I have found a place where we feel like we belong. We've learned so much about ourselves & the importance of relying on Christ in every single aspect of our life.

God does some absolutely incredibile things if we'll just get out of the way and let Him have His way with our everyday life...Living a life without Christ is hard for me to even imagine, and something I would never want to experience.

~Go check out Callie's blog for some more fabulous salvation stories!

Showered with Blessings...and some gifts too!

2011-11-15T21:00:00.000-06:00

Hubby & I, but mostly Elyse have been completely showered with blessings by our friends & family throughout this entire pregnancy adventure! We've had two showers and couldn't have been more excited about all the wonderful things we received for our baby girl!

On October 1st, my aunts held a family shower for us and all I can say is WOW! We received most a lot of our big items at the family shower which was wonderful! We received our stroller, carseat & extra base, Mamaroo swing, baby monitor, pack-n-play, lots of cute clothes, toys, & random items from our registry! We are so blessed by our families!

I posted a little bit about it in this post, but here are a few more photos from the fabulous morning!

The stack of presents before I ripped into them!
My momma & sister-in-law! The shower was held in the morning so the menu consisted of yummy strawberry muffins, fruit, mini quiche, mini chocolate eclairs, and veggies...It was delicious!

Check out that wrapping job...from non-other than my mother-in-law!

And then, exactly a month later...my best friends (who are also my small group girls), hosted a fabulous shower at a local cafe'. It's actually a paint-your-own pottery place along with being a cafe & was the perfect location for a shower. We had yummy white chocolate raspberry cake & chocolate mousse cake! Not gonna lie...I definitely had a piece of both!

Instead of playing any crazy games, they passed around notecards and asked all the guests to write a prayer to Elyse. At the end of the shower, they asked everyone to stand and read their prayers. I think there were SEVERAL tears that fell during that precious moment. As each prayer was read, a bead was strung on a piece of suede. This was used to create a keychain that I've hung on the outside of my diaper bag...so that all of my best friends' prayers will follow us as we leave for the hospital and from each day forward. It was seriously a beautiful idea and something that I'll cherish forever!

The yummy desserts & a gift from the cafe'...a pottery plate with everyone's signature that will include Elyse's birth details once she arrives!

Listening intently, and fighting back the tears as my bestie reads her prayers to Elyse.

My momma reading her prayers...she definitely didn't make it through without some tears!

The entire group...man am I blessed by some incredible friends!

And my beautiful hostesses...God really knew what he was doing when he brought these girls into my life! Several of these ladies are already moms & I know their experience & advice will be priceless in the coming months...

And of course my momma...the one whom I hope I can imitate when it comes to being an incredible mother & best friend!

While I would LOVE to be able to say that these showers provided EVERYTHING for Elyse's arrival, that's just not the case. Nick & I have got to sit down and make a list of the must-have purchases we still need to make! These showers were so much more than we could have asked for and I am so grateful for the generosity of our family & friends.

Lazy Relaxing Weekend

2011-11-14T12:50:00.003-06:00

While part of me was thrilled to have a weekend with virtually NO plans, part of me was BORED to death! ha! We literally had an incredibly plan-free weekend and by Saturday afternoon I was going a little stir crazy.

I can't say that we had NO plans because Friday night we had dinner with one of our pastor's and his wife. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but our church has 3 pastors who share the various pastoral roles & I absolutely LOVE it. They are all 3 in different stages of life & it makes it so much easier to relate to the pastoral staff! One of the pastors & his wife are in their early 30s with no kids and we have become great friends over the past 4 years that we've attended our church. I'm so thankful for an incredible church where we don't just attend, but we actually have a relationship with the leadership!

After dinner I headed home while Hubby & our pastor Tony headed to Silver Dollar City. They have an annual 5k called Run to the Lights and it's held after dark, after the park closes for the night. I would have loved to join in, but there was of course no way I could walk a 5k in that hilly park...let alone run it! Tony ran in my place and they were able to have a great time.

Saturday was a day spent at home doing a variety of things...trip to Walmart, writing thank-you notes, lounging around, laundry, and just some general "nesting" activities. By Saturday evening I was going a bit stir crazy, so we loaded up for a big outing to get a Redbox DVD and drinks from Sonic. Yes, I know...we are very adventurous! Hubby kept reminding me that I needed to enjoy my quiet time, but for some reason I was about to go crazy!

We had church Sunday morning and came home for another lazy afternoon. Hubby washed windows while I supervised, I finished up the last of my 48 thank-you notes, and I also managed to have a nice little nap before heading out to Small Group. We are about to finish up Financial Peace and I think overall it has been a great study! We've learned a lot and will definitely be putting several of the principles into practice as Elyse makes her arrival!

It's time for another work week and after tonight we really don't have much planned. If you think about it, you might say a quick prayer for my grandma. She was put in the hospital last Thursday due to severe dehydration and as of last night was also diagnosed with pneumonia. While it's serious, she is making some good progress and should be able to come home in the next few days. I've been banned from visiting her because no one wants me to catch any of the germs from the hospital...but I know she's in good hands & has lots of support.

Have a great week everyone!

Make a List & Check it Twice...

2011-11-11T14:48:00.004-06:00

Nope, not a list for Santa...or whoever might play the role of Santa for you...but a list of all those who need to be sent a Christmas card this year. This year it seems that all I've been doing is making various address lists...one for this shower, one for that shower, one for Christmas cards, one for birth announcements, one for thank you notes, etc. etc.!

This year I plan on using Tiny Prints for my Christmas cards. I used them for our gender reveal party invitations earlier this year & have used them for Christmas cards in the past. I am always super excited about their selection & customer service...not to mention the quality is wonderful!

I've got my eye on several of their Christmas cards and am already having trouble deciding which ones to order! They've got traditional cards with multiple photos....

...tri-fold cards for even more photos...

...fun-shaped circle cards for a little something different...

...and even a card that fits perfectly for our family this year! (Of course my plan would be to send out Christmas cards before Elyse arrives and then send out birth announcements soon after!)

My plan is to include a variety of photos on our card this year including possibly a picture from our trip to Hawaii, an ultrasound photo of Elyse, and then a couple of our maternity photos! Everyone always seem to LOVE our photo cards, and I love sharing our photos with close family & friends!

Head on over to Tiny Prints and pick out your favorite card...I'm pretty positive you won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: In exchange for this post, I am receiving 50 Christmas cards for free...you can too by just filling out this form! http://blog.tinyprints.com/feature-tiny-prints-christmas-cards/.

Elyse Love ~ 34 weeks

2011-11-10T20:53:00.002-06:00

34w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm at +33 for this entire process so far. When I walked in the exam room this week, my nurse's comment was..."well you are just all belly!" and she's right. Elyse is hanging out all in front which seems to be where the majority of my weight gain is.

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann! We are so excited, anxious, scared, and happy to meet her! I can't believe we're past the 6 week countdown.

Movement: Evenings seem to be the most active time for her, and then she calms down again before bed. I won't mind if she keeps this schedule once she arrives! Tonight as we sat on the couch and watched tv, we could both literally watch my stomach roll back and forth and pulse as she moved around. Such a crazy thing to witness!

Sleep: Sleep has been good this week, and I'm thankful for that. As the fatigue during the evenings sets in I'm so grateful for some good nights' sleep. I realize good sleep is definitely a fleeting thing so I'm trying to enjoy it for as long as it lasts!

What I miss: My normal energy level, getting in/out of the car without a big sigh or a groan, food digesting properly! ha! As Elyse continues to grow, she is pushing on my stomach and digestive tract...I guess this is normal, but sometimes after a meal I am extremely uncomfortable as all the food I just ate digests. I go back to feeling just great after a little while, but it's definitely not a fun feeling. All for you Elyse, all for you!

Cravings: still no cravings for this girl...momma or baby!

Symptoms: Well it's impossible to look at me and not realize I'm pregnant! ha! I have fully embraced the pregnancy waddle & I'm also having a small bit of swelling in my ankles/hands. My dr. said it was certainly nothing to be concerned about because my blood pressure levels are still perfect. I figure I should consider myself lucky if the swelling has stayed away until now.

Maternity Clothes: Not going to lie...definitely tried to wear a pair of my non-maternity dress pants to work today, and they didn't last after my weekly belly photo. I really only have 2 pair of maternity dress pants which is more than enough, but I was really wanting to wear navy pants...it just wasn't going to happen so I resorted to my nice comfy maternity-panel khaki pants instead! I'm 8+ months pregnant, everyone is looking at my belly and not the color of my pants anyway! ha!

Best Moment this week: It's been a pretty great week. We had our first of two childbirth classes, my mom joined me at a breastfeeding class, and we got to hear Elyse's heartbeat again. On top of all that (and maybe truly the best moment), my sweet mother-in-law made us dinner tonight. Ok, well as much as she could make us dinner from 12 hours away...she sent us a Ruby Tuesday gift card and it was definitely put to good use tonight. After feeling kind of crummy after lunch, it was fabulous to be able to change our original plans of staying in and just go out for a nice dinner.

Baby To-Do List: I've been checking things off my list like crazy! Yay! For the most part, we are just waiting for the wall decor to be complete and I'll be ready to do a nursery reveal. Her closet is pretty much organized, her newborn clothes are mostly washed, and we've got any of the baby items we'll need to bring her home. There's still plenty to do, but I'm certainly trying not to stress over the details! I think my Thanksgiving deadline is still attainable for the most part, at least for most of the big stuff!

And...the weekly belly pic! My belly looks HUGE in this photo and while it's certainly growing, I think it looks crazy big in this picture! I think Hubby needs to work on making me look skinny! ha!

The One You Need

2011-11-09T08:59:00.003-06:00

I heard this song for the first time this past weekend while in Kansas City with my momma...as an expectant momma, it hit incredibly close to home.

Our baby girl hasn't even arrived yet and I still pray constantly that above all else in this world Elyse would recognize that Jesus loves her so much. And even when she's hurt or disappointed by those closest to her, that He is there and waiting with arms open wide.

Weekend Rewind: WOF 2011 & Bass Pro 1/2 Marathon

2011-11-08T09:41:00.004-06:00

As you can see, things have been a little crazy around our house since I'm just now getting to post our Weekdn Rewind. My weekend started early as my mom & I headed out on Thursday afternoon for Kansas City. We attended the Women of Faith Over the Top Conference with several ladies from her church and had a fabulous time. As is usually the case with these conferences, I learned a ton and hopefully I'll be able to post at least a summary of some of the major points...but for now, here's one to make you think...

"God promises to feed the birds, but he doesn't put the worms in the nest...Get up & move to find God's purpose for your life."

My mom made sure that I took it easy with plenty of rest and even taking taxi's from our hotel to the convention center...Elyse definitely doesn't need to be arriving 6 weeks early!

We came home on Saturday night in time to join our men for a meal full of carbs! Hubby ran in his first 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning and it was time to carb-up for the race!

When Sunday morning rolled around I was definitely thankful for the extra hour of sleep. The race started at 7:00 am, which meant arriving to get ready at 6:30 am, which meant leaving our house at 6:00 am, which meant rolling out of bed at 5:30 am! Yikes!

I wasn't going to miss his first race, so I headed out with my hair in a ponytail and no shower to be the supportive, pregnant wife!

Hubby & two of the pastors from our church!

This was part of the Bass Pro Fitness Festival, the Cohick 1/2 Marathon. We live about 20 minutes from the original Bass Pro Shops and that's who sponsored the race.

My favorite race photo...at mile 9...and before he hit a wall!

Coming in to the finish line...Official Time: 2:08:05! Well within his goal of a 10 minute mile!

My running Hubby & his foil blanket! Elyse & I were so proud of him!

And a group shot...most of these attend our church, with a few others thrown in who train together!

After the race we headed for breakfast at Perkins, and the next stop was the couch for Hubby & the recliner for me. We had a relaxing afternoon with nice LONG naps and then finished up the weekend with small group. Seriously I am so thankful that small group is on Sunday nights...it's such a great way to finish up the weekend and get motivated to start a new week!

Elyse Love ~ 33 Weeks

2011-11-03T08:55:00.001-05:00

33w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I guess we'll find out the actual number a week from now at my next dr's appointment. While I'm still trying to eat healthy & snack healthy as well...this is a REALLY HARD time of year to resist temptation. So, I've decided to make good overall choices, but I'm certainly not going to beat myself up over enjoying some fabulous food or yummy treats! Heck, I've made it to 33 weeks...I figure I deserve it!

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann! All I can say is that I really, really hope she's truly a girl...otherwise this boy is going to be wearing lots of ruffles & lots of pink! ha!

Movement: All I can say is that she seriously has to be getting cramped in there! The movements have transitioned from kicks and elbows to more of a rolling motion as it feels like she's trying to turn over. I can definitely pick out those things that make her move the most...even a little bit of caffeine really gets her going!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well for the first 6ish hours of the night, but after I get up for my bathroom break I seem to toss and turn until my alarm goes off. I guess at least I'm getting some good, sound sleep for most of the night...but it's frustrating to not be able to go back sound asleeep for the last couple of hours. Is this God preparing me for baby girl's arrival!?!?

What I miss: My normal energy level for sure. I've been trying to rest more and even eat a quick snack while I'm getting ready for work in the morning. I normally eat breakfast right before I walk out the door and for a few days I wasn't even able to get through my normal morning routine without sitting down for a pretty substantial rest. Thankfully a quick glass of milk or a few almonds or a granola bar seem to give me that little boost I need.

Cravings: still no cravings for this girl...momma or baby! I'm so thankful that I haven't had any super crazy cravings!

Symptoms: I'm normally a go-go-go kind of girl, and that just isn't possible right now. I'm definitely feeling 8 months pregnant, so the countdown is definitely on! I'm still carrying Elyse all out in front which definitely makes my back tired & sore after a full day at work. And apparently my mom thinks that she's higher now...I certainly hope she's not moving up instead of down! ha!

Maternity Clothes: All I can say is that my wardrobe choices become fewer and fewer each week! I've still got plenty of options, but my non-maternity options are quickly going bye bye! I've pretty much given up on even trying to use my Bella Bands...maternity pants & leggings (both maternity & non-maternity) are the only option for me!

Best Moment this week: Definitely my shower thrown by all my besties last night! It was a fabulous evening & I can't wait to share all the photos and details! They did some incredibly sweet things and I am so blessed to have such incredible friends & momma role models surrounding me!

Baby To-Do List: I've been working on a wall project for above the crib, hopefully it will be finished in a few days...if it comes out half as neat as I'm hoping it will look fabulous! It's also a new month which means that my cash envelope for Elyse has been replinished, you can bet I'm gonna be buying some of the other decor items very soon! Now that we've had our last shower, there are still LOTS of things to buy. Some of it can wait, but we need to make a pretty substantial trip to Babies R Us in the next few weeks.

And of course...the belly pic...

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-11-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

It's a busy, busy week around our house. It seems like we've got something going on almost every night...doesn't leave much time for relaxation so I'm really gonna have to watch myself to make sure I don't overdo it!

~Last night was our Trunk or Treat @ church. This was the first time Hubby & I had helped out and we were simply in charge of the information table. We collected information cards from the parents & hopefully we can use that info to reach out for our other childrens' events. I failed to take a SINGLE photo, but it was a great evening! We had over 500 people come through in just the first hour!

~Tonight is my "friends" baby shower! I couldn't be more excited. We are having it at a little cafe' and she is opening it up just for us! They're serving desserts and yummy coffee/hot chocolate drinks! I've also been told that they have just completely redecorated for the Christmas holiday...perfect decor for a December baby!

~For the St. Louis Cardinals World Series watch party with my parents, my mom whipped up a recipe from Pinterest: Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. This might possibly be one of the best desserts I've ever eaten...INCREDIBLE!!!

~I'm know there are tons of other things filling my brain, but that's all I've got today. Plus, I'm totally distracted by that photo...I'd love a piece of that right now with a big glass of milk!

World Series Weekend

2011-10-30T16:17:00.004-05:00

As you can imagine, our weekend was started off right with Game 7 of the World Series. We headed down to my parents' house once again for dinner and the game...Hey, it worked the night before and we weren't about to do anything to mess it up!

Before dinner we took advantage of the gorgeous sunset and the fall color at my parents' house...I had intentions of trying to include Bogey in a family photo but all we ended up with was a flash of yellow dog! So...our family of 3 it is...

My mom & dad were all decked out as well...and of course they could include their pup since you can just put her in your arms!

The fall color in Southwest Missouri seems to be at its prime! The local news seemed to think that we might not have much color because of the ridiculously hot & dry summer we had...but I think God did his thing anyway!

Look at that color! It's stunning when the sun hits it just right!

After a quick dinner we settled in for 9 innings of baseball. Hubby & my dad were a bundle of nerves for most of the game....

but then it turned into a little bit of this...

as we watched this on tv...

St. Louis Cardinals...2011 World Series Champions!!!

After the emotional roller coaster that was Game 6, Game 7 almost seemed a little anti-climactic; but hey, a win's a win and I'll take it! It's always fun to have a team to route for...but even more fun to be routing for the winning team!

Saturday I had to work and my alarm came early after a late night the night before. Thankfully we had no afternoon plans so after work and a quick lunch I headed to bed for a nice long nap. We ran some errands during the late afternoon before heading to dinner and our first college basketball game of the season. We are season ticketholders this year for the Missouri State Bears and I'm already looking forward to the games. However, it was a little crazy to go from baseball on Friday night, straight into basketball on Saturday night. I guess you could say our family is into sports! ha!

Today was a lazy Sunday which was certainly fine by me! We went to church, had lunch at home, and then I did a little bit of couponing and crafting. I'm working on a fabric, canvas, and embroidery hoop project for Elyse's walls and I'm getting excited to see how it looks when it's finished! Just another thing to check-off my to-do list!

It's a pretty crazy week for us as tomorrow is Trunk or Treat at church, Tuesday is my friends' shower, and then my mom and I are headed to Kansas City at the end of the week for Women of Faith! Hopefully I can stay caught up on my sleep!

"Freese" Friday

2011-10-28T08:59:00.005-05:00

Once again...for all of you who either don't watch baseball at all or don't live in Missouri or Texas, or who happened to prefer sleep over staying up and feeling your blood pressure rise & fall like a roller coaster...you may not understand.

But last night was Game 6 of the World Series, and boy was it a doozy! Hubby & I spent the evening watching the game at my parents' house, because let's be honest...it's just more fun to watch a big game with other people. Hubby & my dad were hilarious with their bipolar attitudes of confidence and defeat, utter frustration and ecstatic joy!

We had all but written of a championship this year when Mr. David Freese steps to the plate and delivers the first miracle in the bottom of the 9th. Lance Berkman was responsible for the tying miracle in the bottom of the 10th...and then once again, in the bottom of the 11th Mr. Freese decided it was time for us all to go to bed. Walk off homerun!

St. Louis Cardinals

It was seriously one of the most frustrating and emotional games I've ever watched...I'm just glad I'm not further along in this pregnancy. My Cardiac Cardinals may have sent me into early labor!

Game 7 tonight for all the marbles...I just hope that maybe Mr. Rally Squirrel will give us some momentum just one more time!

Elyse Love ~ 32 Weeks!

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

32w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've debated about sharing my actual weight gain, but figure at this point...what the heck! So, as of our dr's appointment today, I'm up 30 lbs total. Not anything wonderful, but definitely manageable. I keep going back to the fact that the majority of my weight gain came during the 2nd trimester and I'm making much better & different eating decisions now compared to then.

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann!

Movement: Moving, moving, moving! She certainly seems to have those times during the day when she moves more than others & I'm starting to quickly pick up on those things that make her move much more. I'm certainly not going to act as if I've completely cut out sugar or caffeine, and when I have those things she's certainly on the move. It's crazy to sit at the dinner table or at my desk at work and literally watch my stomach move back and forth as she does her gymnastics in my belly.

Sleep: Sleeping is definitely something I look forward to each day. While my energy level is low after a day of work or after working around the house, it's not an energy level which makes me want to fall asleep...it's one where I just want to sit and rest. I sleep really well for the first 6ish hours of the night, but after I get up for my bathroom break I seem to toss and turn until my alarm goes off.

What I miss: My energy! and doing things without losing my breath. Since Elyse is getting so much bigger and she has so little room, I seem to be short of breath so much easier. Even just gathering up my things and getting into my car for work can make me tired and out of breath. Seriously! These last 8 weeks are definitely going to force me to rest when I need to rest and work when I feel at my absolute best.

Cravings: still craving free! I've filled our fridge and pantry with lots of healthy options so I don't have to even be tempted by the unhealthy snacks...of course that doesn't count the homemade cherry pie! Thanks mom! ha! These next 8 weeks are going to bring SOOO many opportunities for yummy goodies...it's all about moderation and control, because you better believe I won't be completely missing out on all the holiday foods!

Symptoms: The tiredness is my most obvious symptom, but there are other small symptoms like occasional heartburn, weakness, and an aching body that definitely make me feel 8 months pregnant! I hate to complain about any of these issues...but this is life right now, and there are certainly times when it's hard for this girl. I'm normally a go-go-go kind of girl, and that just isn't possible right now.

Maternity Clothes: Practically everything...the dress I'm wearing in this week's photo is actually something I had before I was pregnant. I'm thankful that a lot of the fashion trends right now are loose-fitting, empire-waisted, knit dresses with leggings. It makes my daily wardrobe much more comfortable and I still feel cute all at the same time! And feeling cute is definitely a big accomplishment at this point! ;o)

Best Moment this week: It's been pretty low-key, which has been really nice with my lack of energy. We had another dr's appointment today and hearing the heartbeat is always a big event! Even with all of her movement, it's always so reassuring to hear Elyse's heartbeat!

Baby To-Do List: Game 6 of the World Series was postponed due to weather last night so that means we've had Tuesday & Wednesday to work inside and check a few things off the list. I've pretty much got the nursery as organized as it can be with what I have and we've been working on some of the wall-decor. There are still several things to purchase, but that will have to wait until Nov. 1 when Elyse's Dave Ramsey envelope gets replenished! ha! I've got a goal of having most everything done by Thanksgiving...so we'll see!

And of course...the belly pic. Thank goodness for leggings!

Strike a Pose @ 30 Weeks

2011-10-25T08:58:00.005-05:00

Hubby & I had some more maternity photos taken about 2 weeks ago and we've got the proofs back! I seriously couldn't be more pleased with the results! Erica Turner @ Turner Creative Photography did an incredible job of capturing my beautiful growing belly while still making me feel like a sexy super model!

These are a preview from her Facebook page...I may post more once we have rights to the images, but for now I'll certainly just let the pictures speak for themselves.

And FYI, if you're really interest in my 31 week Elyse Love update...I posted it here last night...

All photos courtesy of Turner Creative Photography

Unfortunately...A 3-Day Weekend

2011-10-23T20:20:00.005-05:00

As you can probably tell with my lack of a pregnancy update on Thursday, sometimes things just don't go as planned. An extra busy day at work, followed by a busy Thursday evening meant no time to get a post up and while I had good intentions to post it on Friday...my body had other ideas.

I woke up Friday with an achy body, weakness, and just an overall sickly feeling. It didn't take long for me to realize that work wasn't going to be in the plans and I resigned myself to spending the rest of the day in bed. What I didn't expect was that about half-way through the day Hubby would join me. He had been fighting his typical allergy symptoms and after some serious pushing, finally called the doctor. Apparently he most likely has bronchitis...Yippee for us! He came home right after lunch and relieved my mom who had been babysitting me for most of the morning just to make sure I was going to be ok. Just a note...I called my OB's office and none of my symptoms were anything they were concerned with, just something that had to run it's course.

We had originally planned on a nice date night out...but our nice dinner out quickly turned into Little Caesar's Pizza takeout and a Redbox. Still a nice date night, but not quite what either one of us had in mind.

Thankfully, we both woke up on Saturday feeling quite a bit better and we decided to continue on with our original Saturday/Sunday plans...a quick roadtrip to Kansas City to visit my brother & sister-in-law. I am SOOOO glad we were both feeling better because we had a fabulous time! We met up at their apartment and did a little bit of Elyse shopping yesterday afternoon while my sister-in-law finished up her short shift at work. Then after a quick rest for me, we headed out for a bit more Elyse shopping and a nice dinner at a local brewery...Gordon Biersch.

We had a wonderful meal on their outside patio and it was so great to hang out with them . Normally we don't get to spend much time with them on our own so that was certainly a welcome change! We finished off the evening with the eventual STL Cardinals blow-out win against the Rangers...it truly was fun to watch Albert Pujols have such an incredible game!

This morning we had a great breakfast at Mimi's Cafe (it was Hubby & I's first time, because we don't have one anywhere closeby), did a bit of outlet shopping for Elyse where we picked up a couple more adorable outfits, and then headed home.

I'm so thankful for the quick little roadtrip and I can't wait until my little brother graduates from law school and they move back closer to home. Something tells me Nick & Millie are going to be an incredible aunt & uncle to our precious baby girl!

*My little bro & I...(not sure what's up with that picture, it doesn't look like that before I upload it! )

Elyse Love ~ 31 Weeks

2011-10-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

Catching up a little...

31w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: We'll find out for sure on Wednesday, but I still feel pretty good about my overall weight gain. My belly seems to keep growing out instead of putting on extra pounds in my face/arms/legs/etc. All that weight seemed to come on in the 2nd trimester, so it's nice to think that all the weight I'm gaining right now is true baby weight.

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann!

Movement: Wow, I can't really even describe how much movement I feel each day. Thankfully she's not keeping me up at night at this point, but some evenings it's hard to relax because she's moving so much. I can't imagine how cramped she must be getting in there! I'm not gonna lie, there are brief moments when I think..."geez, baby girl...why don't you just calm down a bit!" but then I remind myself that it's a wonderful sign to have such an active baby.

Sleep: Sleep has been better this week compared to last...maybe it has something to do with the fact that I think my energy switch has been flipped to the "OFF" position. My energy level declines rapidly so I'm extremely thankful that sleep seems to come fairly easily.

What I miss: My energy! Seriously, a switch was flipped between the 1st & 2nd trimester when my energy came back...and now that same switch has been flipped again as my energy is GONE! It's incredibly hard for me as I'm normally a go, go, go kind of girl. Thankfully I've got lots of support around me who practically force me to take it easy when I start to overdo it.

Cravings: Just food...my snacking continues to be healthy which I feel like is a big success. Almonds, cheese sticks, yogurt, fresh fruit, and graham crackers are my snacks of choice...normally some combination of all of them. I figure that's a good habit to be in, my snacks definitely don't need to become cookies & milk or chips & dip!

Symptoms: I'm definitely feeling 8 months pregnant at this point in our adventure. I'm afraid that the aches & pains and lack of energy and shortness of breath have all come to stay. I had a fairly long conversation on the phone at work today and I was even out of breath after that conversation. Geez...it's kind of ridiculous! We've also shortened our nighttime walks again...tonight we walked just under a mile because my poor body just can't take much more than that!

Maternity Clothes: Practically everything...I've even been resorting to Hubby's t-shirts as lounge clothes for some evenings. Thankfully I've got several options and with the weather turning cooler this week I'll be able to throw on a loose-fitting cardigan with most oufits and be good to go.

Best Moment this week: It's been a pretty laid back week, but my mom and I did meet up on Wednesday to check some things off the to-do list for the nursery. We ordered the rug, bought some of the items for the wall decor, bought fabric for some other projects and made decisions regarding the closet organization & a variety of other things. Thankfully I'm not feeling quite so overwhelmed with what I have to do! We also got all the proofs back from our maternity pictures and I'm so excited to share some of them with you! Hopefully that will be another post this week...

Baby To-Do List: Hubby's got a bit of a honey-do list, but that will have to wait for a night when the Cardinals aren't playing...so hopefully tomorrow night we'll get a few things taken care of when the World Series has an off night. ha! I've got lots of help with my precious momma and she's made me feel much better about the progress we're making in the nursery. I've got a goal of having most everything done by Thanksgiving...so we'll see!

And of course...the belly pic. Hubby decided to try a bit of a different angle this week!

And yes...she really is as much out in front as it looks like she is!

not just playing house

2011-10-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have those times when you sit back for a moment and consider your life and feel like you're just playing house? That the life that you are living and walking through each day couldn't possibly be reality? That maybe all of this is just a big game, similar to those you played when you were a child where you assigned who was going to be the mommy, the daddy, & the baby...and maybe even the puppy (if you were playing house with your little brother)?

I have those moments every once in awhile where I think about where I am and it seems that there isn't anyway that I'm old enough or mature enough to be doing what I'm doing or to have the life I'm living. Am I really old enough to own my home (or at least be making payments on it)? Or be married to the man of my dreams? Or be in the process of preparing to welcome a new precious life into this world? Sometimes it all just feels like a dream, or maybe just a very long, extended version of playing house.

Last night Hubby basically forced me to sit down in the recliner and relax while he cleaned up dinner...normally this is a joint effort, but Elyse seems to be taking more than her fair share of my energy lately. As I sat there in the stillness, simply listening to Hubby unload the dishwasher, rinse the dishes, and wipe down the counters...I was reminded at what an incredibly blessed life I have been given.

I remember when we were first married and living together in our very own house that in the beginning it felt a little like going away to camp, or maybe on an extended vacation...except it was our life, our very real life with ups & downs and smiles & frowns and fighting & making up. We weren't playing house at being husband & wife...we were living every second of every day in that new-found relationship. This wasn't make-believe anymore.

As I sat there last night for just a few short moments, with our baby girl doing somersaults & cartwheels in my belly, I was able to pause and consider the fact that in just a little over 8 weeks....life as we know it is going to completely change, to never ever be the same. We won't be playing house talking about our future with a baby, we'll have one of our very own. We have absolutely NO idea what we're doing, but again there'll be smiles & frowns and long sleepless nights & long mid-morning naps and certainly lots of ups & downs.

And prayer...lots and lots of prayer.

We won't be playing house at being mommy & daddy...those will be our new titles and ones that will be permanently attached to us. Names that I will accept with great anxiety & fear, but also excitement & joy at the precious blessing God is about to bring into this world.

And maybe playing house when you're an adult can be just as fun as playing it when you're a little girl.

A beautiful reminder that for us Spring & Summer are moving into Autumn & Winter...a sweet bouquet for Elyse & I from my Aunt Belinda. Some of her last rose blooms before the frost takes them all...

From the Wild Card to the World Series

2011-10-17T10:28:00.001-05:00

Well it seems that the rally squirrel has struck again...the St. Louis Cardinals are National League Champions and are headed to the World Series! Woohoo!

Even without the baseball excitement, Hubby & I had a fabulous weekend! We spent Friday evening at my parents' house with a delicious meal and the Cardinals' game on the big screen. And it was the first of two wins for the weekend!

Bogey got to visit as well...he was pretty excited about it!

Two of my favorite guys sporting their rally squirrel shirts & rally towels!

Saturday morning I worked in Elyse's room trying to make myself feel organized and Hubby ran a few errands before we headed out to run several more errands. We had originally planned to stay at home, but afternoons are when I feel the best and seem to have the most energy so I hated to waste a perfectly good afternoon by laying around. We picked up several things for Elyse, made a few returns, and had a yummy lunch at Which Wich!

We finished off our Saturday with a very casual gathering with our small group. I took absolutely no photos, but we had a fabulous time just hanging out and relaxing with a fun cook-out. We also played a quite hilarious game of Taboo to end the night, I honestly haven't laughed that hard in a very, very LONG time!

I might not have taken any people photos...but I was in charge of dessert...

and no, I didn't take these three things separately...

Thanks to Pinterest, I combined them all into the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie 'n Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar...yup, a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, a layer of double stuffed oreos, and a layer of brownie batter! Seriously, death by chocolate...and delicious!

I also took some leftovers that I had requested at my parents' house the night before...Homemade Butterfinger Bites. Another big hit, and Pinterest success...but I first saw these on my friend Joelle's blog! They were so easy & the perfect bite-size treat!

Yesterday Hubby & I headed to church, followed it up with nursery duty, spent the afternoon around the house and then headed to small group for the evening. Of course probably the main event last night was the baseball game...the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Milwaukee Brewers in game 6 of the NLCS! I'm so happy to report that this was the scene in the locker room...

from http://www.news-leader.com/

We're headed to the World Series against some improbably odds...at least we've got home field advantage!

The "infamous" Rally Squirrel

2011-10-14T09:19:00.003-05:00

In our house we bleed Cardinal red...St. Louis Cardinal red to be exact. For those of you who aren't baseball fans, or STL fans, or have just been simply living under a rock...our beloved Cardinals are playing in the National League Championship Series. Against some crazy odds, our team found their way into the Wild Card spot and are now only 2 wins away from heading to te World Series! Yippee!

With such an improbable run, fans have been looking for almost any superstition to "rally" around...and this year...it's the Rally Squirrel. Here's the video clip to illustrate just why the squirrel has become such an important secondary mascot to us Cardinal Fans!

Apparently the grounds' crew captured at least 4 of these little guys from inside the ballpark...guess those squirrels love the peanuts just as much as we do!

It's been a bit of a phenomenon as the stadium is selling small stuffed rally squirrels at the sounvenir stands, passing out Rally Squirrel towels to the fans in attendance, and one report says that the Rally Squirrel now has his own Twitter account under the name of Busch Squirrel. As you can see it's gotten a little bit crazy!

A local screenprinting business has even been selling Rally Squirrel t-shirts. You better believe yours truly went and picked up 2 shirts last night...one for Hubby & one for my dad!

You can order your's here...ha!

We'll be cheering on our beloved Cardinals along with my parent's tonight...we can only hope that this crazy streak continues...all thanks to a fuzzy little rodent who just happened to be in the right place at the right time! And hopefully my weekend recap on Monday will include some celebration from winning the next two games and heading on to the World Series...Go Cards!

Elyse Love ~ 30 Weeks

2011-10-13T09:39:00.002-05:00

Seriously...our precious baby girl is going to be here in less than 10 weeks! 10 weeks! I can't even believe that we're nearing the 60 day mark! I've gotta get busy on my to-do list!

30w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I feel like I'm still right on track with where my new doctor wants me to be. Any change in weight seems to be going all to my tummy which is exactly where I want it! My goal is to stick to the 1 pound per week average for the rest of the time!

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann!

Movement: There are certainly times when she's not moving, but I notice her more & more! The other night Hubby & I were laying on the couch and he was able to see AND feel her acrobatics! We may have a gymnast on our hands!

Sleep: Sleep has been my struggle this week. I feel like I sleep soundly for 4-5 hours and then the rest of the night is much more restless. I even tried breaking out the Snoogle again last night, but that wasn't helping either. Thankfully I did sleep until my alarm went off this morning!

What I miss: Probably just the ease at which I USED to be able to do things. Even our nightly walks have been shortened a few times because I'm just worn out at the end of the day. I'd like to say that I will start getting up and walking the mornings but that's most likely just not going to happen! It seems almost any large amounts of movement (going from laying down to standing, or getting in & out of the car, or bending over to pick something up out of the floor) results in a little bit of a sigh & groan...I really think that Hubby thinks I'm dying, but those are just normal sounds for me right now! ha!

Cravings: At this point I'm assuming that I will go through this pregnancy with NO cravings-which is totally fine by me. I have had a desire for something sweet most nights and most nights I'm a good girl and can take care of that with some fruit or a cup of Yoplait light...however, there are some nights (like last night) when the ice cream (no sugar added) creeps in or when we share a DQ blizzard! I figure sharing is so much better than eating a full one for myself! ha!

Symptoms: The back pain at the end of the day is pretty much a regular occurrence. Normally if I just lay down and rest for awhile I feel much better. I also thought that my cankles where here to stay, but they've gone down again. It seems that my left ankle seems to stay a little more swollen than my right...but at least I can see my ankle bones!

Maternity Clothes: Everything! ha! Or at least something that has the ability to stretch A LOT!!! The dress I'm wearing in this weeks picture is non-maternity as are the leggings...but that's just because the material was loose and flowing to begin with. I can also wear my non-maternity leggings below my belly and those seem to still fit pretty well. My choices of clothing are definitely becoming fewer & fewer but I still feel pretty good with my options!

Best Moment this week: It's been a fabulous week! I've noticed how much less stressed I feel now that the doctor situation has been taken care of! We had more maternity pictures taken on Tuesday & I can't wait to see them...I've been given a sneak peek and they are going to all be beautiful. We also had the rest of the nursery furniture delivered so now it's really time to get started on the nursery!

Baby To-Do List: I might have had a minor freak-out moment last night as I sat in the nursery with Hubby & discussed all the details for the nursery that need to be taken care of; however, as my mom reminded me this morning "Lauren, she has a bed & a sheet on the mattress...everything else is just minor!" And she is so right. I did sit down and make a list so I'm hoping to start knocking out some of those things this weekend. It's mainly just picking out the accessories for her nursery, but even that is a hard decision. I want her room to be little girly but not baby!

And finally, the belly pic...which I know you've all been waiting for!

Sleep....Get it when you can!

2011-10-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

One of the biggest symptoms I've noticed during my third trimester of pregnancy relates to sleep. I almost feel like as soon as I hit 28 weeks, God started preparing my body for the lack of sleep that is coming my way. I fall asleep just fine and sleep great through the night except for the potty breaks...but the issue comes during the early morning.

Hubby has been waking up early several times a week to train & run for his 1/2 marathon. I've been waking up at or before the same time as he is and seem to be completely wide awake. I'm waking up at least an hour before my alarm goes off and I might as well get up and face the day. Sunday morning I woke up and emptied the dishwasher, did some laundry, picked up the house, and did a variety of other things...all before Hubby even returned from his long morning run.

It felt good to be so productive so early in the day and honestly made me feel a lot better when I decided to spend Sunday afternoon vegging on the couch. This morning I was also awake early but decided to play my "pregnancy card" and relax in bed for a few extra minutes before getting up to face the day. Hey...Hubby has given me full rights to play that card every once in awhile!

I'm also learning that waking up early may mean that I need to take a quick little nap during the afternoon. I had the afternoon off from work because we had our maternity pictures scheduled. Before getting ready to head out...I crashed for a very enjoyable nap!

I figure I'll have to learn to take advantage of these times once Elyse arrives...take sleep when I can get it, and just be productive when sleep is being kept from me...whatever the reason may be. I've always heard that God prepares you for the lack of sleep in some way, and I guess this is how he's started preparing me!

Fall Weekend: Family, Food, & Friends

2011-10-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

We had a pretty fabulous fall weekend with plenty to keep us busy, but also making time for some relaxation. This pregnant girl just can't go, go, go all the time like I used to! ha!

We started out Friday evening with a joint birthday party for me two nephews. Of course I showed up with a camera battery that was completely dead & my phone just didn't really cut it...so no photos. However, we had a fabulous evening with Hubby's family & we definitely earned some brownie points with our gifts: remote control cars for both of the boys! I think they're gonna love playing with them!

Saturday morning I headed to work while Hubby headed to his oldest nephew's soccer game. After work we grabbed a quick lunch and I was able to play Susie Home-Maker for a little bit. It'd been awhile since I actually baked in the kitchen so it was nice to spend some time making something yummy!

As I mentioned on Friday, I decided to make pumpkin bars for our small group gathering on Saturday night. It was a delicious recipe, but I would definitely say it was more like a pumpkin cake than pumpkin bars. Either way it was super yummy...I mean, homemade cream cheese icing can't be beat!

The finished product...I promise, there's pumpkin cake down in there!

I also needed to use up several apples from a local orchard so I decided to make some homemade applesauce, on my mom's promise of how easy it was. She was so right! I just peeled the apples, cut them into large chunks, added a small bit of water to the bottom of the pan, put on the lid and turned it on low for about an hour and a half. I would watch it and stir it, but the apples turned to mush on their own and then I just added a little bit of sugar & cinnamon to taste. It's delicious! And such a nutritious snack!

Saturday night we joined with our small group & also part of our old small group to spend some time with a missionary couple. I hope we didn't scare the missionaries! It was kind of a chaotic evening with so many kiddos running around! ha!

We had a weiner roast with the firepit...
the kids got some candy out of a pinata...

they also bobbed for apples...

and most were successful, even if they needed a little bit of help...

and Hubby got some loving from an adorable little man!

It was a great Fall gathering and we got to spend some time learning about how God is working in another part of the world. We are so blessed to have all of these wonderful people in our lives! God is so good!

This morning we had a great church service, ran a few errands, and we spent most of the afternoon just vegging on the couch. After another great small group meeting tonight, we're back on the couch doing some catch-up with the DVR.

It was a beautiful weekend with some beautiful weather...bring on the week!

Random Fact Friday

2011-10-07T08:00:00.005-05:00

It's been a crazy week. And I'm so glad to say that it's Friday!

When we first found out we were pregnant, I thought to myself..."My blog will not become all about my pregnancy. It will not consist of ONLY weekly updates on my belly or random ultrasound photos or pictures of the nursery progression. Nope, I will continue to post about other things that are important in my life." Well...here I sit. Guilty of posting really only about the pregnancy and everything that it entails. But you know, pregnancy & the preparation for our baby girl are really the only things that consume my mind right now. So that's what you get...this blog is meant to be a diary of my life & our life together...and our LIFE right now is this baby girl.
Of course that doesn't mean that random non-baby things don't sneak in every once in awhile...

~Pumpkin Bars w/ Cream Cheese Frosting-I'm most likely gonna make these for a fun gathering on Saturday night. I have to make them so I can take them somewhere...the entire pan does NOT need to be sitting in my kitchen!

via Pinterest

~Thoughts of Christmas shopping & decorating & parties & baking are starting to creep into my mind and I'm trying so hard to push it out. I've got too many other things to do before Christmas season arrives to be thinking about all of that stuff...Christmas is just oh so much fun! And promises to be even more exciting this year!

~I did my first load of baby laundry yesterday...definitely a surreal experience. Something tells me this is what the end of our couch will look like quite frequently!

blankets & bibs & sleepers...oh my!

~My car was making an incredibly awful noise yesterday & last night, but when I drop it off at the mechanic this morning he of course can't get it to make the same noise. It's driving fine & all my gauges are normal...maybe it was just a quirk! However, Hubby heard the noise and I'm so glad...otherwise I might start thinking that I really had lost my mind!

~I'm considering ordering an Erin Condren planner to have for all the craziness of the holidays & to keep track of various things when Elyse is born. I was definitely a "planner" girl in high school and it kept me sane...however, I'm just trying to justify the $50 for a planner! They are so stinkin' cute!

~There are some pretty exciting things going on in our life right now...besides the fact that Elyse is going to arrive in less than 90 days! I can't talk a lot about it...but life is certainly going to change; and it is a very, very good thing!

~And in reference to the above...God's timing is ALWAYS perfect. ALWAYS.

~Also in reference to the above...God ALWAYS answers prayer. ALWAYS...even if it's not the way you thought or hoped he would.

Hope everyone has a super fabulous weekend...I certainly plan on it!

Elyse Love ~ 29 Weeks

2011-10-06T10:33:00.003-05:00

29w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of my appointment yesterday, I'm up 24 lbs from the start of my pregnancy. Since my last official weigh-in, which was almost 5 1/2 weeks ago I've only gained 5 lbs., which is definitely an improvement from my previous two months! At this point, my doctor really wants me to be gaining around a pound a week...so I'm right on track. Guess those evening walks & healthier eating habits really do make a difference...who would have known!?! ha!

Gender: We had a 3d/4d ultrasound this week and it was confirmed that Baby Layman is indeed still a precious little girl! I definitely would have been returning a ton of stuff if something had shown differently. We can't wait for her to arrive and as her nursery starts coming together, I'm getting really excited for all things pink, purple, & frilly.

Movement: She moves like crazy, but only during certain times of the day. Evenings seem to be when she really gets going and I can literally watch my stomach change as she moves her little body all around. Her little bootie is spending most of it's time pressed against the left side of my belly...and it's really obvious when my belly is all pushed out on that side!

Sleep: My sleep has been pretty decent. I wish I would sleep a little more soundly but between getting up to use the bathroom at least once, and then turning from side to side...I just don't feel like I sleep all that deep. However, I wake up almost every morning feeling rested and ready for the day so I guess that's the most important thing.

What I miss: Moving around easily. Hubby has started picking up anything that I might have dropped on the floor or doing whatever it takes for me to avoid bending over...it's just not much fun right now. It's also become a "process" for me to actually switch positions in bed or laying on the couch...back pain and my out-in-front belly just make things a little more difficult!

Cravings: I really enjoy the fact that I haven't had any crazy cravings! I'm still eating at least 3 small snacks a day which normally consist of fruit, a cheese stick, nuts, yogurt, popcorn, etc. These seem to fill me up and keep me from giving into any simple hunger cravings. I also keep a big glass of water right next to me most days & this keeps me from snacking too often. I've realized that most of the time I'm just a little dehydrated instead of truly hungry.

Symptoms: After I wrote that I had no symptoms, I started to reconsider. I've had some back pain & some swelling in my ankles (mainly after super salty meals or snacks). These things are certainly not much fun, but also remind me constantly of this precious miracle growing inside of me.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much everything has to have some sort of maternity look to it or it has to be loose fitting. I'm trying to keep some of my pre-pregnancy clothes stashed away and not try to "force" the issue by wearing all my regular clothes...I'm afraid if I do that then I won't want to wear them after Elyse arrives either. Might as well just resign myself to the fact that I have a limited wardrobe for the next several weeks. Honestly, as long as I'm comfortable I don't really care!

Best Moment this week: There have been several! My family shower has to be included, the 3d Ultrasound with Hubby, my parents, & my mil all in the suite along with us, and my first actual appointment with my new doc...who I absolutely LOVE! It's really been a fabulous week and after all the stress with the doctor situation I was ready for a stress-less week!

Elyse Ann Layman...and her little button nose! Oh and see that object on the left side of the picture...that's her knee! She was all bent up in the craziest of positions!

Baby To-Do List: We've got Elyse's closet pretty much emptied, I did my first official load of "pink" laundry (seriously Dreft detergent smells so good), the curtains are being hung this weekend, and we're really making some progress! I've still got lots of decor details to finalize, but it's starting to come together!

And finally, the belly pic. I am carrying her all out in front...apparently I don't hardly even look pregnant from the back! I have a hard time believing that, but that's what I've been told...maybe they're missing the fact that I feel like my bootie has doubled in size! ha!

I can't believe it's October!

2011-10-02T21:05:00.004-05:00

Seriously, where did September go? Or honestly, what about July & August too!? I can't believe that October is here! We had a pretty great weekend, with some really busy moments combined with some relaxation.

Friday was our relaxing evening with steaks on the grill, a few quick errands to run, and we finished up the evening playing catch-up with our DVR. We've finally got caught up on The Sing-Off & Parenthood...now just to tackle our other shows.

Saturday was non-stop. Our first shower was held Saturday morning, hosted by my aunts & wow...all I can say is "We are SOOOO blessed!" I'll have an entire post for the shower, but for now, here's a quick sneak peek!

Myself with my two aunts and the hostesses of the shower....it was such a great time, and a huge crowd but it was fabulous!

Hubby was in charge of loading up & unpacking....
And this is what our nursery looks like now...I think Babies R Us exploded in Elyse's room!

My sweet sister-in-law Millie made me a diaper cake...so cute!

And just a little taste of the bedding! My mom surprised me by having practically everything finished including Elyse's quilt. Those are all the fabrics we're using in the room & it is absolutely gorgeous! I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

After loading our car to the brim, we headed to lunch with my parents and my brother & sister-in-law. They were able to take time away from their busy schedule in Kansas City to come down for the shower & it means so much.

Of course, I should also mention that my precious mother-in-law was able to come down from Michigan as well...seriously, I was so thankful that all of the people I love the most were able to join me for this special day!

Next on the agenda for Saturday was a quick moment of rest & then we headed out for Hubby's 10 year High School Reunion. We met up with a group of those who we really cared about seeing the most and had a nightmare of an experience at Cheddar's. Seriously, they managed to screw up 4 of the 8 meals that were ordered! At least we were able to laugh about it and after they comped those 4 meals I think we all got out of their for pretty cheap! Afterwards we headed to the official reunion and we stayed a couple of hours before driving back home. It was a nice evening, and thankfully Hubby's high school friends were some of my BEST college friends (and also the reason that Nick & I ended up together) so I wasn't stuck without anyone to talk to the whole night!

All the wives of Hubby's best friends at the reunion...3 of the 4 of us are pregnant!

And all the guys...seriously, if it wasn't for them I never would have been with Nick!

Today brought a fairly relaxing day with church, some errands, a quick nap and we finished things off with small group. It was a pretty great weekend filled with family & friends and also some relaxation...can't ask for any more than that!

Elyse Love ~ 28 Weeks...& the 3rd Trimester!

2011-09-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that we're already into the third trimester! I've started seeing the Christmas countdowns in stores and on the television and it's so crazy to think that before Christmas arrives we'll be holding our precious baby girl in our arms. Seriously, this is getting real...Nick & I are going to be parents!

I did backtrack a bit and do a 27 week recap, so if you're really just SO interested in my updates...click here & it will take you back. Mainly I just went back and recapped so I would have it for my own personal knowledge of where I was in this journey!

28w3d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: One more week until an official measurement. I did step on the scales about a week ago and I was pretty much right at where I'd hoped I'd be at this point in between office visits. The truth will certainly come out next week, but I feel good about things right now. As I was shopping on vacation I got lots of "oh my gosh you look incredible for 28 weeks" and trust me, those compliments are priceless at this point!

Gender: My precious baby girl Elyse. I'm already dreaming about the fun mother/daughter & grandma (x2)/mother/daughter excursions we're going to have together!

Movement: This is seriously one of the coolest things. My mom and hubby have both been able to feel Elyse's hiccups in the past week and it's so fun to see their faces light up when they feel the movement!

Sleep: I definitely think that God is already starting to prepare me for less sleep than I'm used to. I have been awake the last 2 mornings almost 45 minutes before my alarm goes off. I wake up wide awake and ready to start the day...of course I don't start the day at that point. I should probably take advantage of the extra time, but I definitely stay in bed as long as I can!

What I miss: If I say nothing then that seems crazy, and if I say everything then I kind of feel like I'm whining. But honestly, I don't miss much of anything really all that horribly! Sure I'd love a nice casear salad, or a cold turkey sandwich, or a Dr. Pepper for every meal....but I'm not going to die if I don't have those things. At this point, I'm just trying to do everything I can to make a safe happy environment for our baby girl!

Cravings: My healthy snacks have definitely helped out in this area. Last night I wanted something sweet & cold so I had a cup of Yoplait light yogurt that I had put in the freezer a few days earlier. I put that in a bowl and it was ALMOST like eating ice cream! Oh, I guess one of the things I am sort of craving is Ritz crackers. I crunched up just a couple of those on my yogurt last night and it was oh so good! ha!

Symptoms: I really consider myself so lucky in this area...no morning sickness, no nausea, no heartburn, no headaches. Really my main symptom is my back pain in the evenings and the fact that I become out of breath so much easier! Our bedroom is upstairs at my in-laws house and I was winded every time I walked up those stairs!

Maternity Clothes: My mom and I went shopping this morning and I'm hopefully set for quite awhile. I may have to pick up a few more things, but I really think that most of what I have should help me survive these next few months. We hit up Motherhood and their new fall selections and I found TONS of stuff that I really liked. I picked up a few things for my maternity photos as well as some dresses for my showers. I also got some staples like dress pants and casual shirts. My non-maternity items that actually work are becoming fewer & fewer so this was a much needed shopping trip.

Thanks mom for your help, it's these times when I'm so excited that we have a baby girl on the way!

Best Moment this week: Today I had my pre-screening appointment with my new OB office. I couldn't be more happy. I didn't even meet my actual nurse or doctor (that comes next week), but the whole staff and the environment just made me feel even more at peace about my decision to switch. One of the first things I noticed at the check-in desk was a cross with a Bible verse on it. I honestly can't even remember what the verse was, and it was such a little thing...but I noticed, and it's a BIG deal to me.

Baby To-Do List: My mom has been tackling the bedding and you guys are seriously not even going to believe how beautiful it is. It's cute and classy and elegant and gorgeous all at the same time! I love it and I'm so thrilled to be able to say that my mom has put it all together. Hopefully we'll have some photos in the next few weeks of it all put together in the nursery. So...nursery bedding..check! Now it's time for the details!

And of course for those of you who are oh so curious...here's my 28 week bump pic!

Michigan Family Visit: 7 days, 6 nights, 5 Beds

2011-09-28T10:57:00.006-05:00

So if you're wondering where I've been for the past week or so...Hubby & I have been out of town spending most of the last week with his parents in Michigan and enjoying our last extended trip as a family of 2. Hubby took care of most of the planning and we had a great time...even if we did sleep in 5 different beds over the course of 5 nights! ha!

Here's the trip recap...

Bed #1:

We flew out of St. Louis and were also able to work in a St. Louis Cardinals game on Wednesday night before boarding our flight on Thursday. We saw a great game and maybe more importantly we were able to add another very special stuffed animal to Lucy's collection...

Meet Leesy Bird, Elyse's very own Build-a-Bear Fredbird!

Hubby & I with some super fabulous seats!

And the Cards win! Now if we only somehow miraculously pull out a win tonight...we'll be in the Playoffs!

After the game on Wednesday, we got up and caught our flight to Michigan to meet Hubby's parents. We had a quick lunch at their house and then headed out again for our Tour de Michigan, West Coast Style. Hubby had meticulously planned a golfing trip along with West Coast of Michigan aka the East Coast of Lake Michigan... for he & his dad coupled with a shopping trip for me & his mom...with plenty of time in the evenings to have dinner together. He did a pretty incredible job & we had a fabulous trip!

Bed #2:

Our first stop was the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph area of Michigan. Hubby had booked us rooms in an adorable bed & breakfast overlooking Lake Michigan.

Our view from the patio...

Gorgeous sunset! Hubby & I (in what I hate to admit is the only photo I have of us on this entire adventure!)

Our cute bed & breakfast!

Unfortunately, the boys had a tee time that didn't really work out for them to have breakfast but it was so delicious...but that didn't stop my mil & I! We had a delicious homemade breakfast with fresh fruit, eggs verde, and a variety of breakfast coffee cakes! yum! We spent the rest of the day shopping in the area of St. Joseph before heading on to our next destination.

The boys were done golfing fairly early so we met up in Saugatuck for some more shopping in another cute little Michigan lakeside town! I didn't snap any photos...but just imagine streets lined with adorable store fronts and pots overflowing with flowers. I just love Michigan towns!

Bed #3:

After Saugatuck, we drove on into Holland, Michigan for our next overnight stay. This town was my favorite and my mother-in-law had a wonderful shopping day sprinkled with lots of yummy food!

We started out with breakfast at The Biscuit...

I ordered a healthy breakfast of eggs, fruit & a glass of milk fully expecting to share with my MIL...she ordered Pumpkin Mousse French Toast! It was absolutely divine!

The shopping in Holland was wonderful & I managed to find a few things for both myself & Elyse along with the start of my Christmas shopping! After lunch we had to have a little snack...cherry pie ala mode of course @ Crane's in the City! YUM!

Bed #4:

After our shopping time in Holland was done (and the rain began to fall), we headed to Grand Rapids, MI for our last overnight stay. We had a nice dinner with the guys, a nice breakfast the next morning at IHOP, and then my MIL & I headed back to their home in the southeast part of Michigan. We stopped at a few more little towns on the way, but with it being Sunday our shopping options were pretty limited. The boys found their way back late in the afternoon and we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and enjoying some time at my in-laws house.

Bed #5:

We spent the next two nights (Sunday & Monday) at my in-laws house and just enjoyed hanging out with no major plans. Our spending money had pretty much been exhausted, but we did head out for an afternoon movie, Moneyball, and one more nice dinner out as a family @ J. Alexander's. Tuesday morning we got up bright and early & headed back to the airport.

Hopefully this will be our last visit to Michigan while my in-laws still live there! While I would certainly love to visit for vacation in the future I am SO ready for them to be back living in Missouri! Next summer those wishes will hopefully become a reality!

Overall it was a fabulous trip, and Elyse & I seemed to travel quite well together! However, I did mention to Hubby that we WILL NOT be switching locations quite so often once we have a child on our hands!

Elyse Love ~ 27 Weeks

2011-09-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

First of all, thank you all for the encouragement about switching doctors. It really was a difficult decision, but I'm at such peace with it now! Your encouragement & comments helped so much! I'm backtracking a bit to get in my Elyse update, mainly just because I didn't want to miss one and I of course failed to get one up before we left for the trip...so enjoy my bump photo from Busch Stadium in STL!

27w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Only time will tell on this one. I feel pretty good about myself right now and I'm certainly not blowing up like a whale so I consider that a success...I guess I'll find out the real numbers next week when I visit my new doctor. However, at this point I would like to think I'm right on track and only gaining true "baby" weight instead of "eat everything in sight" weight! ha!

Gender: Oh Elyse, each day brings more excitement as I think about the arrival of our precious baby girl!

Movement: Movement, movement, & more movement! I did feel her have the hiccups for the first time on Wednesday, September 21st! It was such a consistent, steady rhythm that there was no doubt it had to be hiccups! I'm still loving all the movement, I just continue to wonder and be amazed at how you can possibly be comfortable all curled up in there!

Sleep: Minus the bathroom visits it seems great. I think that God is already starting to prepare me for less sleep than I'm used to. I seem to be waking up earlier, wide awake, and feeling great throughout the day!

What I miss: At this point, pregnancy has just become my way of life. I honestly don't miss anything that really matters and I know that my precious girl will be so worth any sacrifices. With my new non-diet diet...I do miss eating whatever I want and I certainly miss my sweets but thankfully I've found ways to compensate for that!

Cravings: Nothing too absurd thankfully! I'm just trying to eat healthy & snack often...this seems to keep any simple hunger cravings under control!

Symptoms: Ummm...can we say baby bump! ha! I'm very obviously pregnant in most everything I wear and that seems to be the only continuous symptom. I do have some nagging back pain in the evenings and even when I wake up in the morning but that quickly goes away as I start moving around.

Maternity Clothes: All my pants are either leggings, maternity jeans, or maybe a lone pair of jeans/dress pants with a bella band. However, even the Bella Bands are seeing less and less use because they just aren't as comfortable. I got another pair of maternity jeans last weekend which brings my total to 2 whole pair...I'm thinking at least one or 2 more pair should get me through this season if I combine them with leggings!

Best Moment this week: In addition to the movement being incredible, I'd have to say making the decision to switch doctors. And of course all the encouragement I've received after I made the decision. It certainly wasn't an easy one, but now that I've moved on and have scheduled an appointment with a new doctor everything I hear about my new OB is just incredible! I can't wait to meet her in person next week...I can't help but know that this was all in God's hands & He has given me so many signs that I've made the right choice for me and my baby girl.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your sweet comments. They certainly made this pregnant, emotional momma's day!

Baby To-Do List: Oh there's so much to do! And with the stress of switching doctors and then travelling, I haven't really gotten much accomplished. However, I have big plans to be very productive in the next few weeks so stay tuned!

With travelling on the normal day for bump photos you don't get a belly photo...but rest assured I'll be back next week with one!

Making a Switch

2011-09-21T07:21:00.002-05:00

Since this blog is really my only pregnancy journal, I've decided I want/need to document all the important events...both good and bad. And as a warning...this post may get a little wordy, excuse me a moment while I vent. I would say that my most recent pregnancy experiences may end up being very good in the end, but they certainly haven't been very pleasant and they definitely haven't been what I expected. And before I go any farther, let's just say that Elyse & myself are both completely fine...which in the long run is really the most important thing.

At 27 1/2 weeks pregnant, Hubby & I have made the decision to switch doctors. As we enter the third trimester, we've made what we believe is the best decision for Elyse and the best decision for me...even if it is terrifying to start over with a brand new doctor at such a late time in pregnancy. My old doctor may have been fine as a gynecologist, but in regards to the OB side of things...we (myself, Hubby, my parents, close friends) have been less than impressed.

From the very beginning I've sort of felt a lack of information being passed on...you know this is my FIRST pregnancy. So when a doctor asks you if you have any questions without really giving you any information to ask about, it's hard to even know where to begin. I mean I've never done this before, so how am I even supposed to know what questions I SHOULD be asking at this point? I've recently decided that in the future, if anyone where to ask me that question and I don't have any specific questions, I should follow their question up with...."I don't have any questions, but what should I be asking at this stage?" or "What do others ask at this point?" However, bottom line is that I don't feel like I should have to rely on my lack of questiosn to gain knowledge...information should be being thrown at me almost faster than I can process it. And then I would have questions.

There have been LONG (usually hour-long & at every appointment) waits in the waiting room, lack of communication by nursing staff between themselves and lack of communication to me, all of which have lead to me feeling less than confident in their opinions...no matter how professional they may be.

The final straw came last week when I received a phone call stating that I hadn't passed my 3-hour glucose test "good enough." This might have been acceptable, except that the prior week I had received a phone call stating that I had passed but needed to watch my diet and NO further testing would be required. Conflicting information?! Definitely. I was told that the office wanted me to follow a strict diet for the next couple of weeks and then after that time when I saw my doctor for my regular monthly checkup the 3-hour glucose test would be scheduled again and I would need to retake the test. When I questioned this whole situation, the nurse making the call used what I consider to be some incredibly unprofessional "scare tactics" to convince me that this was what was best for me and my baby. She said she'd be putting a packet in the mail with my diet information and they would see me in 2 1/2 weeks at my regularly scheduled appointment. Oh...and about an hour later, I get a similar phone call from another nurse with the same information...apparently they don't document files very well in that office.

To say I was upset was a serious understatement. At first it was simply fear of taking the 3-hour glucose test again, but it quickly changed from fear to anger that they would give me conflicting information and expect me to do this all on my own without a separate office visit to discuss my situation. Things certainly didn't improve when I got my "packet" of information in the mail regarding my new diet. It was simply a pamphlet from the American Diabetes Assocation with what seemed to me a CRAZY diet for a woman who is 27 weeks pregnant to be following...it wasn't for a pregnant woman, but for someone who has diabetes.

I'm no nutritionist, and I'm not a dietician, but my common sense tells me that an 1800 calorie diet that calls for 50% of my diet to be carbohydrates doesn't really lend itself to controlling my sugar. Apparently my common sense wasn't the only one who thought this was a little strange, in the past week Hubby & I have talked with my parents, his parents, my best friends (who are all mom's and have been through this before), and even a good family friend who is in the nutrition industry. None of those people seem to think that the way I've been treated is acceptable, and they definitely feel that a second opinion is required.

This final straw has led to lots of discussion and lots of prayer, all with one goal in mind...what is best for the health of Elyse & also myself?

And after a week of going back and forth, I made the phone call on Monday. I made an appointment with a very highly-recommended OB for one day after my next scheduled appointment with my old doctor. And yesterday, I called and cancelled that appointment and requested my medical records be sent out.

It's been a stressful time, which in and of itself is not healthy for our baby girl. I feel completely at peace with our decision and I know that God has been leading me in the direction I should go. It's not about taking the 3-hour glucose test again, or following an 1800 calorie diet, or even gaining a little too much weight at my last appointment. It's all about the health of this precious baby girl growing inside of me and doing everything in my power to protect her...even before she graces this earth with her presence. Because I would do all of those things a thousand times over if it meant what was best for Elyse.

I'm so thankful for the peace I feel after making the switch...I haven't even met with the new doctor yet but the office staff has already made me feel right at home and I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead!

The Sing-Off: It's Back!

2011-09-19T21:32:00.003-05:00

Tonight brought back one of my favorite shows of all-time! The Sing-Off!

This is seriously one of Hubby & I's don't miss, can't wait until the DVR is finished to start, waiting for it to come one shows.

I'm so thrilled about this new season. I love that it's a full-length season instead of just a few weeks. I love that they are starting with 16 groups instead of 8. And I do personally love the switch-up at the judges table...Sara Bareilles seems to fit so much better with Shawn & Ben!

Our First "Fall" Weekend

2011-09-18T21:15:00.002-05:00

Things were definitely feeling a lot more like fall around here this weekend. Friday was fairly nice outside, but definitely much cooler and the rest of the weekend brought dreary, rainy, cloudy, weather. However, with the drought we've been having I'm not complaining about a rainy weekend!

Friday was a short day for me because our town festival was this weekend and makes it virtually impossible to get to our office on Friday afternoon. So...we shut down early & I enjoyed a short Friday at work. I spent some of the afternoon decking our house for fall and enjoyed getting out my pumpkin collection. I really try to avoid holiday specific decorations for the fall, i.e. Halloween or Thanksgiving, so I don't have to redecorate again until Christmas. Most everything stayed the same, but I did take some inspiration from Pinterest and came with this new decoration. I think it turned out pretty darn cute and I'm glad I was able to repurpose something I already had out for the spring/summer and turn it into something for fall.

Old-fashioned milk carton holder filled with candy corn, some decorative sticks, & a piece of fall ribbon...such an easy transformation!
And with the sticks down in the candy corn, now I'm not tempted to eat it!

Hubby & I spent Friday evening at home. I made BBQ Chicken Pizza...Yum! We also made a trip to our favorite pumpkin place & managed to get quite the deal since their cash register wasn't working properly. Now we just need to pick up some mums and some cornstalks and our front porch will be all set for fall!

We finished off Friday evening with popcorn and a movie on the couch. We watched Something Borrowed and it was definitely enjoyable. I assumed I would like the movie, but you never know when a book you really enjoy is made into a movie...it can either be really good or really bad!

Saturday we headed down to my parents' house so I could hang out with my mom while Hubby helped my dad at an event for the town festival....the annual duck race! I was hoping to get some great photos of 340 yellow plastic duckies floating down the creek, but the torrential rain & thunderstorms kind of ruined those plans! They still held the race though...because it certainly was a good day to be a duck!!

Hubby & I spent the rest of the afternoon watching football with my parents & then headed out to run some errands and have dinner. I was in desperate need of another pair of maternity jeans & a few other things! We had a nice dinner at HuHot Monogolian Grill, picked up birthday presents for our nephews, and called it a night!

Today was church, followed by nursery/preschool duty, followed by another rainy afternoon...perfect for a Sunday afternoon nap! We finished off the evening with small group & seriously it's such a great way to end the weekend! Sure..there are times when I wish we could just stay home and prepare for the week, but I've decided there's no better way to get recharged for the week than to gather together with 10 or so of your favorite people who love on you and encourage you! What a blessing!

Elyse Love ~ 26 Weeks

2011-09-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

26w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Hmmm...well if I were just guessing I honestly feel like I haven't gained hardly anything. But, only a scale would tell the whole truth. Hubby & I have been able to walk outside the majority of evenings and my diet has basically taken a 180 degree turn. Let's just say that in this regard, this "perfect pregnancy" hasn't been so perfect in the last few weeks. I'm planning to write a full post about it, mainly just to vent & document every moment of this expeirence, but there have certainly been moments these past few weeks when pregnancy hasn't been much fun. Oh I know the rewards are going to be so worth it, but frustration has definitely set in a few times...

Gender: We're having a precious little baby girl...Elyse Ann. It's so fun to fully know what we're having and to be able to plan for our sweet darling. I'm so tempted to buy clothing and cute things, but I've been trying to focus my spending on the nursery because I know we'll get so many cute things for her in the coming weeks at the couple of showers we have planned. My precious mother-in-law has made several receiving blanket/burp rag sets and I have plans to share those very soon...they are all so precious!

Movement: I think right now this is one of the greatest blessings of all. Anytime I'm feeling a little bit down, or frustrated, or just tired...God tells Leesy to move her little arms & legs just right for me to remember what a precious blessing I have. What's going on inside me right now is an incredible miracle, and I remind myself of that each & every day. I'm so thankful to have Elyse's precious movements because they bring such joy to my heart each and every time.

Sleep: No big changes here. In bed around 10, up once for the bathroom, and back down until 6:00-6:30ish. I'm thankful for the consistent sleep and even with tossing & turning a bit, my sleep seems to be pretty great.

What I miss: Bending over easily, working in the house without tiring too easily, my sweet treats after dinner, buying all the cute fall things that are starting to fill the stores....these are all such minor things but they are certainly things I miss nonetheless.

Cravings: With my food intake & diet changes, I'm so thankful that I haven't had any major cravings that seem to overtake me! There are basically just times when I crave food, food of any sort...which of course means I'm hungry. It's in those times that I make sure and drink plenty of water, grab a piece of fruit, or a snack high in protein like almonds or a cheese stick. These simple things seem to curb my hunger until the next meal time.

Symptoms: As I come closer to the start of the third trimester I feel like my emotions have taken over. I feel like I've cried more in the past 2 weeks than I have the entire pregnancy. Now...let's be honest, I feel justified on most of the things I've cried about, but I've also had my fair share of ridiculous cry fits. Thankfully Hubby has been completely understanding and wants me to just "let it out" even when I feel like a crazy, hormonal pregnant woman...oh wait, that's exactly what I am!

Maternity Clothes: With fall starting to creep in, I'm thankful to say that I shouldn't have to buy any more "summer-type" maternity clothes. I've got several long sleeve tunics/dresses that should be find to pair with leggings and give me several work options. Several of my dress pants also still work great with my Bella Bands which I am sooo happy about. I'm really pushing off buying maternity dress pants as long as possible but I'm thinking a couple of pair are in my future. Of course with the comfort of my maternity jeans, I may decide to wear maternity pants full time even post-pregnancy! ha!

Best Moment this week: Honestly, it's been a roller coaster week but I'll share more later when I'm ready. I would have to say the highlight has been having the furniture delivered. It really makes the nursery feel cozy and I can't wait until it all starts coming together. Now we just have to start filling the room with all the fun details!

Baby To-Do List: I've been slacking this week...I'll confess. I really need to sit down and make an extensive to-do list of things to accomplish before Elyse gets here. I still keep hoping this whole nesting mentality will kick in very soon! I mean honestly, her due date is basically 90 days away! yikes!

And of course, here's the belly photo...

Hit by a Bug x 2

2011-09-14T10:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday should have been one of those days where I wake up early because I'm so excited I can't sleep! You see, the majority of our nursery furniture was supposed to be delivered yesterday morning.

However, instead I woke up early feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I woke up long before my alarm went off with some tightness in my chest, a little bit of a racing heartbeat, and probably most obvious, weakness & aching all over my body. I was never concerned about Elyse as she was moving all over the place and for some reason God just gave me a peace about her well-being.

I tried to relax and fall back to sleep but that wasn't happening. I tossed and turned until Hubby got up and it was then I realized just how miserable I was. So...I stayed at home yesterday and did absolutely nothing. Hubby stayed with me until the furniture was delivered & assembled and I think he was secretly wishing he could miss the whole day...because he was having some pretty serious allergy problems as well. My mom came up and fixed me some lunch, and then we hung out for most of the afternoon. I wasn't really tired, but I couldn't sleep because of my aching body either.

It was during lunch that I realized I was running a very low-grade fever and made a call to my OB's office just to check in. They said to just take it easy, drink plenty of fluids, and take Tylenol as needed for my fever. Finally during the afternoon my fever broke and I started feeling much better. I was able to shower & pick up a little around the house.

Hubby brought Subway home for dinner and we both camped out in the living room for the night. It wasn't until about 9 pm that we realized Hubby's symptoms were incredibly similar to mine, but he had the allergy symptoms as well. Low grade fever, body that felt like he'd been in a bar fight, tiredness, weakness. Yup, I think we both somehow caught the same 24-hour bug. Thankfully he took some Tylenol, headed to bed, and his fever broke sometime during the night.

This morning we both woke up feeling almost 100% and I'm so thankful! Yesterday we were both miserable. Being sick stinks...and it stinks even more at 26 weeks preggo!

I'll have some photos of our nursery furniture soon! It looks so fabulous and I'm so happy with our choices!

A LOVE-ly September Weekend

2011-09-11T21:24:00.004-05:00

Hubby & I have had a fabulous weekend, full of some quality time with friends and also just some quality time spent by ourselves.

We started out on Friday evening with the wedding of two of our best friends. They are both in our small group and they are just both incredible people. I hadn't been this excited about a wedding in a long time...mainly just because I'm so, so happy for them!

The Bride & Groom during the ceremony
First Dance

The small group members who were able to attend! Such an incredible group of people that God has blessed us with!

Nick got some "daddy" practice with our godson Cohen. He sure does love wedding cake...and any other food for that matter!

Besties...Andrea & I along with her little girl Lydia! I can't wait for Lydia to teach Elyse about all things girly!

After a late night on Friday, we spent Saturday morning relaxing and also working around the house. It's amazing what you can get accomplished when you feel even the tiniest bit motivated! Maybe my nesting instinct is finally kicking in!

Around the middle of the afternoon, Hubby & I headed out for a quick little staycation in Branson. Thanks to his golfing abilities, and a friend who had a nice alumni golf tourney, Hubby won a free night's stay in a really nice suite in Branson @ the Keeter Center. It was the perfect evening and a great place to just get away for a night.

We checked in and then went to Branson Landing for some shopping, dinner at Cantina Laredo (my favoritest place to eat ever!), and as luck would have it...a rescheduled fireworks show from July 3rd that was rained out! Talk about perfect planning!

The fountain & fire show at the Landing...so fun to watch!

And my favorite part of Cantina Laredo...Apple Pie for dessert! A slice of apple pie placed on a hot skillet topped with cinnamon ice cream & brandy butter...there are simply no words!

Hubby & I @ dinner

The fireworks...which were shot off from a barge in the middle of Lake Taneycomo.

The air was so still that the smoke just kind of hung in the air...creating this crazy effect as the fireworks blew up in the middle of the smoke! Probably not quite what the organizers were going for, but there would have been no way to plan for this little issue!

When we got back to the room we had turn-down service complete with chocolates on the pillow, a plate full of cookies and fresh milk in the refrigerator! Oh and see that glass milk jug on the right? Yeah that included our requests for complimentary continental breakfast and other room service options! Talk about good service!

A view of our room...it had a great "lodge" feel and was such a great getaway location...even if it was just for one night.

Our breakfast tray. Fresh fruit, muffins, and oatmeal for me. It was delicious!

The view from our room

This morning we headed home and spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing...a quick cat-nap was definitely in order for me after my weekly grocery store run and some laundry.

Tonight we headed to church for a small group kickoff night. We had a pretty good turnout and I just hope that some of those families who aren't connected with a small group will soon join one! Small group is something that has seriously changed our lives, both as individuals and as a married couple and I think everyone should be a part of such a wonderful support group!

Elyse Love ~ 25 Weeks

2011-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

More than today being my pregnancy recap of 25 weeks, I also just realized that today marks the 100 day mark.

25w6d

100 days until our precious baby, Elyse Ann, is due to join us in this world. 100 days until our lives change forever. 100 days until Hubby & I are thrown into a world that we know absolutely nothing about. And 100 days until we become responsible for one of God's greatest miracles ever performed, the birth of a child.

So today, since honestly there haven't been a whole lot of changes in my pregnancy journey (except for some major food changes, which deserve a post of their own for next week) I've decided to write my first letter to my baby girl.

Precious Elyse,

Even speaking your name at this point seems so unreal. It's so unbelieveable to me that God has thought your daddy & I worthy to be called parents. We are both so incredibly excited to begin this journey with you, but also so incredibly scared. While we've certainly heard that being a parent is hard work, I know that we will never truly understand until we experience it for ourselves.

You are going to be a beautiful baby girl and I can't even begin to imagine what our life will look like once you become a part of it. We already have such high hopes for you. Hopes that you will love Jesus in a way that I can't even explain. Hopes that you will be beautiful, on the outside but more importantly on the inside. Hopes that our love for you will almost be tangible and that you would know that we would do absolutely anything for you.

In just a few short months, you will be joinng this crazy world that we all live in each & every day. I know that there is no way we'll be able to protect you each and every day from all of the dangers & pressures of life, but sweet girl, I already pray for those things. I pray that God would give your daddy & I the wisdom and the knowledge and the support to guide us as we embark on this incredible journey.

Leesy, you are already the light of our lives and I can't hardly wait until I can hold you in my arms. You have already taught us so much, maybe most of all that before you I was such a selfish person and life now isn't ever about me but about protecting and caring for the ones you love. I want you to know above all else that you are loved beyond measure. Loved by your momma and daddy, and by so many other family & friends, and most importantly by your Heavenly Father up above who will be there when it seems that no one else will be.

Love always,

Momma

Maternity Photos @ 24 Weeks

2011-09-08T10:17:00.006-05:00

I know that all of you are just waiting anxiously to read this week's Elyse Love...but unfortunately you're just gonna have to wait. Hubby had to leave for work super early this morning and of course we failed to take a photo last night...and let's be honest, I'm just not the greatest at taking photos of myself in the mirror!

So...instead of a pregnancy update, here's a few of the maternity photos my good friend Tyler took last week. We have plans to take some more when I'm farther along, but he's just getting his business going and wanted some maternity shots for his website/portfolio. Check him out on Facebook here if you're in the Southwest Missouri area...he's reasonable and I'm super happy with the shots!

~all photos courtesy of Tyler Wilson, 410 Photography

Hump Day Ramblings

2011-09-07T13:41:00.004-05:00

It's Wednesday, but feels like Tuesday, but feels like Wednesday because there's only 2 work days left...and I've got pretty much nothing except for a whole lot of randomness!

~I've jumped on the Pinterest Bandwagon! You can follow me here. I have not yet become as addicted as some of my friends, but it's really been so helpful already! Healthy recipes, non-healthy recipes, holiday decorating, Elyse's nursery....oh the possibilities are endless!

~The weather in Missouri never ceases to amaze me! It was 90+ on Saturday and mid-70s on Sunday! Thankfully the 70s have stuck around and I actually feel like being outside for more than the 2 minutes it takes for me to walk from the mailbox into the house.

I mean...seriously! Who can complain about those temps!?!

~With the nice weather, Hubby & I have actually been able to take Bogey on a walk the past few nights. My goal is to walk approximately 2 miles around our subdivision (which is 3 laps) at least 4-5 nights a week. We've got 3 nights down already this week and it's felt so good!

~It seems that for all the weight I'm putting on, Nick is determined to lose that much...and maybe more! He ran a 5k last week and has plans for at least one more 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon...all before the middle of November. He's running 4 days a week and I couldn't be more proud!

~And a new recipe that may have replaced my old faithful, Bisquick pancakes or waffles...say hello to Pancake French Toast. This is so delicious and so easy! And it really does taste like a combination of both...
Happy Hump Day everyone!

Labor Day Weekend: Beautiful!

2011-09-05T18:38:00.004-05:00

I absolutely LOVE three-day weekends. LOVE THEM. Ok, let's be honest. I'm not really sure if I love the 3-day weekend or if I love the 4-day work week that follows...but either way I'd take more of them if I could!

Hubby & I have had a full plate this weekend but as I sit here tonight, I feel incredibly good about the productive weekend we've had!

Friday night we officially moved the guest bed out of Elyse's future room and transported it up to Hubby's aunt's house. It obviously wasn't a one-MAN job, so my dad helped out with his strength along with their truck and we got things moved quite quickly. Afterwards we headed to a local sports' bar for a casual dinner and enjoyed some great conversation with my parents. (Even though I work with my dad every day & see my mom normally once a day as well, it's still so nice to spend some time with them outside of the work environment!)

Saturday was a busy day! I headed to work until noon while Hubby went off and ran a 5k. He's in training for his first 1/2 Marathon in November! yikes! I'll definitely be the extremely pregnant woman standing on the side of the road cheering as loud as I can! After a quick lunch at home, we headed out for the day's main event...Hubby's cousin's wedding in Fayetteville, AR. We took advantage of the no-dinner reception, and a had a wonderful dinner beforehand at Theo's. We practically had the place to ourselves since most every normal person in Fayetteville was just a few blocks away at the U of A football game! Dinner was fabulous and such a good choice for before the ceremony.

Speaking of the actual wedding...yeah, I have NO photos. Mainly because this girl felt as if she was going to MELT! The ceremony was outside and with no breeze it was ridiculously hot! With a 2-hour drive home, Hubby & I made our presence known and then gracefully headed out.

Yesterday was the most laid back of the weekend. Nothing major...just our typical Sunday schedule with church, lunch, and some time on the couch. We did meet up with Hubby's mom & aunt before his mom headed back to Michigan today. The weather has finally turned to Fall, and we finished off the evening with a nice walk around our subdivision. I'm so thankful for some cooler temps to be able to enjoy the outdoors!

Today was probably the highlight of the weekend...well, at least for me! It's been a productive Labor Day as we got Elyse's nursery painted, picked up my rocker/glider and ottoman and Hubby even had some time to work outside. ALL of the windows are open, the a/c is turned to OFF, and it's been a fabulous day!

And...this is what we've been up to all day!

A before shot...

Finally filling in the scripture to represent our precious baby girl...

With the windows open...Bogey was able to watch us all day!

And an after shot...complete with my new rocker/glider & ottoman!

So what do you think? Does he fit the part?!?

Can't wait to hold my baby girl in this chair!

It was a fabulously productive day...bring on the work week!

Elyse Love ~ 24 Weeks

2011-09-01T15:26:00.002-05:00

24w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So you know how I failed the initial glucose test? Well, turns out I also didn't do so hot in the weight gain department either! The nurse practitioner that I saw on Monday told me not to freak out, because in all honesty I didn't gain a single pound for the first 4 months of this adventure. However, I'm definitely trying to be a little more health-conscious. Dieting is obviously not an option, but better choices certainly are! I don't want to be reprimanded at my next appointment...that's for sure!

Gender: We're having a precious little baby girl...Elyse Ann. I'm proud to admit that we haven't gone completely overboard in buying stuff just yet, but I know that once the nursery starts coming together and the closet gets more organized...the clothes and shoes and bows will start free-flowing into our house!

Movement: YES!!! A ton of it! Nick actually felt some very subtle movement earlier this week and I can't wait until he can see her move and feel her consistently! I just love all the little flutters...the hard kicks, not so much! ha! But regardless I love feeling her and knowing that she's moving around in her warm little place!

Sleep: Sleep is still great, you know, minus the trip to the bathroom every night! I've been trying to drink plenty of water but monitor my intake later into the evening...this seems to be helping with my nightly bathroom trips!

What I miss: Hmmm...at this point it's all just starting to become my new way of life for now. Sure, I miss some foods and I miss being able to work as hard and I miss being able to look the same in my old clothes...but the rewards are starting to look sweeter & sweeter as we get closer to the end of the 2nd trimester! I can't believe it's almost less than 100 days until she arrives!

Cravings: Still nothing too weird... As I mentioned above, I'm really starting to watch my food intake. No, I'm not dieting but I'm also really trying to avoid the "I'm pregnant so I can eat WHATEVER I want" mentality. I know this will be good for both Elyse & myself in the long run!

Symptoms: Well it's certainly a growing belly that is most obvious right now! I'm thankful for the lack of any other major symptoms besides a few extra pounds...

Maternity Clothes: The dress I have on in this week's photo is one from The Limited I picked up back in the late summer. It's the perfect item that will "grow" with me and will still be cute & stylish even after Elyse arrives. These are my favorite pieces to buy right now...stuff I will be able to wear before, right after, and even after I hopefully get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight! I do have to say that I received my first pair of maternity jeans in the mail this week from Old Navy. They were seriously a God-send! So much more comfortable than my old jeans with a Bella Band...thus, I think more maternity pants will be in my very near future!

Best Moment this week: Definitely not my experience yesterday! One of our mutual friends is trying to build up his photography portfolio so we met up to have some maternity photos taken. We have plans to take some more once the nursery is finished and once I'm a little further along, but I can't wait to see the finished photos. You can bet I'll share a few once I have them in my possession!

Baby To-Do List: With all the craziness from earlier this week we really haven't gotten many baby things accomplished. However we have major plans for the weekend which include completing the cleanout of the nursery & painting! I think for now we're going with one solid coat for the whole room with accents of color...I can't wait to see it start coming together!

And of course, here's the belly photo...

walk and not faint...literally

2011-08-31T17:03:00.002-05:00

So I realize I've been a little absent from the blogging world these past few days and trust me...I have a great excuse. You see my most recent dr's appointment from last week was rescheduled to Monday morning because my dr. and also the nurse practitioner were unable to see me due to unforeseen circumstances. So...Monday morning Hubby & I head up to the dr's office for a quick visit and maybe most importantly...the results of my glucose tolerance test.

Well, I failed the test. And yes, those are the exact words the nurse used..."you failed the glucola test." Let me just tell you that the word fail or any variation of the word is not something that a pregnant woman wants to hear. What does failing mean you might wonder? Well, it's not pleasant. Failing means that you are then required to make an appointment at the actual hospital for a 4 hour test. The timeline goes like this...fast for at least 8 hours prior to test, fasting blood draw, wait for fasting lab results, drink super duper sweet glucose drink on an empty stomach, blood draw at 1 hour, blood draw at 2 hours, and blood draw at 3 hours.

Needless to say I was freaking out. I DON'T DO NEEDLES, or blood draws, or really anything that might make me even feel weird. I was freaking out to the point of yesterday having to lay down in the floor at work just thinking about it, like freaking out crying because I was so scared. 4 blood draws in 4 hours...I just knew that I couldn't do it.

And then I remembered something and was reminded of something from so many of those who love me, it's not about me anymore. It's about this precious baby girl growing inside of me and it's about me doing anything and everything I can to protect her. My mom fully believes that she helped me through the blood draw last week and that she would help me through this test as well.

This morning I woke up and definitely didn't feel well. I was feeling panicky already as I thought about what the next several hours would hold. And so I prayed. I had been praying for the last 48 hours. I prayed as I was going to sleep last night and when I woke up this morning. I prayed in the shower and as I was brushing my teeth.

And when I was ready to go this morning with a few minutes to spare, I decided to sit down and read my devotional even though I figured I wouldn't be able to focus on anything but the task at hand. I said a quick prayer that God would show me his power and show me something to give me peace...and this verse is exactly what I found...

Isaiah 40:31~
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Those words were exactly what I needed to read. I realize that God probably had a much more spiritual meaning when he gave these words to Isaiah, but more me today they were very literal. Because from that time forward I knew I could do it. I knew that even if it hurt a little bit or if I felt a little sick, that God would pull me through. I knew that all those prayer warriors who had been called to pray on my behalf were going to be interceding for me in ways that I've never experienced before.

Let me just tell you, God showed up today. For something that might sound simple to so many, this might have been the time when I absolutely needed Him the most, and he certainly didn't disappoint. I was absolutely terrified. He held me each and every time I walked into that lab room and he held me when I thought I was going to be sick from the syrupy drink and he held me at the end when I thought I was either going to fall asleep or pass out from the lack of energy & calories in my system.

He made me strong, even when there was no way I thought I could be strong on my own.

Busy Start, Slow Finish Weekend

2011-08-28T15:58:00.005-05:00

It was definitely the tale of two weekends for Hubby & I the past three days. Friday night & Saturday were both busy, busy but thankfully today included practically no plans which was a welcome relief!

Friday night was the bachelorette party for one of my best girlfriends! We had a fairly casual, but fun night planned for her and I think she definitely counted the celebration a success. We started out with heavy appetizers & inappropriate cake at one of the other girls' homes and had a quick little personal shower before heading out.

The beautiful bride-to-be with one of her gifts! ha!

Being preggo, I was of course one of the designated driver's, and also got the privilege of being behind the camera to capture all the fun! However, to protect the guilty and also the innocent, I decided to leave most of my pictures safe & sound on my computer! ha!

A serious group photo before heading out for the scavenger hunt...

and of course a funny shot as well...

After opening gifts, we headed to downtown Springfield for some fun and to help Andrea out with completing her bachelorette scavenger hunt! It was seriously such a blast & she was such a great sport...but this preggo's feet & legs were exhausted by the end of the night. It was close to 1 a.m. before I made it into bed, and trust me, this girl didn't stay up until 1 a.m. even before I was preggo!

All the girls' at one of our downtown stops~not sure what's going on with Bethany in the middle of the photo!

Unfortunately, my body has been so accustomed to NOT sleeping in, that I wasn't really able to catch up on much sleep on Saturday morning. However, we didn't have any plans so I took advantage of that and managed to stay in bed until close to 11...even if I wasn't sleeping, at least I was resting! I was really worried that after the night before my ankles would be all swollen...thankfully I was wrong!

We did receive a package especially for Elyse from her Mamaw & Pappy in Michigan! It came on Friday, but Hubby & I weren't home together to open it until Saturday morning! While I love these fun packages, I'm so happy we won't be receiving them much longer...since they'll be moving back in hopefully less than a year! Yippee!

Inside were some homemade baby washclothes, a receiving blanket & a matching burp rag for our precious baby girl. I just love all the homemade items!

Saturday afternoon Hubby & I headed down to Branson with hopes of finding some good deals on summer clothing closeouts for Elyse. I hate to admit it, but it was a big fat failure in that regards, but we did have a fun time looking around and looking at various things for our little girl!

We finished off the evening with pizza at Reeds Spring Pizza Co. Several months ago, they were voted by USA Today as having the best pizza in Missouri and we had yet to try it out! We were definitely happy with the pizza, but I'm not sure I would vote it as the absolute best in Missouri. Honestly, I'm not sure how you would even choose the best pizza in Missouri...there's just too much variety!

We came home and I hit the couch early...I was exhausted from being on my feet so much!

Today we had a laidback morning and went to the 2nd service at church because Hubby had a meeting after the service for small group leaders. The meeting was short & sweet and instead of working around the house or getting much of anything accomplished, we've spent most of the entire afternoon lounging on the couch watching tv and snoozing! It's been a great change from the past two days!

Tonight we'll head off for another small group meeting & then it'll be time for another work week...I can't believe that this week marks the start of September! The summer just flew by!

Elyse Love ~ 23 Weeks

2011-08-25T08:51:00.003-05:00

23w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Well, I was planning on getting another official number yesterday, but my dr's appointment had to be rescheduled due to my doctor being in surgery longer than expected. In the last week, I've really tried to make an effort to avoid lots of extra "junk" snacks and I'm trying to really only eat when I'm actually hungry. The weight seems to be appearing more in my thighs and backend now, but I guess that's all part of being almost 6 months pregnant!

Gender: We're having a precious little baby girl...Elyse Ann. As everyone learns her name and starts calling her Elyse or Leesy, I fall in love with the name even more and more. I just know it's going to be the perfect fit for our precious girl!

Movement: YES!!! A ton of it! Recently I'm wondering if this little girl is sleeping or resting at all!!! Not a good sign for the future of sleeping in our house. She seems to be moving at all hours of the day (and night) and I've even been able to witness my belly moving as she kicks and moves around in there!

Sleep: Sleeping without my Snoogle has been a great transition. I feel like I can move more easily throughout the night and I'm not noticing that I sleep on my back anymore than I was before. If I wake up on my back, I just use that as a good sign to turn over. Sleep is still great, you know, minus the trip to the bathroom every night!

What I miss: I can tell that the physical things I will miss are going to start appearing...I miss being able to paint my own toenails. Yup, I did that for the last time on last Friday night and it about killed me! Needless to say it was a less than perfect job. I also miss just being able to bend over easily and pick something up or not be out of breath as soon as I finish a very easy, small activity. I'm also starting to miss the way all my clothes USED to fit. Talk about a dose of humility for a pregnant woman...

Cravings: It's still so crazy that I haven't had any super weird cravings. I still enjoy my sweets, and my fresh fruit but honestly I've always enjoyed those things...even pre-pregnancy. As I mentioned above, I'm really starting to watch my food intake. No, I'm not dieting but I'm also really trying to avoid the "I'm pregnant so I can eat WHATEVER I want" mentality. I know this will be good for both Elyse & myself in the long run!

Symptoms: The easyness of this pregancy still continues to amaze me and I hate to even mention it for fear of Sure, there are times when I get a slight headache or I have a minor case of heartburn, but those were all things that would have happened pre-pregnancy so I certainly don't consider them symptoms!

Maternity Clothes: The bump is definitely showing! I did breakdown and order a couple of pairs of pants from Old Navy this week...most importantly a pair of maternity jeans and some new leggings. Contrary to what everyone has told me, I'm carrying this baby girl extremely low...which is resulting in my pants not fitting as long as I would like them to. I'm still able to wear most things with the Bella Band, but there are a few pairs of pants that have been officially retired until this whole process is over! Hopefully I'll be able to get back into them after Elyse arrives!

Best Moment this week: Well I hope it continues as a best moment...I survived the glucola drink and the blood test after it (which if you've been reading my posts at all, you know that this is a huge accomplishment)! I didn't even feel light-headed or start sweating or anything! As silly as it is, I'm so proud of myself! I won't hear the results until Monday morning but hopefully I passed...I may not be so courageous if I have to undergo the 3 hour test! It's also been absolutely incredible to feel her moving around so much more in there...when I stop to think about the little miracle growing inside of me it truly becomes a bit overwhelming!

Baby To-Do List: Well, the baby registry is practically complete! We decided not to register at Walmart, and just complete the entire list at Babies R Us or our local baby boutique. The selection at our local Walmart just isn't great and if people decide to order online they can just use Babies R Us. I've also finalized the plans for which fabric goes where in regards to the bedding & window treatments along with starting to research some options for the wall above Elyse's crib. I'm so excited to see the finished product...even if it will be several weeks before it's even close!

And of course, here's the belly photo...complete with the Bella Band working it's magic!

Dinner with Schmucks...err...Friends!

2011-08-23T09:56:00.003-05:00

In the last few weeks, Nick & I have had the opportunity to have a wide variety of "double-date" nights. Some of those have been actual dinner & a movie, some just dinner, and others had another activity thrown into the mix. We've met up with friends from college, friends from high school, couples from church, and couples from small group.

But one thing has become so very apparent and has remained the same no matter what the details, life without great friends would be so incredibly boring! I am so thankful each & every day for the group of people that God has brought into our lives through such a variety of ways.

We need those people each day to lift us up and provide support for us in times of need and in times of triumph. We'll need those people even more as we embark on this next great adventure of bringing a child into this world. And we'll need them when life gets us down and we don't have anywhere to turn except to those who love us and know us the best.

There are definitely things you learn as you grow even just slightly older, and the importance of friends and strong relationships is one that I don't think I have every fully realized until now. The fact that Nick & I enjoy hanging out together in a "double date" setting and that we don't have our own "group" of friends has only served to strengthen our marriage and to give us so many different sounding boards as we walk down the paths of life.

Don't get me wrong, there's always a place for an occasional girls' night or guys' night but you know what...those girls' nights or guys' nights almost always include the husbands & wives from our mutual friends. And that my friends is one of the greatest blessings from God that I could have ever received...

A Baby-Full Weekend

2011-08-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

It was a full weekend for Hubby & I, nothing too crazy but time just seemed to get filled up in a hurry! However, Friday night we had absolutely NO plans and decided to take advantage of it. Breakfast for dinner (french toast, eggs, bacon) had been on the menu, but after a quick little tweak and my attempt to try and eat healthier for Elyse & I, I decided on a different breakfast for dinner. A simple bowl of cereal and a peach...and it was perfect! ha! We watched the movie Limitless while vegged out on the couch and I couldn't have asked for a better Friday!

Saturday things were pretty much go, go, go from the time I woke up. My mom was helping to host the family shower for my cousin at her house so I headed down a little early to help out. We had a great turnout with some yummy food and my cousin got lots of great things for her precious baby boy! I can't believe I'll be having my own family shower in a little over a month!

My cousin Virginia with her two hosts...my momma and my Aunt Belinda!

And no...my mom and I did not plan to dress alike! But don't we look fabulous in blue??

I headed home from the shower in time to rest for just a bit before Hubby & I headed out for some more baby fun. Yup...Saturday was the day for registering! I was already prepared to be overwhelmed, and I definitely was. We first headed to Babies R Us for most of the essentials & then we headed to a local baby boutique called Bella Baby for some of the more fun stuff! I did pretty well, but I was absolutely exhausted!

I didn't ever have an official breakdown, but I may have possibly plopped myself down right in the middle of the baby monitor aisle while Hubby & I discussed our options. I totally should have had Hubby snap a picture but let's be real, I was too tired to even think about that. Now to be honest, the nice employees had said we could come back to the registry desk for a rest at any time...but that was all the way at the back of the store and at that point I really didn't care if I was sitting in the middle of a store aisle!

See, I've decided that no matter how prepared I might have been, it's still just ridiculously overwhelming to know what stuff to register for and how many and what bottles and what pacifiers and Huggies/Pampers and blankets and crib sheets (cotton, sateen, or knit?) and video/audio monitor, etc., etc., etc.! However, for the most part it's done. We still plan on registering at Walmart for some more of the practical items but the big part of the registry has been taken care of! Woo woo!

We finished off our night with pizza from one of our favorite local pizza joints, The Pizza House, and then shared a giant cupcake from The Cup. After a fairly quick stop at the grocery store, it was time to head home and call it a night. Whew, it was quite the day!

Sunday we had an incredible service at church about God being Adonai, Supreme Lord of our life. What a slap in the face! How often I claim to be a good Christian woman but I don't truly let Jesus be Lord!

We had a fairly free afternoon before it was time for Small Group to start up again for the year! Hubby is actually leading this time & we're doing Finanical Peace University (FPU) with Dave Ramsey! We've been following most of his principles for the last several months and I'm already excited about what God's going to do for us through this study! I'll post more on the study later.

I was in charge of dinner for the evening so I decided to serve Pioneer Woman's Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork, chips, ultimate chocolate chip cookie bars, & fresh sliced peaches! Yummm!!!

I also whipped up some No-Bake Cookies for a meal tonight we're having with friends! These are so delish!

It's time for another week...nothing too crazy planned but lots of things to fill our schedule!