Five on Friday

1. Fall Fever

I'm tempted to call this Fall Fever edition, because I'm just about to die to feel that crisp in the air and make a soup in the crock pot. Rest assured, we are almost there, and I plan to get a head start on this long 3 day weekend.

2. The Start of College Football

Not only does this mean watching the Tide roll to 16, it also means gameday clothes, delicious food (mostly with a cream cheese base) and Saturdays spent with friends.

After (one) of the most exciting games of 2012. We had a couple of those at our house and they all turned the right way. I think our house is lucky!

Throwing back to 2011.

3. Fall Nail Colors
This may be one of the best parts of fall to me. I just love those dark colors. They look so much more polished (haha) to me than the pinks and corals in the summer. I'll be reuniting with my friend You Don't Know Jacques this weekend. I think it's a nice transitional color.

4. Wunderlist
I'm probably the last person on earth to get on board with this, but MS introduced me to this list app and I sent me other one packing. I LOVE that you can share lists, so in case someone else is close to the grocery, they can just zip right in and pick up needed items. They can also add or delete items. Genius. I've created a nice 'around the house' list for us to tackle on those pretty fall Saturdays. Pre-football. MS hasn't added to that one. Hmmm.

5. Fall Clothes
Maybe it's the change of season, but I always feel like I like fall and winter clothes the best. Leggings, scarves, long tops and boots are just fun to shop for - and there's so much cute stuff! After doing some fern shopping yesterday, I headed to my favorite store - TJ Maxx for some flats. Yes, this is 30. 

I went with the pair on the right. 

I hope your team wins this weekend (mostly), and you are planning on some ways to welcome in the fall. I declare, it is here.

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks. Baby is the size of an avocado. A fruit (?) I can get excited about! Baby is getting ready for a growth spurt and will double its size and add a few inches in the next few weeks. Toenails are growing. I think I will celebrate with a fall mani/pedi.

Total weight gain: The beach was kind to my mental state, I don't think it was so kind to my waistline. Looks to be about 2-3 lbs so far, but we'll see at today's appointment. Although I don't think afternoon appointments offer a fair and accurate weight assessment. Just saying.

Maternity Clothes: Just about there. I bought a couple of pairs of jeans at the outlets thanks to a very persistent saleslady. I'm hoping I can pick up some leggings and be good on bottoms.Any favorite maternity clothing stores/tips??

Stretch Marks: Nope. Although I feel like I should invest in some kind of lotion or potion.

Sleep: I borrowed the Snoogle from a friend this week. So far, it's my friend too.

Best Moment this Week: Vacation for sure. We got our calcium fix on ice cream and listened to the waves hour after hour.

Miss anything? Feeling normal all day. I'm beginning to think the headaches and bouts of nausea will never end. But, it's all for a good cause.

Movement: Nothing yet. I'm hoping in a couple more weeks it will start to pick up.

Food Cravings: Salty and sour. I dominated some sour punch straws on the way to the beach, and some boneless buffalo wings on the way back.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating. Almost always nauseous after a meal, no matter how good. I caved at 15 weeks and had the doctor call in a Zofran Rx when the fourth person told me, "You should be feeling SO much better by now." I think it helps....some. Or maybe it's just placebo effect.

Exercise: Highlights include running 4 on Saturday and running the entire 3 miles at the beach- no walking, just a stop every 1/2 mile to catch my breath. The flat terrain helped a lot. I was unreasonably proud of this accomplishment - even if I was slooow.

Gender: Thinking boy. We started name lists on the road trip....it's a lot of pressure to name someone. Maybe I'll just turn on the TV one day and hear it, like my mom did with The Waltons. No joke.

Labor signs:Nope.

Symptoms: Headaches have picked up. I hear dehydration can be to blame, so I've tried to up my water intake. I think it's just the hormones and there's not much I can do.

Most looking forward to: Doctor's appointment today!  We'll get to schedule the big ultrasound, which I'm getting really excited about!

15 Weeks

How far along? 15 weeks. Baby is the size of an apple.Baby can sense light, even though his eyes are still fused shut. Taste buds are developing - hope you like Mexican, Sunburst:)

Total weight gain: My scale is squirrely, but looks to be about 1 lb. We'll get the real scoop at my 16 week appointment. After vacation. Greaaaat.

Maternity Clothes: The rubberband trick is coming in handy and is just about necessity. Before it sneaks up on me, I need to get some fall clothes. Hopefully while we are at the outlets at the beach I can hit up a few stores.

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Sleep:I can't complain. I can tell a big difference since stopping the progesterone. 

Best Moment this Week: I got to spend lots of time lounging at night with my two favorite boys. It was nice to just spend time together, watch Scandal and the Andy Griffith Show and bark randomly at inanimate objects.

Miss anything? I really miss my normal dinner appetite.I did have a couple of good nights of cooking, to assuage my wife guilt. So what if it was in the crock pot?

Movement:Nope. I'm trying to tune in and take notice, but I think it will be several more weeks.

Food Cravings: French fries. See below.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nights have been bad this week. Enter the Milo's french fries. I sound like such a faker. "I'm SO sick. Can I have some french fries?" But the salt...it does my nausea good. I'm really hoping I'm not in the 25% that are nauseous the whole pregnancy.

Exercise: We've had crazy unseasonably cool weather for August the past few days. Highs in the low 70s over the weekend. I think I ran past the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but besides that, it's been very pleasant. 

Gender: Predicting boy.

Labor signs:Nada.

Symptoms:Not much has changed here, add a couple headaches to the mix. I still feel like I've had it pretty easy, since some have it a whole lot worse. I'm thankful I feel good enough in the mornings to eat a healthy breakfast and do some running. I think that's success for the first trimester, early second. The sciatic pain is really bad if I overdo it. Saturday's running, cleaning, grocery shopping and yard work left me on the couch for the rest of the evening. But the couch of a clean house.With groceries in the fridge.

Most looking forward to: Doctor's appointment next week. Then it's just a mere two weeks until we find out pink or blue. Whew! Time is flying.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

Let me just say to start off, there's nothing better to me than a beach vacation. Just the mere act of packing to head south puts me in great spirits. 

I might have gotten overambitious on the book packing. But, who knows what you will be in the mood to read? Turns out, it was psychological thriller, and I had my bases covered. 

I was sad Namath couldn't come with, but it was a strict No Dogs Allowed policy at the condo we stayed at this year. He didn't look too sad to be heading to "camp". Tip: If you're boarding your dog at a vet, if you choose one where he hasn't had his leg sliced open and put back together in the past year, he's in much better spirits. 

He loves going to the vet near Matt's parents, and they treat him like one of the office staff. I'm pretty sure he's been sitting at the front desk 9 of the past 10 times we've picked him up.

After a stop at Starbucks, the BP in Georgiana for Laffy Taffy and Sour Punch Straws, and Arby's for some lunch, the first site of the beach was a sight for sore eyes, and a belly full of sugar. 

I was just discussing with someone, "What ever happened to Kate Gosselin?" Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. Fortunately, People heard my cry, and answered with this issue, which I snapped up at the local Publix.

Much like last year, frozen drinks before 10. Unlike last year, mine was sans alcohol.

Matt was such a gentleman and took up the slack for all my water drinking.

The wait for a table at Stinky's Fish Camp was worth it...I think we got the best seat in the house.

It rained a bit Friday, but it was the perfect opportunity to come inside, read a few pages and take a nap. It cleared up and we were rewarded with this beautiful sunset.

Matt rewarded me with bacon and cheddar cheeseburgers and zesty fries. Zesty fries just take me back to my childhood.

Saturday night, we met some friends for drinks before dinner. I gave in to the O'Douls. I couldn't stand another fruity mocktail. It wasn't terrible, even if ordering was a little embarrassing.

Scenes from the Gulf. The water wasn't very clear...it was my only disappointment. It was so, so nice to get away and enjoy each other's company and some quiet.

It should be noted here in writing what a gem I married. He waited on me hand and foot the whole trip - cooked breakfast every morning, made me a separate pot of decaf coffee, fixed it and brought it to me while I layed on the couch watching the Today show, cleaned up breakfast, did every single dish the whole trip, and cooked dinner one night, and assured me I did in fact look pregnant, not fat in my bikini. Not to mention lugging everything down to the beach and back every day. Sunburst and I are lucky to call him ours.

This about sums it up - my happy place.

We were all worn out by last night. Namath begged to go in his crate this morning after his walk. I put the fan in his room and he was snoring in no time.

In the spirit of a good attitude, if every week were vacation, we wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much, right? Thankful for the time to get away and relax. Onward to the long holiday weekend....

14 Weeks

Written 8.14.13. Someday I will catch up on these posts.

How far along? 14 weeks. Baby is the size of a lemon! Which reminds me I recently learned my beloved Chick Fil A diet lemonade is unpasteurized. I mourned appropriately. Who even knew juice could be unpasteurized?

Total weight gain: My scale has me holding at about the same weight. Either it's broken or it's THE BEST SCALE EVER.

Maternity Clothes: I've been loving the maternity pants and shorts. I don't need them yet, but they are so comfortable, and less muss and fuss for the 92 bathroom breaks of the day. Otherwise, my normal clothes still fit, which is odd, because there is a definite expansion of my waistline. 

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Sleep:Breaking news: I have weened myself off the Benadryl. Mostly out of laziness since we ran out. I think the progesterone was having an opposite effect on me and giving me a bit of insomnia. Now that I'm not taking it, I haven't had near the trouble falling or staying asleep.

Best Moment this Week:Moving into the second trimester. But I'm still waiting for that 'switch to flip' as everyone tells me, and start feeling good all day.

Miss anything? Weddings without wine just aren't quite as fun. I stuffed my feelings with two pieces of cake. 

Movement: A lot of people have told me they felt around 15-16 weeks, so not far from now, but I'm expecting to be more in the 18-22 week camp. Speaking of camp, I could eat some smores. 

Food Cravings: Still loving the salty and savory foods. MS made me an egg sandwich last night and it was divine.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating. Hunger. It's a fun little hamster wheel I'm running on.

Exercise: I think I ran 3 times last week and did some weight exercises once. I have high hopes for when it cools off, which in Alabama, is still several months away.

Gender: I still think boy. I will be genuinely shocked if we are having a girl.  

Labor signs:Nada.

Symptoms:Whew. The sciatic pain. I'm hoping this doesn't last until February.

Most looking forward to:Vacation next week! Having no place to be and no reason to get dressed up. And lots and lots of food. Mocktail recipes welcome in the comment section.

Family Fun Weekend

After running around for wedding festivities last weekend, I declared this weekend Family Fun Weekend. Which, in so many words, meant basically we were making no plans and wearing minimal makeup.

All in all, the weekend was a total success. We ran (me), played basketball (him), cleaned, bought groceries, did some garage organization, randomly and most likely incorrectly, clipped hedges with my new hedge clippers, killed the black widow spiders in the backyard (I DIE) and cut the grass.

Lest you think we had no fun, we also watched hours of Scandal, ate Papa Johns pizza and a half gallon of cookies n' cream ice cream. Did I mention I ran?

We also had a little chore by the name of Namath's yearly vet visit to get out of the way. I've been hesitant to take him for his visit since last year's surgery. Tearing the ACL is usually a bilateral condition, which means we'll probably be in that same camp again at some point, and I couldn't bear the news. So, like an adult, I've procrastinated. Because that changes the diagnoses...I digress.

It was past time for shots, so we loaded up and headed in. This one thinks he belongs in the real chairs in the exam room, not on the table.

They took him back for his fecal sample and he came back ill as a hornet. "Well, we were going to take the fecal sample, but before we could, he pooped all over the table. And then on the floor all the way back to the exam room." Much like Frank Sinatra, Grizz does it his way.

He was very pleased with himself.

Besides the fecal incident and 'having trouble finding heartbeat because of agitation and loud breathing' he got a glowing report. Including a smiley face for his weight loss. Good work, Grizz. We are proud?

Five on Friday

 Here it is, Friday of a looong week. While productive at work, the home front has left something to be desired. I have big plans to scratch a few things off the list this weekend. In the meantime, a recap of the past week in the form of Five on Friday.

 ONE - Almay Lip Gloss. This is a balm and lip gloss in one. The color selection left something to be desired for me, and its much lighter on than it looks in the tube, so keep that in mind. But, it smells wonderful and is not at all sticky. It does work like a balm, just like it says. Imagine that. I purchased "Blooming" and I've really liked it.

 TWO - Milo's French Fries. It's the only thing that has sounded good for dinner the past two nights. This train is going off the rails. The cheese salt. The Milo's sauce for dipping. Everybody goes to Milo's! Yes, I got mega size. It was my whole dinner.

 THREE - Ridiculous pregnancy reminder #48. No, I wasn't thinking of doing that. Other reminders I don't need - to eat, not to take LSD.

FOUR - DogTV. I'm not sure who was more entertained with the free trial of DogTV - us or Namath. The stimulation program was hours of fun. 

FIVE - They came to measure for hardwoods in Namath's room last night. He was none too happy. Not sure if he was mad at the tape measure (likely) or if he knows he's getting evicted.

Beach Read Help

We are headed down to my most favorite place in all the world soon and I need some good books to read while my toes are in the sand, mocktail in hand.

Last year, we took Grizz. He was mere weeks post ACL surgery, and I couldn't bear to board him. He loved it. I'm very sad we aren't able to take him this year.

 All that to say, what have been your favorite reads this summer? I feel like I should read something about newborn care, or something, so we know what to do with this baby come February, but some mindless reads would be welcome and much more beachy.

Bueller? Bueller?

13 Weeks

Written 8-6-13

How far along? 13 weeks. Baby is the size of a peach. Hair growth is probably starting this week. I have a feeling it's probably blonde. I was a natural blonde at one point in my life.

Total weight gain: The scale this morning had me down a couple pounds. Who knows. I'm sure it will all even out, so to speak, soon.

Maternity Clothes: We had a wedding last weekend and a rehearsal dinner and wedding this weekend. I went to a friends and borrowed all the loose and flowy dresses she owned. I also came home with some maternity shorts. If nothing else, the ease of getting them up and down for frequent bathroom breaks makes them my new favorite.But, my clothes still fit, just looks like I've eaten too many doughnuts (or in my case, Eggos)

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: Pretty good, with 3-4 bathroom breaks.

Best Moment this Week: Getting spoiled by Matt's parents. They've been so kind to treat us to lunches and cook dinners, which I haven't felt like doing much of lately. I even came home with enough leftovers from Sunday dinner to last a couple of lunches.

Miss anything? The open bar at the wedding on Saturday. I made up for it in caramel cake.

Movement: Sunburst is doing "water ballet" type movements. Can't feel them yet, though.

Food Cravings: The waffles. Oh my goodness, I have a problem.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Mostly sick at night, but I think it's easing up. I started progesterone when they discovered the hematoma, and finished it up Tuesday night, so I'm hoping that helps as well. The taste of any food in my mouth after a meal - blah. Enter cinnamon gum.

Exercise: Ran a few times last week- the humidity is killing me. Saturday I opted to stay inside and try a pregnancy strength workout via Apple TV. Lots of lunges, calf raises (pregnancy is no excuse to neglect your calfs - per the instructor), push ups and a little upper core work. I was sore Sunday, so I guess it did something.

Gender: Thinking boy, but we'll find out in about a month.

Labor signs: No thank you.

Symptoms: My face has broken out like a teenager. My sweet nurse practitioner was kind enough to write me a safe Rx to help clear it up. I think it's helping! Between this and the hair salon, I'll feel like a new girl come the weekend!

Most looking forward to: Officially starting second trimester next week!Wedding this weekend. Wedding = two varieties of cake. Unless the groom lets me down with an ice cream bar or other such nonsense.

Wedding Weekend

We've had weddings the past two weekends, which hasn't happened since our mid to late 20s. But, I love some wedding cake, so bring on the festivities.

I had to kick the weekend off right with some jelly toast, eggs and a cup of decaf. It was just what I needed to get off on the right foot.

It doesn't look appetizing, but I didn't think to take a picture until I was halfway done stuffing my face. The cafeteria downstairs can cook a good breakfast.

The rehearsal dinner Friday was at The Club, which easily has the best views in Birmingham. You'll have to imagine it, because I took no pictures.

The wedding reception Saturday was at the same place ours was, many a moon ago. Or three years.

I have no idea why my iPhone is making my pictures look so purple. Troubleshooting, anyone?

Me and sweet Haley.

 This picture brought to you by the color purple. Or Barney. Or penguins.

Looking handsome and so skinny (him, not me)...moments before the Harlem Shake (him, not me). I'll be a good wife and leave that video off the blog. It did make instagram.

Good times celebrating both brides and grooms. It also should be noted that the grooms cake at wedding weekend one was possibly the best I've had. Caramel cake with an outer edge of peanut butter brittle. It deserved to be put in print.

Details and Such

 We had such a good time sharing the news this weekend, and finally being out in the open. I think the grandparents were even more thrilled to share than we were:)

This baby was is very loved and was prayed for well before we found out we were expecting. We dealt with some infertility issues, and feel so blessed to be welcoming Baby S. My heart goes out to people who deal with pills and shots and ultrasounds for years. It's a scary place to be, and hard to trust when you feel so out of control.

We found out the news in early June. It was a Sunday morning and it was MS' month to open up the church. So I had just enough time to get it together and try to do something semi-memorable to break the news before he came home to change.

Writing this with shaky hands was about the best I could come up with.

We didn't make it to church and instead went to a celebratory breakfast at the Ranch House and swung by the bookstore to pick up What to Expect. Cliche. Such a fun morning though!

At my 6 week appointment they found a subchrionic hematoma, (basically just a bleed/bruise that can happen when the baby implants) so we came back at 8 weeks for another ultrasound and it had resolved. We were so relieved!

Back in the day, when we were first discussing baby names, MS declared all my names were weird, and we "might as well just call our child 'Sunburst'". It stuck, and so we have been calling this little one Sunburst since long before June. Hence, you'll be hearing Sunburst on the updates.At least until we figure out something respectable.

I'm 13 weeks today, but my 12 week 1 day ultrasound had us a couple days ahead, which leaves me..a little confused. All I know is we are heading into the second trimester and hoping to be eating something for dinner besides Eggos and cereal soon. Yay for the second trimester!

I've kept weekly updates in draft. It will be fun to go back and look when all is said and done.

 Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

12 Weeks

Written on 8.2.13

How far along? 12 weeks. Baby is the size of a peach! 

Total weight gain: 1 pound. Technically 1.6, but nurse Mary Jane was nice enough to round down. I did have breakfast. And clothes on.

Maternity Clothes: Nada.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: Benadryl. Bathroom breaks. That about sums it up. 

Best Moment this Week: Seeing Sunburst kicking on the ultrasound.

Miss anything? Not terribly.

Movement: Yes and no. As of this week, Sunburst is flipping, but nothing I can feel just yet.

Food Cravings: Leggo my Eggo. Seriously. Leggo.

Anything making you queasy or sick:The smell of peanut butter. Odd, because I can eat it, but take that top off the jar, cue my exit. Gag.

Exercise: Still getting out there. Slow and steady wins the race. That's my new motto.

Gender: We should find out early September at our 18 week appointment. That doesn't seem too far away!

Labor signs:No thank you.

Symptoms: I did not know what sciatic nerve pain was. Now I do. Ouch. Knowledge does not always equal power. Remember that, kids.

Most looking forward to: End of the first trimester.

11 Weeks

Written on 7.23.13

 

How far along? 11 weeks. Baby is the size of a large plum. Sunburst can hiccup and hands can open and close into fists.

Total weight gain: I dared step on the scale and it was nothing so far - a sheer miracle considering the amount of Chick-Fil-A chicken strips that have passed through these lips in the past three weeks.

Maternity Clothes: Nada.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: If I could check mark the pregnancy symptoms I would like, I would have gladly chosen exhaustion. This restlessness/insomnia is for the birds. On a related note, I've enjoyed many late night episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. Life lessons, I tell ya.

Best Moment this Week: Baby's first outfit from Mrs. Smith. The Royal Baby...oh, the excitement of watching alongside the relief I don't have to name Sunburst George or Arthur. 

Miss anything? A normal appetite.

Movement: Yes and no. As of this week, Sunburst is flipping, but nothing I can feel just yet.

Food Cravings: Salty. Me+Fritos = Love. Chick-Fil-A Diet Lemonade.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The taste of any food in my mouth. My oral hygiene would make 3 out of 4 dentists proud!

Exercise: I'm not very proud of my frequency, but I'm still getting out there. Pre-Sunburst days I was running 4 days a week. The past couple weeks have just been twice - sleep has won on Saturdays since it's just too hot after a 8 a.m or so. Hoping to get some weights in this week.

Gender: Still thinking boy. But everyone up to the royal family announced boys this week, so we'll see if we are trend setters or followers. Bottom line: I have no idea.

Labor signs:No thank you.

Symptoms: Dizziness - especially when getting up from the couch (to head to the kitchen - my favorite route). Good to know from this week's BabyCenter update, that's normal and I'm not being totally melodramatic.
Most looking forward to: 12 week appointment still trumps all.

10 Weeks

Written on 7.16.13

 

How far along? 10 weeks. Double digits!! Fingers and toes are no longer webbed and nails are forming. Sunburst can swallow fluid and is starting to kick. Vital organs are starting to function.

Total weight gain: Waiting until the 12 week appointment to assess the first trimester damage. Sort of wishing I hadn't eaten the entire box of Easy Mac Thursday night.

Maternity Clothes: Nope.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: Still rocking the bendadryl. I'll try to wean myself at some point. But right now its the best relief I've got. PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT AWAY.

Best Moment this Week:  Felt good all day on Saturday, so was able to clean the entire house (well, the entire downstairs) with the attention it deserves before we host a shower next weekend. It felt great to get that done, and have a sparkling house by the time the nausea returned on Sunday. Note: Namath is not allowed to shed this week.

Miss anything? A normal appetite.

Movement: No. The kumquat is on the down low still.

Food Cravings: Salty food seems to hit the spot. The Chick-Fil-A I had Saturday may have been the best thing I've ever eaten.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Got a peanut butter protein shake for lunch Friday. Won't be making that mistake again. Stopped for mac and cheese at Publix (don't judge me) and the hot bar worker had a DANGLING TOOTH. I could feel the wind of the tooth fairy circling. I'm embarrassed to say this did not deter me from my mac and cheese mission, but was the cause of some dry heaves.

Exercise:  Also had my best run/walk since I found out I was pregnant. I plan to blog about this at some point in the future, because it's a big learning curve and comes with a lot of adjustment and worry (for me, anyways.) I actually ran the whole last mile! I was pretty proud of myself. I was not proud that I had to drop my Nike shorts for a potty break in the woods halfway through. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Gender: A friend's mom who predicts these things and has only been wrong once, looked at my hand on Saturday, and told me B-O-Y. Time will tell. Like 10 weeks time. So. Far. Away. But, I'm thinking we'll have blue in our future!

Labor signs:No thank you.

Symptoms: Crazy vivid dreams. All this royal baby talk had me dreaming about the royal family. Specifically, I spent the evening hanging out with Diana (in her maternity wear circa 1980s) and she was FABULOUS. Charles picked me up from said evening, and broke down in the car about how he just really messed everything up with her. I cried right along with him. All was better though when we went ice skating at the palace.

Belly Button in or out: In.

Most looking forward to: 12 week appointment to hear the heartbeat. Closing out the first trimester and feeling footloose and fancy free to spread the news as I wish.

9 Weeks

How far along? 9 weeks. Baby is the size of a prune. Gag.But, the heart has divided into four chambers and the embryonic tail is gone. Go Sunburst!

Total weight gain: As of last week's appointment, zero.

Maternity Clothes: Nope. Thanks to my love for Mexican food, I own quite a few pairs of stretchy pants.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: Bendadryl is my friend, until about 3 or 4 am, in which I wake up and have all kinds of time to think about things like, how to organize the garage. It's important!

Best Moment this Week: Seeing how much Sunburst has grown in just two short weeks! He/She looked like a tiny baby, not just a blob. Heart was beating away at 186 bpm. Deduce what you will from that. Also, the subchrionic hematoma had completely cleared up and my doctor was SO excited. She and the nurse practitioner gave me big hugs and were SO kind to take all the time I wanted to answer any and all questions and even offered to let me sneak in for a 10 week check up if it would make me feel better. It makes all the difference in the world to have a great doctor and staff.

Miss anything? Not feeling nauseous. Hair without roots. Running - well, running fast(ish).

Movement: Nope -got a good 9 weeks left.

Food Cravings: Whatever sounds remotely good at the moment. Every meal is like Russian Roulette - will this make me feel better or worse?

Anything making you queasy or sick: The rotisserie chicken sitting in the fridge.

Exercise:  The wog is in full force. Hoping to start getting more running and less walking in the rotation in the next couple of weeks.

Gender: I would be lying if I said I hadn't checked out all the old wives tales. Most point to girl, which makes my cynical self think boy.

Labor signs: Heck no.

Symptoms: I believe we've covered that.

Belly Button in or out: In.

Most looking forward to: 12 week appointment to hear the heartbeat, ending the first trimester and hopefully feeling more like my old self (or as much as one can expect).

8 Weeks

How far along? 8 weeks. Baby is the size of a kidney bean. Last week was raspberry, which I'm pretty sure is bigger, but I'm no baby development/fruit/vegetable sizing expert. Sunburst has webbed fingers and toes. Eyelids are covering babies eyes.

Total weight gain: Not letting myself go to this dark place yet.

Maternity Clothes: Only if browsing to see my options counts.

Stretch Marks: Haha...nope.

Sleep: Elusive. Nothing a little Benadryl can't fix.

Best Moment this Week: Telling both of our families. So fun to see other people get as excited about Sunburst as we are!

Miss anything? Let's just permantely put wine in this spot. Also, hair highlighting.

Movement: Nope - unless you count me moving to the bathroom 92 times per day.

Food Cravings: Cereal. Currently stocked up on Grape Nuts (actually the off brand - "Nutty Nuts") Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds and Raisin Bran. Worked hard to resist the Fruity Pebbles.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Being awake. Yet oddly, I'm yet to miss a meal. I figured out early on I feel a lot worse when I don't eat, so I just eat whatever sounds good. Too bad that's the #60 at Amigos and Chick Fil A. MS may get fruit instead of fries, but not this girl.

Exercise:When I called the doctor's office after finding out, they wanted me to take it easy until my first appointment - like, run no more than a quarter mile. I took that to mean a quarter mile at a time, and the wog (walk/jog) was born. When they found the subchrionic hematoma at my 6 week checkup, I was told no exercise until 8 weeks Long story, I'm just now getting back into it.

Gender: A few more months until that cat is out of the bag.

Labor signs: Well, it's in the future. Just not the near future.

Symptoms: Nausea. Frequent bathroom trips. I'm nothing if not a cliche.

Belly Button in or out: In.

Most looking forward to: 8 week apointment and ultrasound on Wednesday - getting to see the heartbeat again. Always makes me breathe easier. Hoping we get good news about the hematoma - that it's all gone!

What's Been Going On

We feel so blessed to share Baby S is due in February!

Namath is not impressed. We hope he'll come around.

Closet Project

After browsing through Life in the Green House's closet organization, I was inspired. Well, inspired enough to move some junk from our closet to the upstairs guest closet, and do one little project. That's inspired in my book.

I loved the idea of being able to see all my earrings, necklaces and bracelets in one place. So, off I went to the thrift store for my first bit of supplies.

Meow. Don't be jealous. I think the lady thought I was nuts when I dragged this to the checkout line.

 The cat print went in the garbage. So what was left was this nice gold frame.

 Perfect for striking a pose.

 After much deliberation in the aisle of Hobby Lobby, I settled on Blue Ocean Breeze. It's exceptionally smooth and durable! Or so says the can.

 After attaching some chicken wire with a staple gun, which was much more difficult than I thought it would be, voila....

I think it turned out nicely for what it is - and now I have a special spot for my "Saban is Sexy" pin. All's well that ends well.