Good Gracious

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T09:35:00.002-08:00

Photo Project: Week 5 (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)

2012-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Yoga with Zoey!

So excited about those peas!

Hanging out with Old Man (my dad... yes that is his "grandpa" name, haha).

Photo Project: Week 4 (Jan. 22-28)

2012-01-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

Zoey had a nasty diaper rash so I cuddled her up in some towels and let her have some naked time in her swing. She was so dang cute and her diaper rash healed up in a few days!

Most days Zoey is a happy, laid-back, and easily entertained baby. Other days, desperate times call for desperate measures... and one day riding around in her stroller was the only thing that kept her happy.

Zoey started vegetables this week. You can't tell, but that is sweet potatoes all over her face.

Like father, like daughter! I meant the hair originally but the silly face is also fitting.

I love this... may I never forget.

2012-01-24T21:24:00.001-08:00

Photo Project: Week 3 (Jan. 15-21)

2012-01-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Sweet baby face.

The best feeling in the world.

Our dogs are crazy.

I love my girl!

Zoey loves faces!

Although she makes me sooo mad b/c she is always waking up Zoey by licking and barking, she is the sweetest dog ever.

Passed out in Beck's arms.

Zoey is 5 months old!

2012-01-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone? Zoey turned 5 months old yesterday! What? When did that happen? Time is flying by, and I wish I could just pause or at least slow down the days. She is growing so fast and learning so much. We love you so much Zoey!

Photo Project: Week 2 (Jan. 8-14)

2012-01-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

This is the face I wake up to in the morning. Zoey is SO happy in the mornings.

We tried out her Baby Einstein video that she got from her grandparents for Christmas. She loved it.

Piper makes the best bumbo seat. Piper absolutely LOVES Zoey and would let her do whatever she wants.

This week Zoey discovered that she can touch our faces. She loves to shove her little fingers in our mouths.

Photo Project: Week 1 (Jan. 1-7)

2012-01-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post about new year's resolutions... here are a few photos I snapped during the week. Nothing too exciting but boy do I love my little family.

Jerrod has the magic touch when it comes to getting Zoey to take a nap. I'm not sure what it is but she falls right to sleep in daddy's arms. :)

OK, Zoey may be giving a creepy the-Shining-like death stare but I love those big ole dark eyes... I'm always calling her "Big Eyes."

Poor Coosa... he's been through a lot the past two years. He got two sisters! One furry sister, Piper, and now Zoey. But, despite our neglect of playtime the past several months, he is still the most lovable, playful, loyal, sweet, fun dog.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to decide how I wanted to tackle a blog post concerning the new year. I contemplated making a long list of resolutions but it really just not in my nature to do so. I'm not a big planner. Besides my work, I've never really found anything, like a hobby, that I have tried to learn and really truly stuck with.

When trying to figure out just how I wanted to tackle the new year, I looked back on old blog posts and found my list of resolutions for 2009:

1. Read the Bible everyday (more than reasonable and do-able)
2. Do not worry as much about what other people think (a must)
3. Daily step back and reflect on the blessings God has gifted in my life
4. Fight the urge to be shy in social situations and approach others more often
5. Lose 30 pounds...

I am excited to say that I believe I have fulfilled three of these. I'm sad to say that those three are the least tangible ones on the list. I believe I have either conquered or gotten much better at numbers 2, 3 and 4. Number 2 I believe has gotten easier as I've gotten older and have my confidence more ground in the Lord than seeking it from the affirmation of others. Number 3... since having Zoey this has truly become second nature. Number 4... I wouldn't say that I'm not shy anymore but I think I'm better about speaking up and also have accepted the fact that I'm just naturally a more introverted person and that is OK.

As far as numbers 1 and 5 are concerned... I'm ashamed that I don't read the Bible as much as I should and that is something I should resolve to do every day not just at the beginning of the year. And, number 5... well, I could say I'm going to finally lose that weight but I'm not going to make that a resolution this year.

I do have a few things I would like to accomplish this year. However, most of all I hope that I become more Christ-like throughout 2012 and I hope that this year people can see the love and character of Christ when they see me.

That being said, here are a few resolutions for this year:

Learn to sew.
Post more pictures - I would love to do the Project 365 thing that a lot of people do, but as mentioned before, I'm not good planner and not the most dedicated person when it comes to extracurriculars. So, I'm going to tweak this a bit and do my own Project 52. I hope to take several pictures a week and upload them in a post each week. I think that is more than feasible and something I would be much more likely to stick with.
Establish a cleaning routine - Just like me not being much for planning, I'm not the best housekeeper. I mean my house isn't gross or anything but I would like to figure out a way to balance my housework with my mommy duties.
Be more adventurous in the kitchen - I tend to stick to 5 trusty recipes and then I'll throw in a frozen meal here or there. Now that I've gotten into Pinterest, I have found tons of easy recipes that I would love to take a shot at.

Happy 2012!

Christmas Festivities 2011

2011-12-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did. Getting to celebrate with our own little bundle of joy made this Christmas sooo much more meaningful and special than any Christmas's before.

We started off Christmas Eve with my immediate family eating breakfast and trading gifts. Then, my parents took Z to Union Springs where my extended family lives, and I got to take a hot bath and get ready to head that way myself. Unfortunately J couldn't join us, but he was doing something much more important... getting ready for the evening's Christmas Eve services at church. So, I headed to USA (Union Springs, Ala. for those who aren't up with the hip slang... haha) where we ate some insanely delicious food and goofed off with family. Even Zoey got in on the fun...

Later that day, we traded gifts and I headed back to the Gump where I took Zoey to her first Christmas Eve candlelight service. Although she had no idea what was going on, it was so special celebrating the true meaning of Christmas with her. I am excited to make this part of our own family tradition. I think it will be so awesome for her to see her daddy worshiping the Newborn King on His birthday. Here was the killer opening to an incredibly moving service (be sure to at least watch about three minutes in)...

Then we closed out the Christmas Eve activities with a late dinner at J's paternal grandparent's house.

And we still weren't done... Christmas morning we went to church and then headed to a late lunch with J's maternal grandmother and that side of the family. We played games and ate even more delicious food. Finally we finished off the day at J's parent's house with a bowl full of Santa Fe soup and some gift trading.

This was by far my most favorite Christmas yet!

Still not awake...

2011-12-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

As I type this, I am sitting on the couch while Zoey is taking a nap in her crib. Did you read that? Taking a nap in her crib... that's big stuff people! She has never napped in her crib for more than 5-10 minutes and we're going on 25 minutes now. It's like I'm frozen. I don't know what to do with myself.

What did I do with my time before I had Zoey?

This is a question I ask myself all the time. Now that my days are filled with diaper changes, spit up, cleaning bottles and repeat, I often times wonder what in the world I did with my time.

30 minutes now... still napping.

It's like I'm afraid to start doing something productive b/c I'm afraid just as soon as I take out those gifts I need to wrap, she will know. That little sensor inside babies that alerts them to cry when mommy is trying to... work, eat, clean, shower... that sensor will go off! Then the crying/fussing begins.

Still not awake...

What in the world has happened to me that I've become so fearful of actually doing something during this child's nap for fear she will wake up? I've lost my marbles.

Parenthood will do that to you I guess.

Still not awake...

Sorry for such a random, pointless blog. But this is a monumental moment... 40 minutes has gone by and...

Still not awake...

Don't Wake the Baby

2011-12-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

My my... how life has changed. With a four-month-old in the house nap time has become quite a challenge. Zoey used to nap for hours on end, but I guess she's just become more aware of her surroundings lately because every little noise wakes her up. I have caught myself doing things that a fly on the wall would get a huge kick out of. In the past month I may or may not have...

... crawled across Zoey's nursery floor.

... removed all the dogs' collars just in case they shake the tags.

... gotten into a habit of stopping the microwave one second short of the buzzer going off.

... kept my phone on vibrate for most of the day.

... put our dogs outside when I spot the mail man coming down the road or when it's about 5 p.m. and traffic increases... heck, I've practically ostracized my dogs. Poor things.

And, yes. I do use a sound machine in her room and keep the television going. What can I say, desperate times call for desperate measures and this mama has been desperate for just a few quiet moments here lately.

Zoey in the mirror

2011-12-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I was walking by this mirror in our bedroom holding Zoey. And, suddenly Zoey locked eyes with herself, so I ran and grabbed the Flip because I am a crazy mom who thinks absolutely every single thing this little one does is beyond words adorable. And here is her reaction... she just kept smiling at herself. I wonder if she realized just how adorable she is.

Never say never - Mommy Must-Haves

2011-12-10T12:00:00.001-08:00

Before I had a baby, people would always say, "Never say never! Just wait until you have a baby!" And sure, I took that advice about a lot of things... dealing with crying, sleep schedules, feeding schedules, etc. But, I never knew it could apply to the things that I would actually buy. So, here I am, with tail tucked between my legs, saying... "I was wrong." All you moms were right, and here are a few things that I never thought I would use, never wanted to use, or never thought I should invest in but simply couldn't live without since having Z...

Pacifier Wipes: Just buy them! Trust me. When you are out in Target clear across the store, in the car traveling somewhere, in a grocery store, at a friends house... and you drop the pacifier, a dog tries to lick the pacifier (happens at our house all the time) or are just not sure which one is clean and which isn't, these wipes are a huge convenience.

Bulb syringe: I saw these before, mostly in hospitals when visiting friends and passing by the well-baby nursery, but I never ever realized how important they are. Zoey absolutely hates them. Not a big crier., you are sure to get a good scream out of Zoey with this, but she can't blow her own nose. I hate using it but I take it everywhere we go.

Baby leggings: I really thought these were just for looks. I mean, who can deny these are adorable. However, after throwing them on Z one day... I will be buying many many more of these. When you have a baby that spits up or drools and sometimes seems warm and other times cool, these leggings are so easy. Just swap the onesie or slide them off when you want to swaddle her or if she seems warm. So easy!

Angelcare Monitors: This is definitely one of those things I scoffed at before I had Zoey. However, our precious one had an apnea spell in the well-baby nursery about 3 hours after birth when she stopped breathing for about 20 seconds. Luckily the nurses were about to get her back breathing. She was immediately ordered to the NICU for several days of surveillance, and I was ordered to the loony bin. Haha. Just kidding... but I did struggle A LOT with worry. After much prayer and reading of reviews of these monitors, we decided that it was a good decision to invest in these monitors. They are WONDERFUL! I recommend them to anyone, even if you have never had a baby that had a breathing issue or have not had a baby yet. The monitors softly chirp as it senses movement, but not in an obnoxious way. And, if that gets on your nerves you can simply listen out for the alarm that will sound if it hasn't sensed movement (i.e. breathing) for several seconds. My only complaint is that they are not especially loud. We still use the monitors my parents got us b/c they are louder and work wonderfully. The Angelcare monitors will only be useful until she starts rolling over more often and moving around in her crib.

She'll be driving in a few weeks...

2011-12-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well, last night Zoey slept in her crib in her own room. And, I may or may not have had a good ole snotty cry... And I may or may not have checked on her 15 times... And, I may or may not have set up both sets of our baby monitors and had four baby monitors with volume full blast going on in our bed room... And, I may or may not have kept adjusting the thermostat to make sure she didn't melt or freeze to death.

I am a crazy person.

But, crazy person or not... I am crazy in love with that precious little bundle and crazy proud that she slept like a champ!

We have been letting her sleep in a bassinet in our bedroom. I knew this day was coming, and J and I had always said, "When she hits three months, she will go in her crib in her room." But, I didn't expect myself to be that upset about it. I think it was a mixture of "noooo she's growing up" and sleep deprivation. J was so nice though... he said he would check on her as many times as I wanted him to but I was a big girl. And, I didn't ask him to get up once. Maybe the sleep deprivation helped me sleep. Who knows... I'm sure the prayers didn't hurt either.

I think J summed it up best... "Well, she will be driving in a few weeks..."

Goodness, I wonder how I'll handle that. I can just see myself crying at the DMV. Only then she will be old enough to voice how embarrassing I am. Ha!

Zoey Rolls Over

2011-11-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

Zoey up and decided to roll over today. My voice is sooo annoying but I was so excited...

Welcome to Mommyhood

2011-11-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Now that I have finally posted Zoey's birth story, I feel relieved... like I am allowed to move on and just post about everyday life. I'm not totally sure why I feel this way, maybe b/c I felt like I owed it to my five whole readers out there. ;)

Either way... aren't you excited?! Two blog posts in two days! Yipee yiy-yo tiyay!!!!

This is more of a post and run but these series of pics make me giggle (some may gag... just a warning). But, I simply had to share.

Hehe... welcome to mommy-hood!

Zoey's Birth - But I don't even have a bag packed!

2011-10-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

Before I get started let me just say... I am mostly typing this out so I don't forget it and can have Zoey read this when she gets older (tis why it is written as a letter to her). That being said, this is ridiculously detailed and will probably bore most everyone. No worries... if you don't finish reading it, we will still be friends. If you do read this whole thing, you rock!

Deep breath...

and here we go...

Let me begin by saying that having a baby was not the easiest task for us. We went through much heartache on our journey to meeting you, our precious Zoey. I feel that it is important part of your story because I want you to know just how special and precious you truly are... and that you have two angel-siblings (as I lovingly call them).

Before conceiving you, J and I experienced two miscarriages. Our first miscarriage was incredibly shocking. At my 10-week appointment, the doctor could not find a heartbeat. We were devestated. It was a heartbreak unlike any I have ever felt. I truly believe that someone becomes a mother as soon as that sticks reveals two pink lines... and no words can explain just how broken and saddened I felt when I realized I would never get to meet my first child in this lifetime.

However, I was fortunate to get pregnant fairly quickly after my first miscarriage, but was once again devestated when I miscarried very shortly after I found out I was pregnant.

A few weeks later, I was very surprised with a positive pregnancy test!

At first I was terrified that I may once again experience another loss of a child, but something deep down inside of me told me this one was different.

Now the first about 13 weeks were absolutely terrifying. I had chronic bleeding in my first and beginning of my second trimester. We found ourselves in the OBGYN's office on a weekly basis fearing for the worst. It seemed like almost every other week we found ourselves texting friends begging for prayers on our drive to the doctor's office in complete terror, and then leaving the office overjoyed that our precious one had made it another week.

Needless to say, pregnancy was not all blissful for me. Zoey, you definitely gave us a run for our money, even before we met you.

I did get a little break from the fear and worry up until half way through my third trimester when my blood pressure began to creep up. I explained much of that in an earlier post. Long story, short... the doc decided to go ahead and let me have you via c-section on Aug. 16.

Haha... you know that whole saying "You make plans and God laughs"... yea, that was very true for your birth Zoey.

We were ordered to go into the hospital the day before your scheduled c-section on Monday, Aug. 15 for pre-op. Basically they have you fill out the paperwork for the next day, give you wristbands, check vitals, etc. This way you are all ready to go early, early the next morning. So to pre-op we went at about 2 p.m. in the afternoon. When we arrived we joked, laughed and dreamed of the day to come while we waited in the waiting room until they finally called us back. The nurse started to ask all the general questions... how far along are you? allergies? number of pregnancies? intended pediatrician?

Then came the part of checking my and your vitals. You sounded perfect. Your heartbeat was as strong as ever and you were pretty chill in there. Then the nurse strapped on the blood pressure cuff... 187 over 117. Not so good. My PIH had official kicked in full swing. After many more checks, the nurse decided to give my OBGYN a call just to make sure she wanted me to leave the hospital.

Before I knew it the nurse was coming back in asking when was the last time I ate and what I ate. That's when it hit J and I... we were going to be having this baby today. Sure enough, the nurse walks in a few minutes later and tells me that I will be having an emergency c-section in about 45 minutes.

We were in shock. I kept saying "But what about the list of things that need to be done... I don't even have a bag packed." Then I started to cry. I was scared and so was J. Basically after several more checks of my bp and orders to lay on my side and relax... the doc was fearful of a stroke or seizures. So, in walks Dr. Logan with the sweetest smile on her face. "You ready to have a baby?!"

I immediately started texting family and friends and calling our immediate family. Then started praying that the surgery be stalled b/c there was no way my parents could make it b/c they were from out of town. Luckily the anesthesiologist was stuck in another surgery so we had to wait and your Beck-Beck and Old Man were able to make it... along with your JoJo, Pops and about 30 other friends and family... that waiting room was packed!!!

I remember laying on that bed in triage praying that the Lord protect my baby and never once thinking to pray for myself. I was going to be a mommy, and I was terrifyingly excited! They had me get in the gown, get the IV in my hand and sat me in a wheelchair. They rolled me down the halls to the OR where Jerrod waited outside the room while I got my spinal and all prepped. It wasn't at all how I had imagined. Nothing like the movies. It took a while for the meds to kick in and finally I was numb.

Jerrod came in... bless his heart, he looked petrified. Then the surgery began. Holy moly. Like I said... nothing like the movies. Zoey, you were so far up in my ribs that one doc had to jump on my stomach to push you down, while another pulled you out. I felt like I was being tackled and was shaking from all the pushing and pulling. I could feel so much pressure... it was very uncomfortable. I'm guessing my BP started to go up some more and I became very uncomfortable b/c the pain management nurse said, "Ma'am, I need to give you this medicine but you are probably not going to remember your daughter being born." Dr. Logan quickly stated, "Abby you have 2 more minutes. Hang in there for two more minutes." I said, "I can do anything for two more minutes." The pressure was incredibly uncomfortable, but I didn't care... I wanted to see your face. I wanted to remember that moment more than anything.

And sure enough... about two minutes later... at 5:34 p.m. you arrived into this world without hardly a cry (true to your personality) and blue as could be. It took them a good long while to get you to take some good deep breaths. You were 17 in. long and 4 lbs. 3 oz... the most beautiful and perfect being I ever did see!

And my heart burst into a million pieces...

Hello Zoey Hope!

2011-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Goodness gracious is right! A lot has changed around here. With a new baby and no computer from which to post from (gotta love it when a computer crashes right when the warranty is up)... I've been awful at updating this blog.

While I have a few minutes before I wake the little one to feed her, here are a few stats about our precious girl:

Name: Zoey Hope

Birth date: August 15, 2011

Birth time: 5:34 p.m.

Birth weight: 4 lbs. 3 oz.

Birth length: 17 in.

Posts I'm working on:

Her one-month stats.
The story behind her name.
Birth story (golly-gee-wiz did she make a first impression).
What it's like being a mom so far.

... and many many more posts doting over this precious child of mine! :)

Bye Bye Belly

2011-08-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Nursery is DONE!!!

2011-08-13T09:16:00.001-07:00

Click here to see the before pictures.

I am soooo happy with the end result. I will admit, in my poor attempt to not cave in to anything too oootsie cutsie or overly girly... I failed miserably. But, I couldn't be happier. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Nursery Wall Art

2011-08-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

When you walk into the nursery there was a big bare wall. We had tossed around several ideas and actually attempted a very intricate wall collage out of random nicknack's but nothing seemed to work (which resulted in a very long list of items to return and a cashier who continually huff-puffed and rolled her eyes). During another wonderful and groundbreaking trip to Hobby Lobby, we came across these large black frames with smaller frames inside. We decided to take a chance on a completely different wall art idea than we had originally decided on.

So, we headed home with two of these large frames and several cans of white spray paint.

After about four coats of white spray paint, we decided to add some things in the frames. Originally we planned to fill each empty frame with fabric, little girl's first initial, a butterfly, and a few other things. However, after placing fabric in opposite frames and hanging the large frames on the wall, we fell in love with the simple look of the frames with the wall paint color showing through the other frames. The finished result:

Tuesday: D-Day

2011-08-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

We are still on for Aug. 16, as I mentioned in a previous blog post.

On Tuesday morning we will report to the hospital earrrrrrlllly in the morning and will have a c-section at 6:30 or 7:30 a.m. (will find out exactly when we do pre-op registration the Monday before). From what I understand, they will bring me in to ultrasound to make sure the baby hasn't turned from breech position. If she hasn't, then we will proceed with the c-section.

If by some turn of events she has turned (which I'm very doubtful of b/c I can tell she is still breech right now), the doc will check me to see if I'm even viable for induction (i.e. dilated or effaced at all). If not, then we will still proceed with c-section. If I am, then we will give induction a try.

Did you get all that? Me neither. Ha! All I'm really focusing on is that I need to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Looks like at the absolute latest, I'm baby free for only about four more days. I am beyond ecstatic to meet this little girl... and to stop calling her little girl and actual call her by name on this blog!

Baby Girl at 37 Weeks

2011-08-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

Termmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! Yay! I made it to term... also known as 37 weeks. I'm feeling about the size of that lovely watermelon you see above. The average baby at this time measures about 19.5 inches and weighs up to 7 lbs.

Major milestones:

Making it to term! Basically this means that if labor were to begin, the doctor would likely not do anything to try and stop it b/c more than likely the baby is not in any immediate danger b/c all major organs and vital body parts are developed.

Baby gains about an ounce a day.

An elbow, foot or head may protrude from the stomach when baby stretches and squirms about.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Nothing but! :) Movement? Her movements are a bit uncomfortable at times b/c she's running out of room. Stretch marks? Yessss.... Sleep? I've been sleeping like a rock and having some CRAZY dreams. Symptoms? I've been getting very tired and winded very easily. I also find that I don't want to eat as much in one sitting. Food cravings? Despite not wanting to eat as much... I still pretty much crave everything. Food aversions? Still no Mexican food or heavy desserts. Labor signs? Nope. What I miss? Nothing much lately. This week my swelling lightened up a bit so that was nice to actual make out an ankle bone. Best moment of the week? Making it to term!!!!

Nursery Mobile: Windcatchers and Pom Poms

2011-08-06T15:19:00.001-07:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that we made a mobile for the nursery out of windcatchers. I also later mentioned that after staring at the mobile for a while, we decided it needed a bit more to fill it in. After much discussion we decided to add pom poms to the mix. I used a tutorial I found through pinterest but I tweaked it a bit.

In order to make the pom poms smaller I got three sheets of white tissue paper and cut them half, long ways.

I then stacked the sheets of tissue together and began folding them like an accordion.

When I finished I tied them in the middle by fishing line and left the line really long to accommodate for handing it from the ceiling.

Then I took them and curved the end with scissors. And, finally I pulled the sheets apart on each side of the fishing line and played with them until we got the pom poms pretty symmetrical.

And walah! We are very happy with the results.

Baby Girl at 36 Weeks

2011-08-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

She is still measuring about the size of a honeydew. Next week will be a new fruit... the watermelon. Duh Duh Duh Dummmm... ;)

Major milestones:

Baby is about 19 inches long and weighs about 6 pounds.

Between now and birth baby may gain about an ounce a day or about half a pound a week.

Kidneys and liver have begun processing waste.

Lungs are now preparing to mature.

Baby now fully recognizes familiar voices.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Movement? I feel mostly pressure and rolls of feet and hands. Stretch marks? Oh yes. Sleep? Although I feel like I'm sleeping really well, by the time I get to work I feel like I could go back to sleep. Not sure if it's because I get up so often to use the bathroom or b/c it's just this part of the pregnancy. Symptoms? Swelling... good gracious at the swelling. It's disturbing. Food cravings? Everything... well except the aversions. Food aversions? No Mexican food! Ick... makes me feel sick as a dog. Labor signs? Not that I know of! What I miss? My slim feet and wearing my wedding rings. Best moment of this week? I mentioned in an earlier post that I am having blood pressure issues and have developed pregnancy induced hypertension. Well, I would have to say the best moment of this week was going to the doctor and her saying the baby can still cook in there for another two weeks and then she will be evicted. I want her to get as healthy and chunky as possible before she enters this world... now we just got to work on this whole breech thing. ;)

August 16

2011-08-02T19:51:00.001-07:00

I had a doctor's appointment today to follow up from my blood pressure issues from last week. Appointment went great! Baby looks great. She's a little thing though. I thought for sure I would have a big baby. Most of the women in my family have nine pound babies, so to hear she is actually on the smaller side was quite a different way of thinking than I had been expecting. But, the doc seems please with her development, so that's good.

Only one problem... we got ourselves a breech baby. And, I am not surprised at all. People have thought I was a little weird but I have said since about 4 months pregnant that I had this feeling I should be prepared for a c-section and breech baby. I'm not sure what made me have those feelings... I'm going to say it was God preparing me. Ha! She still has a little time to turn but not much room.

My blood pressure was actually pretty good... well, pretty good for me right now. The doc was happy with it so I'm just going to trust her thoughts. She still does not want me to carry any longer than 37-38 weeks. So, that being said we have a date!!!! August 16! She will either be born via c-section on Aug. 16 due to being breech, or I will be induced on Aug. 16. Either way, Aug. 16 will be a very eventful day!

Blood Pressure

2011-07-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend will be filled with a lot of running around and finalizing the nursery because this mama almost had to have her baby this weekend. Yep. You read that correctly. Here's the story but before I begin let me preface with... baby is fine, actually she's great! I am fine just having some issues with blood pressure.

Last week at my baby shower on Saturday, I complained to my mom and dad about these headaches I was getting... well needless to say they were pretty stern about me getting my blood pressure checked. I procrastinated until Monday night when J and I were in Publix to do some grocery shopping. I decided to use that automatic blood pressure cuff... which random thought but I hate those things. I have this weird unreasonable fear that in some sort of final destination twist of events the machine continues to tighten around my arm cutting off circulation and making my head explode.

I digress.

So, I sit down to check my blood pressure... not so good. It was about 150/100. I waited a while and tried it again... still about the same. Jerrod encouraged me to call the doc the next morning. So, the next morning I get to work and am debating calling. I had an appointment scheduled for Thursday so I thought I might could just wait until then, but I decide to call them any way. After leaving a rather apologetic message on the nurse's line, I get a quick call back (about 15 minutes later)... that was surprising b/c they normally don't call back until the afternoon. The nurse starts asking me a series of questions and does not seem pleased with my answers. To make a very long story short...

The nurse calls me back a few minutes later after consulting with my doctor and tells me to head to triage to get monitored. So to triage I head where I end up for 3 hours. Needless to say they ran several tests on me that didn't all come back with gold stars. I was ordered to stay overnight to be monitored. My doc came in that afternoon and said that if things didn't get a little better I would probably have to have her this weekend. They had done an ultrasound on her and said she looked perfect... it was my body that was getting tired of being pregnant (amen body).

Luckily it did not come to that. My tests got better along with my blood pressure. My doctor concluded that she does not want me to carry her any longer than 37 to 38 weeks. That's two weeks away people! She also said that it would be touch and go from here on out... I took that as her saying that with each appointment we will reassess my blood pressure issues. I love my doctor by the way! She is amazing! She said that this is basically weighing the benefits of letting baby fatten up versus putting my body through the stress it is feeling.

So now, I have an appointment on Tuesday where they will do another ultrasound to check on the baby, and we will hopefully be scheduling an induction between Aug. 12 and 19. I say hopefully meaning that hopefully we will be able to keep her in the belly to fatten up a bit longer.

To say this isn't exactly how I saw things going, is an understatement. But our God is so good! I am so grateful that I got to leave that hospital with this little girl still inside me. As excited as I am to meet her, I am even more excited that she gets to fatten up a bit more and I get a few days to gather my thoughts and help get the house and nursery and my brain more organized. Ha!

I will be sure to keep you all updated!

Baby Girl at 35 Weeks

2011-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Still the size of a honeydew!

Major milestones:

Baby measures about 18.5 inches and weighs about 5.5 pounds.

Baby is getting more round due to gaining fat.

Baby's reflexes are coordinated.

Lungs should be almost fully developed.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Yes ma'am. Movement? She loves to play with my ribs with her feet. Stretch marks? Oh yes! Sleep? Can't get enough. Symptoms? I have noticed lately that I have become more and more forgetful. I'm also feeling much more tired, and I think I can smell as well as a German Shephard. Food cravings? Everything... well except heavy, sugary desserts. Food aversions? I attempted Mexican food last week just to see if I had overcome my averstions... bad idea! I felt nauseated all night long. Labor signs? My body is definitely changings and I think she has dropped but no definite contractions or anything quite like that. What I miss? Nothing much... Best moment of the week? Being able to come home from the hospital and not have to have her this weekend... I'm just about to post an update about all that here in a minute.

Baby Girl at 34 Weeks

2011-07-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Still the size of a honeydew and will be for the next couple of weeks.

Major Milestones:

Baby is now approximately 18 inches long and weighs about 5.25 pounds.

Fat starts to accumulate in the arms and legs (love those baby rolls).

The eyes open when baby is awake and close when she is asleep.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Yep! Movement? Her movement is much more fluid and less like little jabs. She will put more pressure and roll her feet and hands and legs along my stomach. Feels really weird! Stretch marks? Oh yes... moving on. Sleep? Like a rock! Not sure what happened but now it's like I can't get enough. Symptoms? Same ole, same ole... swollen feet and tired. Last week for two days in a row, I forgot to take my acid reflux meds that were prescribed to me by my doc... never ever ever again. I can't imagine what it would be like going through this pregnancy without that medicine. I was miserable. Ick! Food cravings? Been craving more veggies and fruit lately. Love love LOVE Chappy's Brazilian Chicken Salad! Food aversions? Still no thanks to heavy desserts. Labor signs? Nothing to write home about. I think she plans to stay in there for a while longer. What I miss? Besides the normal things like wearing wedding rings and being able to shave without losing all ability to breath... I can't complain. Best moment of this week? J FINALLY seeing her move from the outside.

Playing Hookie & Nursery Update

2011-07-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

After much debate, we decided to play hookie from our birthing class this week. Despite how much I look forward to the laughs that we have in the class, I was dreading the relaxation techniques about 10 times as much. They make you sit on the floor, which is uncomfortable enough, and then they have you basically sitting up with no back rest or anything. My stomach has taken over my torso and is working its way into my chest so sitting up with no back support makes me feel like I'm doing a constant crunch without the ability to breath. All that to say... we skipped this week and went shopping. Well... we intended to go shopping for stuff for little girls' room but ended up with a new pair of jeans for J and a few cookies from the Great American Cookie Company. Not that fruitful of a shopping trip.

But, a few things have changed as far as our nursery plans...

We have decided to add to the mobile. After staring at it for a while, we decided it needed a bit more flair. I have been working on making some small white pom-poms out of tissue paper (similar to the photo to the right) that I think are going to do the trick. We went back to Hobby Lobby to look for some more windcatchers but they didn't have them in stock anymore. :( So pom-poms it is!

Also, we worked and worked on the wall collage, but ended up nixing the whole idea. After hanging the mobile we decided there were too many pops of randomness and we needed something a bit more structured to anchor the room. After looking around for a while in... yep, you guessed it... Hobby Lobby... we decided on these two large picture frames. I am in the process of painting them white and have come up with some unique ways to fill the smaller frames that are within the larger frame. Did that make any sense? I didn't think so. No worries... I will do a whole post dedicated to it later.

So that is pretty much where we are at as far as the nursery goes. I am hoping to get those two things finished up this weekend. Then we can move on to finding a rug and cleaning everything and organizing.

I think things are slowly but surely coming together! Yay!

Nursery Windcatcher Mobile

2011-07-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

I wish so badly I can take credit for this super cute idea, but unfortunately I can't... my hubby can though. I drug J to Hobby Lobby one day and we were walking around looking for nursery decor ideas when we passed the section with outdoor decor. J, being the the more creative and outside-of-the-box thinker, pointed to a stack of windcatchers in the same color as our nursery bedding and other decor, and he said, "What if you made a mobile out of these?"

Genius!

Yes, I married this guy! I'm pretty lucky! ;)

So we gathered five windcatchers and headed home. I've been so excited to start this project and as much as I would like to say I did most of the assembly... I didn't. I mostly sat back and watched J and handed him things. Like I mentioned in the post about the glider... he loves putting things together so I took a backseat to this project. He did such a great job as I tried to document the process.

First we gathered the windcatchers, scissors, fishing line and small white ceiling hooks.

Then J took the wooden stakes/dowels/whatchamadoogies off. We saved the plastic spacers that were between the two braces of the windcatchers.

Next we laced the fishing line through one brace, then through the plastic spacer and finally through the other brace and tied a knot. We were able to rotate the knot till it allowed the windcatchers to hang at a slight angle from the white ceiling hooks.

J then took the white ceiling hooks and screwed them into the ceiling.

Finally he hung the windcatchers from the hooks at different heights and.... taaaadddddaaaaaaa!!!! The pictures really truly do not do them justice. They look much more eye catching and intricate in person.

Coosa and Piper also got into the fun by chewing up the wooden stake-things and making a lovely mess. But, aren't they adorable?!

Baby Girl at 33 Weeks

2011-07-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

For weeks 33-36, baby birl is said to be about the size of a honeydew. Only one more fruit to go... the dreaded watermelon. Ha! I'm sure to feel every ounce of that watermelon in this ridiculous Alabama heat in the month of August... but for now I'll be content with the fact that she is the size of a honeydew for the next few weeks and not think about that dreaded August weather. :)Major milestones:

Baby girl weighs about 4.4 pounds and measures about 17.5 inches long.

Baby drinks about a pint of amniotic fluid a day (ick).

Baby is practicing breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid (wow, this must be the week of amniotic fluid facts).

The peach fuzz on babies, otherwise known as lanugo, is starting to disappear and be replaced by real hair.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Oh yes! Movement? Yes ma'am! She found my ribs this week. ;) Stretch marks? Can I just delete this question? ugh... yes. Sleep? I sleep like a rock except for when I wake up to use the bathroom 5 times a night. Symptoms? Just swelling... I may have other symptoms but the swelling is so disgusting it distracts me from the others so this is the only one I can think to mention. Food cravings? I can't get enough to drink... water, crystal lite or lemonade. I'm a bottomless tank. Food aversions? Still heavy desserts. Labor signs? No true labor signs but I've definitely been having Braxton Hicks a few times a day. What I miss? I truly miss being able to wear my wedding rings. People definitely give me funny looks in public. Best moment of this week? I had a doc's appointment and little girl is measuring perfectly... right on track. The doc did comment that she was "all caddy wompus in there" so she better decide to flip very soon! The doc said she won't be concerned unless I come back for my next appointment in two weeks and she still hasn't turned. Hurry up little girl! You're running out of room!!!!

What is that smell?

2011-07-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

That is the smell of my freshly cleaned and deodorized carpets. They are amazing. I mean a-maz-ing!!! Never knew clean carpets could make me so joyful, but they do for two reasons: (a.) my house smells and looks like when we first moved in; and (b) this means we can move on to decorating more in the nursery and cleaning up the house!

In addition to the magnificent carpets, J installed the nursery chandelier. Take a looksie... isn't it absolutely precious?! I think so too!

Also, he assembled the oh-so-comfy glider. My goodness that thing is comfy and works with the decor perfectly!!!

A picture of J in action assembling the glider... isn't he dreamy?!

The finished product.

And, I assure I am not sitting around just watching him do all the work. He enjoys assembling things, so I've been busy tackling my ridiculously long list of things to clean throughout the house before the baby arrives (and before I am too large to crawl around cabinets cleaning them out and reorganizing).

Up next for the nursery:

Assembling the mobile.
Placing the wall collage.
Organizing the closet and changing table.
Cleaning the linens and setting up the crib.
Cleaning baby clothes.

Birthing Classes

2011-07-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

J and I recently started birthing classes. I know most people say these things are pointless (and I have to say I'm starting to agree), but this is our first child so we wanted to partake in all the cliche first-time-parents thingy-bobbers. And, birthing classes was on that list. And, let me just say... worth every single penny. Not because they make you feel sooo much more prepared (you do learn some pretty interesting things but overall... not that groundbreaking), but for the comic relief. It's been a long time since I have laughed as much as I have with J in birthing class. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up...

You know how pretty much in any scenario in life when you are thrown into a group of strangers, there's always going to be that one odd ball. Well, we have our odd-ball couple. I really hope whoever she is never reads this blog, and I doubt she will so here goes... We walk in to our first birthing class (2 minutes late of course) and have to sit on the very front row. We sit, and J proceeds to elbow me very strongly... "Did you see the girl with the baby blanket?" Me - "The girl with the baby? Is she in the wrong class?" J- "No. There is a girl back there wearing a baby blanket." Yep... she was indeed wearing a baby blanket. Anyone else find this odd? I mean I guess if I had to justify it in a way... was she trying to get her scent on the baby blanket? And, if so, why would she do that in public, in front of strangers, 10 weeks before her due date??? Odd. To top it off the couple stares at us the whole class. Throughout the hospital tour, two sets of eyes staring. During our second class, two sets of eyes staring. Now, me being the weirdo I am, I love it. I love the whole awkwardness of throwing all these stranger together and shamefully am looking forward to seeing what the next few classes hold.

They made us watching birthing videos. Do I really have to expand on that? I'm talking the whole ordeal. Yea, I totally could have gone my whole entire life without ever seeing that. I guess I'm just not one of those "It's the most beautiful thing you will do" kind of moms-to-be. I'm afraid those images will haunt me for the rest of my days... and let me just say, one video was enough to confirm my decision to get the epidural. Can I get an amen?

Speaking of epidurals... apparently they are also referred to as blocks. Yea, I didn't know that. The nurse asked for a show of hands of "those considering the use of a block as pain management." I didn't raise my hand... I did not raise my hand b/c I thought she said a glock. Over half the women in the room raised their hands as I sat there with a puzzled look on my face in astonishment. J elbowed me and asked, "Why didn't you raise your hand?" To which I quickly replied, "Was she joking about a glock? What in the world?" I thought he was going to lose it. J - "A block, Abby. Block is another word for epidural." A - "Oooohhh! I thought she was asking who was considering having a firearm in the delivery room with them. I wasn't aware that was an option."

Those are just a few of the hilarious and albeit awkward moments from birthing class. To be honest, J and I spend most of the time trying not to laugh. I wish I could record his very quiet commentary throughout the class. Seriously... I look forward to the classes for the laughs that we will get at each other. I'm sure we are probably an annoyance to everyone else, but by golly we sure are having fun!

Lists and Nesting

2011-07-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

I finally sat down the other day and made a list of all the things I want to get done with the house before the baby comes, plus a few other things that need to be sorted out. I thought I was doing all good creating the list in Google docs so that I could share it with J through his gmail account. I told him that this way he could look at the list too and do things in his free time.

Bahaha.

What was I thinking? He very quickly replied, "Uh, yea. I will be sure to take a look at that later."

So here I sit staring at my lists of all these things that need to get done, but we are stalled...

Waiting for the carpets to get cleaned. It's hard to move around furniture and set up the nursery when the carpets need to be cleaned first.

We did get several things done this weekend:

J hardwired and installed the new nursery chandelier. I will post pics of that later. It's so precious.

I deep cleaned part of the bathroom... nothing like being nearly 8 months pregnant, stooped over a toilet trying to scrub baseboards. Honest and gross... I threw up in my mouth a little. Aah... the joys of pregnancy. Sorry... just keepin' it real.

J fixed some things on our vehicles.

I got us caught up on laundry.

We bought a vacuum cleaner! Yea!

Wow... life has changed.

So for now, I will continue to work on the other 100 things I want to get done (i.e. clean closets, organize pantry, clean blinds, etc.).

I guess this is what you call nesting...

Baby Girl at 32 Weeks

2011-07-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is our last week as a odd looking squash and then we move on to a new fruit. I've had a few of my friends ask why I never put a preggo picture on my blog or Facebook... let me put it this way... I have exploded into value-sized Abby and I do believe that if you took a needle to me I would drain immense amounts of water. I'm pretty sure I would be seriously considered as an exhibit at a zoo if I tried for it. All that to say, heck to the no. :)

Major milestones:

Baby is about 17 in. long and weighs about 4 pounds.

Toenails and fingernails are completely formed.

Baby is officially running out of room so she may decrease in movement (boo).

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Oh yes... nothing but. Movement? Her movements are more startling, which I think is opposite of how they should be. I think they are more startling b/c when she does move and shift, I definitely feel the impact and can see the movements from the outside. Stretch marks? I am learning to accept the fact that my waistline will never look the same. Good thing I'm not into belly-baring tops. :( Sleep? I'm falling asleep very easily but still toss and turn throughout the night. Symptoms? Swelling... swelling and more swelling. No more wearing of the wedding rings, which leads to some pretty interesting side-glances from passersby. Food cravings? Everything except for heavy desserts. Food aversions? Still not big on heavy desserts. Labor signs? Nope but the braxton hicks definitely started in full force this week. It is the weirdest feeling. What I miss? I say this every week but once again will reiterate... nothing and I do mean nothing could convince me to trade this for anything, but I will say that it would be nice to not feel like a water balloon. Best moment of this week? I think she may have flipped!!!! She has felt breach pretty much the whole pregnancy but I do believe she has flipped! Woohoo... now she better stay that way b/c there aint much room for flipping left.

Baby Girl at 31 Weeks

2011-07-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

31 Weeks... thirty-one weeks... 3-1 weeks... what?! Craziness!!!! Most of the time I feel like this pregnancy is dragging, but today it hit me... it's kind of flying by. And, I couldn't be happier. I just can't wait to meet this little one!!!

Major Milestones:

Baby weighs about 3.5 pounds and measures at 16.5 inches.

Eyes are completely opened and will react to darkness and light.

Lungs and intestines are near maturity.

Major organs are functioning and working to get even stronger.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Yep... tops are officially waaaayyy too short! Movement? Her movements are more like rolling and pushing than kicks and pokes. I think she is starting to run out of room. Stretch marks? Oh gosh... My lone tummy stretch mark has decided to invite about four other friends to the party. Ugh! Sleep? What's that? Not sure I know this "sleep" you speak of. Symptoms? I'm getting pretty tired lately, but that may be caused by the aforementioned lack of sleep. Food aversions? Still not a huge fan of Mexican food or heavy desserts. Food cravings? Nice hearty balanced meals and, oh yea... still lemonade, lemonade, lemonade! Labor signs? Naw! What I miss? I always start this off with "I wouldn't trade this for anything" because I truly would not, but being able to cut my own toenails would be nice... I can cut them but not without losing all ability to breath. haha. Best moment of this week? When J referred to my new stretch marks as Mommy scars... as if they are a badge of honor. He's too sweet!

Nursery Update: Glider & Lighting

2011-06-30T07:51:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in my previous post... we finally finished the furniture. Wooo-to-the-hooo! That only took forever. I'm very very very happy with the way it turned out. And, that excitement may just be evenly matched with how happy I am that it is over. All you who enjoy refinishing furniture... Lord bless you. It's not my thing.

So, now on to less tedious projects...

Right now we are kind of in a stall stage. We are waiting on the delivery of our glider that was generously gifted to us. I can't wait for it to arrive! I just love gliders.

In addition to the glider, we are also waiting on the delivery of the light fixture. The light fixture choice was one we mulled over for a while. I originally wanted something like this...

But after searching and searching, we found that the only affordable (by our standards) option was at Ikea... in Atlanta... and they wouldn't deliver it to us. Booo! So we had to move on to other options. Well, long story short, all other white pendant lights similar to the one pictures above that would be delivered were well out of our budget. Therefore, we decided to go a completely different route and landed on a cute little girlie chandelier, like this...

A completely different look than the original light fixture we had fell in love with. Nevertheless, despite my incessant battle against doing anything too ootsie cutsie, I caved with this. It's just so darn cute that I couldn't resist.

So now we sit and anxiously await the delivery truck...

In the meantime, we have decided to not really set up anything in little girl's room until we get the carpets cleaned, which will hopefully be next week.

So that's where we are at! I have a few other little projects going on but will give more details later when my thoughts are much more organized... maybe after a better nights rest. Ha!

Good Zzzz's Please

2011-06-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular pieces of advice I get almost every week is: "Get your sleep while you can."

Well, that is a great idea! Really! I would love to get my sleep... if I could sleep.

Few words can express the feeling of bone-deep exhaustion I feel today. No, I haven't done anything that strenuous. No, I haven't abandoned all caffeine. No, I'm not anemic... had my iron check a few short weeks ago.

There are several factors contributing to my exhaustion. I'm assuming the following have something to do with it:

When I wake up, I WAKE UP. I mean... no more stumbling to the bathroom half asleep. I'm suddenly wide awake and take forever to fall back to sleep.

This is especially problematic considering I wake up less than every two hours to go to the bathroom.

I'm hot. I'm cold. I'm hot. I'm cold. I'm H.O.T. This wakes me up at night.

I guess I should have also included the whole "growing a child" to the list too.

While my intention is not to complain about my pregnancy. I would not trade it for anything. Nope. Nothing. I'm just saying... I would really like to feel energized and get my sleep "while I can."

But I can't.

Help! Any tips?

Baby Girl at 30 Weeks

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Major Milestones:

Baby measures at about 16 inches long and 3 pounds.
Her wrinkly skin is becoming more smooth as she puts on the pounds. She will gain about half a pound a week leading up to 38 weeks.
Hands are not fully formed and fingernails begin to grow.
Eyelids are opening and closing.

How's Mama Doing? Maternity Clothes? Yep! Movement? Her movements have changed. Instead of kicks and flutters, I feel pushes and rolls. It is a VERY strange feeling! Stretch marks? So I was really thinking I could escape having marks on my actual stomach... ugh... not quite. They came out of hiding this week. :( Sleep? Well, I think I would sleep a good solid night if I didn't have to get up to potty at least 4 or 5 times a night. ugh! Symptoms? My hands pretty much stay swollen. My feet depend upon the day. Food aversions? Still no heavy desserts. Food cravings? Just hook me up to an IV of lemonade please! ;) Labor signs? Nope! What I miss? I am so excited to meet this little girl that I can't really think of anything I miss. Best moment of this week? Hitting the 30 weeks mark!!!!!

Nursery Furniture

2011-06-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

We. Are. Finished.

Phew!

After hours and hours and hours of sanding and sanding and sanding and sanding...

And then, priming and sanding and priming and sanding...

And then, painting...

We are finally done.

Never again. That's all I have to say about that. This was the biggest project. All you ladies, and gentlemen, that enjoying refinishing furniture... bless you.

I'm really glad we did it b/c it definitely confirmed that refinishing furniture is not a potential hobby of mine. No thank you.

So without further ado... here is a glimpse into our labor of love:

Here is a glimpse of the furniture before we started to sand it. It was already beautiful. The wood finish just wasn't going to work in the room.

Here are a few shots of the crib as it was being sanded. Come to find out we didn't need to quite sand it to the extent that we did... oh well.

After sanding, we applied a coat of gripper. This stuff made our final coats of paint stick like nobody's business. I tried to scratch off the paint with my fingernail, and it wouldn't budge.

Here are pictures of the final product. We spray painted the furniture with white gloss paint. Spray painting was the way to go!!! No runs!

New Blog Name!!!

2011-06-18T14:13:00.001-07:00

New blog name! Yay!!!

So after much thought I have decided to change my blog name, and I'm super excited about it. The new blog name hit me the other day when someone pointed out that I constantly say "Good Gracious." I do! When something shocks me... when something excites me... when I'm baffled by something...

GOOD GRACIOUS!

Now I just need to redesign the blog header and make a few small changes.

I was considering changing the url as well but every variation of "good gracious" is taken. Although, they are rather inactive blogs... maybe there is a nice way to ask them to change their url. Hmmm...

Baby Girl at 29 Weeks

2011-06-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

We have a new food.... Squash!

So apparently The Bump thinks that's a squash. I'm sure it is, but where I'm from this is what a squash look like:

And, I know my baby is bigger than that! So we will go with that pumpkin-looking squash. We will be stuck with the pumpkin-looking squash until week 32. The Bump says that the baby is between 15.2 inches to 16.7 inches long and weighs from 2.5 to 3.8 pounds.

Major Milestones:

The baby can taste and respond to pain.

Eyes may be able to follow a blinking light.

This is when movement decreases b/c she is running out of room, but when she does move it is much more forceful.

Baby's eyes are almost always blue at this stage and can distinguish between sunlight or artificial light.

How's Mama Doing? Maternity Clothes? Oh yes! Movement? It seems to have slowed down a bit, which I do not like. It makes me paranoid. Stretch marks? Still just the little ones on my far sides... in addition to the ones I already had. Sleep? A bit of a challenge getting comfortable lately, but onces I'm out, buddy I'm out. Symptoms? I'm mostly just tired all the time and the swelling has started... oh my poor hands and feet. Food aversions? Heavy desserts mostly. Food cravings? Lemonade and Flip's cheeseburgers... yummmy! Labor signs? Nope! What I miss? Let me first say I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world, but I will say that I am carrying her kind of high so leaning over is a challenge. I feel like I can't breath and my head will explode. Best moment of this week? Watching my stomache move. I'm not to the part where you can see limbs moving across the tummy but when she gets to kicking it jolts my whole stomache.

Help...

2011-06-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Abby and I'm a chronic blog background changer.

Honestly, I think I have a problem. I like playing with the backgrounds, header, fonts and colors way more than I actually like writing on this thing. The problem is... my last name doesn't rhyme with anything. I keep trying to think of a cute blog name like all my other blogging buddies. Help!!!

"The Dorminey's" is boooorrriiinnngg... zzzzzzz. Plus, it's always going to be me blogging. Hubby aint much for blogging.

Any ideas?

I thought about calling it "Nothing Rhymes with Dorminey." Plain, simple and heck, pretty much to the point.

P.S. I hate the font choice in my header. Any ideas with that? Anyone?

Baby at 28 Weeks

2011-06-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Still an eggplant but next week we move on to a new food!!! Yay!

Major milestones:

Baby can no distinguish which voices are familiar and which are new.

Hair on the head is now clearly visible.

She is officially in a sleeping and waking pattern.

Teeth have developed under the gums.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Oh yes! I actually went shopping this past week for tops. Go me! Movement? Oh yes! I'm more surprised by her not moving. Stretch marks? Oh dear... I got these two little lovely pink lines on my side. Oh well. My loving husband refers to them as "battle scars... something to be proud of." I knew I picked a good one! Sleep? Getting a little tricky. I think little one found my ribs this week so it's hard to sleep comfortably and still feel like I can breath easily. Symptoms? Oh my poor feet... they hurt and my toes look like fat sausages. Food aversions? Heavy desserts... still not a fan. Food cravings? Lemonade!!!!!! Just hook me up to an IV!!! Labor signs? Don't think so! What I miss? Nothing!!! Best moment of the week? More and more movement! She's a little wiggle worm in there!

Baby Girl at 27 Weeks

2011-06-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Major Milestones:

Entering the third trimester!!!!

Baby weighs about 2 pounds and measures at about 14.5 inches.

Eyes can open, blink and close.

Baby has eyelashes, eyebrows and hair that grows everyday.

Baby is starting to fill out with fat... love those fat baby legs! ;)

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Movement? She will mostly really active days off and on all day, but every once in a while she will have a more chill day (which I secretly hate b/c it makes me paranoid). Stretch marks? None besides the ones I already had. Sleep? I am sleeping really really well, but I never feel like I am getting a enough. Symptoms? You may want to nail down any food you have around me because I just might eat it. My appetite is crazy!!! Food aversions? No Mexican food (besides some mild salsa) and no heavy desserts. Food cravings? Fruit and pizza... that's the kick I'm on as of late. Labor signs? Nope. What I miss? Nothing... although I do miss the cooler weather, but that doesn't have to do with this pregnancy. I just stay inside pretty much all the time. Best moment of the week? Had a doctor's appntmt. this week and she appears to be progressing perfectly. I measured right on track and all signs point to a healthy pregnancy! Wahoo! Praise God! And, I passed the one-hour glucose test!!!! AND, we are now in the third trimester!!!! Woooooo-to-the-hoooooooooo!!!!

And She Shall Be Called... Drewscilla?

2011-05-31T18:30:00.001-07:00

Second to "How do you feel?", "What is her name" would have to be one of the most frequently asked questions we get on a daily basis. While I absolutely can not wait for everyone else to know our precious little girl's name, we have decided to keep her name a secret until her birth. Now, when I tell people of our decision to keep the name to ourselves, I get one of two reactions:
1. "Ugh! That's no fun! What if I wanted to monogram something?"
2. "Good for you! I wish I would have done that!"

We have several reasons why we decided to keep her name a secret, and here are a few reasons why:

What if I change my mind? I know this sounds totally kooky, but I'm a kook and think that when she comes into this world her name needs to fit her. I want to have the ability to change her name.
I really don't want anyone's opinion to sway my decision. Don't worry... we are picking a perfectly suitable name. She will not be mistaken for an exotic dancer or inanimate object (although some of those names are perfectly ok). I just don't want anyone's reaction to sway our decision.
Okay. Sit down. I know this is going to blow your mind, but... we're not that into monogrammed things. Not b/c we think they are silly or think we are better than them. We simply just think it may help to not have a lot of monogrammed things if the Lord decides to bless us with another child. Please, do not go rolling your eyes. I think monogrammed outfits and blankets are adorable! I think this reason has gotten the most stern looks because here in the south every other female above the age of 25 owns a monogramming machine. Let me reiterate... We are not anti-monogramming. We just want to keep it to a few pieces here and there. Trust me... we love her initials and think they are super cool. They don't spell out anything inappropriate, so that has nothing to do with it. Promise!
Don't you want something to be a surprise??? I mean, yes, we know the name but we are looking forward to sharing it with everyone who walks through our hospital room door. Just like back in the old days where the husband would pace outside the delivery room and then go tell all the guests "It's a boy" or "It's a girl"... we want to be able to present some sort of a surprise to our wonderful friends and family.

Now, for those of you that I haven't had a chance to explain why we are keeping the name on the DL... there you go! I hope our reasoning makes a bit of sense to you.

And, if you want to call her by a name... My Paw-Paw loving names everyone he loves a nickname, and he has already dubbed her Drewscilla. Yep, Drewscilla. Doesn't she sound just down right delicate and charming!? Haha! So feel free to call her Drewscilla!

Baby Girl at 26 Weeks

2011-05-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

We're going to be sticking with the eggplant for a few weeks, so no new fruit for this week. However, here are a few of the major development milestone for this week:

Baby girl measures about 14 inches long and weighs about 1.7 pounds.

Her eyes will begin to open at this time.

A fetal brain scan will show response to touch... Experts say you can touch and play with the baby and they will respond to the touch through my belly.

Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems.

She is probably at her most active... most actives weeks are typically between 24 weeks and 28 weeks.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? I'm still being stubborn about changing over to maternity tops but I'm definitely wearing out my two pairs of maternity pants. Movement? Oh yes! She's a bouncer that's for sure. Stretch marks? I'm sticking with the Palmer's regimen and so far no stretch marks but I'm not that big so there is still plenty of time. Sleep? I either sleep really really well or I hardly sleep at all. There's not much in between. I've been avoiding turning the air down more b/c our power bill is going to kill us but last night I was so uncomfortable that I think it's about time to just bite the bullet. Symptoms? This is really weird but my legs itch. It's very strange. I get these really small bumps under the skin. It doesn't look like a rash but they are all around my calves and they itch like nobody's business. Also, I'm starting to get more and more tired. So sad I'm starting to lose my second trimester energy boost. My nose is getting out of control... I smell everything, especially women's perfumes (I will purposely walk around someone so I don't have to smell their perfume). Food aversions? Cake! For some reason we had tons of cake in the office kitchen... bday cake and seven-layer cake. Just the smell of the icing was too much. Food cravings? Ugh... everything but cake. Haha! I'm always in the mood for red meat and anything with tomatoes in it. Labor signs? Naw! What I miss? Nothing... really! I wouldn't trade this for anything. Best moment of the week? Feeling my whole stomach move when she is jumping around in there! As of right now she has a good bit of room to get around and she loves her space.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend!!!

Sanding is for the Birds

2011-05-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's been about a week since I posted an update on the nursery, so I figured I should pop in and give you a little update...

I. HATE. SANDING.

Is that enough of an update? Okay, probably not... let me expand...

I. HATE. SANDING. WITH. EVERY. FIBER. OF. MY. BEING.

Okay, tantrum over.

As I mentioned in the last nursery update, our next project was sanding and painting the crib and the changing table. We were very blessed to be given a barely used crib and changing table. However, after J did all of the beautiful wainscoting and we got the paint on the walls, we came to one conclusion... stained wood just aint gonna work. So, it was decided that we sand and paint the crib white (well I wanted to do this gray finish to it but couldn't quite convince J).

So for the past week or so we have been sanding... and sanding... and sanding and sanding and sanding. I honestly didn't think it would be this much of a task. The bed is a sleigh style, and the doesn't feature that much detail. However, there are so many little nooks and crannies. It is taking forever!

I pretty much had a little comeapart Saturday night, ran inside and immediately started search "white cribs" on craigslist.com. Although I was very tempted to fork out $70 for a crib only 20 minutes away, my crazy, budget-conscious self backed down.

I know this is going to take time. Luckily we have started on the nursery at a decent time in this pregnancy, so we have plenty of time. I just need to learn to be patient... something I am not very good at.

Baby Girl at 25 Weeks

2011-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

We have a new food baby!!! Yep, I will have a little eggplant for the next few weeks. For weeks 25-28, little girl will measure from 13.6 inches long to 14.8 inches long, and she will weigh from 1.5 to 2.2 pounds!!!

Major Milestones:

Baby's hands are fully developed. She can make fists and clasp things placed in her palm.

Bones are becoming more solid.

The structures of the spine are beginning to form.

Blood vessells in the lungs develop.

Baby's nostrils begin to open.

Baby's brain cells are maturing... that matched with her ability hear means she is learning to distinguish familiar voices and sounds.

Babies born at 25 weeks have about a 50% chance of survival... keeping baking little one.

How's mama doing? Maternity clothes? Yes! It is shameful that I am still trying to fit into my non-maternity clothes. It's just hard for this cheap-o to justify buying clothes I will only wear for a few months. Movement? Holy moly yes! She's an active little booger. Stretch marks? I may have the beginnings of one or two (of course not counting those I already had). Sad. Can we call them "love" marks from now on? Thanks. Sleep? UUUGGGHHH. I toss and turn. I'm hot and wake up an hour before my alarm... moving on to the next topic. Symptoms? Oh yes... lots. I feel like I'm starting to get tired again, much like my first trimester. I have heard it starts back in your third trimester, but I have WAY too much to do to feel this tired. I'm hoping it's my sleeping pattern. Food aversions? Doughnuts... I was in a parking lot next to Krispy Kreme this week and got a big ole wiff. Yuck! Food cravings? Everything else. Haha! Since I was placed on prescription meds for my horrible acid reflux, I have eaten my weight in salsa and sandwiches with tomatoes. Yummm... Labor signs? Don't think so. What I miss? Nothing. Honest! I wouldn't trade this for anything! Best moment of the week? The other night I was sound asleep, and J got home late b/c he had practice. I was laying there and awoke to his hand on my tummy. He was giddy... "She is going crazy in there. I just laid my arm around you and could feel her on my forearm. That's crazy." There is nothing sweeter than a moment like that.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Ugly Baby

2011-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Okay first of all... unless you are like me and ridiculously obsessed with the TV show, "Gilmore Girls", then you may never get the reference of the title for this blog post. However, it is totally relevant to this post, so don't feel left out.

So you know those baby face generators, similar to the one Kate Hudson's character used in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"? Well, I tried one of those today on the Internet. Oy vey. Commence the prayers people...

Did I hear you smirk? Don't smirk at my baby! She's apparently got some skin discoloration issues. She can't help it.

Just kidding... you can totally laugh. I laughed until I cried actually.

And for those of you who are dying to be let in on the whole "ugly baby" reference, I looked high and low for a clip from Gilmore Girls about the ugly baby, and the only one I could find was in Hungarian... so for all my Hungarian readers, or Hungarian-speaking readers, out there: Here you go!

How I Told J "You're Going to be a Daddy"

2011-05-16T14:17:00.001-07:00

I really want to write this down... errr... type this out... before I forget. So, this is the story of how I told J was pregnant...

J and I had been trying for about eight months when I saw those two precious pink lines on that First Response Pregnancy Test. I had become a little obsessed with peeing on a stick... I know that sounds gross, but if you have ever been in my shoes where you have prayed and waited and prayed and waited for a baby, then you completely understand what I mean by this. There is no telling how much money I had spent over those months on pregnancy tests. I'm glad I don't know because I think I might would cry... oh to have that money back. Anywhooo... after being consumed with getting pregnant for several months, this was the one month that we were not what I like to refer to as "strategically trying"... because "not, not trying" is still "trying" in my book.

Well, to make a long story short... I had been counting down the days til I could test. All you ladies that have been there no exactly what I'm talking about.

Length of cycle - how many days before missed period the pregnancy test says it can show a positive result = Day to start testing... and stressing... and squinting to see if there is another line... wondering if your eyes are playing a trick on you...

I think you get the point.

J had asked me to not take a test until past the end of my cycle. I was a bad wife and did not oblige his request. Well... it was killing me to know. Thinking back, I really wish I would have waited, but oh well. I'm an impatient woman... mix that with the task of trying to get pregnant and you get a slightly, crazy woman without a lick of self control.

Sooo... I took a test, and it came back positive. I was sooooo thrilled! I kept looking at the test, setting it down, looking at the test, setting it down, looking at it in a different light, squinting in every possible angle until I finally convinced myself that this was true. I was pregnant. Suddenly guilt set in. Was he going to be mad? I didn't honor his request! I thought, "Maybe I can wait a few days to tell him..." Fat chance.

Racking my brain to come up with a cute way to tell him, I hopped into the car and headed to Target. I found a precious little bib that said "I love daddy," grabbed a gift box and some wrapping paper. This was right before Christmas, so I decided to head up to his work to present him with an early Christmas present. He had to work that night and there was no way possible I was going to be able to keep it to myself until he got home and no way I was going to tell him over the phone.

I skidded into the parking lot and ran inside where he met me with a "What on earth are you doing here" look. I handed him a box and said, "I got this for you, and you know how bad I am at waiting to give you presents so will you please open this early Christmas present?"

He opened it and just stood and stared at me for a few seconds. Then he got a huge grin and gave me a big hug. I immediately broke down into tears asking, "Are you mad at me?" He of course laughed and said, "How could I be mad at you?"

Phew.

And that my friends, is the Reader's Digests version of how I told J he was going to be a daddy.

Nursery Wainscoting (Part 2)

2011-05-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

It is finished! Yay! Pretty much all the touch ups are done to the walls and to the wainscoting. I am over-the-moon thrilled about how it all turned out. The pictures really do not do it justice (not to mention I picked the worst time of day to take the pictures). It really brightens up the room and makes it feel so much larger, which I really thought it would make it feel smaller.

Upcoming projects...

-Sanding and painting the crib.

-Sanding and painting the changing table.

More later!

Baby Girl at 24 Weeks

2011-05-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Still carrying a little papaya in there, according to the The Bump. Next week I should be moving on to a new fruit... I just know you are beside yourself with excitement. ;) Little girl currently weights about 1.3 pounds and measures about 12 inches long.

Major milestones for this week:

Baby girl is now gaining about 3 ounces every week.
If the baby is born right now, she is considered viable and could likely survive (36% of babies born at 24 weeks survive, but usually have severe physical complications)... but I'm good with her baking for a bit longer.
Taste buds begin to form. If I drink something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his or her distaste via ultrasound.
She is beginning to develop little creases in her palm.

How's mama doing: Maternity clothes? In pants, and should not be wearing non-maternity shirts. Just today I saw my reflection in the door at Lowe's and saw the belly band part of my pants hanging out. That's not cute. haha! Movement? Oh yes... she loooovvvess to kick me in the bladder. As uncomfortable as that can be, I love every second of it. Stretch marks? Sticking to my Palmer's regimen... lets hope it works. Sleep? I've been sleeping much better lately... although little girl loves to move all night long. Symptoms? My wonderful doctor prescribed me medicine to help with my horrible acid reflux. It has made such a huge difference, so eating and sleeping has been much more pleasant. I think I'm entering the nesting stage... I clean everything! Food aversions? Same as the past few weeks... Still aint feeling the Mexican food or the heavy desserts. Food cravings? Salads with honey mustard dressing, cheeseburgers and pasta. Labor signs? Nope. What I miss? Nothing!!!! Best moment of the week? J felt her move! I teared up... it was so cool to see him experience that. Also reaching viability was a HUGE milestone for me and baby!!!!

Nursery Wainscoting

2011-05-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post concerning the nursery, J recently painted little girl's room. On Friday he put wainscoting around the room. I really was afraid that the wood details would make the room feel smaller but it has actually done the complete opposite. The pictures below show the room with the color and wainscoting on the wall. We still need to caulk and putty the wainscoting before we paint the trim white. And thhheeennnn... we can start decorating!!! So exciting!

This picture gives you pretty good idea of the purplish/grayish/blueish color we chose.

I am very, very blessed to be married to a an x-trim carpenter. ;)

Baby Girl at 23 Weeks

2011-05-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

According to the The Bump, I am going to be carrying a papaya for a couple of weeks, so no new fruit for this week. However, I did find this kind of cool (kind of creepy) picture of what the baby supposedly looks like right now.

Major milestones for this week:

Sense of balance develops... this is when the baby will begin to realize if she is upside down or right side up. I have definitely noticed more movement at night while I'm swapping from one side to the other, so I think she is definitely starting to get her bearings in there.

Skin pigment is now forming.

Baby girl is now proportioned like a newborn... just a very thin looking newborn.

Baby is now producing insulin.

How's mama doing: Maternity clothes? Still fighting the urge to swap over to maternity tops. Definitely can't wear my pants or skirts anymore. Movement? Yes, yes yes! She is becoming quite active at night. I usually feel her some time mid-morning through lunch. Then she takes a nap, and she's back flipping and kicking in the late afternoon. Stretch marks? Not yet. I started on Palmer's this week. I know they say it's hereditary and there's nothing you can do but by golly I'm at least going to try. Sleep? I am sleeping much better, but the dreams are out of control. I'm debating a whole posts on some of the crazy dreams I've had lately. Symptoms? Same ole, same ole... getting a bit of tummy itch due to stretching (I'm assuming). My appetite is crazy! Food aversions? Still aint feeling the Mexican food or the heavy desserts. Food cravings? Fruit and balanced meals -- this little girl demands a meat, veggie and carb almost every meal. Labor signs? Nope. What I miss? Nothing!!!! Best moment of the week? We had a doc's appointment yesterday. Her heartbeat was good and everything seems to be on track. Next appointment will be the one-hour glucose test and the beginning of my third trimester visits which will be every three weeks. Wow, time is flying by, but that really is fine with me. I can't wait to meet this little girlie!

Nursery Before

2011-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well readers, here's what we're working with. Here are a few photos of the nursery before it is transformed into our little girl's room. The photos aren't very good quality, but I used J's cell phone camera b/c my camera was not around at the time. I zoomed out as far as I could but this is the best I could get.

This weekend J started painting her room... the top half is a very soft color that is right between a light lavendar, light blue and light gray. The bottom half of the room is white because J is going to put in some chair rail and picture boxes, also known as wainscoting, on the bottom half. Right now the room pretty much looks like these pictures only with different wall colors. I will be sure to post pics along the way!

This is the wall opposite the window.

My favorite part of the room... the pretty window and one of Coosa's favorite spots.

The wall facing you when you walk into the nursery. This is more than likely where the crib will be.

Standing where the crib will be, facing away from the wall.

As you can probably tell, the room is not a very large space, but I think it will be perfect for now!

Baby Girl at 22 Weeks

2011-04-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

According to The Bump, I will be staying with this fruit until about 24 weeks. Major milestones for this week:

Baby begins to develop a sleeping and waking pattern.
She will react to loud noises (which I have noticed lately).
When I move she will probably wake up. (The other night I couldn't get comfortable and kept tossing and turning. She very quickly gave me a swift kick to the tummy to let me know I was keeping her up. lol)
She weighs in at a wopping 1 pound! haha!

How's mama doing: Maternity clothes? Still in pants only and holding out on tops but it's about to be a must for all maternity clothes. Movement? Oh yes. I'm starting to figure out her schedule. She likes to sleep in and is getting more and more active at night. Stretch marks? Not yet... well besides the ones I already had. Sleep? I am getting pretty good sleep but I'm starting to get achey through my hips so I have to change sides fairly frequently throughout the night. Symptoms? My allergies are ridiculous!!! I've never been plagued with horrible allergies but boy am I making up for it now. Food aversions? Pretty much the same as I've said before... not Mexican food or cake or brownies or really any kind of heavy dessert. Food cravings? Fruit and cheeseburgers!!! Labor signs? Nope. What I miss? Not a single thing. Best moment of the week? We started work on the nursery! Well, I guess I should say J started work on the nursery. He starting painting and putting in some woodwork. Details to come!

Ultrasound Photos

2011-04-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

We have been very fortunate to have many, many ultrasounds. It is so neat to document the baby's development in this way! Being able to watch this entire process through pictures and carrying this child has strengthened my faith in the Lord in ways words can not describe. I have always believed with much assurance that Our Lord God reigns and He is the creator of all good things. However, watching our child develop from the tiny, little circle you see below... how can you not believe?

Jeremiah 1:5 ~ "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..."

I hope you all have a very happy Easter weekend!!!

Here are little girl's ultrasound photos in chronological order...

6 weeks

7 Weeks

8 Weeks

10 Weeks (facing you)

11 Weeks (hand on face)

12 Weeks

14 Weeks (facing you)

16 Weeks (facing you with hand at throat)

These are from our anatomy scan at 19 Weeks... note the thumb sucking in the second pic.

Baby Girl at 21 Weeks

2011-04-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was pretty confused when I saw this week's fruit from The Bump... going from a cantaloupe to a banana seems a bit backwards to me. Then I read that starting at 21 weeks they start measurements from head to toe, instead of by weight and from head to rump. So... our little one is the length of a banana, which is... yep, you guessed it... BANANAS! I can't believe she is that long! Also, she weighs about 12 ounces.

This week's major milestones include:

Little girl is starting to add fat to her precious little body.

The small intestine is starting to absorb sugars, so she will start to ingest small amounts of sugar from swallowed amniotic fluid (yyuuummmyyy... cup o' amniotic fluid anyone?)

She will start to react to certain types of music... poor thing is probably already so use to it by now, and she is probably more likely to respond to silence.

How's mama doing: Maternity clothes? Still in pants only, but I have worn a few more maternity tops lately b/c the ones I have are getting to be too short. Movement? Yes ma'am! She decided to come out of her hiding place this week. I'm by no means feeling good strong kicks, but I feel a few little kicks almost everyday. It is the most wonderful feeling! Stretch marks? Not yet. Sleep? I am getting pretty good sleep. I've just been so hot lately. It's like as soon as I lay down an oven turns on... and that oven is me! Also, if you by any chance are around me when I'm sleeping... don't wake me. J said I am as mean as a snake when he wakes me up. Poor guy. Symptoms? I had the nastiest sinus headache for three solid days. It was horrible. My allergies have been outrageous so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Food aversions? Mexican food. Some days I will think, "I can eat a quesadilla. I can do this." Then I spend the rest of the night convincing myself not to puke. So strange... I loved Mexican food before. Food cravings? Red meat, salads and pasta!!! Labor signs? Nope. What I miss? Still nothing. I really am grateful for every single day I carry this little miracle. Best moment of the week? Feeling my first definite kicks!!!

***I'm not sure why it says this post was published on Wednesday. My weeks bump up on Fridays and that is when I publish these posts... oh well.

Operation Baby Room (Part 1)

2011-04-20T10:37:00.001-07:00

We are in the earliest stages of preparing for "Operation Baby Room." I had been looking at bedding long before we found out whether or not this little one was a girl or a boy, so I had an idea of what I wanted but for weeks had not found anything to my liking (or within my budget, say hello to the ridiculously overpriced bedding I first fell in love with). I didn't want anything too theme-y b/c it's just not me and also b/c the room we are using is very, very small. I think it was originally intended to be an office but it has a nice size closet so it is technically considered a bedroom.

The reason why we are using the smallest room in the whole house when we have two other spacious guest rooms in the house to choose from is b/c this room is right next to ours. The other bedrooms and bathroom is on the other side of the house. This just seems easier with having a baby... that way I won't have to get up and stomp all the way across the house to get to the baby. So for now, and probably until she is a toddler, she will be in the the quaint bedroom next to us... and maybe we'll move her back in when she turns 14 but that will be for other reasons. ;)

That being said, I didn't want bedding that would over power the room. I wanted something that was simple, light and had a cute pattern. The day we found out we were having a girl, J and I headed to Target to buy two little outfits just to celebrate. While we were there, I passed an end-of-the-isle shelf that was selling a bumper... it was perfect! I loved the medallions and the colors. When I got home I searched the brand and sure enough, the whole set was for sale on the Target Web site.

Now before I show you the bedding I chose, let me tell you that I fought off pink for weeks... I thought, if I have a girl the room will not be a pink wonderland. I fought, and I stomped, and I fought, but J suprisingly was all for pink. He said, "If we are having a girl then by golly our house will reflect that. You are not fighting pink." So I caved....

... it's pink alright! And I love it! I really thought I would end up with a baby girl room covered in blues, yellows and purples with the slightest hint of pink. Boy, or should I say girl, was I wrong! You can get a better look at the bedding by clicking here.

A few days after the bedding came in, we went to Lowes to get a few paint swatch ideas and to also grab some swatches that matched the color from our bedding. My mother in law suggested getting paint swatches that match the bedding colors and keeping them in my purse. This way if I'm out and about and see something I think would be perfect in the room, I won't have to wonder if the colors match. Great idea right?! I thought so too!

Now back to picking paint swatch ideas...

Standing in front of 5,000 paint swatches is very daunting and intimidating. I found myself once again fight off the overly girl-y colors. In the meantime J was pulling one right after the other... lavendar, turquoise, light turquoise, dark lavendar. Then I started pulling gray and charcoal. J stopped me and once again pointed out that I was fighting the girly-ness. He quickly told me to let go and go girl-y. So, I obliged. After getting home, laying the bedding out and taping the swatches to the wall, we came to a conclusion...

Summer bliss... how so very, eh, blissful. It almost looks more blue on my computer. It is a happy medium between gray, light blue and light lavendar. I love it!

Our plan is to put up chair rail and wayne's coating on the bottom and paint the top half this color. Besides that... I got nothing. Not sure where to go from there, but luckily we have plenty of time.

Right now, I have this weird complex about starting real work on the nursery before the rest of the house is tidy. I have been a cleaning machine. All that is left to do is:

Finish cleaning the master bath.

Clean the guest bath.

Dust the guest bedroom.

Vacuum the guest bedroom.

Clean the baseboards... okay being realistic, this one will probably never happen.

Then I am ready to start!!!! Can't wait.

Be on the look out for a moodboard. I'm trying to start one in order to get inspiration on how to decorate the rest of the room.

Is that you Sally O'Malley?

2011-04-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

We have movement people! Definite movement!

Over the past few weeks I have felt weird shifts and little twitches, well yesterday little girl decided she was ready to make her presence known. All day off and on I received definite kicks to the belly. I noticed that they are more frequent when I am not sitting up straight and when I'm in a place where people are talking loudly (specifically people that I don't talk to often). If I lean over in the slightest bit she is sure to let me know that I'm cramping her space, and she also gets pretty excited after I eat.

Today it took a bit more coaxing from my lovely friend the Diet Coke to get her to wiggle a bit, but that definitely convinced her to do her Sally O'Malley impression.

I am so thrilled to experience this feeling and get to know her more and more.

Baby Girl at 20 Weeks

2011-04-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

This week, according to The Bump, baby girl is about the size of a cantaloupe... approximately 6.5 inches long (from crown to rump) and about 10.6 oz heavy (guess the rest of the weight is a food baby, haha). The biggest milestones this week include:

Baby will begin to recognize mom's voice.

Her toenails and fingernails are growing.

Her precious little heart can be heard through a stethoscope.

How's mama doing: Maternity clothes? Only my pants... I can still pull off my tops for the most part, although some are getting a little short in the front. Movement? On occasion I will feel these weird shifts, almost like these big bubbles are moving around in my stomach. I felt a few little love taps but only about once a day or every other day. My baby's placenta is anterior which basically means that the placenta is between the outside of my stomach and the baby. This kind of stinks because I can't feel quite the intensity of the kicks quite yet and it will take even longer for J to feel them. However, when I'm getting beat up in a few weeks, I'm sure I will wish I could go back to this time when the movement was very soft. Stretch marks? Nope. Sleep? Sleep is getting much better. For a while there I would toss and turn. I think I've finally settled on a nice cool temperature (poor J) and sleeping positions. Symptoms? I'll spare you the TMI ones... I do have pretty bad acid reflux, my appetite is beginning to overtake my day and I do catch myself being a little more short tempered than usual. Food aversions? Cake... bday cake, cupcakes... any kind of cake. Yuck! (Yes, I believe an alien has taken over my body. That, or this baby is going to have my husband's appetite) Food cravings? This child will come into this world with a cheeseburger or steak in one hand and a large lemonade in the other. Labor signs? No, thank goodness. What I miss? Absolutely nothing. Best moment this week? Reaching the halfway point!!!! In honor of being half-baked, here's a little virtual ice cream for ya...

It's a...

2011-04-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

GIRL!

Yep, that's right! I haven't been blogging lately b/c the only thing I could think to blog about was this precious little girl growing inside of me. We wanted to wait until we had ample time to tell our friends, family and extended church-family before we posted it all over the Internet. There is so much to catch you up on but before I get started let me give you a little disclaimer: The majority of my blog posts from here on out will probably be of no interest to anyone but myself. I'm hoping that I will keep up with these in order to remember my pregnancy by and also share the story of my daughter's life inside the womb one day. Therefore, you may find these incredibly boring... because well frankly they will probably be all about my growing waistline, bizarre cravings, nursery decorating and okay maybe some other topics in between.

Just a brief update about baby: She is due Sept. 2. She has a name that we have decided to keep a secret for several reasons that I'm sure I will get into later. She is beautiful and perfect, and I couldn't be more in love with someone I have actually not met (well besides Jesus).

Promises & Precious Pups

2010-11-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Life around our houses has been busy, busy, busy. With work being a killer for me and the holiday season gearing up... I haven't had much time for blogging or anything really blogworthy. I mean who wants to hear about the 69 press releases I had to write, 7 awards ceremonies, 79 photos to edit and identify, and... well I'll spare you the rest. Luckily, things will begin to settle down after this week, and I can get back to being the good blogger I was in the month of October [pats self on back].

So for now, I leave you with recent photos of our two precious babies. Aren't they the cutest!

Trunk or Treat

2010-11-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, J and I along with two of our dearest friends got all dolled up, decorated my car and participated in our church's trunk or treat. I can say without a doubt that I had way more fun than any of the kids there. It was so much fun seeing all their precious costumes and hearing them cheerfully scream, "Trick or Treat!" We decided to be the cast of Toy Story. Here's a glimpse of our costumes. We're already talking about next year... can't wait!!!

DA FRIDGE

2010-10-22T12:45:00.001-07:00

I JUST LOVE THAT I HAVE A REASON TO BLOG NOW... UNFORTUNATELY IT'S ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE BUT HEY AT LEAST IT'S SOMETHING, RIGHT?! MORE ABOUT OUR ADVERTURES IN HOME OWNERSHIP...

I POSTED RECENTLY ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL REFRIDGERATOR, OR AS I SO LOVINGLY LIKE TO CALL IT "DA FRIDGE." UNFORTUNATELY OUR FRIDGE TURNED OUT TO BE NOT QUITE A BEAUTY. IT HAD A SLIGHT DEFECT. THE GREAT THING WAS WE PURCHASED DA FRIDGE FROM A GREAT PLACE THAT HAS WONDERFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WILLINGLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE FRIDGE. IN THE PICTURE BELOW YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE COVER HAD STARTED TO COME OFF.

I REALLY WANTED TO VIDEO TAPE THE GUYS THAT MOVED DA FRIDGES. THEY HAD THIS SORT OF STRAP SYSTEM WHERE THEY HAD A HARNESS THAT CONNECTED TWO GUYS BY TWO LONG STRAPS. THOSE STRAPS WERE PLACED UNDER DA FRIDGE AND THEY STOOD UP. DA FRIDGE THEN WOULD LIFT OFF THE GROUND, AND THEY WOULD WADDLE DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY INTO THE HOUSE. SO IMPRESSIVE! I RECOMMEND BUYING A FRIDGE JUST SO YOU CAN WATCH THE MOVING PROCESS... IT'S LIKE A SCALED DOWN VERSION OF SOME SORT OF MAGIC SHOW. SO COOL!

I'M SURE BY NOW YOU HAVE NOTICED SOMETHING STRANGE... NO I AM NOT YELLING AT YOU. IT IS IN FACT INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY! NO JOKE! SEE!

HAPPY CAPS LOCK DAY ERRR'BODY!

Door is a powerful word

2010-10-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

I recently did a wordle of my blog and guess what word showed up the most... door. Door? Yep, door.

Needless to say we had quite a few issues painting the front door we purchased for our new home. After getting a little help deciding on a paint color from my awesomely talented design friend, I headed to Sherwin Willliams. Now I don't paint often. Here's a little proof for ya: prior to this wonderful experience, I thought the paint store was in fact called Sherman Williams... as in Bama football. I think you get my point now.

So, I get the paint, head home and the hubs and bestie help me paint the door. It is looking pretty awesome, until we start to take the tape off. With the first peice of painters tape came about an inch of paint. It peeled right off like that glue stuff you peel off the back of adds on pizza boxes. I was totally bumbed! All that work for nothing.

To keep this rather long story short, I'll give you a quick play-by-play:

Sand door --> Clean with hot water --> Prime door --> Sand door --> Clean door with hot water --> Finally, paint door.

Now after dealing with the door, my rather handy (and x-trim carpenter... yes, ladies, my very own in-house carpenter) husband constructed batten shutters to replace the traditional shutters. He threw up the shutters, I threw on the same paint as the door, while he was installing said door and..... waaa laaa! I am over the moon about the results. Here is a before and several after shots:

Before

After

Close Up of the Dreaded... I mean Beloved Door

And some close ups of our fall decor... I just love this time of year!

Fall Faves

2010-10-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love fall!!! It is my favorite season by far. Not only is my Bday in fall but there's football season, the gorgeous pallet of fall leaves, windows down, fireplaces and hot cocoa. Here are a few of my favorite things fall has to offer:

Scarves - Wearing one today!

Mums - Have three pots on my front porch right now sure wish I could post a picture of them... urgh!

Candles - I love the fragrances of fall!

Thanksgiving Feast - Only time out of the year it is acceptable to eat until your sick (besides Christmas... and New Years... and Easter...).

Christmas Music Begins - We have a local radio station that begins playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving! I play it everyday through January.

Carving Pumpkins - We carve pumpkins every year. It is one of my favorite things to do around this time.

Halloween - I love seeing everyone's Halloween costumes and going to Halloween parties. This year we are signed up for trunk-or-treat at our church. I'm really excited about getting our car all decorated, dressing up in costume and seeing some of our favorite families.

I'm Trying

2010-10-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

Grrr... I have tried 3 times to post pictures of our new home to this blog and every time I have tried to open my memory card it asks if I want to format it. No pictures show up! Boo! I wanted to share the beautiful new door we painted, our lovely new batten shutters and adorable fall decor. I'm going to try the hubby's memory card and take the picture with his camera. We will see if this works. So stay tuned...

Recipe Success!

2010-10-12T12:11:00.001-07:00

Since moving into our house, I have been determined to cook more often. Okay, let me correct that... I have been determined to cook. "More often" would insinuate that I use to cook at all. :-/

Cooking at my house is quite a challenge. First of all, my husband and I have very different tastes. I like sweets... he does not. He loves red meat... I can do without. I love carbs... he could eat a whole plate of protein. Secondly, our schedules can cause a bit of frustration. There are several evenings out of the week that the hubby is not home when I cook, and I am not home when he is home.

Nevertheless, I have been one determined wife lately. Despite a few failed recipes, I have come out with one definite winner. And, yes, I have made it twice in the past few weeks! Ha! I thought I would share with you my treasured recipe: Chicken, Broccoli, Mac n' Cheese!!! I think this was originally a Weight Watcher's recipe but I added the chicken part.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Broccoli, Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 lb. of baked chicken breast
12 oz. uncooked twisted pasta
1/8 tsp table salt for pasta
10 oz. broccoli, small florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp butter
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups of skim milk
1/3 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp variety
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions.
Add broccoli to pasta and water about 3 minutes before pasta will be done.
Drain pasta and broccoli. Then return to pot.
While pasta and broccoli prepare, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Then add bread crumbs and cook. Stir often until light golden (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and transfer crumbs to a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
In same saucepan whisk together milk and flour until blended. Add onion and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, mustard, salt, pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
Shred baked chicken and add to pasta and broccoli. Stir evenly.
Pour cheese, milk, flour, etc. mixture over pasta, broccoli and chicken. Toss until mixed and evenly coated.
Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs.
Bake until bubbly at edges, about 20-25 minutes.

Blah

2010-10-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to be a better blogger, I am going to force this blog of which I have not good news. I think sometimes my posts come across as ranting and cynical. I'm afraid this one is not going to be much better. Here are a few of my downer moments from this weekend:

Alabama lost. :( I'm really bummed but had a feeling this season wasn't going to go as well as last season. Still... Roll Tide Roll!
We started to make some minor improvements to the outside of our house. There are not very many things that need to be done but we did want to upgrade the shutters and the door. Bad news is our door did not want to be painted. And the paint did not like the door. It was a mutual decision. Neither wanted to be joined together. Basically here's what happened: We painted the door, the paint peeled off, we sanded the door, cleaned the door, primed the door, sanded the door, painted the door... the paint is still not doing as well as we would like but it is gradually beginning to like the door. As of this morning, it didn't seem like it would just peel right off. Our decision: put on the hardware and put up the door. I will hopefully have a blog just about our door drama in the near future.
My fridge is already coming apart. Okay... slight exaggeration. The front part where you select "ice," "water," "chopped ice" or "beer" (just kidding) is peeling off. The great news is that they offered to go ahead and replace the entire fridge. Yay!

On a positive note... we really are loving the house. It is one of the few times I have not had buyers remorse. I thought I would have the worst case ever, but we really prayed over this decision and feel very comfortable where we are. The Lord has blessed us beyond what we deserve!

Home Sweet Home

2010-10-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

After two years of marriage, J and I have finally settled down and purchased a home. Buying our first home has been both the most rewarding and stressful process of our lives. The home that we settled on was much more than we thought we would ever be blessed with. It was a forclosed property so we had a few more hoops to jump through, but now that we are settled in, I can 100 percent say that it was totally worth it.

I am still working on getting a picture of us with the "SOLD" sign in the front yard. Hopefully I can get that by this weekend. Right now we are in the process of unpacking boxes, swapping out locks, trying to arrange furniture in a house with a totally different layout than we have ever had, and trying to get the house to stop chirping. Yes, I said "chirping."

The family before us installed a rather thorough security system, which we greatly appreciate and hope to use but for now all the alarm boxes chirp.... constantly... every 15 seconds... loudly... in every room. It sounds like we have birds in the house. We have been on the phone with the alarm company, tried everything we know to try and still... chirp... chirp... CHIRP. The alarm peeps said we need to get an electrician out to the house b/c "each electrician sets these things up differently." Oh joy. The chirps dont' bother me very much but they are on J's last nerve.

On a much more pleasant note... our fridge comes today! I'm so excited. Shopping for a fridge was the most fun shopping we have ever done. For once, we both agreed on a color, size and style. I of course had a little more input (i.e. I wanted the easy clean kind that looks like stainless and I wanted a deep set ice and water dispenser so I wouldn't be constantly cleaning up water and ice droplets). I really am thrilled! Boy, am I an adult now... I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new refridgerator. ;) This is a picture of the beauty... isn't she gorgeous?!

Needless to say, we are both over the moon about our home, and I can't wait to share pictures with you soon!

2 Down, A Lifetime to Go!

2010-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past two years I have had the immense joy of being married to my very best friend. I can not believe 2 years have already passed but boy has it been a fun ride! I keep waiting for the day that we get tired of each other... oh wait, let me rephrase that... J gets tired of me. But, we are still having so much fun experiencing life together. Marriage is an amazing challenge full of ups and downs, and I can't imagine going through this with anyone else.

Happy Anniversary J! You constantly keep me laughing, loving and living in the moment! Words can't express my appreciation for you! Love you!

Wedding Day - Sept. 6, 2008

Engagement Picture - Engaged on Sept. 7, 2007

Our Oldest Baby, Coosa

Our Youngest Baby, Piper

Dating Days - Became an official couple on Sept. 7, 2002

This is more like it!

Frugalosity

2010-07-21T14:41:00.001-07:00

Hello. My name is Abby, and I am frugal. Despite my frugal nature, I am also random, quirky and a bit off-centered which can translate into a very intriguing list of things I would so love to buy. However, my frugal side defeats my fun, free-spirited side so all I have left is a list of hodge-podge items I would love to have despite my lack of genuine need.

The Robotic Vacuum

I was first introduced to this lovely domestic tool during an episode of Gilmore Girls. Ever since then, I have been dying to buy one. This specific robotic vacuum is made for those pet owners that are too lazy ... errrr... I mean... simply don’t have the time or energy to sweep the floors every other day.

Pretty Purse

Some people have shoe problems. Others have a jean problem. I have a purse problem. My taste in purses is ridiculous. On rare occasion I will stumble upon a purse in my ideal price range that suites me but this is rare. I blame my aunt who would spoil me a few times and buy me a purse when I was teen for Christmas. While all the other cousins were playing with the several gifts given to them, I was perfectly content with my one gift… a purse. Here is my latest love. I won’t even mention the price because it is embarrassing. You never know… maybe it will be in Ross this time next year.

Adobe Creative Design Suite 5

I don’t think this one requires much explaining. I love design and love taking pictures and well this would make me go weak at the knees.

Alabama Football Season Tickets

You just got to love that picture. I have met that very fine gentleman. In googling “Alabama Football Season Tickets,” his picture showed up. I think google is very wise is presuming that he portrays the meaning of these tickets. Some of my fondest memories are of Friday classes getting out, seeing fans beginning to mark off their sections of the quad and waking up Saturday morning to the smell of BBQ and a sea of crimson and white.

Maid

I am always tired when I get home from work. The last thing I want to do is wash dishes and sweep up dog hair. Between a maid that would visit my house once a week and that robotic vacuum, I would hardly have to do any housework.

Okay there is my list of ridiculously, frivolous, wanted items. And, just FYI: If I could indeed have any of these for free, it would be the football tickets. Roll Tide! Only 45 days till Game 1!

Lunch w/ the U.S. Census Bureau

2010-07-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Today I headed home for lunch in a mad dash for some food. By 1 o'clock I am a woman on a mission to get some lunch. You see, I try to take my lunch later so I have less of the day when I get back to work, so by the time I’m headed to lunch, I’m famished. I get home, hop out of the car and haul booty towards the front door when I hear an elderly man calling me and walking up my driveway… It’s the U.S. Census Bureau.

The first thing out of my mouth was, “We turned ours in.” The man said, “Yes ma’am, you are a good citizen but it’s your neighbors that I’m inquiring about.”

The next 15 minutes consisted of the gentlemen quizzing me on my neighbors and going on and on about how people don’t know their neighbors anymore. He asked me about one house across the street of which I replied by saying, “I think it is a shut-in. I have never seen anyone leave the house.” He proceeded to ask me why I thought they were shut-in.

Oh boy.

The guy was super nice and very kind but I was hungry and ready to be over with the conversation.

Not sure why I decided to share this story, but I have been an awful blogger lately and felt like I should write about something. So, there it is…

Please fill out your census cards so us “good citizens” aren’t forced to gossip about you and why you are shut-in. Thank you.

Well, Hello There

2010-07-09T13:22:00.001-07:00

Bad, bad blogger! That is me. Once again, I return to apologize. Things have been very busy lately. Ever have a month where you feel like everyone plans their stuff… birthdays, baby showers, events, etc.? This has been the case for pretty much this entire summer.

Despite the craziness, we have spent many a weekend at the lake. And, we recently took up tennis. I’m no Williams sister but it is fun. We don’t play by the rules, nor do we keep score, but it is a free evening of fun and exercise.

Oh, here’s some news… we have a roommate this summer. J’s intern is living with us over the summer while he interns in the music department at church. Our house is not large in any case but it hasn’t been that bad. Plus, he brought over his brand new Mac and said I can use it any time… he’s a keeper. I have lovingly dubbed him our “Summer Son” (said in a Jackie Chan-like accent).

This weekend one of my dearest friends, Mellie (who is a fabulous blogger by the way), is coming to visit me on Saturday. I am thrilled. We are going to eat, shop and go hear some music. I miss her dearly and can not wait to reminisce about our college days. ;)

I hope you are all doing well, and having a safe and fun summer!

What ever happened to wholesome fun, like rolling houses?

2010-05-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

At approximately 5:30 a.m. this morning, I awoke out of a dead sleep to the loud sound of a gun shot… or what I believed to be a gun shot. I quickly sat up and asked J to confirm what I had heard only a few seconds earlier. He suddenly got this very serious look on his face (which if you know my husband… a serious look is not one of his usual expressions). I was terrified. I didn’t know what was going on outside.

J very hastily hopped out of bed towards the front door in his adorable boxers, of which I loving refer to as his “funny bottoms” (yes, that is very important to the overall storyline… you will be tested, so please jot down funny bottoms). And, he peaked his head out of the front door. He came back to the bedroom and said, “I see smoke. It looks like his car back fired.” You see, our neighbors are early risers. Sure enough, I looked outside and saw a small cloud of smoke. I chalked it up to indeed be a backfiring of sorts and proceeded to try and get my last allotted hour of sleep.

It wasn’t 15 minutes later, when we heard loud trucks outside. I glanced out my window to see the entire Montgomery County Police and Fire & Rescue Department outside our home. Then, this odd looking vehicle appeared. It looked similar to a fire truck only slightly more intense. What was it, you might ask? Why it was a bomb proof fire truck! Yes, you read that correctly… bomb proof! Apparently the hazmat crew had also decided to join the party.

After going outside for a few minutes, J came in side laughing. At this point I had no idea what as going on… I mean what involving an early morning blast, smoke and the hazmat crew would constitute a laugh?

In the words of my very endearing neighbor, “There has been a full fledge terrorist assault on my driveway!”

Okay, it wasn’t a terrorist attack by any means, but apparently kids are starting to make these bottle bombs. J said the fire chief’s response was, “Well, school is out.”

School is out?! When school got out for me, we went to the movies, bought a slip n’ slide, drove by our dreamy crush’s house 100 times in hopes to catch a glimpse… making explosives was not on my radar as a teenager. What happened to rolling houses and prank phone calls?

Goodness gracious!

Well, one thing is for sure… that was one heck of a morning alarm!

Top 3 Thursday: Pet Peeves

2010-04-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Oh goodie… this is going to be a good one! As you may have been able to tell from the last few blogs, I’m a quirky kind of gal, so this blog with be nothing short of that.

I have several pet peeves that just really get under my skin but I believe I have narrowed it down to my top three. Here we go!

When you are in line at a red light and the person in front of you has left room for the imaginary car in front of him/her – Move up! Now, I know good and well that the 10 feet in front of you is not going to help me get anywhere quicker, but it bothers me. And… well… that should be reason enough for you to move into your proper spot. ;)
People who leave their buggies in parking spots – This should be labeled “Lazy people in general.” They make those lovely little “Return Your Cart” areas for buggies. They are not there for you to look at and ponder. Stop being lazy and return your cart. I know what you are thinking, but, no, I never worked at a grocery store, but my mama did raise me right. And, in my eyes “right” involves walking a few feet to make the lives of buggie-herders (yes, I believe that is their proper name) a little bit easier and much more efficient.
People with hair that parts right at their ear – There is no way in the world that your natural part starts at your earlobe. No way! I’m all about a side part. Heck, even I have one. In fact, I think most people do, but when you part your hair on the far side of your head ever fiber of my being wants to walk over and fix your hair. Plus, doesn’t that give you a headache? I mean when I have my hair in a ponytail for long, my head starts to hurt, so I can’t imagine having to hold my head a certain way … and part … and comb … and wait, noooo not the wind… too much work!

Top 3 Thursday: Biggest Fears

2010-04-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Well hello there! I'm back! Life has been just a tad crazy lately. With a husband in ministry, the Holy holidays (as I like to call them) are very busy, and I tend to get volunteered for stuff. No complaining here. It was a very fulfilling week!

This week's theme for Top 3 Thursdays is Biggest Fears.

I'm going to take this as in my biggest phobias... if I got into personal fears, well then that may be exactly what it says... personal... too personal. I like to keep this blog light and breezy. K? Okay!

1. Flying bugs

For as long as I remember, I have been terrified of bugs that fly. I think it is their spontaneous nature and how they can change directions in the blink of an eye. Growing up in the country this was especially escalated. I was stung by a swarm of wasps when I was young, so maybe that caused this fear. Nevertheless, trap me in a car with something with wings and you just may see the most hilarious free show of your life.

2. Knives

I hate to wash them. I hate to cut with them. I hate when J has to use them. It's like I have this fear that they will suddenly come to life, chase me around the house and stab me one at a time. Not sure when this peculiar fear started or why, but I have always hated being around them for as long as I can remember.

3. Sexual Predators

I know this is probably on everyone's list, but I think I have had a little bit of an overdose on male-bashing Lifetime movies. I am always the girl walking to her car with a key between her fingers ready to stab the eye of anyone approaching. I also run in my house every night and hate being home alone. Oh... and I hate the Nancy Grace show b/c her focus on sexual predators only fuels my paranoia.

Top 3 Thursday: Places

2010-03-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's top 3 Thursday! As I was reading one of my college-bestie's lovely blog I noticed she had joined in on one these... uh, what do you call it? Blog parade? Blog Themes? Not sure. Anywho, I'll just call it: An Amazing Idea for Those of Us Who Can't Think Up an Original Blog Post and Desperately Need Help Coming Up With an Idea (aka, a reason to blog every week). I'm so excited to be apart of this super cute idea. This week's Top 3 Thursday centers around favorite places. Click the Top 3 Thursday image below to visit the creator of this oh-so-fun idea.

And continue reading below for an explanation of my 3 favorite places... Hope you enjoy!

I'm going to count it down... Aren't you so excited you could just squeal like a Justin Bieber fan. Why I know I am!!!

Numero 1: The lake!!!

Okay, don't think I'm like any other person in Alabama, but I truly love the lake. Not like an, I love the lake because it's the place to be, but more like an, I love the lake because I love to slalom ski, knee board, swim and heck, I was proposed to at the lake. Yes, the lake was technically when me and the hubs first hit it off. He very preciously got down on one knee in the belly of a ski boat at the lake approximately 5 years later and asked me to be his forevah! Oh, did I mention it was at sunset? Swwwoooonnnn ;)

Numero 2: Copper Mountain, Colorado

The hubs took me here to go snow skiing about 3 years ago. When we arrived there was a blizzard. Literally. We arrived when they had the avalanche that had people stuck in their cars. After the blizzard subsided, I opened the curtains to a beautiful winter wonderland. I cried. Oh, yes. I'm not kidding. I cried. It was just so beautiful. I cried like Angelo on Tool Academy.

Numero 3: Disney World

Yea, I know. It is kind of cliche, but I have been to Disney World four times and absolutely can not wait to go back! There is so much I could type about right here, but I don't even know where to start, so I will just let you sit there and meditate on the beauty that is Cinderella's castle.

Driving Ms. Abby

2010-03-16T17:57:00.001-07:00

I made my first big girl purchase yesterday... I got a "new to me" car!!! I've been looking for several months now. You see, I have the world's worst case of buyer's remorse. I mean it... if I go through the checkout line and grab a cute tube of chap stick, I will not buy anything else for myself for weeks and months to come. After making purchases for myself I have this overwhelming feeling of guilt, so when I decided to start looking at cars I felt excited, nervous, guilty, emotional and remorseful. It humorously took weeks and weeks of thinking, analyzing and prayer that the Lord would tell me what to do. I know it may sound silly to some, but I was terrified to make the wrong decision... the decision that would mean I was only being concerned about myself and not about being a good steward of my money. I know what you are thinking... "What the heck is your deal? It's a car Abby!"

After much prayer, seeking advise, reading reviews, research and tears (yes I cried... because well I'm a woman... it's my right) I went back to the car I had originally wanted four months ago... only this time it was a couple grand cheaper! Yea... you read that right people. Sometimes it pays to be indecisive!!!!

I am so excited! It's strange... I haven't felt remorseful at all! I am looking forward to reading the manual. I just want to drive all around town.

But first things first... I need to get that Crimson Tide "A" on the back of my car!

Roll Tide Roll!!!!

See ya around town!

(Disclaimer: Yes. I know. I overuse exclamation marks and am currently look for another symbol to portray my enthusiasm. I'm leaning towards ^^^^^^ or maybe ````... what do you think?)

Can't Believe I'm Defending Ms. Simpson

2010-03-11T08:32:00.001-08:00

I never thought I would do this... but I am here to defend Jessica Simpson! Yes, you read that correctly!

Nothing disgusts me more than people calling Jessica Simpson fat. I'm gonna go on a bit of a rant for a second or minute or 30 minutes... feel free to opt out at any moment.

First of all, if Jessica Simpson is fat, I am morbidly obese.

Second of all, I happen to enjoy the more voluptuous Jessica. I don't know about you, but she seems to have her wits about her and a better head on her shoulders. Don't get me wrong, I kind of enjoyed the chicken of the sea jokes and shamefully admit I laughed on the inside when her dog was eaten by a coyote, but last night on Letterman she was downright levelheaded and had an intriguing, spunky wit when it came to discussing John Mayer's disgusting expose in Playboy magazine.

Third of all, we all remember the car washing video during her Daisy Duke days. I lost a great deal of respect for her. Now I'm not going to sit here and say I wouldn't like to look like that in a swimsuit, but I do hope that if I ever get to that size you will never see me parading around with a bucket of soap in a string bikini singing about how my boots are made for walking.

All this to say, I think she showed the best version of herself last night. Respect reestablished! My favorite point of her interview with Letterman was the part where she stated, "I don't think women strive to be thin and beautiful for men but for other women." Amen sister! I think it is a shame how we all tare ourselves down when in actuality a man that truly loves you will love you whether you look like Jessica Simpson on the cover of Rolling Stone or Jessica Simpson on the cover of a recent issue of US Weekly. It is all about your confidence! If we would stop bashing each other and comparing ourselves to one another and realize that we are all made in the image of the Lord... I think we would cut out all the self destruction.

Now let me clarify... I do not know Jessica Simpson nor do I typically follow her life, but I did happen upon the Letterman show last night, and I thought she did an excellent job holding herself together which I believe deserved a pat on the back. I also think God can use anyone, be it celebrities or everyday people, to relay a message of hope to His children. Maybe that is what He was doing last night? You never know! He works in crazy ways... who am I to say He doesn't use Jessica Simpson? He's done crazier things!

Gen. 1:27 -- So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

James 1:18 -- He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

You Down w/ G-O-D... Yea You know me!

2010-03-07T11:59:00.001-08:00

ECSTATIC would probably be the best word to describe my mood during church today. Our church has been going through a transition for the past couple of months... leaders coming in and out... the typical church issues. But, today was absolutely, knock your socks off, raise your hands in the air, dancing in the aisles... kinda exciting. Our new lead pastor had his first sermon today, which was amazing. I am just so excited!

If any of you reading this blog live in the Montgomery, Ala. area and are looking for a church that is excited, motivated, determined, loving and willing to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and seek and save the lost... if you are into a church dedicated to not be bound by the barriers of our own church walls... Please feel free to comment with your e-mail. I'd be happy to meet you in the parking lot and walk you in. Our church is rather large, but not as big as the hearts and sense of excitement inside the front doors.

I just had to share this little tidbit with ya! Hope you all have a very blessed Sunday!

I hurt everywhere.

2010-03-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

J and I recently started P90x. For those of you who do not know what P90x is... in the words of Tony Horton it is "the mother of all workouts." I finished up the first week today. I hurt everywhere. It hurts to laugh, cough, stand up, pick up things... it hurts to breath. Okay, that is exaggerating a little, but I am most definitely in pain. I'm pretty excited though. I can already see some results and can definitely feel a difference. The most difficult part has been the eating. I don't so much mind sweating, but when I can't have a cookie, I become a tad irritable (poor J). Tomorrow is my rest day. I don't think it necessarily says in the book that you are allowed a rest day from the diet but I'm doing it! For the sake of my sanity and marriage.

One thing I have noticed during these workout videos is that I don't handle yelling instructors very well. When Tony starts to yell, I get very very VERY irritated. It makes me want to spit nails and cuss. The other night J and I were doing the ab workout at the same time, and I abruptly muted the television. I just couldn't take one more of his "what you think you're working now... just wait another 10 minutes" talks. Even in high school I hated it when my coaches yelled at us. I am not motivated by barking... but apparently J is. He insisted I turn the volume back up. I reluctantly turned the volume back up.

Okay off my soap box...

Overall, I am enjoying... eh, not exactly... pleased... not quite.... dealing with the workout. I'm going to try my best to stick it out for the 90 days, as suggested by the program. Wish me luck!

4 x 100 Calorie Pack = 400 Calories

2010-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here lately I've been really disgusted with what I see in the mirror. I know that life is about more than what you look like, what you drive, what you wear... yada yada yada, but I think if we were all honest with ourselves, we would agree that we all want to look descent. Heaven forbid we even want to look slightly like one of the, dare I say, girls from The Bachelor... I mean lets face it people. They beez lookin' good in that "baniki."

So, last night after our Bible study [insert hallo here... I kid!], the hubs and I headed to the grocery for some much needed dog food and human food. As we are walking through the cookie isle, I am racking up on cookies and crackers and snacks, all of the 100 calorie variety. At which point my husband abruptly stopped the buggy... "Honey," he said ever-so-lovingly. "You know I love you and think you are beautiful no matter what size you are, but... even if you eat 4 of those 100 calorie packs, you are still consuming 400 calories."

I don't know what it was about his statement that completely cracked me up... but it is so true. I'm am disgustingly guilty of picking up a 100-cal. cookie pack and then another and another. Til before long, I've practically eaten half the box. What is it that makes me feel so much better about myself? Maybe it is the Kate-Moss-size portions or the fact that I am eating cookies all tucked into to a guilt-free wrapper.

Basically, this entire post serves no point, but for me to confess that I have a problem... Hello! My name is Abby, and I am a 100-cal. pack abuser.

Hey, the first step to solving your problem, is admitting that you have one, right? Well then, I guess I'm on my way to fighting this addiction. Wish me well!

Oh, You're supposed to write on this thing?

2010-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I mostly love having this blog b/c I enjoy playing with the different backgrounds and text colors. At my job, I write allll daaayyyyy looonnnnggg, so when I get home or have a break from work, the last thing I want to do is write some more. Also, I have A.D.D.... the colors distract me from the actual purpose of a blog... writing! Don't think I have forgotten about you, so here's a quick and easy little update...

I gave up desserts for lent. This is my first time ever participating, so I'm pretty excited. However, this no brownie or cookies mess is really starting to hit home.
I am shamefully loving Jersey Shore... the fist-pumping, poof wearing, spray tan adorning train wreck that is this "reality" show is more entertaining then any show I have seen in a very long time.
I have the worst case of the baby-bug in all history. It's so bad J will force me to walk around the entire Target to avoid the baby section. We're not ready for kids yet, but don't think I'm not taking notes of my favorite names and baby clothes... ;)
A small rant... I absolutely hate fashion right now. Skinny jeans? Sack shirts (that I think you're supposed to wear as dresses)? Long dresses? Not only am I very hippy, curvy and short, I am not okay with wearing tights under a shirt and dashing out the door. Ick!
Considering purchasing P90X... opinions please!!!
I officially miss my college friends. It took about 2 years for it to sink in, but I want to plan a kidnapping, stuff them in my suitcase and force them to live in my guest bedroom.

Well, that's about it for me. No real big news. Maybe one day I'll have little babies to gush about on this blog. For now, it's just little ole' quiet me and for now I'm very content and happy with that!

Bah, Humbug!

2009-12-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well, nothing screams Merry Christmas like getting your very first speeding ticket. Merry Christmas to me!

This evening I was leaving church, and got pulled over for going 38 mph in a 25mph zone. First of all, did he not see me leaving church? Shouldn't I get some sort of leeway for that... hehehe... TOTALLY KIDDING! Secondly, I thought the speed limit was 35 mph. I have driven on this road since I was 16 years old. I never knew the speed limit was 25mph! Third of all, I am 25 years old. I have never had a ticket, warning, parking ticket, accident, NOTHING! This guy was on a mission. There was no talking to this guy. I thought for sure I would get a warning. Nope, apparently this guy had a quota to meet before Christmas.

And then... As I was turning out of the parking lot and on the brink of tears, I see him with his lights on. I thought that for sure he was about to turn them off. I figured he was just making sure that the whole population of Montgomery, Ala. knew that I had gotten a speeding ticket. Wrong! This guy was pulling over someone else literally a few feet from where he pulled me over. Crazy!

Well congrats buddy, I think you're gonna make it to Granny's for Christmas Eve dinner.

So, with it being my very first ticket I thought for sure I would burst into tears. I teared up a good bit after the fact, but the thing that really caught me off guard was this thought that kept going through my head, "You are going to be in so much trouble." I don't know why, but I initially thought, "How am I going to tell my parents?"

Too bad I have to pay for the ticket, but good thing I'm an adult.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Dear Santa

2009-12-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

I saw a few other people use their blogs as a means to write you a letter, so I thought I would follow suit. Please understand that although all of these are material things, above them all I would love salvation and world peace, but just for this one post I am going to pretend as if wanting these things is okay and money is not an issue (hahahaha).

All I want for Christmas is...

Thanks for your time Santa! Have a safe sleighride next week!

Candy Cane Cookies for the Choir's Christmas Cookie Swap

2009-12-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

We are having a cookie swap at choir practice on Tuesday (oh boy do I sound old). I found this delicious Candy Cane Cookie recipe by Sandra Lee (God's gift to the not-so-domestic wifey). Here is the result:They are just as yummy as the picture... that is if you find the picture to be yummy. They should come with a small warning label though. The recipe calls for peppermint. You should have seen the look on J's face when he took a big bite, and I had failed to tell him that they were peppermint sugar cookies. Priceless!

Cursive Smursive

2009-12-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Ever look back at high school, junior high or elementary school and wonder why teachers put you through such pain and misery to learn things you would never use again? I remember sitting in Ms. Vernon's second grade class learning how to perfect the curvature of my cursive "L" and thinking to myself, "I just learned to write in print, and now I have to relearn how to write... are you kidding me?" More than anything, I remember stressing over learning cursive, trigonometry and geography... all to figure out by the time I got to through my core classes at U of A (Roll Tide) that I would never use those things again.

Today, I was sitting at my office desk typing away at the newsletter I work on every week, and "Ooh La La" by Rod Stewart came to mind. Naturally, I went to Lala.com and listened while proofing articles...

I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger...

That is when it hit me... Here I am typing away at a newsletter... TYPING. Not writing in print or cursive (I mean for heaven's sake, they have a font for that). And, then there's the whole "Spelling and Grammar Check" option. Crazy! I mean, was second grade not a completely waste of time?

I'm not by any means saying that I think you shouldn't go to second grade, but I am saying... Would it have killed Ms. Vernon to tell me that there's a beautiful program out there called Microsoft Word that makes all this useless, so just enjoy your youth, do your best and don't worry your years away?

Oh well... too late now, but never too late for a little Rod Stewart.

Fighting the Fitted Sheet

2009-12-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

There are few things in life that make me just want to have a come-apart. You know those little things that shouldn't matter to anyone but for some reason you were the fortunate one born with that little special part in your heart that loves to hate silly little things. I think maybe that part of my heart is a little bigger than I like to admit.

Anywhoooo... Can I get an "Amen" from all the ladies (or men... hey it's the 21st century) that absolutely positively cannot stand, wanna cuss and make evil hand gesture... while attempting to fold a fitted sheet? What the mess? Why would someone invent something so difficult to neatly pile with the rest of your linens. Just like pantyhose, this is on my list of things that irk me.

The other day I'm standing in the living room tackling a load of laundry. I'm just feeling all high and mighty... "Only five more things to go. Take that Martha." Then I saw it, beneath my bed sheet was the evil fitted sheet. I thought for sure, "This time I'm going to get it. There will be a bright light, the stars... I mean seams will align, and I will conquer the fitted sheet."

No such thing...

After immense amounts of huffing, puffing, grunting and squirming, I grabbed the fitted sheet and rolled it up into a ball, shoved the sheet in the closet and reluctantly waved my flag of surrender.

Not one willing to give up easily, I took to the Internet. "There is no way I am the only person irritated by the impossible-ness that is a fitted sheet," I thought to myself. Sure enough, I wasn't!!! While searching "how to fold a fitted sheet" I came across this amazingly helpful YouTube video. I just had to share it with all you out there that want to pitch a Naomi Campbell-level hissy fit when you are faced with the task of folding a fitted sheet.

Enjoy..... How to Fold a Fitted Sheet Like a Pro

Just Popping In to Say...

2009-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I figured of all times that were blogworthy this would be one...

ROLLLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLLL!!!!

2009 SEC CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEADED TO PASADENA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No More Promises

2009-12-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Several of the blogs I follow have recently apologized for being not-so-blogging bloggers, seen admitted they have a problem and apologized. So, I guess I should follow suit. I have promised blog after blog with no follow through. Therefore, this time I'm not making any promises. This way if I don't blog after swearing I would, I won't feel guilty, and you can't be frustrated. Deal? DEAL!

Since I am copying other bloggers, I will continue to be a follower by giving you a few updates... 3, 2, 1, ACTION!

J did make it home from Israel. He had an amazing time.

I am Martha Stewart, hear me roar! I have gone garland crazy. It's a crazy wreath-filled world up in here.

After over a year of marriage I just now feel like I'm getting the swing of things... balancing cleaning the house, laundry, cooking, fun with friends...

I have a shop-vac... all is right with the world.
Rolllll Tide! I have been a fan my whole life and am now coherent enough to appreciate being a fan of a team headed to the National Championship... the last time being 1992 during which I was all of eight years old.
Jerrod has the swine flu... sort of. Apparently they don't test for the swine flu anymore but assume it is because of his symptoms. Therefore, I have set up camp in the living room. I actually got the vaccine about 2 months ago, so if he does have the swine flu I shouldn't get it. However, in the even that he is infected with a different kind of flu, I want nothing to do with it.
Today at work I turned in my request for vacation time off the week of Christmas. Not quite sure what made me so excited about this venture, but I feel like a big girl.

Overlooking the Sea of Galilee

2009-11-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

This morning J took a five hour flight from Heathrow into Tel-Aviv. J is probably resting his little head in Israel right now considering Israel is eight hours ahead of Alabama. He is staying at a nice hotel overlooking the Sea of Galilee (see below).

Here's a little Sea of Galilee FYI for you...

At 209 meters below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea). Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James. Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount,was given on a hill overlooking the lake while many of his miracles also occurred here including his walking on water, calming a storm, and his feeding of the 5,000.

Happy Birthday from Heathrow

2009-11-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

So today is my birthday. I am officially a quarter of a century old... WOAH! I can't believe it. Wow, how time flies. I will say that I am overwhelming pleased at where my life is at this moment. Praise the Lord for continually providing for me and blessing me in more ways than I deserve.

Today, J arrived safely in Heathrow. Despite the 3-4 hours of turbulence, he said he had a fun time and insists that I would love London. Today he visited:

St. Paul's Cathedral

John Wesley's Chapel

Israel, Veterans Day, Cyber-Shout out...

2009-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

This coming Sunday, Nov. 15 is the big day... the day J leaves for his trip to Israel. I am continually blown away by the acts of kindness and generosity that have not only made this trip a possibility but an easy-peasy occasion. Despite our less than Ivanka Trump lifestyle, this trip to Israel has been incredibly easy on us, both emotionally and financially. We have not come a dime out of pocket. NOT A DIME... OR A NICKEL... OR A PENNY! We are truly humbled by the acts of our friends and those anonymous to us. We truly believe that the Lord has commanded Jerrod to take this trip. Talk about one green light right after the other. I am so excited to see the change and the fire that will be set inside of my husband as a result of this privilege.

Now, if I were to sit here and type about how peaceful I am then that would be a big fat nasty lie. I am surprisingly not worried about him actually being in Israel. It's the whole floating over the ocean for hours thing that makes me a little uneasy. That and the idea of being disconnected. I'm not sure when we will be able to talk. Even when we did the long distance relationship for approximately 5 years, I could always pick up the phone and hear his voice on the other line. This is different. I cannot imagine what people go through that have to deal with worries such as these everyday. These concerns make me completely rethink this day, Veterans Day. These families have to go months and months on end without being about to easily contact their loved ones. And, here I am worried about 10 days. I commend them for their sacrifice and am humbled by their selflessness. I feel silly for even voicing my worries about this trip, when they have to endure such emotions on a daily basis.

I would like to send out a cyber-shout out to all those who helped make this a possibility and who's prayers have truly been felt by both of us everyday. Please continue to pray for J's safe travels. My hope is that I will be able to blog everyday while J is gone. I will strive to keep you informed of where he is and what he is doing that day. Reading his itinerary has been thoroughly enjoyable for me, so I figured you may enjoy reading of his whereabouts and the significance of each location. Yes, this means I will actually be blogging on a regular basis... get excited!

Breakroom Bandit

2009-10-22T12:56:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been victim to the breakroom bandit? Have you ever entrusted your beloved cup of chocolate pudding in the hands of co-workers whom you thought to be reliable and trustworthy [said in a Bill Cosby voice only b/c you can’t say “pudding” without going into a Cosby impression]? Have you ever taken a package of cookies to work and had someone nibble on them like a little rat?

Well, I can not answer “yes” to the last two questions, but I can say I have fallen victim to the breakroom bandit. However, our breakroom bandit likes water bottles. He/she likes particularly my water bottles… the ones with my name on them, the ones I reuse b/c I like to know how much water I drink a day, the ones I do not wash after I use them b/c no one else should be drinking out of them anyways. First of all, yuck. Second of all, who steals water bottles when we have free cups, ice and purified water in the kitchen anyways?

I recently received an e-mail that had photographs of what lengths people had taken to protect their possessions. I’m debating using one of these tactics. I’m particularly falling in love with the last one. Let me know what you think!

Unworthy

2009-10-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today I had the opportunity and honor to serve at the local Salvation Army. A group of about 15 of us from church went down there to help out for a few hours. We went in not really knowing what we were doing. We were told we would probably help organize their pantry and help prepare and serve a meal. Well when we got there, the plans had completely changed. We were told to divide up the girls from the guys.

Earlier that day, a truck filled with 10 tons of potatoes had arrived. The guys were instructed to help unload the truck and us girls were asked to go to the dorms. Did you know they had dorms at the Salvation Army? I knew they had living quarters, but I had no idea the living area was right next to the donation area and the kitchen. I'm going to be completely honest, when I found out we weren't serving a meal I was kind of bummed. I was really looking forward to doing the typical Salvation Army thing. Silly me. The Lord had completely planned this whole thing. He was going to teach us a lesson. And boy did I ever learn one.

So there I was, mopping the hallway of the dorms. There was a long hallway with doors on both sides. On the other side of some of these plane wooden doors was a big room filled with bunk beds. They were lined up one right after the other. In one room, there were no bunk beds, but there was a few beds right in a row. I began to make my way down the hall when I glanced into one of the rooms and saw an adorable elderly man. That was when it hit me... this is their home. This is where they lay to rest. This is where they find safety and solitude.

About five or so minutes after I glanced in that room, the very same elderly man came walking out. He reminded me a lot of my own grandfather. He had a kind approach about him. You could tell he was filled with love and had a quick wit. He was very concerned about messing up "my" clean floors. I remember thinking to myself, "This is your floors. This is your home. I'm the intruder here."

Needless to say, when I walked in the front door of my home, I felt completely different. I walked in and saw no flaws. Nothing that should be fixed. Nothing that should be bigger or more modern. Nothing but blessings. I live in a home with wooden floors and doors without windows. I sleep in a bedroom with one bed.

Towards the end of our time there, I met a young man living in the dorms. He goes to church with me. I had no idea. I really do not think I can describe the thoughts that were going through my head or the emotions I experienced when I was standing in front of this guy talking about Bible study and catching a ride to our church the next morning. I guess one thing I can explain would be the slap in the face that God presented to me. We are all the same. We are all His children. When we are in His presence we are all His prized possession. For this gentleman, going to church was not something to check off his list for the week. For this man, going to church was the highlight of his week. Can you believe he is going to volunteer at the Salvation Army? He is going to volunteer. He kept talking about how he knew what it is all about, and he wanted to serve as well. Someone with such little... wanting to give, to serve, to show love.

How petty are the worries of my life. I am so blessed. I am beyond blessed. I am excessively blessed. Why? Why me? Why not him? I do not deserve anything. I am so unworthy.

James 1:18

He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.