Pregnancy: Week 22-27 in Review

Holy shiz. I just finished rounding out (pun intended) the second trimester and am moving on to trimester three! I'm super excited, but a little overwhelmed all at once. I just can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going.  But let's get to the recap...

Feeling? Overall, still can't complain too much. I've started having slight back pain (especially after a long day), but laying on a heating pad has really, really helped.

Weight Gain? As of the end of Week 27, I've gained 15 pounds. I'm a little freaked when I get on the scale as I've never weighed as much as I do now, but I know it's normal!

Baby Size? We've graduated from  the length of a carrot to a head of cauliflower. According to my all-knowing BabyCenter app, he weighs nearly 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long. He's getting to be such a big boy! (Now where those other measly 13 pounds are hiding, well, I don't know... ;-)

Maternity Clothes? Yes, I finally broke down and bought maternity dress pants as the belly band was getting a little umcomfy. There are still some non-maternity clothes I can wear, but I've really started wearing a lot of basics (black and white maternity t's) with cute scarves/necklaces so I can cut down on the number of new things I need to buy.

Cravings? Still love chips, but my newest craving (and yes, I realize how cliche this is...) is sweet pickles. I've gone through two large jars in the past 3 weeks. And I can't get enough pineapple and apples!

What I Miss? Nothing at the moment; I'm doing pretty well!

What I'm Looking Forward To? January will bring childbirth classes, maternity pictures and a baby shower! Lots to be excited about! Also, the hubby and I will be working on the nursery quite a bit over our holiday break.

Best Moment? My belly has definitely "popped" over the past 6 weeks, so it's nice that people look at you and realize your pregnant. They don't give you that weird "So, have you been eating extra cheeseburgers or are you growing a baby?" look. Also, it turns out people love pregnant. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like people are so much friendlier to me. And of course I'm still loving all the kicks and movement; trying to soak it all in!

Belly Button Status? Yes, this is a new category because I realized I'm kind of obsessing about it. In week 22, it was in a comfortable shallow position. Now, I'm mere weeks away from an "outie" crisis. I'm pretty sure this is what I've picked to obsess about to take my mind off, ya know, birthing a human being.

In the newly painted (thanks to the hubby!) nursery

Just got our Christmas tree up. And I look ginormous in this photo.

Our crib (compliments of my Dad!) was delivered. Yay!

Bring it on 3rd trimester! I wore heels just to prove I still could. :-)

On to trimester three...

Christmas-ing

I can't believe the holidays are almost here. It took us a little while to get into the holiday spirit, but we're finally there.. I mean, it's official. No, the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree doesn't make it official, nor does the holiday shopping.

In our house, we know it's Christmastime when Folgers brings back their holiday commercial. For those of you not familiar with this gem:

 Can we talk for a second about how creepy this commercial is? Is it just us or is there a weird brother/sister dynamic in play here?

Well, either way... Our house is all decked out (kind of) for Christmas.

Can't believe we'll have 3 stockings next year!!

Wrapping gifts is my favorite!

And our friends sure have been on top of it this year getting their holiday cards out. Sadly enough, we opted to not send Christmas cards this year with everything going on and because we'll be doing birth announcements this spring.

You'll notice I haven't gone on my usual rant against holiday yard inflatables this year. This video should explain why:

For reference, our house is the first one with the porch lights on. We are one of the only houses on our street that did not put up any outdoor Christmas lights, so who am I to start knocking on those who at least did SOMETHING outdoors (inflatables or not)? The hubby promised me that we could do lights next year. I'm documenting this right now.

Anyways, we'll be spending a few days in Houston visiting family for the holidays and then will be in nursery overdrive until we head back to work in January.

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas surrounded by those you love most!! xoxo

Baby List-ing

Wow, no blogging for three weeks and then three posts all in one week. Can you tell my hubby is out of town?

Plus, whenever I come across something I think is cool/useful/fun, I can't help but share!

So, I just told you about our baby registering, which went relatively smooth, but I was also doing some researching online to see if Etsy had a baby registry (they don't)... but can we talk for a second about the fact the Etsy DOES have a wedding registry?!

Ummm, friends who are getting married: can someone please take advantage of this?! No more registering for ugly wall art at Bed, Bath & Beyond (or was just that us that did that...?). I love the idea that you can pick out super-cute, hand-made home items that guests can buy that you will actually WANT to display in your home. Hopefully, someone takes advantage of this soon!

On another note, I did come across a service called BabyLi.st. (And yes BabyLi.st is the actual URL.)

Basically, it allows you to register for anything that you can buy online and it aggregates it into a registry list. It adds an "Add to BabyList" button to your browser (just like the Pinterest "Pin it" button) so you can easily add things to the list. It's great because it allows me to keep track of things I'd like for the baby and then you can share it with friends and family in case they'd like to buy something from that list. I, by no means, EXPECT people to buy from the list as it's a little less "essentials" and more "things that I'll probably end up buying any way" but I always love giving a personal, cute gift that I know someone actually wants. For me, it's definitely acting as a "bookmark" for things I'd like for the baby or his nursery (such as a cute diaper bag tote, a baby book, crib sheets, a crib mobile, etc.).

So, for any Mommies-to-be out there, you should totally check it out! Has anyone used it before?

Adventures in Baby Registering

Several weeks back, the hubby and I took off on a random Friday to spend the day together and knock out our baby registry. A few people scoffed at the idea that we could knock it all out in one day, but let me tell you, we were quite prepared. In the weeks prior, I had done my research (online, consumer reports, asking friends for recommendations) on baby products, so equipped with my list (a pretty detailed spreadsheet, which my accounting hubby enthusiastically approved of), we set off for Target and later, Buy Buy Baby.

Why did we register at Target? Um, well for one thing, it's maybe one of my favorite stores. And two, it's an easy, non-intimidating store for friends without babies to shop in. One of my non-Mommy friends swears she had a panic attack inside the baby humidifier section at Buy Buy Baby... and no one wants that, right?! I didn't understand her until I turned to go in that section and got hit with a weird-smelling steam. (Needless to say, Baby Benson is going sans a humidifier...) But Buy Buy Baby was where we really got down to business with the larger items and other items that Target didn't carry in-stores.

The list helped us be adequately prepared, but Greg still got to make important decisions like hooded bath towels - monkey or frog? Monkey, great. Swaddlers - blue print or animals? Blue print, check. He did, however, politely bow out when it came to things like breastfeeding accessories, understandably.

We still have a few outstanding questions such as "to jogging stroller or not to jogging stroller" and if the answer is the former, do you go high-end or low-end since it's a back-up stroller? We're still figuring that out, but overall, the list served us well.

Best part of the shopping experience? Um, duh. VIP parking...

Living Room Refresh: Part Deux

Yes, I'm still working on updating the living room. I got a little side-tracked, but have finished another step in my living room refresh project. I'm still working on what I want to do with the artwork above the couch. The hubby never liked it and I've recently come around to his way of thinking. I ordered a cute fabric to wrap the canvas in as a temporary fix, but after the fabric came in, I decided I didn't like that anymore... We have a new game plan, so hope to get around to that project in the next few weekends. So, I'm skipping step #2 for now and moving to step #3. Pillows.

I spent about 3 hours one Saturday morning in an Etsy vortex and when I came out on the other side, had ordered about 5-6 new throw pillow covers. Our current throw pillows were ones that came with our furniture. They were fine and did their job for more than 4 years, but it was time for a change.

I ordered my throw pillows from this shop, where I've ordered before and this shop, which was a little pricier than I usually like, but they had some great pattern and are very high quality. I got the pillow forms from Joann's Fabric for 40% off (their down alternative pillows are a little more expensive, but they really are the best).

Uh-oh, we're totally busted. Yes, that's a puzzle on our coffee table we're working on... Nerd Alert!

Now, all I need to do is replace the above the couch artwork and do a bit of zhushing/adding small decor items. Easier said than done as we're also starting to work on the baby's nursery, organizing guest room closets and replacing all the carpet in our home. We'll get around to it, though! :-)

Hungry Lady: Eating for Two Edition

Well, I've been doing quite a bit of cooking and trying out new recipes. I'm not sure if I'm trying to compensate for the fact that I didn't get off the couch for my entire first trimester or looking ahead to much of the same for the third, but while I have the energy and appetite, I thought, why not cook?!

You may or may not have seen these before on Pinterest, but thought I'd give you the run-down on two new recipes that are definitely worth trying.

Skinny Spinach Lasagna Rolls
On a scale of Lazy to Julia Child, I award this a solid Betty Crocker. It was delicious, made enough for plenty of leftovers and was relatively easy. It took about 30 minutes of prep and about 30 minutes to bake. Here's the full recipe, but note that I subbed regular lasagna noodles for whole grain and added more spaghetti sauce than it called for because "I like things saucy."

(via)

Crawfish & Rice Casserole
Considering Greg and I both lived in Louisiana for several years of our life, it should come as no surprise that we both love seafood. So, when I stumbled upon this recipe, I knew I had to give it a whirl. My gem of a husband took the lead on this one and honestly, it was kind of a lot of work. We also did 1/2 crawfish (frozen from Kroger) and 1/2 shrimp and opted for instant microwave rice because we're lazy like that. It was delicious. Despite it being a huge pain to cook, we'll definitely be cooking again! (Recipe here!)

(via)

(our photo - it was much more appetizing than it looks!)

Oh, and after only a little over two years, I finally put on my big girl panties and decided to get real place settings for our dinner table. Yay for being an adult!

(Don't mind the Joe's cup...  :-)

Let me know if you give these recipes a try! And follow my appropriately named "Mmmmm" board on Pinterest!

Pregnancy: Week 18-21 in Review

Well I feel like I've definitely gotten in the swing of this whole pregnancy thing. Here's a quick look at the first few weeks of my second trimester:

Feeling? I feel fantastic! I'm definitely growing, but I'm still comfortable and feeling good overall. So, I'm trying to do as much now while I feel good!

Weight Gain? About 8 pounds as of today.

Baby Size? We've graduated from a bell pepper to the length of a carrot. According to my all-knowing BabyCenter app, he weighs about 3/4 pound and is about 10 1/2 inches long.

Maternity Clothes? Yes, my normal wardrobe has shrunk in size... But I've found some cute maternity tops and I finally broke down and bought some maternity jeans. I'm still rocking the belly band with my work dress pants, but those days are numbered. My favorite thing to wear is my maternity leggings (they are from H&M and they have a full belly built in - most maternity leggings I've found sit below the bump). If only those were considered "business casual"...

Cravings? Nothing specific, but I still love anything salty and fruit. I'm eating lots of pineapple, strawberries, apples and bananas. I still think about french onion dip quite often, but I've cut back (for the sake of maintaining a not huge ass).

What I Miss? Every once in a while, I miss being able to drink a nice adult beverage (especially on a really nice day on a patio). But other than that, I'm just really enjoying this part of pregnancy.

Fears? Why yes, I have a mountain of them, but I try to focus on the small ones such as the fact that my belly button is getting shallower. I don't know if I'm destined for a maternity "outie" but my fingers are crossed that I'm not.

What I'm Looking Forward To? We've painted the nursery (pics to come!) and now we're getting started on some other nursery projects, which should be fun. Baby registry day is coming up this week, too.

Best Moment? The baby has started moving so much. I feel him every day and I absolutely love it! Greg even got to feel a kick for the first time this weekend. :-)

Breaking my cardinal rule of no iPhone in the mirror pics, but Greg was out of town!

It was Halloween. I couldn't help myself...

Nursery Prepping

Well, the time has finally come for us to start on our baby's nursery! We were waiting on our ultrasound (which happened a couple of weeks ago) to confirm that it was a boy (it is!) before we started anything.

Our sweetie!

But now, it's full speed ahead! The hubby's busy season starts in January and while the vision for the nursery is clearly mine, Greg is definitely the man who's making the vision come alive. So let's get to my master plan:

The Idea:
Well, really the look I'm going for is theme-less; nothing against nurseries with themes, I just want this room to be classic. We're shooting for neutral and not too baby-ish. We can add wall art and of course, toys, to make it look like a nursery, but I like that he can grow into it.

The Color Scheme:
Gray & Navy with shots of Kelly Green - The walls will be gray with lots of gray accents, but we'll add navy and throw in a pop or two of bright green to liven up the space. (I'm still finalizing paint swatches for the green color!)

When I fell into my Etsy vortex a few weeks ago, I came across this throw pillow that so perfectly fits my color scheme. Of course, I had to order it. Where it will live? I'm not sure yet, but I love the J.Crew-esque design. (It's by Jillian Rene Decor and all of her stuff is gorgeous/high quality!)

The Furniture:
I think we'll go with white furniture (crib), but I've been wanting to get a great dresser for the changing table that we could re-do and paint in a bright color. Lucky for me, I have an awesome husband and Connor has a great future daddy because when I found a dresser on Craigslist weekend before last, Greg agreed to drive me to a tiny town east of Dallas (about an 85-90 mile round trip!) to pick up this gorgeous dresser from an antique shop.

We're both so in love with the shape. It's a vintage French Provincial dresser and it's in amazing condition; it's so beautiful in person that I think it's going to be hard to paint over the beautiful wood, but that's still the plan. We also love that if we decide to take it out of his room, we could strip it, refinish or repaint it and it could live in a guest bedroom or even as a buffet table in a dining room.

Well that's as far as we've gotten, but we'll be sure to update you along the way!

9 Year Date-iversary

Today, the hubby and I celebrate nine years together. The fact that we've been together for literally 1/3 of my life still blows my mind, but I just couldn't have it any other way.

As most of you know, we started dating the fall of my Freshman year and how we made it through four years of college, well, I'll never know. It could only be that it was just meant to be, right?

Who knew that these kids...

Our first date - Mai Tai Date Party - Sept 2003 (Wish I could've told my 18-yr-old self to cover up a bit!)

Halloween Party - Oct 2003 "Goose" from Top Gun & an apparently sassy bumblebee 

Summer 2004 - The weekend Greg saw first-hand that I'm not the "camping type"

Would be expecting our own little one nine years later.

If you would've told me that the cute Sigma Nu that I wanted to ask to our very first date party (see photo above) would be my most amazing husband, friend and future baby daddy... well, actually, I probably would've said "Oh yes, I know!" as I had the plan all along to make sure he fell in love with me. (Mission Accomplished)

But HE, he probably would have never believed you.

Now, here we are all these years later experiencing possibly the most joyful year of our life (to date). Happy Dating Anniversary to the most wonderful man in the world!

Hungry Lady: Red Hot Apples

This is seriously one of my favorite fall treats. While it definitely doesn't have to be a fall-only treat, the yummy aroma that will fill your kitchen when making this just screams fall! So, I've enjoyed "red hot apples" since I was a little girl and my Grandma would make them for us. Fast forward to the first year that Greg and I were married, I decided randomly to make them. Turns out his Grammy used to make them, too, but she called them "Rosy Apples" (coincidence that my Grandma's name is Rosie?! I think not!) But I digress...

So, here's what you need:

4 Red Delicious Apples (peeled and sliced)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. red hots
3/4 - 1 c. water

Cook for 20ish minutes on med-high heat (stirring every few minutes) until apples are soft. Let cool on the stove. You can serve hot (some like it over vanilla ice cream) or cold and by itself (how I prefer it).

Mmmmmm, delish!

The Real Deal Behind Pre-Natal Yoga

I started a prenatal yoga class about 3 weeks ago - the main reason was simply because I wanted to stay (somewhat) active during pregnancy, but I also thought it would be a good way to relax, prepare for labor and maybe meet a preggo friend in the 'burbs. Well, fast-forward 3 weeks and I've learned a few things.

 
1. No giggling out loud.
On my first visit to yoga, I really had no expectations. My only previous experience with yoga was about 25 minutes of a 90 minute hot yoga session. So let me back up - I guess I would say that I did have the expectation that it wouldn't be 100+ degrees in the studio, it wouldn't smell like the bottom of the ball pit at McDonald's play place and I wouldn't almost faint. Lucky for me, hot yoga is nothing like prenatal yoga. But what I didn't expect... was the giggles. While we had one hand over our heart and the other "hugging" our baby and my instructor uttered the words "Clear your mind. You are a strong, confident, peaceful warrior mama..." Sorry, now, can we back up? I'm a WHAT?! I opened my eyes to peek at the other "warrior mamas" in my class to see if anyone else found this at all hilarious. Um, they did not. So now my rule is no giggling in class.

2. It's allllll about "all natural."
Maybe this isn't news to anyone else, but it was news to me. Turns out many, many women take prenatal yoga classes to help prepare themselves for childbirth. Natural childbirth. While I don't knock anyone who wants to go the au-natural route, I'm just more of a "keep-the-epidural-on-ice-I'm-on-the-way" kinda gal. In fact, it appears that I'm the only one in my class who isn't trying for a natural birth. One gal even previously had a *shudders* water birth. The instructor makes many comments about doing things the natural way, eating only organic foods (as I quickly stash my Cool Ranch Doritos in my purse) and even how we sit, stand and sleep.

3. Clothing choice can be important.
The first two classes, I carefully picked out my yoga outfits, but by week 3 I just kind of threw on what I found in my drawer. Well, I didn't really think about it until I walked into the class, but what I found in my drawer was actually a t-shirt that says "Pizza Hut is for Lovers" - I got it for free somewhere and it's super-soft but I definitely got a few looks when I walked in. (See #2)

4. "Time to do more kegels!"
One thing I was not expecting during the class was to get in a crouching position and be instructed to "practice your kegels." Say wha?

Yes, these are the same things you read about in your smuggled Cosmopolitan Magazine in high school - apparently they help in childbirth and afterward. I swear, of the one hour class, we easily spend 10 minutes doing kegels. I mean, geez, I could prop my ass in the air and practice those in the comfort of my own home. There's something about doing them in a class setting that is just a little odd.


So, while it's a pretty different experience than what I expected, here I am, ready for next week's class. It may be weird, but I sort of enjoy the classes each week and if nothing else, it's an hour of peace and quiet where I can totally relax. I just told the hubby that if I start getting brain-washed and start talking about an all-natural childbirth, to kindly yank me from that class. I do know my limits.
 
Ohmmmmm...

Pregnancy: Week 14-17 in Review

Well I feel like I've definitely gotten in the swing of this whole pregnancy thing. Here's a quick look at the first few weeks of my second trimester:
Feeling? I'm feeling really good, for the most part, and am really enjoying every little moment. Soaking it all in because I know in a few short months, it may not be as magical as it is now.

Weight Gain? About 4-5 pounds total

Baby Size? We've graduated from the size of a lemon to a the size of a turnip. Baby B is now approximately 5 inches long (from head to bottom) and weighs 5 ounces.

Maternity Clothes? No, I've ordered/bought a few things, but haven't worn anything yet. I finally got a belly band and it's working like a charm, though. Will be on the hunt for more maternity clothes shortly.

Cravings? Basically anything salty and fruit. My faves right now Wavy Lays and french onion dip (I could literally eat it with a spoon) and strawberries, grapes and apples. But I'm back to eating pretty normally and sensibly; I only succumb to cravings every now and again.

What I Miss? Every once in a while, I'd love a margarita, but other than that, I'm doing alright. I also don't have the stamina to run like I used to before, so now I walk/jog the best I can.

What I'm Looking Forward To? I get a sonogram at our next doctor's appointment in two short weeks. This will (hopefully) be our gender confirmation appointment. Can't wait to see our little one again!

Best Moment? I've finally felt my first flutters of movement a few times. It's usually when I'm laying flat or on my side right before I go to bed. One of my favorite moments in life, actually :-)

Baby B: Gender & Name Reveal

So, you're probably thinking, "What?! How do you already know the gender??" Well, we normally wouldn't have found out our baby's gender until about 18/19 weeks, but we ended up doing a first trimester screen. (A first trimester screen is a sonogram and blood test that tests the baby for chromosomal abnormalities such as down syndrome, among others. It's highly recommended for those that are high risk, but it's also 100% covered under our insurance, so we decided, why not? Also, it's a chance to see a sonogram of your baby up on a 50-inch TV and they can often determine the sex of the baby.)

Baby B at 12/13 weeks

We were a little weary because we've heard a few stories of doctors getting the gender wrong in the first trimester screen (because it's just so early), but after seeing it for ourselves (our little sweetie was doing spread eagles for the sonogram camera - maybe the only time you ever want your child to be posing its bidness for a camera...), we feel pretty confident in the doctor's proclamation.

Baby Benson is a ....... BOY!!!! 

I'll respect his privacy and not post the "money shot," but it pretty much speaks for itself. Neither of us could believe it when the doctor told us (probably because we were both thinking it was a girl all along), but we just could not be more excited. I'd been pretty non-emotional throughout the pregnancy thus far, but I was happy-weeping the whole way out of the doctor's office.

The only problem was we had not chosen a name for a boy. If it was a girl, we had already decided on Harper Elizabeth, and should we ever be blessed with a daughter, that will likely be her name. But we were debating between two boy names - Connor and Ford. It took us a few weeks to decide, but we've ultimately decided on:

Connor Philip

We should also note that the first trimester screen came back and Connor appears to be very healthy, which is all we care about. Can't wait for our sweet boy to get here! And yes, we're holding off on painting the nursery until we have our follow-up "gender confirmation" sonogram appointment in three weeks.... :-)

And side note, you may not be able to tell in the picture, but these little baby boat shoes are so tiny. I think I cried for 5 minutes straight when I opened the box.

First Trimester Review

I've successfully completed the first trimester of my pregnancy and am gleefully skipping through the early second trimester. People tell me this is the "best trimester" and so far I agree. I've gotten a little lazy with my bump pictures (there just wasn't much to show up until now), but thought I'd fill you in on my first trimester stats before I get too settled into the second one.

Feeling? I was pretty nauseous throughout most of the first trimester, but started feeling much better around Week 11.

Weight Gain? None. Now, before anyone freaks out, my doctor assured me it's quite normal not to gain weight in the first trimester and was just happy I hadn't lost weight due to the nausea.

Baby Size? The baby has grown quite a bit and at the end of the first trimester, was the size of a shrimp. 

Maternity Clothes? Nope, not yet! I'm not showing that much...

Cravings? I'm mostly experiencing food aversions, but I ate A LOT of Ritz whole wheat crackers, SunMaid raisin bread, salty chips and ginger ale absolutely got me through my first trimester.

What I Miss? Nothing really, quite yet!

What I'm Looking Forward To? Prenatal yoga - I'm on a waiting list and should be starting in the next few weeks!
 
Best Moment? When my nausea subsided and hearing our little one's heartbeat for the first time, both at Week 11

WTF Moment? I was having happy hour or "water and cheese fries hour" with a friend and the waitress asked if I'd be having a drink. For some reason, I felt the need to explain that I was pregnant and that was why I wasn't drinking. She then launched into what a cute pregnant person I was going to be, detailing her thoughts that I would "only gain weight in my belly and face." Um, face? So, I'm going to gain weight in the one place I CAN'T COVER? Errrr thanks?

I'm going to miss this tummy!

With our ultrasound pics!

This pic is a bit deceiving, but starting to see a little bump. :-)

Living Room Refresh: The Game Plan

And you thought I'd only be blogging about the baby...

Well, I started our living room refresh and now that I'm feeling better, I'm finally ready to actually continue with it. So, this is my general game plan:

1. Get New Area Rug to Help Pull the Room Together -- Done!

2. Recover Ugly Art Canvas -- When we moved into our house, we were itching to fill the walls, so we bought a piece of wall art that neither of us were all the crazy about. The hubby especially hated it. So, in the interest of time/money/indecision, we're simply going to cover the art canvas with material. (The hunt is currently under way for that...) That way, we can change it out easily or at least have something we like until we get a piece of actual art.

3. New Couch Throw Pillows -- This is far overdue. The current pillows on our couch and chair actually came with the set and we just never thought about replacing them. But in the interest of "refresh," we're getting new throw pillows to give the couch a little pop of color.

4. Accessorize -- Originally, there were a few additions I'd like to add to the living room in terms of decor. With a baby on the way, I'm kind of re-thinking this a bit, but at a minimum would like to add something to the coffee table and potentially some additions to the mantel.

Will update as I make progress!

Baby Benson: The Day We Found Out

First, quick clarification that I won't only be blogging about the baby. It's just that I've been so excited and unable to talk about it for so long, that I've got a few baby/pregnancy-related posts. BUT I'll also be blogging about other random things, too!

So back to the day we found out I was pregnant... I've also included some of Greg's comments/additions as footnotes (in bold) as he is just a big a part of this as I am.

Well as most surprises in life, finding out I was pregnant did not go the way I thought it would in my mind. I really thought I'd come home from work one day, take a test and surprise Greg when he walked in or have some cute, special way to tell him. And while June 30 was definitely the most exciting/crazy/thrilling day of our lives, it just... wasn't like what we expected.

It all started because I had a party to go to on a Saturday night and I thought, I better just take a pregnancy test just to be safe as I wanted to know whether I could visit drunk town have a drink or two. Because I was still DAYS away from the day I was supposed to start, I had read that if you take the test first thing in the morning, it can be more accurate. So on Friday, I just thought - I'll get up in the morning and take a quick test. Assuming it'll be negative (and I did), I'll just go back to sleep. I didn't even tell Greg because I just figured it'd be negative. The problem? I woke up at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning having to pee. So, I stumbled out of bed, grab two different pregnancy tests and did my thing. I went to wash my hands and then came back and I started to see the faintest second line appearing. Then, I looked at the second test and it was even fainter, but sure enough there was a little plus sign. You'll see what I mean in the pic below!

So I sat there for about 10 minutes in total shock, no tears, just pure dumbfounded shock. I was still a little unsure (simply because the positive lines were so faint), so I knew I needed to run out and get a digital pregnancy test. (The "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" message leaves nothing to guess about!) I thought about sneaking out, but ultimately decided to wake up the hubby and tell him what was going on. So I came and sat by him on the bed and of course he woke up with an alarmed look on his face.

"What's wrong?!" (1)

"Umm, I think I might be pregnant..."
"What?! Are you sure?! That's great!"

I explained that I wasn't totally sure so I showed him the tests (2) and, while his eyes were still pretty foggy from being asleep, he confirmed what I thought. So we threw on clothes, jumped in the car and headed toward Walgreen's to get a digital test. The problem? Walgreen's opens at 7. OK, no prob. CVS! CVS it is. Except - damn! CVS opens at 7, too. OK, no problem. Target - isn't it 24-hour?! No. The answer is no, no it is not. It opens at 8 a.m. on Saturdays. This is not getting better. So - do you see where this story is going? Yes, we had to go to Walmart Supercenter. At 6:45 a.m. To buy pregnancy tests. Let's face it, it's probably not the first time it's happened... but shameful. Really. So shameful. The person at the register didn't even bat an eye, it was just bidness as usual on Saturday morning.

We finally get home and I run to the bathroom to take the digital test, but before I went in I was telling Greg that even if I was pregnant, I think it might be too early to tell. Well, I went in and did my thing. I put the test on the back of the counter and just turned away. (You're supposed to wait 3 minutes.) So, I said a short prayer and turned around fully expecting to be disappointed, but ummm...

Notice how the two at the top leave a bit to the imagination?!

I wasn't disappointed. :-)

So I bust out of the bathroom and told Greg we were pregnant and then the tears and hugs came. Pretty sure we were in shock all morning (3). All day, really. We actually still might be in shock. But the happiest kind of shock I can imagine. Blessed (4).

(1) Thats what I said, but my initial thought was, "It's Saturday. I can't believe you actually got up and ready for work on a Saturday..."
(2) Yep, she put them right on my pillow. Nothing like a freshly used pregnancy test right on the pillow.
(3) The second best part of this morning? We decided to go out and get some kolaches.
(4) Ditto on that.

The day we found out  & first "bump" picture - no bump yet though!

Announcing Baby Benson + Baby Q&A

As most of you know, the hubby and I are so excited to be having a baby! We're due March 16 and truly couldn't be more excited.

We've gotten a ton of questions, so I thought it might be good to share those in an easy-to-digest Q&A format. I'm all about blog-reading convenience, after all. :-)


1. How are you feeling?
I'm working really hard to not complain publicly about symptoms of pregnancy, partly because no one likes a complainer and partly because I'm so grateful for this blessing and I don't want anyone to think that I'm not. But, hey, you asked. Well, maybe not you, but people have. I've had a bit of a rough first trimester. I've had bouts of nausea that were on and off but mostly just all day long. My doctor got me some awesome anti-nausea medicine and as the weeks went on, I'm finally starting to feel much better.

I've definitely had my fair share of moments at work where my eyes glaze over as someone's talking in a meeting and I just have to focus on not throwing up. I've got some crazy smell aversions going on, too. I almost freaked out on someone at work one morning who was heating up a breakfast sandwich in the microwave. I think I gave that person that person the most murderous glance and literally sprinted out of the break room. I've also been tired but other than those two symptoms, just happy and grateful to be carrying this little one.

2. Was this planned/unexpected?

Well, both. The hubby and I have known since last fall we'd start trying this summer. So, while YES we were trying, we did not expect it to happen so fast. But we couldn't be more full of joy about it.

3. Are you going to find out the sex of the baby?

Are you crazy? Yes, of course. I know that this is truly one of the best surprises in the world, but let's be practical. I've quickly realized that there's already so much I can't control, I want this to be one thing we can. Plus, you KNOW I'm ready to start nursery decorating!

4. How did this happen?

Ummm... 

5. But I saw you drinking...?

No. You didn't. I've been, as the hubby calls it, "living a life of lies." If I've seen you in the past 2 months, there's a good chance I've probably lied to you. (Sorry, friends and fam. We just didn't want to jinx anything!) I've actually really mastered the art of fake drinking. I had a bachelorette party the evening of the day I found out I was pregnant! I managed two glasses of wine without actually drinking anything, if you can imagine that.

6. Are you going to do weekly bump pictures?

Maybe not weekly, but yes! I really want to remember all the fun details of this exciting time, so I'm going to do bump pictures and chronicle the little things for a keepsake book I'm going to have made. Honestly, I haven't had the energy to think through all of it, but I'm getting it figured out. :-)

7. Are you going to do a gender reveal party? (Behind question #1, this has definitely been the most-asked question!)

The answer is I'm really not sure. Both of our families live out of town and it really just kind of depends on when we find out. My doctor won't do the ultrasound until 18-20 weeks, so it all kind of depends on if the timing works out.

So that's all the baby deets I have for now. But we so appreciate all the kind words, congratulations and love from our fam and friends.

P.S. We've gotten lots of compliments on our pregnancy announcement photo (thank you!) but thought this "out-take" from it best explained how excited Greg was to take them. He's a good sport, though! :-)

Hungry Lady: One Last Summer Fling

So, I know I was just talking typing last week about how we're going all "fall" in our household, but I couldn't resist breaking out my absolute favorite summer recipe over the weekend for one last "summer fling."

I ate this growing up and it's still one of my favorite recipes ever (not quite spicy pretzel level, but it's pretty darn close), so I thought I'd share.

Shrimp Pasta Salad
1 box tri-color macaroni
1 1/2 lb shrimp
crab boil
zesty italian dressing (1 bottle)
parmesan cheese
1/2 purple onion (chopped)
1 can black olive (optional)

Boil shrimp in crab boil as directed on crab boil package; drain, cool, and peel. Boil noodles and run through cold water afterward. In large bowl, mix noodles, shrimp, chopped onion, olives and italian dressing (I use about 2/3 bottle). Top with parmesan cheese. Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to eating.

Note: I'm a fatty and I top my bowl with extra italian dressing. Also, you can remove the shrimp or sub it for chicken, but I absolutely love shrimp, so would never do it any other way.

As soon as it's warm again next spring, I'll be breaking this recipe out once again. But for now, we'll be channeling all things college football and crock pots.

Yum!

Until next time...