Happy Halloween and Weekend Re-cap

Happy Halloween, everyone!  I'm living vicariously through all you moms out there and love the cute Halloween pictures I've seen so far out there!  I have to admit, I'm excited for next year when we get to dress our little girl up.  Too cute!  This is our first Halloween in our new house/neighborhood, so we're hopeful that we get lots of trick or treaters tonight.  Otherwise, I'll have to eat all of that candy all by myself.  Don't get me wrong...I'm up for the task, but it's probably best the kiddos get the majority of that. 

 

 

We had an actually nice and relaxing weekend for a change.  It was surreal not having somewhere go and something to do.  Having a weekend to actually just be at home allowed by T and myself to be productive and catch up on other things.  Here's what I was busy doing:

 

 

 

These are some of the gift sets I put together for the holiday season with my Mary Kay business.  I also put together invitations for my two Holiday Open Houses I'm having.  So all in all, I got a ton of MK stuff done over the weekend.  I'm not normally a creative person so I was pretty proud with the finished product. 


Saturday night, I made a nice meal for T, and we had homemade lasagna.  YUM.  It was good, trust me. 


Sunday we went to church and then headed to Target to finish our baby registry.    We dug around in the basement through boxes T's parents brought down from his home with all of his old toys and books from his childhood.  I bought a book shelf last week for us to start putting together a little library for our baby when she arrives, so it's a start.  T was also Mr. Chef yesterday and made us one heck of an apple pie...super impressed!  Come to think of it, talking about that now is making me seriously want some apple pie...man, I should have brought some from home with me...oh well, it'll be there when I get home! 


We relaxed the rest of the day.  Towards the end of the night, Half-pint was kicking like a fiend.  T was able to feel a few of those kicks, some of them pretty hard.  Since she was so active, T decided he's going to start reading a story to her every night (So sweet, isn't he?)  So he read a little book to her, and he had his hand on my stomach while he was doing it...the whole time she was just kicking away.  Sure, she might not be able to understand words or anything, but from what I've read, she's hearing noises...so maybe she knew her Daddy was talking to her?  Either way, it was too precious. 


Hope all of you had a great weekend and have a very Happy Halloween!  Hope it's all treats with very few tricks today! 
  

Just like Christmas morning

Yesterday, as T and I were getting ready, he excitedly asked me, "do you know what today is?"  "Thursday?" was my answer.  "No, it's a special day..."  I stared blankly at him, trying my best to inventory a list of special dates he and I shared from our days of dating.  Surely I could have missed something.  "Beavis and Butthead are back today!"  He could barely contain his excitement. 

 

 

Yes, folks, it was like Christmas morning in the Nain and T household last night. 

 

 

See, my husband is stuck in the 1990s.  All of his music taste come from the 90s grunge era.  His glory days, I call them.  And Beavis and Butthead?  He's obsessed.  It was actually my first Christmas present to him...I got him the Beavis and Butthead complete collection - Seasons 1, 2, and 3, and the movie, in a boxed set.  The perfect present for him.  

 

 

I mean, this is the the same man who makes Beavis impersonations when he's vacuuming and thinks I don't hear him.  He impersonates Beavis's "fire! fire!" when building a fire in our fire pit.  He chuckles like Butthead every time he hears the word "cock" included in a phrase or other word that could be construed as some sort of dirty phrase.  Oh, T...

 

 

So as soon as he found out his favorite show was coming back on the air, he was elated.  They made this announcement some time ago, and he's been waiting for that day when it came back.  And last night was the night.  I was a fan of the show back in the day, too, and I must say...it didn't disappoint at all last night.  The show was as funny as I remember it.  Too bad they have to make fun of other MTV shows instead of just music videos, but I guess that's what you get when they don't play music videos anymore.  But it was hilarious.  And the constant smile on T's face as he watched the show?  Classic. 

 

 

Oh it takes so little to please my man.  This should last him for a good few weeks....

 

Halloween: Then and Now

This week's Spin Cycle brought to you by Sprite's Keeper is on Halloween...a then and now perspective.  I didn't participate in last week's ghost story one, mostly because I couldn't come up with a good enough ghost story to share, and honestly, I don't have a "now" perspective to share, but I'll try.  But Halloween has always been a fun holiday in my family.  I know it's one of my mom's favorite holidays, and we always had fun picking out costumes and running the neighborhood trying to get as much candy as humanly possible. 

 

 

I guess if I had a then and now comparison, it would seem to me that costumes now aren't really as creative as they were when I was little.  Having a homemade costume was so common where I grew up in Alabama.  You came up with a costume "idea," not necessarily a character you wanted to be.  So many kids I see out trick or treating where costumes where they are their favorite super hero, princess, movie character, etc.  And there is totally nothing wrong with that at all!  But when I was a little kid, we never bought costumes in the store.  Part of it had to do with money, but another part had to do with the fact that we never really wanted to be a specific thing or character.

 

 

Case in point...when I was a kiddo, I remember one Halloween where I wanted to be a princess.   Not the Disney kind, but just a generic member of royalty.  So my mom made me this yellow silk-type dress and pointy hat with a flowing ribbon out of the top.  I had a wand, and I think that was that.  We went to our school's Halloween party, and I remember winning first prize for costume.  I was so proud.  Another Halloween towards the end of the 1980s, I wanted to dress up as an 80s pop star.  So I donned a jeans skirt, pink button down top with it tied to the side, of course, hot pink fish net stockings and high-top tennis shoes.  Add crimped hair sprayed with that pink spray to make it look like I was a Jem wannabe (she IS truly outrageous, you know...), and I was seriously rocking it.  And my mom let me wear some makeup to finish that true pop star look.  I tried to think of other costumes, and sadly, I don't have pictures to share with you.  Those are all at my parent's house.  But trust me when I say I truly rocked that costume.  Bitchin. 

 

 

My brother doesn't read this blog, which is good because I totally have to call him out on a few costumes he had as a kid.  I'm not sure where he came up with some of these ideas, but my parents helped him with the costumes.  One year he was a computer.   You know, one of those first computers out in the 1980s?  I can't think of the type/name of them, but I'm sure he remembers.  All I remember is his head and body was just this giant computer with screen, keyboard and everything that my Dad helped make.  Dork, right?  But hey, it was creative.  One year he was Pac-man, and my Mom sewed a huge Pac-man costume to go over his head and body.  (Sense a trend here?  I often wonder how easily he saw or walked in those costumes...)  The funniest was when he went as a  yellow crayon.  Honestly, I don't know what brought that costume on.  But he was a yellow crayon.  My Mom made him a yellow crayon crayola body and he wore a yellow hate with eye  holes over his head.  Face didn't show.  And looking at pictures, he kind of looks like he's some messed up version of a yellow crayon KKK member.  But we were so innocent back there, and that totally wasn't the intent.  It's still funny though.

 

 

You just don't see little kids dressed up as computers or yellow crayons.  You see kids dressed up as the most recent Disney princess or Spiderman or insert (popular pop culture character here).   And honestly, I think if I were to make my daughter's costume like my parents used to do, that might actually embarrass her some day.  It's just the way the times have changed, I guess.  All I know is I do look forward to next year when I get to dress our little girl up in her very first Halloween outfit.  I do love me some baby Halloween costumes.  So cute! 

 

 

So that's my "then and now" perspective.  See what other people have to share at Sprite's Keeper!  Have a great Thursday everyone!

 

Baby update!

So we're back from another fun doctor's visit!  Nothing quite like seeing the doctor every two weeks.  It's sad that I'm already at that point where they all recognize me there, but I suppose that's to be expected. But I do love the fact that everyone there is very nice, friendly and seems to genuinely care about me and the baby.  You do have to love that. 

 

 

Anyway, I'm rambling.  You probably aren't really wanting to know any of the above information.  You want to know about the little one, right?  Well, she's doing just wonderfully!  We had an ultrasound today to monitor her growth, and it turns out that she is about 1 lb 5 oz and is in the 93rd percentile for growth at her gestational age.  And here I was worried that my heart condition would cause her to not grow, right?  She was actually quite funny today, too.  Very very active.  The ultrasound tech was having a hard time getting pictures of her vital organs to measure because she kept moving.  She actually kicked while the ultrasound tech was doing her measurement.  We got to see a pretty clear picture of her face, even though she kept hiding it behind her hands, almost as if she were playing peek-a-boo with us.  So the good news is she's healthy and doing very well.  Mommy breathes a sigh of relief. 

 

 

My health?  We're still watching it closely.  My blood pressure is always a concern, and my OB and cardiologist are working closely together to make sure that everything stays as it is.  So Nain must start taking it easy.  It'll be hard because I'm so not that girl who sits still, but...if it is for her, then I will and have no problem doing that. 

 

 

So that's your update!  I'm at 23 weeks and 2 days.  Getting bigger every day!  Maybe, just maybe...I'll post a bump picture soon for you guys.  (I make no promises, though!)

   

Oh, the mood swings

I am going to be 100 percent honest with you, folks.  I've always been a bit of an....err...how do I say this?  An emotional person?  Yes, that's how you say it.  I've been known to be moody once or twice in my past.  I think most women can say that with certainty, but I'll admit, that I have a special skill in this department.  I may or may not have been known to overreact in my past.  To dwell on things when I shouldn't.  This is one of the reasons why having a girl scares the crap out of me.  I remember how moody I was as a teenager.  Is karma going to come bite me in the butt with this?  Will my daughter be a reincarnation of her mother?  Will I pay for what I did to my parents? (Okay, I'm sure I wasn't that bad, but for purposes of a point here, I am being a little dramatic...)

 

 

So yes, I'm moody.  I'll admit that.  So that being said, this whole pregnancy mood swing thing is seriously messing with me. 

 

 

Sure, when we first got pregnant and someone warned me about the mood swings, I thought "it couldn't be that awful, right?"  Ha, oh how wrong you were, Nain.  Because lately, I have no control whatsoever with my feelings and how I react to stuff.  And it is driving me absolutely insane, guys. 

 

 

I can go from happy to sad to aggravated in less than sixty seconds.  In ways I never dreamed possible.  It doesn't help that on top of all of the hormones, I have other stressors.  The constant worry about my family and my Grandpa are always there.  I can be sitting there, enjoying a perfectly good dinner with T, and bam, sadness.  An overwhelming feeling of just sadness.  Or T and I could be having a conversation, say, about our registry, and he'll say something that makes me start thinking...and thinking...until I'm in tears about it thinking that "oh God, no one in our family is going to buy the stuff we registered for, and we're going to have to find the money for it all ourselves, and it's just awful."  Rational?  No.  Did it happen.  Yes...(sorry, T!)

 

 

I don't want you guys to think I'm going off the deep end here, and yes, I do have someone to talk to about all of this.  But I needed to vent.  Because I'm not a big fan of this irrational form of myself.  I'd like the regular Nain to come back please!  And soon, too!

 

 

I'm not the only one out there like this...right?

 

 

 

  

Just another rambling Monday post

I have to admit, I'm struggling a bit with what to say in today's blog.  It's Monday...I'm dragging...and I've got nothing basically.  So bear with me as I type out a rambling blog for you :-)

 

 

I'd like to thank the three special ladies who contributed guest blogs last week while I was away at work conferences:  Amber at Amberlashell.com, Jen at Sweet Pink Ruffles, and lastly, Brynn at Wicked Sweet Tea.    You guys rock, and I loved each of your guest posts!

 

 

I'm dragging this morning because my weekend was kind of short-lived.  I was at a work conference until Saturday morning, not getting home until afternoon.  We did get some relaxing in, but most of yesterday involved work...laundry, T mowing the lawn and sealing the driveway.  I wanted to help, but all I could do was sweep it off.  Baby can't be exposed to chemicals...but it did actually look like fun in a really sick kind of way. 

 

 

We managed to get our registries started for the half-pint.  I still have stuff to add, I know, but at least it's a start.  We're registered at Babies R Us and Target (of course!).  I'm anxious to start working on the nursery.  I can't wait until it's no longer just an empty room where we hang up our laundry.  But that does get me thinking...where are we going to hang up our clothes once she arrives?  Hmmm....

 

 

I promise to give all of you a baby update later this week.  We have a doctor's visit on Wednesday with another ultrasound to monitor her growth.  The unfortunate part of my heart condition is that I have less blood flow going to her, so there is a small risk she will be smaller at birth.  So the doctor is being extra cautious and monitoring how she's doing, as well as how I'm doing.  Next week we have to go to my cardiologist to check on the whole blood pressure thing.  Basically, I'm always going to the doctor, but it's a good thing, I suppose, because that means I'm being monitored and everything is going well!  But it does make it hard to make up the hours that I do miss at work. 

 

 

I should be a little more careful when walking.  We got some rain this morning, and I slipped on a wet spot outside of our building.  I almost ended up doing the splits before catching myself on the door handle.  Scared the crap out of me!  Let's not hurt yourself or the baby, Nain! 

 

 

Oh, and Mary Kay plug!  I do have a Facebook page for my Mary Kay business, so if you can, check it out and become a "fan!"  It'd make my Monday, trust me :-)

 

 

Okay, I promise to be back tomorrow with a more cohesive post.  Happy Monday, everyone!

 

Guest post: Lessons from my thirties

Today's guest post comes courtesy of my favorite Southern Belle, Brynn, over at Wicked Sweet Tea!  This fabulous lady is in the midst of wedding planning (less than 30 days away from the big day!)  So stop by her blog and send some love!  And...here's Brynn! (Thank you SO much for your post!)

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Things my 30's have taught me


I turned 30 last December and I've been reflecting on some of my biggest lessons I've learned this year.



Shifting Happens




One of the first things I noticed this year was that although I was the same size as I was last year, my body "shifted" in a manner akin to a house settling. Everything on my body is lower. My booty is a good inch lower and let's not discuss the difference between 20's boobs and 30's boobs, shall we?



Not only are your laugh lines a little deeper, but so are your friendships.



I think what I've appreciated most about this year is that your 30's have a way of refining your friendships into really solid bonds while letting the frivolous ones go. As your life is maturing and your biggest stressors are along the lines of "Can we afford this house?", "Should we have a child", "We need to cut out salt for our blood pressure", you value the friendships that have matured along with you. Friends who have an appreciation for the interest rate, how to fold napkins for your first Thanksgiving you are hosting your "particular" mother-in-law, and whom you can call at 3:00 a.m. asking for advice with a baby's raging fever or whooping cough start replacing the friendships that start appearing superficial.



This year has been the worst and best year of my life. I have gone through one of the hardest times in my life and it showed me what friends would be there in the rough times. I was truly surprised at the friendships that became stronger and which ones fizzled. When doing the guest list for our wedding next month, I realized I really only wanted to invite friends to the wedding who were there in the times of difficulty and in the times of celebration. Because at the end of the day, I realized friendships are investments and I only want to be surrounded by people who are invested in our lives.



How you define yourself changes



In my 20's, I tended to define myself in superficial ways such as how I looked, what job I had and what circle I was a member of. These days, I define myself not by my superficial merits, but in values and in how I enrich others' lives. & not only do I change how I define myself, I define my friends differently. No longer is Beth Anne referred to as "my super skinny, gorgeous, sorority sister who works for THE ::insert pseudo famous name here::". Beth Anne is now referred to as, "my amazing friend who is incredibly organized who can not only make 48 cupcakes from scratch for her son's classroom, but also manages to go on a mission trip to Haiti with her husband". Now Beth Anne is still everything I first referred to her as, but she's so much more than that.



Just like I am.




There's many, many things I've learned during this past year but I guess everything sums up to this... I've learned who I really am, what really matters to me and who really matters to me.



& that my jeans will never fit the same again.

  

Guest post: Gratitude

I would like to send out a special thanks to Jen at Sweet Pink Ruffles for her awesome guest post today on the topic of gratitude.  It's an important one, after all!  Please stop by her blog and send her some love!  And without further ado...here's Jen!

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Hi Y'all!


First of all, I want to thank Nain for inviting me to guest write in her wonderful blog. My name is Jen and I run a tiny little pink blog on the other side of the blogosphere. My blog is Sweet Pink Ruffles (http://sweetpinkruffles.blogspot.com). Over on my blog I ramble about everyday occurrences and spill my deepest darkest secrets, fears. Most importantly I share the things that make me happy. I invite you to go on by and check it out.


Today I want to talk about gratitude. Without gratitude the world would be a sad place. I believe that we should all be thankful for the blessings that we have. Let me share with you a little bit of my blessings. On my birthday my darling husband gave me a really pretty, simple, yet fancy agenda for me to keep track of my entire life. I was beyond excited. I am totally that girl that loves to make lists and write everything down! I jumped up and down a few times and thanked him for being so thoughtful and we went about our day. Sure enough, my blessings didn't end there. When we both got home from work the hubby surprised me with flowers, three (!) birthday cards and a few other presents. It's the little things that make me so grateful... I was definitely not expecting anything else and of course he surprised me once again! Now if you know my husband you know he is a kind soul. He is absolutely amazing in everything that he does. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He treats me like a princess and loves me unconditionally (he has his flaws; everyone does… but today is all about how wonderful he is!).


Last night I couldn’t sleep due to a bit of insomnia and I couldn’t help it but count my blessings (hey! What can I say, some people count sheep, I count blessings!). As I was laying there listening to Shane snore (face it honey! You DO snore) I said a prayer of gratitude for everything that I do have.



I am grateful for:



•My husband Shane. The definition of love. The most amazing soul I have ever met.


•My parents. Their unconditional and devoted love for me.


•My parents’ marriage. Through their ups and downs they have taught me how to be a better wife.


•My dogs. In times of difficulty they are always displaying their emotions with a simple wag of a tail.


•Shane’s job. Thanks to how hard he works we are able to survive.


•My job. No matter how much I complain, I am thankful for having one. I am thankful for having the specific one that I have.


•Everyone’s health. Although we all have medical problems none of them are severe enough to have to worry about.


•My Superman’s smiles. I was reading a book last night and I happened to glance over at Shane and our eyes met and I couldn’t help but notice that he had the biggest, happiest smile and it made me smile… it also gave me the idea for this post.


There are a lot of other things I am grateful for (faith, hope, family, etc.) but those are the ones that stand out this early morning. I am in such a great mood thanks to that smile last night, and I LOVE IT. Thank you Shane for making my life so amazingly beautiful. You are the bestest friend a person can hope for. I will forever be grateful for moments like last night and I am so grateful I can document them so that I will never forget.


Thank you all for opening allowing me to visit Nain and share my experiences with you all.


What are you grateful for?


Gratefully Yours,


Jen from Sweet Pink Ruffles
 

Guest post: The love of writing

Starting off the week with our first guest post...thanks go out to Amber @ Amberlashell.com for being so great to post!  Stop by Amber's blog and say hi!  And without further ado...here's Amber!

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Hello Nain and all of Nain's lovely readers.

My name is Amber LaShell and I run a little blog that is titled just Amber LaShell over at amberlashell.com and I was ecstatic when Nain agreed to let me guest post.

First of all, I love writing, and any extra excuse to write is great with me.

Speaking of writing, I have been busy writing as I am working on a Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Trilogy that is about a girl who finds out her mother is a Celtic Goddess who passed down all her magic to her.

It is a fun trilogy and I have really enjoyed working on it and the 1st book of the trilogy titled, Celtic Magic, goes on sale on Halloween this year! (Done with shameless plug)

I started writing seriously about a year ago and there are things I have learned about myself and life through opening the window and letting the creativity blow through.

I work better under pressure.

I never knew that about myself before, but after being a part of NaNoWriMo where you have to write 50,000 in 30 days, I realized that with that big push, I could create something worthwhile!

I also recently learned from my literature professor that I tend to write a little too much when it would be better to just shut up already.

So, in the spirit of trying to shorten it up, I will end now with great big thanks to Nain for letting me take over, it has been fabulous!

Now, if she'll just let me feel that baby move...

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Ha, sorry, Amber!  I'm still having a hard time feeling the baby move myself!  But thanks for your post, and everyone stop by her blog and say hi!  And definitely, buy her book!  I'm always down for the shameless plugs, especially if they support authors out there!

  

Heavy heart

My heart is heavy today, as it always every time this day hits each year.  Eleven years ago this morning we lost my Grandma to cancer.  It was a tough and heart-breaking battle, but she finally left to be with God and have peace.  I know she watches over us every day, but every year when October 17th rolls around, I can't help but have a sadness in my heart as I remember her and just wish she was with us for one more day. 

 

 

On Facebook this morning, I saw my mom and aunt post loving tributes to her, and it just breaks my heart because of what they have gone through when they lost their mother to such a horrible disease and now are watching their own father deteriorate before their very eyes.  He wants so desperately to be with his wife in heaven.  That's all we want.  I have no doubt that she is watching over him always.  And I know he will be with her soon.  I have no doubt.

 

 

My niece, Erin, said something to my mom this weekend about my Grandma that just makes me smile but at the same time tugs at the heart.  She asked her "would we have had fun together?"  Yes, Erin, you would have had so much fun together.  She was such an amazing lady. She was and is the center of our family.  All family gatherings were so fun and so full of love because of her.  She loved all of her children, all fourteen of her grandchildren and the few great-grandchildren she was here to see.  And I know that she loves and watches all of the new great-grandchildren who have joined the family since she left us. 

 

 

I think of her always.  Every week when we go to church, I say a prayer for her.  I ask that she watch over my mother and my Grandpa.  This past week at church, I prayed harder than normal.  I asked that she be with my Grandpa and that she hold his hand.  That God let him go and give him the peace that he needs.  A part of me walks around today wondering if this will be the day.  This was the day eleven years ago when she went to join God in heaven.  What if this were the day that he were to join his one and only love in heaven and finally be at peace?  I know it's not as easy as that.  I know that God always has a plan.  And I know I can't rush His plan.  But that doesn't mean a part of me doesn't wonder what's going to happen sometimes. 

 

 

I love each and every one of my grandparents with all of my heart.  I had the privilege to know three of them personally, with my dad's father passing before my birth, and I think of all of them always.  As I have this new life growing inside of me, this little girl who will join us soon and change our lives forever, I can't help but think about what my eight year old niece said...because really, they would all have had so much fun together. 

 

 

God bless you, Grandma.  I miss you every day and love you always.

 

Firsts

  

It's all about "firsts" this week in the Spin Cycle with Sprite's Keeper.  Oh the possibilities...too many firsts I could think of.  It's just too hard to narrow them down.  So I'm going to do this in a list format.  Random "firsts" for Nain with a little commentary included...enjoy!

First official job - ice cream scooper at Baskin Robbins...I got paid minimum wage, which was like $4.25/hour, but it did have it's nice perks.  One of those was you got free samples.  And I got to make the waffle cones which was awesome.  Whenever one would "accidentally" break, it was fair game for eating! 
However, I did NOT enjoy running the drive-thru window when I was given that task. 

First car -  1992 Dodge Shadow convertible.  Sure the car "sounds" cool but believe me...it was a piece...of something.  No air conditioning, crappy radio, windows wouldn't roll up on their own, the car would leak when it rained, dashboard lights would randomly go out and would only go on after pounding the dashboard with your first.  You could also take the key out of the ignition while the car was driving, and it would continue to drive.  It was a crap car.  But it was my first car, so therefore...in my 16 year old eyes, it was totally awesome. 

First music (first tape cassette):  When I was a kid, my parents bought me a "My First Sony" tape player for Christmas (well, Santa did actually), and I got a tape with it.  See, my dad would buy me music that I honestly had never heard of or didn't really like, but..my first tape was "Katrina and the Waves."  And not even the "Walking on Sunshine" tape.  Nope, I couldn't even tell you what songs were on this tape.  I listened to it, because it was all I had, but as soon as they heard a few of the songs on it, it was quickly replaced by New Kids on the Block.  My first CD my dad bought me was also an Indigo Girls CD.  Never had heard of them or their music...never liked the CD.  Like I said, he bought me some random stuff...

First crush - His name was Michael, and he was in my 1st grade class when I lived in Alabama.  He had this huge crush on me and used to chase me around the playground at recess.  I seem to recall him writing "I love you" on one of the class mini chalkboards we used.  We quickly became BFFs from 1st through 4th grade when I had to move to Indiana.  It was tragic saying good bye.  But I guess he was technically my first crush/boyfriend. 

First kiss - This was in high school...at a school dance with my first boyfriend (first serious one, that is), who happened to be my first love, first break-up (awful awful break-up), first time realizing that not everyone out there is good and has your best interests at heart...all of those really good firsts that every girl goes through.  (Man, I dread the day I have to watch my own little girl go through this...the boy who breaks her heart better look out...momma isn't going to be nice!) 

First blind date - in college with some guy named Duane that my sister-in-law set me up with.  He was weird.  It didn't go past one date.  Definitely wasn't a keeper. 

First REAL love - T.  And I'm not just saying that because he's my husband.  No, honestly, he was and is my first only real love.  It took me so many years to get to that point where I know what real respect and real love in a relationship looks like.  Sure, I was an adult at that point and it took many many hard lessons to get there, but it was well worth it.

First husband....T.  (ha, and he'll be the only one...no worries!) 

First (and only) trip overseas - Ireland, on our honeymoon September 2010.  And it was INCREDIBLE! 

First child - on the way!

First time I truly realized I was going to be a momma...the second ultrasound we had around my 12 week appointment.  We had one at 8 weeks, but I wouldn't let myself truly think that "yes, this will be my baby" because I was scared to death we'd lose her.  So that second time we heard that heart beat, that was the very first time I realized how much our lives were about to be changed in a way that neither of us could imagine.

So those are my firsts!  Hope you enjoyed them and don't judge me for some of those there...if you want to check out what other spinners have to share this week, stop by Sprite's Keeper's blog!

 

Baby update!

As promised, here I am with another Half-pint update!  We had another doctor's appointment yesterday to check up on her.  Because of my heart and being a high risk pregnancy, now that I am 21 weeks, I have to start going in every two weeks for the remainder of my pregnancy.  Every month we do an ultrasound to check the baby's growth.  Because of my condition, how well she is growing is a concern because of reduced blood flow.  We also check on my blood pressure and her own heart rate.  So, that means lots of doctor's appointments for Nain!  But that's okay, because all I care about is that she is doing well, so if that requires more trips to the doctors, then I am good with that.

 

 

Half-pint is doing just fine.  I got to see her in an ultrasound yesterday to check up on her heart rate, and she was as active as can be.  I'm still not always feeling her move around, but occasionally, I am starting to feel kicks.  The flutters are starting to turn into that.  Poor, T, because he really wants to be able to feel her kick, but hopefully that won't be too far away!  She's still a "she."  (Good because don't think I didn't have a momentary fear that possibly the ultrasound techs were wrong...) 

 

 

Mommy's health is...well...it's okay but has its moments.  My blood pressure is slowly starting to rise and stay there.  It's not at a dangerous point, but we're monitoring it, and increasing the meds is a possibility.  With my asthma and my heart condition, breathing is a little harder, too.  So that's not been fun, but the big thing is eating.  I don't eat as regularly and as much as I probably should.  After a rather long meeting over the lunch hour (minus the lunch) on Tuesday, my blood sugar tanked by the time I did eat, leaving me not feeling so hot.  The good news is my appetite has come back, but I'm still not eating often enough so I have been instructed to keep snacks with me.  It appears that baby girl is taking all of my nutrients, and since I'm not eating as many as I should, that leaves me with little.  So we're working on that.  The good thing is I have such great doctors who are doing such a good job at keeping an eye on me, as well as a good husband who is watching me, too.  I may be stubborn, but they aren't letting me be that way. 

 

 

In terms of size - according to the emails I get weekly, she is the length of a banana.  I'm getting bigger by the day, which is good because that means she's growing!  I did catch a glimpse of her face yesterday in the ultrasound...it's all very skeletal still, but I still think she's beautiful. 

 

 

Moment of panic this week?  Registering for baby.  I haven't done that yet.  Am I a complete slacker?  No crib or anything picked out.  And I'm not really that picky about it either.  SO we need to get on the ball with that one.  Or maybe I'm panicking too early.  Who knows :-) 

 

 

So that, my friends, is your baby update for the week!  Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

  

A beautiful fall day

Right now in Indiana we're having a bit of Indian summer, which, for fall lovers like me, is a bit of a bummer (hey!  I rhymed!)  BUT, a couple weeks ago, we had the most perfect fall day ever, and T and I took advantage of it.  Did I wait two weeks to post these pictures? Yes.  Does that make me lazy?  Sure :-)


So we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day by heading to an apple farm just south of us.   

  

Seriously, the place was beautiful.  Fall colors everywhere.  Beautiful scenery.  Just a really really pretty place.

And to give you a somewhat of a bump picture, here you go...I should note that since two weeks have passed, my bump has gotten significantly bigger.  Unfortunatlely, the one area I have gained besides my stomach is my chest, so I feel like I look absolutely huge in the middle in this picture...

Since we were at an apple farm, we decided to partake in the normal apple treats, which involved warm apple cider and...caramel apples, of course.  And boy, these things were huge!  I chose mine to be nutless...

T wanted his full of nuts.  He loves his nuts.  A big mouthful of nuts.  Ha, sorry...I'm 2...I know...

The baby let me eat most of my apple, but not all.  At that point, she still wasn't letting me fully enjoy food.  I'm getting there, though!  We watched all of the families wander around and take pictures, and I have to say...it got me a little jealous because I can't wait for that to be us someday, taking our little girl to the apple farm.


After enjoying our snacks, we headed to the pumpkin patch.  That involved standing in line for 30 minutes for a wagon ride, which kind of sucked, but it was well worth it.  We got our pick of pumpkins (whoo, alliteration!)  

Last year, the crops were kind of low because of the drought we had in Indiana, but this year, there were a ton!  So we picked our pumpkins, headed back to the store and grabbed a few other treats to take home - cider, apples, apple pie and some Indian corn to decorate outside of our house.  We did the decorating as soon as we got home...I hope this picture does it justice:

And of course, we had to get three pumpkins - one for T, me and half-pint!

Fall weather, please come back!  Sorry it took me so long to post these, but hey...I have a valid excuse...the baby.  Right?  

  

Rest, relaxation and a few kinks along the way

I've made a decision to put "Motivation Monday" on hold for now.  Not because I don't want to stay motivated, but honestly, with the baby on the way, my motivation focus has changed.  My goals for the week don't always change, so I don't feel like I have as much variety to add.  My goal is usually to just rest, relax, take care of myself and the baby, etc.  Granted, after next February and once I've recovered from surgery, I'll be back and at it because I'll need some major motivation to lose that baby weight.  But for now, we take a little break...

 

 

We had a relatively uneventful weekend, which was nice for a change.  T did yard work, and I worked on Mary Kay stuff (making cute gift sets for open houses this holiday season, which I will for sure share on here soon).  We went to a church picnic yesterday and just spent the afternoon relaxing and spending time together.  We've got to relish in those moments while we have them, right?  I could go for more weekends like that where there are no set plans. 

 

 

The only kink in the weekend was actually a kink...in my neck.   Unfortunately, I woke up with the worst neck pain, and I couldn't turn my neck to the left.  Must have slept on it incorrectly or something.  But, suffice it to say, I was in pain.  But I would not let the neck pain keep me from running the errands I intended to run that day.  Let me just say driving when you can't look too well to your left and grocery shopping with no peripheral vision is not easy.  Nor is it smart.  But I'm stubborn.  It started feeling better today, so I'm hoping that eventually I'll be back to normal.  No more kinks and what not. 

 

 

Also, just a reminder that I am in need of guest bloggers next week!  I have two different work conferences to attend, and I'm not really going to be on the computer much so I need some help with my blog next week!  I have one taker (Thanks, Amber!) but I still need 4 more - comment if you're interested!  (and if you want to make my day, of course...)

 

 

Sorry for this disjointed post...but hey, it's a post, right?  Hope everyone is having a great start to your week!

  

Saturday Steals! One very cute steal

   

It's been awhile since I last participated in Saturday Steals with Camille over at Archives of our Lives.  It's not that I haven't had steals...just lazy, I guess.  BUT, yesterday, this week I got a package in the mail from T's Dad that I just had to share.  See, T's family is from the Detroit area, and his Dad is a huge Detroit Tigers fan.  So when he found out we were having a girl, he said he had to get her a Detroit Tigers outfit.  Isn't this adorable?

 

 

I hope this picture is clear enough, but he gave us a Detroit Tigers onesie, bib, and sweatshirt (size 18 months for her to wear it when it's true baseball season.)  And these two adorable books: 

These books are seriously so cute.  The alphabet one is hilarious - C is for Comerica Park (Tigers stadium).  So cute.  T's Dad will have to read it to her when they visit.  And, he also got her a few more outfits...

 

It's hilarious because his Dad has this thing for monkeys with baby clothes.  This is our second monkey outfit.   Too cute, right?  He left us a really sweet card with the gift.  Definitely made my day.

 

 

 

So those are my steals for the week...stop by Camille's and see what other steals people have to share!

 



A good laugh

"At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities."
Jean Houston

I am stealing this quote from my sister-in-law's Facebook page this morning, because honestly, laughter is something that I sorely have been needing lately.  And luckily for me, my husband is always there to bring a smile to my face or make me laugh.  With family and work stress lately, things have been a little serious lately, but every now and then, you do need a genuine, good laugh.  T gave me that the other day, and I thought I'd share it with you...so long as he doesn't think I'm poking fun at him.  He's a good sport, though, so I don't think he'll mind.

T's not much of a movie person.  Growing up, I don't think he was exposed to a lot of the classics.  I've tried my best to remedy that problem, but a girl can only do so much.  So the other day we're watching my favorite show, Dancing with the Stars.  They were doing a Macy's Stars of Dance number to music from the movie Gone with the Wind.    Such a good movie.  Anyway, so while the whole thing is going on, T starts asking me what the music is from.  So I try to explain that it's the theme to Tara and is when Scarlett is saying how she'll never go hungry again right after her plantation was ravaged to nothing.  T looks at me and goes "Wait.  That movie is about the Civil War?  I thought it was about World War II!" 

I start laughing and try to correct him.  How in God's name is it possible he didn't know this?  So he says "Well, isn't it that movie where that guy is leaving that woman by an airplane or something?"

"You mean Casablanca?  They didn't have planes during the Civil War..."

"Yeah, where he gets in the plane and says something like 'dammit lady, I'm leaving..." 

At this point I couldn't hold the laughter in.  And not just a giggle, but genuine, snorting, belly laugh.  Dear Lord, it's a good thing the boy is pretty. 

Actually, he is quite smart.  Just doesn't know his pop culture.  I think I might have to force him to watch this movie soon.

"Dammit, lady...I'm leaving..."

Can't shake this feeling...

I've got a bad feeling about this....

So this morning, I woke up after a sad dream about my Grandpa with this morning.  I can't seem to shake it.  He's been steadily getting worse every week, which is what we have been expecting.  He's hanging in there, but honestly I have my days where I just pray for him that he doesn't have to much longer.  With renal failure, we're basically waiting.  Waiting for his time to come.  His nursing home staff have officially stopped physical therapy with him because he has been unable to stay awake during therapy.  He sleeps most of the time, and his memory is getting progressively worse.  This strong, amazing man that I've always known as my Grandpa is becoming just a shell of himself.  And it just breaks my heart.

I want him to be with my Grandma again.  In heaven.  And at peace.  I want his suffering to pass.

At the same time, it breaks my heart that I know I'll be losing him.  It breaks my heart to talk to my mother who visits him weekly who is watching her father die.  So instead, I pray.  I pray every day for him. 

Last night was yet another dream where I dreamt he passed.  I texted my mom this morning to see what's going on, and she shared she had a similar uneasy feeling today.  That makes me feel even more unsettled. 

So today, I'm unsettled.  And I can't shake this feeling.  Until then, I plan to keep as busy as possible.  And keep praying.


And as if things couldn't be any more ironic, this is the song playing on my Pandora right now...


"Hear you me" Jimmy Eat World

There's no one in town I know



You gave us some place to go.


I never said thank you for that.


I thought I might get one more chance.


What would you think of me now,


so lucky, so strong, so proud?


I never said thank you for that,


now I'll never have a chance.


May angels lead you in.


Hear you me my friends.


On sleepless roads the sleepless go.


May angels lead you in.


So what would you think of me now,


so lucky, so strong, so proud?


I never said thank you for that,


now I'll never have a chance.


May angels lead you in.


Hear you me my friends.


On sleepless roads the sleepless go.


May angels lead you in.


May angels lead you in.


May angels lead you in.


And if you were with me tonight,


I'd sing to you just one more time.


A song for a heart so big,


god wouldn't let it live.


May angels lead you in.


Hear you me my friends.


On sleepless roads the sleepless go.


May angels lead you in.


May angels lead you in.


Hear you me my friends.


On sleepless roads the sleepless go.


May angels lead you in.


May angels lead you in

 



This just in...

Sane, calm Nain has been taken over by moody, emotional Nain. Not just moody and emotional, but fully-on train wreck "what the hell is wrong with this woman?" emotional mess, crying at the drop of a hat Nain.  Or at least I was yesterday.  And it was not pretty. 

I wish I could say I had a reason.  I wish I could say "well, yeah, this was totally justified."  Part of me feels that yes, a small part of it was justified, but then another part of me goes, "did I really just take T's bottle of water from him in the car and throw it in the back seat just to prove a point like a three year old having a tantrum?  really?"  Oh yes, I did, but it's okay because the cap was on the bottle of water.  I think I remember telling him that he didn't need water and to be a big boy and suck it up.  Yes, I said that, too. 

Yes, I also was that person who shot down every single suggestion T gave for dinner ideas.  See, we had to work kind of late...by me, I mean T, but I had to wait for him so I was already on a roll by the time he picked me up.  I wanted to cook dinner, work out, pack lunches and then go to the bank.  Feeling that there was no way in hell that I could get everything done, nor was there any way T could do any of it, and no way that any place he picked seemed to sound good, I became a petulant child, slumping in my seat and pouting about how nothing sounded good.  I should note that after tears and me losing it a few more times, we did decide to go out to eat.  It sounded good (the place I picked) but wouldn't you know it...didn't really eat that much.  I have to admit, though, by the time we got to the restaurant, even though T said he didn't need a beer with dinner, I convinced him that yes, after my manic fit in the car, he needed a beer.  Hell, I could have used a beer with how stressful that car ride was.  And it was all self-induced. 

I pray that today I'm back to my calm(er) self, or at least a shade or two lighter than yesterday.  Or maybe I should just go into pregnancy-induced-mood swing hibernation for the next five months?  Because this could just keep getting uglier.  And I like T.  Don't want to drive him too crazy before the little half-pint arrives...

 



Missing food

Today marks the official "Week 20" mark for me in the pregnancy.  And I'm still waiting for those cravings I hear so much about to begin.  Honestly, since I've become pregnant, I'm actually hungry less than I was before the pregnancy.  Seriously...who would have thought?  It's not that I'm always nauseated (though I did wake up feeling particularly sick this morning), but the thought of eating just doesn't appeal to me.   And man, do I miss eating. 

 

 

Baby girl doesn't seem to like salad in particular.  I've long been a proponent of eating your vegetables, especially the dark leafy greens, but nope, she's not having it.  I haven't been able to finish a salad in 5 months now.  I just tried eating one for lunch...success?  Nope, not so much.  We've tried changing the dressing, adding croutons, forcing myself through it...still not working.  According to an email I got from The Bump yesterday, too, since she is developing taste buds, I am supposed to be eating food I would like my child to eat later in life.  Obviously, I'd like this to include fruits and veggies.   Fail. 

 

 

And it's not just the healthy stuff either.  It's pizza.  Caramel apples.  Chips.  Anything.  No fast food, with the exception of Chick-fil-a and Wendy's, and even then, it's only on the good days. 

 

 

Oh child of mine, please let me eat!  I worry that I'm not eating enough, and she won't be growing as she should be.  So I'm putting this out there to you moms out there.  With your pregnancies, when did you start enjoying food again?  Pray tell that there is a light at the end of the tunnel! 

 

 

This vent has been brought to you courtesy of one irritated Nain who has attempted to eat a lunch without success.  At this rate, this child will only have a taste for cereal and peanut butter toast, because those of the two items I enjoy at the moment. 

 

 

On another note...I'd like to put a call out there to you all for some guest bloggers!  The week of October 17th-21st, I will be quite busy with work conferences, so I would like to set up a good schedule of guest blogs for the week.  And topics can be anything at all - comment or message me at viewfromdownhere@yahoo.com if you are interested!

 

Happy Tuesday!

  

So, the verdict is....

 

Well, if you want to find out you just have to listen to this vlog :-)  But the ultrasound went very well on Friday, as did the echocardiogram!

Sorry, no Motivation Monday post today, but I figured a nice Vlog would be just as good, right? 

Okay, now I'm off to do some shopping!  (ha, just kidding...well, only kind of...)