Beautiful Blogger Award

Yah! I got my first blogger award! Thanks Tiffany!!

Here are the award rules:
1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2) Copy the award & place it on your blog.
3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.
5) Nominate 7 bloggers.
6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.

*7 Wonderful things about me

1. I eat very fast - one item at at time - and I do not like for any of them to touch.
2. I DO NOT eat chicken on a bone and hate watching other people do it.
3. I love Excel spreadsheets and making cool things in PowerPoint.
4. I grew up the biggest tom boy.
5. I don't spend as much time with my family as I should.
6. I call my love handles "taters".
7. I am pregnant with my first child and am really nervous about knowing what all I am supposed to do when he is born.
   
   Now I've got to nominate 7 lovely bloggers, in no particular order!

Kristen

Amber

Thrifty Decor Chick

Toni

Alyse

Candace

LyndsAU

Holy Moly - It's been a month!!

I don't even know if I can remember what all has happened in the last month. When I looked back at my blog, I haven't even posted my 24 week belly picture. Here I am coming up on 28 weeks. Let me see if I can recap the last month of events.



The day after Thanksgiving, Alabama beat Auburn by the skin of our teeth. It was a good game, but not really if you are an Alabama fan playing your rivals that have talked smack all week long. I watched the game at Heather and Derek's, because Kyle had to work like always. Then, on December 5th, we won the SEC Championship game against Florida!! Yah!! Man were we so excited!! If I weren't pregnant, I believe we would have partied all night long. It was such a good feeling!! We now wish we would have gone ahead and bought those National Championship tickets a long time ago like we thought about doing.

On December 11th, we attended Kyle's work Christmas party. It was a pot luck type dinner where everyone brought a dish. Kyle signed me up for mom's Seven Layer Salad. Everyone really liked it. They had a different but fun party. It was in the lobby of their work with pool tables, Wii games, Tiger Woods golf, Rock Band, putt putt golf, and all that. They had tournaments where you could win games. The owner of his dealership gave all of the significant others a gift for supporting them through long hours and weekend work days. She gave me a glass Christmas ornament looking cookie jar. It was really pretty. I've already put it to use with some homemade Oreo Truffles that I made for work. I sent some with Kyle to work in that jar. After Kyle's party, we drove out to our friend's house because it was her birthday party. She is my other friend that is pregnant and due 2 days before me. I also went to my doctor's appointment this morning. I can't remember all of my stats now that I've waited so long. I do remember my weight was 145.something lbs. I told the doc about my tender swelling knee, the blood blisters on my feet, and this crazy burning kind of feeling under my right boob every time I eat. It just is uncomfortable. She told me to keep an eye on it because it could be my gallbladder. That freaked me out!



From the last post I just ordered my baby bedding. I've received it by now, and I love it so far in the bag. I hope it looks as precious when I get it put in the crib. I've gotten several gifts of clothing from friends and Kyle's mom for the baby. I have neglected to take a picture of them all yet. They are all so cute. I need to get a picture of his first outfits. I finally purchased the crib and dresser/changer combo last week. I went with the same one I loved in this post. Kyle and I picked them up this past Sunday to store at mom and dads until we have new carpet down. While we were there, we finished up little bits of our registry. Kyle had never been in BRU before, so he really enjoyed it. I was worried that he wouldn't even want to go, but he was fine with it and actually liked it. He played with everything and even dropped a few things. LOL He just walked around amazed at all of the baby stuff and read the backs of labels to try to learn about it all. I should have taken my video camera. I think I am pretty much done with my registry for now.

Sunday night, December 13th, I woke up in the middle of the night to that same spot under my right boob just hurting. All that morning on the 14th, it even was hurting me in the back behind my right shoulder blade. I called the doc, and they wanted to send me for a gallbladder ultrasound. So, I went to that on December 15th. I had to undress my top and put on a robe. They squirted that warm gel all over me to do like a normal ultrasound except it was aimed under my ribs on the right side. The little lab tech girl worked at it for about 30 minutes taking pictures here and there. She said deep breath, and hold......now breathe. I didn't think I was going to make it between some of those hold and breathes. I had to let it go before she said once because I got dizzy. That is hard to do! LOL Otherwise, the test was harmless. Then, she let me sneak a peak at lil man. He has really grown since the last time I've seen him. She was trying to get his heartbeat, and he was moving all over. He brushed his little arm across his face and moved his little lips like sucking almost. I got the results a couple of days later that I didn't have gall stones, but I had some normal or not alarming "sludge". eww!! I have sludge. She said it may can cause some pain, but there is nothing they do for it while pregnant. Yah! I think I have come to the conclusion that it really is just heartburn and I've never had it before. So, now, I eat about 2 Tums a day when I feel that under there. Its a burning, tingly feeling that is just weird. Tums helps.

December 18th, we had my work Christmas party. I had to rush home from work to get ready and be at Kyle's work to pick him up. We had it at the same place as last year. It is always really nice. We got a nice buffet of some really good food. The band wasn't as great this year. It was the same one we've had the last 2 years, but the lead singer quit a couple of months ago. The new lead singer was ok voice wise, but he was horrible to watch. I am on the committee at work that plans the company events including the Christmas party. I got up during one band break and announced door prizes. I didn't win the first two rounds, and we left before the third one was done. We bought tickets to see Avatar at 10:50 that night. Bad idea. The movie was great and the first one I have ever seen in 3D, but it was way too late and too long. Kyle and I both nodded off during parts of the movie. I even heard him snore once. I had to elbow him. It wasn't because the movie was bad, but we were so tired. It ended around 1:30.



December 19th, now this was a busy day and I am more understanding through this why I haven't had time to blog. I went to my grandmother's house for Christmas lunch with the family at 11. I had to keep an eye on the clock to leave in time to be at Heather's college graduation at 2. She graduated with her Bachelor's in Engineering...finally!! I am so proud of her. My other friend graduated with her Communications degree the week before, but it was on a Friday when I had to work. So, I wasn't able to go. I did meet them for lunch though. I am so proud of her too. After Heather's graduation, I ran home to rest for a minute and get ready again to drive to Birmingham for Kyle's family party. It was at his aunt's house. We ate a few bites to eat and sang a few songs. Then, we stayed the night at one of Kyle's friend's houses and just hung out. We ate a bite and watched some games at Buffalo Wild Wings Sunday before driving back home. Boy that was a busy weekend.



Kyle actually got Christmas Eve off this year, so I took off too. He was still gone from the house all day though doing his shopping. Procrastinator!! Christmas day, Kyle and I opened our gifts from one another. I got a beautiful Bulova watch and a Patagonia pullover from him. I love them both!! I had gotten him a new blazer for work and 2 tickets to the Jay-Z/Jeezy concert in Atlanta for him and a friend. I am so jealous, because I would love to go since we missed out on the last one. However, I don't think lil man would enjoy loud concert speakers at 8 months pregnant. I'd probably have him on the floor right there. Being Kyle's child, he would probably come out singing all the songs anyway. lol So, I am letting Kyle take a friend instead. He was really excited. He first thought they were tickets to the championship game, but I couldn't afford to send him there. LOL He was still excited though. We went to mom's for a yummy fried turkey for lunch. Their big gift to me was a cute little mini camcorder that records on a memory card. It is the coolest thing ever. I can't wait to record something on it. I wanted it to try to record the baby being born. If not, then I am sure I will find a ton of other cute things to record him doing. :)

I just went to my regular checkup this morning. I had to do the yummy glucose sugar test. I passed my glucose and hemoglobin tests. Yah!! I weighed 148 lbs, my BP was 100/80, my belly from top to bottom was 29", and lil man's BPM was 140. Everything is moving right along! I now start my every two week visit. Man time is flying! I am starting to get into the somewhat nesting/panic phase. There is so much that I want done before the baby gets here. I had all intentions of doing that this past weekend when I was off for 4 days, but I have had a head cold of sneezing and blowing my nose constantly. So, Saturday, I took it easy all day and felt like poo. I started Monday night trying to organize a little at a time. I got the kitchen pretty much done. I still have a few cabinets to go through and clean out. Next will be the closets. Once I get the new flooring in, everything will start rolling along. I need to paint the hallway, my bedroom, and the baby room. I have to clean out his closet in that room because its used for storage right now. I really want those metal organizer type shelves for his closet to have some spots to stack stuff. Maybe I can get some of those too if I can find them for a good price. Ahh! A lot to do in so little time! :) Panic has set in!

Bedding

I finally broke down and bought the baby bedding. I waited until the day after Thanksgiving to see if I could catch a good sale. It didn't go on sale anymore than it was, but I did get a coupon for free shipping. I am so surprised that I liked this bedding, because I do not like the typical baby stuff. I don't like the bears, animals, airplanes, trains, and any of that kind of stuff. I just wanted geometric like shapes or something. However, when I saw this bedding, I loved it immediately. I am so surprised with myself, because it has elephants on it. I am ok with them though because they look more modern than like a real elephant. The elephants also are good for us as Bama fans too! lol I've made the purchase and just waiting for it to get here now. Now, I just need the new floors down, the crib, and then I will be set. I love it online. I hope I will love it just as much when I get it.

Reunion

A couple of Fridays ago, we had a Varsity Dance Team reunion at one of the girl's parents house. It was so god to see everyone. Of course not everyone could be there, because a lot of the girls have move out of town. It was still good to see those that came. We ate some pizza, dip, and goodies while catching up and watching old videos. They were hilarious. We actually looked pretty good in most of the old dances. It was so crazy to see how dancing has changed in the last 8 years when we danced. Our dances looked so simple. They've gotten to be a lot harder since then, but we did good in what we did back then. Everyone seemed to be the same. Most of us our married now and some with kids. Brandi and I are both currently pregnant and due on the same day. We are so excited. She is having a girl named Jaci Elisabeth. Kyle and I have not picked a name yet because he wants to wait and see what he looks like on the 4D ultrasounds that I hope to get one in the next few weeks. I am so ready to know what his name will be. We both still like Carter, but we don't know if it will be a first or middle name. I hope we figure it out soon! :)

Here are some pictures from the reunion.

Week 21, 22, and 23

Yeah, well, it has been a couple of weeks and I am many updates behind. So here are all of the bump updates, then I will do a couple of other posts to catch up. I'm being lazy!

Week 21 - Well, I have been pretty luck so far not to really have any stretch marks. I have noticed them I guess under my boobs, but I have no idea how long they've been there. Who would have ever thought to look under there before now? lol So, I may have gotten them there, but you can't really see them. I feel pretty lucky with that so far.

Week 22 - I definitely was noticing a sleeping pattern with Lil' man. He was waking up every couple of hours and kicking me for about 20-30 minutes. I could tell them time when he was moving because it was always 2 hours later. He is getting more active!!

Week 23 - I haven't been able to notice his sleeping patterns as much. He almost seems to move a lot more often now. His little kicks and punches are getting stronger and stronger. I was so excited that I haven't really noticed any swelling or anything. Well, just today, I noticed that my right knee was hurting on the side or back. When I look at it, it almost looks like it has a knot on the side of my leg. I'm not sure if its swelling or what is going on. For the last few weeks I also have been noticing that it hurts my heels to stand too long while getting ready in the bathroom in the mornings. I've found a pretty good remedy to help out. I wear my Yellow Box flip flops while I'm around the house barefoot. They are so squishy that it helps the extra weight. Well, I ask Kyle last night if it is possible to have less "meat" on one of my heels because my left one hurts more than the right one if I stand too long. I don't know why I haven't looked before now, but I looked last night at my heel. I have blood blisters all over my feet on the bottom at all of my pressur points. How weird is that? I hope this is totally normally or at least for some people? They are on my heels, the side of my foot, and the ball of my foot. No wonder it hurts to stand on them. My right food is not that bad. I may be finally feeling some of the pains of pregnancy. Besides getting fat, I haven't had any other problems. Here's a picture of my foot the best I could take it by myself turned to the side.



You're 21 weeks pregnant!

Gasp...is that a stretch mark?!! Take deep breaths and remember -- they'll fade after delivery. Your skin may also feel dry and itchy, especially over your emerging bump. Take a cue from your fetus, now coated by vernix (a milky, protective cream), and slather on the lotion.

Baby's now the size of a banana!



Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).


You're 22 weeks pregnant!

Real estate within your belly is getting tight, with growing baby leaving little room for your lungs to...well...breathe. Expect the huffing and puffing to start soon. There's not much room for your belly button, either -- it'll pop out any day now.

Weeks 21-24 (Month 5): Papaya



Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

You're 23 weeks pregnant!

Swollen from head to toe? Increased blood flow, by now an old friend, is to blame. Consider a trip to the shoe store because loosening ligaments will cause your feet to expand even more in the weeks to come.

Baby's now the size of a papaya!



Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!

Week 20 and It's a..................

Well, my guess was right!! It's a wonderful little boy! We are so excited. I was secretly hoping for a little boy, because that was what I was convinced this baby was. I was right!! I took the picture above the morning before my ultrasound.

At this appointment, I weighed 142.6, my BP was 118/70, and his BPM was 154. Kyle met me at the doctor's office. We both sat patiently and anxiously in the waiting room. Of course, they call me back first to get all of the info above. Then, it was time to bring daddy back with me to get the first real glimpse of our sweet baby. She verified first if I wanted to know the sex. We both answered "Yes!" immediately. She squirts the gel on my belly and places the stick on my belly. Boom!! The first thing we see is little peanuts little pee pee! She said, well there is no doubt that it's a boy! He is not shy! Paint your room blue! We just both smiled as we watched the screen to see what else we could see. We saw 2 arms and legs and even 2 little feet. I saw a hand briefly go by and one punch thrown to my belly. LOL! I took Kristen's advice and drank a Mt. Dew before going, which was extremely early for all that caffeine. He was moving around all over in the belly. It was unreal to see him in there moving around. When I think of an ultrasound, I guess I think of it like a still photo. When he actually starting moving around, and we could see it on the screen, it was so crazy! My sweet little boy was all bunched up in my belly.

Here are the first glimpses of our little boy.


Here is little Peanut's face. It freaks me out a little, because he looks so scary. He is still such a cutie though!

These are his two precious little feet. The one on the left is the bottom of his foot, and the one on the right is turned to the side.

She said this one was his hand on his knee.

This is a side profile showing Peanut's little lips.

Here is his heart with four perfect chambers. His BPM was 154.

And here is the famous little pee pee! She said he was not shy! This was the first thing we saw when she put the thing on my belly. It was so funny!


I forgot to post a picture of Peanut's first gift. Yes, I still have to call him Peanut, because we haven't decided on a name yet. We both still really like Carter, so maybe I should call him Carter for the time being...even if it my be his middle name instead. Anyway, the adorable little onesies were his first gift from a friend at work. She saw them at TJ Maxx and couldn't resist getting them, when she knew I was pregnant. They are little newborn ones. They are just plain ol' white onesies, but they are the cutest thing I've ever seen! I've seen tons of these before, but I think when I know they are my little boys and he will be in them one day is what makes them so dang adorable that I can't stand it! Then, Kyle's mom just brought over the sweet little hats this past Sunday after we found out it was a boy. They say Lil' Bama fan. They are also the cutest thing ever, and I hope they fit him when he is born so that he can wear them while we are in the hospital. For some reason, I hate the hospital things! I can't help it. All babies wear the same little striped hats and have the same little striped blankets. I want mine to have his own things in the hospital. These little hats will be so cute on him, if they fit when he is born.

The only thing I have bought for Carter so far are things he can't use until he is a couple of years old. LOL. We've been having some really cool consignment stores that open for a couple of weeks every six months. I've gone to them and found some cute stuff or cheap. So far, he has a wooden rocking horse, a wooden rocking chair, and a high chair for each of his grandparents. The only thing I've bought otherwise is a pack of newborn diapers. I have two good friends that are pregnant with me due within the same week as me. They both have been out buying things. One of them even already has her furniture, the bedding, and some clothes that she's already washing to put in the furniture. Why am I so behind? All I have done is shop online and paste the things I like in a Word document to pick and choose from. I think I will get more in the swing of things when my wood/laminate flooring gets put down. That will mean that the dog room is no longer a dog room. It will then be Carter's room. I hope by then, I will be more eager to buy the furniture and bedding for him. I've been searching and have some things picked out, but I don't want to buy it just to put it in the garage, since his room is not ready. I'm hoping that the floors will get done in the next couple of weeks, and then it will be on with the shopping and decorating. A lot of the bedding I have picked already seems to be green and brown. I will probably pick out 3 or so and let Kyle make the final decision. I like around 3 of them about the same and can't decide, so he will be able to do that hopefully.

From the Bump.com

Your Pregnancy: Week 20

Congrats! You're halfway there...and at one of the great milestones of pregnancy. Increased blood flow is making the pelvic area extra-sensitive, libido is resurging, and the weight gain has just barely begun.



Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Week 18 & Week 19

I am behind on the last two weeks. I am about to be 20 weeks in two days. Not to mention that I find out what little Peanut is on Friday at 9:15. I CANNOT wait! I have been convinced for months that it is a boy, but here lately everyone is trying to convince me its a girl. It will be such a surprise.

Here is what the Bump.com has to say:

Your Pregnancy: Week 18

As your growing uterus starts shifting your center of gravity (belly forward, bottom out), hormoes are causing your ligaments to relax and joints to loosen. The result? Back pain and soreness. On the bright sie, if you want to know baby's gender, this might be your first week fora sneak peak.

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!



Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel movements.

Your Pregnancy: Week 19

Those nasty leg cramps are probably making it tough to get comfortable. One way to ease the pain: Extend your leg and flex your ankle and toes toward your knees. Or enlist your partner for a calf (and back!) massage. Good news: Your now-bulging belly should get you a little more compassion from everyone around you.

Baby's now the size of a mango!



Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lango, oil, and dead kin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might et to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

I hope to post again tomorrow with a sneak peak picture of Week 20 for a nice guess at the sex of the baby before we find out on Friday.