September 29, 2009

More Blog Love



Today I was honored to receive the above award from Maria at From Both Sides of the White Fence . The rules are as follows:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

While I do have a pretty extensive blogroll, most of the blogs are ones that I have been reading for many months. Therefore, I modified the rules so that I could post about the 5 newest blogs that I love to read on a daily basis. Here are the blogs I've chosen:

1. Itzy's Kitchen

2. Yum Yucky

3. Fab Finds Under $50

4. Simple Elegance

5. In Kari's Wardrobe

17 Weeks



What's Happening with Peanut?
  • Peanut is now the size of a turnip - which is about 5 ounces and he/she is around 5 inches long.
  • His/Her skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone.
  • The umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker.
  • Peanut can move his/her joints and is starting to develop sweat glands.

What's Happening with Mama?

  • Total weight gain/loss: 12 pounds
  • Maternity clothes? I am still wearing some of my pre-pregnancy clothes, but it is really time to go maternity clothes shopping. Thankfully, I am doing that this week.
  • Sleep: Sleeping is GREAT!
  • Best moment this week: Spending the day with Daddy and Grandaddy at the Georgia Tech Football Game
  • Food cravings: Smores Pop-Tarts
  • Belly button in or out? In.
  • What I miss: Being able to get dressed in just a mere 5 minutes. Now that my wardrobe is dwindling, it takes longer to put an outfit together.
  • What I am looking forward to: A nice relaxing Saturday with absolutely NO plans!

What's Happening with Daddy?

  • Daddy is finished with the State Patrol Office (cue the confetti).
  • Daddy gets to be a bachelor for most of the week since Mama has to go to Atlanta for a workshop.
  • Daddy is become a resident pregnancy expert as he reads all the articles from Baby Center that Mama forwards him.

September 25, 2009

One of My Favorite Blogs

I have a pretty extensive blog roll in my Google Reader. But the blog that has been there the longest is Have a Cute Day . I found this site thru another blog and immediately fell in love with the writers, their mission, and all of my fellow readers.

So what is the purpose of Have a Cute Day? It's simple - to encourage women (and men) to have a cute day every day. What makes a cute day? Well, that depends on the reader. For some jeans and a funky top make them feel cute. For me, I have shared my cute days of dresses, skirts & top combos....

Have a Cute Day is a fashion site with no rules - other than to love the things that you wear and to feel great about yourself everyday!

September 23, 2009

My Newest Love




On Friday at 5:59 p.m., my younger sister Kari delivered her 3rd (and final) child - a beautiful little girl she and her husband named Kaitlynn Madision. In just a few short hours, this little beauty has captured both her Aunt Kimbo and her Uncle Mikey's hearts. She is so petite (just 19 inches long) and dainty. She loves to snuggle close when being held and just so cute!


M and I are so excited to have a new niece and to know that our own Peanut will have a cousin so close in age.






16 Weeks






What's Happening with Peanut?

  • Peanut is now the size of an avodaco...4.5 inches long and 3.5 ounces in weight.
  • His/Her legs are much more developed, his/her head is more erect than it has been, and the eyes have moved closer to the front of his/her head
  • Patterning on the scalp has started forming.

What's Happening with Mama?

  • Total weight gain/loss: 9pounds
  • Maternity clothes? A few items but I am finding that I might need to go shopping soon, particularly for dress clothes. Casual clothes from pre-pregnancy still fit.
  • Sleep: Sleeping is GREAT!
  • Best moment this week: Hearign Peanut's heartbeat at the doctor's on Monday. She says that everything is going great.
  • Food cravings: Peanut Butter
  • Belly button in or out? In.
  • What I miss: Being able to wear some of my really cute/stylish work clothes. The bump is just to big to allow them to fit comfortably.
  • What I am looking forward to: A Saturday get-away with M and my Dad. We are going to Atlanta for another Georgia Tech football game.

What's Happening with Daddy?

  • Daddy offically turned 30 on Saturday. He says he is an "old" man now, but Mama thinks he is still the greatest ever.
  • The State Patrol Officer was approved for substantial completion.... according to Daddy that means that nearly everything is done except for a few minor details.

September 21, 2009

Nesting

For those of you readers who have been around awhile, you may remember that in the midst of finalizing our wedding plans, M and I underwent a small kitchen renovation .

Now that we are expectant parents, we again find ourselves embarking on home improvement projects. We are hoping that in the next month the bank approves our loan so that we can begin a major addition to our home - expand the kitchen (add new cabinets, new floors), add a family room, and two new bedrooms (one of which will be the nursery) and change all the flooring in the existing kitchen, living room, hallway and home office. While we are finalizing our estimated costs and going thru the banking procedures, M has agreeded to let me paint and redecorate the living room.

Currently the living room is done in tans and cream, but the colors are very muddied and give the overall room a dark look. So to add pop to the room and play off one of my favorite color combos, we are painting the living room a chocolate brown.... see the pic below



And we will be replacing the current furniture - which is a hodge-podge of M's couch from college, a recliner that our sister-in-law gave us and a random chair - to the set shown here .

I believe that the chocolate brown will add a touch of formality to the room and will coordinate well with the other colors in our home (kitchen is a beachy blue, bedroom is a beachy green, office is a cream color, and we plan on the family room being a beach green as well). I would love to hear your thoughts dear readers.

September 17, 2009

Pregnancy Firsts

I have had a lot of "firsts" this week in terms of pregnancy. I have had my first battle with heartburn. My first pre-natal yoga class. And the most amazing of all I felt the first tiny flutter that is Peanut moving.....

I was sitting at my desk doing a few deep breathes when I felt it....a tiny flutter as though I had a butterfly in my tummy. It was so amazing. I can not wait to feel more of Peanut's movements. And M is ready for Peanut to get big enough that he can feel the movements too.

September 14, 2009

15 Weeks





What's Happening with Peanut?

  • Peanut measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple).
  • He/She's busy moving amniotic fluid through his/her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop.
  • Although his/her eyelids are still fused shut, he/she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at my tummy, for instance, he/she's likely to move away from the beam.

What's Happening with Mama?

  • Total weight gain/loss: 8 pounds
  • Maternity clothes? I am wearing a few items that are maternity but still in the majority of my pre-pregnancy clothes.
  • Sleep: Sleeping was pretty good the past week - other than the up 4 times a night to use the rest room.
  • Best moment this week: Taking Peanut to the Georgia Tech football game - we came from behind in the 4th quarter to win!
  • Food cravings: Mexican
  • Belly button in or out? In.
  • What I miss: Again,I am not missing anything as I am doing everything I did before Peanut.
  • What I am looking forward to: Suprising M all week long with gifts leading up to his 30th birthday on Saturday!

What's Happening with Daddy?

  • Daddy has to open the office this week which means he is up at 4:30 each morning, so he will be quite tired by the end of the day.
  • Next Tuesday marks completion day on the State Patrol office and Daddy can focus all his efforts on the new school he is building.
  • Daddy also turns 30 this week!

September 10, 2009

Travelin' Mama

Peanut and I will be taking a road trip later today. Work is taking us to Dublin for a conference, after the conference ends I will head north to Atlanta where I will watch my beloved Yellow Jackets take on the Clemson Tigers.  The game is at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN..... look for me I'll be the gorgeous pregnant woman ----
 
I am sure you'll be able to pick me out of the crowd of 55,000.

September 07, 2009

14 Weeks


What's Happening with Peanut?

  • Peanut can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb!
  • From head to bottom, he/she measures 3 1/2 inches and weighs 1 1/2 ounces.
  • By the end of this week, his/her arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his/her body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.)
  • Though I can't feel the tiny punches and kicks yet, our little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

What's Happening with Mama?

  • Total weight gain/loss: 7 pounds
  • Maternity clothes? I have finally purchased a few maternity tops because my regular tops were becoming to tight on the emerging bump. I can still wear normal pants/skirts/etc.
  • Sleep: I am sleeping thru the night 95% of the time. On those nights that I drink more tha a few sips before bed, I am up a least 4 times answering nature's call.
  • Best moment this week: Spending lots of time with M thanks to the 3-day weekend. We were able to dream/plan about the upcoming weeks.
  • Food cravings: Hibachi vegetables and Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies
  • Belly button in or out? In.
  • What I miss: Nothing. This is the first week that I feel like my "pre-pregnancy" self.
  • What I am looking forward to: Taking Peanut to his/her first Georgia Tech football game on Thursday.

What's Happening with Daddy?

  • Daddy has been busy working on the State Patrol office.....it should be completed by next Tuesday.
  • In his few spare moments, Daddy has had his nose stuck in his "CIA/Spy/Mystery" book - which Mama think is so cute.


September 04, 2009

Honeymoon Day 6

(I am just realizing that I never finished blogging about my honeymoon, so I am doing that now. )

We awoke to rainy and dreary weather on the 6th day of our honeymoon. It was the kind of
weather that made me want to snuggle under the covers and sleep away the day. But we had
grand plans, to see the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center, so I arose and prepared myself for the day.


In spite of the rainy weather, M suggested that we walk the one block to the Marta (subway) station and take the subway down to the civic center. It seemed like a reasonable idea since it meant we would save on gas, parking, and most importantly time. However, we should have realized our folly the moment we stepped outside and the monsoon began. I was drenched from the knees down before we reached the station - and it would get much worse.
Although wet and mildly uncomfortable, M and I were making the best of the day and finding the humor in the situation. We rode the MARTA to our stop and got out. Then came the trial of finding the Civic center. Atlanta did not have very good signage, so after walking 6 blocks in the wrong direction, M stopped into a hotel and asked for directions. 15 minutes and another 20 blocks later, we arrived at the civic center. But at this point, I was completely soaked, freezing cold, hunger (did I mention we had skipped breakfast) and in quite a foul mood.
Silently M and I made our way into the exhibit. It was amazing! As I read the various descriptions of the artifacts and the stories of King Tut's life, I felt my anger melting away. At some point, I slipped next to M and grabbed his hand. We strolled thru the exhibit hand in hand after that.

Two hours later, we emerged from the Civic center and started the wet trek back to the MARTA station. On our way back, the umbrella we were carrying broke and as we were dashing to the station, we saw our hotel -- apparently we had ridden the train a mere two blocks. We couldn't help but laugh.







Following a quick costume change at the hotel, M and I went to the Vortex for a HUGE lunch. We ate some of the biggest (and tastiest) burgers I had ever seen. Once our stomachs were full, we made our way over to the world of Coke. We enjoyed seeing the various coke items, learning the history of Coca-Cola and enjoying lots of free samples. That was until I started feeling sick....

Feeling sick to my stomach, I asked M to take me back to the hotel. He obliged and then spend the next 11 hours taking care of his very sick wife. The 6th day of the honeymoon was quite a comedy of errors

September 02, 2009

Oh Baby (Questions), 2.0 (Edited to Add More ?)

I have a had a few more readers to post questions, so I figured I would address them in a post.

Are you planning on finding out the Peanut's sex?

Yes! Those who know me best know that I am a Type-A personality and very much a planner. Therefore, it would kill me (or at the very least drive me insane) not to know if Peanut will sport pinks/purples or shades of blue. We will have an ultrasound done at 18 weeks to hopefully determine the sex. Of course, that's assuming Mama does not sneak a peek early with the girls from Diagnostic Imaging.

Do you have names selected?

M and I had talked extensively about names before we found out we were expecting, so it was easy to transition that converastion into concrete names for peanut. If Peanut is a boy he will be named Micheal Lenwood Lee, III and we will call him Micheal. Lenwood was the middle name of M's paternal grandfather. Lenwood became the middle name of M's dad - and then the tradition of Micheal Lenwood was born. If Peanut is a girl, who first name will be Rebecca, we are still undecided on a middle name. I should also note that my sister who is expecting a baby girl in the next few days has expressed an interest in the name Rebecca, so if she chooses that name, it will be back to the drawing board.

Do you like having your "bump" touched?

With 4 nieces and nephews, the bump has gotten lots of touching, a little patting, and even a few pokes. I do not seem to mind when friends/family touch the bump. But I am a little put off by strangers touching the bump. And it is really weird/annoying when people want to rub my belly like they are petting a dog or something - definitely not cool.

Will you stay at home with the baby or place Peanut in daycare?

This was one of the first issues M and I addressed after finding out we were pregnant. While part of me would love to stay home for the first year of Peanut's life, financially it is not feasible. Furthermore, I absolutely love the job I have now and really do not want to give it up. Therefore, I am working on a compromise with my company. The tentative plan now is to stay home for the first two months of Peanut's life (thanks to the joy of paid days off). After that I am hoping to be able to schedule my work as a divide between days in office and days where I work at home. Thankfully I have a supportive management staff and co-workers who should make the transition easier. Once I go back to working a true "9-5" work week, Peanut will attend the daycare that is part of the hospital system that I am employed with.... and each set of grandparents will have the option of having 1 day a week to keep Peanut if they so choose.

Readers, anything else you are dying to know about me, Peanut, or M?

September 01, 2009

13 Weeks

A close up of the "bump"
13 Weeks and Glowing




What's Happening with Peanut?
  • Fingerprints have formed on Peanut's tiny fingers.
  • The organs and veins can be seen through the still thin skin.
  • Peanut is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce.

What's Happening with Mama?

  • Total weight gain/loss: 5 pounds
  • Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I have had to purchase pants in a larger size.
  • Sleep: Sleep was the best it has been in quite awhile this past week.
  • Best moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat at the doctor! Peanut's heartbeat was strong, steady, and averaging 150 beats per minute. Dr. H was quite pleased.
  • Food cravings: Cereal and milk (I had 3 bowls for supper last night).
  • Belly button in or out? In.
  • What I miss: My stamina - everything takes longer now because I seem to tire easily. At least it is a good excuse for taking naps on the weekend.
  • What I am looking forward to: Taking Peanut to his/her first Georgia Tech football game next week.

What's Happening with Daddy?

  • Daddy is just over a week away from finishing project number one. This means he is crazy busy but things will slow down soon.
  • Daddy's smile when he heard Peanut's heart beat was the sweetest site ever. Then he busted out some dance moves to the beat, and Mama died laughing.
  • Cute Daddy moment: Last night Daddy spent the better part of 20 minutes trying to explain to Peanut how to give us a thumbs up on the ultrasound (schedueled for 18 weeks).