Bumpdate Week 17

One of these days I will actually take a bump picture where I am not wearing gym clothes. Let the record show that today was definitely a “skinny” day because I promise you yesterday baby was showing more! (He or she is still really low.)

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Total Weight Gain: I think the same as last week. I am just going to go with my doctor’s scale, so I have no idea until my next appointment.

Maternity Clothes: None yet. I  bought a few dresses this week when Loft had them for 50% off.

This one was way cuter on in person and was strangely short (which works for me since I am only 5’0”). You guys would have cracked up at me in the dressing room…I made a make-shift belly with my crumpled up shirt to make sure it would still work in a few months. I decided it was too cute to pass up.

And who doesn’t need a versatile black dress?

Gender: I still go back in forth with what I think baby is. Some days I am certain it is a girl, then some I am just sure it is a boy.

Movement: OMG! How in the world did Katie Holmes leave her house when she was pregnant with Suri??? (You know, since she had the ultrasound machine and all.) I am pretty much obsessed with watching my stomach move. I would like to introduce you to the poor man’s ultrasound machine:

Yes, that would be my book light. My house is annoyingly dark, so I am pretty much shining it on my stomach all night while I watch tv. Please tell me this is normal. ;)

I can now feel the baby move when I am sitting and laying down. And I can see it move when I shine the light on my stomach. Ha! Last night I saw it move from around my belly button down to where it likes to hang out – over my bladder. I can also see little kicks here and there. Love it!

Sleep: Saturday night I had a full 6.5 hour stretch without waking up. It was glorious.

Cravings: Key Lime Pie. Where in the world did that come from?? And I continue to crave it since I still haven’t come across a piece. I want it to be a really, really good one, too. With lots of graham cracker crust and a cheesecakey key lime center. Is that too specific to be a craving?

Other crazy symptoms: Nothing new.

What I am looking forward to: Learning the gender of the baby and starting to work on the nursery.

Best Moment this week: Love watching the baby move around and being able to really see and feel it!

Weekly Faves

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was mainly spent around the house, which is my kind of weekend!

I have been collecting favorites all week for you guys, so here you go!

When I was a kid my mom had custom books made for me and I LOVED them. They talked about the adventures my cousin PJ and I would go on. I saw these “I See Me" books on Project Nursery this week and thought they would make a great gift for my nieces and nephews someday soon!

Heather of Chickabug posted these really, really cute wooden party utensils from Etsy Shop Sucre Shop (which happens to have a lot of other really cute party goods).

Third Floor Design Studio posted some of the really cute paper products they are currently carrying at Target. Check out all of her photos here.

Since I just got an invitation to my 15 year high school reunion, I am getting dangerously closer to this being reality and for some reason this cracked me up and kind of terrified me. Ha! Via Fail Blog.

Check out this table runner featured on the Ruffled Blog. Wow! What a statement this would make at a party!

Another “wow” was this mosaic made entirely out of cupcakes! From Crumbs and Doilies UK.

And those were my faves for this week! :)

Daylight Savings Time

This week has been a busy one! We went with Megan and Andy to the Thunder game (my first)!

We celebrated Tommy’s birthday (his 32nd) and had friends over for dinner (the first in a long time)!

Oddly, we have had a lot going on! (As you can tell from this blog, we are usually VERY exciting. Written in my sarcastic font.)

But when I came across this little beauty on the That’s What We Said blog the other day, I became intrigued:

It’s Kenra Blow-Dry spray and she claims that it helps dry her hair in about 1/3 of the time. As you can see from my blow dryer post, I am desperately seeking to save some minutes in the morning on my dry time. So the question, dear readers, have you tried this product and had any success? I definitely plan on ordering this when I place my next amazon order or make my next trip to Ulta, but in the meantime wondered if anyone has saved a few minutes on their dry time!

Bumpdates Weeks 10 - 16

I couldn’t decide if I was going to do bumpdates or not, but I decided I would love to look back and see what I looked like, how I was feeling, what I was craving, etc. Besides, I have blog stalked other people to see what they were up to during the same week. And, really, what else am I here for except to help my fellow readers?

I have been taking pics since week 10…they have gotten progressively “better” in the sense that I now have Tommy taking them and you can see my face. I wouldn’t say this is Tommy’s favorite task, so you can rest assured that this will never be a blog of photos of just me.

I am stealing Lindsey’s bumpdate questionnaire and may add a few more questions. This is going to be a recap up until this point. (Thanks for humoring me.)

How Far Along: 16 weeks

So far I have been very, very lucky to not feel sick or too tired. My sister was the exact same way, so I am very grateful.

Total Weight Gain: I honestly don’t know. Between my 13 week and 15 week appointment, I was up a .5 pound. If I were to guess, I would say 2-3 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: None. I am wondering if I can get away with not buying any and only buying dresses. Ha! I am sure this will be hysterical to look back on in about 16 more weeks :).

Gender: We find out in a few weeks. I have NO clue. My first thought was boy when we saw the ultrasound for the first time. The heart rate has been really fast, so then I thought girl. (The ultrasound tech claims this is a wives tale, which I am sure she is right.) So, I really do not know. Tommy thinks a girl.

Movement: I was in bed yesterday watching TV and all of a sudden my whole stomach moved to the right. I will be honest, it scared the heck out of me. I stood up and then realized that it must have been the baby. Ha! I laid back down and couldn’t feel anything, but could see my entire stomach moving. Such a fun feeling. I could have stared at it all day!

Sleep: I wake up multiple times a night. It is a good night if I can go back to sleep. I haven’t slept well at all since getting pregnant. Even from day one. I guess my body is prepping me for what’s to come!

Cravings: Salads, salads and more salads. There were a few weeks I could have kept Pei Wei in business because I HAD to have their chopped chicken salad. I have also craved sweet potato fries and I am not sure this is a craving or if I just really like them, but I ♥ salt and vinegar chips. I have also been “meh” on veggies (don’t worry, I still eat them), but love to eat fruit.

Other crazy symptoms: My biggest “symptom” this whole pregnancy has been extreme irritability. Like extreme. I am typically very much even-keeled (my mom might beg to differ – she did know me in high school), but I will tell you there will be days when everything irritates me – even the songs on the radio, so I drive in silence. It is actually comical. Then, the next day, I will be back to normal.

I have to tell you, though, Tommy has been so great and understanding with my moods. I probably wouldn’t be nearly as nice if roles were reversed. I am very lucky.

What I am looking forward to: Babywise, I am looking forward to finding out the gender, feeling the baby move, and starting to work on the nursery!

Personally, we have a busy week and have some fun things coming up! We are going to the Thunder game, Tommy turns thirty-two and we are planning our summer vacation to Florida where we got married!

Best Moment this week: Seeing the baby at my ultrasound last week and seeing the baby move (I think – I am just going to go with it)!

So, what do you guys think – pink or blue???

Weekly Faves Part 2

Thanks so much for your sweet comments, texts, Facebook messages and tweets on our news! Look forward to lots more baby talk (not the annoying voice kind)! Now that my secret is out, I can include some of my baby favorites in my weekly faves! I have been collecting all kinds of good stuff, so I am excited to share what I have come across.

So, onto my favorites!

Loving this frame arrangement and colors of the frames on this wall! Boy or girl, I think the “look” of this would be cute! (Obvs, with colors matching the room.) Photo featured on Project Nursery.

I love the Weekly Favorites that Iowa Girl Eats posts and I especially loved this Apricot and Goat Cheese appetizer that she posted from The Reluctant Entertainer. Don’t these look delicious (and, most importantly, super easy)!

I have seen a lot of cupcake “bouquets,” but thought this one featured on Cupcakes Take the Cake via My Cake School was especially beautiful and clever.

Beckie at Infarrantly Creative posted her Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets and most of them I had never seen before. I am especially in love with this pineapple corer. I think I am in the market for that puppy!

Here’s a sneak peek of the color scheme I like for the baby’s room. (I am thinking gray and turquoise with different color accents depending upon if it is a boy or a girl.) Photo featured on Project Nursery.

Fail Blog inevitably cracks me up each week. I especially am fond of this diet spoon. I think that would work.

Lindi with Love the Day is offering this really cute free printable. It would be perfect for a party or a kid’s room and she has a sweet story behind why she feels this way!

I am IN LOVE with these beautiful candy bouquets featured on Glorious Treats. Have you ever seen anything more stunning made with candy?

Oh, and PS, what is wrong with my blog settings that people cannot comment from their phone? I have tried to comment and it works for me, but that may be because I am logged in as myself. I changed the settings, so let me know if you still have trouble.

Weekly Faves Part 1

I am going to do a two part weekly faves this week. Mainly because one weekly favorite deserves its own post. :)

We are super excited and can’t wait to find out if this little one is a he or a she!

A Teeny Tiny Party

Today I had a sip and see for my sister (and Tatum) and was so excited about the miniature theme! As you know, I am a huge mini fan, so it was so fun to plan!

Frankly, all ideas/recipes probably came from my pinterest boards. If I were only so creative!

Also, my goal for this year is to upgrade my camera and take better pictures. But you will get the general idea.

The sign said “Welcome to Tatum’s tiny sip and see!”

We did a champagne bar, which is always a big hit:

The sign was really cute…which you cannot see, but it said “Get a little bubbly.” (As mentioned, better pics in the future.) For those wanting to recreate a champagne bar, we used champagne (obvs), sparkling grape juice, pineapple orange juice, cranberry juice, and mango and raspberry sorbet. Everyone just mixed their own drink.  Fun!

Our non-alcoholic beverage station:

Teeny Weeny Caprese:

Tiny Cheese Trays:

Mini Fruit Cups:

Bitty Artichoke Bites:

Small Sliders:

For dessert – Baby Cakes:

The cupcakes were made by Linda’s Cupcakery and were delicious! She also did the little bunting for them, too! So cute! I would highly recommend her!

The cute baby of the hour:

Tatum, Megan, Me and Allison

The favors:

And the "entertainment” was having everyone fill out a little card for Tatum. Similar to this one featured on pinterest:

We loved celebrating baby Tatum today! She is just so sweet!!!

Little Things

Yesterday I got an unexpected email and I had what Oprah would call a “full circle moment.” (I am so over Oprah, so I hate to even quote her, but that is really what it felt like to me.) What touched me so much about the email is how a series of very simple things made such a huge impact on the person sending me the email. And, in turn, made a huge impact on me.

A little backstory

So in high school I had a boyfriend. We broke up, but still ran around with the same crowd and remained friends. In college we briefly dated again before we both went our separate ways dating-wise. He went to college in another state and we would see each other in the summertime and maybe communicate via email. I honestly cannot remember. Sometime on a summer break (I think) he was over at my parents’ house. My parents had an empty unfinished/unfloored space above the garage that was intended to be a game room, but was never built out. My mom wanted to turn that space into a huge attic, so they hired D (abbreviated to protect the innocent) to finish out the room. My mom has always loved having that attic space. End of the story in my book (and I am sure my parents’ book, too). It was just a simple thing – hiring him to do that job.

Now, I probably haven’t seen D in 10 years, but last year I had a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity that I posted on Facebook asking for donations. Really, no one responded but D. He made an extremely generous donation, which I thought was beyond nice of him…especially since we hadn’t talked in years. (Other than the accepting of the friend request on FB.)

I wrote him a thank you note that I honestly cannot remember what I said. I am pretty sure I told him in the email that my dad had passed away and wasn’t sure if he knew and I wrote something in there about the attic build-out.

I never heard back from him, which is fine. It was a thank you note, after all. You can only thank someone and have them thank you back so many times. Another simple gesture.

Well, last week I got an email from D (sent to other people as well) about a fundraiser he was doing for a Canine Cancer Walk he was participating in. (The organization has been founded to find better ways to treat canine cancer and hopes to advance treatments in humans through the process.) As a dog lover and someone who has been touched by cancer, I made a donation on his dog’s behalf. I really thought nothing of it. Just a simple thing.

Yesterday I received an email from him thanking me for my donation and what really touched me is that all of these simple events came together and I was able to see what they really meant in the big scheme of things. I am sure this is how God feels all the time. Like our lives are interesting little movies and he gets to see how they all come together based on a series of events. We are usually not as lucky.

Here is an excerpt from the email. I deleted some of the personal anecdotes, but this is the main gist. (I hope he doesn’t mind that I am sharing. Pretty sure he doesn’t know I blog, though, so hopefully I am safe.)

I meant to tell you last year when you emailed me during your Habitat fundraiser- the comment you made about your dad appreciating my handiwork touched me more than you could know. When I did the project at your parents' house, your dad treated me with a respect and professionalism I hadn't experienced before. Not only that, he made it clear that he trusted my abilities and was willing to work together on other projects. It was a vote of confidence that meant a lot to me at the time and to this day; I wanted to make sure you knew how important that was!

Anyway, I guess this post is just a reminder of how the very simple things that we do for others can mean far more to them than we will ever know and have an impact on the entire shape of their future. It is also a little blessing to get a little glimpse of how the big picture comes together and it is always nice to hear about how my dad touched someone’s life for the better.

Weekly Faves

Not going to lie. I am pretty impressed with my three-day blogging run. Go me. (Granted, I did write all three posts in one day, but that is neither here nor there.) Anyway, I promised to keep better track of my weekly favorites (like you guys really cared), so without further ado!

Cute way to dress up your summer drinks and keep the bugs from flying in. (Sadly, this is a huge problem for me. I have to discard asap when this happens. Bugs have ruined a lot of perfectly good drinks this way.) Photo from Charmers.

This cracked me up. I am obviously very easily entertained. Via Fail Blog.

What a cute way to store your cupcake liners. Photo via Such Pretty Things.

For my OKC friends, this looks like such a fun event that the Hollywood Housewife is hosting! I would so be there if OKC was a little closer.

Another Fail Blog favorite this week. How can this ingenuity not make you laugh?

Loving this adorable owl birthday party featured on Kara’s Party Ideas this week.

Hope you guys are having a great week!!

Menu Monday

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I promise I have still been eating. Just not with a plan. Here’s what we have going on this week:

Monday:

Cauliflower Crust pizza. Recipe and Photo via Recipe Girl.

I made this a few months ago and I loved it. I made several modifications (read about them here), but it was definitely a good way to incorporate more vegetables and less carbs.

Tuesday:

Spicy Turkey & Hatch Quiche and Salad. Another favorite around here is Elefantita’s Alegres’ Spicy Quiche. I have made it before several times and we love it each time. It also reheats great for leftovers.

My modifications is that I don’t have hatch chilis, so I use chopped green chilis. Also, I used ground chicken instead of turkey.

Wednesday:

Chicken Meatballs and Cauliflower

I have made both of these recipes before and they are both great!

Thursday:

Melt in your Mouth Chicken and Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

 

These are both new recipes for me, so I am excited to try them. They both look delicious and the chicken looks super easy. I will keep you posted.

Friday:

Roasted shrimp and broccoli

I have made this before. It is definitely okay. Not my favorite, but not bad at all. Figured we should throw another protein in this week.

Look forward to seeing what you guys are cooking!