Making Room For Baby!

I feel I must warn you....this is kind of long and I ramble. :-)

So, as I stated earlier, we are turning the home office into the baby's room. We got the desk out, but we still have a couple other pieces of furniture to get out. I am happy to say that they will all be out by next weekend...if all goes as planned!! We are donating a LOT of stuff to Salvation Army. The truck is coming to pick it all up tomorrow and I can't wait! We're donating a lot of clothes and household items (decor, kitchen things, etc.), as well as an old TV and TV stand, a printer, and Joseph's old double computer monitors. We are writing all of this off on our taxes next year!! I probably wouldn't bother if it were just a few things, but since we have a lot of stuff, including some big ticket items in the pile, we're definitely going to take that help on our taxes. I began itemizing it all the other day, but still have a lot to do before tomorrow. We're not sure what time they're coming, so we have to be ready at any time! Yikes! I feel so much better knowing that not only is this stuff that we don't want, use, or need going to be out of our house, but it's also going to a wonderful place to help people who need it!

After the TV and TV stand are gone, that leaves the cabinet we use for books. Joseph's mom gave that to us when we got married and we used it in our apartment as the china cabinet. When we moved into our house, we bought a dining room set, including a china cabinet, so we have used this one as a bookshelf in the office. It worked well, especially since it matched the color of the desk really well. We were just going to put it in storage or try to put it in the attic...if that's possible..it's quite heavy and I'm not sure it would fit in the opening. (our attic is accessible through the garage, so it has one of those pull-down doors) Joseph asked his mom if she would want it back or if she knew anyone who might want it for a short time. We'd like to possibly have it again when we move into a bigger house that has a dedicated office or bonus room of some kind, unless someone in the family wants it indefinitely. It's a family piece, so we'd like to keep it in the fam. Well, his mom would like to have it for a while, because she has been wanting to get rid of her current one. It worked out great! We are going to Christmas Village in Birmingham next Saturday with our moms and possibly my father-in-law and I believe his parents are going to pick it up and take it home with them if it all works out. I am so glad it will be getting use for a while. I hate the idea of it sitting in a storage room or attic for who knows how long.

Once all of this stuff is gone, we will be much closer to getting the room baby-ready. I cleaned out most of the things of the closet in there. The rest of it can be put elsewhere or up in the attic. We'll obviously be sending several things up to the attic for a while....the last thing I want is a cluttered house...especially with a new baby! I want the house to be the epitome of clean and organized by the time baby gets here!! We'll see if that actually happens, but I am determined to get it that way.

We are having a real low-key weekend. Bama's off this weekend, which gives my nerves a break. HA! We have no Halloween plans this year. Saturday we'll obviously be busy getting this stuff ready to go, and we'll probably try to tackle some more things around the house. We're having our friends (and neighbors), Brent & Meredith Panell, over on Sunday. Joseph also worked with Brent at the bank for a few years and they are both from Gadsden too. We all grew up in the same city, the boys worked together, we moved to their neighborhood over 3 years ago and are now neighbors, the boys are in the Pelham BNI networking group together(which they started), and we're both having a baby! I guess we were just destined to become good friends! :-) They are also expecting their first child and are due about 2 weeks before us!! Crazy! We found out they were expecting before we had told anyone yet, and I pretty much had to pick my jaw up off the floor when Joseph told me. I couldn't believe it!! We are so excited for them and they are going to be amazing parents. I hope our children can grow up together and become great friends. We love getting together with them, especially now that we can talk babies. We always have a good time with them. We're really looking forward to hanging out with them Sunday!

I hope you all have a great weekend, Halloween plans or not! At least eat a little candy. ;-)

And I just have to say...this is my favorite pet costume ever. If you're from Alabama, you know what this is. If you don't know...go to YouTube.com and search "Bed Intruder Song."

The Date is Set!!!!!

Wooohoooo!! We find out what we are having November 23rd at 10am!! I was so worried they wouldn't have any openings, being that it is the week of Thanksgiving. But I called AGAIN this morning, after not getting a call back and they had tons of appointments available. I wanted something early, but not too early because we'd have to fight the heavy Birmingham traffic since we have to go downtown. (That's why we went with 10. I also knew I could not wait all day for the appointment. I'd be going crazy! HA!) The satellite office I go to for my regular appointments doesn't have ultrasound equipment so I have to go to St. Vincent's hospital, where their main office is located. It was really important to me that I find out before Thanksgiving if at all possible. We plan on keeping the news to ourselves for a couple of days and we'll announce it at Thanksgiving. I'm thinking of cute announcement ideas. I think I know what I'm going to do, though. ;-) The gender poll closes on the 15th, so cast your vote if you haven't already! I can't wait to find out what Baby Puckett is, but I'm just praying he or she is healthy!!!

In other news.........I found an AWESOME sale at www.oldnavy.com yesterday. I found out about it on thebump.com. They have their outerwear 50% off!!! I think it runs through tomorrow and it may just be good on maternity outerwear, but I think it's good for all outerwear. You just have to put in a code at checkout. If you want the code, send me an email or something. I feel as if I shouldn't advertise the code all over my blog. HA! They also had a couple of other discounts yesterday only (I think...but it wouldn't hurt to go look if you're interested). They had one for 10% off your entire purchase and another for Free Shipping on purchases over $50! I was able to use 2 discounts....I could've used 3 but I didn't want to make 3 separate purchases so I just made 2. (You can't combine the discounts FYI!!). Here are my awesome finds:



Here is the awesome toggle coat I scored....for HALF OFF!!! I think it's so cute, and I will definitely need a maternity coat for the winter.




I got these cute skinny jeans. They are top-rated and a customer favorite, so I felt better about buying them without trying them on. I love to wear boots over skinny jeans during the Fall and Winter...and that's the only way I wear skinny jeans. I can't pull off ballet flats or wedges with them, so I just wear them with boots. I'm so glad I got some and will be able to wear that look throughout the cold months. :)




I couldn't pass up a cute black dress. It was on clearance and I know I will get a lot of wear out of this over the next few months. I may need to get another color if I like the way it fits.



I've seen this dress on their website for a while now and I LOVE it! It was also on clearance and they have a few colors, so I'll definitely have to get more if I like it. I figure I can wear this during the Winter with a shirt underneath or a jacket over it, then as I get into April and I'm huge and uncomfortable and probably getting hot a lot, I can wear it just the way it is.



If you're interested in checking out that outerwear sale, just let me know and I'll give you the code. I want to say it's good for all outerwear, not just maternity and I think it ends tomorrow. You can't beat a 50% off sale...unless it's Black Friday!!

Happy Hump Day Friends! :)

Comfort Food and An Update

I'm all about some comfort food. I grew up eating it and helped my grandmothers and my mom cook when I was little. I'd sit on the counter and help them cook all the time! I was always a good eater...never picky. I hope my child is the same way! And of course, grandmothers love to cook the southern comfort foods....fried chicken, mashed potatoes, soups, etc. My mom makes this dish she calls "glamourized hamburger". It was always one of my favorite things. It always kind of reminded me of salisbury steak...which I like...if it's done right! So a while back I thought of it and decided to make it. I do it a little differently though. I call mine "Mock" Salisbury Steak. Here's the recipe....it literally has like 3 ingredients. (you don't count Salt & Pepper)

Ingredients: (remember, this is just a recipe for two!)

~ About 1/2 pound hamburger meat(enough to make two nice-sized patties)....any kind you like. I usually use ground sirloin; it has the least fat.

~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup

~ 1 can beefy mushroom soup - I did use french onion, but found this was better.

~ Campbell's makes it.

~ Salt & Pepper

Directions:

~ Form meat into patties - they typically shrink, so make them a little bigger than you think they should be.

~ Salt & Pepper meat and brown in pan.

~ Take out meat and pour in the cream of mushroom and beefy mushroom soups. ~ Stir soups together really well until well blended. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add meat back in to finish cooking. Plate meat and top with some of the sauce.

It's the easiest thing in the world and is tasty and comforting! I usually serve mine with mashed potatoes and sweet peas. This is my husband's plate....yes there are more potatoes than meat (we like carbs)...but there's also a lot of peas! Good, yes? :-) And I should mention say that the sauce makes a good gravy for the potatoes as well!

We had our monthly doctor appointment today and it went great! Joseph got to go for the first time to hear the heartbeat firsthand and he said he almost cried. It is such an incredible sound. The heart rate was at 156 this time; it was 160 last time. At the last appointment the nurse took a few minutes to find the heartbeat, and was finally able to find it closer to the right side. This time the doctor found it right away, right in the middle! I love this doctor by the way. He's not my regular OB. She is out of town this week so I set up an appointment with him today instead. He's so funny and has a great personality. If I ever want or need to change doctors, I will definitely consider using him...I generally prefer a female doctor, but he just makes you feel so comfortable. Everything looked great and the doc said I can officially stop taking the progesterone!! Yippee!!! He also said we could schedule "The" ultrasound for 4 weeks from now!! SO. EXCITED. We will find out the week of Thanksgiving (IF they have an opening! PLEASE, have an opening! I'm not sure how busy they'll be that week) However, I tried calling the scheduling lady over at the hospital and got the voicemail....I left a message and never got a call-back. I called like 4 1/2 hours later, left another message, and still didn't get called back!! That annoys me SO much! I'll be calling again tomorrow until they answer or call me back!!! I'm dying to have a date set for the ultrasound! Hopefully tomorrow, we will. :)

I hope y'all are having a good week.

14 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 14 Weeks!

Size of baby: Lemon. About 3.5 in. long, weighs about 1.5 oz.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Well, I'll find out tomorrow at my appointment. Yikes! :-)

Maternity Clothes: I love the two pairs of maternity pants I have. They are amazing! Until I get bigger I'm going to try to make do with those and my regular pants. Shirts and dresses are fine.

Gender: Hopefully we'll know in just a few weeks!! I will probably schedule the big ultrasound tomorrow at my appointment. I can't wait to find out!! Also, if you haven't voted in the poll yet, please do!! It's on the sidebar! I love seeing what y'all think! :)

Movement: Not yet, but hopefully in the next few weeks the "flutters" will start!

Food Cravings/Aversions: I've really been liking some Chili Cheese Fritos lately! HA! Still loving some pickles, fruit, and I'm loving milk too. I'm usually not a big milk drinker. I don't really like to drink it straight, but I have found myself doing that lately. I still find myself wanting salty things more than sweet things...not to say that I don't have something sweet every now and then. ;-) The thought of raw chicken grosses me out, so I haven't cooked chicken in WEEKS!

What I miss: I've been dying to have a White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha...my favorite Starbucks drink. ;)

Sleep: Sleep is still pretty good.

Symptoms: Fatigue and slight nausea on occasion (although I did actually get sick one day last week...booo!!...that's 3 times total...I'm not complaining, I've been lucky!), irritability and moodiness, frequent trips to the bathroom (which are slowing down a bit), some food cravings & aversions, and in the past week I've gotten the lovely congestion and runny nose that comes with pregnancy, and supposedly only gets worse as the pregnancy progresses.

Best Moment this week: Yesterday, we started the process of turning the office into the nursery. We were able to kind of merge the guest room and the office together, in order to keep the desk in the house. We still have a couple of pieces to put up in the attic and the room will be ready for furniture and other fun stuff! Of course, I also have to tackle to closet in the future nursery because at the moment, it pretty much serves as a junk closet. I'm so glad we've finally started the process! It's making it feel more real!! :-)

I hope everyone has a great week!!!

Nursery Progress...Kinda...

Our house has 3 bedrooms. One is the master, obviously, the second is the guest room, and the third is the office....or at least it used to be!! :-) We are turning the office into the nursery. We knew we had to keep the guest room, because our families live about 1 1/2 hours away, some more than that. So we know we'll have overnight guests a lot more than we do now.....we never do now, just for the record. My mom stayed over once when Joseph was out of town on business and we did lots of shopping and eating. HA! Other than that, we've not had a single overnight guest. I know that will change soon enough, and I can't wait! I love having company over!! :) Every time I go into the future nursery, I have a mini freak-out moment. Yes, I realize I'm only 14 weeks, but I am a HUGE planner. I love to plan ahead. I used to be a total procrastinator...especially in school, but I haven't been that way since halfway through college. It is my goal to have everything done by the time I'm 30 weeks. I'd like to have most of it done before I'm waddling and things become difficult! :) I will admit...today I went into the office and had a little breakdown. There is SO much (and I mean SOOOOO much) to do before the baby arrives and if I want to meet my goal, we've got to get started like....2 weeks ago! It's not like we had an empty room ready and waiting for baby. Not only do we have to get the furniture out of there, but we also have to clean out the closets, and some closets need to be rearranged and swapped out. Well, after my little breakdown, my husband decided today was the day to get started on it. We (OK, mostly my husband) decided to keep the desk in the house rather than put it in the attic. We were able to rearrange the furniture in the guest room to fit the desk in there too. I was very skeptical at first...mostly because it wasn't in my plan, but I have to say, I think it looks real nice. We did have to take out the dresser/mirror combo and will put it in the attic. Here's the finished (as of now) product. :) It still needs some finishing touches...maybe a couple things on the wall.

There are still a couple things left in the future nursery...a cabinet we use for books, and an old TV and TV stand. I have a LOT of stuff (clothes and household items we don't want or use) I'm getting ready to donate to Salvation Army, TV and stand included. It's not a bad TV, just big and bulky and we have no use for it. To be honest, I can probably count on one hand the number of times we've actually used it...except for when it was in the living room, but it was replaced a couple years ago with a nicer flatscreen. So that's the next thing on the agenda. We also have a lot of stuff to clean out of closets that we can donate too. If I can get a few closets cleaned out, organized, and rearranged, I'll feel much better!! Hopefully we can tackle something every weekend and the room will be baby-ready in no time!!:-)

Easy Veggie Soup

I've been in a real soup mood lately, so last week, I bought the ingredients to make some vegetable soup and some potato soup. I made the veggie soup on Sunday and used a few tips from my mom to make it. I always ask my mom for tips on how she makes things! :-) I also printed off a recipe from www.allrecipes.com to go by, but basically just threw it all in the pot and let it do it's thing!

Here's the "recipe" I used.

Ingredients:
1 big bag Pict Sweet frozen mixed vegetables. I used about 3/4 of the bag for my pot of soup. - my mom uses the ones with tomatoes, but Publix didn't have that kind..booo

A few potatoes peeled and cut up small - I used some medium sized Idaho potatoes because the big bag of them was on sale. You could use any potato you like.

1 box Swanson (or whatever kind you like) beef broth

2 bay leaves - I use them in every kind of dark soup or stew I make

1-2 cans Original RoTel - now this was too spicy for me, so I advise using just plain diced tomatoes

1-2 RoTel can-fulls of water

Salt & Pepper to taste


Directions: (Which involves literally throwing everything in the pot! HA!)
I dumped the veggies in the pot, then added the beef broth, potatoes, bay leaves, tomatoes, & water. I started with about 3/4 can of water, then added more as I felt it needed it. I turned the stove to boiling and let it boil for several minutes. Then I turned it down to about medium-high heat for a while. As it cooked, I checked the flavors and added more water as needed, as well as salt & pepper. Once everything is pretty much tender, I knocked it down to a little above low. This helped it thicken a little and continued to let the flavors marry.

Like I said...really simple...even simpler than I'm making it sound. ;-)



I will definitely be making this a lot during the coming months. Next on the agenda is the potato soup...yum...my favorite!!

Happy Birthday Bryant!!!

Our sweet Boxer, Bryant, turns 4 today!! Bryant was our first baby and Joseph gave him to me as a Christmas present 2 weeks after we got married! So, we've basically never known married life without him, nor would we want to! I have to admit, when he was a puppy in our little apartment, he was awful! I was not working at the time so I spent all day, every day, at home with him. He was NOT the best puppy in the world and drove me crazy, but he also taught me a lot about patience and love. Today, I couldn't imagine life without him. He was our first baby, and now we have our first child on the way. I have no doubt that he will be a great big brother! After we moved into our house, we decided he was lonely during the day so we got him a companion...Marley! They are the absolute perfect pair. It takes a special woman to put up with Bryant and all of his antics, so we knew when they met for the first time that they were perfect for each other! To celebrate Bryant's birthday, I thought I'd show you some of my favorite pictures of him over the years.

We'll start with one of his first pictures. He was able to wear this jacket for about a week. He was the cutest puppy ever!!


















I love these two pictures of him sleeping!









Bryant learned to love peanut butter at a young age!






He knows how to represent his favorite football team...I mean, we DID name him Bryant so he had no choice!! HA!






He likes to lay with his sister and tends to get in awkward positions.

Happy Birthday, sweet Bryant! We hope you're around for many, many more years!! We love you!

Marley's birthday is the first of December so I'll dedicate a post to her too. :-)

13 Weeks - 2nd Trimester!

*Please excuse the dirty mirror AND the dog bed in the background! I need to find another place to take my pictures. ;) I'm also not sure why I'm standing so weird.*

Well, I am 13 weeks pregnant today...the start of the 2nd trimester!! What?!?!? How did it get here so fast? Then again, I want to ask, why did it take so long to get here? Pregnancy is weird. It flies and creeps by at the same time.


Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 13 Weeks!
Size of baby: Peach and/or Lemon. About 3 in. long, weighs about 1.5 oz.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've been really bad about weighing myself...probably subconsciously avoiding the scale, I don't know. But I don't think I've gained anymore. So still at about 3-4 pounds. I'll know next Tuesday at my appointment though! :0
Maternity Clothes: Well I bought a pair of maternity dress pants from Target on Friday. (I'm wearing them in the picture) They're a little big on me now, but SO comfortable. If I wear my regular pants I have to wear my Be Band or use a ponytail holder. I think I'll probably need to make the official switch to maternity pants in a few weeks...or less! Tops are still fine though, as are dresses!
Gender: Hoping we get to find out the week of Thanksgiving or the week before! I'll schedule that next Tuesday at my appointment I suppose! I have put up a poll, so feel free to vote! :-)
Movement: Not yet, but I can't wait!
Food Cravings/Aversions: I have officially been hit by the pickle craving!!! I love pickles, but never really want a pickle. I'm never like, "Oh my goodness, I have to have a pickle right now!" Well, last week...it started. I ran to the fridge and downed 2 pickles in like 30 seconds! I restrained myself because I could've eaten the entire jar, but I'm trying to be good here people! Well I ran out of pickles so I had to get some more. Luckily, Publix had Vlasic pickles on BOGO, PLUS I had a coupon so that made the pickle score even better! I had 2 of them when I got them home that night! :) They are very tasty and zesty...my new fave! That's really the only craving I've had over the last week. I did get some California rolls (totally cooked sushi, FYI..and the only kind I eat, period!) from Publix too and they were delicious. I hadn't had any in months and I was afraid my body would decide it didn't want them once I got them home, but I ate just about the entire little package of them Friday night! YUM! My aversions have gotten better. Not as many things make me gag or want to hurl. My dogs' food has been bothering me for weeks and still does. It is SO strong and I just about can't handle being around it. I can smell it from like 40 feet away! YUCK! I still don't want any rich or heavy dishes...just thinking about that Stouffer's Chicken Lasagna again...barf! Overall, it's better than it was...and hopefully it will keep getting better and I can eat things I used to enjoy again.
What I miss: Last week I said patience....this week...I'm pretty sure it's patience! HA! I am very easy to irritate right now. I hate it, but I can't help it. I'm trying really hard to control it, but sometimes I'm not so nice. My husband is a saint for putting up with me! He's amazing!!
Sleep: Sleep is the same. Most nights are good, especially if I'm really tired.
Symptoms: The fatigue and nausea are getting better, some things still set me off as far as nausea goes. Then there's the lovely irritability and moodiness, frequent trips to the bathroom (which are slowing down a bit), and still a few food aversions...and the pickle craving! ;)
Best Moment this week: I'm starting to feel a lot better all across the board, so that has been the highlight of this past week. The nausea and fatigue have gotten better and it's nice to feel at least a little normal....for now anyway. :)

Y'all have a fantastic week and don't forget to cast your vote in the gender poll!!

Nursery Ideas

So, of course we don't know what we're having yet, but if you know me, you know I'm a big planner. I'm a self-proclaimed control freak at times. I've been online looking at baby stuff over the last few weeks to see what's out there. I have a few furniture collections bookmarked and hope to get out and look at some in person in the next few weeks so we can make a decision and get it ordered. I'm leaning toward espresso wood, but wouldn't be opposed to white for a girl. However, I'm a pretty practical person (plus we are by no means rolling in dough and don't want to shell out a grand every few years for new furniture), so whatever crib we get MUST be convertible so it grows with the child. And I also want something pretty that I will want in my house for a long time. I don't want to get something I just kind of like and could get tired of in a few years. I don't like anything fru fru or fancy. I like more simple furniture, so I can pump it up with all the bedding and accessories in the room. That's the way I am in my everyday life too. I mostly tend to dress in more simple pieces, and make an outfit pop with some funky jewelry, shoes, or purse.

OK, on to the point of this post. I told you, I tend to ramble! I thought I'd post a "sneak-peek" of a few of my ideas for the nursery bedding/accessories. These are just very small pictures to give you a little hint of what I'm thinking.

Here are a couple of ideas for a girl's room; AGAIN, just a couple swatches for a glimpse:

You'll notice they both have pink in them....I mean, you gotta have a little pink. I didn't think I wanted a lot of pink, but these sets are really pretty. One of them is more classic and elegant, which I love. And the other is a little more fun and wild. I want something cute and fun, but also tasteful. I'm not into characters, animals, etc. Some people do, and that's great. But I'm not one of them. I think I know which one I like better...but I'll keep that to myself for now. :-)


Here are a couple of ideas for a boy's room:
I know I want blue and brown for a boy, but I also like the lime green/aqua/brown combo in the picture on the right. Again, one of these is a little more elegant and simple, while the other one is more fun.

Feel free to leave comments about what you think...just please don't say something like, "Oh my goodness, that one right there is so tacky! Please don't get that one." If you're my friend on Facebook and saw my comment about people saying things like that to me about name ideas I have...you'll know what I mean by that! HA! :) And just for the record, the names I'm thinking about are NOT weird by any means...people(mostly people I just met or barely know) just think it's okay to say things like that to me. Seriously? How 'bout you have your own baby and name it what you want, and get outta my bidness?! Sounds good to me. You just don't say things like that to people...if you're a family member and you're not a fan of it, then it's okay to politely say something like, "Well, maybe you should pick some more names just in case you change your mind." Have some couth, people!! *Steps down from soapbox*

And since I have these nursery ideas posted, I think I shall post a poll on my blog so you guys can start voting on the gender. :-) I'm going to beg to find out either the week before Thanksgiving, or the week of. Hopefully my begging will work. I can always use my pregnancy hormones and emotions to bring on a few tears if I need to do some real persuading. ;)

Tomorrow is Friday....whoop whoop!! Ready for the weekend!! Y'all have a great day and a wonderful weekend. ROLL TIDE!! (I hope this week is better than last week) :-)

Enjoy The Tunes!

So, I love music and I decided to add a playlist to my blog. It's at the bottom and will automatically start playing anytime you come to my blog. Just wanted to give everyone a head's up, because I'm actually one of those people who doesn't like to be bombarded by music on a website without a warning. And look, I'm doing it on my own blog! HA! Well, I'm giving you a warning, so if you have your sound turned on, you may want to turn it off or just prepare yourself when coming here. :-) I typically have my sound off and turn it on when I need it, but everyone's different. Music makes me happy and you'll notice that my playlist is extremely diverse. I have Christian songs, Classic Rock, Pop, Country, etc. I like it all...well, not all, but..ya know. Anyway, enjoy the music, or if it's annoying, I'm sorry....but you were warned! ;)

I hope you guys are having a nice week. Tomorrow's hump day! :-)

12 Weeks

12 Weeks! Wow! How can I already be at 12 weeks?!!? For some reason it seems like such a milestone, and I guess in a way, it is. I'm only one week from the 2nd trimester! That is so crazy to me. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure if I would make it to this point. After I was put on Prometrium for my "on the lower side of the normal range" progesterone level, I was scared. I was so scared that it wasn't going to work or it wasn't what I needed, and it had me really wondering if I'd make it much farther. However, I am SO incredibly thankful to my doctor for prescribing the medicine, even if it wasn't necessary. I am so impressed with how proactive they were. Protocol is usually to wait it out and see what happens. Doctors don't typically order blood tests and ultrasounds unless it's for a high-risk patient. (someone who has a history of miscarriages, etc.) They got to the bottom of my problem by running blood work, performing an ultrasound (which showed I had a small bruise under the gestational sac that was more than likely causing the spotting), and getting me back on track. Even if the progesterone supplement wasn't completely necessary, I appreciate them being one step ahead of everything. If they thought my levels were lower than they should be, who knows what could have happened had I not started the medication. I've been on it now for over 7 weeks and will be on it until my doctor tells me to stop....which will probably be in the next couple of weeks. FYI: Progesterone is needed to maintain a pregnancy, and if your body doesn't naturally produce enough, the pregnancy can be lost. Around the beginning of the second trimester, the placenta takes over in producing progesterone. You learn all kinds of things when you're pregnant. HA! I will admit, taking two big pills each night gets old but I would do it for the entire 9 months if I had to. I'd take 15 if I needed to in order to keep this baby healthy.

Now, enough of that.....on to the survey!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 Weeks!
Size of baby: Large Plum, about 2.5 in. long.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 3 or 4 pounds.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing most of my normal pants, either with a Be Band, or a ponytail holder. Sometimes, I have to leave a top button undone on my dress pants (most of them have two buttons). I haven't bought anymore maternity clothes yet, but I think that will come in the next few weeks....at least some pants...that's my main problem right now.
Gender: Hoping we get to find out the week of Thanksgiving! I still don't have a strong feeling either way yet. I think I'll put up a poll on here soon to get your thoughts. :-)
Movement: Not yet, but I can't wait!
Food Cravings/Aversions: Well, I had my first real craving last week. And what was it for?.......Turkey & Dressing!! That's right, good ol' Thanksgiving food. I've always loved Thanksgiving food ever since I was little....and I'd the eat the leftovers til they were gone! Well, Cracker Barrel has Turkey & Dressing night on Thursdays, so my sweet husband took me there for dinner. It was.....amazing. Simply. amazing. It wasn't quite as good as it is when it's made by my Nana and my mom, but it was sufficient enough to satisfy my craving. ;) I think I may need a repeat this week. HA! It's such a stereotype, but I also wanted pickles for the first time yesterday! I held myself to two, but I wanted more..they were delicious! And if you're wondering what kind....dill, of course....you'll never see me eat bread & butter! Yak! I have noticed my appetite coming back the past week. Don't get me wrong, I still get nauseous and have those stupid close-calls, but they're getting a lot better. I was able to eat Chinese on Friday and Pizza last night. Didn't care for the ribs my husband cooked Saturday...I've had an aversion to BBQ for a while now. I also cooked Stouffer's Chicken Lasagna one night and couldn't touch it. It was revolting! Normally I love that stuff, but Not. This. Time. Instead I had a salad and some spaghettios. Weird dinner, I know. I am glad that I'm slowly getting my appetite back though....well, for a few things anyway. :)
What I miss: Being a little more patient than I currently am!
Sleep: Sleep is still pretty good for now. I'm back to having trouble getting back to sleep if I get up or wake up, but I'll take what I can get right now, 'cause I don't think it will get any better in the coming months.
Symptoms: Fatigue, a little nausea (it's slowly getting better), irritability, sore girls, frequent trips to the bathroom, still a few food aversions, and still a little bloat.
Best Moment this week: Nothing really special, but that Turkey & Dressing made my week!! My husband has been incredibly sweet and patient with me...even when I'm completely unreasonable at times.
What I am looking forward to: Starting the 2nd trimester in a week! I also can't wait to go back to the doctor in a couple weeks with Joseph so he can hear the heartbeat, and I'm anxious to hear it and see what the bpm is this time! Hopefully we can find out the sex in 6 weeks! I'm going to beg if I have to. ;-)

I'm real disappointed in the way Bama played this weekend. It's not that I mind losing.....I mind that our guys played like a junior high team playing their first game ever. The defense looked horrible and don't get me started on Greg McElroy. I don't know what was wrong the team this week, but they looked pathetic. I really think they are worn out and need a break....but they've got two more games before that break will come. I hope they can pull it together for those two games. I don't mind losing if we play our best, but that was FAR from our best!! I still love 'em, and I hope they get the fire back!

For those of you who are off today, enjoy the last day of your long weekend. For those of us who are NOT, I hope you have a great week that flies by!! :-)

11 Weeks

First of all, excuse the ridiculously short shirt....I almost forgot to take a picture this morning and then remembered right before leaving, so I had to take off my little sweater that was over my shirt so you could see. You will notice that the bloat is better than it has been. All of my books and apps on my phone say that at this point, the bloat eases up, then an actual baby bump will start to form as the uterus begins to move from the pelvis to the lower abdomen.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 11 Weeks!
Size of baby: Lime, about 2 in. long.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I haven't weighed myself, but I think it's 3 or 4 pounds. On Thursday, I hadn't gained any weight since my last doctor's visit, so that's good.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing most of my normal pants, either with a Be Band, or a ponytail holder. I can't really button most of them anymore. I did buy a pair of maternity jeans from Old Navy last week and they are the best things EVER!! I have a feeling I'll be needing many more pairs of them in the next few weeks. ;-)
Gender: I'm dying to know! Part of me really thinks it's a girl, but then I think it will be a boy just because I think it's a girl! HA! It doesn't matter to me either way, as long as my sweet baby is healthy and happy!
Movement: Not yet.
Food Cravings: Not really. I'm easily persuaded by food commercials on TV....IF it's something that even remotely sounds good to me right now! I'm still not into dishes that are rich in flavor. The thought of eating a real heavy, herby, pasta dish right now makes me gag. The thought of eating most meat does the same. I do eat some chicken though, but I haven't cooked any at home in weeks. It's weird, I'll eat chicken nuggets, but the idea of cleaning a raw chicken, then cooking it (regardless of how it's cooked), does nothing for my stomach right now!! Chicken used to be one of those weekly store purchases for me....NOT anymore! Another weird thing.....I'll start eating something, for example, Stouffer's Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake that we had last night, and it's all good....I'm eating it and it tastes good, but after about halfway through it I can't eat another bite because I start feeling sick from the taste of it. It's very strange and it happens a lot. I find something that appeals to me, but halfway through it, and sometimes even before then, I have to stop because the taste starts making me gag. The things that have become staples to me are chips, crackers, cheese cubes, cookies, yogurt, fruit, burgers (but not ones made at home...again, weird!), french fries.....looking at that list, it's a miracle I've only gained just a few pounds! HA!
What I miss: Being able to eat things I like!
Sleep: Sleep has been a lot better the last several nights. I woke up yesterday to my hips hurting, but other than that, it's been really good!!
Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea (but it's getting a little better), I still have the random "close-calls" I talked about last week. I'm also still moody and irritable at times, have sore ta-tas (hey, I have no shame), taking frequent trips to the bathroom, food aversions, and the bloat(which has gotten better also). It's supposed to go away and start forming into an actual bump in the next week or so!!
Best Moment this week: At my appointment on Thursday, I got to hear baby's heartbeat! It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. I knew it would be fast, but it's so crazy how much faster it is than my heartbeat!! It was about 160/bpm. I have it recorded on my phone and love to listen to it when I want. The doctor said everything is looking great, all of my monthly tests they ran came back great and it was wonderful to hear that! The doctor is very pleased with the progress. I go back in about 4 weeks and can't wait to hear the heartbeat again. Saturday, we had one of my long-time childhood friends, Rebekah, (who was also my maid of honor) over on Saturday to watch Bama STOMP the CHOMP!! It was so good to see her and spend some time with her. She lives about 45 minutes or so away and we're both so busy that we don't get to see each other much. We ate some good football foods....RoTel dip included, of course...and she brought cupcakes that she made. They were made of confetti cake w/strawberry icing! SOOOOOO good!!
What I am looking forward to: I only have 2 more weeks in the first trimester! This is hard to believe, but I am so excited. I'm ready to look pregnant, instead of bloated and fat! HA! I am so excited about this wonderful weather we are having...even though it will be back in the 80s later this week. Fall is officially here and I can't wait for boots, sweaters, Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, decorations, and everything that comes with the next few months! It's my absolute favorite time of year. I know that has nothing to do with Baby Puckett, but it makes me happy, and it's a good thing when mama's happy, right? ;-) I realize I ramble a lot in these posts....you'll just have to forgive me. I'm usually a lot more eloquent. :)

I hope you all have a fantastic week!!