32 Weeks

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: After the Thanksgiving Holidays, I don't even want to know, but I am going to the doctor today, so I'll find out this afternoon!
Maternity clothes? Yes...Mostly everything now, but I can wear some t-shirts that are a small, but they are REALLY tight these days, and they show my belly!
Stretch marks? Nope...crossing fingers that I don't get any! :)
Sleep: Waking up once or twice a night to go to the bathroom and tossing and turning a lot! This was the worst week of sleep so far!
Best moment this week: Just having a wonderful Thanksgiving with Family
Movement: Yes! All the time! I love it!
Food cravings: Nothing that I can think of...
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Lots of BH Contractions last night and my belly is getting really hard and tight!
Belly Button in or out? In but pretty shallow now
What I am looking forward to: Going to the doctor this afternoon for a check-up! :)
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy pregnancy and rest and relax as much as you can!
Milestones: Being in single digit weeks and getting 99.9% of our To Do List completed! Yay!

What's your opinion?

So, as I mentioned earlier Banks went to a show this past weekend, and he competed against another male dog to move on to the next round, and he got second to this dog all three days of the show. The show took photos of the dogs competing against one another and sent them to us. I don't know about you guys, and I might just be biased, but I think that Banks is the better looking dog in these three photos. What do you think?


In case you can't pick him out, he is the second, lighter colored dog. I really wish he had won, and I truly think that he should've won. They said that he was prancing a little bit around, so maybe that was the reason. He is still a little immature, because he isn't very old, so we are going to wait until the Spring to show him again and see how he does. I hope he can do it!! :)

31 Weeks

I can't believe that I'm 31 Weeks, well tomorrow, but it's so close, and I took a photo today, so I had to go ahead and post it! I'm getting SO big! I can't even believe it! Here is my 31 week photo taken this morning before we left the house:
So, Banks didn't win this weekend at the show, but he still did a great job, and he came home last night, and I was SO happy to spend time with him and just to have him home. He was loving and just so enjoyable! I can't believe that I love that dog so much.

On to my 31 week update:

How far along? 31 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 21 lbs. based on the doctor's appointment last Wednesday
Maternity clothes? Yes...Mostly everything now, but I can wear some t-shirts that are a small, but they are REALLY tight these days!
Stretch marks? Nope...crossing fingers that I don't get any! :)
Sleep: Waking up once or twice a night to go to the bathroom, but overall, sleeping fairly well.
Best moment this week: My mom doing an ultrasound on Saturday at her office and seeing how well Weston is doing...he is measuring right on track and based on measurements the EDD is 01/24, so we'll see! And he is weighing 3.5 lbs. So happy!
Movement: Yes! He is moving a lot, especially during the day now!
Food cravings: None this week...
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Nothing much this week...just been feeling pretty good!
Belly Button in or out? In but getting more shallow
What I am looking forward to: Getting all the remaining items checked off our list! :)
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy pregnancy and rest and relax as much as you can!
Milestones: Being in single digit weeks! Yay!

Anyways, I have more updates to come later this week from our weekend, but I'll leave those for another day. Hope you all have a great short week! I'll likely only be posting on Monday & Tuesday, because I'm off on Wednesday, and I don't think that I'll make any posts, but we'll see. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Appreciation

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

- William James

I didn't realize how important appreciation was or how often it was thought of or brought up by people until I started to feel like I wasn't being appreciated. I looked up the word appreciation today, and not only did I find the definition, but I found hundreds of quotes, poems and stories on appreciation and appreciating those you love and who do things for you.

In the past few weeks, I've felt like I'm not appreciated, and it hurts my feelings. It's become increasingly difficult for me to bend over, fold clothes, iron clothes, etc. as I get bigger and bigger. It's uncomfortable and my feet hurt if I stand for too long. I'm still cooking dinner daily, as well as, cooking dinner for the dog (long story), and I just want someone to notice that I'm still working hard. It's not that Grant doesn't appreciate me, because I know he does, but I'm at the point right now where I need that reassurance that I'm still doing a good job. I'm sure that a huge part of it is my emotions right now, but I just feel like I'm being lazy and that it's not good enough if I just want to sit on the couch and relax. And Grant would never say that to me or make me feel like that, but it's just my emotions telling me that and letting it get the best of me.

Here's to hoping that I'm a little less emotional and not so "needy" next week...

Show Us Your Life - Pets

So, when I saw that Kelly at Kelly's Korner was hosting a "Show Us Your Life - Pets", I knew that I had to participate! As all of my readers know, Banks is my first baby, and he goes everywhere with us, so it was a no-brainer that I would participate.

Grant & I decided in August of 2008 that we might be able to get a dog. We had been talking about it for quite some time and things were slowing down for us, so we decided that it was time. Ever since we started dating, Grant had said that he wanted a Vizsla one day. He said that he had seen one once, and it was really cool, so that's what he wanted. So, I bought a book on Vizsla's, and we started to research breeders.

We found a breeder named Nancy who runs a kennel called Vizcaya Vizslas, and we got in touch with her. She had a litter on August 14th, so we were thrilled. Perfect timing for us!! We went and visited, and the puppies were so cute. I was sold. So, we picked Banks up on October 4th, 2008.

Our first family photo on the day we picked him up from the Breeder

I love this dog so much...he makes me smile when I've had a bad day, and he always knows when I've had a bad day or I'm not feeling well, and he comes over and just sits with me. He cuddles with Grant every night. He has a great temperament, and he always wants to be right by your side. He will also let you stick your hand in his food bowl while he is eating, and he'll just back up until you are finished and then come back to eat. He is so gentle, and I know that he'll be so good with Weston when he arrives. I dread thinking about the day when he'll go to Doggy Heaven, but he is only 15 months, so we've got quite some time left, I hope. :)

I'll leave you with some photos of Banks:

Sitting together after a hard day's work outside in the yard!

Sleeping with his blanket...he loves to be covered up with a blanket! :)

Waiting for his turn to find Quail at the Hunt Test

My two favorite boys, Grant & Banks

Quail Hunting

His favorite place to relax during the colder months, especially when I've just opened it to remove clothes!

Eating the cake I made him on his 1st Birthday

My First Child

As you all know, I'm SO in love with my sweet dog, Banks. Someone sent me this note called "Potential Danger of Dog Hair", and it's totally me! I'm SO crazy about my dog. I won't say that I've stopped wearing make-up or good clothes or high heels, but I do sometimes delay cooking or cleaning, so I can hang out with him more. I also buy him things before I buy myself things regularly. Does anyone else who has a dog have any of these symptoms?

Urgent Notice: Potential Danger of Dog Hair

In a press release today, the National Institute of Health has announced the discovery of a potentially dangerous substance in the hair of dogs. This substance, called "amobacter cainii" has been linked with the following symptoms in females: Reluctance to cook, clean or do housework. Reluctance to wear make-up, good clothes or high heels. Reluctance to spend money on home or car repairs until after 'Baby' has new collars, leashes, beds, treats, food, blankets or toys.

"Amobacter caninii" usually results in long hours away from home and exhaustion which may lead to a loss of physical contact with other humans (especially husbands and boyfriends). "Amobcater caninii" is thought to be addictive, driving the need for additional sources - this may lead to a "pack mentality" or like the potato chip commercial, "you can't have just one". Beware! If you come in contact with a female human infected by this substance, be prepared to talk about dogs for hours. Additional symptom is a lack of motivation to seek a cure. Full recovery is rare and if cured, serious side-effects may result.

Surgeon General's Warning: Dogs are expensive, Addictive and may impair the ability to use common sense.

I can't relate to all of these things, but I can relate to some, and dogs are expensive and addictive. I keep telling Grant that we need to get Banks a playmate! Ha-Ha! He strongly disagrees! Tomorrow I'll update you all on Bank's achievements last weekend...for now, he is off to the Breeder and headed to Montgomery, AL for a three-day dog show. Keep your fingers crossed that he gets some points and wins this weekend!

And I'll leave you with a photo that I took of my two boys this weekend...
They lay together every evening and watch TV and usually fall asleep like this. They are TOO cute, and it melts my heart that they are so close like this and Banks will sleep on his shoulder. I love them!

Falling Behind...

So, I know that I'm actually ahead of schedule when it comes to setting up the Nursery and getting everything done, but I set dates for myself to get things finished by, and I'm starting to fall behind! It should be no big deal, but I'm so Type A, that I want everything to be done like I envision. Anyways, here is my list and my revised dates. I'll be working on some things this weekend. I've removed all the items from the list that have been done for quite some time.

Weston's Room
- Wash Clothes & Hang / Organize in Closet or Dresser Drawer (1/1) - DONE
- Recover Glider (1/1) - DONE

Our House
- Deep Cleaning (1/1)
- Rearrange photos on wall in Guest Bedroom to coordinate with new furniture (11/30) - Behind
- Hang Floral Canvas prints in Dining Room (1/1)
- Hang prayer on wall in Dining Room (1/1)
- Recover Small Chair for Vanity (11/30) - DONE

Weston's Bathroom
- Hang Photos on Wall - DONE
- Put Bathroom Sign on Door - DONE

Left to Purchase
- Toothbrush Holder & Accessories for Bathroom - DONE
- Two Lamps - DONE
- White Basket for Toilet in Bathroom - DONE
- Blue Washcloths for Bathroom - DONE
- Blue Candle for Bathroom

Can someone come and do the last few things for me? I just want it to get done all on it's own without me having to do it. :(

Ebates.com

Has anyone ever heard of it? I learned about it today, and I immediately signed up. I mean, who doesn't want to get cash back from shopping?! Especially when it offers locations that I shop at regularly, especially Target! :) I'm so excited about my next purchase, so I can get money back. It's kind of like using coupons! :)

If you are interested and want to sign up, check out this link. You sign up, and we'll both get $5.00 back! And I'm not sure about you, but $5.00 adds up quick!

Weston's Nursery

So, we are pretty much finished with the nursery...we've got a few things remaining, but they are minor, so I'll go ahead and post pictures of what we've got finished. I'll post pictures of the glider when it comes back from being recovered, as well as, the lamp and bathroom when we are finished with those. But for now, I'll post some photos that I took earlier this week of Weston's Nursery!

Without further ado...

Crib w/ Initials - The pillow will go on the Glider & the step stool was made by my Grandfather, and it has his name on it! I love it! :)

Window with Valance and Side Table

Dresser w/ Name Blocks above & Diaper Cake from Shower

Sign and Frames...I have no idea what I'm going to put in the Frames!

Behind the door...Bulletin Board my mom made, so we can hang photos!

Closet Door

And that's about it...I'll post more photos later, and I'll post photos of the finished bathroom, when it's complete. I'm so thrilled with how his room turned out! :) What do you guys think?

30 Weeks

I can't believe it...I've hit the 30 week mark, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Next week, at 31 weeks, I'll be in single digit weeks. Yay!! I can't wait for Weston to get here!!

Anyways, here is my 30 week photo and update:

30 Weeks - My photographer likes to give me a shadow, but he tries real hard! :)

And Banks won't let you forget about him...this week he wanted to be FRONT and CENTER!! :)

How far along? 30 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 21 lbs. on the scale this morning when I weighed myself!
Maternity clothes? Yes...Mostly everything now, but I can wear some t-shirts that are a small, as long as, I don't mind my belly hanging out. :)
Stretch marks? Nope...crossing fingers that I don't get any! :)
Sleep: Waking up once or twice a night to go to the bathroom, but overall, sleeping fairly well.
Best moment this week: Taking classes at the hospital and hitting 30 weeks! Another major milestone!! :)
Movement: Yes! He is moving a lot, especially during the day now!
Food cravings: Hot Chocolate
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Not much this week...thankfully! :)
Belly Button in or out? In but getting more shallow
What I am looking forward to: Getting the glider back from the refinishing place and buying a lamp...our last two pieces to finish the Nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: I don't know...I don't have any!
Milestones: Making it to 30 weeks and almost to single digit weeks!! :)

This can't be happening already?!

So, I have a million things to write about including how Banks did this weekend, sharing photos of the nursery and my 30 week update; however, I don't want to write about them ALL today and not have anything to say for the rest of the week, so I've chosen one thing, and I'll pick another tomorrow!

So, we have been taking childbirth class, as well as, other classes at the hospital where we will be delivering! They've got lots of classes for first time expectant parents, and they really are helpful. Well, we went to class last week, and she mentioned that some of you might have already started leaking colostrum at this point in your pregnancy. I have had some moisture, but nothing significant, so I kind of laughed thinking "No way, will the colostrum come through my shirt at this stage." Boy, oh boy was I wrong...

Saturday after Bank's Hunt Test, Grant and I came home, and we cooked dinner and relaxed on the couch. It was a great evening together, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Before the UGA game started, we decided to clean up the kitchen together, so we wouldn't have to do it later. We finished cleaning the kitchen, and I was walking by with the dog and Grant looked at me and laughed and said, "Are you leaking already?" I was like, no way, I can't be. It must just be something that I brushed up against while we were cleaning the kitchen.

I looked down, and it was this perfect little circular dot right where it should be for leakage, so I felt inside my shirt and sure enough...I was leaking through my bra and onto my shirt. I couldn't believe it, and we both broke into fits of laughter and shock that it was happening already! I went upstairs and changed into a sports bra and pajamas, and it continued to leak through my shirt throughout the evening. Good thing I had already gotten lots of samples of disposable breast pads, because it looks like I'll need them. I'm going to start wearing them daily on my right side, because the other side doesn't seem to be leaking! I don't want to be out in public when that happens, so I'd rather wear them and be safe than not wear them and be sorry! :)

It's been one of those weeks...

...and I really have nothing new or anything exciting to post about!!

We had our first Childbirth Class last night, and we have the next one next Thursday. It was interesting, and I definitely learned some things that I didn't know and hadn't even considered regarding labor. We got to see the Birth Center at the hospital where we are delivering, and it is amazing!! The rooms are huge, and they have pull out beds and recliners, and it's just really nice! I'm excited about delivering at St. Mary's.

Waiting / Check-In Area for Visitors

It makes it all seem so real, and it'll be time for Weston to be here before I know it! I really can't wait! I have another doctor's appointment next Wednesday, as well as, more classes at the hospital. I know Grant will be ready for them to be over, because he has other things that he would rather be doing in the evenings, like hunting. :) I'll be ready too, because it makes for a long night when you have class from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

I didn't end up getting into bed last night until about 11:30 PM...I took my prenatal vitamin on an empty stomach, and I got REALLY nauseous. Grant had to go and get me some crackers and water, and I ate them in bed. Then, I finally was able to fall asleep shortly after midnight. I woke up a couple of times throughout the night, and I COULD NOT get out of bed this morning when the alarm went off. It was terrible!

I'm at work, but I'm so ready for the day to be over! I'm ready for the weekend! We are headed to another Hunt Test with Banks this weekend...keep your fingers crossed that he is able to get two qualifying scores at the test! Keep us in your T&P as we compete, because I really want to have this done before Weston gets here! :)

Thankful...

I'm not sure if any of you have seen it, but people are posting on Facebook the challenge to post what you are thankful for each day until Thanksgiving. I am thankful for SO many things, and I have so many awesome things happening in my life, but it's often that I take these things for granted, and I don't say thank you or realize how lucky I am. In the Thanksgiving spirit, I decided to take on the challenge. In the past three days since deciding to post the things that I'm thankful for, her are my daily status updates:

Tuesday: Today I am thankful for...my dog, Banks! He makes even rainy days like today where we can't go outside and play seem sunny and bright! :)

Wednesday: Today I am thankful for...the baby boy moving inside my stomach and waking me up every morning with his kicks and punches! I am so in love with him already! :)

Thursday (Today): Today I am thankful for...a wonderful, patient and understanding husband who gets up and makes me breakfast every single morning and still loves me even when I complain! :)

I'm so grateful for all of these things, and I'm grateful for so many more blessings that I have in my life! It's so important everyday not just around Thanksgiving to show your appreciation and realize how much you have and how much you should be thankful for! To keep up with this and to let everyone know what I'm thankful for...I'm going to use this as "Thankful Thursday" until Thanksgiving, and I'm going to post my status updates from the week! If you haven't already, take some time to think about what you are thankful for today...

29 Weeks & Weekend Photos

Here is my weekly quiz, and I'll follow with some photos stolen from a friend's Facebook page form this weekend!

How far along? 29 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs. at my last doctor's appointment...yikes!! I hope that I can slow down a little bit, but I guess it's not too bad!
Maternity clothes? Yes...Mostly everything now, but I can wear some t-shirts that are a small, as long as, I don't mind my belly hanging out. :)
Stretch marks? Nope...crossing fingers that I don't get any! :)
Sleep: Waking up once or twice a night to go to the bathroom, but overall, sleeping fairly well.
Best moment this week: Getting so much done in the nursery!! And making it into the 3rd trimester!! And starting classes at the hospital!
Movement: Yes! He is moving a lot, and I love it! He wakes me up every morning moving around. He must hear the alarm clock.
Food cravings: Chick-fil-a Chicken Biscuit & Dark Chocolate
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Some Braxton Hicks contractions, but that's about it! Especially when I'm moving around a lot!
Belly Button in or out? In but getting more shallow
What I am looking forward to: Childbirth Class on Thursday!
Weekly Wisdom: I don't know...I don't have any!
Milestones: Making it into the 3rd trimester!! :) And having my 2nd baby shower on Sunday! So fun!

And here are just a few pictures from this weekend...I'll add some more when I get my camera back!

Photo of my Gifts at the Shower on Sunday! :)

Photo with the Hostesses - Abby, Brandi, Laurie and Laura

Delta Zeta Sisters at Sorority - Back (L to R): Melissa, Anna & Rachel, Front (L to R): Kristy, Jamie, Me and Liz

Game Day in Athens - UGA vs. TN Tech

I'll be back with more tomorrow...

It was a great weekend...one of my friends got engaged on Friday night, so I'm now in two weddings next year and Grant is in one. They will all be next Spring, so we'll have a lot going on!

The game on Saturday was fun, because we were hanging out with friends, but it was kind of boring, because Tennessee Tech didn't even score! We had a crazy experience at Buffalo's that I'll write about more tomorrow, and the shower on Sunday was so much fun.

I had a friend who told me that she was coming to the shower, and she is a close friend of mine, and she didn't show up. She didn't even call to tell me why she couldn't make it. I'm disappointed in her and feel like she doesn't really value our friendship. She was in our wedding, and she did similar things throughout the wedding planning. She didn't make it to a Bridal Shower, because she had allergies on the day of the shower. She had already RSVP'd to that one too, and she sent me a text message to let me know. She showed up two hours late to my Bachelorette Party, and then she only stayed for about half an hour, and she invited her boyfriend to come down and meet us downtown. But whatever! I'm just not sure I know when to call it quits on a friendship where I can't rely on someone.

Anyways, I'm exhausted today! I went to bed at 9:00 PM, but I just can't keep my eyes open. I've been sneezing and congested, and I'm not sure if I'm getting sick or if it's allergies or something. I took a nap under my desk this morning, because I was so tired, and it's not even 10 AM. I left my camera at the girl's house yesterday for the Baby Shower, so I can't post any of my pictures, so I'll post pictures when I get back, and I'll write more about the fun events of the weekend when I'm feeling better.

Hope everyone has a great Monday!!

So excited...

This weekend is going to be full of tons of fun...Grant is out hunting this afternoon, so when I get home I'm going to have some time by myself to do some laundry, straightening up the house, etc. It needs to be done, because Banks isn't home for the weekend! I'm kind of sad that he isn't home, because I miss him already. It's the first weekend since we brought him home that we've been home at our house and he hasn't been here with us. He is off with the breeder in Priceville, AL this weekend at a show. Keep your fingers crossed and say some prayers that he does a good job, and he is able to win some points this weekend. I'm hoping that he wins!! For those who are curious, he has to win a certain number of points to become a "Champion" Vizsla. At that point, he will be eligible to be bred. If you want to check Banks out on the "Up & Coming Titles" page for the breeder...click on this link. He is at the bottom of the page.

On another note...we have a big weekend planned. We have friends coming into town tomorrow, and we'll be tailgating and hanging out for the UGA vs. TN Tech Homecoming game. Then, I have a Friend Baby Shower on Sunday afternoon, and I'm SO excited about it! Yay! :)

Here are some photos of my friends that are coming into town this weekend:Melissa & I at mine & Grant's Engagement Cook-Out...She'll be bringing her wonderful boyfriend, Marc

Melissa, Rachel, Me & Jamie at a Sorority Sister's Wedding - We'll all be hanging out tomorrow!! :)

Me & Anna at our Sorority Big Sister's Bachelorette Party in 2007

Rachel (My Sorority Lil Sis) & I at her Wedding in January 2009

Kristy & I at my Around the Clock Shower in April 2009

I can't wait to see my friends tomorrow!! :)

Update on October Goals & November Goals

So, here is the list of my October Goals and how I did...

1.) Complete ALL of my Christmas Shopping - I didn't get this finished, unfortunately! I was busy working on other things, so I didn't have a chance to get all of this done. I only have two people left though, and they'll be fairly quick and easy to buy for. I'm planning on doing the buying for them either the weekend before or weekend after Thanksgiving. Then I'll be done!!

2.) Finish painting and decorating that Nursery - DONE

3.) Thank You Cards Written - DONE

4.) Finish decorating the bathroom and organize the closets - DONE

So, all in all I think that I did pretty well in October, so let's see if I can do that well in November! Here are my November goals:
1.) Finish Christmas Shopping

2.) Prepare remaining Christmas Cards and mail on Monday, November 30th

3.) Complete ALL remaining items on To Do List except recovering Glider - See list in below post!

4.) Write Thank You Notes for 2nd Baby Shower by Monday, November 16th - Shower is on Sunday, November 8th