Friends: Old & New

What a whirlwind of a past few weeks! I can tell that summer is definately getting into full swing around here...and it's not even Memorial Day yet! The past couple weeks have been spent doing some things long overdue like catching up with old friends. First, there was dinner and an engagement party for a bestie from high school & her fiance--Alli & Joe. Congrats again! We ran into more old pals there and it ended up being an excellent night with great conversation and many laughs. A few days later I got a text from my old college roomie, Kaleigh, who moved down to Georgia after school. I've only seen her twice since, so I was very eager to reunite! We met for a long lunch this past week and it was like we never skipped a beat. She even came out again this weekend to a bonfire with some other friends. Now that she's a citygirl, we had to give her a gentle reminder of how a bunch of small-town hillbillies get down. Nothing accomplishes that better than a few beers (for everyone else but me) around a bonfire down by the creek, accessible only by quad or 4-wheel drive. We stayed up late (ok, probably way too late for a preggo) and had so much fun I want this girl to move back! 

And of course I can't forget about my new pal! That's right, I had my very first 'blate' this past weekend! Kristen over at Living, Learning and Loving Lorenz is the sweetest, most genuine girl I have ever met! Seriously, girlfriend came over Friday afternoon and even brought a present for Baby S! We stopped in Saugatuck for some lunch at the Mermaid, walked the boardwalk, and spent the rest of the afternoon telling stories and saying things like "I can't believe how not-weird this is!" Of course I knew that no girl who was married on the exact same day and shares a love of labs could be weird. Kristen and her hubby Jason recently moved down to our neck of the woods from Northern Michigan. Both husband and I look forward to getting to know them better!

I can't express how grateful I am for these good times! It's easy to slip into a slump when you're pregnant--life seems to keep going on around you, but half of the time you're too tired or sick to stay up late and do what everyone else is doing go to the bar. I needed these days--for my own sanity! Work has been absolutely nuts again, so it feels good to take a breather and catch up with the girls. I have my 'friends' baby shower this weekend at my bestie Lindsey's, and I'm really looking forward to it!

bumpdate 26-30

Wait, what?! 30 weeks? Oh lawd!



Baby, what baby? Gee, I don't look tired at all, ugh!

THAT baby!


It's been a long, fast month again. One of those where it went by so fast, though it seems like forever ago, ya know? We got our results from the last ultrasound back, and let's just say it wasn't what we were hoping to hear. The swelling in her right kidney stayed the same (at 4mm), but the left one did get bigger. Lefty clocks in around 7mm, and they start to get concerned when they reach around 10mm. At this point, the doctor says there's nothing we can do for the rest of the pregnancy, only that she'll get a few scans after she's born and the pedi will decide how to go from there. If you know me, this is probably the most frustrating thing. I'm all about solutions, solving problems, and moving forward. This, however, happens to be one of those wait-and-see things that is completely out of my control--not something I deal well with. Doc did say he didn't think any further ultrasounds would be necessary, which completely freaks me out, but I guess I have to trust him. Sure, I could go get a "second opinion," but what good would that do? This is not something that can be fixed while she's still in there, so it doesn't make any sense to worry about it until she's out. Right? Right.

In other news, we did finally get the 4th wall of the crib up (yay) and we spent all day Saturday in Childbirth Education class. Yes, we...as in husband did accompany me, much to his dismay. What a strange ordeal. We were one of 4 couples in the class (the teacher's smallest class ever), and one lady who was a second time mother found it necessary to also bring her mother, in addition to her love child's assbackwards father. They were quite an entertaining trio. We learned a lot about our options, so it was well-worth the time (even Ross agreed).



Ross setting up



Elvis "helping"


How far along? 29 weeks 6 days


Total weight gain: +23lbs (ish)


Maternity clothes? Oh yes! I've been trying to work in as many of my regular tops yet...though I have a feeling they're going to be so stretched out by the end of this that I'll never wear them again :( I received some hand-me-downs for the summer earlier in my pregnancy and they were just big enough that I thought they'd fit just fine...I'll be lucky if I can button those puppies anymore though!

Sleep: When I get to sleep, it's good. This waking up in the middle of the night to pee business, on the other hand, is not my friend. I keep wondering 'what if i actually don't wake up and pee the bed, what would my husband say?' I guess it's best that I get up a few times, huh ;)

Best moment this week: Literally being knocked so hard in the side I had to stop what I was doing. We have a feisty one here!

Miss Anything? My energy. By the end of the day I just feel so zapped. The weekends are great though, I do so much better with a little nap mid-day. I cannot wait until these long days at work are over!

Movement: Most often between 9-11, just after lunch, and from dinner until bedtime. Every once and a while she'll start banging around in there while I'm in bed, but it's nothing that wakes me up.

Food cravings: My appetite is out of whack again. Babe seems to want all things fruity & cold...or cereal & oreos. We've been indulging in a lot of homemade yogurt & frozen fruit smoothies around here.

Anything making you queasy or sick: She still likes it hot & spicy, which is getting hard on my guts!

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: I had another few BH contractions recently, but I've noticed they only happen when I don't have enough water.

Symptoms:  Nothing out of the ordinary. I have noticed though that when I have to "go", I have to go RIGHT NOW!

Belly Button in or out?  In, but barely. I was bit by a mosquito right in my belly button this weekend and it drove me crazy!

Wedding rings on or off? On, but definitely getting tighter some days.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy mixed quite frequently with "worried" and "anxious".

Looking forward to: My first shower on May 19th! I feel like it's so late, but I guess my last one is June 23rd. I don't know what the deal is with my family...I'm just so anxious to fill her room, but now I have to wait! Do you sense a theme here--I don't do well with waiting! Maybe the good Lord is trying to teach me a lesson?

put down the cheese and back away slowly...

Forget nesting. What I have is a serious pantry problem.

Ever since I started couponing a while back, my hoarding instincts get kicked into overdrive with every trip to Meijer. I don't think I blogged about it here {probably because you all would have thought I was a freak}, but first there was the day I bought 15 packages of Kraft cheese {sliced, shredded, & cream} because I could save $40 if I did.

Then there's the every time I get stuck in the cereal aisle with no less than 5-8 boxes in my cart. Paying more than $2 for a box of cereal is a crime! Stock up while it's hot! Ugh, they always get me because cereal is always on sale and you can stack coupons like a crazy person to get the best deals. Not to mention we go through a TON of cereal at our house. Ross will maybe have a bowl here and there, but Baby is the one who really likes it. So much that I have to haul out the big bowl every morning and smack myself before I even think about heading back for seconds. It's not unheard of to go through a box in 3-4 days at our house. A decent sized box. 

So, when I placed my third dozen eggs in the fridge this afternoon, it dawned on me that I might have a problem.

Then, when I was putting things my gazillion boxes of cheerios away, I found jars upon jars of outdated queso and thought "I really must have a problem."

When was the last time I had queso? Oh yea, first trimester. Piled high with Frank's Red Hot. Loved that shit.

 I'm not sure whether it's a shopping problem, an eating disorder, or a I-like-to-obsess-over-how-organized-my-pantry-is problem...but something here is not right.

But then I look at the 27 boxes of rice-a-roni that are all facing the same direction, lined up like little soldiers and organized by flavor and date and think "there is nothing wrong with this." I must provide for my family! I WILL use it all before it goes BAD, right?

Wrong. Look what happened with the queso. It's expired! Nobody will ever get to enjoy it, and here it sits taking up room on my shelf! Room that could be better used for the canned mushrooms that I buy in bulk from Costco, or jars of pizza sauce!

Maybe this post would be better titled, "My name is Gina, and I have a problem." Regardless, something has got to change around here. There needs to be limits. Obviously, my organization skills are lacking. Must. brush. up. on. organization. skills. before. child. comes.

Which leads me to....must. organize. child's. room!

Crap!

The cycle continues. Will it ever stop??

I remind you of WHO?!

Today I'm linking up with the fabulous Raven @ A Momma's Desires and Pacifiers for "Who's Your Doppelgänger?" I'll be honest, I wasn't even going to play at first...until I saw her matches and started wondering about my own. I used this site to generate the matches below. You have to try this with more than one pic...some of the results are hilarious! All I can say is that if my little baby girl comes out looking like John McCain, somebody shoot me.

First try, not bad. Kristanna Loken (think Terminator 3), I'll take. Same with SJP and Hilary. I always knew I had a little Carrie in me. As for Tara Reid, let's just say she wouldn't be on here if it was a waist-up shot. I won't even start with Ms. Weaver. Maybe in 50 years.



I tried it on my little sister and got more favorable results.

Then I tried the other half of my pic with my sister, thinking if her results were this good--that mine would be even better...but no. Effing Bruce Willis, Fred Durst & John McCain. WTF! It must be that glaring forhead that gives me away, because these dudes have NO HAIR! I know some girls are into that sort of thing, but gawd, NOT ME!

Don't be fooled, I tried it again with another pic and got the same thing. A bunch of old, bald guys. Ewwie.

We're making progress!

Whoa it has been quite the day!

First, a HUGE congratulations to our good friends Stef & Andy, who welcomed their second adorable daughter, Alyssa Grace, into the world yesterday afternoon! She is absolutely beautiful, and big sister Kaitlyn is so proud! I was so happy to sneak in some snuggle time this morning after my OB appointment next door :) I rely on Stef a ton for tips, and answers to "is this normal?" I'm so thankful for her, and looking forward to "practicing" more with Alyssa!

Which brings me to more news...I passed my glucose test this morning! Yippeee! Doc said I passed so easily, and that I must be getting everything I need because the rest of my #s (iron, all that other good stuff) looked good too! Today was the first time he actually hauled out the tape measure and measured the 'ol belly, and he said I'm measuring right on track. Plus, I've gained approximately 18 lbs! I was worried because so many people have been giving me the "that's all the bigger you are at this point?" looks & questions. Stupid to care what they think, I know. He says I should be happy to carry the way I am since I'm so tall, and it's just the short people and the opinioned folks that are jealous :) So there! {At least it makes me feel better}

I did make a point to ask him about Miss S's kidneys--if it was just one, or if both were dilated. Sadly, he said both...but he did say it was barely "moderate," whatever that means. He's confident it will clear up on his own, but we have scheduled another ultrasound to monitor it. I go back in a week and a half, on 4/23. I do feel much better about it after hearing a friend of mine's daughter has the same thing, and that she's doing just fine {she still has it I guess--only very low grade} at 11 months old.

We also scheduled our Childbirth Education class! I say class, not classes, because our hospital only offers an all-day Saturday class. Not ideal if you ask me, but it should get the job done. We officially become "educated" May 5th!

As for the nursery, we have a little {err..LOT of} work to do. My mom came over last weekend to help me shampoo the carpets, so at least we're at the point of having a "clean slate" to work with right now. We actually painted the room a nice shade of chocolate brown {it's a sunny corner room} over a year ago--I'm so thankful not to have to worry about that! Maybe a future post on our progress later?

See? Lots being done. Sort of. Gaaahhh, there's just so much left though!

Seriously though, look at all this progress!
 

Holy cow! 26 weeks!!! That first shot makes me almost want to cry!!! Someday, maybe someday again. Note to self: husband is no longer allowed to touch the camera...I don't know what he does to make it so blurry!

bumpdate: weeks 21-25

OH MY LANTA. How did I let this go for so long? Busy, perhaps? Yikes. Life has been wild lately. This pregnancy is moving at the speed of light and it's starting to make me so weepy that in 10-14 short weeks, it will all be over! I am beginning to take time for myself here and there everyday to sit and reflect on this little miracle inside me. Seems that this "alone time" is just what I needed! I can't tell you how much I enjoy watching her little dance parties in my belly. This girl is quite the mover & shaker! Ross has been quite busy at work, and putting up their new barn most nights so he doesn't get home until after 10p. For some strange reason I'm starting to turn into a bit of a night owl, and am functioning {semi-normally} on less and less sleep. Must be the ol' bod's way to preparing me for motherhood! Between all these physiological and psychological changes, we've also been speaking with the realtor about the land we're looking, and possibly listing our house. I never thought I would see the day where we showed our home with even as much as a half-hearted intention of selling--especially while pregnant. What are we thinking?! Eh, really we haven't made any solid decisions yet, so the whole idea is still up in the air. Still, it has required cleaning and prep everytime this guy comes over to talk!

Ross has been great with helping out lately. I'm not sure what has happened, really. I was only gone for a few days in TN, but it was the first time that I've left him home. Usually it's the other way around--he goes out for work, or hunting. I was welcomed back with so much love and appreciation, and a clean house! It's like a "what have you done with my husband" sort of thing, but I'll take it! Maybe he sees that I can't quite accomplish all my responsibilities as well as I used to, and that I'm starting to slow down a bit. I don't know. His graciousness has thrown me for a loop, and I find myself with that feeling of "what more can I do for him" that brings me back to the days when we were first dating. I love it, and really felt the need to make a little note here on the ol' blog. You know, for the days when I feel like I've absolutely lost my mind and am going this alone? Not going to lie, it happens. Especially when he's working long hours. When you are the boss, you work around the clock. There's always "go-sees" and "bids" that need to be done even after the sun has set. At least I know when the sun sets he has to stop nailing boards and setting posts!

Anways, here's the good stuff you've been waiting for {you know, to see how much weight I've put on and what sort of monumental meltdowns have gone down in the past month}  kidding.

How far along? 25 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain: a whopping 17-ish pounds! we have a quickly growing babe here, folks!

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. I've got quite a few tops that still work, but the ever growing belly is quite visible now. Jeans are out of the question. Since the weather has been warming up, I'm loving dresses and maxi skirts for work. Thankfully, she's been carrying "like a boy" {what everyone has been telling me at least} and is mostly out front. Weeks ago, I thought I looked weird, but now I'm loving this belly!

Sleep: Starting to get worse. I have found myself functioning on less sleep, and going to bed much later. I don't know what's going on, but it's not so bad I guess. Better than going to bed at 8p like I did in the beginning!

Best moment this week: Video taping one of Miss S's dance parties. She is so active, and her kicks are quite visible! I can't wait to show my family at Easter how funny she is!

Miss Anything? I can't say that I do. While a nice cold beer has sounded pretty good lately, I'm not really feeling like I'm missing out on anything. I've been strangely optimistic lately--and I'm digging that!

Movement: All the time! Ross thinks I'm obsessed--and I might just be. It is so reassuring to see her wiggling around in there. I can tell when she reacts to loud noises, or Ross's voice. She already loves her Papi!

Food cravings: I've been having the "I don't know what I feel like eatings" lately. Cereal seems to do the trick nicely though. Still loving anything hot & spicy too. Last night I did catch myself making a preggo snack of a pickle spear on a piece of bread with a slice of cheese and mustard. And I liked it! I have also been doing some irrational food-hoarding lately. Like I won't make something specific because I "need to save it". I don't know what for?

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, thankfully. I do get really antsy when I go too long without a snack though. It is then that I generally end up making poor food choices that make me gain 7 lbs in one month.

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: let the waddling begin! The chiropractor really helped my SIJ feel better, but I'm starting to slow down and look weird getting up off the couch/bed.

Belly Button in or out? Flat! Also very weird looking, but I kind of like it. It's kind of like a sterotypical pregnancy look--but it's a cool little milestone to finally have that I suppose.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy! ....and so sappy! I've been wandering around with a perma-grin lately. Maybe it was the time off that helped me mellow out. Whatever it is, it's working!

Looking forward to: Easter weekend with the family. I have another appointment next Friday 4/13 for my glucose test, ack! {yes, somehow my appointments always get scheduled on "strange" days---2/29, Friday the 13th...not that I'm superstitious or anything, but yikes!} Looking forward to hearing more about what the doc has to say about her kidneys. Last time I was in too much shock to ask any questions, so I want to find out which one/both, and I'll have an opportunity to schedule the ultrasound appointment for 28 weeks.

I will try and get some more pics up this weekend! You'd think that having the internet and all, I'd have that all sorted out {not!} Sorry :(

Tennessee Weekend

I'm baaaack!

Last week Thursday, my mom and I ventured on down to Tennessee to visit my cousin and her husband for a few days. I was a little unsure how well I would do traveling (even if it is only 9 hours) given the constant urge to pee and/or get up and walk around, but it wasn't bad at all! We stayed overnight near the Edinburgh outlet mall so we could do some shopping in the morning before hitting the road again. The weather was awesome...80-85 degrees & sunny every day! 

Cruisin through Kentucky

We stayed with my cousin Tammy & her husband Ken just outside Nashville in a town called Goodletsville. They have the most gorgeous home nestled up in the hills of a private golf course--I couldn't believe the view! It was so refreshing to see the trees and flowers in full bloom as Michigan hasn't quite reached that point yet.

views from K & T's

Turns out, we went down there at just the right time....the grand reopening of Opry Mills indoor outlet mall :) I swear we shopped 12 hours on Saturday, I literally had to buy new shoes (of course they are leopard print Sperrys) because my feet ached so bad! We scored some major deals!

Ken played tour guide on Sunday, and after church we got to see where all the stars live in Sumner County. We saw Reba's estate & riding stables on the Cumberland river, Loretta Lynn's family home (literally a 1/2 mile from my cousin's), the school where Taylor Swift shot part of one of her videos, Conway Twitty's, Lorrie Morgan's, and my favorite--the remains of Johnny Cash's estate that burned after one of the Bee Gee's tried to renovate it. It was so weird to see that these celebs lived so close to us "normal" folk. I'm not sure what else I was expecting though.

Reba's horse barn

Side view of Reba's property

More of Reba's old farms...named after her label, Starstruck

Some random house, but this is what I think of when I hear "Southern Homes". Just like in Sweet Home Alabama...close nuff.

Shoot...I forget who lives here...

The sign in Johnny Cash's brother's house...next door

The Cash estate...burned

Strange, you could still see much of the burned remains after all these years.

This was once Lorrie Morgan's Liberty House

Conway Twitty's "Twitty City"

Ugh. Such a sickening picture. It was about 2pm and I hadn't had lunch yet...not happy! {Outside Conway Twitty's}

Hard Rock Cafe downtown Nashville

Great American County drive by

Tootsies on Broadway--apparently lots of celebs are spotted here

Loretta Lynn's family home. Guess she was just a coal miner's daughter?

random..Loretta's grandbabies' treehouse

The Ryman!

All in all, we had a great time. We left Monday afternoon, and stayed overnight near Indianapolis on the way back. I could have probably made the whole trip, but my mom was pretty pooped too. So much traveling, driving, shopping, and family time! I need a vacation from vacation! Next time I will be taking Ross, he was so bummed he couldn't come along--Nashville is right up his alley! It was my first trip away from him {usually he's the one going on hunting/work trips away from me} and at first I wasn't sure how it would go over. The day I left he wanted nothing to do with saying goodbye, and told me he needed a vacation from me! Crazy boy must have gotten over it, because my phone was ringing a couple of times a day with him "checking in". He must have done ok...I got home and there was a new work truck in the driveway and he had cleaned the entire house, including the nursery! No joke, I thought I died and went to heaven...absence must really make the heart grow fonder...did I mention I love vacation?