World Series Weekend

As you can imagine, our weekend was started off right with Game 7 of the World Series. We headed down to my parents' house once again for dinner and the game...Hey, it worked the night before and we weren't about to do anything to mess it up!

Before dinner we took advantage of the gorgeous sunset and the fall color at my parents' house...I had intentions of trying to include Bogey in a family photo but all we ended up with was a flash of yellow dog! So...our family of 3 it is...

My mom & dad were all decked out as well...and of course they could include their pup since you can just put her in your arms!

The fall color in Southwest Missouri seems to be at its prime! The local news seemed to think that we might not have much color because of the ridiculously hot & dry summer we had...but I think God did his thing anyway!

Look at that color! It's stunning when the sun hits it just right!

After a quick dinner we settled in for 9 innings of baseball. Hubby & my dad were a bundle of nerves for most of the game....

but then it turned into a little bit of this...

as we watched this on tv...

St. Louis Cardinals...2011 World Series Champions!!!

After the emotional roller coaster that was Game 6, Game 7 almost seemed a little anti-climactic; but hey, a win's a win and I'll take it! It's always fun to have a team to route for...but even more fun to be routing for the winning team!

Saturday I had to work and my alarm came early after a late night the night before. Thankfully we had no afternoon plans so after work and a quick lunch I headed to bed for a nice long nap. We ran some errands during the late afternoon before heading to dinner and our first college basketball game of the season. We are season ticketholders this year for the Missouri State Bears and I'm already looking forward to the games. However, it was a little crazy to go from baseball on Friday night, straight into basketball on Saturday night. I guess you could say our family is into sports! ha!

Today was a lazy Sunday which was certainly fine by me! We went to church, had lunch at home, and then I did a little bit of couponing and crafting. I'm working on a fabric, canvas, and embroidery hoop project for Elyse's walls and I'm getting excited to see how it looks when it's finished! Just another thing to check-off my to-do list!

It's a pretty crazy week for us as tomorrow is Trunk or Treat at church, Tuesday is my friends' shower, and then my mom and I are headed to Kansas City at the end of the week for Women of Faith! Hopefully I can stay caught up on my sleep!

"Freese" Friday

Once again...for all of you who either don't watch baseball at all or don't live in Missouri or Texas, or who happened to prefer sleep over staying up and feeling your blood pressure rise & fall like a roller coaster...you may not understand.

But last night was Game 6 of the World Series, and boy was it a doozy! Hubby & I spent the evening watching the game at my parents' house, because let's be honest...it's just more fun to watch a big game with other people. Hubby & my dad were hilarious with their bipolar attitudes of confidence and defeat, utter frustration and ecstatic joy!

We had all but written of a championship this year when Mr. David Freese steps to the plate and delivers the first miracle in the bottom of the 9th. Lance Berkman was responsible for the tying miracle in the bottom of the 10th...and then once again, in the bottom of the 11th Mr. Freese decided it was time for us all to go to bed. Walk off homerun!

St. Louis Cardinals

It was seriously one of the most frustrating and emotional games I've ever watched...I'm just glad I'm not further along in this pregnancy. My Cardiac Cardinals may have sent me into early labor!

Game 7 tonight for all the marbles...I just hope that maybe Mr. Rally Squirrel will give us some momentum just one more time!

Elyse Love ~ 32 Weeks!

32w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've debated about sharing my actual weight gain, but figure at this point...what the heck! So, as of our dr's appointment today, I'm up 30 lbs total. Not anything wonderful, but definitely manageable. I keep going back to the fact that the majority of my weight gain came during the 2nd trimester and I'm making much better & different eating decisions now compared to then.

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann!

Movement: Moving, moving, moving! She certainly seems to have those times during the day when she moves more than others & I'm starting to quickly pick up on those things that make her move much more. I'm certainly not going to act as if I've completely cut out sugar or caffeine, and when I have those things she's certainly on the move. It's crazy to sit at the dinner table or at my desk at work and literally watch my stomach move back and forth as she does her gymnastics in my belly.

Sleep: Sleeping is definitely something I look forward to each day. While my energy level is low after a day of work or after working around the house, it's not an energy level which makes me want to fall asleep...it's one where I just want to sit and rest. I sleep really well for the first 6ish hours of the night, but after I get up for my bathroom break I seem to toss and turn until my alarm goes off.

What I miss: My energy! and doing things without losing my breath. Since Elyse is getting so much bigger and she has so little room, I seem to be short of breath so much easier. Even just gathering up my things and getting into my car for work can make me tired and out of breath. Seriously! These last 8 weeks are definitely going to force me to rest when I need to rest and work when I feel at my absolute best.

Cravings: still craving free! I've filled our fridge and pantry with lots of healthy options so I don't have to even be tempted by the unhealthy snacks...of course that doesn't count the homemade cherry pie! Thanks mom! ha! These next 8 weeks are going to bring SOOO many opportunities for yummy goodies...it's all about moderation and control, because you better believe I won't be completely missing out on all the holiday foods!

Symptoms: The tiredness is my most obvious symptom, but there are other small symptoms like occasional heartburn, weakness, and an aching body that definitely make me feel 8 months pregnant! I hate to complain about any of these issues...but this is life right now, and there are certainly times when it's hard for this girl. I'm normally a go-go-go kind of girl, and that just isn't possible right now.

Maternity Clothes: Practically everything...the dress I'm wearing in this week's photo is actually something I had before I was pregnant. I'm thankful that a lot of the fashion trends right now are loose-fitting, empire-waisted, knit dresses with leggings. It makes my daily wardrobe much more comfortable and I still feel cute all at the same time! And feeling cute is definitely a big accomplishment at this point! ;o)

Best Moment this week: It's been pretty low-key, which has been really nice with my lack of energy. We had another dr's appointment today and hearing the heartbeat is always a big event! Even with all of her movement, it's always so reassuring to hear Elyse's heartbeat!

Baby To-Do List: Game 6 of the World Series was postponed due to weather last night so that means we've had Tuesday & Wednesday to work inside and check a few things off the list. I've pretty much got the nursery as organized as it can be with what I have and we've been working on some of the wall-decor. There are still several things to purchase, but that will have to wait until Nov. 1 when Elyse's Dave Ramsey envelope gets replenished! ha! I've got a goal of having most everything done by Thanksgiving...so we'll see!

And of course...the belly pic. Thank goodness for leggings!

Strike a Pose @ 30 Weeks

Hubby & I had some more maternity photos taken about 2 weeks ago and we've got the proofs back! I seriously couldn't be more pleased with the results! Erica Turner @ Turner Creative Photography did an incredible job of capturing my beautiful growing belly while still making me feel like a sexy super model!

These are a preview from her Facebook page...I may post more once we have rights to the images, but for now I'll certainly just let the pictures speak for themselves.

And FYI, if you're really interest in my 31 week Elyse Love update...I posted it here last night...

All photos courtesy of Turner Creative Photography

Unfortunately...A 3-Day Weekend

As you can probably tell with my lack of a pregnancy update on Thursday, sometimes things just don't go as planned. An extra busy day at work, followed by a busy Thursday evening meant no time to get a post up and while I had good intentions to post it on Friday...my body had other ideas.

I woke up Friday with an achy body, weakness, and just an overall sickly feeling. It didn't take long for me to realize that work wasn't going to be in the plans and I resigned myself to spending the rest of the day in bed. What I didn't expect was that about half-way through the day Hubby would join me. He had been fighting his typical allergy symptoms and after some serious pushing, finally called the doctor. Apparently he most likely has bronchitis...Yippee for us! He came home right after lunch and relieved my mom who had been babysitting me for most of the morning just to make sure I was going to be ok. Just a note...I called my OB's office and none of my symptoms were anything they were concerned with, just something that had to run it's course.

We had originally planned on a nice date night out...but our nice dinner out quickly turned into Little Caesar's Pizza takeout and a Redbox. Still a nice date night, but not quite what either one of us had in mind.

Thankfully, we both woke up on Saturday feeling quite a bit better and we decided to continue on with our original Saturday/Sunday plans...a quick roadtrip to Kansas City to visit my brother & sister-in-law. I am SOOOO glad we were both feeling better because we had a fabulous time! We met up at their apartment and did a little bit of Elyse shopping yesterday afternoon while my sister-in-law finished up her short shift at work. Then after a quick rest for me, we headed out for a bit more Elyse shopping and a nice dinner at a local brewery...Gordon Biersch.

We had a wonderful meal on their outside patio and it was so great to hang out with them . Normally we don't get to spend much time with them on our own so that was certainly a welcome change! We finished off the evening with the eventual STL Cardinals blow-out win against the Rangers...it truly was fun to watch Albert Pujols have such an incredible game!

This morning we had a great breakfast at Mimi's Cafe (it was Hubby & I's first time, because we don't have one anywhere closeby), did a bit of outlet shopping for Elyse where we picked up a couple more adorable outfits, and then headed home.

I'm so thankful for the quick little roadtrip and I can't wait until my little brother graduates from law school and they move back closer to home. Something tells me Nick & Millie are going to be an incredible aunt & uncle to our precious baby girl!

*My little bro & I...(not sure what's up with that picture, it doesn't look like that before I upload it! )

Elyse Love ~ 31 Weeks

Catching up a little...

31w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: We'll find out for sure on Wednesday, but I still feel pretty good about my overall weight gain. My belly seems to keep growing out instead of putting on extra pounds in my face/arms/legs/etc. All that weight seemed to come on in the 2nd trimester, so it's nice to think that all the weight I'm gaining right now is true baby weight.

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann!

Movement: Wow, I can't really even describe how much movement I feel each day. Thankfully she's not keeping me up at night at this point, but some evenings it's hard to relax because she's moving so much. I can't imagine how cramped she must be getting in there! I'm not gonna lie, there are brief moments when I think..."geez, baby girl...why don't you just calm down a bit!" but then I remind myself that it's a wonderful sign to have such an active baby.

Sleep: Sleep has been better this week compared to last...maybe it has something to do with the fact that I think my energy switch has been flipped to the "OFF" position. My energy level declines rapidly so I'm extremely thankful that sleep seems to come fairly easily.

What I miss: My energy! Seriously, a switch was flipped between the 1st & 2nd trimester when my energy came back...and now that same switch has been flipped again as my energy is GONE! It's incredibly hard for me as I'm normally a go, go, go kind of girl. Thankfully I've got lots of support around me who practically force me to take it easy when I start to overdo it.

Cravings: Just food...my snacking continues to be healthy which I feel like is a big success. Almonds, cheese sticks, yogurt, fresh fruit, and graham crackers are my snacks of choice...normally some combination of all of them. I figure that's a good habit to be in, my snacks definitely don't need to become cookies & milk or chips & dip!

Symptoms: I'm definitely feeling 8 months pregnant at this point in our adventure. I'm afraid that the aches & pains and lack of energy and shortness of breath have all come to stay. I had a fairly long conversation on the phone at work today and I was even out of breath after that conversation. Geez...it's kind of ridiculous! We've also shortened our nighttime walks again...tonight we walked just under a mile because my poor body just can't take much more than that!

Maternity Clothes: Practically everything...I've even been resorting to Hubby's t-shirts as lounge clothes for some evenings. Thankfully I've got several options and with the weather turning cooler this week I'll be able to throw on a loose-fitting cardigan with most oufits and be good to go.

Best Moment this week: It's been a pretty laid back week, but my mom and I did meet up on Wednesday to check some things off the to-do list for the nursery. We ordered the rug, bought some of the items for the wall decor, bought fabric for some other projects and made decisions regarding the closet organization & a variety of other things. Thankfully I'm not feeling quite so overwhelmed with what I have to do! We also got all the proofs back from our maternity pictures and I'm so excited to share some of them with you! Hopefully that will be another post this week...

Baby To-Do List: Hubby's got a bit of a honey-do list, but that will have to wait for a night when the Cardinals aren't playing...so hopefully tomorrow night we'll get a few things taken care of when the World Series has an off night. ha! I've got lots of help with my precious momma and she's made me feel much better about the progress we're making in the nursery. I've got a goal of having most everything done by Thanksgiving...so we'll see!

And of course...the belly pic. Hubby decided to try a bit of a different angle this week!

And yes...she really is as much out in front as it looks like she is!

not just playing house

Do you ever have those times when you sit back for a moment and consider your life and feel like you're just playing house? That the life that you are living and walking through each day couldn't possibly be reality? That maybe all of this is just a big game, similar to those you played when you were a child where you assigned who was going to be the mommy, the daddy, & the baby...and maybe even the puppy (if you were playing house with your little brother)?

I have those moments every once in awhile where I think about where I am and it seems that there isn't anyway that I'm old enough or mature enough to be doing what I'm doing or to have the life I'm living. Am I really old enough to own my home (or at least be making payments on it)? Or be married to the man of my dreams? Or be in the process of preparing to welcome a new precious life into this world? Sometimes it all just feels like a dream, or maybe just a very long, extended version of playing house.

Last night Hubby basically forced me to sit down in the recliner and relax while he cleaned up dinner...normally this is a joint effort, but Elyse seems to be taking more than her fair share of my energy lately. As I sat there in the stillness, simply listening to Hubby unload the dishwasher, rinse the dishes, and wipe down the counters...I was reminded at what an incredibly blessed life I have been given.

I remember when we were first married and living together in our very own house that in the beginning it felt a little like going away to camp, or maybe on an extended vacation...except it was our life, our very real life with ups & downs and smiles & frowns and fighting & making up. We weren't playing house at being husband & wife...we were living every second of every day in that new-found relationship. This wasn't make-believe anymore.

As I sat there last night for just a few short moments, with our baby girl doing somersaults & cartwheels in my belly, I was able to pause and consider the fact that in just a little over 8 weeks....life as we know it is going to completely change, to never ever be the same. We won't be playing house talking about our future with a baby, we'll have one of our very own. We have absolutely NO idea what we're doing, but again there'll be smiles & frowns and long sleepless nights & long mid-morning naps and certainly lots of ups & downs.

And prayer...lots and lots of prayer.

We won't be playing house at being mommy & daddy...those will be our new titles and ones that will be permanently attached to us. Names that I will accept with great anxiety & fear, but also excitement & joy at the precious blessing God is about to bring into this world.

And maybe playing house when you're an adult can be just as fun as playing it when you're a little girl.

A beautiful reminder that for us Spring & Summer are moving into Autumn & Winter...a sweet bouquet for Elyse & I from my Aunt Belinda. Some of her last rose blooms before the frost takes them all...

From the Wild Card to the World Series

Well it seems that the rally squirrel has struck again...the St. Louis Cardinals are National League Champions and are headed to the World Series! Woohoo!

Even without the baseball excitement, Hubby & I had a fabulous weekend! We spent Friday evening at my parents' house with a delicious meal and the Cardinals' game on the big screen. And it was the first of two wins for the weekend!

Bogey got to visit as well...he was pretty excited about it!

Two of my favorite guys sporting their rally squirrel shirts & rally towels!

Saturday morning I worked in Elyse's room trying to make myself feel organized and Hubby ran a few errands before we headed out to run several more errands. We had originally planned to stay at home, but afternoons are when I feel the best and seem to have the most energy so I hated to waste a perfectly good afternoon by laying around. We picked up several things for Elyse, made a few returns, and had a yummy lunch at Which Wich!

We finished off our Saturday with a very casual gathering with our small group. I took absolutely no photos, but we had a fabulous time just hanging out and relaxing with a fun cook-out. We also played a quite hilarious game of Taboo to end the night, I honestly haven't laughed that hard in a very, very LONG time!

I might not have taken any people photos...but I was in charge of dessert...

and no, I didn't take these three things separately...

Thanks to Pinterest, I combined them all into the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie 'n Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar...yup, a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, a layer of double stuffed oreos, and a layer of brownie batter! Seriously, death by chocolate...and delicious!

I also took some leftovers that I had requested at my parents' house the night before...Homemade Butterfinger Bites. Another big hit, and Pinterest success...but I first saw these on my friend Joelle's blog! They were so easy & the perfect bite-size treat!

Yesterday Hubby & I headed to church, followed it up with nursery duty, spent the afternoon around the house and then headed to small group for the evening. Of course probably the main event last night was the baseball game...the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Milwaukee Brewers in game 6 of the NLCS! I'm so happy to report that this was the scene in the locker room...

from http://www.news-leader.com/

We're headed to the World Series against some improbably odds...at least we've got home field advantage!

The "infamous" Rally Squirrel

In our house we bleed Cardinal red...St. Louis Cardinal red to be exact. For those of you who aren't baseball fans, or STL fans, or have just been simply living under a rock...our beloved Cardinals are playing in the National League Championship Series. Against some crazy odds, our team found their way into the Wild Card spot and are now only 2 wins away from heading to te World Series! Yippee!

With such an improbable run, fans have been looking for almost any superstition to "rally" around...and this year...it's the Rally Squirrel. Here's the video clip to illustrate just why the squirrel has become such an important secondary mascot to us Cardinal Fans!

Apparently the grounds' crew captured at least 4 of these little guys from inside the ballpark...guess those squirrels love the peanuts just as much as we do!


It's been a bit of a phenomenon as the stadium is selling small stuffed rally squirrels at the sounvenir stands, passing out Rally Squirrel towels to the fans in attendance, and one report says that the Rally Squirrel now has his own Twitter account under the name of Busch Squirrel. As you can see it's gotten a little bit crazy!

A local screenprinting business has even been selling Rally Squirrel t-shirts. You better believe yours truly went and picked up 2 shirts last night...one for Hubby & one for my dad!

You can order your's here...ha!

We'll be cheering on our beloved Cardinals along with my parent's tonight...we can only hope that this crazy streak continues...all thanks to a fuzzy little rodent who just happened to be in the right place at the right time! And hopefully my weekend recap on Monday will include some celebration from winning the next two games and heading on to the World Series...Go Cards!

Elyse Love ~ 30 Weeks

Seriously...our precious baby girl is going to be here in less than 10 weeks! 10 weeks! I can't even believe that we're nearing the 60 day mark! I've gotta get busy on my to-do list!

30w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I feel like I'm still right on track with where my new doctor wants me to be. Any change in weight seems to be going all to my tummy which is exactly where I want it! My goal is to stick to the 1 pound per week average for the rest of the time!

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann!

Movement: There are certainly times when she's not moving, but I notice her more & more! The other night Hubby & I were laying on the couch and he was able to see AND feel her acrobatics! We may have a gymnast on our hands!

Sleep: Sleep has been my struggle this week. I feel like I sleep soundly for 4-5 hours and then the rest of the night is much more restless. I even tried breaking out the Snoogle again last night, but that wasn't helping either. Thankfully I did sleep until my alarm went off this morning!

What I miss: Probably just the ease at which I USED to be able to do things. Even our nightly walks have been shortened a few times because I'm just worn out at the end of the day. I'd like to say that I will start getting up and walking the mornings but that's most likely just not going to happen! It seems almost any large amounts of movement (going from laying down to standing, or getting in & out of the car, or bending over to pick something up out of the floor) results in a little bit of a sigh & groan...I really think that Hubby thinks I'm dying, but those are just normal sounds for me right now! ha!

Cravings: At this point I'm assuming that I will go through this pregnancy with NO cravings-which is totally fine by me. I have had a desire for something sweet most nights and most nights I'm a good girl and can take care of that with some fruit or a cup of Yoplait light...however, there are some nights (like last night) when the ice cream (no sugar added) creeps in or when we share a DQ blizzard! I figure sharing is so much better than eating a full one for myself! ha!

Symptoms: The back pain at the end of the day is pretty much a regular occurrence. Normally if I just lay down and rest for awhile I feel much better. I also thought that my cankles where here to stay, but they've gone down again. It seems that my left ankle seems to stay a little more swollen than my right...but at least I can see my ankle bones!

Maternity Clothes: Everything! ha! Or at least something that has the ability to stretch A LOT!!! The dress I'm wearing in this weeks picture is non-maternity as are the leggings...but that's just because the material was loose and flowing to begin with. I can also wear my non-maternity leggings below my belly and those seem to still fit pretty well. My choices of clothing are definitely becoming fewer & fewer but I still feel pretty good with my options!

Best Moment this week: It's been a fabulous week! I've noticed how much less stressed I feel now that the doctor situation has been taken care of! We had more maternity pictures taken on Tuesday & I can't wait to see them...I've been given a sneak peek and they are going to all be beautiful. We also had the rest of the nursery furniture delivered so now it's really time to get started on the nursery!

Baby To-Do List: I might have had a minor freak-out moment last night as I sat in the nursery with Hubby & discussed all the details for the nursery that need to be taken care of; however, as my mom reminded me this morning "Lauren, she has a bed & a sheet on the mattress...everything else is just minor!" And she is so right. I did sit down and make a list so I'm hoping to start knocking out some of those things this weekend. It's mainly just picking out the accessories for her nursery, but even that is a hard decision. I want her room to be little girly but not baby!

And finally, the belly pic...which I know you've all been waiting for!

Sleep....Get it when you can!

One of the biggest symptoms I've noticed during my third trimester of pregnancy relates to sleep. I almost feel like as soon as I hit 28 weeks, God started preparing my body for the lack of sleep that is coming my way. I fall asleep just fine and sleep great through the night except for the potty breaks...but the issue comes during the early morning.

Hubby has been waking up early several times a week to train & run for his 1/2 marathon. I've been waking up at or before the same time as he is and seem to be completely wide awake. I'm waking up at least an hour before my alarm goes off and I might as well get up and face the day. Sunday morning I woke up and emptied the dishwasher, did some laundry, picked up the house, and did a variety of other things...all before Hubby even returned from his long morning run.

It felt good to be so productive so early in the day and honestly made me feel a lot better when I decided to spend Sunday afternoon vegging on the couch. This morning I was also awake early but decided to play my "pregnancy card" and relax in bed for a few extra minutes before getting up to face the day. Hey...Hubby has given me full rights to play that card every once in awhile!

I'm also learning that waking up early may mean that I need to take a quick little nap during the afternoon. I had the afternoon off from work because we had our maternity pictures scheduled. Before getting ready to head out...I crashed for a very enjoyable nap!

I figure I'll have to learn to take advantage of these times once Elyse arrives...take sleep when I can get it, and just be productive when sleep is being kept from me...whatever the reason may be. I've always heard that God prepares you for the lack of sleep in some way, and I guess this is how he's started preparing me!

Fall Weekend: Family, Food, & Friends

We had a pretty fabulous fall weekend with plenty to keep us busy, but also making time for some relaxation. This pregnant girl just can't go, go, go all the time like I used to! ha!

We started out Friday evening with a joint birthday party for me two nephews. Of course I showed up with a camera battery that was completely dead & my phone just didn't really cut it...so no photos. However, we had a fabulous evening with Hubby's family & we definitely earned some brownie points with our gifts: remote control cars for both of the boys! I think they're gonna love playing with them!

Saturday morning I headed to work while Hubby headed to his oldest nephew's soccer game. After work we grabbed a quick lunch and I was able to play Susie Home-Maker for a little bit. It'd been awhile since I actually baked in the kitchen so it was nice to spend some time making something yummy!

As I mentioned on Friday, I decided to make pumpkin bars for our small group gathering on Saturday night. It was a delicious recipe, but I would definitely say it was more like a pumpkin cake than pumpkin bars. Either way it was super yummy...I mean, homemade cream cheese icing can't be beat!

The finished product...I promise, there's pumpkin cake down in there!

I also needed to use up several apples from a local orchard so I decided to make some homemade applesauce, on my mom's promise of how easy it was. She was so right! I just peeled the apples, cut them into large chunks, added a small bit of water to the bottom of the pan, put on the lid and turned it on low for about an hour and a half. I would watch it and stir it, but the apples turned to mush on their own and then I just added a little bit of sugar & cinnamon to taste. It's delicious! And such a nutritious snack!

Saturday night we joined with our small group & also part of our old small group to spend some time with a missionary couple. I hope we didn't scare the missionaries! It was kind of a chaotic evening with so many kiddos running around! ha!

We had a weiner roast with the firepit...
the kids got some candy out of a pinata...

they also bobbed for apples...

and most were successful, even if they needed a little bit of help...

and Hubby got some loving from an adorable little man!

It was a great Fall gathering and we got to spend some time learning about how God is working in another part of the world. We are so blessed to have all of these wonderful people in our lives! God is so good!

This morning we had a great church service, ran a few errands, and we spent most of the afternoon just vegging on the couch. After another great small group meeting tonight, we're back on the couch doing some catch-up with the DVR.

It was a beautiful weekend with some beautiful weather...bring on the week!

Random Fact Friday

It's been a crazy week. And I'm so glad to say that it's Friday!

When we first found out we were pregnant, I thought to myself..."My blog will not become all about my pregnancy. It will not consist of ONLY weekly updates on my belly or random ultrasound photos or pictures of the nursery progression. Nope, I will continue to post about other things that are important in my life." Well...here I sit. Guilty of posting really only about the pregnancy and everything that it entails. But you know, pregnancy & the preparation for our baby girl are really the only things that consume my mind right now. So that's what you get...this blog is meant to be a diary of my life & our life together...and our LIFE right now is this baby girl.
Of course that doesn't mean that random non-baby things don't sneak in every once in awhile...

~Pumpkin Bars w/ Cream Cheese Frosting-I'm most likely gonna make these for a fun gathering on Saturday night. I have to make them so I can take them somewhere...the entire pan does NOT need to be sitting in my kitchen!

via Pinterest

~Thoughts of Christmas shopping & decorating & parties & baking are starting to creep into my mind and I'm trying so hard to push it out. I've got too many other things to do before Christmas season arrives to be thinking about all of that stuff...Christmas is just oh so much fun! And promises to be even more exciting this year!

~I did my first load of baby laundry yesterday...definitely a surreal experience. Something tells me this is what the end of our couch will look like quite frequently!

blankets & bibs & sleepers...oh my!

~My car was making an incredibly awful noise yesterday & last night, but when I drop it off at the mechanic this morning he of course can't get it to make the same noise. It's driving fine & all my gauges are normal...maybe it was just a quirk! However, Hubby heard the noise and I'm so glad...otherwise I might start thinking that I really had lost my mind!

~I'm considering ordering an Erin Condren planner to have for all the craziness of the holidays & to keep track of various things when Elyse is born. I was definitely a "planner" girl in high school and it kept me sane...however, I'm just trying to justify the $50 for a planner! They are so stinkin' cute!

~There are some pretty exciting things going on in our life right now...besides the fact that Elyse is going to arrive in less than 90 days! I can't talk a lot about it...but life is certainly going to change; and it is a very, very good thing!

~And in reference to the above...God's timing is ALWAYS perfect. ALWAYS.

~Also in reference to the above...God ALWAYS answers prayer. ALWAYS...even if it's not the way you thought or hoped he would.

Hope everyone has a super fabulous weekend...I certainly plan on it!

Elyse Love ~ 29 Weeks

29w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of my appointment yesterday, I'm up 24 lbs from the start of my pregnancy. Since my last official weigh-in, which was almost 5 1/2 weeks ago I've only gained 5 lbs., which is definitely an improvement from my previous two months! At this point, my doctor really wants me to be gaining around a pound a week...so I'm right on track. Guess those evening walks & healthier eating habits really do make a difference...who would have known!?! ha!

Gender: We had a 3d/4d ultrasound this week and it was confirmed that Baby Layman is indeed still a precious little girl! I definitely would have been returning a ton of stuff if something had shown differently. We can't wait for her to arrive and as her nursery starts coming together, I'm getting really excited for all things pink, purple, & frilly.

Movement: She moves like crazy, but only during certain times of the day. Evenings seem to be when she really gets going and I can literally watch my stomach change as she moves her little body all around. Her little bootie is spending most of it's time pressed against the left side of my belly...and it's really obvious when my belly is all pushed out on that side!

Sleep: My sleep has been pretty decent. I wish I would sleep a little more soundly but between getting up to use the bathroom at least once, and then turning from side to side...I just don't feel like I sleep all that deep. However, I wake up almost every morning feeling rested and ready for the day so I guess that's the most important thing.

What I miss: Moving around easily. Hubby has started picking up anything that I might have dropped on the floor or doing whatever it takes for me to avoid bending over...it's just not much fun right now. It's also become a "process" for me to actually switch positions in bed or laying on the couch...back pain and my out-in-front belly just make things a little more difficult!

Cravings: I really enjoy the fact that I haven't had any crazy cravings! I'm still eating at least 3 small snacks a day which normally consist of fruit, a cheese stick, nuts, yogurt, popcorn, etc. These seem to fill me up and keep me from giving into any simple hunger cravings. I also keep a big glass of water right next to me most days & this keeps me from snacking too often. I've realized that most of the time I'm just a little dehydrated instead of truly hungry.

Symptoms: After I wrote that I had no symptoms, I started to reconsider. I've had some back pain & some swelling in my ankles (mainly after super salty meals or snacks). These things are certainly not much fun, but also remind me constantly of this precious miracle growing inside of me.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much everything has to have some sort of maternity look to it or it has to be loose fitting. I'm trying to keep some of my pre-pregnancy clothes stashed away and not try to "force" the issue by wearing all my regular clothes...I'm afraid if I do that then I won't want to wear them after Elyse arrives either. Might as well just resign myself to the fact that I have a limited wardrobe for the next several weeks. Honestly, as long as I'm comfortable I don't really care!

Best Moment this week: There have been several! My family shower has to be included, the 3d Ultrasound with Hubby, my parents, & my mil all in the suite along with us, and my first actual appointment with my new doc...who I absolutely LOVE! It's really been a fabulous week and after all the stress with the doctor situation I was ready for a stress-less week!

Elyse Ann Layman...and her little button nose! Oh and see that object on the left side of the picture...that's her knee! She was all bent up in the craziest of positions!

Baby To-Do List: We've got Elyse's closet pretty much emptied, I did my first official load of "pink" laundry (seriously Dreft detergent smells so good), the curtains are being hung this weekend, and we're really making some progress! I've still got lots of decor details to finalize, but it's starting to come together!

And finally, the belly pic. I am carrying her all out in front...apparently I don't hardly even look pregnant from the back! I have a hard time believing that, but that's what I've been told...maybe they're missing the fact that I feel like my bootie has doubled in size! ha!

I can't believe it's October!

Seriously, where did September go? Or honestly, what about July & August too!? I can't believe that October is here! We had a pretty great weekend, with some really busy moments combined with some relaxation.

Friday was our relaxing evening with steaks on the grill, a few quick errands to run, and we finished up the evening playing catch-up with our DVR. We've finally got caught up on The Sing-Off & Parenthood...now just to tackle our other shows.

Saturday was non-stop. Our first shower was held Saturday morning, hosted by my aunts & wow...all I can say is "We are SOOOO blessed!" I'll have an entire post for the shower, but for now, here's a quick sneak peek!

Myself with my two aunts and the hostesses of the shower....it was such a great time, and a huge crowd but it was fabulous!

Hubby was in charge of loading up & unpacking....
And this is what our nursery looks like now...I think Babies R Us exploded in Elyse's room!

My sweet sister-in-law Millie made me a diaper cake...so cute!

And just a little taste of the bedding! My mom surprised me by having practically everything finished including Elyse's quilt. Those are all the fabrics we're using in the room & it is absolutely gorgeous! I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

After loading our car to the brim, we headed to lunch with my parents and my brother & sister-in-law. They were able to take time away from their busy schedule in Kansas City to come down for the shower & it means so much.

Of course, I should also mention that my precious mother-in-law was able to come down from Michigan as well...seriously, I was so thankful that all of the people I love the most were able to join me for this special day!

Next on the agenda for Saturday was a quick moment of rest & then we headed out for Hubby's 10 year High School Reunion. We met up with a group of those who we really cared about seeing the most and had a nightmare of an experience at Cheddar's. Seriously, they managed to screw up 4 of the 8 meals that were ordered! At least we were able to laugh about it and after they comped those 4 meals I think we all got out of their for pretty cheap! Afterwards we headed to the official reunion and we stayed a couple of hours before driving back home. It was a nice evening, and thankfully Hubby's high school friends were some of my BEST college friends (and also the reason that Nick & I ended up together) so I wasn't stuck without anyone to talk to the whole night!

All the wives of Hubby's best friends at the reunion...3 of the 4 of us are pregnant!

And all the guys...seriously, if it wasn't for them I never would have been with Nick!

Today brought a fairly relaxing day with church, some errands, a quick nap and we finished things off with small group. It was a pretty great weekend filled with family & friends and also some relaxation...can't ask for any more than that!