The LLLOOONNNGGG Weekend Rewind

It was quite the adjustment to go back to work today after being off work for the past 4 days...and even more of an adjustment since most of those days included little to no official plans! Hubby and I had a great Thanksgiving holiday and it was so great to spend time with friends, family, & just our little family of 2...soon to be 3!

We started off with our one and only Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday at my parents' house. I was in charge of the mashed potatoes and thankfully 2 pans turned out to be enough for the almost 40 people who filled my parents house. I was a big fat failure when it came to taking pictures on Thanksgiving, but I was forced to spend plenty of time resting so as not to overdue it with helping out. Definitely a hard thing for this girl to do!

We had a wonderful meal, followed by some time outside in the beautiful weather. As is tradition, we also had a Thanksgiving Day craft for the ladies. I'd share more details...but some of it turned into a Christmas gift so I can't share the details!

However, this is what the table looked like while we were getting our craft on!

Hubby & I spent the afternoon and evening with my parents' & my brother & SIL, just hanging out together...after the craziness of the crowds, it was nice to spend some quality time with just the 6 of us.

With no official plans for Friday or Saturday, Hubby & I took advantage of the Black Friday sales online and managed to get probably 95% of our shopping done without ever leaving the warmth of our bed! Since we obviously have no idea when Elyse will arrive, it's so nice to have so much of my shopping done. I'd love to be able to say that I was super prepared and finished up early, but that's just not true! However, I've only got a few things left to take care of and shopping will be done for this year!

We did stop by Lowe's and cashed in on some Black Friday deals there...including a great deal on another storage locker for the garage. Something about bringing another person into this house, makes additional storage a necessity! Hubby also spent a lot of Friday working on the outside lights before we headed out for a gourmet dinner at Chick-Fil-A and a little bit of legitimate Black Friday shopping. We checked a few more things off our list before coming home for a movie on the couch. The perfect Black Friday if you ask me!

Saturday was another day full of decking the halls! Hubby was incredible and unloaded almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of these boxes, put ornaments on the tree as I unwrapped them, and even spent a ton of time decorating the house. That's normally a task I look so forward to...but this year, the whole process was just a bit overwhelming! However, Hubby knew how important it was to me and so we knocked out the decorating in no time flat!

We took ALL of these boxes...

and created this....

and this...

and much, much more that I'll get show later on!

Saturday night we enjoyed dinner with my parents' before heading out to a Missouri State Bears basketball game...it was a crazy overtime win, but a win's a win!

Sunday we had a fabulous church service and then came home for a bit of R & R. We had plans to have another productive day but both ended up napping on the couch! Ooops!

Last night we headed to Silver Dollar City in Branson with my parents for the incredible light display. If I'm being honest, it was also an attempt at possibly jump-starting Elyse's arrival! ha! All of the walking is bound to encourage her arrival to be sooner rather than later...right?!?

We had a wonderful evening as there was basically NO one there. We had hot chocolate, a funnel cake, and cinnamon rolls...yum! The food is incredible at SDC!

Hubby on a rocking horse...he tried to convince me to hop on, but there isn't much hopping left in this momma!
One of the beautiful light displays!

My wonderful parents

Hubby & I while riding the train

The highlight of the park...the singing tree...absolutely stunning!

Hubby & I

It was a fabulous evening and maybe a new family tradition...the weather was just perfect with just a bit of a chill in the air and the lack of a crowd made it even better!

Today it's back to the grindstone, but wonderful to have another Monday going to work together with Hubby. It's crazy to think about the fact that we have no idea when my last day at work will be...I have this feeling Elyse will definitely be making her debut before Dec. 17th! Only time will tell!

Elyse Love ~ 36 Weeks

36w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: And some of the big news from our first weekly appointment is...NO WEIGHT GAIN in the past 10 days! Yippee! At this point my doctor wasn't concerned or anything because my stomach is still growing and Elyse is most likely packing on the pounds as well. This means that I'm still at about the +33 mark for the entire pregnancy...not too bad if I do say so myself!

Gender: Our beautiful baby girl Elyse Ann...she hasn't even arrived and I know that she'll be just beautiful!

Movement: Gymnastics, dance movements, sports...I'm not exactly sure what all she's doing there, but she's a busy girl! There have been some recent times where she decides to push her little booty out so far & it's not very comfortable for this momma!

Sleep: Sleep still continues to be pretty great. Sure there are those occasional nights when I'll toss and turn or wake up early, but thankfully sleep has followed me into my last weeks!

What I miss: Life as a pregnant woman has become my normal, but I'm certainly hoping to go back to my normal self very soon! I still miss bending over & my energy level & being able to go, go, go...but this is all just part of the process!

Cravings: 1st pregnancy = Craving free for this momma! And my hunger level seems to be completely back to normal...I've been doing great with 3 daily meals & maybe just one small snack.

Symptoms: I just seem to get uncomfortable really fast! I can't sit in one position for too long without moving. I've got some slightly swollen ankles that are hanging around for now and at times those slightly swollen ankles become full-on cankles! Thankfully lots of water & just putting my feet up for a bit seems to take care of the cankles! ha!

Maternity Clothes: Not really an option at this point! ha! I've got several non-maternity items that I can still wear but those items are becoming fewer & fewer!

Best Moment this week: Lots of fun this week! We had our first weekly appointment on Monday & Elyse has definitely started to make her decent. Of course my doctor isn't going to give any predictions of going early, but it's so nice to know that she's making some progress! We also found out that she's head down & all ready to go! We couldn't really ask for more...

It was also a pretty awesome feeling to know that her nursery is practically completely ready for her arrival. We certainly still have some details to deal with, but for the most part we're as ready as we'll ever be!

Baby To-Do List: The list has been put on hold for the most part until after Thanksgiving. But after Thanksgiving we've definitely got some things to do! You know those really un important things like installing the car seat, packing the diaper bag, preparing the hospital bag, etc.! ha!

And....here's the Thanksgiving baby bump! I can't believe that at next Thanksgiving our baby girl will be almost a year old!

Give Thanks to the Lord!

At our Thanksgiving church service last Sunday, we were reminded again & again that we should be thankful TO THE LORD for the blessings in our life. And so...

via

I'm so thankful to God for...

the precious miracle of a baby who will arrive so very soon!

an incredible husband who loves me for me and supports our family is ways that leave me speechless.

a family who never ceases to support, encourage, & love on each other in good times & in bad.

our furry son Bogey who makes me smile each morning & night.

a small group who lifts me up and makes me laugh on a regular basis.

a cozy home that Hubby & I can call our own.

the resources to give back to others and support those causes that are dear to our hearts.

a God who loves me, sent his son to die for me, and guides me through each & everyday regardless of how I treated Him the day before.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Elyse's Nursery Reveal ~ Modern with a Little bit of Flair

And so it's time...while every single little detail isn't complete, my goal was to be practically finished with Elyse's nursery by Thanksgiving and I feel like I certainly met that goal! After a lot of hardwork, love, and creativity, I'm so thrilled to see my vision come together. I was going for a blend of modern but girly with just a little bit of froo-froo!

My goal was Thanksgiving, so I thought it only appropriate to post the big reveal the day before. Most all of the pictures can speak for themselves...so here it is...our baby girl's nursery!

The Details:

Crib, Dresser/Hutch Combo, & 5-Drawer Chest of Drawers (located in other room): Davenport by Baby Appleseed

Rocker/Glider & Ottoman: Storytime Series by Best Chairs in Joker fabric

Raspberry Shaggy Raggy Rug: Ordered from Bella Baby

Bedding, Curtains, Quilt, Fabric-Covered Canvases and Embroidery Hoops: Various fabrics from Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, & Fabric.com all made with love by Gigi & Grandpa

Tissue Paper Pom Poms: Pomtastic via Etsy

Ornaments: Hobby Lobby Christmas Decor

Matching 11x14 Bible Verse Prints: MissNibbit via Etsy

Closet: Closetmaid Cubeicals Storage & Fabric Drawers from Lowe's & Target

Weekend Rewind: Breaking Dawn, Basketball, & Baby Girl

It was certainly a busy, busy weekend and it was followed up by a busy Monday...which would explain why I'm just now posting our weekend rewind.

Friday night Hubby & I went our separate ways...he headed to dinner with one of his guy friends and I headed out for girls' night with fondue and a viewing of Breaking Dawn!

A local fondue restaurant sponsored a VIP Breaking Dawn night that included a drink voucher (non-alcoholic of course for me!), a voucher for fondue, and a ticket to Breaking Dawn! We met up around 7 and stuffed ourselves silly with yummy cheese fondue & chocolate fondue with all the trimmings!

Bethany & I @ Fedora Social House

Our spread of dessert fondue...oh my goodness, we were SOOO full!

The movie didn't start until 9:45, so this momma was EXHAUSTED by the time I got home...but it was such a fabulous evening with some great girls!

Saturday I headed to work until noon and then Hubby sent me to bed for a nap. We had plans to run several errands for Elyse on Saturday afternoon and I definitely needed to sleep after a late night on Friday! We were able to check several things off the "must-buy" list which is definitely a great feeling. After our errands and dinner we headed to the home-opener game of the Missouri State Bears. Hubby & I are season ticket holders this year, along with my parents so I'm definitely looking forward to lots of games this season! We've already got some good intentions of taking baby girl to the games...hopefully we're actually able to get that accomplished.

Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving church service and then came home to work on Elyse's nursery. I finally had most all of the wall decor so it was time to get it all hung up. I am SOOO incredibly happy with how everything turned out! My plan is to do a big nursery reveal on Wednesday...the day before Thanksgiving, my deadline for having everything done! But for now...a little sneak peek of some of the details...

Today was a fabulous Monday even if it was busy! We had our first weekly OB appointment and I'm so happy to report that Elyse is starting to make her move...definitely so crazy to think that hopefully in less than a month we'll be meeting our baby girl instead of just watching her roll around in my tummy!

Not only was it an exciting baby day, it was Hubby's first day at his new job and our first day as co-workers...everything went so well and I know that it's going to be such a fabulous opportunity for our family. Thank you God for having perfect timing!

A New Level of Teamwork

When Nick & I were first married, we quickly discovered that regardless of the situation we would have to be a team. We would need to be a team when it came to finances, and our faith, and decisions for our household.

As we prepare for Elyse's arrival I know that we are about to embark on an experience that will require teamwork in a way that we've never even imagined. Teamwork to make our baby happy & to protect her & to raise her in a home that loves Jesus & to teach her to respect others & have respect for herself & to discipline her when necessary & love on her every second of every day.

However, today as we are 4 weeks away from Elyse's due date, Hubby & I are less than 6 hours away from starting a new adventure where being a team will be ever so important. At 5:00 today, he will pack up his things and walk away from the job he's held for the past 5 1/2 years. At the end of the day today, he'll leave his job as an accountant and enter the world of insurance.

Starting on Monday, Nick will come to work with my dad & I and the other employees here at our insurance agency. Beginning then, we will have become a team in almost every single sense of the word...at home, at work, and as we prepare for parenthood. Once Elyse arrives, and when I eventually come back to work we'll be together practically all hours of the day. We'll ride to work together, drop Elyse off together, have lunch together, ride home together and spend our evenings playing with our baby girl together.

While some couples might be scared of all that "quantity time" we're so excited for the additional "quality time" it will bring us as a family. We have been praying & hoping for God to open doors in regards to Nick's job, and for both us & my parents, this seemed to be exactly where God wants us to be. This certainly wasn't a situation where doors were flung wide open...more like a situation where doors were slammed shut.

We certainly don't know exactly how all the details are going to play out, and we know that it certainly isn't going to be easy...but we are so excited to see how God uses this new opportunity to strengthen our family & make us stronger than ever!

A team...now and forevermore.

Elyse Love ~ 35 Weeks

35w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I certainly don't feel like I've had any massive weight gain & thankfully I haven't been retaining much water so my weight gain should be right on track...this would put me about +35ish. That sounds horrendous when I actually type it out, but we've only got around 4 more weeks so while I'm certainly not "pleased" with my weight gain...it's still at a level that I consider manageable to lose once Elyse arrives!

Gender: Why a baby girl of course! Elyse Ann will be here so soon...I can't believe how fast time has flown by!

Movement: She's definitely GOT to be crowded in there! Meal times and when I've been drinking a ton of water seem to make her incredibly active...think that might have something to do with taking up even more of her space as my food digests! It's so fun to feel her going crazy in there...and it will be so strange to actually have her in my arms and not feel her move around inside!

Sleep: Awww..sleep. It's honestly been great and I hate to even mention it for fear of jinxing it! Still just once a night to the bathroom and back to bed! I'm hoping this routine will continue in the future...up once for Elyse and back to bed! ha! who am I kidding?!?

What I miss: As Elyse continues to grow, she is pushing on my stomach and digestive tract...I guess this is normal, but sometimes after a meal I am extremely uncomfortable as all the food I just ate digests. I go back to feeling just great after a little while, but it's definitely not a fun feeling. I'm also starting to just be uncomfortable in some cases...mainly in the evenings after I've been sitting for long periods of time. It's also becoming more & more difficult for me to bend over and pick things up. And seriously, let's not even talk about how badly this girl needs a pedicure! Thankfully it's boot season & not time for flip-flops!

Cravings: 1st pregnancy = Craving free for this momma!

Symptoms: Discomfort is really something I've begun to notice at various times. When I'm feeling uncomfortable 5 more weeks seems so far away, but when I'm feeling great 5 weeks seems like it will be here so soon! I was looking at some earlier bump photos and it's hard to believe how much my body has changed in these past 35 weeks. It's just the little things...a little bit of roundness to my face, a little more in my arms, and definitely a whole lot more in my belly!

Maternity Clothes: Yes please! There are still of course a few items that I can wear that aren't true maternity...I'm definitely thankful for the empire-waist tops or tunic trend right now!

Best Moment this week: Hmmm...not really sure what the BEST moment would be. We finished up our child-birth classes, I attended my epidural interview (so that all the paperwork is taken care of should I want the epidurl...which at this point I'm planning on), and we received some of the artwork in the mail for the nursery.

Baby To-Do List: Had a little bit of a concern moment yesterday as I realized all that we still need to purchase...but the word "need" really isn't correct. Sure, there are a few things we truly do NEED to buy before Elyse arrives and NEED to do before we head to the hospital but for the most part we've got absolutely anything she would need...even if she came today. I'm trying to keep all that in perspective and know that anything we don't have right now, we can always buy as we need it!

And....here's the bump! I'm not exactly sure what to call it, but it's definitely not just a BUMP anymore! Thankfully Hubby's little angle on the shot takes a little of the hugeness away!

My Salvation Story

Today over at Through Clouded Glass, Callie is hosting a link-up for us to all share our Salvation stories. So many times I mention my salvation or faith in Jesus Christ, but I've never actually taken the time to put my testimony out there for the world to see.

So here it is, the story behind the biggest & most important decision I've ever made in my life...

Unlike some Christians, I honestly don't know the exact date or even the exact year of when I accepted Jesus as my personal savior. As I've thought about it over the years I can tell you that I was probably 11 or 12 and it happened at VBS. While I can't recall the exact date, I can tell you almost every single detail of how it happened.

When I was in elementary school my mom was the director of Vacation Bible School (VBS) and so I spent a lot of extra time at the church during that week of singing, crafts, & recreation. I remember one evening afterwards going into my parents' room and asking several questions, and then I remember asking more questions of my mom the next morning before we headed off to church.

Apparently, my mom knew that I was oh so close to making a big decision and she asked my pastor to speak with me. I'm not gonna lie, I was so nervous as I went into his study & talked about what it meant to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. I remember repeating a very simple "sinner's prayer" after we talked and when I walked out of his office I was so excited to be able to call myself a Christian!

Being in elementary school when I made this decision, I honestly can't say that there was this HUGE change in my life when I became a Christian...while I was certainly a sinner, I hadn't been some radical child who was making incredibly poor decisions. However, I knew I needed Jesus in my life and I also knew I wanted to go to heaven...and a personal relationship with Christ was the only way I was going to get there. Because as a small child of course you want to go to the good place and not the bad place!

Obviously as I grew up, I went through the peaks & valleys of my Christian walk. I had those moments when I was on fire for Christ and ready to share my faith with anyone who walked by. Of course I also had those times when I was a typical high school student with my own version of rebellion (even if it was a little more calm than what most might consider rebellion). I was always involved in youth group & managed to be a 'good kid' even in the craziness of high school.

As I graduated and went onto college, I really feel like I came into my own as a Christian girl. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I joined Campus Crusade for Christ and it changed my life. It challenged me to be a better person & to strive to live like Christ instead of just going through the motions of daily living. It was with Crusade that I really feel like I grasped what it meant to be a Christian and why that decision I had made all those years ago was so important.

I could go on and on about how God has put incredible people in my life to push me to be a better person and how those same people have helped me to find my place. Just as one incredible example...one of my best friends' Jennifer I met in a college class...she was involved in Crusade & I decided to join her...we lived together for 2 years and became great friends...and it's actually she & her husband who are the reason that Hubby & I first visited Northbridge Church. While she & I aren't in small group together, it's because of her that Hubby & I have found a place where we feel like we belong. We've learned so much about ourselves & the importance of relying on Christ in every single aspect of our life.

God does some absolutely incredibile things if we'll just get out of the way and let Him have His way with our everyday life...Living a life without Christ is hard for me to even imagine, and something I would never want to experience.

~Go check out Callie's blog for some more fabulous salvation stories!

Showered with Blessings...and some gifts too!

Hubby & I, but mostly Elyse have been completely showered with blessings by our friends & family throughout this entire pregnancy adventure! We've had two showers and couldn't have been more excited about all the wonderful things we received for our baby girl!

On October 1st, my aunts held a family shower for us and all I can say is WOW! We received most a lot of our big items at the family shower which was wonderful! We received our stroller, carseat & extra base, Mamaroo swing, baby monitor, pack-n-play, lots of cute clothes, toys, & random items from our registry! We are so blessed by our families!

I posted a little bit about it in this post, but here are a few more photos from the fabulous morning!

The stack of presents before I ripped into them!
My momma & sister-in-law! The shower was held in the morning so the menu consisted of yummy strawberry muffins, fruit, mini quiche, mini chocolate eclairs, and veggies...It was delicious!

Check out that wrapping job...from non-other than my mother-in-law!

And then, exactly a month later...my best friends (who are also my small group girls), hosted a fabulous shower at a local cafe'. It's actually a paint-your-own pottery place along with being a cafe & was the perfect location for a shower. We had yummy white chocolate raspberry cake & chocolate mousse cake! Not gonna lie...I definitely had a piece of both!

Instead of playing any crazy games, they passed around notecards and asked all the guests to write a prayer to Elyse. At the end of the shower, they asked everyone to stand and read their prayers. I think there were SEVERAL tears that fell during that precious moment. As each prayer was read, a bead was strung on a piece of suede. This was used to create a keychain that I've hung on the outside of my diaper bag...so that all of my best friends' prayers will follow us as we leave for the hospital and from each day forward. It was seriously a beautiful idea and something that I'll cherish forever!

The yummy desserts & a gift from the cafe'...a pottery plate with everyone's signature that will include Elyse's birth details once she arrives!

Listening intently, and fighting back the tears as my bestie reads her prayers to Elyse.

My momma reading her prayers...she definitely didn't make it through without some tears!

The entire group...man am I blessed by some incredible friends!

And my beautiful hostesses...God really knew what he was doing when he brought these girls into my life! Several of these ladies are already moms & I know their experience & advice will be priceless in the coming months...

And of course my momma...the one whom I hope I can imitate when it comes to being an incredible mother & best friend!

While I would LOVE to be able to say that these showers provided EVERYTHING for Elyse's arrival, that's just not the case. Nick & I have got to sit down and make a list of the must-have purchases we still need to make! These showers were so much more than we could have asked for and I am so grateful for the generosity of our family & friends.

Lazy Relaxing Weekend

While part of me was thrilled to have a weekend with virtually NO plans, part of me was BORED to death! ha! We literally had an incredibly plan-free weekend and by Saturday afternoon I was going a little stir crazy.


I can't say that we had NO plans because Friday night we had dinner with one of our pastor's and his wife. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but our church has 3 pastors who share the various pastoral roles & I absolutely LOVE it. They are all 3 in different stages of life & it makes it so much easier to relate to the pastoral staff! One of the pastors & his wife are in their early 30s with no kids and we have become great friends over the past 4 years that we've attended our church. I'm so thankful for an incredible church where we don't just attend, but we actually have a relationship with the leadership!


After dinner I headed home while Hubby & our pastor Tony headed to Silver Dollar City. They have an annual 5k called Run to the Lights and it's held after dark, after the park closes for the night. I would have loved to join in, but there was of course no way I could walk a 5k in that hilly park...let alone run it! Tony ran in my place and they were able to have a great time.


Saturday was a day spent at home doing a variety of things...trip to Walmart, writing thank-you notes, lounging around, laundry, and just some general "nesting" activities. By Saturday evening I was going a bit stir crazy, so we loaded up for a big outing to get a Redbox DVD and drinks from Sonic. Yes, I know...we are very adventurous! Hubby kept reminding me that I needed to enjoy my quiet time, but for some reason I was about to go crazy!


We had church Sunday morning and came home for another lazy afternoon. Hubby washed windows while I supervised, I finished up the last of my 48 thank-you notes, and I also managed to have a nice little nap before heading out to Small Group. We are about to finish up Financial Peace and I think overall it has been a great study! We've learned a lot and will definitely be putting several of the principles into practice as Elyse makes her arrival!


It's time for another work week and after tonight we really don't have much planned. If you think about it, you might say a quick prayer for my grandma. She was put in the hospital last Thursday due to severe dehydration and as of last night was also diagnosed with pneumonia. While it's serious, she is making some good progress and should be able to come home in the next few days. I've been banned from visiting her because no one wants me to catch any of the germs from the hospital...but I know she's in good hands & has lots of support.


Have a great week everyone!

Make a List & Check it Twice...

Nope, not a list for Santa...or whoever might play the role of Santa for you...but a list of all those who need to be sent a Christmas card this year. This year it seems that all I've been doing is making various address lists...one for this shower, one for that shower, one for Christmas cards, one for birth announcements, one for thank you notes, etc. etc.!

This year I plan on using Tiny Prints for my Christmas cards. I used them for our gender reveal party invitations earlier this year & have used them for Christmas cards in the past. I am always super excited about their selection & customer service...not to mention the quality is wonderful!

I've got my eye on several of their Christmas cards and am already having trouble deciding which ones to order! They've got traditional cards with multiple photos....

...tri-fold cards for even more photos...

...fun-shaped circle cards for a little something different...

...and even a card that fits perfectly for our family this year! (Of course my plan would be to send out Christmas cards before Elyse arrives and then send out birth announcements soon after!)

My plan is to include a variety of photos on our card this year including possibly a picture from our trip to Hawaii, an ultrasound photo of Elyse, and then a couple of our maternity photos! Everyone always seem to LOVE our photo cards, and I love sharing our photos with close family & friends!

Head on over to Tiny Prints and pick out your favorite card...I'm pretty positive you won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: In exchange for this post, I am receiving 50 Christmas cards for free...you can too by just filling out this form! http://blog.tinyprints.com/feature-tiny-prints-christmas-cards/.

Elyse Love ~ 34 weeks

34w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm at +33 for this entire process so far. When I walked in the exam room this week, my nurse's comment was..."well you are just all belly!" and she's right. Elyse is hanging out all in front which seems to be where the majority of my weight gain is.

Gender: Our precious baby girl...Elyse Ann! We are so excited, anxious, scared, and happy to meet her! I can't believe we're past the 6 week countdown.

Movement: Evenings seem to be the most active time for her, and then she calms down again before bed. I won't mind if she keeps this schedule once she arrives! Tonight as we sat on the couch and watched tv, we could both literally watch my stomach roll back and forth and pulse as she moved around. Such a crazy thing to witness!

Sleep: Sleep has been good this week, and I'm thankful for that. As the fatigue during the evenings sets in I'm so grateful for some good nights' sleep. I realize good sleep is definitely a fleeting thing so I'm trying to enjoy it for as long as it lasts!

What I miss: My normal energy level, getting in/out of the car without a big sigh or a groan, food digesting properly! ha! As Elyse continues to grow, she is pushing on my stomach and digestive tract...I guess this is normal, but sometimes after a meal I am extremely uncomfortable as all the food I just ate digests. I go back to feeling just great after a little while, but it's definitely not a fun feeling. All for you Elyse, all for you!

Cravings: still no cravings for this girl...momma or baby!

Symptoms: Well it's impossible to look at me and not realize I'm pregnant! ha! I have fully embraced the pregnancy waddle & I'm also having a small bit of swelling in my ankles/hands. My dr. said it was certainly nothing to be concerned about because my blood pressure levels are still perfect. I figure I should consider myself lucky if the swelling has stayed away until now.

Maternity Clothes: Not going to lie...definitely tried to wear a pair of my non-maternity dress pants to work today, and they didn't last after my weekly belly photo. I really only have 2 pair of maternity dress pants which is more than enough, but I was really wanting to wear navy pants...it just wasn't going to happen so I resorted to my nice comfy maternity-panel khaki pants instead! I'm 8+ months pregnant, everyone is looking at my belly and not the color of my pants anyway! ha!

Best Moment this week: It's been a pretty great week. We had our first of two childbirth classes, my mom joined me at a breastfeeding class, and we got to hear Elyse's heartbeat again. On top of all that (and maybe truly the best moment), my sweet mother-in-law made us dinner tonight. Ok, well as much as she could make us dinner from 12 hours away...she sent us a Ruby Tuesday gift card and it was definitely put to good use tonight. After feeling kind of crummy after lunch, it was fabulous to be able to change our original plans of staying in and just go out for a nice dinner.

Baby To-Do List: I've been checking things off my list like crazy! Yay! For the most part, we are just waiting for the wall decor to be complete and I'll be ready to do a nursery reveal. Her closet is pretty much organized, her newborn clothes are mostly washed, and we've got any of the baby items we'll need to bring her home. There's still plenty to do, but I'm certainly trying not to stress over the details! I think my Thanksgiving deadline is still attainable for the most part, at least for most of the big stuff!

And...the weekly belly pic! My belly looks HUGE in this photo and while it's certainly growing, I think it looks crazy big in this picture! I think Hubby needs to work on making me look skinny! ha!

The One You Need

I heard this song for the first time this past weekend while in Kansas City with my momma...as an expectant momma, it hit incredibly close to home.



Our baby girl hasn't even arrived yet and I still pray constantly that above all else in this world Elyse would recognize that Jesus loves her so much. And even when she's hurt or disappointed by those closest to her, that He is there and waiting with arms open wide.

Weekend Rewind: WOF 2011 & Bass Pro 1/2 Marathon

As you can see, things have been a little crazy around our house since I'm just now getting to post our Weekdn Rewind. My weekend started early as my mom & I headed out on Thursday afternoon for Kansas City. We attended the Women of Faith Over the Top Conference with several ladies from her church and had a fabulous time. As is usually the case with these conferences, I learned a ton and hopefully I'll be able to post at least a summary of some of the major points...but for now, here's one to make you think...

"God promises to feed the birds, but he doesn't put the worms in the nest...Get up & move to find God's purpose for your life."

My mom made sure that I took it easy with plenty of rest and even taking taxi's from our hotel to the convention center...Elyse definitely doesn't need to be arriving 6 weeks early!

We came home on Saturday night in time to join our men for a meal full of carbs! Hubby ran in his first 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning and it was time to carb-up for the race!

When Sunday morning rolled around I was definitely thankful for the extra hour of sleep. The race started at 7:00 am, which meant arriving to get ready at 6:30 am, which meant leaving our house at 6:00 am, which meant rolling out of bed at 5:30 am! Yikes!

I wasn't going to miss his first race, so I headed out with my hair in a ponytail and no shower to be the supportive, pregnant wife!

Hubby & two of the pastors from our church!

This was part of the Bass Pro Fitness Festival, the Cohick 1/2 Marathon. We live about 20 minutes from the original Bass Pro Shops and that's who sponsored the race.

My favorite race photo...at mile 9...and before he hit a wall!

Coming in to the finish line...Official Time: 2:08:05! Well within his goal of a 10 minute mile!

My running Hubby & his foil blanket! Elyse & I were so proud of him!

And a group shot...most of these attend our church, with a few others thrown in who train together!

After the race we headed for breakfast at Perkins, and the next stop was the couch for Hubby & the recliner for me. We had a relaxing afternoon with nice LONG naps and then finished up the weekend with small group. Seriously I am so thankful that small group is on Sunday nights...it's such a great way to finish up the weekend and get motivated to start a new week!