Procrastinating the Packing Progress

.....try saying that five times quickly!!

Here is some of the packing progress I have done so far. Not bad for a pregnant football widow, huh?! If only my doctor allowed me to lift over 10 lbs our place would look a lot more empty by now!

My parents still live in the same house as when they got married over 30+ years ago. Therefore, I never packed a box to move until I went to college. There, I moved three times in the first semester, twice after that, one long journey to a place called Oklahoma and six times since. Packing & moving are NOT among my favorite things to do....especially in the outdoor heat, but it always provides the opportunity to use the popular motto "when in doubt throw it out!" The trash man can't come soon enough....a tiny blue trash can, one weekly pick up day and the amount of things that need to GO just isn't a good mix right not on Blake Ave :/

I have lightened our load a tad by scanning canned goods, medicine and spices to check expiration dates. I have also gone through Emma's clothes (from 3 yrs) to clean out, organize and decide what to keep, chunk or sell. I am such a procrastinator...and I have found that I work best under a time crunch...at the last minute! I am also guilty of skipping projects. I will start loading kitchen boxes and then find myself walking past a half load of folded laundry!!

I am very thankful that my friend Stacy has offered to let Emma come play with her daughter tomorrow morning. Hopefully that will allow me to do some serious packing and cleaning.

Here is the kitchen - 99% of the cabinets and drawers are empty! Oh, and the fridge is pretty empty too - I'm trying to hold off until after the move to make the next major grocery run!

Here is a corner packed with things....ready to be transported!

Here is another bunch ready to be moved. Emma's room is almost bare, as these boxes & bags contain her belongings! Notice the large boxes say "SMITH" - my mother in law brought these from work and they are just perfect!

32 WKS!

How far along?: 32 weeks tomorrow

Total weight gain: 20 lbs

How big is baby?: Approx 3.75 lbs and 16.7" long....similar in size to a jicama (google that)!

Maternity clothes?: I am running out of options, although I'm so thankful for hand me downs from a sweet friend :)

Stretch marks?: none (that I can see!)

Sleep?: I can't remember the last night I slept without interruption....the sciatic nerve is still very painful :(

Best moment this week?: I loved hearing his heart beat on the doppler at the dr's office! She had to chase him around for because he was moving around so much!

Food cravings?: Reese's peant butter cups (I don't know when to stop!)

Labor signs?: Thankfully none thus far; and Dr. Wang said that the low pressure and more painful sciatic nerve pain are because it's not my first baby. It's reassuring knowing that those sypmptoms are 'normal'.

Belly button in or out?: unattractively out

What I miss: being able to lift boxes over 10 lbs (it makes packing/moving more of a challenge!)

What I'm looking forward to: getting Owen's nursery area rug on sale this week and moving into our house this weekend and organizing his room over the next few weeks :)

Milestone: I don't have hip bones anymore....

Sonogram pics

Last week I got a better copy of our sonogram cd (from early July - at 23 weeks)!

Our new "Home Sweet Home"

This week we are scheduled to close on our new house! It has been a lengthy negotiating process but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel :) Oddly enough, Cameron does not offer any newer houses, so we have been trying to find something to accomodate our family for the past several months. Luckily we stumbled upon this older brick house that has been totally remodeled inside. We fell in love with the crown modling, extra space, wooden blinds and fact that it has no carpet!! Although carpet is cozy, we have destroyed it in our past few dwelling places. I'm hoping that it will be much easier to keep clean with two small kiddos! Emma's bedroom is the biggest in the house and has three huge windows. After moving in, my first project is to find curtains for all of the windows....especially dark ones the kids' rooms! I am excited to finally be able to piece Owen's nursery together. Most of our baby furniture and equipment has been in storage for the past year so it's time to get everything prepared :)

Here are some photos:

Built in shelf located in living room - we hope to fill it with books & pictures!

Here is the exterior - our new address is 1406 N Jackson ~ we hope to put up a backyard fence this Fall.

Here is the kitchen which is probably my favorite part of the house! I have always wanted an island and now I finally have one :) There is TONS of storage...finally enough for all of my fun Pampered Chef gadgets! We are getting a new white fridge and stove installed next week!

Here is part of the dining room. I am really looking forward to using the dining room table and chair set that was once my Mimi & Pa's. We will also finally have enough room to utilize the beautiful china cabinet that once belonged to Jarrod's grandmother.

Here is the view from the front foyer area into the living room and into the dining room.

YOEMEN CLOBBER THE CADETS!

Last night was the first real Varsity Yoemen football game. We traveled to Waco to watch them battle the Connally Cadets. At half time we were down by 4 points but ended up winning the game 38-28!!! This season we only have 4 home games and 6 away games which means that we will be on the road a lot on Friday nights. Emma is such a big girl now and loves hanging out with her little friends. As long as they have toys and snacks to share they are content. Our head coach's older daughters even treated the little girls to trips to the concession stand :) They even caught a plastic football and let Emma have it. We didn't get to bed until 1AM so Emma slept in until 9:15 this morning!


Daddy & Emma after the game :)


The scoreboard

Emma and her friend, Kerrigan in their Yoemen cheerleading outfits!

Countdown...

I just heard on a commercial that there are less than 100 days left 'til Thanksgiving (93 to be exact)! Since Fall is my favorite time of year that prompted me to think about all of the other fun things that are right around the corner!

Just 72 days until my wonderful older husband turns 30...

69 days until Owen's due date...

42 days until I celebrate my 28th Bday...

32 days until the premiere of Desperate Housewives season six...

19 days until the premiere of Oprah's new season...

14 days until Emma starts pre ballet (without mommy)...

10 days until the Baylor Bears kick of football season...

9 days left until we are scheduled to close on our newest "home sweet home"...

3 days left until the first real Yoemen football game...

As you can see, the Smith household has lots to look forward to as we jump into another season! Let's just hope that the weather cooperates and starts to feel like Fall sooner rather than later. I have plenty to blog about, so stay tuned!!

Potty progress and a pony

Here is the newest member of our household, "Pony"! We picked her up yesterday afternoon as a reward for the great job Emma is doing this week in potty training!! For the past few days Emma has elected to wear panties instead of diapers while she is awake. I've tried candy and stickers over the past year but I told her that if she kept doing such a great job that she could pick out a special toy at Wal Mart. She didn't let me forget :)

For the most part she has gone in the potty consistently with the exception of just a couple of small accients. I am SO PROUD of her!! This is great for the budget and even better knowing that we will have another kiddo in diapers in just a matter of weeks :) I am no where near brave enough to let her go without a diaper overnight or away but home, but hopefully that will come in time.

31 weeks....

How far along?: 31 weeks

Total weight gain: Only about 15 lbs or so...but I'll find out for sure at my appt tomorrow!

How big is baby?: Approx 3.3 lbs (similar in size to four navel oranges!)

Maternity clothes?: yes, and I could use more of a variety :/

Stretch marks?: none

Sleep?: depends on the night - my sciatic nerve mostly effects that!

Best moment this week?: Emma singing a song she made up in Wal Mart and the only lyric was "Owen, Owen...."

Food cravings?: sweets

Labor signs?: none, although I have uncomfortable low pressure

Belly button in or out?: way out

What I miss: being able to walk and get comfortable in bed at night :(

What I'm looking forward to: my baby shower in Oct!

Milestone: My belly is finally growing!

Branches

Tonight we prepared Coach Smith's classroom for Monday, the first day of school. Pictured here are the three "branches" of government. It turned out pretty well :) We also put up a US Constitution bulletin border as well as decorative eduational post cards from around the world. This year Jarrod is teaching world geography to Sophomores (again) as well as government/economics to Seniors. This will be a busy week as Thurs/Fri will be the first Yoemen football games against the Connally Cadets.

Make up!!

I found Emma with my make up today! She went a little overboard with the eye liner. Thankfully my camera was handy ;)

Tiny Hiney

I have been cleaning out Emma's closet this week...partly for the JBF sale and partly to prepare for our upcoming move *fingers crossed*. About a year ago I invested in several extra large air tight baggies that vacuum seal to save space. It's amazing how many outfits one little girl can accumualte over just couple of years. Now that we know we are having a boy I was able to let go of some girly things. I was attached to several itty bitty outfits and others were name brand and only worn a couple of times, so I kept those in case we have another girl someday.

I also packed a couple of boxes for Owen. He already has lots of new tiny diapers...thanks to my wonderful friend Sandra who made me an awesome diaper cake at my shower AND my mom who picked up a pack of newborn diapers at the store last week! Look how tiny his diapers are....especially compared to Emma's size 5! His are definitely made for a tiny hiney :) These cute diapers even have a special place for the umbilical cord...I totally forgot about that! I hope that we remember how to do all the "baby things". I hope that we remember how to swaddle, how often to feed and how to install the infant carrier base. I know we have done it all before, but it seems like forever ago!

We interrupt this marriage to bring you FOOTBALL season....

That quote is funny but very true! There is a throw pillow at J's old AD's house that says that AND a wall hanging at his new AD's house that says the same thing! I need to find one for our house :)

Jarrod wears many hats (but today he wasn't wearing one and I hope he didn't get sun burned!) These hats include husband, daddy, coach, teacher, bus driver, friend and son, just to name a few! He does a marvelous job of balancing and handling all of these responsibilities but is exhausted by the time he gets home every day.

It is always a hard adjustment getting used to football season. Unfortunately after the fourth go 'round it just doesn't get any easier! Football season comes with a HUGE time commitment and sacrifice for coaching families. I can just imagine what they go through on the college level with scouting occuring year 'round! Ouch! There are many young men that Jarrod coaches and mentors who never know any other father figure. They never know any other example. I know that God has put Jarrod in his position to mentor to these guys. He teaches discipline, team work, sacrafice, responsibility, skill and life lessons that go far beyond the football field.

The community welcomed football season with an event last night called "Meet the Yoemen". The Fall athletes introducted themselves and then we all enjoyed ice cream...outside in the 95 degree heat - HA! Coach Smith and the Cameron Yoemen traveled to Robinson this morning to scrimmage the Rockets. Emma & I watched most of the Varsity game and they looked great! Shown here is an action shot I got of Jarrod today ~ the only glimpse we got of him all day. He has been out of town this evening scouting.

Just Emma

I just love this picture! I will be showing it to her lucky prom date in 14 years :)

29 WEEKS

How far along?: 29 weeks...the 3rd and final trimester...

Total weight gain: 15 lbs

How big is baby?: approx 2 1/2 lbs and 15" long - similar in size to a butternut squash :)

Maternity clothes?: yes but I refuse to buy any more!

Stretch marks?: thankfully none

Sleep?: It has been rather patchy at night time, mostly because of my sciatic nerve issues :( I have taken several 4 hour naps with Emma over the past couple of weeks!

Best moment this week?: Emma getting to see Owen move in my tummy! She thought it was pretty neat!

Movement?: more definite and strong, but still mainly at night time when I finally get still

Food cravings?: sweet tea and chocolate cake

Labor signs?: thankfully none

Belly button in or out?: sticking out

What I miss: sleeping on my tummy and having more energy

What I'm looking forward to: decorating his nursery once we get into a house next month :)

Milestone: finally choosing a name (Owen Barrett Smith)

And his name will be....

Owen Barrett Smith, meaning "well born and noble". This is my 29th week which means that I will officially enter the third and final trimester. He is around 2.5 lbs and measures 15" long. He is similar in size to a butternut squash :)

Already August!!

It's been almost a week since I blogged and upon a couple of specific requests, here I go with a Smith household update...

Two a days started this week and Coach Smith and the Cameron Yoemen have put in lots of long hours. Hopefully they are using an abundance of water and sunscreen! It's always hard for all of us to re adjust at the beginning of the season. Jarrod has high hopes for a great year and says that the talent is unbelievable! He made a change to offense this year and has a new athletic director/head coach whom he really respects so he is learning a lot! Tonight they carry on the "midnight madness" tradition but I think we may skip! Tomorrow is the first day that they are allowed to wear pads so midnight is when they will start!

Emma is growing up so fast! We were looking at her baby pictures last night and were in awe at how much she has developed into a fun, smart, kind little girl. She has the same dimples and facial expressions - almost 3 yrs later! She is getting ready to be a big sister. When I say "Where is your brother?" She says "In your tummy!" I have decided that she is not ready to potty train. As much as I shiver at the thought of having two kids in diapers, it's just not going to happen any time soon. Her new favorite thing to say is "Mama, leave me alone". Earlier this week she actually attempted a complete sentence "Mama, dere's Tahget, member dat? Got Roxie's pesent dere!"

We celebrated Roxie's sixth birthday this past weekend. That's 42 in dog years. Life is much sweeter with a good dog in the family :)

Baby boy Smith is doing well. We are getting closer to giving him a first name. I had a prenatal check up on Tuesday and Dr. Wang said that all looked great. I now go for check ups ever 3 wks. Since I was already going to be in Waco I scheduled my glucose test for the same day. I couldn't eat past 11pm the night before and then I had to drink a nasty orange drink. An hour later I had to get blood drawn and hopefully all is well. It is to test for pregnancy diabetes. Emma seemed a little confused that I was getting a "shot" this time instead of her! I am finally getting bigger and my belly button sticks straight out! He is moving around a lot more, especially at night - his movements are becoming very strong and definite. I can tell that I am carrying him much lower than where Emma was.

We are desperately searching for a place to call "home sweet home" next year. Our lease on this duplex ends at the end of the month. It has been okay but half of our belongings are in storage...not to mention needing an additional bedroom for our new little man. We are trying to weigh all of our options but there isn't a lot to consider in Cameron :( I'm going to meet our loyal realtor in a few minutes to check out a new property....wish me luck!

I am more than ready for a dip in temperatures. I think that a Texas weather man has the easiest job in the summer time. The forecast always seems to be "hot, sunny and a high of 105"! I am sooo ready for the first week that the weather man says "Bundle your children up, it's sure to be chilly at the bus stop"! I have been trying to catch up on Emma's scrapbook before baby #2 arrives. I need to make a quick run to Hobby Lobby and then I should be able to complete it. My online job has kept me pretty busy lately. I have taken on home service calls in conjunction with autiting auto calls. This month marks my one year anniversary with the company and I am so thankful to get to work part time from home. It works out perfectly for our situation. I am really looking forward to a spa day in a couple of weeks. I am taking advantage of a Mother's day gift card and letting my mom spend some time with Emma before she starts back to class.