36 weeks already!

How far along?: 36 weeks

Total weight gain: 27 lbs (I asked at my appt today!)



How big is baby?: Right at 6 lbs and 18.5” long, similar in size to a crenshaw melon :)


Maternity clothes?: Yes but I am quickly running out of options. Even Jarrod’s big t shirts won’t fit comfortably over my tummy anymore.

Stretch marks?: nope

Sleep?: Aside from the frequent potty runs, it’s okay! Jarrod & I switched bed spots so that I’m closer to the bathroom.

Best moment this week?: Emma praying for Owen AND being treated to a pedi/mani by my mom (my poor feet are already swelling!)

Food cravings?: no new ones this week

Labor signs?: I have been getting some small cramps

Belly button in or out?: just ugly

What I miss: sleeping on my belly and being able to help lift heavy things

What I'm looking forward to: my shower this weekend (& my hosts coming in town to visit!!)

Milestone: Dr. Wang checked and confirmed that I have dilated 1cm and am about 25% efaced!

Take a guess....

I am borrowing an idea from a friend. With just a month left until Owen's due date I thought it would be neat to collect predictions on his birthday and stats. *I added the belly photo because of a suggestion that it would be helpful in guessing!*

Leave a comment with the following details:

Your Name

Predicted Birth Date and Time

Predicted Weight at Birth

Predicted Length at Birth

Our estimated due date is November 3rd. His sister was 3 weeks early ;) Happy guessing!

Cake class graduate

I completed the Wilton cake course #1 this morning! I even received a certificate of merit to prove it :) The class taught me a lot.....most of all that cake decorating is not easy (oh, and it requires lots of equipment). I learned several different techniques including how to properly ice a cake and how to make specific borders, designs and flowers.....including the well known Wilton rose! Our instructor, Gwen, also provided interesting useful tid bits of information about what pieces of equipment are the most important, how to transport a cake by automobile and how to make the famous Wilton buttercream frosting. My fellow coach's wife, Lauren, took the class with me and we had a fun time. I think I accomplished my goal of being able to be a little more creative and bold with cakes that I make. I have a couple of good birthday opportunites coming up soon :)


Here is my "final" cake. This is using the star flower, one of the specific techniques we learned. Course #2 teaches fondant and gum paste, but I may teach myself watching Youtube videos instead.

From now on I will really appreciate these giant sugar masterpieces because I know the work put into them!

Just a start....

With just 40 days left until Owen's estimated D-day we decided it was time to get busy decorating and organizing his nursery. Jarrod re assembled furniture and placed it where we thought it should go while I stuffed the changing table drawers full of teeny tiny diapers. We are using a sports theme with mostly primary colors. We are ending up with one large blank wall and may just spruce it up with a homemade goal post :) Here are some photos of our progress:

My in laws were so kind to bring dinner over this evening! They also came bearing gifts ~ my glider and ottoman set as well as a matching Emma size glider! This is something that I didn't have when Emma was itty bitty but knew I wanted one this go round! Here is a photo of Emma "helping" Grandpa! I am so excited about this new chair and am really looking forward to using it soon.

Here is a photo of Emma & I showing off our new matching gliders!!

35 weeks - moving right along!

How far along?: 35 wks today

Total weight gain: 30 some odd lbs...

How big is baby?: Approx 5 1/4 lbs and over 18+" long....similar in size to a honeydew melon :) His kidneys are now fully developed and he will gain mega LBS over the next few weeks.

Maternity clothes?: Of course! I love the world of elastic pants!

Stretch marks?: not to my knowledge

Sleep?: Somewhat decent, although I know I shouldn't complain because it will be close to non existent soon enough!

Best moment this week?: Receiving and purchasing more decor for the nursery! The sports theme is finally coming together and I hope to start organizing this week.

Food cravings?: Last week I got a sudden craving for Taco Bueno (which was odd because I've only had it twice ever).....I tried to ignore it, but finally had to give in and drive to the nearest Mexican food restaurant and settled for chips and queso! I went to Taco Bueno while in Waco on Fri :)

Labor signs?: Nothing big, but I have had some feelings that are certain signs that my body is preparing itself.

Belly button in or out?: straight out

What I miss: having a girlish figure and eating caesar salad

What I'm looking forward to: my hospital tour on Tues

Milestone: Owen gave me some rough kicks yesterday at Wal Mart....they are waaaay past the sweet stage ;)

Weekend update

Ta da!! So this is my new phone. It is the BlackBerry Storm. Yes, a little intimidating for this technically challenged gal :) Luckily Jarrod got an identical one so we are learning and experimenting together! I spent all of last week trying to convince AT&T to release us from our contract (a couple of months early) without a penalty fee. We had no reception at our new house. In fact, there was an 'X' where bars should be. AT&T told me that there showed to be moderately fair reception in our zip code and that the fine print on our contract states that cellular phones are not guaranteed to work inside homes or buildings. They also assured me that I should be able to talk outside in my yard. WHAT?! To make a long story short, I climbed the supervisor ladder and by the end of last week was able to get our fee waived...woo hoo!! We are now proud Verizon customers and have perfect reception in our house :) Oh, and fancy phones to figure out. We need all sorts of gadgets....hard covers, cases, etc. We had a pretty busy weekend. On Friday night we traveled to Waco ISD stadium to watch the Yoemen beat the Lorena Leopards 27-17!! It was an exciting game to watch and the Yoemen dominated all four quarters :) I expect to see very little of Coach Smith this week as our huge rival game is on Friday (and it is our first district game). We play Rockdale in the "Battle of the bell", a 50+ year old Milam county tradition. Last year they even had TWO pep rallies to get the community excited :) By the way, PLEASE vote for Cameron vs. Rockdale in the KWTX Marquee Matchup. Voting ends Wed so vote early and often: http://www.kwtx.com/marqueematchup.

On Saturday we traveled back to Waco for the Baylor home opener. Unfortunately we lost to UConn :( Too bad I didn't get a picture of my Aggie husband wearing green & gold!! Next week we are going to the Aggie game...it's a fair trade off!

On the way to Waco we met our good friend Brandon half way. He had some goodies for Owen! Kirstie, his mother in law, is the most crafty lady I know! She made these awesome O-W-E-N letters to match the nursery. She also made Emma's 3 yrs ago :) Among those goodies was also a toy organizer.....I am thrilled to have it and plan to get Emma the matching one.

Emma absolutely hated the swing when she was an infant. She had no hesitation crawling in it this afternoon - this is how I found her! As you can tell from the photo there is no organization in Owen's nursery thus far. I'm hoping to change that very soon!

My dad came over today to start building a fence. He was such a lifesaver and also helped organize our garage, repair/transport Emma's chest of drawers to her room and created a computer work space among other things. THANKS DAD!! Emma kept begging him to sit down and play with her. They ate goldfish together and made silly faces for the camera :)

We went to Cracker Barrell for lunch today. I love their little shop! Emma pointed out a huge pink lollipop that she wanted. I told her that she could have it if she went potty. Low and behold, she made it happen! I couldn't go back on my word so we went home with a gigantic lollipop. Since she was wearing pink dress/bow/shoes I just had to take photos!

TO DO

So I have a list of things TO DO prior to Owen's arrival. I am a huge list person.....which is among just a hand full of things I consider myself organized about :) It makes me happy to be able to cross things off of lists. Below is a list of just some of the things that need to take care of, in no particular order of priority. With these items completed I know that I will be able to relax and enjoy our new addition as much as possible :)

-renew drivers license (expires in early Oct) - WILL DO MON SEPT 28!

-get an eye check up (and a new stash of contacts!) - DONE

- start (and finish) decorating and organizing Owen's nursery - STARTED

-Finish tagging my items for the Just Between Friends consignment sale - DONE

-Find a few more Halloween costume pieces for Emma (she will be a Bumble bee and I need to find black antennas, wings and some sort of top)

-Christmas shop (get as much done as possible)

-Finish unpacking all moving boxes, get the house decorated, buy area rugs, curtains, smoke detectors and other necessities

-Finish Emma's scrapbook

-figure this whole breast feeding thing out

-Prepare for Emma's 3rd bday party

-Prepare for Jarrod's 30th bday

-Make and freeze meals for when Owen arrives (must wait for stove to arrive!)

-Pack our hospital bag as well as Emma's bag

-Grocery shop so that we have plenty of extras and won't run the risk of running out of anything - STARTED

34 weeks already!

How far along?: 34 weeks tomorrow

Total weight gain: 31 lbs

How big is baby?: Approx 4 3/4 lbs and 18" long....similar in size to a cantaloupe :)

Maternity clothes?: Oh yes...and I'm growing out of giant t shirts. I'm not letting myself buy anything else this late in the game :)

Stretch marks?: none

Sleep?: Okay, although I get up to use the restroom several times per night....

Best moment this week?:

Food cravings?: nothing new

Labor signs?: Nothing major, although my feet are finally beginning to be swollen (which never happened until the weekend before Emma's arrival). Oh, and my loving husband mentioned that my face is beginning to swell (Um, thanks?!?!)

Belly button in or out?: out

What I miss: having more energy

What I'm looking forward to: organizing the nursery

Milestone: setting up the bassinet in our room (it's the ONE thing we have ready!)

Two sides of a two year old

Everyone has heard of the "terrible twos". It almost comes as an expected stage in behavior for toddlers. Furthermore, several fellow mommies claim that the ages of 3 and 4 can be even more trying :( All I know is that we're in for a wild ride! Emma has had a strong willed personality since birth. Even her daddy admits that she is a lot like him. I am a lot more laid back and passive, which certainly makes things interesting around here!

Emma started throwing temper tantrums just before she turned 18 months. She seems to be testing her limits a lot more now than ever. If I ask her to (or not to) do something that she doesn't like she quickly barks "No my do that"! Her favorite word is "NO" and she is not afraid to roll her eyes and show her attitude whenever she feels. I hate to think of what she will be like at the age of 15 (yikes)! I've done some research and the general consensus is that distraction, separation, explaniation, compromise and discipline are the best things to focus on when dealing with this common stage. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to come to grips with disciplining Emma because I don't want her to be sad. However, I know how important it is for us to instill good morals and beahaviors now, so that she will carry them through her life.

On the other hand, Emma can be as sweet as sugar. Rarely does anyone but myself or Jarrod see her act out (unless you happen to be a lucky stranger/bystander in public). It is very sweet to hear her say her prayers "Dear God, thank you for family, breakfast and health, Amen." She is also getting very good at piecing complete sentences together such as "May I have some apple juice please". Today she said "Mommy, I like your ring and bracelet."

Rain and cake

The Yoemen were victorious last night over the Lexington Eagles!! It was a VERY wet game and we enjoyed it under umbrellas :) The first half was pretty rainy but luckily it stopped right before half time.....I kept questioning myself as to WHY we were there! I felt especially bad for the poor homecoming queen nominees who had to walk across the field in heels! The second half was much more tolerable. The rain was kept to a light mist and we WON the game 30-10 :) After the game we had an organized party with the coaching families. It was fun getting to visit!

We are SO thankful for the rain showers this week! Things have been terribly dry all summer and it is so nice to enjoy a lazy afternoon at home with the family. Lita (my mom) bought Emma these cute green rain boots....perfect weather! For some reason she wanted to wear her hat and mittens. I guess she is hoping that cooler weather is on the way (ME TOO!!!!)

I am taking my first Wilton cake class at Michael's on September Saturdays mornings. My fellow coaching wife, Lauren, is taking it with me so that makes it great :) There are several level courses but all I want to know is how to make fun cute cakes for the kids' birthday parties....not just a boring sheet cake with store bought icing. I have wanted to take this class for awhile now and decided that now was a good time. So far we have learned how to make the famous Wilton classic icing and technique for spreading it. We have also learned how to apply dots, stars, borders, writing and the base of the well known Wilton rose. I never dreamed that there would be such an abundance of equipment and utensils required! There are tons of different shaped tips, piping bags, turn tables, carriers, icing colors and doo dads out there.

Our "homework" was to bake and bring a cake to class today. Unfortunately we will not see our new oven until early Oct (yikes, can you believe it?!) so this was quite a challenge. I baked a cake at our AD's house on Thurs, brought it home and accidentely dropped it.....which turned into many tiny pieces on the dining room floor :( I can't remember the last time I was so mad!! My mom kindly offered to bake one for me to take today - THANKS!! We decorated our cakes in class this morning and here is how mine turned out:

A true hometown hero

Today Emma and I joined the Cameron community in lining the streets to welcome a parade of veterans and other vehicles carrying the body of a fallen American soldier back to here to his hometown. 2nd Lt Darryn Andrews was killed last week in Afganistan. He leaves behind a family including his wife, Julie, a 2 yr old son and a daughter, due in December. Here is the story: http://kmil.com/story.php?id=8205

What a privilege to be able to take part in this experience on 9/11. Eight years ago today America lost so many innocent people, including emergency responders. The figher fighters, policemen and members of the armed forces were honored in the pep rally today. They played the song "God Bless the USA". I started thinking about how young the student population was in 2001. The seniors were just 9 years old and the elementary population wasn't around yet. The happenings on that day still seem so recent to me but it's merely a piece of history to them.

On 9/11/01 my former room mate Betsy ran into my college apartment bedroom shouting "Wake up, wake up, turn on the TV!" We all gathered in the living room to watch the story unfold. I truly thought that the first plane had gone off track and hit the building. When the second plane hit I knew something different was going on. Upon my arrival to class my American Literature professor was very solemn and dismissed us, almost immiediately. I remember there being a fuel scare. My friend Lauren and I followed each other to a nearby gas station and waited in line for a long time to fill up.

Hip hip hooray for Homecoming!

Today is the first Yoemen varsity football home game of the season....and it also happens to be homecoming!! Last night Emma and I went over to our athletic director's house, which had suddenly turned into a mega mum and garter hub :) Mrs. Rhoades crafted the cutest mini mum in Cameron! It was certainly nice to have some company on what would have been a lonely Thursday night - our coaching husbands were at an away JV game. We attended the pep rally this morning and it was LOUD and proud!! The students and teachers from the elementary school and junior high was in attendance and I feel sure that there wasn't an empty seat in the entire gym! I'm not sure if Own liked it or hated it, but he was very very active!

We are so thankful for the abundance of rain but I sure hope it holds off during the game this evening :) ***GO YOE ~ BEAT THE LEXINGTON EAGLES!!***

Emma's mum

Coach Smith with his little cheer leader :)

Posing on the 50 yard line!

Happy Homecoming!!!

33 Weeks

How far along?: 33 weeks

Total weight gain: 27 lbs...it's finally piling on!

How big is baby?: Just over 4+ lbs and around 17" long....similar in size to a pineapple :)

Maternity clothes?: absolutely....and I would have so many more options if the weather would get cooler!!

Stretch marks?: none

Sleep?: pretty good (although the sciatic nerve pain is still with me) :(

Best moment this week?: Owen was very active over the weekend and it's neat to feel him growing bigger and stronger!

Food cravings?: Still Reese's peant butter cups and sweet tea....and I'll eat pretty much anything else put in front of me :)

Labor signs?: Nothing major, just random tiny cramps....

Belly button in or out?: unattractively out...almost flat!

What I miss: being able to breathe normally, have more energy and drink more than one soda per day if I want to!

What I'm looking forward to: my shower in a few weeks then setting up the nursery!

Milestone: getting moved into our new house and having a nursery to organize ;)

The big move

Here is a picture of Emma snoozing during the big move....

We are finally in our new house! There is still plenty of unpacking left to do but we were totally amazed at the efficiency of the move...even during some heavy rain showers! Within 24 hours we were able to move everything and even get some things set up and out of boxes at our new house! We are truly blessed with how many coaches (& families) and family members were willing to give up part of their weekend to lend a hand ~ THANK YOU, we owe you big time!!

Emma was a little upset about leaving her old home to go to her new home the first night, but after some ice cream she did just fine :) She transitioned into a full size bed and we let Roxie sleep with her and she did very well.

CLOSED!!

As of noon today we are the proud new owners of our third home! The sellers actually treated us to lunch at a new sandwich shop in town.....including their famous bread pudding! Emma did very well during closing and was very intrigued by the huge fish tank at the title office with several Nemos and Doris :)

Luckily we were able to unload both of our vehicles before Coach Smith had to load a game bus. Both of our cars were cram packed full of stuff. There was just a tiny space for Emma's car seat! Our new fridge and stove were delivered but the stove is about a foot too short. Apparently in some older houses the space for the stove/ventahood is 42 whoopin' inches long, compared to 30" or 36" in newer homes. How's that for some random trivial information?! We will deal with that after the holiday weekend, but for now I am so relieved to be able to move in this weekend :)

Tomorrow afternoon and Sunday morning we hope to get everything successfully moved over, but I'm sure the unpacking and organizing process will take weeks! It's fun to start putting things in Owen's nursery. Emma volunteered for him to have her Elmo chair. We will also be shuffling a lot of furniture since he will get her changing table/shelves and mattress. She will get my old chest of drawers that my dad built and a new full size mattress, bedding set and head/foot board set that we hope to order from Ikea as soon as we have a moment to breathe!

I am excited about taking 3 days off of work. In fact, we won't have internet access for most of that time. I'm signing off but wish us luck in making our new house into our "home sweet home"...

Hiccup

That's right, there's a "hiccup" in the closing process, as the lender put it. Apparently she received the appraisal yesterday and ran into an issue with the fact that it is a "flipped" porperty. Her underwriter requested a second appraisal and everything takes extra time. I was a little irritated that it came to be just 36 hours before closing was scheduled....not to mention that Jarrod had already taken off half a day, we have friends and family prepared to help us this weekend and all of our utilities will start at the new house tomorrow. Our lender has been very good about keeping me in the loop today but we just don't know if we can go through will closing tomorrow yet. I am not at all motivated to continue packing today :(

"Lord, give me the strength to change what I can, give me the strength to resist what I cannot change and give me the wisdom to understand the difference between the two."

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." - Phil. 4:6

Moving thoughts...

Packing is still a work in progress.....I bought rolls # 3 & 4 of packing tape today. My car is packed FULL, the truck is half way there and the patio is cleaned and ready to be loaded. I'm really hoping my doctor doesn't drive by because I'm probably doing a lot more than I should be. It's exercise though, right?!

I keep thinking that by this time next week we will be in our new house....with lots to unpack :) I forgot how stressful it can be to change an address. Since I've had to do it 4 times in the past 3 years I have found that the easiest way is to go through everything in my wallet (store cards, banks, membership cards, etc...) and then to list and call everywhere we pay bills. I have handy dandy cards to send out to friends & family but want to wait until the papers are signed so that I don't jinx anything!

Only two more nights will be spent here! We have about 36 hours until closing. I have packed everything in the kitchen except what it takes to make spaghetti tomorrow night (which I'll take up to Coach Smith at the field house before the JV game).

Luckily my mother in law and head coach's wife are supplying us with more boxes tonight so we are moving right along....