Sadie's First Shower

Sadie's first shower was this past Saturday. My besties from high school and a few of their moms hosted this shower for me. Only because I love Sadie would I even dream about posting a picture of myself where my face is as big as my belly. Oh. My. Word. Oh well, it's all worth it. I just keep having to tell myself that. Anyway, back to the shower.

Katie, Jenny, Me, Laura, and Sarah.

My friend Suzanne also helped hostess but she lives in NYC so she wasn't able to make it. We sure missed her.
My mom, Afton, Debbie, and Cheri.
The whole week leading up to this shower I thought a lot about Halita, my friend Laura's mom. She went to be with Jesus this past November and I really missed having her at my shower. Shortly before she passed away she sent me a message on Facebook letting me know she was excited that I was having a baby. I know she was and I know she would have loved to have been at the shower.

The decorations were really cute.

Afton's homemade cinnamon rolls. They are so yummy.

The wonderful cupcakes.

Food table. It was all really good.

Dianne, Jenny, and my mom

Heather, Holly, and Brenda

A shot of some more guests. I hate that I didn't get a picture of everyone there but when you're the one opening gifts, etc it's hard to take pictures too.

Sadie received lots of really great gifts. It was a perfect mix of practical and fun.

My hostesses got me my diaper bag and a sling. What a great gift!

I had a great time at the shower and was overwhelmed but every one's generosity. Josh and I are so thankful to everyone for all they have done for us and Sadie.

Friday night, before the shower, a friend dropped off a gift and I had to share it because it is so stinkin sweet.

Look at this adorable Feltman Bros dress. It's hard to tell in the picture but it's light pink. It came with bloomer and little socks. Oh I just love. I already have to occasions in mind for her to wear it. I can't wait.

33 Weeks

I won't technically be 33 weeks until tomorrow but I figure it's close enough. I held my cardigan up so you could get the full picture. The cardigan was deceiving and made me look smaller than I am.

One reason I like these IPhone pictures is because I know when Sadie looks back at these years from now she'll laugh at how "ancient" the phone is. :)

Most everything is going good at this point. I'm just big and I feel big. I started swelling really bad but after lowering my sodium intake and drinking lots of water it's much better. I've even lost a little weight because if it. Yea! I still check my blood pressure daily to make sure all is well and so far so good.

I am so thankful to be pregnant and I wouldn't change it for the world but I'm not one of those ladies that loves "pregnancy". A lot of it is hard. Worth it, but hard. One thing that never gets old though is this...



...when Sadie moves all around and her daddy gets to feel her. There's something so amazing about it and I know I will miss it. I can't believe I only have 7 weeks to go. That's crazy! I still have lots to do to keep me busy but I can't wait until she is here.

Her first shower is tomorrow and we are both very excited! :)

Random

I'm doing a random post from my phone so the pictures will be less than ideal. That's what happens when you're on your way to your parent's house to blog before work and you drive right by it. So to give you a visual I'm sitting outside my office, in my car, blogging. So....here we go..

1. Josh and I decided not to renew our Razorback football tickets this year. It's something that has been on our minds for a while. With the donation deadline quickly approaching we decided it was best to let them go. That was a hard decision since I've had them since 2002. At this point though we can't justify spending the time and money with a baby on the way.

2. I had my first Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin (from Mimi's) of the season last week. Soooooooo good!!

2. I have always loved a good ICEE but now I really love them. The Arctic Blasts from Target are the best. In fact I will be getting one today.







3. My friend Caroline (not sure how to link from my phone) tweeted about a new creamer. I knew right away I had to have it. It is so yummy.







4. Last week while at Target Josh found this in the $1 section. He decided he is going to grow Sadie a rose. I will let you know how it turns out.







5. At about 30 weeks the swelling started to really set in. I'm not a fan of it but it wasn't so bad at first. This past weekend it got pretty bad. I'd share a picture but I'm too prideful. :) Some Twitter friends saw it and they would agree. I decided it was best to start checking my blood pressure daily and to lower my salt intake. So these two things have become my best friends...














6. Still no word on when we can move. Honestly though it's for the best. There is so much going on I'm not sure I can handle it.

7. Josh and I are supposed to take an infant CPR class this Thursday but with my swelling and the fact that I'm getting sick I'm not sure we can. Sad.

8. On a fun note my friend Ashley, who I have been emailing back and forth for months about pregnancy and becoming first time moms (along with our friend Megan), is in the hospital getting induced right now. Yea!!! They don't know what they are having. I'm guessing boy but I'm hoping for a girl. :) Please pray for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.
My other friend Kodi is also having her second little boy today!! It's a day full of babies. Yea!! Please pray for her as well. I'm so excited about these two new arrivals.

That should do it!! Happy Tuesday!

Showers of Fun

I'm so excited about my upcoming showers! I've been looking forward to them from the moment I was pregnant. Part of that is because when I announced I was pregnant to couple of friends (Katie and Kelly) they immediately started talking about my showers. It's hard not to get excited when it's being talked about. The only stressfull part of showers is the registering. Oh dear. Even though I stressed when I registered for our wedding I felt more educated. When it comes to a baby though, I was very unsure of myself. I didn't really have a clue what to register for but I used all of your suggestions from this post as a guide. A while back Josh and I went to Babies R Us to do our big registry.


Josh was really great with the scanner. I would point and he would shoot. It was a lot of fun picking things out even though I felt clueless. I have no idea what we'll need or want. We decided to register at 3 different places (Babies R Us, Target, and Walmart) to help accommodate everyone. I decided to register at Target and Walmart online because it is so easy. Now it's the fun part. I've been checking my registries every day (I know that's cheating, don't judge) and getting excited about the big events.
My first shower (next weekend) is with my besties from high school and their mothers. We always give each other wedding and baby showers and they are lots of fun. As excited as I am about all the fun things for Sadie I'm just excited to see my friends.
The following weekend is my shower at my church. I'm excited about it too. The people in our church are always so generous and thoughtful. They gave Josh and I a wedding shower after we had only been a part of the church for just a little while. We were so blessed by their generosity.
I only have two showers planned for before Sadie gets here but I have a Sip & See planned with my friends in Northwest Arkansas for when she arrives. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT!
I am so thankful and blessed that people want to shower us and Sadie. Josh and I are very appreciated of everyone's love and support. Stay tuned because I'll be sure to share the fun details with you.

Oh The Cuteness

Look what my friend Ashley sent Sadie. How cute is this dress? The picture doesn't do it justice. It is adorable! Ashley has a great online shop and makes TONS of cute things all the time. She's also been a huge help to me by answering questions about starting my own little sewing/embroidering business. You should check out her things. I guarantee you'll buy something before you leave her site.

And look what my other friend Ashley made for Sadie. I love it!! She has recently started an etsy site as well. Ashley and I "met" on Twitter but we live in the same town and she has become a sweet friend. I think I've even talked her in to helping me by keeping Sadie some once she's here. :)

Thank you so much, friends! I love what you've made and can't wait for her to wear them. It never gets old seeing her name on things!

My Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

I used to dread Valentine's Day when I was single (except I always got pretty flowers from my dad). No one wants to be reminded of the love you DON'T HAVE. I would spend it with my single friends because there was comfort in numbers. (On that note, if you have single friends in your life, maybe today would be a good day to encourage them.) Now Valentine's Day doesn't bother me so much. I'll be honest, I don't get giddy or sappy about it because I love Josh every day but regardless it is still a sweet holiday. This will be our 5th Valentine's Day together. That's not really a lot if you think about it and yet I can't believe we've already had five together. Time flies when you're having fun. I told Josh to enjoy this year because next year he'll have two Valentine's.

Now is a good time to tell you some of the reasons I love Josh so much. First and most importantly he loves the Lord and challenges me all the time. He does sweet things like carry all my bags and he opens every single door. He starts my car when it is cold outside. He's very protective of me and I love that. It's not in a controlling way but it a loving way. He makes me laugh and he has a great sense of humor. He doesn't let me do everything I want and he isn't a pushover (or passive). He always lets me know he loves me and I never have to wonder. He does ALL the dishes. He is extremely good looking. :) He gives the best hugs. He is predictable yet he always surprises me. He is sensitive but strong and manly. He talks so lovingly about Sadie and he isn't afraid to show his excitement. I know he is going to be the best daddy.

For all of these things and so many more, I love you Josh! Happy Valentine's Day!

Wise Up

It has arrived. The book of all books. The book that is supposed to change my life as a mother...

So maybe that was a bit dramatic but this book has come highly recommended by so many of you. I know there are things in the book that might not really fit with our family but I also know there are things in the book that could change our lives. My friend Jennifer, the baby whisperer, has had great success with this book and I assured her she would be on speed dial. I hope and pray that Sadie will be a good sleeper. I have a feeling she'll make her own rules but I want to do everything I can to set her up for success. I told Josh that I would give him a crash course too. After all, I want him well educated in making sure Sadie is a good sleeper.

On a totally different note I wanted to include a few of Sadie's new things. These things are precisely why I don't plan on buying my child anything for a while. Her Jules and Big D are buying her enough for all of us.
Um, seriously, this sailor outfit is so cute. My mom had already decided she was buying her one and when she found it she didn't care what it cost (luckily it was on sale). I just love it.

This dress might be my favorite though. It's so preppy. She won't be able to wear this for a while (at least I hope not) but I can just picture her in it.

Her first polos. Oh goodness.

My dad picked this out and had to get it for her. It's a little sweater dress with a hat.

He also picked this out for her too. Her first tutu. I have a feeling there will lots more tutus in her lifetime. In fact I have plans to make one for her soon.

She's gotten several other things as well but I didn't want to bore you with it all.

I love having these little girly things around. I can't wait until we have our new place and her closet and nursery are all set and ready to go. Who knows though, she might make her debut before that happens.

Snow Days

Wednesday was another snow event for the state of Arkansas. I'm so sad we didn't get as much as NWA but we did get some nice snow. I'm just glad it was enough to close our bank down at 11:00am. YES! Fun times! After Josh came and picked me up and I was all settled in a nice warm house I decided I wanted something to eat.

We ventured out in the snow and it was a little crazy. There was just so much of it. The roads were completely covered. Luckily there were only a few nuts like Josh and I who were out in it.

Our first stop was Kroger. I just knew Gucci Kroger (what my mom's friend calls it) would have something yummy and warm to eat. Nope. We got a few groceries in there then headed back out.

After we left Kroger we headed across the street to Arby's since they were open. GLORY!! Best chicken tenders I have ever had (except they are really small and pretty expensive). After our adventure we came home and relaxed. I took a nap and Josh worked on school/church work.

Pretty Snow

Josh with his ruler in hand ready to check out the damage.

He measured once...

...twice...

...three times. I think at this point it was somewhere between 5 and 6 inches but we got more as the day went on. Since it was such good snow I decided that I needed some snow ice cream.

Mom braved the weather and went and gathered snow. Somehow I stretched this picture so it looks really weird (I tried to unstretch it). Ha. I'm too lazy to add it again because it can be a pain!

Snow

Vanilla

Sugar

Milk

Mix together.

Deicious. It tasted sooooo good.

I'd like to end on a sweet note but I need to include a few snow pictures of my dad too since everyone else was featured.

Here he is in Josh's boots (a good 3 sizes bigger than what he wears) going to get his boots out of the car. I think he likes them because they make him look taller.

And here is an action shot after he braved the elements for his own boots (which we may or may not tease him about).

All in all it was a wonderful snow day. I was sad I had to go back to work today but it wasn't so bad. As much as I love the snow I'm ready for it to melt and for spring to join us. Thankfully the temperatures will be turning more spring-like in the days to come.