My Person Turns 30

Today my best friend turns 30! We've known each other for almost 11 years (wow!) and I wouldn't trade a moment.  The tough times make us stronger and the good times just get better. I just want to take a moment to recognize one of the most special people in my life.

::via::

30 of My Favorite Things About LBC

1. You are my best friend.
2. You call me out on my crap.
3. You keep me grounded.
4. You make even the most ordinary of days special.
5. You have fabulous fashion sense.
6. You know me so well...
7. You are an awesome aunt.

One of my favorite pictures (Easter 2014)

8. You are determined.
9. You know how to make others feel special.
10. We know what each other is thinking without saying a word.
11. You're generous.
12. You are humble.
13. You love the Lord.
14. You have a beautiful servant's heart.
15. You're well traveled.
16. You fight for what is right.
17. You're a wonderful hostess.

One of my favorite trips to date...2012

18. You are an excellent baker.
19. You are adventurous.
20. We share a love of movies, peanut m & ms and ice cream.
21. You always make our time together meaningful.
22. You challenge me.

Our first 5k

23. You inspire me.
24. You take chances.
25. You hold me accountable.
26. You make change for Christ.
27. You're honest.
28. You're loyal.
29. You make me laugh.
30. You're my person.

Happy Birthday!

This Week's 5

With the kind of week it has been, I thought it would just be easier to go day by day.

[Monday]
We enjoyed another snow day at home thanks to more snow on the ground.

[Tuesday]
We had a 2 hour delay to ensure safety. I went to work for a couple of hours and then headed to my dentist appointment.  I've been having an achy teeth problem and I wanted to see what was going on. Everything was fine a few months ago at my last cleaning.  Too my surprise,  a wisdom tooth was almost completely filled with a cavity. After many attempts to numb me up and get the tooth out, he decided sending me to the surgeon would be the best decision.

Tuesday was also my hubby's birthday. It was not spent the way we'd hoped. I'm making it up to him on Saturday with a tasty meal at a local brewery.

::via::

Tuesday was also filled with sadness as we grieved the loss of my cousin's husband who lost his battle with cancer.

[Wednesday]
We actually had a full day of school! Now to play major catch up...

::via::

[Thursday]
I officially became a surgical patient. I didn't feel a thing, which was amazing. 3 stitches later I was sent home with a  mouth full of gauze and a headache. As the numbing agent wore off the reality of the pain hit. The safest thing for me to take is regular Tylenol,  which doesn't do much.

[Friday]
G is off to the sitter so that I can have a little healing time. The pain is pretty bad and sleep was difficult. I'm glad I can be at home today to mend.

::via::

Happy Friday!

Linking up for Oh Hey Friday!  and Five on Friday

Bump to Birth: 5 Months

Month 5

Size:  Banana

Gender: It’s a boy!!!

Name: It will be a surprise! We’ve settled on a first name and are almost fixed on a middle name.

Symptoms: sinus pressure, achy teeth, tiring more easily, food aversions, nose bleeds, nausea, round ligament pain, restless sleep

Emotions: Excited about my next appointment, thrilled over baby’s gender, excited to share the great news, overwhelmed about having to prepare for a boy (since we have EVERYTHING needed for a girl), in love with all the movement I have been feeling, grateful to now be halfway through, anxious about getting everything ready for next school year since I will not be starting, a little overwhelmed with all of the things we are trying to do to get the house ready to sell, ready to finalize plans with the person that will be keeping G when I go to have the baby

Doctor’s Visit: January 30^th-baby’s excessive movement made it difficult to track a heart rate so another ultrasound was done. We received an excellent report (it was then that I began questioning my gut feeling that it was a girl…)

                           February 14^th-elective ultrasound. We found out that we are having a boy. He had a beautiful heartbeat that was measured at 156bpm. You can read all about it here.

                           February 27^th- general checkup scheduled

                           March 5^th- anatomy scan and dentist appointment

Movement: pops and thumps, a couple of rolls now and then, typically in early morning and evening hours

Cravings: eggs, French toast, strawberries, iced coffee, Chinese food and chocolate chip cookies

Aversions:  mayo, purple (yes purple) lima beans, homemade macaroni and cheese, carrots, and black beans

According to Big Sister: G does not “want” a baby. When asked she still says no. She does, however, like to “listen” to the baby with her stethoscope and pats my belly. His arrival and introduction will be interesting

Memories:

-G was pitiful with a really nasty cold and a UTI.

At the doctor...before the horrible catheter experience

-We enjoyed a girls’ day with Terri and Alyssa.

-G plainly said “I love milk!” without any prompting.

-We made a secret gender ultrasound appointment and found out that we are having a boy! We enjoyed telling our families.

-Finished G’s birthday invitations (now I need to order them).

-Baby’s movements are becoming more and more noticeable.

-8+ inches of snow and bitter cold resulted in a whole week off from school and lots of extra time with G.

-I secured a long-term sub for the beginning of next school year.

The Back Story// Months 1-3// Month 4

Goodbye Stuff

Have you ever stood in your house and just looked around…only to find that every room is a mess? I mean every room. Well I did and it was a little overwhelming. We’ve had an entire week home because of the snow and you would think that my house would be spotless! You would think…In my defense, I have a toddler who “helps” in the  most unproductive of ways and I’ve been working diligently on my monthly goals.

The goals are meant to help us purge the house of anything we’re not using and/or do not want to take with us when we move. I’m also trying to begin boxing up things that we aren’t using now but will want to use in our new home. This is quite an undertaking. Our home consists of my life and his life combined, many, many things that were in the house when we moved in, objects that we’ve acquired in our almost 7 years of marriage, and of course all of the things that have been given to us as gifts or hand-me-downs. Yikes! 

Currently I have 2 bags of clothing/stuffed animals and two huge boxes ready to donate. I have a huge pile of little girl clothes on hangers ready to be tagged for an upcoming consignment sale, as well as multiple other items that I still have to enter, prepare and tag. No wonder my house is a mess. I suppose all of these things just make the dishes in the sink seem more than what they are and the laundry more content in the basket. One thing is for sure, when I look past the dishes and the unfolded laundry I still see that we still have entirely too much stuff.

Dictionary.com defines stuff as “material to be worked upon or to be used in making something.” I’ve begun applying this definition to the things that are in our home. If it is something that still needs to be worked upon (and hasn’t been touched in the last 3-6 months) it’s out. If we have not used it in the last year (clothing included) then we’ll part ways. If the item does not help to make our house a home in beauty or function, then out it goes. Using these guidelines I’m finding it much easier to let it go. I’ve even made a simple print out to hang or place in the room I’m working on. It helps by my husband and I stay focused on the task at hand.

So far we’ve successfully purged the living room and the dining room. I’ve also gone through all of G’s clothes (newborn to 24 months). I had some that were ruined, so they were trashed or will be reused as dust rags. I ended up with a decent size box full of donation items and then a slightly smaller pile that I will be cosigning (and what does not sell will be donated.) I was also thrilled to discover that I had a very small selection of gender neutral clothing items (and then of course random firefighter items) that I’ll be able to use for our sweet boy that’s due in July.

There are only two real issues that I’ve encountered during this process:

1. I’m still on moderate bed rest so my lifting has to be limited (not to mention how a growing belly impacts one’s ability to do certain things.)

2. My husband seems to have much more attachment to items in our home than I do. Don’t even get me started on his t-shirts.

It’s been hard to work around the lifting since my husband worked a 72 hour shift (Monday-Wednesday) and worked another 24 hour shift on Friday. Saturday was filled with his volunteer fire departments annual dinner fundraiser and then of course Sunday had us snowed in from another 7 or so inches of snow on top of what we already had (and it's our designated day of rest). Overall though I’m pleased with our progress and whether it’s the nesting phase that I’m hitting early or the realization that April will be here before we know it, I’m on a roll and I’m trying to keep the momentum. As we prepare our home for sale, I’d love to hear any other words of wisdom or advice for this current phase of our lives.

Linking up for Mommy Moments

It's All Good

This week has been wonderful!!!

[Gender Reveal]

I am so excited to share the news! You can read the full reveal here.

[Snow Days]
I have been praying for snow (and I'm not kidding) for a while now. It's winter time for crying out loud and not a single good snow...until now. Beginning Monday morning, the snow began to fall and it left our little corner of the world cloaked in white. Of course, it's only proper to enjoy it while it's here.

Last year G was too small to play in the snow...not this year!

[Naps]

Snow days mean no school for me. This means I get to stay home and spend some extra time with my sweet girl. This also means naps. She takes one good nap a day and I took the opportunities to enjoy them with her. Growing a tiny human is tiring and every nap is greatly appreciated.

[22]

Our sweet girl turned 22 months old this week! I can't believe her birthday is just two months away! I've got some plans in the works and I'm really excited to celebrate our little beauty.

[New Toys]

I have been longing for a new sewing machine for quite some time. My old machine has stitched its last and it was time to let it go. My new machine came in the mail last Friday and thanks to the snow, I was able to get it out of the box...now to find time to use it.

Linking up for Oh Hey Friday and Five on Friday

Baby Mays #2: Gender Reveal!

::via::

March 5th. The date of our next ultrasound. For whatever reason this time around the wait has been excruciating! My hubby and I had discussed possibly trying to schedule an elective ultrasound to find out the gender but the closest place we knew of was a couple hours away. To my surprise, a place had opened up just minutes from my husband's fire department...and she had an opening for February 14th! Our Valentine's Day plans of just staying home quickly changed. We easily scheduled our appointment online and made plans for a morning appointment.

We set out and all the while we discussed our guesses. My husband, just as with our first, was adamant that we were having a boy...simply because that's what he was really hoping for (however, he is the best daddy to our little girl and he would not have it any other way.) Up until our last ultrasound a couple weeks ago, I was certain we were having a girl. It was in my gut....but that ultrasound picture had me second guessing. All of the old wives tales were also indicating girl...and I mean every single one. The only thing that did not agree with all of the above was the Chinese Gender Chart. I used this chart with my daughter and it indicated a girl. This time it said boy. Now, the CGC has been pretty accurate in my experience when you consider how many of my friends compared and have also gone by its prediction.

With all this in mind, we eagerly walked into our appointment at Conceived Revelations*. Amanda (who comes with a lot of medical sonogram experience) welcomed us and began the ultrasound. Almost immediately our little one gave us the answer we had been longing to know...

We're having a boy!

You would have thought my husband's team had just won a game! He threw his hands in the air and gave out a big shout. To say he was excited was an understatement. I was also really excited to know that we had a healthy little guy and to make things even better, we finally got to hear his beautiful heartbeat! With G, we heard her heartbeat loud and strong at every appointment since 8 weeks. For one reason or another, this little guy has not been as cooperative, so to hear the sweet sound of his heartbeat was just icing on the cake.

We opted for the 3D/4D ultrasound as well. He's just beautiful and already quite the snuggle-bug. He literally had his arms and legs wrapped around the placenta in one giant hug. He's also stubborn (so was our daughter...I guess that's just the kind of kids we grow) and made it really difficult to get a good picture of his sweet little face.

G enjoyed pointing to the baby on the screen. However, she was more interested in the toys that were in the room for her playing pleasure. It's my hope that she'll jump right into the big sister roll when this little guy arrives. Any suggestions on helping with big sister bonding are welcomed.

::via::

Our hearts are so full of joy. The Lord continues to amaze us with His provision, love and grace. Having such a different and semi-difficult pregnancy thus far, His peace and goodness have been such a source of strength. We continue to pray for our little one's health. I also pray for a smooth labor and delivery. I'm almost halfway through (as of Sunday) and it's really becoming real.

For now we're continuing to work on getting the house ready to sell, all the while trying to prepare for this new little life that will soon be making his way into the world. Good things are coming...

Linking up with Annie for Thoughts for Thursday

*I was not compensated to share my personal experience with this business.

Mid-month Goal Check In

Is anyone else having a hard time believing it is the middle of February?! Crazy! The month is flying by and with this pace, it's important I stay focused on the tasks at hand.

At the beginning of February I made a list of goals to help purge our home of anything we don't want to take with us when we move. The goal is to put the house on the market April 1st. It's coming way too quickly.

However, I must say that I'm pretty proud of our progress.  I have a couple of bags and two very large boxes ready to donate...and we've only gone through the living and dining room! I'm dreading this week's task...the kitchen.

::via::

These goals have taken a lot of discipline.  My husband and I would both much rather do almost anything than clean out junk drawers and fill boxes with things that have collected unnecessarily over the years. However,  we're seeing great reward. It's refreshing to look in a cabinet or on a shelf and see order. I love knowing things in our home have a purpose and a place instead of just wasting space. (This is also helping fuel these early nesting feelings I've been having).

What's more exciting is that I have off today thanks to winter weather that's on the way; maybe I'll get a jump on the kitchen today. If we get what they're calling for, I may have tomorrow off too...it looks like the groundhog was right.

Linking up for Mommy Moments

Here Comes Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow!!! We’ve opted to spend a low key evening at home with each other. We’re really working on reigning in our budget (even though I think we’re doing pretty good) to better adapt to the coming of our second child. July will be here before we know it! I thought I’d share a few things that Valentine’s Day 2015 will hold.

[Good Food]

I adore my husband. I love seeing a smile on his face and often times this comes from my cooking. There really is something to the old adage, "the way to a man's heart is through is stomach." Once again this year I have a tasty menu planned. We will enjoy a rare treat of savory cooked rib eye steaks, a special potato casserole, green beans and homemade brownie sundaes. We found an excellent deal on the steaks and even with that splurge, we’ll still be spending so much less than if we went out to eat.

::via::

[Goodies for G]

Last year I had a snow day on Valentine’s Day and got to spend G’s first V-day with her at home. It does not appear that I’ll have the same luxery this year. Regardless, she still gets a few goodies. I opted to get her a couple of books (shocker, I know) that go along with the holiday theme.

::via::

[Sweet Attire]

I’m quickly growing my way out of my standard wardrobe. I’ll be doing good to find something red or pink in my closet to wear that fits. I do have some pretty cute heart socks that I’ll sport. G is in a much better position to wear cute Valentine attire. I picked up this cute shirt at Crazy 8 on sale…



Crazy 8 Sparkle Stripe Heart Tee

[Homemade Goodies]

I made some yummy red velvet cookies and cute Kool-aid Valentine treats for my students. I’ll send a few of the cookies to my awesome babysitter as well. I also made these cute applesauce Valentines for my daughter’s daycare.

 

[Above All Else]

Of course, while I savor the memories and treasure the sweet moments with my friends and family, I also remember that the ultimate gift of love has been given by Jesus Christ. He is our example of how to love unselfishly and unconditionally.

::via::

I hope you have a sweet Valentine’s Day!

Linking up with Oh Hey Friday! and Five on Friday

Baby Ballots are Being Cast

At the time of our anatomy scan of our daughter (December 2012), I was eager to find out the gender and I wanted to make the guessing fun. My group of students that year were very excited and I was constantly asked questions about the baby...the most frequent being "boy or girl?"

I had them join in the guessing fun and majority guessed boy...

We had a girl...

This time around was no different. While my students are not as curious this year, they are eager to know the gender. 

This year's results. We'll know soon who was correct!

I also used this super cute activity from TeachersPayTeachers.

I really wish I had been able to use this with our first. It will make a wonderful treasure for the baby box.

Here are some of the overall guess results from the activity. 

Hair color: 9 blonde, 3 black, 2 brown

Eye color: 12 blue, 2 green

Average baby size: ~5 lbs and 20 in or 10 lbs and 20 in

Most guessed due dates: June 14th or July 31st (I'm due July 12th...eek!)

They also came up with some cute names such as Karly Linn and Rosie Blossom for a girl and Brock Dane and Jack Ross for a boy. 

While we're keeping the name a surprise until birth, it's so much fun getting suggestions. 

Linking up with Annie for Thoughts for Thursday

You're My Main Squeeze

::via::

I can’t believe that Valentine’s Day is almost here! Doesn’t it seem like New Year’s was just the other day?! Time is flying and as hard as I try, I can’t slow it down. With the holiday quickly approaching, I decided to get a jump start on Valentine goodies for both G’s daycare and my students. I currently have all of my supplies for my students’ gifts at school so I’ll have to post about them later.

Check out Valentine's Day 2014 here

Fortunately, I now have everything I need to make the simple treats for G’s daycare buddies. I don’t know about you, but my daughter is in love with the squeezable apple sauces. In fact, she doesn’t really care what is inside (or so it seems) because she will eat whatever pouch we give her. Her favorite however is the flavored applesauce. Most of the kids at her daycare are at an age where they can eat these pouches independently. I thought they would make a cute Valentine goody. So with the help from some cute (free)clipart and a little creativity, I put together a little Valentine’s Day message and attached them to the applesauce pouches.

I think they turned out really cute and I know G will love sharing them with her friends.

What are you sending with your kids this Valentine’s?

Linking up for Mommy Moments

5 Reasons I Love...

Our Little Girl

There are so many things that I absolutely adore about our little gal. I thought I’d take this month of love to hone in on a few specific things that I love about some of the people in my life. I thought it only appropriate to start with the one thing that has changed me in ways I never expected, has made me a better person, and captivates me every day.  She is my heart’s song.

[Miracles Happen]

One of the most special things that I love about our daughter is the fact that she is such a special miracle for our family. In the midst of battling infertility, God granted us victory with the conception and birth of our beautiful babe. I count myself blessed daily to be her mother.

Family pictures
May 2013

[Baby Blues]

When I first learned that I was pregnant, I began dreaming about what our child would look like. When I learned that we were having a girl my imagination really began to roam. I secretly wished for the following: my red hair, my blue eyes, her daddy’s eyelashes and her daddy’s dimples. Don’t get me wrong, my prayer was constantly for a healthy and whole baby. But alas, the Lord far exceeded our expectations. It was as if she was custom designed based on my secret requests.

[Handy Helper]

I can already see so much kindness and the presence of a servant’s heart developing in our little one. While we will all battle the egocentric personalities of our toddlers from time to time, I adore the wonderful things I am seeing. She willingly wants to help pick up her toys and help with laundry. We’ve been told by her sitter and nursery workers that she is such a big helper. She loves to give the babies their pacifiers and toys. She wants to make sure everyone has what they need. She is also developing some great manners. She asks for things by saying “please” and ends with “thank you”. She is beginning to learn how to pray and to hear her sweet little mouth say the name of Jesus and amen always melts my heart. I hope we can help her develop these beautiful character traits and habits as she grows.

[Sweet Snuggles]

Those moments of snuggle time are my favorite. I love it when she asks for Bella, Mo-Mo and her blanket. It’s at those moments that I know she’s ready to refuel her little love tank. We sit in the chair and rock or cuddle on the couch. I’ll never get enough...and neither will daddy.

[X’s and O’s]

While I’m sure most mothers feel this way, I truly believe that my little girl gives the best hugs and kisses. Her hugs are firm and so warm. I love the feeling of her tiny little hands around my neck…and her kisses! Oh her kisses! Sometimes she’ll take our faces into her tiny little hands and just plant one. She’ll give sweet kisses before bed and loves to get plenty from mommy and daddy throughout the day. She keeps us laughing and on our toes and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Linking up for Oh Hey Friday! and Five on Friday