Still Waiting

Well folks we're still waiting on Miss Emma Claire! She is taking her time, but we're all fine with that. The weather is yucky up in the northeast today so we're enjoying a nice day inside! My parents are here now and my in-laws are on their way as I type.

In other news we're all ready for Halloween at our house! We have some ghosts hanging out in our front tree and the candy has been purchased for our trick-or-treaters!

I'll keep you updated and will hopefully have something new to report soon!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Another Wednesday and still no baby! Yesterday I rested pretty much all day long. On Monday I ran LOTS of errands and wore myself out. I was sure I did enough walking and moving around to go into labor...but obviously I didn't :-) I'm linking up with Jamie today for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Here's what I'm loving today!

{One}

My Handsome Husband

He's so cute :-)

{Two}

CLEAN Puppies!

I just love this picture! I was getting ready to take them to Petsmart to get groomed and they got SO excited! I'm sure their excitement was more for the car ride, but still...it was cute!

I just LOVE when they put bows in their hair! Although I can't say the same for the dogs!Gracie got cute yellow ones!

Dixie's were Halloween bows! So cute! As you can see they have already started to come loose in this picture! They don't last long so I had to get pictures quick!

{Three}

Protective Puppies

This dog follows me EVERYWHERE! This is where you can find her while I'm showering! Yesterday I was thinking that I need a camera in the shower to show you how she sits right there, but luckily she stayed there even after I got out! So I was able to snap a picture! Dixie used to be more of a Daddy's girl...but not anymore! The Hubs even said..."What ever happened to MY dog?!" last night! haha Because even after spending ALL day with me she still will cuddle with me once he's home.

{Four}

Local Farmers Market

The Hubster and I found our local farmer's market on Sunday. This was my favorite part...HOMEMADE kettlekorn! I was SO EXCITED y'all! It is delicious! Don't worry I also got some fresh veggies...

I just love fresh vegetables! I cooked with the potatoes and zucchini last night!

{Five}

A Healthy Pregnancy

I know, you're wondering, "what biscuits and fruit have to do with a healthy pregnancy?" I am just SO grateful that the Lord has blessed me with a healthy pregnancy so far and I have been able to get up each morning with my Husband before he leaves for work (which today was at 4:20am) and make him breakfast. Yes, I know...not something most people would say they LOVE but I honestly do. I feel so lucky that I am healthy enough and have enough energy to get up each morning and help make his day a little better by making his breakfast and lunch :-) I also enjoy the few extra minutes I get to spend with him in the morning that I wouldn't have if I stayed in bed. Now once Emma Claire has arrived I'll check back in with you and let you know if I'm still doing all of this! I just hope I'll be able to!

And in case you were worried that he's super spoiled...here is the gourmet dinner he got the same day he got biscuits and fruit...HA! I was too tired to actually cook that night so out came the can opener and oven ready foods! Not every dinner can be perfect :-)

{Six}

Zulily

Is this not THE cutest little cowgirl outfit?! I CANNOT wait to take Emma Claire to Texas to meet all of her family and especially to take her to Aunt Doreen's barn to ride a horse for the first time! I figured she should have an appropriate outfit when the time comes ;-) So I just HAD to get this! I just love it!!!

{Seven}

Emma Claire

I just can't believe that this time next week I will have a sweet little baby to put in this crib! It doesn't even seem real!!! I can't wait to see what she looks like!!!

Here she is at about 19 weeks, she's obviously MUCH bigger now and I just want to see her sweet face, count her fingers and toes, and hold her!

I just have to end by saying that I am so grateful for all of the wonderful women I've met through this blog! I've been blessed to find blogs of women who are pregnant and are as far along as I am (many have now had their sweet babies! EEK!) and it's been wonderful to read their weekly updates and chat back and forth about concerns, fears, and our excitement. I also have met so many wonderful mothers who have offered great advice. Along with the mom bloggers I have also met many younger, older, single and married women who always have such sweet and uplifting things to say. I never thought that when I started this blog I would so look forward to reading comments and conversing back and forth with people I've never "met" before! My daily bible verse the other day really made me think about how thankful I am for each of you...

"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Still No Baby!

I figured we'd just get that out of the way up front ;-) Still no baby! We're just waiting! I thought I'd fill you in on what I've been up to while waiting for Emma Claire!

Each day I get up around 5:00am with the Hubster...

I make his breakfast and pack his lunch while he showers and gets ready! And yes...that is a note in his lunchbox :-) He gets one every day, I haven't missed a day yet!

Lots of cooking...

Taco Salad...I think this has been my favorite lately.

The other night I made chicken enchilada soup that I found on Pinterest! The original recipe is from The Real Mom Kitchen. She has a ton of great soup recipes!

To go with the soup I made homemade tortilla strips seasoned with garlic and lime! I thought they were ok but the Hubster LOVED them!

Last night for dinner I used the basic idea from Chicken Pillows {recipe HERE} and gave them an Italian twist! I filled the centers of the biscuits with ground beef and tomato's seasoned with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Then I rolled them in Italian breadcrumbs and baked them. Once they came out of the oven I topped them with spaghetti sauce and cheese. 

While they aren't "pretty" they were quite tasty. The Hubster ate several of them!

I'm finally reaping the rewards from all of my online shopping! I LOVE when the doorbell rings each day!

I just LOVE her little hospital hat!

I ordered it from the Tweetlebug Boutique! They were WONDERFUL! I placed my order on Monday and it was at my door on Wednesday!!!

This literally just got delivered today! I have been waiting for this one for a while! It's going to be one of her hospital outfits! I ordered this from Charming Lane Designs on Etsy!

How stinkin' cute is this?! I cannot wait for Christmastime to put her in this!!! I got this one from Zulily! I have ordered a TON from them but this was the first item I've received!

Now these adorable burp cloths weren't ordered online but I did get them in the mail! My mom made me a TON of burp cloths and they are all TOO CUTE!

I am SET on burp cloths! And they're all so cute!

She made Halloween ones, as well as Christmas and Thanksgiving!!! I think the Charlie Brown one is my favorite :-)

And this little darling came from a local boutique! I ordered a smocked gown for her coming home outfit online BUT it hasn't come yet...so of course I panicked and went and got another one so she will FOR SURE have one to wear home!

I LOVE the smocking at the top! So sweet!

Getting Everything Packed!

Emma Claire's diaper bag is all packed and ready to go!

Mommy's hospital bag!!!

All of my toiletries are packed and ready to go!

The Hubster put together the bouncer the other night! All baby gear has now been put together and is ready!

So now we're just waiting for Emma Claire!

Don't forget that you can make a guess about when Emma Claire will make her debut at our online game!!!

http://www.expectnet.com/games/EmmaClaire2011

38 Weeks

The countdown has really started!!! Only 14 days until my due date, yikes that's close! :-) Today is a housework day, I'm working on cleaning, organizing, and doing laundry. I've already organized our pantry, cleaned out the fridge/freezer, cleaned the kitchen and am working on laundry. Tomorrow I'm hoping to go get a mani/pedi and run some errands. Wednesday is my 38 week doctor appointment! I love going to see my doctor, she is wonderful! Although I have developed this fear that each time I go they're going to tell me that I have to stay at the hospital! HA! So the few days leading up to my appointment I go crazy making sure everything is ready just in case!

How Far Along: 38 Weeks

Size of Baby: She weighs close to 7 pounds and is almost 20 inches long! She's the size of a WATERMELON. Holy cow....

Total Weight Gain: 19 pounds? Not exactly sure.

Maternity Clothes: Yes! And non-maternity sweaters.

Gender: A little princess

Movement: Still moving all the time!

What I Miss: Bending over without getting heartburn, sleeping more than an hour without having to go to the bathroom.

Cravings: Dr. Pepper, that's pretty much it. Oh, and apples! I LOVE gala apples! We got a bunch of them at Costco the other day and they are SO good!

Symptoms: Sore ribs from her sweet little kicks, I tire out pretty easily during the day but my mind races at night with all that I have left to do!

Best Moment of the Week: Getting things checked off of the never ending to-do list and awaiting the arrival of Allie's {from Living the Adventures} sweet baby girl! As I type this she is 9cm and is just waiting to push!!! :-) Come on Raleigh Grace!!! Say a little prayer for this sweet little family!

What I'm Looking Forward To: My doctors appointment on Wednesday and having the nursery DONE!

Baby Bump

I tried to get some cute pictures with my furry babies, they weren't quite as excited as I was!

37 Weeks

Here we are folks...we're nearing the end of the marathon! Speaking of, did anyone see the woman on the news who ran a marathon at 38 weeks?! WOW! I cannot imagine! I am officially 20 days from the BIG DAY! I have now started getting asked, "are you still pregnant?!"..."oh WOW when are you due, you're HUGE?!"...strangers are SO kind sometimes, not. I really don't like being told that "there is NO WAY you'll make it to your due date" by random people at Target. One of my new favorite things to do is to call my mom :-) Each time I call she now answers and immediately says "are you in labor?!" then she giggles and says it's just so much more fun to answer the phone THAT way! Ha! Thanks mom! It does make me laugh though!

How Far Along: 37 Weeks=FULL TERM!!!

Size of Baby: Between 19-20inches long and about 6 pounds! WOW!

Total Weight Gain: 18 pounds officially

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and some non-maternity sweaters

Gender: Girl :-)

Movement: Still a TON! Watching my belly roll around is so entertaining! I love it!

What I Miss: Bending over! Cleaning/nesting is MUCH harder when you can't bend over!

Cravings: Milk still and Chick-fil-A Tea, that one may be from my tiredness during the day! Momma needs a pick me up! Also I randomly and MAJORLY craved a Dr. Pepper a few days ago! I went right to Chick-fil-A and got one! It was SO GOOD. I haven't had a DP in forever!

Symptoms: Oh gosh...everything?! haha Heartburn, BH contractions, not sleeping, I'm hungry ALL the time...even after I've eaten dinner!

Best Moment of the Week: Having a fun weekend with friends and the Hubster! He got Columbus day off and it was wonderful just to spend the day together! Also, Monday morning he put his ear up to my belly (where her little back is) and was able to hear her heartbeat! I was so jealous! I kept saying, "I wish I could bend that way!" The Hubster insisted it was only fair that he got to hear her heartbeat that way because I get to feel her move around all day long! :-)

What I'm Looking Forward To: My next doctors appointment! I just love going! Also finishing up the nursery and doing the big reveal! It's SO CLOSE! But not there quite yet! I can't wait to share it!

Baby Bump

Here we are...FULL TERM! :-)

I've created an online guessing game for when Emma Claire will make her big arrival! Go make a guess, see how close you can get!

Emma Claire's Due Date Game

36 Weeks

I feel like each time I sit down to write an update I just wrote my update for last week! Well I guess this time I did...I was so late with my 35 week post! HA! I just can't believe that next week I will be FULL TERM! We've gotten a lot done in her room, I'm planning on working in there this afternoon and will hopefully take a few pictures to share! :-) The dresser has made it upstairs now just needs to be deep cleaned and some shelf liner needs to be added, then I'll add in her clean clothes! We also bought Emma Claire's swing, which the Hubster put together THAT night, it was pretty cute! He also put together the pack n' play and was itching for more stuff to do! I think HE might be nesting ;-)

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of Baby: almost 6 pounds and about 18 1/2 inches long!

Total Weight Gain: I'm guessing 18 pounds, we'll see at the doctor this week!

Maternity Clothes: Yep, although I have been wearing non-maternity sweaters!

Gender: I've said it before but...she better still be a girl! HA! :-) I've started getting nervous because I won't get another ultrasound to "double check" even though I had more than enough to confirm back at 20 weeks ;-)

Movement: She is still very active! Her little punches and kicks are KILLING my bladder and ribs. Thankfully I can usually move around and she'll move too. She also makes my belly SO lopsided sometimes..here's another picture of that!

This is looking straight down, the hubs took this standing behind me...she is COMPLETELY over to the right. I am so amazed at the ability of the human body sometimes!

What I Miss: Sleeping soundly...and comfortably. Bending over would be nice ;-)

Cravings: Still milk, and now organic milk...I realized that before when I was just having occasional milk that "regular" milk would be fine, but now that I'm drinking it a TON I need to be drinking organic. I actually think I like it better than regular milk!

Symptoms: Oh gosh...pretty much the same as last week: Heartburn, some nausea if she's really active, not being able to sleep, braxton hicks, PRESSURE...

Best Moment of the Week: There were so many!

- Getting her dresser up in her room!

- Going apple picking with the Hubs and Leah and CJ

- Buying her swing!

- The hubster putting the swing together RIGHT after we got home :-)

- Pack n' play is all put together

- Fall decorations are up!
- House is clean!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting all of her cute little clothes washed and finishing decorating her room! Also hanging out with friends next weekend...the Hubster and I are hosting a Pumpkin Picking and Carving party at our house! We're going to a pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins, then back to our house for carving, dinner and eating some sweet treats!

Baby Bump

I'm going to share two belly pictures this week, just because I'm not sure how many more weeks we'll have left! It actually looks smaller in this picture...

35 Weeks

I'm FINALLY getting around to my 35 week post! HA! It's almost time for my 36 week post! :-) So here goes nothing...35 weeks!

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Size of Baby: 5 and 1/4 pounds and over 18 inches long! The size of a honeydew melon!

Total Weight Gain: between 17-18 pounds

Maternity Clothes: YES!

Gender: Sweet little Princess

Movement: All. The. Time. And every time I read "your baby's movements might be slowing down at this point in pregnancy as they run out of room" I think..HA you've never met MY baby! I think she moves MORE now than ever before! It's almost constant, and I love it :-)

What I Miss: Oh goodness...sleeping through the night, not having to visit the bathroom each time I stand up, being able to walk at a normal speed, not having pressure constantly on my pelvis! The list goes on and on :-)

Cravings: MILK. I haven't had this much milk since I was a little kid! I drink it 2-3 times a day. Most of the time it is to relieve heartburn but I do crave milk on it's own too.

Symptoms: Heartburn, some nausea if she's really active, not being able to sleep, braxton hicks, PRESSURE...can't think of any more right now

Best Moment of the Week: Finishing her dresser and chandelier AND making her bed! :-) I can't wait to move her dresser from the garage up to her room. Although I'm sure the hubster can...hehe her room is on the 3rd floor. Have I mentioned that he's a GREAT daddy!?

What I'm looking Forward to: Finishing her room and washing all of her clothes and meeting her of course! But not yet..I still have more to do!

Baby Bump