Some Quick Things

Its hot here...dang hot! Heat never bothers me, but at this point I'm ready to wear a bikini all day long.  Me, near 9 months pregnant, bikini, pretty picture, huh?
 My family hosted a sprinkle for baby boy Sunday and I almost died.  I'm pretty much rocking any strapless dress that fits now days. And the side pony or braid. 

My appetite is slowly decreasing as all I want to eat is ice cream and salad.  But, Carsyn hooked daddy up with some grilling tools for father's day including this little gem.

The result is perfectly crispy grilled quesadillas-yummy!



I highly recommend you head to your nearest Williams Sonoma and purchase.

We are slowly working on rearranging Carsyn's new room and getting her old room ready for baby boy.  I got the closet organized this weekend and feel so much better.  She's all settled in, but we have a lot to do in the baby's room.
 


I tweeted a picture of Carsyn eating ice cream last week and everyone loved that little romper.  Its Tea and we picked it up at Nordstrom.  They have really cute play clothes in my opinion!



Also, those crab outfits y'all asked about were Le' Za Me.  I don't know if they're available this year because mom picked them out for the kiddos last year and they were too big for them to wear.  Note to self-that brand runs large!  Carsyn is wearing a 12 month and Maddox is wearing a 3T-bizarre!

I suppose that's enough random for your Tuesday :)

Lilly..and Mother's Day

I said I'd never dress like my daughter. I lied. I kind of started the tradition of Mother's Day matching dresses last year and giddily looked forward to shopping for some matching Lilly Pulitzer frocks for this Mother's Day a while back. Like so far back it didn't involve being nearly 7 months pregnant when it rolled around. Yikes.

Don't get me wrong, Lilly has many dresses flattering to expectant mommas like the Claire and the Cherry. Finding a matching infant dress proved to be a bit challenging, but sweet Kim at our local Lilly store helped me out. Here it is:

Mother's Day by jenhts featuring Lilly Pulitzer dresses

Lilly Pulitzer dress
$198 - bloomingdales.com

Tory Burch sandals
£195 - harrods.com

Kendra Scott earrings
$58 - endless.com

Tiffany Co necklace
$950 - tiffany.com

Lilly Pulitzer Infant Girls' Lilly Shift Dress
$68 - bloomingdales.com

Do you match your little one?

Worth the Wait

 

I might have introduced the hubby to the idea of a push present. My family might have hinted sapphires are Carsyn's birthstone.

Thanks hubby for the push/happy 10 years present!

Cats Cats Cats!!

When I was perusing Kelly's Korner SUYL entries on Alma Maters I was disappointed not to see any UK alums so I decided to show some love.

This is not a post on long lasting friendships or exceptional education experiences but instead on a UK tradition that endures whether you attended the college or not-The LOVE for UK athletics. This is a bond that leaps states and quite possibly continents. Everyone in our family loves UK football and basketball and you also might notice that Carsyn has a UK outfit for every day of the week. The hubby also attended UK but we never went there at the same time. While I attended UK I lived with my sister and cousin and for one semester my other cousin. It was a great time in my life and we always get together during UK football season to get our tailgate on....

My Big Sis & I


My Cous


The hubby & I at a bowl game


My Big Sis & BIL


The night we beat LSU :)


We started Maddox early


and the lovely very pregnant tailgater ;)


I hope Carsyn will follow in her mom and dad's footsteps someday.

A Baby Story

The Birth Story of Carsyn:

I guess I feel like it all started on Friday, Sept 17 at 3:00. We checked in at the hospital and registered and did some bloodwork. Usually I hate blood work but its amazing what your body can acclimate to. I was happy to get all of the paper work out of the way so that way Sunday all I had to do was walk into the hospital and gets things started. After that the hubby and I went to PF Changs for my "last supper". Oh pork dumplings, spring rolls, lettuce wraps- how I love you. Afterwards we proceeded to my big sis's house for roasting marshmallows with my favorite little guy.






Holy cow!! I did not realize until this pic was snapped how much bigger I am than my hubby...and I swear I do not tower over him!

Saturday we ran around town buying last minute things like pillows and pacifiers- Side Note- If anyone out there needs advice on what to pack for the hospital, especially if they are having a c section please email me!! (I received a lovely email from Ashley laying out exactly what to expect and it was so helpful- thanks again!) We had dinner with Shane's family that night and everyone tried to calm my nerves- I knew it was going to be a restless night and it was. I kept laying in bed thinking things like I really should have got my hair highlighted and I really, really, should NOT have eaten mini cheeseburgers!!

The Delivery Day:

Shane and I woke up at 6:30 and got everything loaded in the car-we had been staying with my sister so it wasn't too hard to pack. We arrived in the parking lot of the hospital at 7:30 am and we cranked up some Bruce to get me in a happy mood. We entered the hospital and went directly to the labor and nursery floor. There I met my nurse Sherri and she started my IV. She did everything she could to calm my nervous and tell me everything was going to be fine. Then the third love of my life, the anthethesiologist came in to talk to me about the epidural. Mom and Dad got to visit me for a minute and at roughly 9:45 I was wheeled into OR. At this point Sherri was singing we're having a party and I was getting really excited. I recieved an epidural, which was not painful at all and then Shane came into see me. Dr F and my 2 sweet nurses came in and the procedure started. I felt a slight rocking, but that's about it. In mere moments we heard the doc say get your camera ready I have a foot and then we heard the sweet, sweet sounds of Carsyn crying.

Meeting daddy




Our first family photo



My hero- Dr F



All cleaned up




At this point Shane is snapping pics, the peds are checking out Carsyn, and Dr F is concentrating on momma. I am wheeled to recovery where Sherri tells me to rest and Shane and Carsyn go to get cleaned up and meet the families. At this point I remember relaxing a little and then Shane entering the room with Carsyn so we could have a little bonding time. After this I'm wheeled to my room and visitors are allowed. We had so many visitors that day and it was such a joyous occasion the pain and exhaustion really were not a factor- course that set in afterwards ;)

Bonding time with mommy



All ready to go home

8 Questions

A favorite blogger and new mommy extraordinaire Ashley (I Love You More Than Carrots) tagged me to answer some questions about myself. So here goes...

1. I have a few words that I simply cannot stand. The sound of them, the way they fill my mouth. Just the thought makes me cringe. What are your least favorite words?

Any slang word for the female or male genitalia..(I don't even like that word)..Maybe that's too crude to even bring up..sorry

2. A self-declared major bookworm, I can't get enough of good fiction. What's your all-time most favorite read?

Gone With the Wind..doesn't every girl fantasize a little about being at Tara or Rhett Butler coming to her rescue?

3. What's your favorite meal of the day? Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

All of them..I'm Pregnant :) Probably breakfast..but late at night..nothing beats midnight pancakes or omelets!

4. Do you put your socks on before or after you slip your pants on?

Ha! After

5. If you could cast yourself on any of TV's recent reality shows, which would it be? (Jerseylicious, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, Chopped, The Next Food Network Star) Think broad spectrum here, ladies!

I know my sil is going to be disappointed I'm not saying Jersey Shore but I'm going with Real Housewives KY version....maybe we could get rid of a few stereotypes, but its probably likely I fit into them ;)

6. What's your favorite attribute?

Oh I'd much rather list my faults..hmmmm.... my eternal optimism

7. We all have a favorite Disney movie. What's yours?

Confession: I just googled Disney movies...I'm not really a Cinderella, Snow White, kind of girl and was pleasantly surprised to find The Santa Claus on the list..oh yeah Tim the Toolman..love him..I'm a sucker for any Christmas movie!! I have to add the hubby's favorite is a Muppet Christmas Carol..the only movie he's ever cried watching...repeatedly

8. And last but not least, you win a goldfish at the local country fair. What do you name him or her?

Well everyone in this house seems to be named after the King so probably keeping the theme we'd name it Lisa Marie..or maybe 'Cilla

So considering I'm entering my last few weeks to use the pregnancy card I'm using it now to pass on coming up with 8 questions...I think it took my poor blonde brain an hour to answer these! So ladies I thought Ashley did a wonderful job of coming up with questions so I pass her questions along to you..

A Wedding Story
Kentucky Girl
Kentucky Mama
22 Yr Old Housewife
Red Vines for Breakfast
for the love
a blue eyed boy met a brown eyed girl
life in the fulmer lane

Rollin Down a Backwoods...

TN byway, one arm on the wheel, holdin my lover, with the other

Dixieland Delight is one of my favorite songs ever!! In fact if you're at a bar in the South and hear a fella in the back incessantly shouting "Dixieland Delight" in a Southern Freebird-like twang its likely that's the hubby!

anyway..today while driving down a KY highway I got behind a pickup truck where the man was driving and the woman was snuggled up next to him with no one over to the far right...Instantly I started singing Dixieland Delight! Now, I'm thinking is that redneck or downright sweet???

Speaking of redneck, how about the mouthwatering meal I cooked for the hubby last night...


Yep, that's good ole fashioned sloppy joes and fried tators...please don't judge- I'm pregnant!! I promise to be more gourmet later ;)

Ups and Downs

While I know this is the time in my life I should be excited I find the worry and stress often interfere. Part of me just wants my little girl to hurry up and get here and the other feels like I'll never be ready! We haven't even started the nursery..YIKES! But I have finally decided on the furniture and plan to order it this week. I am a bit nervous about ordering furniture I have not seen in person, but I have my fingers crossed. My mind is on overload with registering and showers-do I need a video monitor? glider? pack and play? am I leaving anyone off the invitation list? what should be on the menu? One of my biggest dilemmas is labor and birth education. I still just do not know if I want to take the classes. Will they prepare me or make my nerves worse? Then I stop and think I should be enjoying this process and I need to CALM down. Unfortunately I think I have reached the point where running just isn't comfortable anymore and this was my best stress relief. I guess power walking (waddling) will have to suffice.

Now, on the upside I dream about baby girl all of the time. Lots of times she reminds me of her daddy...who of course is the most handsome man on the planet ;)
Every time she kicks I cannot help but to smile...Of course usually it is one or two o'clock in the morning. Every time I see a little baby out I stop and ask what its name is and talk to the parents...they always reassure me that being a parent is the best thing in the world. And the best news is we've finally decided on a name we both love....Hallelujah! I did not think this was possible.

Random Things

Don't you just love coming home to something on your doorstep you totally forgot you ordered?!? My goodies from Ashley Brooke Designs arrived today and everything is so cute! I cannot wait to see the design she comes up with after my little one arrives.



Also, sadly I think I might have purchased my last dress before the dreaded maternity clothes are needed..I am hoping this dress will last me another month or two. Thanks goodness for J Crew!! Lots of their dresses and tops are loose fitting and I have been living in their sundresses on sunny days. Hopefully the rain will go away and I'll have a chance to wear this one. Anyone who knows where I can get cute maternity clothes please let me know!!



I have to give props to Miley Cyrus! (I hope I get this story right). Miley funds a program at a local school called Blessings in a Backpack which provides food for students to take home on weekends. Today she showed up at the school to bag the lunches herself! I'm sure the kids were so happy to see her.



I know I'm probably the only one who watches Real Housewives New York, but the last episodes of the ladies on vacation has got me super envious! The place they stayed was so beautiful I can't believe they couldn't find a way to get along.

Blackberry Cravings

So..believe it or not besides pickles and ice cream I am craving fruit!! I love watermelon and lately I have been craving blackberries-better yet blackberry cobbler (Shane's favorite)!! In keeping with the theme I found a recipe at Southern Living for spicy pork tenderloin with blackberry sauce. I served it with a spinach salad with fresh strawberries (another favorite).



It was yummy and I highly recommend it!

The blackberry cobbler was pretty good, but I just cannot beat my grandma...I think she has a secret she's not sharing!



I think this week I am finally feeling baby girl move around some :)
Its weird, but exciting!

I'm thinking I should celebrate Evan's advancement on DWTS with another piece of cobbler.....

Baby Bump

I figured I would post a pic of the long awaited baby bump...YAY (I guess)!!



This is week 21 and I'm feeling pretty good..finally. My head is spinning with girl names and nursery ideas. So far the name has completely thrown me for a loop! As far as the nursery I'm just thinking PINK! I am looking forward to the weekend and tackling a few things on my ever growing to do list.

Its A Girl!!

What a relief to find out what our little one is going to be!! It was such a great day! Most of our family was able to make it to the ultrasound and gather anxiously around the monitor- It seemed like it took FOREVER for the ITS A GIRL news to be announced. There were a few tears (of joy) and a lot of laughter.



After the appointment we went to the local bookstore to buy a book for the little one. Shane had the idea to buy Dr Seuss Oh, the Places You'll Go...Its a favorite of ours and we both LOVE Dr Seuss. We then went to pick up a few more goodies...



Of course I had to stop by one of my favorite stores to see of they had anything for mommy.....


I know its not keeping with the pink theme, but I love Kentucky blue...Worlds Apart (www.worldsapartonline.com) in Lexington has the prettiest clothes!

Then we went to my favorite sushi restaurant where I enjoyed.......A nice big salad..(sigh)

Shane decided to cut grass when we got home so that gave me the perfect opportunity to whip up some pink brownies for him to take to work tomorrow.




Hoping for some rest tonight!

Mother's Day

pWhat a great Mother's Day weekend I've had!! Saturday I spent the day with my sister and mom (two of the world's best mommies). I even got to chase my nephew around for a bit.





We ate at my mom's favorite italian restaurant where I enjoyed a little too much dessert and learned perhaps peanut butter and chocolate are not a pregnant gal's best friend.



Today my sister-in-law prepared lunch, which eventually turned into dinner also, as everyone went for second and thirds, at her home.



Thanks to my sister and sister-in-law for the thoughtful gifts-Love You!

This will likely be a restless night for me as tomorrow is a big day!

Springtime

We have been enjoying beautiful weather in Kentucky lately and today was no exception. I do not think I counted a single cloud in the sky. Unfortunately it was a crazy hectic day for me and the weather did little to offset my mood. I went for a run at the lake tonight and regained my sanity. It really is lovely there and never fails to make me feel glad to live in the country.






Some still nag me for running but as I told my doc you took away my coffee, red wine, and sushi, please don't take my running! While its true my "running" has turned into a slow jog and that will likely turn into a waddle, I am still enjoying it.

I am looking forward to a beautiful Mother's Day weekend and getting to spend some time with my family.

20 more weeks to go and 4 more days til we find out whether we have a little boy or girl!! :)

Oh Momma

So, with the encouragement of family and friends here I am starting a blog. First, I must say I am not an eloquent writer nor does my thought process mimic anything normal. People (husband, sister, mom, dad) characterize me as scatter-brained so attempting to blog is like facing a great fear. However, upon discovering I was pregnant I wanted to journal or document my thoughts and feelings and what better way than this! I often tell my sister I wish she would have kept a pregnancy/mommy diary so I would know what to expect.



When Shane and I discovered we were having a child his excitement definitely overshadowed mine- I was a nervous wreck! Don't get me wrong, I've always wanted kids, but my worries and concerns got the best of me. Luckily most of these melted away with that first ultrasound.
Now I'm settling in to the thought of being a mom and everyday my excitement grows. I have the most supportive hubby a girl could ask for and a family that's as excited as Shane and I. I know if I'm half the mother my mom and sister are this will be one lucky kid.

I am always seeking advice, encouragement, and enlightenment from others. Happy Reading!