The OTHER Mother

Websters defines "Stepmother" as the wife of one's father by a later marriage. Whoever wrote this definition CLEARLY was not awarded the role of being a stepparent. Let me share my definition as one who speaks from experience.

A step mom is*:

- A responsibility. Obviously being a parent is a huge responsibility. Being a step mom is an even bigger job. You are to love this child in your home as your own that in fact is not your own. You are expected to care for her and love her and do for her as you would your own child. If something is needed, you are expected to step in and step up. If, God forbid, something happens to their biological parent, you step up and do what is needed. You do the laundry, cook, clean up their rooms, teach them manners, get them to where they need to be, make their lunches, worry about them, make sure they are in church, arrange play dates, spend your money on them, discipline them, and love them just as if they are your very own child.

-Sacrificing. When I married Daniel, I knew that he and Aubrey were a package deal. If I didn't want to be a step mom, I wouldn't have married him. I CHOSE this life. I have put my career on hold, my dreams, the life I wanted, because of certain situations that have occurred in the past 6 months. I have sacrificed money to make sure Aubrey has new clothes as she grew like a weed this summer, to pay for us to do things, gas to take her places, etc. I have sacrificed time to take her places, spent time doing school work every day so that she continues to learn, gone over Bible verses, read books, made sure she is at soccer, choir, church, and school on time.

-Tough. Or you could say strong. Us step moms put up with a lot. Everyone has an opinion and they are sure to share it. When you have your own kids, you can parent them how you want and if someone doesn't agree with it, they keep their mouth shut. Not the case as a step parent. For some reason, people think they have free reign to critique everything you say and do with your step child.

-Under appreciated. No matter what you do, there are always complaints. Enough said.

-Secure. You have to be secure with yourself to be a step parent. You have to be able to weather the critiques, the rudeness, the belittling, the unappreciativness, etc. and still press on.

-Not a replacement mother. Obviously I am aware I didn't give birth to Aubrey. I've given birth and I know it was only once. I do not attempt to be Aubrey's mom, however I do strive to be there for her just like I will be for Molly Kate. I love her with a special place in my heart and always will. I will always be there for her, to be her friend, her confidant, and anything else she needs me to be. Every girl has a special bond with her mother- I am a mother to a precious little girl, so this I am aware of. I can never take Aubrey's bond with her mother away from her, but she will ALWAYS know that I am next in line to pick her up when she needs it.


Before you critique a step parent, before you choose to complain or bicker over the small things, look at the BIGGER picture. Is it really worth it? Is someone who isn't the parent of your child making sacrifices that THEY DON'T HAVE TO to love your child? Is your baby happy, well adjusted, learning new things, do they always look presentable, do they love their step parent? Then consider letting it go. At the end of the day, it is all about the child, isn't it?



*Not all step moms are the above. I am not by ANY means bragging on myself, but I took it upon myself the second Aubrey came into my life, to love her as I have described above. Many stepparents treat their stepchild very differently than their own child. I NEVER wanted to be that way. I want Aubrey to always know I love her just like I love my Molly Kate. I have sacrificed for her like I will as Molly Kate comes along. I don't expect a thank you anymore; all I ask for is an ounce of respect. I am NOT a nanny or a babysitter. I am a step MOM.

Life Lately

Life lately is well....crazy as always! Fall has officially fallen upon us, along with a plethora of activities. Aubrey started preschool, choir, soccer and Awanas. Daniel and I are taking the Dave Ramsey class, and I am taking a Angela Thomas Bible study on Thursday mornings. We don't have much free time, ever, but I love it that way.

Aubrey is absolutely loving preschool. She gets in the car every day (Well, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and fills me in on who she sat next to at lunch, who had Show And Tell that day, who wore what, and which boys she played with (yes, boys).  I ask a few more questions about what she actually learned that day, and then it's home for nap time, which she loves even more these days since school wears her out. We are filled in about Huntley almost every day. When Daniel asks about Huntley, Aubrey starts blushing and looks at me with a big grin, so I think it's safe to assume we have our first school girl crush. And it's precious.

On Friday, Aubrey's teacher walked her out to the car. As she buckled her in, she told Daniel and I that Aubrey is a leader in her class, sets a strong example for the other kids, and that we are doing a wonderful job with her. If you know me and our story, this compliment meant SO much to me. I do work very hard with Aubrey at home and it is so rewarding to see it paying off. She is becoming a mannerly little girl that loves the Lord. I can't ask for much more.

Soccer has been fun so far. Aubrey loves her coach and pulls her aside every practice to talk about things like her fish, Myrtle and hermit crab, Henry. (We are lacking some focus obviously). During today's game she ran to tell her coach that we were having a girls night tonight and that she has a Barbie fishing pole. It's probably a good thing Daddy had to work and couldn't make it today. He would have been a little frustrated with the lack of chasing the ball during her game of "chase-the-ball-as-the-older-kids-kick-it".


Molly Kate just began laughing this week. I cannot believe how fast my baby is growing. She is almost 15 pounds now and jumped from newborn to 3-6 month outfits. We are still on NO schedule AT ALL except that bedtime is around 8pm, and she sleeps through the night. I have had it made with that, so I can't complain. I still look at her and if I look too long, I cry. I am so undeserving of such a beautiful, easy, snuggly, sweet baby. God is so so so good to me.

Father's Day

When Molly Kate was just 2 weeks old, we decided to venture out to the Zoo. A little overwhelming! I am ok with the baby stuff....I have never felt uncomfortable with MK, but the stuff going on with my own body made me very uneasy. Besides all the yucky stuff that comes in the weeks after delivery, I had a cracked tailbone, was hormonal, and of course, exhausted. I was blessed to have a baby that slept through the night almost from day 1. However, because she was not gaining weight the way the doctors would have liked, I had to wake her up to feed her. Wake a sleeping baby? Sounds crazy to me, but I went along with it. Anways-back to the Zoo.

We have season passes to all of the Zoos across the U.S. but only went as far as Asheboro for this trip. We went with my brother, mom and dad, in celebration of Father's Day. We had a great time, and picnic afterwards. As crazy as I've been told I was for taking my newborn out that early, especially to a zoo, it was great to get out of the house. I think the main reason I didn't experience and post-partum depression was because we kept busy. Also, when you have another child at home, you don't really have time to even think about depression! (At least I didn't). I didn't get a lot of time to lay around and bond with my baby like most first time moms do, but that's ok. I know it was all in God's plan for me to acquire a bonus daughter just a few weeks before my own was born. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Molly Kate's Birthday!

I was due to meet my sweet girl on June 3, but as most first pregnancies go, I was overdue. After having an unsuccessful attempt at stripping my membranes, and ankles as big as a cow, I was miserable. I went back to see my midwife on the 4th, and she stripped my membranes again. I came home and went on about life. On June 5th, we decided to grill out with our neighbors. I thought to myself..."Why not just take a shot of this Castor oil you've been holding on to? May as well try." Within an hour of taking it, I started having contractions. They came on quick and were immediately 3 minutes apart. I called my midwife after an hour. She told me to call her back when I could not talk through them anymore. We finished eating, cleaned up, and went for a family walk. Daniel took Aubrey in for a bath and I kept walking for another hour. At 11 pm, my contractions were getting stronger. I went inside and told Daniel it was time to start getting ready to go. I took a shower, called my parents to come on over, and began getting dressed. All of a sudden my contractions got a lot stronger. Daniel was in the shower and I told him to hurry up because things were moving quickly. He got PALE and started throwing up! All I could say was "Are you serious?! Pull yourself together!" I didn't have too much mercy on the poor guy. My parents arrived shortly after and Momma was crying. I thought to myself "Geez....what am I getting myself into? Momma is crying and husband is puking. What's next?" We hopped in the car and headed downtown.

When we got there, my midwife and nurse were waiting. I changed and got on the birthing ball. I was determined to have a drug free labor and delivery. By now it was 1 am. Daniel slept, since he had worked until 3 am the night before. Mom and I walked the halls, going back and forth to look at the babies in the nursery. I found that to be good motivation for me. That was until I saw "Big Emma". There was a newborn in the nursery named Emma, and her birth weight was 10 pounds. Since my midwife has predicted I was going to have a 10 pound baby, I saw Emma and FREAKED. She looked giant next to the other 6 and 7 pound babies.

At noon they decided to break my water. "This should really get things progressing" I was told. At 2 pm, I had not dilated any more and was stuck at 4 cm and my contractions had stopped completely. The next step was to start Pitocin. I had always heard horror stories about Pitocin but was still determined to push through it without meds. Things started getting a little more intense, but nothing that wasn't eased by my ipod playlist consisting of John Mayer, Colbie Callait, Edwina Hayes, Kadie Hodges, Sara Bareilles, Dave Matthews, Elevation Worship Band, and Jason Mraz. Momma massaged my head and back-the back labor was strong!

Around 10 pm, the Pitocin hit me like a brick wall. The pain was causing me to spin out of control. Looking back at it now, I think I was too tired to continue to focus. I had been in labor for 28 hours by this point. I was exhausted. I made the decision, while bawling my eyes out in disappointment at myself, to get the epidural. I was laying, numb from the waist down 20 minutes later. I finally was able to sleep a little. I kept saying I felt "weird" down there but we just kept waiting. Pam Sauls, my wonderful birth instructor and doula was working so hard to massage me. Daniel decided to take a shower, and my Dad and Brother went home to change and eat. When Molly Kate's O2 levels began to drop with each contraction, my midwife came in and said she was going to put in an internal monitor. When she checked me, she began laughing hysterically. "Get the tray-we are having a baby! She is crowning!" As I thought to myself "I TOLD yall something was going on down there!" My momma opened the bathroom door and told Daniel to hurry it up because it was baby time. He thought she was just kidding until she said "She's about to push!" Out came my husband, soaking wet, jeans and no shirt, in a panic. "Wait! Wait!!" I laugh as I sit here typing this. It was quite the scene.

Through all this confusion, we somehow got it together enough to all stop and pray. It is something very special when your medical team prays with you. I was so blessed to have a wonderful Christian midwife. 4 pushes and 30 minutes later, my angel was born. They took her to clean her up and weigh her, and when she heard her Daddy's voice, she immediately turned to him. It was over after that-he was smitten. Daniel was the first one to hold our sweet girl and I let him hold her and bond with her as long as he wanted. I pray that set up a special relationship for them that will last a lifetime.

Molly Kate Milsap
June 7, 2012, 12:27 am
7lbs 12 oz, 20.5 in long

The Past 2 1/2

My apologies for the blogging sabbatical. The end of my pregnancy got just a tiny bit hectic and as all you moms know, blogging was about the furthest thing from my mind once I brought my little pride and joy home. A lot, and I mean A LOT, has happened since I was 7 months pregnant. My next few posts will probably just be catching up to speed about life since April.

It's often said that God sometimes has to do drastic things to get our attention when we are not living right. He has to shake us to get us to pay attention. I have always found that to be true and have had my fair share of shakeable situations. In April, Aubrey's mother had a major medical emergency that was the start of Aubrey coming to live with us full time. It was a scary time for her Mother-one that I would not wish for any family to have to experience. I am happy to say that while she has had a difficult recovery, God saved her life from a situation that could have ended in death. For that I am very thankful because every child needs its mother. This experience has also give Daniel and I a "shaking" from God as well.

For reasons I may never understand, Daniel and I did not see Aubrey  did not have an overnight visit with Aubrey for 4 months prior to the accident. She did not even get to attend our wedding-something that will hurt in my heart for many years to come. All the work that I had done to establish a relationship with my step-daughter had become null and void. I am not here to point fingers or lay blame. The situation was out of control and it is what it is. It's in the past now. I have forgiven and moved on. When we received the call about her Mother's situation, Daniel immediately stepped up, as a Father should, and brought her to our home. This happened the same week that we were closing on our new home and moving.(And I was 7 months pregnant). Stress? What stress?

The next several weeks were spent moving in, cleaning, decorating, going to labor and delivery classes, work, hospital tours, dealing with family issues-or shall I say drama, and trying to re-establish trust in my relationship with Aubrey. We were not supposed to move the weekend we did. I wanted to take it slow, moving and decorating one room at a time.  I wanted to immediately create a comfortable and normal living environment for her however, so we moved everything in one weekend. Thank you Jesus for a wonderful Sunday School class and friends that came to our rescue and helped us!

Fast forward and it was baby time! I will do a seperate blog on my actual L&D experience. All in all though, it was wonderful, and as soon as I held Molly Kate, I was ready for baby #3. (I am blessed to see Aubrey as a member of our family just as I see my own child). I have always dreamed and longed for the day when I would be a wife and mommy. People ask, "What is your passion? Your dream job?" It is exactly what I am doing. It just all happened a little quickly. This time last year I was living up the good life with Daniel. We were free to come and go as we pleased. We had a lot of fun, probably a lot of the wrong kinds of fun then. God has used these past several months to grab our attention also. Life has certainly sped up, but slowed down equally as much. Two kids keeps me running all the time. I never imagined the amount of cooking, laundry, cleaning, and errand running would go along with a family of 4! But I love every single minute of it and wake up every day thanking my Savior for this life. I try to savor every moment because I know it could be gone in an instant.

30 Weeks and Slacking!

I have completely slacked off on blogging the last few weeks. I am sorry! Between preparing to move, changing jobs, and just every day life I have not had time to sit down and get caught up. So here we go....


-I had an ultrasound last week and my sweet little thing was sleeping. They tried and tried to wake her but she is just like her Daddy-she wasn't having it! She is already head down which is great! We didn't get any good pictures but I did get to see her heart beating, her kidneys, and spine. She also has a head full of hair! (I could have told you that though based on all the heartburn I've had!) I was pretty disappointed that we didn't get a single picture, but I am a proud and happy mama that my sweet pea is healthy. She will have to deal with having her picture taken way too much once she gets here anyways, so I will give her a break...for now. My sweet chunky baby is weighing in at 4 lbs already ("normal" for this stage of pregnancy is 3 lbs) and she is measuring a week ahead of where she should be in size. All I heard through them telling me that was that she could come early. They didn't actually say that, but a girl can dream, right?

-Good news-I passed my glucose test! I was a little worried-only because that test was so awful and I KNOW I couldn't have done the 3 hour test. They really need to come up with a better method though-starving a pregnant woman for 4 hours is insane. Everything else came back normal as well-just a little low iron so my midwife started me on supplements. Nothing that couldn't be fixed.


Cravings:
Let's see...up until about a week ago, I have not really had any cravings during this whole pregnancy. Last week however, it started. Chick-fil-a diet lemonade. Day and night. 24/7. I told Daniel I really need an IV of it hooked up to me. I hate lemonade when I am not pregnant. I don't EVER drink it. And the crazy thing is, lemonade is pretty acidic. Acid + heartburn = misery. Has that stopped me? NOPE. My sweet husband bought me a gallon of the stuff and it lasted 2 days. Chick-fil-a is pretty proud of their stuff too-it costs about $10!

Turkey Jerky. I can eat a whole bag in one sitting. I don't feel too bad about this one though-it's protein and that's good, right?


I am not sure if it's my extreme OCD combined with that fact that we are moving, or if I am starting to "nest" but something has come over me lately. I got all of Molly Kate's clothes out-which she has a TON already thanks to some very generous friends-and started washing them. I swore I wasn't going to do this until we got into the new house because I didn't want to wash clothes just to box them up, but I can't stop myself. Mom and I went to a huge consignment sale at church last week and I racked up on some super cute dresses for when MK gets older. I took them all over to Mom's to wash so that we could spend some time together. As I pulled the clothes from the washer to put into the dryer I quickly noticed they were all PINK! And not pink because I am having a little girl and they are supposed to be pink....no....there was a red blanket in the washer that I didn't notice and I washed all the clothes with it. I had a major meltdown and thought "I am going to be a horrible Mommy. I can't even wash the poor kid's clothes right!" Of course my mom came to the rescue and after using a whole bottle of Spray 'N Wash and a sink full of vinegar and bleach, we managed to save all but one outfit. God is good!

I will update tomorrow with some recent pictures. Night loves!

Week 26 Letter

Hi Ladybug,

Or maybe I shoud call you monkey? You madea BIG change this week and are quite the active one! I have been able to see you move from the outside all week long. At first it kind of freaked me out, I won't lie, but now I am loving it. We also have determined this week that you are quite the Daddy's girl. You are pretty still for me all day but the second your Daddy gets home and you hear his voice, you go crazy. Daddy talks to you all the time and tells you to be sure to be good to me. So far you are a very good listener. Your eyes are all finished at this point, but you still can't open them quite yet. You can, however, detect light. I know this to be true because during one of my many trips to the bathroom durig the night this week you started kicking me when I turned the light on. I'm sorry for waking you Missy!
You are 2 pounds now which makes sense given the crazy amount of eating I have been doing. This week I have craved white powdered donuts, pancakes, and ice cream. What's up with all the junk? I also am LOVING Minute Maid Berry Punch. My midwife is gonna kill me!
Have I mentioned that I cannot wait to meet you? I can't stand it! I love you more than life itself already and I know I will only adore you more when you get here. I cannot wait to smother you in kisses. You are my world and I promise that I will do anything in this world to protect you and to make sure you always know that I love you. Your Daddy, Grammy,Poppy, and Uncle Parkie will all do the same. I am so happy Jesus gave me this honor and privledge to get to be your Mommy and I will do the very best job I can. That's a promise pumpkin pie.

To the moon baby girl,

Mommy

Little Mover and a Shaker

I took this video this morning after breakfast....watch the left side....

Sorry it's sideways-not sure how to get it to turn.

Why Is It So Hard To Pick Out Sheets?!

I finally picked out Molly Kate's bedding! If you know me, you know this is a huge deal because I really don't like making big decisions. I am always afraid I will regret my choice. Mom and I have been everywhere looking for fabric because I was sure I wouldn't find a set that I really loved. When mom sent me a copy of the picture below, I about flew out of my chair! I love love love this bedding! I won't be doing all of the matching pictures, rug, mobile, hamper, etc. since I'm not too big on things being too matchy. All of her furniture is vintage and we also got a really pretty chandelier to hang. I am making her mobile myself from an idea I got on Piterest. Pics to come of that! We also got a glider that mom and I are refinishing and going to recover in pink chenille fabric. Now more than ever I am ready to move and get crackin' on my sweet one's room!

Newness

New journal my mom got me last week. I can't wait to start writing...

Weekend Wrap Up

I feel like I end up writing the same thing about every weekend. I live for my weekends but they are pretty typical and mundane. Anyhow, here goes....

Friday- Friday brought about my first real craving. Fried rice-but not just ANY fried rice. Sushi 101 fried rice. After work I headed straight over-good thing it's 5 minutes from my job-and ordered a plate of it along with a crispy bagel roll. YUM. It's a good thing I was able to fulfill that craving because I felt like I would murder someone if not! When I got home from dinner I had a wonderful surprise. My hubby was home early-wayyyy early-from work! We got to spend the evening watching tv and doing laundry. I will take it. It's rare we get a Friday night to spend together.

Saturday- My weekend ritual is to clean my house every weekend. If not on Friday, then definitely by Saturday. Daniel went in to open the store Saturday while I cleaned the house. After he got home we did a few chores together and I headed out to run a few errands and grab some lunch with mom. Saturday night we met up with my sweet friend Jess and her husband at Cowfish. If you haven't been, I strongly suggest you try it out. Beware though-they don't take call ahead and it's very popular, so be prepared for a good hour or 2 for the wait. Totally worth it. Everyone was enjoying their martinis so the waiter brought me a strawberry kiwi fizzy. Not sure what was in it besides fresh fruit but it was delish! It's always so wonderful to see Jess and Brian. I wish they lived closer but hopefully soon they can fix that :)

Sunday- Daniel and I tried a new church on Sunday-First Baptist Indian Trial. It's where my parents go and we just can't get enough of them! Just kidding-they are wonderful-don't get me wrong-but we tried their church because there's a Sunday School class we wanted to try. It's called the "Hatched" class-specifically for married couples in our age range with young children or that are newlyweds. We really loved it! We met a sweet couple that also have a 3 year old daughter and another on the way. We exchanged emails and hopefully will be able to get together with them soon. We really want to make some friends with other married couples our age. This should be a great start! After church we did the usual dinner at Mom and Dad's and headed home for the Lifetime movie marathon. I'm so beyond blessed to have a man that likes to watch Lifetime with me.

Next weekend should be a little more interesting...we are having a yard sale. Woohoo!

Random Excitements

In an effort to always keep my post ideas original and hopefully somewhat entertaining to read, I came up with a list of things I get excited about when I think about my Princess's arrival. Here we go:

-The most obvious...a shopping buddy! And mani/pedi buddy, and chick flick friend, and basically someone to do all things girly with.
-I cannot wait to use cookie cutters and make her sandwiches into different fun shapes like my mama always did for me.
-while talking about lunches...I can't wait to put napkins in her lunchbox that are scribbled all over with "I love you!" and "Good luck on your test today!" and "You are beautiful".
-Sporting events! Hopefully she's like her mommy was and into all kinds of sports. Maybe she will love softball and I will get to be her coach...ok and Poppy too.
-Making Christmas cookies with Mamaw and Grammie.
-Putting a present on her bed on the first day of school just like my mama did every school year-even when I went away to college.
-Teaching her Bible stories and about the One that loves her the very most.
-Picnics in the living room and "camping out" as a family.


This is just a short list of the dozens of things I've thought about. So come on little one...we've got things to do!

25 Week Letter

Hi Love Muffin,

Have I told you lately that I love you? Besides the 20 times a day I talk to my belly and tell you? I know people passing me on the road probably think I am a weirdo, talking to myself. But that is quite alright with me because I LOVE YOU! You have been quite the acrobatic this past week darling. If I sit still for longer than 5 minutes, you are up and moving. My favorite part is at night, when Daddy and I are laying in bed, you start putting on a big show. You are big enough now that we can watch my belly move on the outside when you move on the inside. It kind of freaked me out at first, but now I love it. I've figured out that music puts you right to sleep, or maybe it just calms you, because the second I turn on the lullaby music, you are still. I am glad we are starting that habit early!

Besides the aching back, I have been feeling wonderful. I don't get much sleep at night, but that is only because my hips are really starting to hurt, and so it doesn't feel good to lay on them at night. My back only hurts because you are making my belly grow and it's pulling my back forward. I think I may end up getting one of those belly support braces I saw when visiting your Aunt Jess. The ones I made fun of. Guess that's what I get isn't it? I still haven't gained, and no stretch marks! I thank the YMCA for that. I am addicted to getting over there at least 4 times a week. I've made some other mommy friends in my prenatal classes and maybe you'll get to be friends with their babies. We will see!

The most exciting thing you're up to this week...your hair is deciding which color it wants to be! Up until now you have been my little albino baby but after this week your hair will have color! Daddy and I were trying to figure out what it will be. When Daddy was little he had reallllllly light, almost white, hair! As he got older it got darker though. I am betting you'll come out like mommy did, with a head full of black hair. I know you'll be gorgeous no matter what color your hair is. You can be bald for all I care, but judging by this heartburn, you're far from it.

You are going through a growth spurt and weigh 2 lbs now! I can tell it because last week I was starving. I surprise myself at how much I can eat these days. I try to keep it reasonable, only 300 extra calories a day, because I've done so good so far and I really don't want to become a balloon.


I really cannot wait to meet you MK. I cannot wait until they lay you on my chest and our eyes meet for the first time. You already have such a big place in my heart, and I've never even met you. Yet we are bonded for life already. I want to do everything I can to provide the best life for you and the best opportunities for you. I have been reading every book I can on how to nurture you the second you get here, to help you be as smart as you can be. I can't wait to see what you choose to do with your life, what you will be when you grow up, who you will marry, how many babies you'll have. You will be amazing, I know that! Everyone is Guatemala knows I am pregnant now, and they are all anxious to meet you when you get here. I told them it will be a while before that happens but they are all praying for you in the meantime. Isn't that awesome? People in another country are praying for us. We. Are. Blessed.

I love you sweet one,

Mommy

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was the most fun I've had in some time. Hubby was off a good bit, and that always makes me happy.

Friday- Went to eat with mom and our good friend Nelly. I haven't seen her in a while so it was great to catch up. She is from Cuba, so her accent and personality are so stinkin' adorable. Baby MK will be SO blessed to have Nelly as her other grandmama, or as we call her, Abuelita (little grandma in Spanish-which is fitting since she is tenny tiny).

Saturday- Daniel and I had our maternity photo shoot early Saturday morning. A friend of mine, Kara, did our pics and I think they turned out great! We had a great time being silly. I am not quite as big as I wanted to be for some of the pictures to work, so we will re shoot in about 6 weeks to grab a few more. Here are a few we really like:

Aren't the pink shoes adorable?? I bought those a long time ago for $2.00 knowing I would one day have a daughter. I can't wait to put them on her the second she gets here.

After our photo session, Daniel headed to work and I went to lunch with a girlfriend, then home to clean up the house and take a much needed nap. I am blessed that my mom has a big jacuzzi tub, so when I woke up I headed back over to her house to soak. Lucky for us, my parents live 5 minutes away so it's very close by whenever we need anything. Saturday night we had a few friends over for what is probably our last bonfire before we move.

Sunday- Church and then we headed up to Concord Mills to pick up our pics from Saturday. Quick turnaround! I will take that! We saw the movie Safe House while we were there. It was really good-I highly recommend it! We ended the weekend back at my mom and dad's, having dinner and looking at our pictures. All in all, a great weekend.

Apples & Avocados

I haven't had too many cravings since I've been pregnant and there has been no consistency to the few things I have craved. Salsa, eggs, pancakes, grits, fruit juice, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and fruit are on my short list. (Ok..maybe there's a bit of a breakfast theme in there). And like any pregnant mama, I want spice, spice, spice too. These urges come and go, but are never strong enough to send my sweet Daniel out in the middle of the night either. I've tried to maintain a somewhat healthy diet through all of this, so if I get a hankering (yes, I said it) for something junky, I just wait it out and it goes away.

On my mind this week....

-Apples. I've eaten apples the whole time so far ("an apple a day keeps the constipation away!"), but I picked up a few giant ones during a trip to Harris Teeter the other day. They were some "sweet" variety and I couldn't stop thinking about them until I tried one. Well worth the $1.39/lb they cost me.

-Avocado. Maybe since baby MK is fattening up this week, she is needing some of the healthy avocado fat. I made some Guatemalan style guac-mash up an avocado, add salt, pepper and lemon juice and there ya go. YUM. I ate this with some whole grain tortilla chips.

-Mexican. Enough said. Pregnant or not, this is a weekly must-have.

-Water. I have been chugging the water this week. I am so thirsty all the time! Needless to say, the bathroom and I have become even better pals this week.

Still have an aversion to peanut butter. I tried to add a little to my apple but as soon as a smelled it, I had to toss it. That's the only thing that makes me cringe though! We will see what the months ahead have to bring.

For those of you reading this who don't follow my Facebook, here's a pic I took today. 24 weeks and growing!

24 Week Letter

Hey love bug-

As I write this to you, we only have 110 days left until we meet! Time is surely flying by Princess. I have been busy making you all kinds of things like hairbows and headbands. Granny and I have been shopping and planning your room and I cannot wait to get into our new house and get it all ready for your arrival. I saw the doctor yesterday and she said you are growing healthy and strong. I already knew that though because you have been moving more and more inside of me and your kicks are getting harder and harder. It is getting a little harder to breathe too since you are growing and taking up more room. That's ok though-you keep going baby because I will suffer all day long if it means you are ok.

This is a big week in your life. Week 24 marks the date when you could be born and survive. Your lungs and organs are developed and you are breathing already inside of me. You are starting to fatten up now too and you're supposed to gain a pound this week! Your skin is starting to get some color now too. You possibly have a head full of hair, but that is still white. I wonder if it will be dark like mine, or light brown like your Daddy's. Either way, I know you're going to be a brunette!

Our new neighborhood has lots of kids and we cannot wait to raise you there. You will have the same kind of childhood I did with lots of neighbors and friends all around you. We will have long days at the pool, afternoons in the park, block parties on summer nights, walks and jogs around the block...I cannot wait! Our home will always be one where everyone is welcome and is made to feel right at home. I look forward to having your girlfriends over for sleepovers, visits from Aunt Jess and Jeanie, and the limo pulling up to take you to prom. Daddy and I cannot wait for you to get here so we can love you and spoil you and watch you grow into the beautiful young lady I know you will be.

I want you to know MK, that your Daddy is an amazing, wonderful, handsome, generous, and loving man. Oh baby, we are so blessed beyond words to have him. He is already working so hard to prepare for you and provide for you. He loves people and is so caring...it's beautiful to watch. I know he is going to do anything in this world for you. He is a great man and I won't ever do anything but encourage you to be close to him and be Daddy's little girl. He loves Jesus too, which matters more than anything. He will teach you to love Jesus like he does, to obey Him, and to honor Him. Do what he says baby, because you will be wise beyond your years if you do.

I love you to the moon and back-more than words can even say.

Love,

Mommy

Hospitals, A Jumping Belly, and Pancakes

Last Saturday I headed to the hospital with Daniel and my mom for our maternity tour. It only took about 15 minutes to get there from our house which relieved my silly fears about having this baby in the car on the way when that day comes. We started the tour with about 20 other waddling moms to be and their families and husbands. I am sure to onlookers, we looked like a pretty funny group. Anyways, we got to see the newly renovated wing , complete with hardwood floors, a children's lounge, coffee bar, and Labor & Delivery rooms that looked like your own room at home. They have done a wonderful job of making it as little hospital-like as possible. A few of the rooms have big jacuzzi tubs as well, which are reserved for natural-birthing moms. That is me! Hopefully they will have one available when I am in labor. We saw the nursery and all the fresh new babies which melted my heart! I feel so comfortable delivering there, and I know my baby will be well taken care of.

As I sat and listened to the tour guide, I started to imagine myself in the room during the birth of my child. Honestly, I started feeling a little faint. I am very excited, and registering for gifts and buying maternity clothes and blogging about all of my experiences is fun, but that hospital room made things real. In 3 short months, I will be laying right there, pushing this baby out, in what is one of the most dangerous procedures a person can go through. And then she will be here. I will be completely responsible for another PERSON. No returning her at the end of the night. She is all mine. I have the potential of totally screwing her up if I don't do this right. That right there is a very scary thought. I am so thankful to know the Lord and have Him right by my side! My parents have been amazing parents as well, and I am so blessed to have them here to guide and support us on this road we are about to start down.

After the tour wrapped up, we headed over to The Original Pancake House. Jess and I used to go to this amazing place after her doctor appointments when she was pregnant, so it was only fitting to go after my tour. If you've never been, stop what you are doing right now, get your keys and GO. It's to die for. I had an omelet (their omelets are made with FIVE eggs yall...take your appetite!) and grits and 3 pancakes. And yes, I ate every single bite. It was the first time I've ever really felt like I was eating for two.

I guess baby MK liked all the food I ate, because on the way home she started moving and kicking. As I looked down, I saw my belly jumping every time she kicked! Talk about a weird feeling. If I wasn't already aware I have a live person inside of me, I sure am now. Since that day, every time she gets to working out in there, I can see my belly bounce and move. It just amazes me how fast she is growing and how the body adapts. Crazy!



*We have chosen for safety reasons and keeping unwanted people away, not to disclose the hospital we chose. If you'd like to know just message me and I will be glad to tell you!

24 Week Appointment

I had my 24 week checkup yesterday with my midwife. Let me start by saying I LOVE my midwife. She takes so much time with me, and is genuinely interested in what is going on with not just my pregnancy, but also my life. She remembers details about not just me, but Daniel too, and asks about updates when I see her. I love that. She has time (or at least acts like it) to sit and ask me "What questions do you have? What can I answer for you?" That means a lot to me. I hate feeling rushed by a doctor, especially when this is my first pregnancy. But enough bragging about her...and how awesome she is... :)

Updates:

-I've only gained a pound since my last visit 4 weeks ago. Woohoo!
-BP was normal-not low and not high. I will take that! At this point, they start looking for signs of pre-eclampsia and I'm not showing any so that is great.
-Heartbeat was loud and strong and in the 130s. It sounded a little different this time-it was a lower tone than I am used to hearing, and sounded like a horse running. She told me that was because baby was "right there" where we were listening-no placenta or anything in the way.
-Baby MK measured right at 24 1/2 weeks. A little bigger than she is supposed to be-but only by a few days. I am so glad she is healthy and growing big and strong. (Just please please please don't be a 10 lb baby. Going natural will be so much easier if you are 7 lbs little one!)
-Talked about all my achiness and she assured me it's normal. Just part of my body totally transforming to be a home for my sweet girl.
-We chatted about my workout routine I've been doing lately. I recently joined the Y and LOVE going. It helps so much with my mood (which Daniel appreciates) and my soreness. I also have the Y to thank for not gaining hardly any weight so far. They have a pre-natal yoga and Moms (moms on the move) class I have been taking. I also hit the elliptical and water aerobics when I can. She did advise to keep an eye on my heart rate when doing all this though. Carrying this extra weight makes the heart work harder and so my heart rate is already elevated. If it gets too high, the placenta, and in return, baby, aren't getting enough oxygen. That right there is enough to make me slow down.
-And now for some kinda bad news.....at my last ultrasound, my placenta appeared to be lying low. This sometimes can correct itself as the pregnancy goes on and everything is then fine. But in some cases, it doesn't move. This can cause bleeding, spotting, pre-term labor, etc. If it does not correct itself, Mom has to have a c-section, and in some cases there is a need for blood transfusions because of blood loss. All of this spells S-C-A-R-Y to me. We will do another ultrasound when I am 28 weeks. If my placenta still hasn't moved at that point, it probably won't. We will double check one more time at 32 weeks and then at that point schedule my c-section for 37 weeks. I don't want to worry yet for no reason, but it is now in the back of my mind. A c-section is the LAST thing I want. I know God is in control though, and I just want what is best for my baby. If that means I have to suffer, so be it. I would ask that you be praying for me as these next few weeks pass.

My next appointment is the one that provides the wonderful opportunity to drink the lovely orange sugar water and then sit for an hour in the doctor's office. Lucky for me though, I will get to have my ultrasound during the waiting period, and I hear that drink makes babies go crazy so hopefully we will get to see lots of movement that day!

Weekend Recap

I've been super busy and haven't had much blog time. So here we go...

Friday- Daniel had to work Friday night so I took advantage of the lazy time. My brother, Parker, was home from college for the weekend so we went to Steve's Seafood for dinner with my parents. Wouldn't have been my choice, as I am allergic to shellfish, but it wasn't too bad. Lately, I have been so hungry I will eat just about anything. MK is supposed to gain about a pound this week so she is sucking all my food from me! After dinner I went home and straight to bed.

Saturday- Daniel was off-my favorite part of the whole weekend. I love when he is off on Saturdays. Daniel headed to our new house (eek!!) with my dad to do the inspection on everything while my mom and I went to Southern Marketplace to check out the huge sale. I got some great new stuff for the house, including a kitchen table to refinish for only $60. Saturday night we celebrated Parker's birthday with steaks at home from The Meat House. DELICIOUS! Red meat has really given me bad heartburn since the start of my pregnancy though, so I burped and burnt my way through the movie we watched after. Attractive :)

Sunday- Church of course...and then my honey headed to work. Do you know what that meant for me? A walk, and then Lifetime movie marathon in bed. That right there is my ideal Sunday (for the winter at least...my ideal Sunday in the summer would be church and then an afternoon at the pool working on my tan).

Next post: 24 week appointment!

Big Announcement!

We have finally decided on a name! After much deliberation, we have picked:



Molly Kate Milsap


I love how southern it sounds. I never thought I'd like a 2 name first name, but it's so different and unique. I don't think anyone in her classes will ever have her same name which was a big deal for me. It was always so annoying to me when someone would say "Hey Megan" and 5 of us would all turn around. The name Molly means "Star of the Sea" and Kate means "Pure". I am not really sure what star of the sea is all about but if she is anything like me, she will be an awesome swimmer so that will fulfill that meaning :) I am so excited she now has an identity...no more calling her "baby" or "her". Let the monogramming begin!!

Food Food Food

I haven't blogged about my eating habits here lately so I thought I would blog about that today...

I picked up a copy of Fit Pregnancy over the weekend and it has really motivated me to eat more healthily. I have been trying to push more fruits and veggies, and am now juicing to be sure I am getting all of the recommended servings. I picked up some low sodium V8 on Monday also. I have been STARVING lately, but I really do not want to blow up and gain a ton of weight. Daniel and I just joined the YMCA and they have a great Moms class for pre and post natal women. I am trying it Thursday and cannot wait to get a good workout and hopefully make some mommy friends. So here was my menu from yesterday, day 1 of eating better:

7:30 am- Greek Yogurt (Strawberry banana)...yummmm
9 am- 1 low fat string cheese and an apple
11 am- apple
1 pm- Subway 6" turkey on wheat with all veggies and a little bit of sweet onion sauce, baked lays, sprite (yea...not that great, but I did do wheat bread, veggies and baked chips...I tried)
2 pm- 1 pear
6 pm- I made ribs in the Crock Pot for dinner...marinated with bbq sauce and cherry preserves. OMG they were to die for. Incredible. If you want the recipe just let me know-amazingness. Since ribs are that great for you, I did make roasted brussel sprouts. The recipe came from the Fit Pregnancy magazine. I had milk with dinner.
8 pm- jello with fruit cup (I HATE jello and think it's disgusting but now that I am pregnant, it looked really good at the store)
9 pm- 4 mini Eggo waffles

Actually, after typing this out and reading it, I don't think I did that great at eating well yesterday. Here's to a new day and trying again!

How Stinkin' Cute?

How adorable are these outfits? Oh I cannot wait...

Week 22 letter to You!

Hi my little lover bug! It's officially 123 days until I get to meet you (give or take). It cannot get here fast enough. I am starting to get a little more uncomfortable, and I am sure you are too but it won't be much longer sweetie. My feet have started swelling if I am on them too long, and I am losing more and more sleep because you like to go to bed late and wake up early! My belly is growing too so it is pretty hard to get comfortable or turn over in bed. And the heartburn...oooh the heartburn. The old wives tale is that if mommy has heartburn, baby will have a full head of hair. Well you must because I have heartburn no matter what I eat! It's ok though baby-I will suffer if it means you are healthy!

So here is what you are up to this week:

-You are now 1 pound and 1 foot in length! You are growing like a little weed in there!
-Your pancreas is now working and is busy making hormones. We will talk about these later, but you better keep those in check little girl! ;)
-Your inner ear is now developed which means you can balance, and you are busy feeling out your surroundings like your skin, body parts and umbilical cord. just don't squeeze too hard-you need that to feed you for then next few months.
-Now this is kind of creepy...you have hair on your head, eyelashes and eyebrows, but no pigmentation yet so all of that hair is white! Your body is covered in hair, but your skin is red and wrinkly. Your eyes are developing, but since you have no pigmentation, your irises have no color yet either. Oh my sweet little albino baby. I am sure you are still beautiful!

I love you so much already sweet thing! You just keep growing and you take from me anything you need. I love getting to know you every day. I do know you love music because Sunday at church you were going crazy! As soon as the music stopped though, you must have gone back to sleep because I didn't feel you moving anymore. We will share that love because I have to have music on all the time! I cannot wait to snuggle you all day and night and shower you with kisses. 123 days!

Weekend Roundup

Not a very eventful weekend...but here's what we were up to:

Friday-Daniel had to close Friday so I spent the night in my pjs, watching TV and ordered a pizza. Just a lazy night in for me!

Saturday-I woke up early and cleaned the house. I've always liked to get up on Saturday and get my house clean and ready for the upcoming week, but now that I am pregnant, I REALLY enjoy it. I think it's the nesting kicking in! When Daniel got home from work, we got dressed and went on a date night to Texas Roadhouse. I do think we came to an agreement about Baby's name at dinner...we are taking a few more days to mull it over before letting the world know what it will be. I love my date nights with him-our lives are so busy during the week we hardly get to see each other so dates are always a nice treat. We had every intention of watching a movie when we got home but he passed out, and I read my new Fit Pregnancy magazine before turning in myself.

Sunday-Went to church and then Mexican for lunch and then Daniel had to go to work again. I took the dogs for a walk and then I had a lazy afternoon watching movies and doing stuff around the house. I did get Baby's memory book finished, as well as her closet dividers. Pics to come!

Like I said...boring weekend!

Poppin' Out

I noticed this week that my clothes are all getting too small. My t-shirts aren't fitting around my belly, my shirts are quickly becoming too short, and my jackets won't zip anymore. Momma and I had to make a trip to Target tonight to buy a few new maternity shirts that will be more comfortable. Target does not have a very wide selection though. Any suggestions on where to buy cute and affordable maternity clothes? I do NOT want to spend a ton of money...I think that is so silly because these clothes will only be worn for 3, maybe 4 more months.

I did meet two ladies in line who were both pregnant. Something must be in the water around here! One of the ladies said "The economy is bad. People have had to find something to do with all their spare time at home!" Maybe she is right :) She did tell me about this site which tells you about local consignment sales in your area. There is also a store called The Womb in Myers Park which sells consignment that I am going to check out, as well as Burlington Coat Factory. So glad I got some great recommendations tonight and have some new clothes to cover my quickly growing belly!

Crazy Cravings

Last night was the first time I had a crazy craving that was bad enough to have Daniel go to the store. Lucky for me, he works at a grocery store so he just had to bring home my staples from work. What was the craving? Spicy Cheeze-Its and watermelon. Cold, square cut watermelon. A whole watermelon at room temperature would not have been acceptable. I ate about half of the package of the watermelon and a handful of Cheeze-Its and made myself stop. I try to indulge in the healthy cravings and only allow myself a little, if any, of the unhealthy stuff.

I haven't really had any cravings until last night. I just get a food on my mind and will obsess over it for a while, but nothing has been strong enough to make me want to get out of bed to go get it. I am so glad that most of my obsessions have been about fruit and milk but I have had an occasional obsession for pickles dipped in Ranch!

What's In A Name?

I thought choosing my daughter's name would be fun. Kind of like when you get a new puppy and you're all excited to name him and start teaching him commands using his name. Obviously this is much bigger than naming a puppy, but I don't have anything else to compare to. I have been tossing names around since I found out I was pregnant. I knew if it was a boy, his name was Grayson Glenn. Bam. That's it. Nothing else was even a close second. But noooooo, I had to be pregnant with a girl of course! So now I walk around with a piece of paper that now has about 25 names scribbled all over it, some with stars by them and some crossed out. And still I am stuck. So I am turning to y'all for some input. Here is my current list of favorites...

-Molly Kate-we could call her by both names
-Molly Fairchild (Fairchild was my middle name before getting married, and was my grandmother's maiden name)
-Molly Grace
-Addison Fairchild
-Sophia Grace
-Sophia Hope
-Sophia Fairchild

I don't know if it's my fear of someone thinking her name is weird or not pretty...or maybe I am afraid it won't fit her personality...or maybe the fear of not using the family name...I am not sure what it is that is holding me back from deciding. It's not helpful that my husband liked every name I put out there, and my best friend likes none because our taste is VERY different. I wish I could hurry up already because I am so ready to get monogrammed clothes for her! And bedding. And jewelry. Little Miss Spoiled Rotten!

131 Days

Good morning my little love bug! I cannot believe that I have 131 days left until I meet you! (Well, probably a little more since you first babies are a little slower coming out). That's just over 4 months. I feel like I have SO much to do, and time is flying by. I want to make you all kinds of goodies like blankets and hairbows before you get here, because once you arrive I know I won't have time for anything. (Ok and I will be obsessed with you and not WANT to do anything else!) We also still have to move into our new house and get your nursery done! I want the house the be finished by the time you get here, but I am trying not to stress about it. I am just thankful you will have a home to go home to.

Daddy is getting more excited about your arrival with every passing day. He kisses you goodnight every night, and maybe you can feel him rubbing my belly. He was a little nervous about being the only man in a house with 3 girls, but I think he is warming up to it now. His friends at work have been teasing him because his belly is growing too! He doesn't think it's too funny....so we won't talk about it anymore.

So here is what you are up to this week:

~You are swallowing several ounces of amniotic fluid every day to help you practice swallowing , digesting, and it is also keeping you hydrated. Sounds pretty yucky to me, but they say whatever I eat flavors it for you, so I am trying to keep things tasty for you.

~You weigh almost a pound...or you could weigh a pound...who knows! Your Aunt Jess seems to think you're going to be a 10 pounder...let's prove her wrong, ok?

~You already have your lifetime supply of eggs in your ovaries. That is crazy to me! The egg that will make YOUR baby is already in place. But we will be saving that for a LONG time too my sweet one.

I love you so much already and cannot wait to meet you. I wonder if you will be silly and goofy like Daddy, or OCD like me. Will you have Daddy's light, sparkly eyes, or my dark ones? Will you be outspoken like Grammy, or more shy and quiet like your Daddy? I wonder if I will feel like I know you when I first meet you, or will you be a little stranger? These are things I think about all day every day...but most importantly I hope that you will grow up feeling loved and knowing about Jesus. I already am praying for the day that you become saved and reserve your spot in line at Heaven's gate! That my sweet angel, will be the sweetest day of my life.

Monday Munchies

I woke up starving today...which seems to be the norm here lately. Here's a rundown of today's eats:

7:30-BIG glass of whole milk. I never liked whole milk until I became pregnant. Now I crave it regularly.

8-Strawberry Yoplait Greek yogurt-still too sweet but I am just trying to finish them off.

10:30-about 12 tortilla chips with cheddar cheese melted on them. At least I got some calcium...and I had a Diet Dr. Pepper. There's my caffeine for the day.

12-leftover Olive Garden salad...YUM...and they added extra pepperonicis for me. Extra YUM!

2-pear and a string cheese

5-Mexican :) I wasn't too hungry though so I just had one chicken taco and some bean & cheese dip.

I wasn't feeling too hot last night and figured something was up with my BP. I went to Rite Aid and took it and sure enough, it was 90/60. For me that is low. I was also having a few Braxton Hicks so I went straight home and jumped into bed. My sweet husband got me a drink, propped my feet up on a pillow and I started feeling a lot better. Of course by then it was 9 and bedtime. Between the crazy dreams I have been having and the fact that I am getting bigger and more uncomfortable, it's getting more and more difficult to sleep. And poor Daniel has no room in the bed next to me and my big body pillow. I have no idea what we will do when I am 8-9 months and huge!

New House!

Daniel and I are blessed to have a sweet older home in Indian Trail, and for that I am so grateful. However, this was Daniel's home since he was 19 years old. It's been through bachelorhood, a previous marriage, the birth of Aubrey, a divorce, and a few more single days. After a lot of talking, we have decided that we want a start off in something fresh and new. We cannot wait to make new memories in our new home.

We have been looking at short sale and foreclosures to buy at a cheaper price and fix up. We have looked at about a dozen now, and Saturday we found one that I absolutely LOVE. I am trying really hard not to get my hopes up but I will admit, they already are. It's a gorgeous home that is on the outskirts of Charlotte. It's in a safe, family oriented neighborhood. We put an offer on it today, so I am praying that if this is the Lord's will for us, we will get this new home. In the meantime, I have been all over Pinterest getting all sorts of new ideas for our new house!

Weekend Roundup

This was a pretty fun weekend. Very relaxed which was a nice change. Here's what we were up to:

• Friday night we went to my parent's house and had wings, fries, and tater tots (thank the pregnancy for the tots!) After dinner we tuned into Elevation Church online to watch my favorite pastor, Bishop T.D. Jakes, speak as part of their 12 Day Revival series. You can watch him and all of the other pastors on their website.

• Saturday I got to sleep in a little until Baby M started kicking. I guess she was hungry! I quickly cleaned the house and headed over to Mom and Dad's again for a yummy breakfast. I feel like my whole life revolves around food right now! I only have gained one pound since my last doctor visit though, and only 5 total. That's doing good for being 21 weeks along. Most women have gained 10-15 by now, according to my Sprout Pregnancy App. Anyways, we looked at a few houses on Saturday. We are planning to sell and move within the next few months. We need a fresh start, a what better way than a new home? More on that in my next post. We found one that we LOVE so we will see! Saturday night we went on a date to Olive Garden since we had a gift card to use. It was so nice to get out, just the two of us. We raced home because we realized we missed half of the Lifetime movie we had been waiting over a month to see. It's so nice to have a husband that loves Lifetime as much as I do!

• Sunday we got up and headed out to church. We had a sweet conversation with our pastor afterward. We are so blessed to have such a humble, accessible, caring pastor. He congratulated us on our marriage, and gave us some wonderful advice and resources to move ahead with. Daniel and I both signed up for new Bible studies starting next month. We are very very excited to see what the Lord has in store! My sweet friend Jenn gave me an amazing wedding gift after church. I cannot wait to use it! We wrapped up the weekend with lunch at my parent's-our Sunday tradition-and then an afternoon of being lazy.

My wonderful present from Jenn...

Planning for Birthdays

Isn't this adorable? I am going to do this with my daughter every year on her birthday and save them all in a notebook to give her one day.

Eating for...2...or 3... or maybe 4??

I think I will start recording what I eat every day since I am always STARVING. I think it will be interesting to go back and write it all down at the end of the day.

So...yesterday:

7 am- Yoplait Greek yogurt...these were on sale so I thought I'd give them a try...they are ok but have 20 g of sugar per cup! That's more than a cup of juice! I don't think I will be buying those again.

9- 2 eggs made with cheese and milk

11- one cup of coffee...I allow myself one cup of caffiene a day. What do you think about that? Did you have soda/coffee when pregnant?

12:30- sugar free chocolate pudding

2- 2 chicken soft tacos with guacamole, refried beans and rice-not that healthy but the guac is good for my heart! Mom was buying Mexican for lunch...I couldn't say no!

5- I blew it. I had a donut and chocolate chip cookie. Ever since my Mamaw moved in to my parent's house, there is always an abundance of sweets there. I was starving and that was the first thing I saw. I felt really guilty after eating it....my poor baby.

7- whole wheat cheerios with milk

I'm trying to make healthy(ish) choices....sometimes I just get so hungry I eat anything in sight. I need to do a better job at planning my meals out!

What to Buy Buy Baby?

I just finished my registry at Target, and I am on to Buy Buy Baby. My question to all you moms out there:

What is the one thing you couldn't have lived without when you had a newborn? Is there something you wish you had registered and didn't?

Any input would be wonderful! I did all the basics at Target but Buy Buy Baby has such a broader selection of products which is great but also overwhelming!!

My Growing Belly!

10 weeks here...still looking normal


On our honeymoon at 16 weeks...I was so excited to start showing!

On my way to the doctor at 19 weeks...with my pooch

It's A.......

Daniel and I had this great idea, suggested by my friend Jess, on how to find out the sex of our little Nugget. We planned to have the tech write down the sex and put it in an envelope. Then we were going to take that to the bakery, have them bake a cake, and the color filling was going to be either pink or blue. When we cut the cake we would know what we were having. Well life got busy as always, and that didn't quite work out. Our appointment was late in the day and the bakery wasn't going to have time to make the cake that day. We were going to have to wait 24 hours before finding out the sex! I couldn't even fathom that. My mom went to the bakery and bought 2 cupcakes instead. One was filled with pink icing, the other with blue. (let me take a second to advertise for Daphne's Bakery in Mint Hill. They made our wedding cake and it was AMAZING. By far the best wedding cake I have ever had-and the same goes for the cupcakes...party in your mouth) We had the ultrasound and the tech wrote down the sex and put it in an envelope. Baby was healthy, and we saw her moving during the ultrasound. I started to bawl my eyes out. I have felt her move for a few weeks now, but to see it on the screen was amazing. As we headed out to the waiting room we quickly realized we weren't going to be able to wait. We opened the envelope and found out we are having a GIRL! My mom was so excited she announced it to the entire waiting room! We would have been happy either way, but bring on the pink!!

Surprise!

Surprise!!! We found out we are expecting and are due June 3, 2012!!

2 is better than ONE

Fast forward to Christmas Day. Wedding day! It was fast, but we both knew this is what we wanted and we were ready to get on with our lives as a married couple. We decided to have a small wedding with only family around the Christmas tree at my parent's house. Our close family friends, the Buchanans, came also. I wore a very non-traditional long black dress, and walked down the stairs and was escorted by my Dad to meet Daniel. He has such a sweet and precious heart and cried the entire ceremony. It was absolutely precious. My best friend that lives in Alabama and my Aunt and Uncle in Texas were unable to attend, so we Skyped them in. Gotta love technology! Mom made a wonderful meal afterwards and we had the BEST wedding cake from Daphne's Bakery. It was to die for. The next day Daniel and I got to get away for a long weekend in Blowing Rock, NC.

The 2nd picture in the last post was of us right after our wedding ceremony. Here we are in Blowing Rock after a day of shopping...

Fast forward to Christmas Day. Wedding day! It was fast, but we both knew this is what we wanted and we were ready to get on with our lives as a married couple. We decided to have a small wedding with only family around the Christmas tree at my parent's house. Our close family friends, the Buchanans, came also. I wore a very non-traditional long black dress, and walked down the stairs and was escorted by my Dad to meet Daniel. He has such a sweet and precious heart and cried the entire ceremony. It was absolutely precious. My best friend that lives in Alabama and my Aunt and Uncle in Texas were unable to attend, so we Skyped them in. Gotta love technology! Mom made a wonderful meal afterwards and we had the BEST wedding cake from Daphne's Bakery. It was to die for. The next day Daniel and I got to get away for a long weekend in Blowing Rock, NC.

The 2nd picture in the last post was of us right after our wedding ceremony. Here we are in Blowing Rock after a day of shopping...

life as a Milsap

Life has FLOWN by the last couple of months! Let me catch you up to speed...The day after Thanksgiving, Daniel and I got engaged! He woke me up at midnight with a text and told me he needed me to come downstairs. I was highly annoyed, I won't lie, at the idea of getting up out of bed. When I opened the bedroom door, there were rose petals all the way down the hall, through the kitchen, and downstairs. All of the lights were off except for the Christmas tree lights (yes, we put our trees up early this year). There was my handsome man down on one knee, asking me to spend my life with him. I jumped up and down and said "yes yes yes!" We both cried. It was so simple and sweet...perfect! (needless to say, I felt extremely guilty for being annoyed about having to get our of bed).

Here we are at the courthouse, right before getting our marriage license.