2 months.

I just can't take the cuteness. How do u do it? I just can't take the cuteness of my own child. This may sound stuck up because everybody knows that you always think your child is the cutest. It's human nature because he or she is a part of you. If you have children, you know what I mean. Even when they frustrate you by being fussy, being smart mouth or whatever, it's like an ache inside your heart that you still love them so much. Not that my child has been a smart mouth... but I know I have been to my mom and now I finally get it. I wish I could have explained that more eloquently.

I haven't even been able to get on the computer lately to blog, check email or anything because I feel the need to hold the little man, watch him as he sleeps, catch up on my own sleep, clean, do laundry or just entertain him plain and simple. 

Here are some instagrams lately. I'm asking Santa for a new camera for a Christmas!

He's only been here 2 months and has stolen pieces of my heart. He's a big boy! Already 15 lbs and I could just eat his chubby lil legs! His smiles drive me wild as I dance about the house being as goofy as can be to get some constant smile action. He does have a few fussy moments here and there but they are very few. Most of all he's just a happy and content lil guy. His favorite thing this month is sitting up. Even thought he can't sit up on his own yet, he loves when u hold him like he is sitting up! He'll look around the room and make the cutest little face. He also enjoys talking... Not that he can talk but he makes noises and its fun to pretend we are having a conversation. It's funny because sometimes it will almost sound like he understood...and who knows, maybe he does.

I was talking with my friend Victoria the other day, who now has 2 little ones. She mentioned how when she had her first little one, she looked at parents of multiples like they were rock stars. I am totally there. I try to give Noland Jr. my complete attention and can't imagine having a second little one running around. I know there will come a day and time when it happens, and I'll just figure it out like everyone does. For now, I'll enjoy my naps with baby boy soaking in every ounce of his smell, smiles, chubby legs and coos.

Being a mom is definitely one of the best things I've ever done. And my husband is the best dad! When I'm not patient or at my best, he is. And that's what it's all about. We're a team that works together. It's been a pretty great 2 months as we try to cherish every moment because 3 months will be here before we know it! 

If you are still looking for a Christmas gift for that special someone, check out my Datevitation review and giveaway going on here.

Insta-Baby Lately

Well, this past Tuesday was 5 weeks of sweet snuggles, kisses, and smiles with our sweet baby boy! I've been absent from the blog but with good measure. I'm starting to get the hang of things and I'd say we have somewhat of a schedule going for us. Today, I decided to share some baby instagrams of late.

 If you've been wondering what I've been up to well, I just can't get enough of this little man. When he sleeps, I sometimes just like to stare at him because he's so handsome. He's like a part of me and a part of my husband. I stare at him and see both of us. 

Every day when Noland comes home from work, he holds him for an hour or longer because he hasn't seen him all day and I throw something together for dinner. The two of us are just so in love with this little fellow. Just when you think you can't love anymore, your heart grows three sizes and makes more room to love.

I always think it is funny when people ask who a baby looks like because other than particular features, you can never tell at 0-5 weeks old... or at least I can't. Our little man just looks like both of us. Sometime I look at him and think, "that is totally a Noland face" and other times I think, "he looks just like me." Today, I think his eyes are shaped like mine but he has Noland's eyes. My baby pictures look like him minus a few features. It's just so exciting every day to watch him as he grows. He's already bigger.

 His most recent appointment was on Monday. 

He is 12.44 lbs and 23.75 inches long at 5 weeks old. Crazy, huh?! He's a big boy! 

He loves eating, playing in his play gym, swinging in the swing, riding in the car, his pacifier, being held, waking up when he is put down, staring at mom and dad, when we hold him like he is sitting up, rocking in our rocking recliner, tummy time (he can already hold his head up and almost roll over). 

He likes to play the game where his pacifier falls out of his mouth and then he makes a little fussy noise until you put it back in. Sometimes he'll be laying in his little bouncer and it will fall on shoulder, he will make a fussy noise and try to move his shoulder to maneuver it back into his mouth. He has been unsuccessful so far but it sure is fun to watch for a second as I reach to put it back in his mouth. 

He is just so fun and we are so excited and blessed to have him in our lives! I wake up with him in the middle of the night to feed him during the week because the hubs has to wake up early for work and I'm able to nap while he naps during the day. It's actually not too bad. He probably wake up twice a night around 1-2am and 4-5am. I say that now and tonight he will probably wake up like 17 times... haha. No, but he has been a really amazing baby, such a little angel.

Alright folks, well that's all for today. Stay tuned: in the next day or 2, I'm going to be giving away 25 FREE Red Box codes to 25 different people! And more fun posts coming soon! (still waiting on newborn pictures but hopefully I'll have those soon too!)

A Baby Story

I've been so busy with our little guy lately that I haven't had much time to share about his arrival. He is currently napping on my lap and I finally have time to tell some of the story on this lazy Sunday afternoon.

I was told that our little guy would definitely arrive early. Well, you guessed it, my due date (Sept 29) came and went and still no arrival. I was told we could schedule an induction... and that's what I decided to do. So on Tuesday, October 2, 2012, my husband and I woke up early and headed to the hospital. We were supposed to be there by 6 am. We anxiously waited in the hospital waiting room for the nurse to come get us. We filled out some paperwork and were shown to the labor and delivery room!

Not long after our arrival, we met our nurse and I requested an epidural. She gave me my IV & started the pitocin to get the contractions started. Soon, anesthesiology came in to give me my epidural. For me, the IV and the epidural were the worst part of labor. I didn't feel any contractions for a few hours and then they came back to check on my epidural and give me some extra meds. 

Our room had a DVD player and TV in it, so as soon as I was set with the IV, pitocin and epidural, Noland and I began our movie marathon. We watched Tangled, The Jungle Book, The Lion King and then the Avengers. I thought it was so weird that I was in labor because I didn't really feel much pain. 

About 4:30-5pm (ish), the doctor and nurse came in and said I needed to try and push... and then it began. It just felt like pressure but not a lot of pain. I pushed for about an hour and a half (possibly longer) until Noland Jr. arrived! He finally arrived at 6:33pm.

He was 9lbs 14oz of pure LOVE.

(The hospital photos I have are not that good but here is a picture I took the other day)

I got to hold him after delivery for a few minutes. He was perfect, beautiful and healthy. I was  having some problems so I didn't get to hold him long. I had a uterine hemorrhage on top of a fever and high blood pressure so he was sent to the nursery pretty soon after I got to hold him. My husband went up too and was able to bring our little man back that night to stay in our room with us. I had to have two blood transfusions that night as well as some other medical things done which I won't elaborate on. Luckily, everything is a lot better now that it has been two weeks. Recovery wasn't too bad. I had a lot of help from my amazing husband, friends and family. Baby is doing well and I'm feeling a lot better. Thank the Lord that everything turned out alright.

I would share the whole story about the after birth hemorrhaging but I read a billion birth stories before I had Noland Jr and I can honestly say I was terrified going into the hospital on the morning of October 2. I don't want to share that part of my birth story because well, everyone's birth experience is different. The most important thing is that giving birth is one of the most life changing experiences you will ever have. And although, the hemorrhaging thing was pretty scary, I'm alive and healthy today so it wasn't that bad. Most of all, if you haven't had a baby and read this...think of it this way. Thousands of people do it every day and live to tell the story, even have multiple kids, so it can't be that bad. I look back and can't believe I did it. Don't ever live in fear. And so...

Our sweet boy is here! We are just enjoying every minute of snuggles, coo-ing, his facial expressions and trying to sleep when he sleeps. It's just crazy that I'm a mom!

I found this poem online a week or so ago... and it pretty much describes my life right now

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow 

for babies grow up we have learned to our sorrow. 

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep 

I'm rocking my baby, cause babies don't keep!"

And that's all for today! More posts to come as I continue to get the hang of multi-tasking.

Thanks for stoppin by! 

xoxo. Jen

Noland David Jr.

Noland David Jr. 

Date of Birth: 10/2/2012

9 lbs 14 oz

21.75 inches

He's here and we couldn't be more excited! Our lives have officially changed forever! 

I'm sorry I haven't been around but I've been snuggling with my Nolands (Noland & Noland Jr.) and recovering from a rough delivery. I promise to post some more details and possibly a birth story soon. 

I love the first picture of my sweet husband! This was while I was in labor (I had an epidural) and we were basically having a movie marathon... He was so excited with good reason. He's already an amazing dad! Middle picture is our little guy sporting the Seminoles at one day old!

Next, A picture snuggling with Mommy, and a picture snuggling with Daddy. The picture in the middle is one of my favorites. One morning in the hospital, he just sat and stared at me, with his little hand under his chin. He has definitely stolen a piece of our hearts.

Can you tell we're Orioles fans? This happens to be the week of the Division Series and we were prepared. Little Noland has some awesome Orioles onesies thanks to his dad, and has definitely been sporting them on game days! The middle picture is our first family picture. It's a little blurry due to being an iPhone picture. Hopefully, we'll take some family pictures soon!

That's all for now but I should be getting back to blogging more regularly as I get the hang our being a mom and fully recover. Life is so wonderful, and God is so good and continues to reign down his blessings upon us. 

xoxo. Jen

40 weeks & Insta-Updates

Here I am! And Yup, today is 40 weeks!

We have reached baby boy's due date. I feel a little bit like I'm about to pop. 

Hahaha & yes, I am brushing my teeth. Noland & I were preparing to go to the mall and walk until this little guy arrived.

Here is another picture of the belly. 

Very excited for baby boy's arrival. Yet, a little scared of labor and delivery. Then again, lots of people do it everyday and many have multiple kids so hopefully it won't be too bad. Can't wait to share my birth story with all of you. I've been reading lots of birth stories lately in blog-land.. and I pray that mine is one that is more easy-going than some others that I have read.

Noland & I can not wait to meet baby Noland Jr... We know that the second he enters into the world, our whole lives will be changed forever. I feel like it has been a long 9 months or 40 weeks of preparation. We have enjoyed growing closer together in relationship with one another and are excited to add a sweet new addition to our small family. Can't wait just to see his sweet little toes and tiny fingers! 

While Noland & I were out and about, walking at one of the malls near our house. It was about to rain but we caught a glimpse of a beautiful rainbow. Check it.

I didn't get a picture of the whole rainbow but it was the first time I've ever seen the full bow... from one side to the next. After a few days of sitting at home and waiting on baby boy to arrive, this small little sign made me smile and know that he will arrive in God's timing. So here's to you, little man! Hope to see you soon.

That's all for today! 

xoxo. Jen

Baby Growing & Pregnancy Recap Ramblings

First, I have 2 giveaways going on for awesome products! 

You can enter the Knot Genie Giveaway over at My Yellow Sandbox!

You can enter the awesome OOFOS footwear giveaway here!

I've decided to do a little baby belly & pregnancy recap...

Baby should be here any day. We actually thought he was going to come this weekend... but I guess today I'm glad that he hasn't arrived yet so that I can write this post!

Pregnancy is great. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's a blessing and a 

gift from God. 

My entire pregnancy has been pretty easy. 

The first trimester (0-12 weeks) I experienced a few nauseous moments but only when I hadn't eaten every hour or two. I soon learned that as long as I was snacking all day, I was fine. The only other issues I experienced during the first trimester were really bad headaches. Drinking a lot of water helped that. And of course, being tired was a first trimester experience. To be fair, I was working a 20 hour a week internship at a hospital, taking 5 graduate school classes, cooking dinner every night, doing laundry and keeping the house clean with some help from my wonderful husband! Oh and running to the bathroom thing is something that goes on ALL of pregnancy but you get used to it. Honestly, the first trimester was really not bad at all, just a few small random hiccups here and there.(Numbers are in weeks)

 The second trimester (12-24 weeks) for me, didn't really start until 16 weeks. Everyone tells you that at 12 weeks when you are starting to enter your second trimester, the headaches, nausea and tired-ness will subside. Well it didn't for me until week 16. I remember this clearly because I spoke to some of the moms at my hubs school and we were all laughing about it. 

But when week 16 hit, it was smooooth sailing. I felt good good good. really no problems and certainly the easiest part of pregnancy. The second trimester was pretty cool too because you start feeling little flutters, baby kicks and you get to learn the sex of your baby, if you choose to do so. 

I wish I would've written all the feelings I experienced through out pregnancy before now. I guess I've shared some here and there on the little blog of mine but never this detailed. We decided we wanted to know the sex of the baby, not because it mattered but that way we could pick out particular clothes etc. I had this intuition that it was a boy. Noland had no idea. When I would ask him, he would say "Well, it's a 50% chance." I guess he didn't feel a particular pull towards a certain sex. I would have been just as happy with a girl but I just had this feeling it was a boy. And I kinda wanted a little boy too because Noland & I both grew up with an older brother. I know we both wanted an older brother for our future youngins. It's just nice to have an older brother always on the look out. I just know Noland Jr. is going to be a great older brother one day.

Anyways, our ultrasound where we found out the sex of the baby was soo funny. The sonographer was around the baby's private area and you could clearly see that it was, indeed, a male. She didn't say anything though. Noland & I just looked at each other and made googly eyes. We didn't want to say "IT's A BOY." and then it not be... so finally, I asked. And she said, "Yup, it's a boy!" Rejoicing all around because we already knew what his name was, where we were having a difficult time with girl name ideas. 

He's going to carry on the family name of Noland, which has apparently been in the family for a long time. And I love that it is not common too! 

The only hard part about the second trimester is towards the end, I started feeling some back pain. Exercise is important. Summer is good and bad with pregnancy. It's good to be pregnant during summer because you can go float in the POOL and that takes some pressure off your back, legs etc. But pregnancy during summer can be tough too...because when you want to go outside, it's boiling hot. We would go walk around the mall for exercise. window shopping.

The third trimester (29-40 weeks) has been the most difficult but it still hasn't been too hard... of course, I haven't delivered yet so my tone could change. The bathroom runs are still constant and I thirst for water like I've never thirsted before. I had to start taking iron supplements because the doctor said I could become a little anemic, which is why I crave ice like constantly. 

Back pain and legs are sore. Luckily, I have a great husband who will give me back rubs. He's been mastering the art of a massage. I make him put lotion on my back, it helps him to be gentle lol. Sometime I just tell him to punch it because my back muscles are so tight. Also, warm showers and baths are magical. Pools are great too. Just to float in a pool is something I could enjoy all day. 

Feet and hands are a little swollen but not overly so. My wedding ring doesn't really fit but I've been wearing it on a necklace. Shoes are all pretty tight. I bought a pair of flip flops as well was given a pair of OOFOS to review...that have been so comfy to wear!

But, every day I get to feel the little guy kick and continue to grow. Towards the end of the third semester, you start going to the doctor every week, which is exciting because you get to hear his heart beat. For a woman who worries a lot, that is reassuring that everything is good. 

The other thing I noticed... when you use a public bathroom. You know the ones where the doors open inward. That must have been designed by a man. You have to back into the toilet to get out normally. Well with a pregnant belly, I feel like I'm a ninja as I try to get out of that stall... Now, if I have to go in public, I try to use the handi-cap bathrooms just to avoid the inward doors!

The worst part about the third trimester is the anticipation, especially since it's my first baby. I haven't really felt what a contraction feels like and it's probably different with every person. The past few weeks I've just been a little busy with nesting, packing the hospital bag, putting the car seat in, getting his room ready, washing all his little clothes... and now I feel like I'm finally ready for him to come. God & him must be having daily meetings about teaching me patience because he's taking his sweet time.

Last appointment, I was told he's dropped and is head down. I am 3cm dialated and 70% effaced so he could be here anytime.

But I'm excited to see his sweet face and know all the little difficult things about pregnancy will be well worth it when Noland & I get to see his sweet face. It could be today or tomorrow or any day now! If your awaiting his arrival too, I'll keep you posted,  just like my facebook page.

Anyways, that's my little recap. Pretty long but it's been awhile and I had a lot to say. Hopefully, we'll all get to see this little boy soon!

xoxo Jen

The Hospital Delivery Bag

Forgive the dusty mirror. I Windex-ed it right after this picture but I thought it kinda looked cool.

35 weeks. That means only 5 weeks left until we get to meet the little one! Whew! Almost there.

Got the sporty crib all set up and ready to go. 

And today, I've started packing the Hospital Delivery Bag... 

Well at least the things baby will need can be found in this bag: 

I've been researching this here and there... have checked out many different websites to figure out exactly what all we will need or even things that are nice to have.

Keep in mind, whatever you pack, make sure it's something you wouldn't mind getting ruined because, you never know what's going to happen!

Here's my whole list of what to pack in the Hospital Delivery Bag:

For the Baby Momma:

• Night Gown or a Big Old T-shirt
• Slippers 
• Socks
• Robe or Cardigan 
• Comfortable Underwear
• Pony-tail Holders, Clips, Headbands 
• Gum/ Sugar Free Candy 
• Nursing Bra
• Nursing Tank-tops
• Comfy going home outfit

For the Baby Daddy:

• 2 pairs- change of clothes
• Snacks (so he doesn't have to go to the snack machine)
• Video camera
• Digital camera

For Baby:

• 4 Baby Outfits (you never know what size he'll be)
• Baby hat
• Baby socks
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Car seat
• 2 or 3 Receiving Blankets

Toiletries to Shower, etc:

• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Body Wash
• Face wash
• Some old Towel (I hear the hospital ones are hard)
• Lotion
• Chap stick
• Hair Brush
• Make Up
• Deodorant
• Tooth brushes
• Tooth paste
• Large Pads 
• Nursing Pads

Other important things to bring:

• Insurance info
• Identification stuff (basically Mom's purse & Dad's wallet)
• Cell phone chargers
• List of people to call/text to make Baby's arrival known.
• Boppy Pillow for nursing at the Hospital.

This is my first child so it's not like I'm an expert at what to pack. I have researched a lot though!

 Let me know if I missed anything or if there is anything you can think of that would be helpful to have!

This is so cute. It's a TIME OUT chair that one of my best friends, Tiffany made! On this side it says, "3 Strikes, You're Out!" and on the other side it says, "There is NO crying in baseball!"

I don't look forward to putting our little guy in Time Out but sometimes it has to happen. So now he has a cute little chair! Haha. 

That's all for today! Thanks for stoppin by! 

Don't forget to enter the My Memories Suite Giveaway if you haven't already!

xoxo. Jen

DIY Baby Clothing Dividers

Still getting ready for baby's arrival! 

This week, I made my own dividers for all of baby boy's clothes from a Cereal Box!

Noland finished the last of our Cinnamon Toast Crunch! 

So, I cut the box on sides to lay it flat and open. 

I cut 10 circles that I made by tracing a cup!

Then I painted them blue... waited for one side to dry, then painted the other side.

Once the blue paint dried, I used the bottom of a shot glass to cut a smaller hole in the middle.

Then I added the age to them. For example: newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc.

Here's how they turned out: 

They are not the most perfect closet separators but I think they turned out pretty cute & will definitely work!

Now, I can see which clothes we have in what sizes! 

Yay for Organization!

Let me know what you think! I'd love some feedback! 

Here are some other awesome closet divider ideas.. Thanks to Pinterest

1. These are pinned from Posh Little's site here!

2. Farmhouse Five has these available for purchase here. You can also buy those plastic pieces from the Container Store and make your own labels!

3. These are available for purchase from Way Fair.

4. These are some you can make yourself! Here's the tutorial from Blissfully Domestic!

These are so cute! If you are looking for closet dividers, it all depends on how much you want to spend. 

I didn't want to spend anything and also had a little time to get crafty! Hope you like them! 

That's all for today! Thanks for stoppin' by!

xoxo. Jen

Linking Up: Show & Tell Saturday, Craft Envy, Bacon Time with Hungry Hypo, Funky Junk Interiors, A Vision to Remember, Polkadot Pretties

34 weeks...Almost

I'm 34 weeks tomorrow. 

So crazy.

Here I am being goofy.

How big is the babe? : Well I'm not sure but last time they measured my stomach, it was 32 inches. I'm big and uncomfortable.

Weight gain : About 20 lbs. I feel like I see many women who are this far along and they look like they are about to pop. I don't look like that.. just got a belly. I guess I'll give it a few more weeks then maybe I'll be there.

Stretch marks : None. I must have good genes

Cravings : Oatmeal creme pies. You know, the Little Debbie ones. The other day I almost bought some more but then I saw pie crust and decided to bake an apple pie. It turned out well. I've definitely been craving plenty of sweets.

To do before baby arrives : Well, I still have to pack the hospital bag, get organized and ahead in grad school work, take a birthing class or research more about labor and delivery...

Discomfort : Yes. Yes & Yes. Having a hard time sleeping when I want to. I'm constantly thirsty and then 5 minutes later I have to go to the bathroom. I might go buy some gum today, I hear that helps with dry mouth. Although, I'm not sure if I have dry mouth or just extreme thirst. I am definitely getting the right amount of daily water intake.
Also, my legs are constantly sore, must be the extra weight gain. And my hands and feet are swollen especially upon waking up. I'm wearing my wedding ring on a necklace. Hopefully the sore-ness & swelling goes away after birth.

How's the hubs? : He is such a gem. He has been so patient with me and my mood swings. And most of all he is so excited to meet our little guy. I can't wait to see him in action as a proud pops.

Well, almost there and can't wait!

In other news... Did you watch the Olympics? I'm not going to lie, some of it was boring. But I enjoyed gymnastics, swimming and track. Diving was on way too much but that is a whole other story. They played this song when showing some gymnastics re-plays on Sunday... I love it.

Home by Phillip Phillips.

That's it for today.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

xoxo. Jen

PS. Have you entered the SHABBY APPLE GIVEAWAY yet? you should, it's pretty awesome.

Pregnancy Brain is Real

So this is so funny! Pregnancy Brain is real. I shared last Tuesday some details from one of my awesome baby showers, you can check it out here! I was blessed with two sweet baby showers because when we were visiting Noland's family in June, they also had a baby shower for me. 

Well as soon I got home from this past weekend's shower, I started writing my thank you notes because my wedding thank you notes took forever to write and I'm not even sure that I covered everyone due to the plethora of items we received and some un-updated lists/un-labeled packages received.

So I promise this story is going somewhere... I received a gracious amount of gift cards at both showers, which are awesome because you can then purchase the much needed necessities! Let me just say that I am usually a decent writer and try to spend a lot of time putting together a nice thank you note. I am so beyond thankful for the gifts we received and we feel so blessed, so thank you notes are important to me.

Today, I was writing my last "Thank You", I realized that I had misspelled the word "stock" probably a lot. In several thank you notes, when someone had given me a gift card, I wrote a sentence similar to: 

Thanks for the gift card we were able to stalk up on some much needed baby necessities. 

stock v. stalk

Yes. I got them confused.

How embarrassing...

By the time I noticed this mistake, I already sent out almost all except five thank you notes... Oops. So if one of you that receive(d) a "Thank you" with "stalk" instead of "stock"... I'm so sorry. Pregnancy brain?

Here is a maternity picture taken by my talented sister-in-law, Ashley. More pictures to come soon!

This has just been a common occurrence lately. I hope my husband doesn't think I'm losing my mind. Pregnancy brain is REAL. Momnesia... also real. (Story #2) Today, I took a shower and half way through, I couldn't remember if I washed my body, so I washed it again. 

(Story #3) Last week, when we were on our way to visit my family, I started the drive to get my focus off of my back pain. We left our place and headed to the interstate... After about 30 minutes of talking with my husband about our day, he asked, "Where are you going?"

I had accidentally taken a wrong turn thinking I was heading in the right direction and didn't even realize where I was going. It was one of those weird feelings because I was paying attention to the drive but not so much the destination. Hard to explain.

I guess it's just all the exciting preparation for baby is filling up the bookshelves in my brain instead of proper spelling of words. So forgive this post if there are spelling and grammar mistakes! Haha. 

Thanks for listening to my thoughts. Don't forget, pregnancy brain is real.

Thank's for stoppin' by

xoxo Jen.

Baby Shower Fun

Hey Everyone! 

Once again, I've been M.I.A. due to a weekend visit to see my family and a baby shower! Noland & I are so blessed and received some awesome gifts! My sister-in-law, Ashley did a great job putting everything together in her beautiful house with three of my best friends Cynda, Tiffany and Holley.

So here are a few pictures of decor details and us.

Here was the centerpiece with the baby shower invite! It was so cute.. Looked like a baseball game ticket!

They used popcorn, cracker jacks, double bubble, and sun flower seeds as part of the decor.

Here's some of the goodies.. Vanilla Cupcakes, Salted Caramel Cupcakes, Emeril Coffee Cakes and Pecan muffins... so delicious!

Here's me and the hostesses. 

R to L : Holley, Cynda, me, Ashley & Tiffany

 

Love the little details in decor.. Ashley made this awesome chalkboard on the right! 

And here is my mom, me and Ashley. 

Cute little table with plates etc!

Thankfully, my mom's friend Elaine captured some great pictures displayed in this post! And the blurry ones are from my phone.. The shower was a lot of fun, great time to visit with friends and family. I can not express the thankfulness I feel to all those who came. 

Yesterday, Noland & I put together the crib. Today, I'm washing all of baby's clothes so I can put them away. We also went through almost everything to find a place to put it all! Can't believe our little Jr. almost here.

That's all for now! Thanks for stoppin' by

xoxo. Jen

29 &30

Pregnancy goes by so fast. I can't believe I'm almost 31 weeks. Baby boy is due at the end of September and I'm sure September is going to be a long month. The old song "Wake me up when September Ends" will now actually mean something as I await the end of September so we can count 10 little toes and 10 little fingers. Not that I want to bypass the whole month but I'm just so excited/scared/anxious for his sweet arrival.

Friday was crazy as we woke up to hear the terrible news of the Movie Massacre in Colorado. We had made plans to go see the Dark Knight Rises on Friday night with a friend who was coming to town. After discussion, we decided not to go see it...at least not this weekend. I don't want to live in fear but it moments like these when I fear bringing sweet babies into this world. Truth is, fear sucks and is useless. All it does is paralyze us and impede us from living our lives.

I was reading a few other blogs (a miniature clay pot, the wiegands) that shared thoughts about the Colorado shooting. Both made some really great points. It got me thinking, if God is with us, we have nothing to fear. Prayer and scripture are two weapons that we can use in our battle against fear. We have to continue to look to Him and trust Him in everything. So my little fear about bringing a kiddo into this broken world can be removed because I have faith that God will be with my family in good times and in bad. And everything will work out according to his plans. 

In other news, we just moved recently so we are still getting settled in at the new place... which is much smaller. So, we attempted a yard sale this weekend and it wasn't very successful. To be fair, we didn't put it in the newspaper and I was too tired to display things nicely. Mostly, we just threw it out there. I made some awesome signs though and we had quite a few people come by, made a little extra money even if it didn't meet my expectations. 

Pregnancy is going well. I haven't been sick or anything. My only is issue is back pain and sometimes not able to sleep at night for whatever reason. At times, its because I napped too late in the day and others its because I can't decide which side I'm most comfortable on. But only 10 weeks or less and the little guy will be here! We can't wait... we are trying to get everything set up and I feel like we are running out of time but I know its all going to work out. So that's my life update! 

Sorry no Movie Monday today... maybe next week!

So here  I am without my make up.. weeks 29 & 30! 

T-shirts are my friend lately.

Taking some maternity pics soon though so can't wait for those!

That's all for today! Thanks for stoppin' by

xoxo. Jen