Friday, January 31, 2014

Five on Friday {January 31, 2014}

Happy Friday!! Linking up with Darci again today for Five on Friday!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

One.
Winter Gridlock 2014. Wow. We have had such a crazy week here in Alabama. There was a light dusting of snow forecasted for Tuesday afternoon. As I was getting ready for work that morning, I told Daniel how I hoped we would get out of school early and maybe even have a snow day on Wednesday. My goodness, be careful what you wish for. It started snowing around 9:45 on Tuesday morning and my students and I all excitedly gathered around the windows to watch.


Everything was covered with snow and school was scheduled to dismiss at 11:30. About the time we had called all the parents and had all the kids on the buses, we got the news that the buses were grounded and all parents would have to come to the school to pick their kids up. The roads turned to sheets of ice immediately, people were abandoning their cars and walking, pretty much all the roads were at a complete standstill. So...we had to call parents again and tell them they had to come and get their children. This led to more reports from parents telling us how terrible the roads were.

This pregnant lady was getting pretty anxious at the thought of possibly being stranded overnight at school and the Braxton Hicks were kicking up. Daniel had already tried to leave his office, but couldn't even get out of the parking deck because there were so many cars that were already stuck and in the way. He ended up having to spend the night there. I was so thankful {and now realize even more how incredibly blessed I was} that my dad was able to come and get me at school in his four wheel drive truck. It took us four hours to get home {about 8 miles} and the only reason we made it was because he drove in the grassy median for the last couple of miles. The roads were solid ice and at a complete standstill. Here are just a few pictures of what the roads looked like. There were areas that were much worse.


Several teachers stayed at school over night with the kids whose parents weren't able to get there. Bless their hearts! There are so many amazing stories! All in all, I feel so, so blessed that I was one of the few that actually got to be in my own home that night. Daniel finally made it home on Wednesday night, and even though I missed him like crazy, I'm so thankful he was only away for one night. Many people were separated from their families much longer. I'm also *incredibly* thankful that I wasn't closer to my due date! Many women had babies at home or in their cars. I can only imagine how terrifying that would be!

Two.
Because of all the snow and ice, we didn't have school Wednesday, Thursday, or today. Of course, I would never wish for these weather situations, but the days off and extra rest have been wonderful! And now, I only have five more weeks of work before my maternity leave starts!! Unless the baby gets ornery and decides to come earlier...

Three.
We're leaving this afternoon for our babymoon in Nashville!! I'm so ready for a weekend away with my sweetheart in a beautiful place. Lots of relaxing, eating, and probably some shopping for the baby.

Our last trip to Opryland ~ April 2013

Four.
I have come to terms with the fact that the nursery will probably not be done by the time the baby is born. I just don't have a final vision of what I want it to look like which makes it very challenging to find things. I wish I wasn't so darn indecisive! :-\ The thought of having it completely done was just becoming overwhelming to me, and it was starting to be not so fun. I definitely want the whole process to be fun, so I'm just going to chill out and do a little bit at a time. It will be okay. :) I have ordered a few more things that I'm super excited about.

{via}
I pray that we are able to teach our daughter the true meaning of these words and that they will be forever in her heart.

{via}
Five.
One thing I do know for sure is that I want hair bows for the baby! Lots of hair bows. I haven't ordered any yet, but I found an online shops that is very reasonably priced. I didn't see anything more than $4.00!! I'm planning to place an order soon. Does anyone else have any hair bow secrets you're willing to share? ;)

Polka Dot Posies
Enjoy your weekend, everyone! :)

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

33 Weeks


Click here to see my other weekly pregnancy update posts.
Click here to see my step-by-step chalk art tutorial.

How Far Along: 33 weeks and 2 days

Size of Baby: According to BabyCenter and The Bump, the baby is the size of a durian {Isn't that the terrible smelling fruit?! Couldn't they have found a different comparison??} She's a little over 17 inches long and weighs just over 4 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: My doctor told me {without my permission!!!} last week that I had gained about 25 pounds. I did not ask, she just volunteered it. She did say that it was totally fine, though, so that made me forgive her a little bit.

Gender: It's a girl!!

Maternity Clothes: Oh my goodness, yes. I'm running out of shirts that fit. I refuse to buy more clothes that I'm only going to wear for less than 7 weeks, so my friends and family are just going to see the same outfits over and over again! :)

Wedding Rings On/Off: On

Stretch Marks: A few, but I haven't found any new ones {yet}. I am being extremely faithful with the cocoa tummy butter.

Sleep: I'm still not sleeping great. I'm waking up really early and can't usually go back to sleep. It's getting me ready for the baby!!

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really specific. I'm still on the brownie kick and even made some homemade ones yesterday since I didn't have a mix. We were in the middle of *Winter Gridlock 2014* and I couldn't go out to get one.

Symptoms: The worst right now is still the back pain. It makes leaning over even just a tiny bit almost impossible. And of course, it seems like now more than ever I'm dropping things all. the. time. The heartburn hasn't been as bad and the labored breathing has eased up, too. I did have some Braxton Hicks on the day it looked like I might get stranded overnight at school because of snow...more on that in another post.

Movement: Yes! I can tell she's getting stronger! I love, love, love it! :)

Mood: Very happy most of the time!! I'm crying *very* easily these days, though. It's not because I'm upset, but anything even remotely emotional gets me.

What I Miss: Being able to put shoes and socks on myself. I'm thankful for a sweet husband who is happy to help me. :)

Looking Forward To: We're planning to leave tomorrow afternoon for our babymoon in Nashville! We're going to the Opryland Hotel and I can't wait!! It is so beautiful there!

Best Moment This Week: Seeing Daniel drive up the driveway after we'd been apart nearly two days because of the snow and ice in Alabama. I was so, so thankful to have him home!


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Saturday, January 25, 2014

#richlyblesseddaily2014 {Week 3}

Week 3 of #richlyblesseddaily2014! You can follow along every day on Instagram @richlyblessedblog. :)

Click here to see previous weeks.

 Day 18: Day two of the women's retreat. Such a beautiful place!

Day 19: Back with my sweet love today!

Day 20: Working on this week's chalkboard and having a little treat. The baby wanted it! ;)

 Day 21: Doing a little nursery and baby shopping. I'm trying to decide on some letters for the baby's name and some cute hair accessories. Pretty sure she's going to be a girly girl!

 Day 22: 32 weeks pregnant!

 Day 23: After doctor dinner date. These will be sweet memories...except for the part when the server told me my belly was huge. :-\

Day 24: Had a girls night with my sister and niece tonight and totally forgot to take a picture of us. :-\ Vanna got crafty and made me these sweet pictures!



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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

32 Weeks


Click here to see my other weekly pregnancy update posts.
Click here to see my step-by-step chalk art tutorial.

How Far Along: 32 weeks and 1 day.

Size of Baby: According to BabyCenter, the baby is the size of a squash, is 16.7 inches long, and weighs about 3.75 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: Still not talking about it...

Gender: It's a girl!!

Maternity Clothes: Yes and yes.

Wedding Rings On/Off: On

Stretch Marks: A few, but I haven't found any new ones {yet}. Still crossing my fingers that they will eventually go away.

Sleep: Sleep is just okay. I'm waking up a couple of times a night, pretty much whenever I move. I'm also waking up an hour or two before my alarm goes off and I usually can't go back to sleep.

Cravings/Aversions: I had a craving for warm brownies with vanilla ice cream this weekend and have been eating it every day since. So good.

Symptoms: Back pain has been a killer this week!! It started late last week and has gotten a little worse every day. It's not really achy or sore, it almost feels like I have a pinched nerve or something. Heartburn is happening almost every day, and I'm still super short of breath. The Braxton Hicks are back, but not nearly like before. I probably have a few every day, pretty much only while I'm at work. Oh, and I'm crazy tired.

Movement: Lots! I'm even starting to see big twitches on my belly from the outside, too. I'll be watching TV and feel her move, and out of the corner of my eye I can see my blanket practically jump. I'm excited to be able to see little elbows and knees rolling around.

Mood: Very happy most of the time!!

What I Miss: Just the silly stuff that doesn't really matter. I'm sure I'll miss being pregnant after she's born, so I'm trying to soak it all in and not wish the weeks away. It will be over before I know it.

Looking Forward To: We're going to our 32 week doctor's appointment tomorrow! I just love going to these appointments! Also, my mom and I are going to do some shopping this weekend for the nursery. She's going to help me decide on some frames for the nursery from the *several* I've saved to my favorites on Etsy!

Best Moment This Week: I was gone all weekend at a church women's retreat, which was so much fun, but seeing my husband on Sunday night after being gone for two days was so wonderful! I missed him like crazy. Having Monday off was pretty wonderful, too!


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Monday, January 20, 2014

#richlyblesseddaily2014 {Week 2}

Week 2 of #richlyblesseddaily2014! You can follow along every day on Instagram @richlyblessedblog. :)

Click here to see previous weeks.

Day 11: I ordered a cross for our baby girl's bedroom, tried a new recipe {FAIL, in my opinion, Daniel liked it}, and ended up eating cake for dinner. Cleaning out the freezer before baby comes is how I'm rationalizing that one! 

Day 12: Stopped for a frosty after we finished our maternity pictures! 

Day 13: We started packing our hospital bag. Well...we got the bag out. That counts, right?

Day 14: A recipe win (Annie's Eats chicken ranch pizza) and practice at church for the music at the women's retreat this weekend.

Day 15: Impromptu ice cream date! (And it wasn't even my idea!)

 Day 16: I had every intention of cooking. It didn't happen. Jim & Nick's cheese biscuits won!

Day 17: First night of the women's retreat!


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Friday, January 17, 2014

Five on Friday {January 17, 2014}

Happy Friday! Oh my goodness, I am so happy that Friday is finally here!! Fridays before three-day weekends are always the absolute best!! :) Whatever you end up doing this weekend, I hope it's wonderful! :)

I'm linking up with Darci today for Five on Friday! You can definitely tell by my list today that I have a serious case of baby brain. That's pretty much all we're thinking about these days. Only a little over 8 weeks to go!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

One.
This is what my a small part of my Etsy favorites list looks like right now. I'm really wishing I wasn't *so* indecisive! Obviously, I'm struggling with picking out some frames. ;) We have all of the big things for the nursery, but we really haven't put much on the walls yet. I know it doesn't have to be completely done when she gets here, but the planner in me would really like it to be. My mom is going to help me pick out some things next weekend, so I know that will help! She helped me *so much* with our office renovation, and I'm much more likely to pick something out if she's with me! She has a way of helping me picture how things would look in a room! :)



Two.
I mentioned in my weekly pregnancy update this week that we had our maternity pictures taken this past weekend. We *loved* our photographer! I was a little nervous because I was hoping she wouldn't be one of those who just tells you to walk around and pretend she wasn't there, and she definitely wasn't. I mean, that is so awkward! There's something about *trying* to act natural that is so unnatural! Anyway, she already gave us a sneak peek! I'll share more when we get the rest of them back. :)


Three.
We booked our babymoon a couple of months ago and now we only have two more weeks to wait until we head to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville! We went for the first time last April and absolutely loved it! It's such a beautiful place and you really don't ever have to leave the hotel. Also, here's a tip for my fellow teacher friends in the area. Opryland has a teacher's appreciation rate of $99 per night for certain nights! They fill up fast, so if you're planning to go, you'll want to make your reservation a couple of months in advance.


This was the view from our room the last time we went.


Four.
My mom and sister have started planning my baby shower {cannot believe it's time for that already!} and I just love the invitation they decided on! It goes along perfectly with my weekly chalkboard updates. :)

{via}

Five.
So...I need some help. We're in the process of packing our bag for the hospital, and I'm finding it to be a little overwhelming. I'm pretty sure that I make every task more overwhelming than it should be. I've searched Pinterest and have come up with a pretty long list {right down to the command hook for our door hanger}, but I'm still scared of forgetting something or wishing I would have packed something. So, any advice? What is something that you packed that you were so glad you had, or maybe something you didn't pack but wish you did? Any help for this first timer is appreciated! :)

Have a great weekend!! :)

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

31 Weeks


Click here to see my other weekly pregnancy update posts.
Click here to see my step-by-step chalk art tutorial.

How Far Along: 31 weeks and 1 day. We're down to single digits in the weeks that are left! *Cannot* believe it!

Size of Baby: According to BabyCenter, the baby is the size of a pineapple, is over 16 inches long, and weighs about 3.3 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: I don't want to talk about it. :-\

Gender: It's a girl!!

Maternity Clothes: Oh yeah.

Wedding Rings On/Off: On

Stretch Marks: Still just the few I found last week. I've been using the Palmer's Tummy Butter faithfully and maybe {probably} it's just wishful thinking, but I feel like maybe they're a *tiny* bit better.

Sleep: It's still taking me a long time to go to sleep which is so frustrating since I have to get up early. Once I get to sleep, though, I sleep pretty well most of the time. You know, I thought I was supposed to be the one having the crazy dreams {I've only had a few}, but Daniel has been having really funny dreams lately. One of my favorites of his is when he had a dream that we were home with the baby, I gave her a Sharpie, and she drew all over our pillowcases!

Cravings/Aversions: Still nothing super specific lately. I'm just hungry most of the time.

Symptoms: More of the same, although the heartburn and labored breathing are the worst right now. I've never had heartburn in my life before being pregnant, and the labored breathing...well, let's just say it's a challenge when my job is to talk nearly all day long. My students are getting used to me stopping to catch my breath!

Movement: She must be getting used to the routine of being up and around more during the day because she's moved more while I'm at work this week. I'm so glad...I start to get worried when I haven't felt her for a while. She moves a *ton* at night, though. We could both feel her rolling around the other night.

Mood: Very happy most of the time!! Still pretty emotional, too. :)

What I Miss: Just little silly things like certain foods {sushi!}, sleeping on my stomach, and being able to breathe easier. I'm definitely not complaining, though.

Looking Forward To: I'm going on a women's retreat with my church this weekend, so I'm excited for some girl time! I will miss Daniel so much, though. I'm pretty sure completely sure that I'm going to cry when I say goodbye to him. {See "Mood" above... ;)}I'm also excited to add some more things to the nursery. The rug we ordered came in, and I also ordered this cross in pink and gray for our hospital room door and then for the nursery.

Best Moment This Week: We had our maternity pictures taken this past weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect and we *loved* our photographer! It's hard to believe we'll be doing newborn photos in just a couple of months! :)


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