Baby Lawhorn {Week 18}

How far along?: 18w1d

How big is baby?: The size of a sweet potato.

Weight gain/loss?: About +2-3 lbs?

Stretch marks?: Nope.

Maternity clothes?: Trying the BeBand some, but it's already feeling tight!

Sleep?: Still sleeping pretty well so far.

Food cravings?: Whatever I want, whenever I want it. :) Is that bad?

Gender?: Finding out FRIDAY (February 5th)!! I will announce on here SOON after!

Movement?: Still not noticing anything yet, but hopefully soon!

Belly button?: no different

What do you miss?: Am I allowed to say sangria?

What are you looking forward to this week?: Can't wait to find out if Baby Lawhorn is a boy or a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. This is for Emily Thrasher - your mom and Lee came to pick up Nick from my parents house yesterday (we were there for Sam's b'day) and I told your mom that the baby was the size of a sweet potato this week!! And Lee said "...thanks for ruining sweet potatoes for me..." HAHAHA!!! It was hilarious. :)

Dinner with the Rochas

Friday night we had dinner with the Rochas! 

Jason made his famous penne pasta again (I was running late from work and luckily he's an amazing cook!) We all ate until our hearts were content. Even Kate LOVED the meal!

Kate trying on Mommy's boots - so cute!

Kate and Jason playing with Snooker. 

(I'm loving this picture... just in case Baby Lawhorn is a girl... I think we'll be in good hands.)

It had been too long since hung out with Keith, Becca, Kate, & KJ, so we were so happy it worked out for Friday. 

Love you guys!!

Baby Lawhorn {finding out}

 

Below is the first part of our journey with Baby Lawhorn - finding out.

(Th) 10/28/10 2:00pm

"Today is Thursday and I am officially 7 days late. I've had one 'scare' before this that turned out to be nothing, so there's definintely a chance that I'm not pregnant this time either. I mentioned to Jason at lunch today that I'm late, and he said to just take a test and we'll see from there. If I am... the baby would be due in July 2011 - that would be crazy! For now I'm waiting a few more hours, then I will take a test. Whether it's positive or negative, I will probably take another one first thing in the morning (since that's what they recommend). We'll see!

(Th) 10/28/10 4:00pm

Oh my goodness!!!! The test says: PREGNANT!! I don't know what in the world to think! So many emotions are running through me!! Jason has class tonight and I don't want to tell him over the phone so it will have to wait until 8!!! Ahhhhh!!!! I'm so excited!!! {I took the test in the bathroom at work! Haha! Talk about an unproductive last hour of the day...}

(F) 10/29/10 8:00am

Last night I told Jason and I think we're both still in TOTAL SHOCK! I told him and just cried and cried. I think I had held in all my fears and anxieties until that moment. We laughed and cried but didn't talk too much about all the changes that were going to be coming our way. We weren't planning for this so soon, but God's timing is perfect and obviously it was TIME! Something funny was that he was wearing a blue button up shirt and I had a pink sweater on - totally unplanned! Haha! I want to tell our parents tonight after work, but Jason is working an extra shift so he won't be home until later. Maybe we'll try to plan something for tomorrow night with our families."

Next time: Part 2 - telling our parents.

Book Review: Mark of the Lion

Technically I shouldn't be writing a review for the Mark of the Lion series JUST yet. I've only read books 1 and 2, but dude - they were SO GOOD that I had to tell you asap. These books are not for the faint of heart... not only is the story heart-wrenching and the challenge to follow Christ so evident, but they are super long! (Like Harry Potter long!) Anyway below are my two cents about these fabulous books.

The first book is A Voice in the Wind and the second is An Echo in the Darkness. It took me a little while to get into the first one, I admit. The book is set in Roman times so there is a lot of terminology that I wouldn't typically get into. I'm not a big history person, but after reading this, I felt like I would have LOVED to go back in time to be there (for maybe like a week or so). The parallels between Roman culture and today's culture were apparent... people turned away from the one true God to follow their own lusts and false gods.

You will fall in love with the characters... feel their pain, experience their joy. (You will want to BE Hadassah!) It's just such a good story. As soon as the first book was through I was so grateful to have the second nearby! (You will too - trust me.) I finished the second last night and plan to start As Sure as the Dawn this weekend.

One sidenote on the 2nd and 3rd books - they look like trashy romance novels. Nothing against the choice of covers, but come on! I had to keep them turned upsidedown in my car so that people wouldn't walk by and think I was reading a trashy romance novel.

If you've never read ANY Francine Rivers books, you have to start with Redeeming Love. But then you have my permission to read the Mark of the Lion series. :)

Tell me if you like them!

Gender Poll!

Alrighty my friends - it's time to hear your thoughts. Our nusery is staying green, but do you think it will be accented with PINK or BLUE?

I've added a poll to the top right hand of the blog asking if you think Baby Lawhorn is a boy or a girl, so PLEASE vote! I'd love to see what you guys are thinking.

If you have special reasoning behing your vote, feel free to leave comments on this post! Or if you have questions that you think will help "aid your guess", go ahead and ask and I will answer in this post.

Let's hear it: BOY or GIRL?!

Shopping to Save

Okay, my friends. This is monumental. This was my first real Publix trip. 

As one of my monthly goals, I wanted to save up coupons and do a good shopping trip by the end of the month. Granted, after I went to Publix, I still had to go to Walmart to get my regular stuff where the everyday price is cheaper, but I feel like I scored some GREAT deals at Publix on stuff I will ACTUALLY use!!

Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt 4pk - 2 for $2 - $1 off coupon - 2 for $0.50 each

Quaker Oatmeal - 2 for $3.71 - $1 off coupon - 2 for $1.36 each

Pop Tarts - $2.10 ea. - 50% off - $1 off 3 - 4 for $0.79 each

Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes - 2 for $1.25 - $1 off 3 - 4 for $0.38 each

Fresh Express Salad - 2 for $3.99 - $0.55 off coupon - 2 for $1.73 each

Fuji Apples - $0.99/lb

Cucumbers - $0.65 (they were $0.89 on sale at WM)

Total Spent: $15.04

Total Saved (according to receipt): $22.40

It took me a while to get coupons together and took me a while to decide what I actually needed (vs. buying something because it was on sale), but it was definitely worth it! A fun little Sunday afternoon project, if you ask me. 

I know Sarah R. uses coupons - anyone else??

Baby Lawhorn {Week 17}

I haven't been the best about weekly updates on Baby Lawhorn, so here's a little update! (A blurry 15 week photo and a current 17 week photo!)

How far along?: 17w1d

How big is baby?: The size of an onion.

Weight gain/loss?: About +2 lbs?

Stretch marks?: None yet, which reminds me... I need to start putting lotion on my belly like Traci suggested!

Maternity clothes?: I wore my BeBand one day last week!

Sleep?: Sleeping pretty well, and trying to get to sleep by 9:30-10

Food cravings?: Cantaloupe... really just anything I want at the time. :)

Gender?: We will find out the first week of February!!

Movement?: None that I'm noticing, but the doctor said in the next week or so I should start to feel flutters!!

Belly button?: no different

What do you miss?: Umm.. nothing really. We talked about wanting to go to Disney World for Spring Break but I wouldn't be able to ride anything. So I miss that, but that would be the thing I miss.

What are you looking forward to this week?: Nailing down our gender appointment and feeling movement from Baby Lawhorn!!!

We went to the doctor last Friday and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time!! (If you remember, last time she couldn't find the heartbeat so she did an ultrasound, so this was the first time we heard it!) It was very cool to hear the "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of our healthy little one! The doctor said the heartbeat was 140 bpm, which was right in the middle of where it should be.

The funniest thing that happened, though, was she was holding the little wand thing on my tummy to listen, and she said "Did you feel that?" and I'm like.. no.... what? and she said "Your baby just kicked me!" CRAZY! I didn't even feel it, but she knew what to look for. Like I said above, she said that in the next week or so I would definitely start feeling movement, so I can't wait!

I'm going to try to keep up with this weekly, like my bloggie friend Leah!

Baby Brian's Shower

Today I went to a baby shower for my friend Blair. 

awesome diaper cake!

so cute!!

all her gifts

the happy mommy-to-be

Congrats to Blair and Jeremy!! We can't wait to meet baby Brian.

Dinner with the Geyers

Thursday night Emily and David came over for dinner!! It was so fun to just catch up and chat all evening. 

Jason made us a SUPER YUMMY dinner - Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy. It was seriously fabulous. No pictures because I totally forgot and we scraped the pan clean.  (This will be a new staple in our house.)

We love you Em and Dave!!!

PW's Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Last night Jason and I made a fabulous dinner! (Though it took a little longer than we anticipated...)

We made two Pioneer Woman's dishes: 

"My Favorite Meatloaf" and "Delicious, Creamy Mashed Potatoes". 

Sweet hubby was in charge of making the meatloaf!

Mmmmmm... yum city.

All the while, this girl was working on mashed potatoes. Washing, peeling, cutting, boiling, draining, mashing, adding, stirring, taste-testing... they were FABULOUS. Especially since I've been making the blasphemous instant kind recently... 

The meatloaf was supposed to take 1 hour, and it actually did. I mean, I guess that shouldn't surprise me?  But let's be honest... an HOUR?! Sheesh!

Even still, it was so yummy!! Jason has loved all the PW recipes I've made, so I'm sure we will continue to consult the cookbook. :)

Have you had anything yummy for dinner lately?

I'm So Dumb

Okay, so I do some dumb stuff every once in a while. I admit it. But today was pretty goofy.

A while ago, my Mamaw gave me a thermometer that I keep at work in my desk, because I'm somewhat of a hypochondriac, and it's just better for me to take my temperature and know that I don't have one, than to think I do, and convince myself that I'm sick. It's just better - take my word.

For WHATEVER dumb reason, I decided to be an 8 yr. old child this morning and stick the old, glass, mercury filled thermometer in my scalding hot tea... ya know - just to see.

You probably can't tell in the picture, but it shattered the thermometer.

(Please note that no mercury was released with the stupidity of this act.)

Sheesh.

So now at least I know that it's a good thing to add some cold water to the hot tea since it's temperature was obviously above 106 degrees.

On the list of dumb things I've done, this is about middle-range. The dumbest to date was when I was younger, I was coughing and decided to put a penny on my tongue - just to see what would happen.

I had to go to the ER since it got STUCK in my stinkin' windpipe.

See, now the thermometer thing doesn't sound so dumb anymore, huh?

Weekend Projects - AFTER Pt.1

Okay, first of all, let me just say WOW!!! You guys are amazing!! In my plea for help on Friday, I had 7 comments, 2 emails, 2 BLOG POSTS, and 2 phone calls in response!! You guys are awesome!!

A little too awesome, maybe, since the vote was basically split down the middle. Therefore making it completely impossible for me to decide! So let's start with the first project and I'll tell you about the second one at the end . :)

Remember this picture?

My little corner of craziness? Junk on top, junk in the drawers, junk in the trunk. Just junk.

Well, after about 15-20 minutes, this is what it looks like now! Simple, easy, shoulda done it a year ago.

I moved my two current books into the top drawer, along with medicine, hair rubber bands, chapstick, and that good ol flashlight. I realized I had been taking my jewelry off once I got in bed and left it on top of the nighstand, so I corralled it all with a small Wilton bowl. (This is one of those cases where I know my habits, and rather than think I will now start taking my jewelry off earlier and putting it in my jewelry box in the bathroom... I just accepted it, and put a pretty bowl out to hold it all.)

Also, do you see the little silver doggie with the long tail? When my mom gave me my "right-hand-ring" for college graduation, she gave me this little doggie and said that every time I took the ring off, it had to go RIGHT THERE or else... shewasgonnakillme. I listen to my mommy. So that's where my rings go.

Dash got a little bored while I was working:

Come on, dude - it was like 15 minutes!

So as for the entry area project... really, I'm still torn. I had completely decided to do the console table, had one at Target picked out and was planning to knock it all out on Saturday. Then I actually asked my husband what HE would like in that space, and he prefers the bench idea. And benches are harder to find at stores (you can order them, but that defeated my "weekend timeline").

Then I talked to my wonderful mother-in-law who let me know about an antique auction that will be going on this coming weekend, that has several buffet-type tables that I could get a good deal on, and Jason said that it would be better to get a good piece of furniture that's going to last, than to go buy something quickly just to finish a project. And I agree.

So in short, I'm moving my weekend project to a January project. My new goal is to have the entry updated by the end of the month. I'm waiting until this weekend to go to the auction and see what I can find, and go from there.

Thank you again for all of your fabulous suggestions (drawings, links, explanations) - you guys rocked my socks off!

Weekend Projects - HELP!

This weekend I have two (hopefully do-able) projects I want to tackle - my bedside table and our entry area.

First of all, my bedside table is a stinkin' mess! Books, cups, jewelry, dead flowers (yikes) - and that's just the top! Inside I have stashed books, pictures, medicine, is that a flashlight?, papers, clothes (in the second drawer that's not open)... it's outta control. I'll bet if I just had what I needed in there, I would be a happy girl. So this is one do-able project for the weekend.

The other project is our entry area. And here's where I need some advice!

(Sorry about the early morning cell phone picture.)

The coat rack stays (though it needs a good purge), and of course the green box with Christmas stuff is going into storage asap. But, I have two different ideas for this space, that both require purchasing a new piece of furniture.

Option 1: An entry bench where you can sit and put your shoes on, with baskets for shoes underneath, and the mirror would be hung horizontally above. The downside for me is I don't know what I would do about the space from the top of the bench to the bottom of the mirror, since the bench would be lower and the mirror would be hung at normal height... ideas?

Option 2: A console table with a bowl for keys, a spot for mail, lamps on either end, and the mirror horizontally above. I always pictured this space having a higher table (right now it's the coffee table from my apt.), but once I thought about the bench, I like that too.

Blogging world - I beseech you! Help me with my entry way!