Absolutely Full Term

Today was our due date we were given when we had our first ultrasound. We're still waiting, which I guess is expected since they say you usually go over with your first. The anticipation is hard on us and we can not wait to meet our new little addition.
Honestly, he seems so content in there I am not sure he is ever going to come out! I hope he's not one of those kids that is going to try and live with us until he's 35!!

Now it's the waiting game...

Ugh - Why can't I sleep!

So here I am, awake. Baby Hale will be here before we know it and I still have not had a good nights sleep. And I know it's all down hill from there! But yet I find myself lying in bed, eyes wide open and screaming inside because I cannot get any r.e.m. The doc told me to try benadryl...really? Not working! Usually shaking my leg puts me to sleep...not working! I just feel like I either need to go into labor or fall asleep...why else am I awake?
Oh, and did I mention my warm cuddly dogs are all around me, snuggled up fast asleep, snoring! Just rubbing it in!
I just want one really good nights sleep before he gets here...just one! Please God, I know you can bless me with this!

37 WEEK CHECK-UP

Kevin and I went for our 37 week check up yesterday and all is well. However, I was measuring at 42 weeks (which might I add was a little scary!) so they ordered me an ultrasound right away. They either thought I was further along than expected (again) or that the baby was BIG! Today we went to the ultrasound to find that I all is perfectly fine...but I am at 39 weeks. THANK GOD baby is only 7 lbs. on the nose, but he does have a big head (just like his father!) Since it is so far along in the pregnancy they are going to stick with the Nov.5th due date and just see how everything goes from here on out.

We got some really great 3-D 4-D ultrasound photos...they're so amazing!

Pregnancy Survery

I just found this survey...wish I knew about it before so I could have posted more about my progress!

How far along? 36 1/2
Total weight gain/loss: almost 50 lbs
Maternity clothes? Oh yeah!
Stretch marks? Yup
Sleep: Yes, please! :( Not getting much
Best moment this week: Too early to say
Movement: All the time, and everywhere!
Food cravings: Not really
Gender: Boy oh Boy!
Labor Signs: A few, but what do I know?
Belly Button in or out? Still remains in, but has surfaced from being totally in.
What I miss: Sitting on the couch with my husband.
What I am looking forward to: Knowing when I crawl in bed it will be comfortable, being close to hubby again and sitting on the couch and taking a bath where my tummy isn't sticking out and freezing because I can't get it under the bath water.
Weekly Wisdom: Baths are not for super pregnant people!
Milestones: Dialated 1-2 cm and doctor can feel baby H's head!

"You're getting big"

"You're getting big" This is an understatement that I have heard a million times this past weekend! Everyone kept saying it! My reply? "Getting?? *sigh* If I get any bigger!" I just can't! I can't get any bigger...I can barely get out of a chair, bed or anything else for that matter. I'm knocking things off of counters and I totally underestimate the size of my belly when trying to walk through small spaces! Please, someone tell me why I try to turn sideways like IT'S going to help!
And! they're telling me I am due Nov 5! I cannot go through this for 24 more days...Dear Lord, this is my prayer! HELP!!
Oh! and lets not forget my fathers ever so gentle, sweet and very subtle compliment, "Mandy, you look like a tick about to pop!"
How about all the ladies we run into in the grocery stores...
Them "so when are you due?"
Me "November 5"
Them"November?!?!? You're not making it to November!"

And God knows this is how my body feels!

Okay, I am done ranting...it helps to get it out! Thanks for listening.

On a good note, my last obgyn visit the doc said that I was measuring about 1-2 cm and he could feel the babies head...good signs I guess. I'm on weekly visits now...getting checked every time...so please, say your prayers for Kev and I!
I will update Wednesdays...after all my visits...hopefully not too many more Wednesdays though!

I just love Fall

I am so excited for fall to be here! Speaking of "fall", the baby is dropping...kinda scary! But we are so anxious to have him in our arms. Can you believe it, I have six weeks left!

The nursery is coming together well! I have my second baby shower on the 11th of October in Leesburg and I am so excited to see my friends and family that I have not seen in a while. It's always great to share an experience like this with them.

Moving on...

Kev and I made a trip to target today to pick up a gift for a bridal shower I am attending tomorrow and we decided to browse the store...(some walking to help ease the pregnancy a little - it helps). Anyways, I am so excited to announce, they are starting to put out their Christmas items! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! And this Christmas is going to be so awesome with two new members in the family and McKenzie turning 2! She is going to be the best big sis/cuz there is! And she just loves babies!

Baby Room Inspiration

This is sorta the inspiration for our nursery. The colors are very similar and we just picked out a wall paint like this one today! I love the paper lanterns and the french boards on the wall (not over the bed though, kinda scares me) I am trying to figure out what I would like to do for art in the room. It's not a boy/girl theme, it's just more of a modern pattern.

This is the actual fabric I chose for the crib bedding along with the brown and white polka dot pattern...it's very cute together - however, I have not started on making the bedding yet! I'm running out of time!!

I'll post pictures of the room as it starts to change...

Nursery underway and only 10 weeks to go!!

I am so thankful for my parents! They are just amazing. They came up for a few days last week and over the weekend to help Kev and I get started on the nursery. It used to be our office and junk room so we had to clean it out completely and put up new dry wall. The dry wall is up, now we need to sand, prime and paint! We're running out of time though! Baby Hale will be here in 10 weeks!

An update on the pregnancy. I have my gestational diabetes test done at our last visit and I have not heard from them yet, so I am assuming everything is a-okay. Baby Hale keeps me awake a lot! He moves so much I'm pretty sure he's going to be a hyper one - just like his daddy.

IT'S A BOY!

We're so excited! We have a little baby boy on the way!
Kev is ecstatic, he gets his little baseball player...lol We chose the name Brady Alexander Hale - but not sure what we're going to call him for short. We love the name Alexander! I hope to find the time to post the ultrasound pics!

We've been working on our house, getting it baby Brady ready, but goodness...being pregnant and doing a lot of work is hard! And on top of that I am working at my job finishing up some wedding invitation orders and taking online courses! Haha, I pray God gives me the strength and time. I will post pictures of our progress on the house as well.

Can't hardly wait!

That's right! I can't wait to find out the anatomy of our baby. I find so many cute little things I want to buy like right now! It's driving me crazy. Oh, and the other day I drive by Carter's and their having a big 75% sale...go figure! You think that will be around when I do find out, probably not! Haha, that's just the way it goes I guess!

Which way is up

Had my 2nd doctor visit today. Planned to go in for an exam on my back, but they were able to pull of a full exam all together. Heard the baby's heartbeat, which was pure bliss. I just looked at Kevin and we smiled together. It was a very healthy beat, very steady and fast.

The doctor said during the exam she felt that some things were larger...meaning I could be further along than we expected! (This could explain why I feel so large and NONE of my clothes fit) I will find out exactly how far along at my next visit, June 29th also when I get the anatomy of the baby via ultrasound. Very exciting!

Due to my not knowing how far along I am I will not post what the baby looks like, etc. Because I really don't know! haha. But the not knowing is kinda fun, I just want to make sure I know before I go into labor.

I will keep you posted!

Baby is growing

Baby Hale now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, weighing about 2 1/2 ounces (like an apple). Amniotic fluid is traveling through baby Hale's nose and upper respiratory tract, this helps primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. Baby Hale's legs are now growing longer than the arms and now able to move all joints and limbs. Baby Hale's eyelids remain fused shut, however, can still sense light. Also, he/she is forming taste buds, but still cannot taste.

It is suggested we can start talking to baby Hale now, conversations or just narrating whatever we are doing. Reading a book and/or magazine can also be helpful. It's wrote that talking to them is the best way to help them develop language skills.
(Kevin will probably be talking in Italian to the kid)

Feeling more real

So...we've been doing a little shopping. Despite our awful weekend of dog searching, (our dogs ran away and we didn't not get them back for almost 24 hrs) we mixed in a little yard sale hoping and were able to find some great baby items. Not sure what one item is called, but it seems to be useful in preventing acid reflux and we also found an 8 piece grooming set, brand new still in packaging.
Last night I was poking around on www.craigslist.com and glancing at baby cribs when I came across this beautiful Lexington Crib. It's work is beautiful! It's off white with a brushed look, very shabby chic! I am so excited about it. I can't believe we bought a baby crib...we have a baby crib in our house! This is so surreal! I cannot wait to find out what the sex is so we can start decorating the room!
I plan to make my bedding because I want something unique and special, and it's less I have to put on my registry. I enjoy creating unique things and I figured this is something special my mother and I can share.

I will post pictures once we get the bed assembled.

Sickness is back

I am not sure if it is the weather change or just me not getting better, but I feel like poop today!

I need to get my back checked out as soon as possible. As the nights wind down I start to feel like someone has beat me up with a baseball bat. I can barely bend over and pick my self back up, when I get out of bed to go to the potty it's the hardest thing for me to do! Any hints on how to help this?

A new Hale on the way

Welcome friends and family! As most of you already know, Kevin and I are expecting this November! We are super excited and can not wait to see our new baby Hale.

I've had this blog for some time now but never really shared it with anyone (kept forgetting) however, since the occasion, I feel it would be a great way to keep everyone updated on the mine and the baby's progress.

For starters, I had my first doctors visit May 12 and they basically confirmed I was pregnant, Kev's response, "she better be...after all we've been through!" Which was my exact thought, I'd better not been sick for nothing, ha! Anyways, they also took some blood and gave me a TB test, which turned out fine. Haven't heard any news about the blood draw yet. I go back for my second visit on the 10th of June, hopefully an ultrasound, but at least an update on how the baby is doing. We'll have to wait and see.

As far as how I have been feeling; I've been much better. I was pretty sick at first, and brushing my teeth in the morning has and still gags me!
I am beginning with the weird cravings such as, peppered beef jerky, funyuns, pickles, and ice cream is awesome. Chicken grosses me out, and basically everything (meat) I prepare other than pasta I cannot eat! Physically, I am okay, however, I am starting to have a lot of problems with my hips and lower back tailbone area. I hope to see a chiropractor soon!

As far as how Kev is doing...he has been amazing through all of this! He puts up with my mood swings because he knows I am not intentionally being that way, and he tries to make sure I am always comfortable. And it may be too early, but he makes sure to talk to our "blueberry" (the baby) every day. He is also keeping me pretty motivated on movement. I don't want to lay around and get fat. We take walks in the evenings, and summer league baseball is starting so I will be working there on the weekends, and on Sundays I attend his men's league baseball games. As much as it wears to me out to go here and there (but doesn't stress me out) I still want to keep at it for the physical affect for the baby and I.

In addition, I follow my progress on thebump.com to see how I and baby are and should be doing:
(I have a little baby bump)
For mom-I have graduated to the the second trimester at 13 weeks! They say this should be a comfortable and enjoyable stage for me...I have been counting down to this time!

(Baby is the size of a peach! Averaging 2.9 inches and .81 oz.)
For baby-he/she is forming teeth and vocal cords but they are still in nonfunctional phase. He/she is approaching normal proportions, the head is now only 1/3 the size of the body. The baby's intestines are in process of moving from the umbilical cord to the tummy.

Not your ordinary lasagna!

I know, it looks wimpy and not so fulfilling, but you will be surprised!
On top of that, it's sooo simple!

Grocery list: (Makes 1 large pan)
2 boxes Delallo Imported Italian Lasagna (very important: OVEN READY NO BOILING)
2 jar Kroger brand Home style three cheese pasta sauce
2 8 oz bag of mozzarella cheese
2 16 oz low fat small curd cottage cheese
And that's it! You may have a little left over, but that's okay!

Preheat oven to 350
Get your 13 x 9 pan, spray with cooking spray (or line it with olive oil <-that's what we do)
1) Lay your first layer of lasagna down, 2) then apply amount of sauce (consistency to whatever you like) don't spread yet, 3) then a scoop of cottage cheese, then spread. 4) After spread evenly, apply a good thick layer of mozzarella cheese - that's it!
Repeat steps 1-4 until you have a full pan! Oh yeah and top with the sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella!
Bake for 50 min (or until golden brown on top)
And WALLAH! You have the easiest meatless baked lasagna ever! And it's good, and somewhat healthy!

And it doesn't seem so professional because it's a recipe I just pulled off one day...so I hope everyone likes it!

My first contest ever! Papertrey Ink

I got to play a fun game of connect the dots to find out the pattern for my card. I've never made a card off of a pattern...I pretty much free style everything I do.
My Inspiration? My four-legged loves!
Meet Alex, Jersey and Lola
Alex - the smaller brown and white beagle
Jersey - the medium black and white cocker
Lola - the large tan and black shephard
What makes the world turn for my husband and I are these little lovies! They are so fun to just sit and watch and they love us no matter what! No matter what!!! The only other being that can do that is God! It's amazing how amazing dogs are!
GOD = DOG It's pretty simple! The love is unconditional!

They love to watch for squirrels and other animals in the window, it's pretty cute to see them up there!

Five things happy couples do every day

http://dating.personals.yahoo.com/singles/relationships/24200/dating-101-five-things-super-happy-couples-do-every-day

I think this article is absolutely true. Kev and I do alot of things here, but some we can work on..and I believe this is what gets us through "those times". I'm printing it off and Hanging it on the fridge!

Why Lemon Sugar?

Lemon (bitter) Sugar (sweet)
Why Lemon Sugar? For the bitter sweet moments in life!
Getting married is a great and exciting adventure, but at the same time, your not daddys little girl anymore. Life is changing drastically and it will continue to change.
Getting older is also pretty bitter sweet, I am sure more will agree than disagree. You're wiser, however, older.
You can figure the rest out!

Let me know what you think about the name, it took me a few trys to find it...I hope I made the right choice!

Lemon Sugar Paperie

Say the first thing that comes to mind: Springtime

Fresh

New

Pastels

Clean

This is the look and feel I was aiming for this time with my website design...so far it's been a HIT! Guest love it...which makes me happy. I always feel I need to make sure my guest feel in season, otherwise it would not be as comforting. Let me know your thoughts!

A long lost great friend

Don't you just love facebook? I used to think it was so childish and for students, but I was wrong! If you think about a certain person every now and again and wonder what they are doing...facebook is the place to fill those thoughts.
At a time of reminiscing...I was there. I thought about a great friend I used to have in grade school and how she was doing. Sooo...I just looked her up on facebook, messaged her and we met up for dinner, I am so happy! She is the same great person I remember her being - we talked for hours on end, and there is so much more to tell. She met Kev and they hit it off great.
So go ahead, don't be shy, facebook that long lost friend and invite them out for dinner and drinks!

Follow Us

I post for a reason! Yes, so you can follow our lives and what we have going on.
I never thought I would be a "blogger", but it is the best way to keep everyone up to date; if you care (?)
But it's not just about us, I will start leaving great recipes, party tips, great hangout spots, etc. So stay tuned!