Five On Friday!

Happy Friday y'all! I for one can not wait for this day to be over with. Working in the billing/payroll department on a Friday is a whole lot of NO fun. I really don't understand why people are so rude, obviously everyone needs money but being nasty to the people responsible for said money is not the best idea. Sorry rant over.

Well I am doing the usual link up today with Darci & the girls!


1} I have a new blogger for y'all today! Meet Brittney, we went to high school together and I was so excited when she messaged me on fb saying she was starting a blog and had been reading mine! Not very many people who I know personally know about my blog so it's always exciting when someone tells me they've been reading it! You have to go read along as she plans her wedding and hear her awesome story about how she got engaged at a yard sale!
Brittney at Southern Grace

2} I am honestly loving being pregnant! It is the best feeling in the world! The not so great thing is maternity clothes. I don't know what designer decided that the majority of maternity clothes should have horizontal stripes, not very flattering for me. On the plus side I did find a dress that works for what I need. If you missed my latest bumpdate you can read that here!

3} I have been looking for the perfect chunky pearl necklace forever now. I finally found it last night at Kohls and although it was a little more pricey than I liked, I had to snatch it up. I am sure I will be wearing it quite frequently! I included the other picture I could show you one of current go-to outfits. The shirt is just a regular chambray from Old Navy and the gold belt is from Target. I love using the little belt to accentuate the bump!

4} Yesterday I got the sweetest surprise from my Hubby. We are really not the public mushy types so when I saw this I was totally shocked (especially since he doesn't use facebook like, ever)! He wasn't sure what I was talking about when I told him he was very popular on FB yesterday because it turns out he thought he was sending me a private message lol. Nora and I are so lucky to call him ours!

5} I read today that they are coming out with Cookie Dough Oreos! Come to Momma!!! I will definitely be scooping us these babies come February!

Well that is all for me today! Y'all have a great weekend!! P.S. is anyone else having trouble attaching pictures to their posts?

Easy Canvas Prints Review!

When I was presented with the opportunity to review an Easy Canvas Print, I jumped right on it! Obviously I adore pictures and I especially love printing them out on canvases.

 

This company was beyond easy to work with and I was so excited when I came home and found my canvas on the porch!

 

 

I received the 8'' x 10'' canvas and I love it! Canvas prints are a great way to add dimension to a gallery wall which is what I am hoping to use this one for. The quality of the print was amazing and it seems extremely durable. I will absolutely be ordering from Easy Canvas Prints again in the future!

 

They are also offering my readers 50% off + free shipping if you enter the code 50FREESHIP

 

You can also check out their affiliate sites www.buildasign.com and www.alliedshirts.com 

for more custom products!



Week 17-19 Bumpdate!

Well I was originally going to wait until after our appointment Monday to post a bumpdate but I actually straightened my hair which calls for a picture lol. See what I was talking about with my hair?? And you can't even see the longest layer, someone give me some scissors!

 

Baby's Size: Mango!

 

Gender: A sweet baby girl!

 

Weight Gain: Haven't weighed since my last appointment but at that appointment I was down 10 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight.

 

Maternity Clothes: Always in maternity jeans and yoga pants. Still in mostly normal shirts though, maternity shirts fit weird. Funny story, the other day I decided to wear a pair of regular jeans. They buttoned fine but were Old Navy so were a little high rise. They were fine standing up but when I sat down I guess they were too tight on my stomach for little Miss Priss and she started moving like crazy! I laughed so hard because I just pictured a sassy little girl being like, "Excuse me!!!!!!". Looks like someone is going to have some of Momma's sassiness, look out Daddy!

Stretch Marks: No new ones

 

Belly Button In or Out: In. But as my sweet husband pointed out the other night, it is starting to "close" lol.

 

Sleep: I still refuse to spend $70 on a pregnancy pillow but the other day me and the hubs were in Babies R Us and he found me a wedge pillow to support my stomach. Between that and my body pillow I am sleeping much better!

 

Best Moment This Week: Feeling my very active little lady!! I felt her for the first time a couple weeks ago (the 10th). At first it was just a poke here and a roll there but it has become much more frequent and noticeable.

Worst Moment This Week: Hmm.. The muscle and hip pain are no fun.

Miss Anything?: Not really now that I am sleeping better!

Craving: Ugh I have been wanting banana split Dippin Dots soooo bad and cannot find them anywhere!

 

Queasy or sick?: I've had a couple nauseous spells and still dry heaving/puking when I brush my teeth but good other than that.

Looking Forward To: Seeing Miss Nora at our appointment on Monday!

Mood: Tired but happy!

Movement: Lots! We have a very active little girl!

Doctors Appointments: We have our 20 week appointment on Monday!!!

Registry Questions: {Help Me Momma's!}

Calling all Momma's!!! I need some serious help. After a trip to the always overwhelming Babies R Us this weekend, I was left with some serious anxiety. I have no idea where to even start with this whole registering thing so I need y'alls help!

 

1} Travel Systems: Honestly there are more options for toting your little tike than there are shoes in my closet. My eyes are literally burning from reading so many safety features and "Top" lists. The bad thing is there is no real consistency between all of them. There is no one brand or seat that dominates the others which I really don't understand. Of course safety is our top priority but I also want a carrier that is light enough for me to carry and a stroller that is not overly bulky. Here are a couple I have found, please feel free to give your honest opinion.
Graco Air3 Click Connect

I really like the jogger style and I have heard great things about Graco but the carrier doesn't look all that comfy.

Britax B-Agile

This one is the front runner for us right now. I love the look of it plus it has very high ratings. Do any of you Mom's prefer the jogger style to the traditional? Also is there any preference over the handle style? I have seen several but am not sure if one is easier to carry than the other.

 

2} The MamaRoo: Alright ladies lets have it, is it worth the hype?

 

3} Breast Pumps: I know not cute but we have to get down to the nitty gritty. I have heard several conflicting opinions. Did you prefer manual or electric?

 

4} Gliders: I have always loved gliders. My Nanny has one in the living room that she has rocked all of us grandkids in and it is always something I have looked forward to. Hers is the classic like this one..

Shermag Glider Rocker & Ottoman

 

But then we sat in this bad boy and I almost fell asleep right there in the store..

Newco Premium Rosie Glider

But this one is verrryyy pricey so I am not sure about it.

 

5} Monitors: The hubs about lost his mind when he saw video monitors and now he is all for them. What do y'all think? Will I drive myself crazy with a video monitor or are they a good investment?

Levana Keera Video Monitor

6} Clothes: Do you put baby clothes on the registry?

 

7} Baby Carriers: I know there are all kinds of tips out there about baby carriers and their affect on baby's hips so I am not sure which way is up with these or if they are even necessary. So did you use one? Did you  like it? Did you prefer wraps or the backpack looking things?

 

8} Diapers: I know you need as many as possible but do you put these on the registry?

 

Gosh this is literally so overwhelming. I would appreciate any advice you have to give. What were your registry must-haves?

 

 

 

 

Friday Rambling...

I know, I know, I suck as a blogger. This whole blogging {maybe} once a week thing is terrible but y'all I feel like I barely have time to tie my shoes much less sit down and blog. I certainly didn't have it together enough to think up a fun Five on Friday post so today you're getting a little outburst of all the randomness (good & bad) that is floating around in my head. So I am sorry if there is some whiny moments in here but sometimes a girl just needs to ramble..

A little throwback to our V-day photoshoot last year. It is crazy to think that next month will be our last Valentines Day as a family of 2!

~ 

You know how I said I really don't have it together right now?? Proof of that is that my Christmas wreath is still on my front porch, there is a whole stack of present boxes sitting in my living room that need to be burned and the stack of Christmas cards I found that had slid between my seats and missed my trip to the post office are still sitting in my dash. Responsibility for the win...

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On a positive note I have started feeling Miss Nora Leigh move!!! At first there was a little poke, then a little roll and now its just like a little bigger roll! It is honestly the most amazing  thing I have ever experienced! Funny story, the other day I was laying on the couch with my head in Paul's lap & started to doze off. All of a sudden I felt that poke and about jumped right off the couch it scared me so bad! Then I just couldn't stop laughing! I can't wait until Paul can feel her too!

~

I have been blessed with a very easy pregnancy so far but this week has seriously been a B! I know it is just my belly growing but the muscle pains have been almost unbearable. I have had some pretty bad pain on my lower right side under my stomach (close to my hip bone area) and I am really trying to figure out if it is normal or something I need to be concerned about. It is making sleep just about impossible, the only way I can sleep comfortably is if the Hubby holds my stomach. I really need to invest in a pregnancy pillow.

~

Speaking of sleep.. Even though I am not getting a lot of good sleep I am getting in some pretty decent naps. I literally fall asleep all the time. Sitting on the couch, in the car, at the dinner table (okay that only happened once), pretty much anytime I am still I am going to fall asleep. Which is another reason nothing is getting done around my house. You know I am tired when I pass up a trip to Target because I just want to go lay down..

~

We say every weekend we are going to start on Nora's room. The bad thing about it is, we have no clue where to start. We have two spare bedrooms, Paul's best friend is staying with us in one of them and the other is our storage room aka soon to be nursery. So we are in the process of figuring out what to do with all of the stuff  that is piled up in her room and most of it isn't stuff to be thrown away so we are pretty lost. Maybe this weekend we can just dive in and get it over with!

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I have a cold again. The last one took me over a month to get rid of so..yay me!

~

Every Sunday I go to my Mamaw's house after church. Usually my sister and grandparents come too and we bring her lunch but this Sunday my sister was with her boyfriend & my grandparents are in New Mexico with FEMA so it was just me. I have to say it was really a great day. Me and Mamaw had a great day with great conversation. We talked about family, The Bible, my Mom, my Papaw and baby Nora {who is named after my Mamaw}. It was such a great day, I cherish every moment I get to spend with her!

~

You know how I mentioned this week had been a B as far as pregnancy goes. Well, I haven't really had much sickness but every single morning when I brush my teeth I start dry heaving. It's to the point where I actually start having stomach acid come up. No matter how gently I brush my teeth, the amount of toothpaste I use or how far back I brush this happens. I am not telling y'all this to gross you out I am hoping that one of you Mama's out there have experienced this and can give me some advice.

~
There is a guy in my office who has started counting the number of times I got to the bathroom each day because I have to pass his desk to get there. Even though the bathroom is not the only place to go in that part of the office, every time I walk up there he goes, 1..2... and he is honestly about to get punched in the face. You shouldn't keep track of a woman's bathroom habits in the first place {freak} especially a pregnant woman's.
~

If anyone was wondering why I haven't did a Bumpdate lately or even a measly picture on IG it is because of my HAIR. I am in desperate need of a cut. Straightened it about reaches my butt and curly it is just a big ol mess of curls everywhere. I can not stand it right now, which is why it is always thrown in a messy bun. I think the prenatals gave it a serious growth spurt.

~

One thing I have made time for lately is reading my Bible. I have never actually sat down and read it all the way through so that is something I am trying to accomplish. Even though I know my Bible pretty well, all it takes is a little bit of reading to make you feel like a big ol dummy. I swear I need a childrens bible and dictionary just to make it through. But I am learning a lot and really hope I can keep it up.

I love going to bed a few minutes before the Hubs and ending my day snuggled in my new comfy sheets, candles lit and reading His word. Very relaxing!

Well this ramble turned into quite the lengthy post but if feels good to have some randomness off my chest. Kudos to you if you actually took the time to read all this nonsense. And sorry if I sound super whiny, I promise I am not typically a complainer because I am truly blessed with the life I live. Y'all have a good weekend!

 

Five On Friday: Currently Loving..

Hey y'all! Happy first Friday of 2014! I hope it is treating you wonderfully. I know one thing, it is FREEZING here in the good ol peach state! I know you Northerners who are several feet deep in snow are laughing at me right now but we Southerners prefer a winter where we can just throw on a hoodie and go about our day {at least this Southerner does}. So needless to say waking up to 18 degrees this morning had me wanting to wave my white flag and stay in bed. However my bank account said "get your butt up and go to work!". So here I am once again, throwing together a quick 5 on Friday from my work desk.

 

In the midst of all the New Years recaps and resolutions I thought I would go a different direction and share 5 things I am loving right now. Mostly products I have bought/received with a little diy thrown in the mix.

 

1} We will go ahead and get the diy out of the way. I have had a love for chicken wire since about 7 years ago when my cousin built a house and instead of solid cabinet doors she replaced the wood it the middle with chicken wire. I thought that was the coolest thing and said if I ever built my own house i would do that to my cabinets. Since then I have seen many projects done with chicken wire and decided to do one of my own. So I found an old mirror at a yard sale and turned it into this..

 

Right now it is being used to display our Christmas cards but it will be changed up regularly! I plan to go back and distress it a little more and once it is completely finished I will do a tutorial!

 

2} I received this bubble bath/body wash for Christmas and it is ahhhhmaazing! I took a bath the other night using this and almost fell asleep I was so relaxed. The smell is amazing, you feel like your bathroom is transformed into a spa. I even love it as my daily body wash which means I will have to really stock up because it is going fast!

Bath & Body Works Stress Relief Bath

 

3} I know everybody and their brother sister are talking about this but I had to jump in with my two cents. My sweet hubby was apparently listening to a conversation I had with my sister because I certainly never said anything to him about wanting this. I am not really a penny pincher but I kind of refuse to spend a ton of money on makeup, it's just not my style. So when I pulled this beauty out of my stocking I was super surprised and excited. The difference in quality between high end and drugstore is definitely noticeable. So I have watched a few YouTube tutorials and am ready to get a little fancy with my pretty new eye shadow!

4} I got one of these as a gift at our Gender Reveal Party. If you ask me Hallmark is pretty genius or at least their marketing department is. Judging by a lot of their products that I have seen lately, they are capitalizing on Pinterest fads. For all of us less than creative people, this stuff rocks! In this kit you have a card for an announcement, weekly updates and even a few for when the baby is born! On the back of each card there are questions that you answer about how you've been feeling and what you're looking forward to. And when you take your picture and fill out your card you stick it in the included photo album! So pretty much it is a bumpdate in a box!

 

order yours here

 

5} This is another baby product that I have been swooning over since before I was pregnant. Obviously I am obsessed with pictures and journaling as a way to preserve memories {hence the blog} but unfortunately my blog won't always be around. So I knew I wanted an awesome baby book to keep up with my pregnancy and Miss Nora's life once she gets here. This brings me to The Sweet Rhino Etsy shop. She makes the most beautiful, custom baby books that are simply to die for. I love that there are pages to write about your pregnancy journey that your sweet Little can look back on one day. The shop owner J'aime is so incredibly sweet and easy to work with. She has emailed back and forth with me to help me create exactly what I want and she is always very prompt. I cannot wait to get my book and start writing all about Miss Nora Leigh!

 

 

Well that is it for my Five! I hope y'all have a fabulous weekend!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weeks 14-16 Bumpdate!

Baby's Size: Avacado!

Gender: Its a girl!!!! Miss Nora Leigh!!

Weight Gain: I went to the doctor Monday and found out I lost 4 more ponds. That's -10 from pre pregnancy. The doctor said he's not concerned about it yet but may be if it continues. 

Maternity Clothes: I got a few things for Christmas (I am wearing one in the picture) that I am loving. My pants are still too big but super comfy.

Stretch Marks: No new ones

Belly Button In or Out: In

Sleep: Ugh I wake up wide awake every morning around 3, go to the bathroom and maybe fall asleep around 4. It is miserable.

Best Moment This Week: Technically this was a couple weeks ago but since this is a catch up it counts. Finding out about our baby girl and then our gender reveal party sharing it with our families!! You can read more about that in my last post!

Worst Moment This Week: The lack of sleep and the daily throwing up acid while brushing my teeth.

Miss Anything?: Just sleep! The doctor finally said I could have deli meat as long as it is fresh and not pre packaged!!!

Craving: Still pretty turned off by food. But fresh green veggies have really Ben hitting the spot! 

Queasy or sick?: I get a little nauseous from the acid reflux but nothing too bad.

Looking Forward To: Feeling baby girl move!

Mood: Very tired but very happy!

Movement: None that I can feel but she was moving like crazy at our ultrasound! 

Doctors Appointments: We had our gender appointment which technically wasn't a doctors appointment then our 16 week visit on Monday. We had a much better visit this time with a great doctor who let us listen as long as we wanted and answered every question!