There's a Moncus Among Us

just ducky giveaway!

2011-08-22T10:44:00.001-07:00

one of my great friends is having a just ducky trunk show next month and this wonderful website is having a $25 just ducky certificate giveaway! so excited!

http://www.thenotsoblog.com/2011/08/just-ducky-originals-review-and-25-giveaway/comment-page-1/#comment-210685

check out just ducky here...

http://www.justduckyoriginals.com

Welcome to the world, Bennett Rex Moncus!

2011-07-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Bennett arrived Monday, June 27th at 2:32 am. He weighed 6 lb, 1 oz and 20 inches long and PERFECT! We love this little man...including big sister Kathleen!

yay! a posh patina giveaway!

2011-07-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

A Few of My Favorite Things blog is having a Posh Patina giveaway! which always makes me very happy:) here is the link-just follow the instructions to enter the giveaway: http://thehillsarelivin.blogspot.com

Bennett's Nursery and others...

2011-06-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

Here are a few snapshots of Bennett's nursery! Don't have everything hung up yet but getting there....Rita gave me several Radio Flyer miniatures I'm planning on putting on a shelf. Also, gonna throw some of Mack's babseball things in there. He has the coolest collection of several of the balls he pitched with in high school, all with little scribbles on them about who they were playing and who he happened to strike out that game:) I love it...He's gonna build a little dispaly shelf to put them on which I think will look really cool. Just have to note my thriftiness...I fell in love with the wall murals that matched this bedding with the retro tricycle, scooter and wagon. I found a Radio Flyer tricycle that I wanted to get eventually that I thought would look so neat in there. Soooo, i was at my friend Alisha's house-going through her maternity clothes and little girl clothes before they had their moving sale. When I spotted a Retro Radio Flyer tricyle in the corner, my eyes lit up! I thought-it couldn't hurt to ask and so I did...'are you selling that tricyle?' to which she replied 'I'd sell my vehicle if someone offered me enough for it'..lol, love her. So I asked how much she wanted for it(I don't think Jamie wanted to get rid of it for the girls' sake) but they both said $15 and I said wootwoot! SCORE!

And here is my hospital gown I made! So excited not to be wearing little blue pyramids this time! Maybe not what I should be worried about, but seriously? could hospital gowns be any more hideous?! pattern found here:http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/hospitalgown.php

And this is me at 36 weeks. I go back to the doctor Wednesday and am anxious to hear what he has to say. I'm getting so ready to meet Bennett and at the same time, a little nervous to have 2:)

Blog Giveaway

2011-06-10T12:15:00.001-07:00

So, as noted in a few blogs back, I have joyfully discovered the Posh Patina shop on etsy-http://www.etsy.com/people/PoshPatina. and through her site I have discovered another fun blog to follow! http://prettylifeanonymous.blogspot.com - lots of cuteness going on there! AND a Posh Patina giveaway! Find out more here...
http://prettylifeanonymous.blogspot.com/2011/06/makeover.html?showComment=1307733245751#c5292586437560784871

update...

2011-06-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

34 weeks

Well, I made my doctor's visit yesterday-along with miss priss who decided to make her presence known with a VERY stinky diaper while we were there :/. He said I was making some progress and stated 'you'll probably make it 2 more weeks...' umm, excuse me? So, i say-'So, I won't be making it til July 3rd?' to which he replies-'i can't say for sure, but you're moving right along.'. Oh my. I've been feeling like maybe he would be early but I was giving myself another 3 weeks...and who knows? He may not come til the 3rd, BUT, when the doc is saying 2 weeks, that's a good indication. so, now it's time to get down to business-for real. At least his nursery is ready-mostly. Gotta get car seat in...I got some of my pjs together last night. I think I was nesting a little...stayed up til 11:30 folding clothes. Tagged some consignment items for the Dittos for Kiddos fall sale(http://dittosforkiddos.net/) trying to get it done before Bennett gets here. Hoping to pull in a little extra cash for my maternity leave. I am now 36 weeks and don't have a 35 week pic...but above is my humungous belly from 34 weeks.

I can't wait to meet my little baby boy!

A month of fun

2011-05-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

May has been a great month! Lots of fun things going on. We needed some fun after the end of April was so terrible. Lawrence County, where I work, was really devastated and a few our farmers lost everything they had-so sad. Keep them in your prayers!

May started out with a diaper shower for Bennett hosted by my best friend Jaime and her mom Susan. It was great and so much fun! A few friends and an awesome brunch made for a great morning!

My beautiful hostesses....Jaime was so sweet and gave Kathleen a princess dress-up dress...she loved it:)

The next day was Mother's day. We enjoyed church and eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel with Momma and Daddy. That afternoon we grilled with Mary Helen and the kiddos. We had a great time! Kathleen even sported one of my dresses that my Momma made me when I was little...so special to me:)

The following weekend was Jessica's bridesmaids luncheon at her parents house. Mrs. Connie (in Mrs. Connie fashion) served up a wonderful lunch for all of Jessica's maids. It was great meeting her sweet friends. I don't have any pics:( That night I had Jessica a lingerie party at my house. It was lots of fun:)

On Thursday, May 26th, Kathleen and I headed to Bham with Cecilia and Crista for Jessica's wedding rehearsal. We had rehearsal and the Sonnet House and the dinner at The Club. AWESOME! Kathleen was the flower girl with Jessica's nephew who is just 1 day older that her. They were precious! Friday we got hair done and ate at Newks(I've been craving a Newk's que sandwich and it hit the spot-yummo!) Then headed to the Sonnet House. Jessica was an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL bride!! and the wedding was just gorgeous-that's an understatement. I forgot to give Mack my camera so I have no pics of the ceremony:( but trust me, it was perfect. they looked so happy and I wish them the best of luck!(I'd like to give myself kudos for not falling walking down the aisle in heels-your balance is all crazy anyways when you're 8 months pregnant. throw some heels in there and whoa! :)

the beautiful bride!!

On Saturday, we took a trip to the Bham zoo with Molly, Trey and Caroline. It was hot but we had the best time!

Sunday was my family shower at my Aunt Carol's. (yes, I'm sporting the red dress again!) It was so wonderful and Bennett got sooo many nice things. I was so excited and went home that night and put everything up in his nursery with Rita! I will have to post pics later:)

me, Momma and Carol-they did a great job on the pretty table:)

Ed and Rita were in for a few days and while Ed and Mack went canoeing on MOnday, the girls did a little shopping-always fun:) So, then the month ended on Tuesday with our 3 year anniversary! We had a yummy yummy dinner at Ricatoni's. I got Mack a pair of leather shoes( I have gotten him the traditional gifts each year we have been married-I'm so corny) and he got me the 'B' waxing poetic charm and the cross....something I've been wanting so bad ! It was perfect! It has been a fun and eventful 3 years and I couldn't be happier!!! :) I love you mack:)

A few of my 'new' favorite things...

2011-05-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

So, here are a few things that I've discovered recently that make me smile a little:)...

These sweet invitations are the ones we are using for the family shower my aunt is throwing me. You can buy the digital format from http://www.etsy.com/shop/KelliMaree?ref=seller_info. I love using this method of invitations. There are SO many cute ones on Etsy and it's definitely cheaper when you have several to buy because you can order them like prints from Walmart or Shutterfly.

PINK FLAMINGOS! loving them. I have bought a couple of outfits with them on it for Kathleen. Even a little swimsuit. Hoping to have a 2 year old pink flamingo party this summer:) Planning on smocking these sweet little things on an aqua colored dress. Also, I guess you could count aqua/turquoise as one of my new favorite colors...I can't get enough!

These little beauties are my latest Etsy purchase from a great shop I just discovered called Posh Patina...http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoshPatina?ref=seller_info. She has some of the cutest pieces ranging from $5-$10. you can't beat that! right now, you can use the code SPRINGFEVER for 10% off.

Holy moly, this is by far my favorite! San Pellegrino Aranciata..YUMMO!! my best friend Jaime and her mom served these at the diaper shower they had for me a couple of weeks ago. It was so cold and refreshing. It's like a orange soda kinda thing. don't really know how to explain it but that it's GOOD! I am craving it RIGHT THIS SECOND! Gonna have to make my way to a Publix soon to get some:)

so, there you have it. just a few things that I'm lovin right now:)

TGIF!

2011-04-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Just a note of excitement-Kathleen slept in her big girl bed ALL NIGHT! we have had issues with this since being in the new house. It has been an every night thing with her waking up usually around 1 or 2 and come crying to our bedroom. And, of course, we are so out of it that-where do you think she ends up? yep, in our bed for the rest of the night. But, she has been sleeping later the past few days and she finally made it all night! yay!

ok, so, I let this post sit in here long enough for Kathleen to start getting out of bed again!:/ hehe. oh well...the praise was fun while it lasted! we had a bad weekend from I hope to be teething. the child only has 4 teeth and most her age are working on a mouthful. We went to the doc the other day for a follow up to some ear infections. her ears were perfect but she had been tugging at them and running a mild fever. the doc said it was probably teeth and she had a lot to do before she turned 2. i'm afraid they are all working on coming in at once. oh yay!

let's see....what has been happening...

On April 9th, Mack's cousin, Ben, got married in Pell City. It was one of the sweetest and most beautiful weddings I have ever been too! A few of their pics are in the photographers blog. so good! http://www.studiogphoto.net/blog/?p=824 We had a great time!

Last week, our friend's litte girl, Grace, had her birthday party at ChuckE Cheese. i haven't been in years and was possible more excited about it than Grace was:) Kathleen had a great time and won some gorgeous plastic jewelry with all her tickets. Again, see pics at the top. I wish I knew why I can't drag my pics anymore...

Last weekend, Mack and Brent went fishing all day Saturday and then went camping. Kathleen and I joined them after going to John David's soccer game(He did great!) We fished for a few and then grilled some burgers and hot dogs. Mack had originally wanted me and Kathleen to join him in camping. I told him I could not sleep comfortably in my own bed, much less a tent and there was no way I was staying out there. He then wanted Kathleen to stay.. I knew Saturday morning that wasn't going to happen....It was so stinkin cold that day! and I mean COLD! So we headed back home. we had a great time and kathleen caught a couple of fish with her new Barbie fishing pole her Daddy got her:) once again, see pics above:)

I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I have been feeling so crafty and Martha Stewart like the last few weeks. of course, I mostly have only gotten as far as thinking of stuff to do-not actually doing it. BUT, I am almost finished smocking Kathleen's flower girl for Jessica's wedding. it's very simple but I like that the most. and she told me just to do something I would use again...so, I went with my trusty flutter sleeve dress, with smocked diamonds. Yes, the same one I've used on almost all the things I have smocked. But, i love it and it's so much easier after you've done it a few times. It's solid pale pink fabric with white smocking. should look awfully pretty on my little blondie:) But, I'm AWFULLY worried about how dirty it will get that day! i will probably be pulling it on and off of her a million times! and then last night...I had seen this on a blog that I had come across on Kiera's blog....wanted to try them SO bad! http://alittleloveliness.blogspot.com/2011/04/pink-lemonade-cupcakes.html so at 8:30 last night I started. they actually turned out really good! I was impressed with myself:) i was hoping my icing would be a little more firm, but maybe next time...

So, in preparation for Bennett I have done....NOTHING! Yep, nothing. i do have my bedding, but I'm not quite ready to put it out yet. I think maybe I will be sad to take kathleen's down-probably part of the problem. i need to get the car seat ready at some point. i feel ready anyways, but need to get some things done around the house before I am chasing 2:) absolutely CAN'T WAIT!

Jessica and Will's shower and others...

2011-03-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

We went to visit Zach and Krystal(mack's cousin) and their new baby girl, Makenna on the way back from Georgia a couple of weeks ago. She is gorgeous and Kathleen was glad to meet her:)

Happy St. Patrick's Day-Kathleen and Mamie

Last Saturday, Cecilia and I hosted a tool and kitchen shower for a dear friend of mine and her fiance. Several of the girls from high school and their significant others came and we all enjoyed a wonderful meal made by Cecilia herself! Followed by her homemade apple pies and vanilla ice cream...oh my! yummy! We all hung out on the deck for a little while and the jessica and Will opened some gifts. they got several nice things and we are all very excited for their big day-May 27th. Once again, i'm having issues with moving pics around so anyways:)

BIG!

2011-03-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sooo, in the last forever since I've posted. My little baby is now a toddler-turned 1 in July and we are expecting a baby boy -Bennett Rex-July 3rd. We've also moved into the house we built. lots of excitement:)Kathleen is running around and into EVERYTHING! she makes me laugh everyday. she is such a sweet girl and such a stinker too!

ok, so, i can't get the pics to move around for whatever reason....so above are a few starting with her 1st birthday at the bottom up to now...me at 23 weeks! the reason for the name of this post..hah! Bennett is growing and he is so precious. Here is a pic of his profile:ok, nevermind...he's at the top...maybe I can fix that later!

I can't to have a little boy! and I think kathleen will be a great big sister! er,i hope so! she's pretty used to having ALL the attention so we will see. but she is so sweet with little babies right now. i'll check back soon...

Christmas cards from Shutterfly!

2010-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about Christmas time! I have been on the hunt for the perfect Christmas card and now I'm REALLY excited! This is such a great deal I discovered on a great friend's blog(Thanks Kiera!). Just blog about all the cute Christmas cards on Shutterfly and fill out the form at the link and you receive 50 FREE Christmas cards! I have used Shutterfly for Kathleen's birth announcements and several other things and have never been disappointed. I have been planning on using red and brown to match Kathleen's outfit and they have so many to choose from(and they are all SO CUTE!) Can't wait to put the perfect pictures on there and see how they look! Their Christmas cards are all so great and I can't wait to order some! Check all of the Christmas cards out here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards so excited!:) Follow this link to participate if you are interested: http://bit.ly/sfly2010
Thanks Shutterfly for this great offer!:)

Kathleen

2010-03-03T05:55:00.001-08:00

It has already been 2 months since I posted last and it just seems like yesterday! What has happened since then?!?......WAY TOO MUCH! My little girl is getting so big and it is CRAZY how time is flying!

6 Months

In January, Kathleen hit the 6th month mark. At that point, she was sitting up on her own and was getting on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth. This turned into sprawling on the floor and maneuvering to where she wanted to go. 2 or 3 weeks later, she was crawling! what the heck! This girl was ready to move! But, I was not ready for her to...I thought I had a little more time to sit her on her playmat and walk out of the room for a minute. Not anymore! Along with crawling, she started pulling up at about the same time. It just amazes me how fast she changed. At her 6 month checkup, she was a doll. She handled her shots soooooo much better....only a slight meltdown. Her were her stats:

Height-26 and 1/4 in

Weight-16lb 8oz

Head circ-16.5

She looked great!

I started feeding her more baby food-I haven't really found any she doesn't like-even peas!. We tried out the sippy cup. she did well the 1st time with it, but every time after that has been a struggle. I'm ok with that-I love still holding her and giving her the bottle( although she is pretty much holding it on her own). We also had her 6 months pics done....oh my-she was wonderful! such a good girl. The pics turned out great...so excited about them!

7 Months

On Kathleen's 7th month birthday, I was off work. Kathleen and I spent the day together-my most favorite thing to do on my days off! I am also including some pics from the snow day we had the week before-we also got to enjoy that gorgeous day together:) we enjoyed a visit to Adairsville to see Mawmaw and Granddad. Kathleen is starting to let go with one hand after she pulls up on things. She has let go with both but plopped right down on her bottom. She LOVES her Jeep walker-may need to get insurance on her in this thing...she is a wild woman in it! Another thing she loves...Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! This is really the only cartoon that keeps her attention at this point. She just stares very seriously at it and then cracks up when the'Hot Dog' song comes on.

-watching very seriously-

She even has her own little dance. She has started to patty-cake and does that alot while she's watching the show-so cute:) and the toy of the year goes to...........................

THE REMOTE CONTROL!

Sometimes I wonder why we even bought her toys:)

-playing with her cousins-

She has started saying 'da,da,da,da' and 'babababa' which is absolutely precious(but I was really hoping she would say mamamama first:) )

A couple of my friends and I threw a diaper shower for 2 of our friends who are just about ready to have their babies! Since Molly wasn't telling what they were having yet while we were planning it, we decided to throw an 'Alabama/houndstooth/tailgating' theme party....it turned out so incredibly cute! They are both Alabama grads so it was quite fitting:)Thanks to Cecilia's creativity, everything was really darling:) I was even creative enough to make a couple of diaper cakes-I was kinda proud! We had chicken fingers and a couple of dips along with canned cokes from a tub-tailgate style:) And,of course, it wouldn't be a shower without Cecilia's awesome cakes! And they got lots of diapers!

We all had a great time-congrats, Molly and Alanna!! Can't wait for those little girls to be here!

pics

2009-12-24T07:17:00.000-08:00

ok, so, for some reason one of the slide shows won't appear to work but if you click on the title of the blog, it will. So, the 2nd one below is pics from thanksgiving at Ed and Rita's! We had sooo much fun! the other one is from our girls' Christmas party :)

Pictures from amy

2009-12-24T06:35:00.001-08:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Pictures from amy

2009-12-24T06:32:00.001-08:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

2009-12-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

This is absolutely my favorite time of year! I can't believe it's already here. It seems like it was just the 1st week in December just a minute ago...I am ready...all the gifts are wrapped and I can't wait to see Kathleen tomorrow, even though she won't have a clue what's going on:)

I started out the month going to the Sugarplum market which got me in the Christmas spirit! It's a marketplace in Florence that goes on every year with all types of different vendors and goodies. It's a lot of fun. On the 11th, was our girls' Christmas party. Once again, it was sooo much fun! we all used to get together in high school and just started it back up last year. We had some great finger foods and played dirty santa. It was quite interesting this year:) there are always some wonderful gifts and it seemed like there were a few more hostile situations than last year...haha! the best part is afterwards when we all just sit around and talk and catch up. I feel so blessed to be able to still get together with my high school friends. (I posted pics in previous blog!)

Then, that Saturday, we headed to Adairsville for a basketball game that honored the team of 1999 that went to state. Mack was on the team and he really wanted to go and see everyone. We had a good time and Kathleen enjoyed her 1st basketball game :) Then, that Sunday was our Christmas dinner at church. Boy, was it yummy! The play was really cute and Kathleen apparently wanted her own part cause she 'talked' for the last half of it...it was cute! At least she wasn't crying :) She did so well! then, it was time for her 1st experience with Santa! I got a few pic but none that were that great. the 1st one, you can tell she is pulling his beard(I was so afraid she was going to pull it off!) She didn't cry at all and she was so cute! The Christmas dinner at church ALWAYS gets me soooo excited about Christmas!! It was my favorite event of the year growing up and i hope Kathleen will get to enjoy it like I did. Just a wonderful time....

My birthday was on the 15th so Mack took me out to eat. It was also Kathleen's 5 month birthday! It was a great day-other than having a nail in the side wall of my tire and having to buy a new one :P Itook off half the day and just spent the afternoon with Kathleen which was a wonderful gift in itself. She and Mack gave me a charm for my Pandora bracelet with Kathleen's birthstone on it....beautiful!!! Mack and went to Texas Roadhouse. the food was awesome-can't say the service really was, but it didn't ruin my time :)

On that Friday night, I planned to take Kathleen to see Santa and do a few things in town. So, my friends wanted to go out to eat for my birthday and Jenn wanted to take Addison to see Santa as well. so we all met in florence at the mall and saw Santa Clause. Kathleen was so funny. she just looked up at him and pulled his beard and was just so chilled out. I don't think she really cares too much who is holding her as long as SOMEONE is :) My camera wasn't quick enough to get some very good shots of her but oh well. It was so fun! then me, Kat, Jenn, Addison, molly and Cecilia went to eat at Texas Roadhouse again! It was delicious again! Kathleen fell asleep and Addison kept us entertained:) Well, Kathleen was asleep until my WONDERFUL friends told the waitress it was my birthday. I didn't even know it til they came up with a stinkin saddle and about 5 people. They make you get up on the saddle and then tell everyone it's your birthday and they even told how old I was!!! come on! then everyone in the restaurant yells 'yee doggie'! sooooooo embarassing! Jenn has some pics of me on there... will have to get those later :)

That Saturday, the 19th was my Mom's birthday. My older sister, Stacy and her husband, Matt and my nephew, Will all arrived from North Carolina. We all gathered at Momma and Daddy's to eat for our birthdays. we had a great time as always! that night, Mack and I went home and put the finishing touches on Christmas dinner for the next day.

So, on Sunday, we had Kathleen baptised. What a wonderful and blessed day it was!!!!! The Burtons came up for the occasion and then we had the Burton family Christmas at our house (in case, you couldn't tell-this was a BUSY weekend for us!!!) the Baptism was great...I knew she was getting so tired. We got up there and she started spitting and then barely fussed for a second and then went right to sleep!! She was just an angel! didn't even cry when the water hit her!! And she looked beautiful. My Momma made the dress and bonnet and I couldn't be more proud for her to wear it. She has made all the grandkids gowns. My older sister Stacy and Matt are her godparents and we are very excited about that. We know she is so loved by them. It was just a great day. We got home and stuck casseroles in the oven, finished up the ham, put out dessert and gobbled it all up! Mack and I couldn't believe how much food we had!! then we opened presents...Mack got my name and he got me a massage-he's so good about the massage thing! I think he thinks I need it so I will relax :) haha. We had a wonderful time and I hated to see everyone go.

Kathleen got a camo dress from Granddad! :)

So, here we are about to be Christmas again. What a wonderful time of the year! I am so excited about it being Kathleen's first and it just makes it so special. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and enjoys all the time they can with their loved ones!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

4 months and some other random things...

2009-11-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

Just want to give a shout out to a blog that I purchased something from...

http://monogramminmomma.blogspot.com/

cute, cute, cute stuff and she has posted the dress she made for my little girl on there. The infant dress with the owl applique and Kathleen in pink is mine and I can't wait to get it! :)

She was sitting beside me in the recliner and this was how she fell asleep...so precious :)

So, Kathleen turned 4 months old this month! where has the time gone?!? We went for her 4 month check up on the 16th. She weighed 13lb. 7 oz and was 24 and 3/4 inches long!! She's a tall girl :) She looked great which was wonderful news. But, then came the shots. she had already gotten fussy cause the nurse took forever to get back in there after the doctor left-maybe she just realized where she was and what was about to happen :( So then she was mad when the nurse held her legs down and just plain flat out angry at the world when she got her shots. I'm pretty sure EVERYONE in the office knew she wasn't happy-I've never heard her scream like that. Oh it just tears me up! But, we got through it. She cried until we left the office and she just wanted everyone to know how upset she was-bless her :(

She started rolling over this past week which has been amazing to me. It was like she caught on to it and hasn't stopped since :) That, and spitting. I don't know where she got it from, but just in the last week she has started this spitting phase. It's hilarious and oh so messy at the same time! I have been tryin to catch her rolling over on video for a while with no luck. I will get it sometime...

Last weekend we went to Georgia to visit Mawmaw and Granddad. We had a great time. Mack and Ed hunted and the girls shopped :) We met our friends Zach and Jennifer in Cartersville before we left so she got to meet them. This weekend, we spent Friday at my Mom and Dad's for a little while with the cousins. Then Saturday me and my best bud Jennifer went shopping in Huntsville. We met Stacy there and we had such a great time! Then that night we played a game called Loaded Question and just had a great time. Sunday morning we went to church, then Walmart and home. Ed and Rita came to get Kathleen at 11. Yes, that's right...she'll be gone til we get there on Wednesday....what was I thinking??!! I about had a mental breakdown when she left but then was fine. I sure do miss that precious face but i know she's in good hands:) My Mom and I went to the Thanksgiving dinner at church. It was delicious and we had a great time! I went and did a little shopping afterwards. I still have quite a bit to do for Christmas...

My Mom smocked this dress and I love it! Probably one of my favorites!

We are heading to Georgia for Thanksgiving with Mack's family. We are sure to have a great time and I'll post about it when we ge back!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Stacy and Will's visit, Halloween with Mawmaw and others

2009-11-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

My older sister, Stacy and nephew, Will arrived 2 weeks ago. and on October 30, we had his 1 year birthday party. I was so excited to see everyone and i love family functions. and we all had a great time. See all the pics...BUT, there was one unexpected party favor that everyone got....a stomach bug. My niece, Mamie, had had diarheaa a couple of times but we just thought it was probably something she ate as she is starting to put everything in her mouth these days. Apparently that wasn't the case. It was a highly contagious stomach virus. Mack was sick Saturday night along with just about everyone else at the party. He hada couple of days worth of being so sick. I only got sick once on Sunday night and I was fine on Monday although i stayed out of work 2 days to make sure I wasn't contagious and didn't share this lovely creature with everyone I work with. Kathleen had diarheaa but never acted like much was bothering her. I started her on Pedialyte almost immediately to keep her from dehydrating if she did have it. Mack and I walked around with bandanas on our faces for a day. I'm surprised she wasn't terrified of us. I couldn't take her to my Mom cause she had it too. It was such a mess! Everyone's recovered now but whew... Mawmaw (Mack's mom) came and she left without being sick but had a bad day after she got back home...sorry Mawmaw!! Meanwhile, before anyone came down with anything, Halloween day was so fun!

One of my great friends, Jessica, came by to meet Kathleen for the 1st time!

Our trip to the pumpkin patch!

We dressed Kathleen up in all her little outfits for the day. She was hilarious! I had just bought her a little pink leopard sleeper from Walmart. It was perfect! We ended not getting her out and we had a few visitors of our own. I had just about all the Disney princesses come by....they were so precious! My favorite pic is of Kathleen in the pumpkin. Don't think we're the only ones who are that cruel :) I got the idea from a friend of mine who sent me a pic of her nephew screamin when they tried to stick him in it. Kathleen took it quite well :) haha. Then Mack and I decided since we had a babysitter to dress up ourselves and go to the annual Connolly Halloween party. I have had a German girl costume for 3 years now and have not done anything in the past few years to be able to wear. I was shocked I could even still fit in it:)

Last week was a good week-other than being sick.The other pics are just some random ones from this past weekend. Kathleen and I went to Addison's (my friends Jennifer's little girl)birthday party Saturday. we had a great time!

this one she is intently watching tigger and pooh:)Then Sunday I decided to try and take Kathleen to church-alone. She was a perfect angel! she just smiled at me for a little while in her car seat and then got squirmy. she was fine til right towards the end. I left a little early (I'm pretty paranoid about lots of people and germs-I've already had some bad experiences). But, I was so glad we made it without any meltdowns :) Here is a pic of her in her pretty dress(thanks jenn!)...

I have almost completed my first smocked dress. Just lack the buttons and hemming it. I'm quite proud and can't wait to start on my next project. I could stay at home all day and make stuff...seriously. i love it!

3 Months and Other Happenings....

2009-10-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems like yesterday I was writing on here saying Kathleen was 2 months...where in the world is time going?!? I started to work on the 5th...probably the hardest thing to do was just walk out the door....so sad. I wasn't AS BAD as I thought I would be. Mack was gone so I spent most of the time at my Momma and Daddy's. So, reality really set in the next week because my Mom had gotten up with her and all. Momma is going to be keeping her 2 days and her new babysitter Melissa started last week. She is wonderful! I think Kathleen loves being with her. So, that has made the transition back to work much easier.

I had her 3 months pictures made on the 12th. I was off for Columbus Day(thank you Mr. Columbus). We had a great time together and she did so well!! I think she kinda likes getting all dressed up where as before, she was not all about changing clothes a million times. That Wednesday, Mack and I went to talk to a home builder. We have found some plans for a house we like. Now to find out if we can afford it! :) We also wanted to know how much we could put into land in order to build this house. It was very exciting just to even be talking about it! We really want to take advantage of the low rates right now so we can more easily afford a house and some land. We are constantly looking for land but it's been hard to come by. So we will see...

Thennn, it all went down hill from there. That Wednesday night, my throat started getting scratchy. I thought, great, just what I need. Mack was leaving the following week for work out of town. My momma and Daddy were leaving the next day to go up to my sisters and my little sister was leaving that weekend to head up there. I knew I couldn't be sick with everyone gone and be taking care of Kathleen. So, the next day I made a doctor's appointment for Friday. I felt worse as the day went on. Mack sent me to bed at 8:00 and through the night, I began to feel TERRIBLE! Friday morning came and I drug myself to the doctor. I felt like nothing short of death. They swabbed me for the flu-which by the way, Im pretty sure she grabbed some brain cells when she shoved that swab up my nose-geez. It was negative-thank goodness! Turned out to be a bad sinus/chest/ear infection. Got 2 shots and 2 scripts. I already felt better at the end of the day. Not 100%, but better. So, I was ready to take on my little girl alone and not feel like I was endangering her. I am just now feeling like my head is somewhat clear. fun stuff:P

That Saturday Mack had left to go to Auburn. He went to the game and sat in the cold/mist only to watch us get beat by Kentucky. seriously?!? Kathleen and I kept warm and stayed in all afternoon. I began working on my 1st shot at a pillowcase dress. I wanted to make one out of this adorable Halloween material I had found. I just finished it up last night. I think it turned out pretty cute and was really easy to make. Here is the link to the free pattern I used:http://www.sewingmamas.com/b/downloads.php?do=file&id=17

I put her in the Bumbo seat for the 1st time that day. She loves trying to sit up. she did really well in it. and even watched some college football:) After about 10 minutes, she was crouching down in it and getting tired. We finished watching the Bama game together. I fed her and put her to bed. Sunday, we stayed in again. We slept in and just played all day. She napped alittle and I did too. I tried to rest as much as possible before I had to go back to work. I was not looking forward to the next morning, not knowing how things would work out without Daddy there. But we did fine! Sunday and Monday night she did as normal...bed at about9, up at 3:30 with bottle and then again at 6. I got up at 5:30 and got ready and then fed her at 6. The babysitter gets there about 6:30 so everything went really smoothly. THEN, Tuesday night, Miss Priss decides midnight is a great time to get up and want a bottle. Then up again at 4. So, then I just let her sleep. She did that again last night so I guess that's what we'll do until she decides something different again. She's definitely the boss :)

So, Mack is getting to come home today....yay! My friend jennifer is keeping her this afternoon while I go to my high school's volleyball game. I'm so excited about going. It is the substate game so good luck, Lady Bears!!! I'm definitely lookin forward to this weekend. It's been a loooongggg weeK! I am going to the construction class for the dress that i've smocked. I can't wait. Hopefully it will turn out great. Mack is watching Kathleen. He has missed her so much and I'm pretty sure he's looking forward to it :)

2 months old!

2009-09-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Once again, I can't believe it! Kathleen is growing so fast! I just can't believe how time is flying. I wish October 5th was still another 3 months away...of course that's when I have to go back to work..yuck! But, I am very blessed to have a wonderful job and to have spent as much time with Kathleen as I have. BUT, it's just never enough I don't think!

September 3rd was my Daddy (orPeepaw's) birthday. We went to one of his favorite steakhouses, Stanfield's to eat. It was so yummy and we had a great time. Friday, I ended up taking Kathleen to the doctor because she added a cough to her congestion. We went to Wadley Friday for Mack's Grandmother's birthday party which was so much fun! Labor Day, Kathleen and I went for a walk and then went over to the Labor day picnic at church. We played bingo for a while-of course we didn't win anything :) And then we went home and grilled some burgers.

On Monday the 14th I began a smocking class with 2 of my great friends in Florence. And no, I don't feel like an old lady doing that! I love it! We had our 2nd class last night. I've already learned so much amd can't wait to make Kathleen a dress! :) I've also been trying to finish up a few things I'm making for her before I have to go back to work.

Some of Kathleen's favorite things are:

-story time. she loves her Bible story book and that smile she flashes me melts my heart everytime :)

-bath time. it immediately calms her down. she just sits there and lets us do whatever and loves the warm water!

-her changing table pad. weird, but I swear it's her favorite place. I can lay her on it and strap her in...she just kicks and kicks for 20-30 minutes and loves it!Who knew?!

-her swing.this was an acquired taste:) I can put her in it now for longer than 5 minutes and her not be crying for someone to come get her. She just chills out and she and I watch tv together for a little while or she'll take her nap in it.

-and, of course, her Mommy and Daddy! Or we like to hope so anyways! We love her so much that it's just about indescribable! She seems to like us pretty good...haha! She LOVES us! I just know it! Mack (I'll say it again) is so awesome with her. He's not afraid to do ANYTHING! It's so awesome to be blessed with such a wonderful husband and father :)

A couple of fun weekends...

2009-09-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple of very busy and very fun weekends...last weekend we enjoyed company on Saturday from Amber,her husband Kevin, Lesley and Jay - all our friends from Georgia. We had a blast. Amber and Kevin brought their

little girl Payton and she and Kathleen were instant friends :) They had a little slumber party at the end of the night - too cute!

We enjoyed some burgers and had a great time catching up. The next morning, Mack, Kathleen and I went to church- well, I was the only one who made it IN to church. Kathleen just wasn't having it that morning. We then had lunch with the company before they headed out. We ate at Ricatoni's(one of my faves-Italian in downtown Florence) - yummy!! We then took a Sunday afternoon drive to look at some land I had found that's for sale - it's a no go, but I sure do love Sunday drives :) Sunday afternoon, my family came over to our house for dinner. This is the first time I've had everyone over - I'm just now feeling organized enough to cook for more than 2 people :) We had grilled pork chops and chicken, grilled veggie skewers, and macaroni casserole. We had so much fun! I love Sundays:)

Kathleen and I spent last week hanging out and having fun together! I had my 6 week check-up - everything was fine. Momma came with me and watched Kathleen and the nurses came and got her so Dr. Keith could see her. They all had a fit over her :) They said she looks like me and I can't really argue. But, I see Mack in her all the time-mostly when she's fussing...j/k :)

Friday we headed to Adairsville. We left early and surprised Ed and Rita. Saturday the girls went shopping and Ed and Mack went to pick up his new wood splitter-his new toy that will hopefully make us some money. That afternoon, a couple of Mack's friends came over for dinner. Ed and Rita cooked for everyone and we had a great time. Rita got up with Kathleen both nights and we slept...sort of, I still got up at 5 Friday just to hear her breathe - I just couldn't go back to sleep til I did. It was nice though. I almost felt bad for not getting up with her, but I know Rita loved every second of it. We had a great time. Sunday we all went to church. Then back for lunch. Mack and Ed loaded up the wood splitter while we just hung around and I got our stuff loaded up and ready to go. I always hate to leave:( We had a good trip home. Kathleen is a pretty good traveler. As long as she's fed she's happy...kinda like me :)

Yesterday I just HAD to put these little shoes on her..so cute!

Kathleen is getting such a cute little personality to her. this morning I woke up and she was just so happy. I caught her a couple of times with that little almost smile she has... adorable! She must know we're going shopping today...:)

1 month old!

2009-08-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that I cannot believe my little girl is a month old! wow...it has flown by already. She's such a gift to us. What a miracle! I thank God every day for her. Here is a little of what has been going on...

Kathleen has been much happier since her 2 week appointment. Nursing her was quite stressful on me. Kathleen did fine at it but it was really hard because it consumed the day...she would eat for like an hour and be hungry about 20 minutes later. Something wasn't right. So, apparently she was getting no calories from me. She wasn't dehydrated but had gained no weight. I felt terrible! So we switched to formula and she is doing wonderful. Even getting some chubby little cheeks on her. :) Her legs are still long and skinny...they look like her aunt Mary Helen's who has bean poles for legs :) The past 2 weeks have been alot of fun too because Stacy and Will have been in town. It feels like they just got here too! WE've enjoyed lots of time over at Momma and Daddy's with everyone. We all even took a shopping trip to Huntsville last Wednesday! Yep, with all the kiddos :) Last weekend we went to Lineville for Mack's cousins, Bridgette's graduation party. She graduated from Auburn this past Monday and we are so proud of her! So we got to see some of Mack's family and they were thrilled to see Kathleen. I didn't hold her the entire night :) everyone just loved on her. The one picture is of Bridgette passing on the Princess crown. she's been the only girl on that side so she has always been Rita's princess and Rita had gotten her a little Hallmark crown a few years back. Rita made her hand it down to KAthleen...too funny. We spent the night with Mack's Grandmother. I think it's so cool that Kathleen has a GREATgrandmother. Mine weren't around when I was born and I think it's very special. She also has a great grandad who is also very proud of her.

Today we made it to church for the 2nd time. She went for the 1st time 2 weeks ago and she was a perfect angel both times. She slept right through it(along with a few others I'm sure...hehe) Here is a pic of her the 1st time...pretty girl....

I love this pic of her smiling. She does it as she's falling asleep...Probably gas I'm sure but she's so stinkin cute! :)

Mack is a wonderful Daddy. She already has him wrapped around her little finger and it's precious. He loves taking care of her and has done everything a couple of nights so i could get a little sleep. He's soooo good with her and it makes me so happy to see them together...they are 2 of my favorite people in case you can't tell. Mack sent me flowers the other day just to thank me for all I do - which he doesn't have to do because I love every minute of it. But it was so sweet. then he came home from work and told me he was going to do everything and for me to just relax and then get some sleep that night. So he fed her at her 9:00 and then when she woke up at 12:30, I heard 'can you get her this time'...Oh my :) but he got up at 4:00 to feed her again.. I think it's kinda funny now but it wasn't really at the time. He did have to go to work the next morning but he gave it a try anyways. He has since redeemed himself and has fed her though the night. I love him :) oh yes, and Kathleen does a wonderful job at night. We usually have to get up with her at about 12, 3, and 6. so she sleeps around 3-4 hours at a time which I think is pretty good. So, I bragged about her too much yesterday and she WOULD NOT go to sleep this morning after her 3 o'clock. She wasn't crying or anything, but she is fussy if she's awake and lays down for more than 20 minutes. So I rocked her for a while...she finally fell asleep for just a little bit before her next bottle and then we left for church. Here's a pic from today...I just love that little outfit that her Nana got her....

I have not been very good at blogging and will try to do better. This is a very random one but just wanted to do a little 'catch up'. We just love Kathleen to pieces is the main point...but I think that's pretty obvious :)

Welcome Kathleen and her 1st week!

2009-07-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Miss Kathleen Mae Moncus made her debut July 15th at 11 pm, weighing 6 lbs 15 oz and was20.5 inches long. She was well worth the wait! Mack and I had drove to Helen Keller Hospital and gotten there at midnight Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. We had a great trip over. I was a little nervous but not really as bad as I thought I would be. Mack was making me laugh...he said the only thing he didn't like about the whole induction ordeal was that he really wanted to ride through town with flashers on going like 90 mph :) I told him I kinda wantedto myself.hah. So we got there and the nurse began my fluids, checked to see how far along I was and gave me a pill to start me thinning out. I was pretty surprised to find out I was still at the stage I was the week before at my appointment. So, I actually slept pretty well and woke up to the nurse starting my petocin (sp?) at 6:30 to get my contractions going. At 9:30, the doctor came in to break my water. I began to feel some regular contractions at about 11:30 and got my epidural at about 12:30. When the nurse checked me at 2:30, I was still at 2 cm!!! OMG, I thought, 'yep, I'm gonna be here all night'. I was not mentally prepared for a long labor. I thought since I was already dialated a little bit, it wouldn't be too bad. It was quite frustrating! Thankfully, we had lots of people in and out to visit, so that helped pass the time. I believe at about 4:30, I was at 4, 6:00 I was at6 cm.. and whenthe doctor came in at 8:30, I was an 8! hallelujah!We were getting there. At 10:30, I began pushing. I only pushed about 4-5 times and miss Kathleen arrived at 11 on the dot!! I was beginning to think her birthday was going to be the 16th and not the 15TH! It was an amazing experience and really it didn't seem like I laid there as long as I did. She was absolutely beautiful! I start to cry just thinking about how awesome it was to bring such an angel into this world!! She's truly a gift and we are so thankful for her.

Her 1st car ride home!

The day gown and bonnet my Momma made to bring her home in - so precious!

Her 1st bath!

Her 1st day, she met lots of special people. We had alot of visitors and I loved everyone getting to meet her. She did great and we kept her in the room all day and put her in the nursery at night to get a little rest. So, Friday was a good day, til they came in and told us she was a little jaundice and they needed to take her and keep her under the lamp and I would come feed her every 2 hours. They said frequnetly feeding them would help flush the bilirubin out. We were supposed to go home Saturday and were very hopeful her level would have dropped enough to go home. So, I got up Saturday morning all giddy and got ready only to find out her level had actually gone up from 11 to 11.5 and we would have to stat til Sunday. I was completely bummed and so ready to get our little girl home. But, knew that this was better for her so no worries. So Sunday morning it had gone down to 8.7...yay!!! We were going home!! So we were discharged and gathered all our stuff up, had her pic made (which you can check out at helenkeller.com, go to keller babies...our password is 2442003756 and 1st 4 letters of moncus..monc) and made that nerve-wrecking 1st ride home! She did great once we started riding. We got home and later my parents brought a ham over and Ed and Rita came over to eat. It was fun. Mary Helen and the kids visited that night too. She did pretty good the 1st night here, getting up about every 2-3 hours. . Mack stayed home til Wednesday and has already shown what a wonderful Daddy he is! I knew he'd be great but he's really blown me away! We had a great time all being together. Also, Tuesday, we went for our follow-up with the pediatrician...everthing was fine! She had gained an ounce since discharge which was right on track. My Momma came over Wednesday about lunch and let me get a shower.....that on itself is such a great help! She's been really awesome and helpful!Thursday was the roughest day yet. I felt like Kathleen was feeding CONSTANTLY...never getting satisfied. I was totally frustrated. I called the lactation nurse and she said she might have abelly ache and to try some mylicon drops. I think they've helped. Yesterday (friday) was much better. She has been sleeping pretty well at night. Last night and today have been the best yet. I think we're finally figuring each other out :) Mack's Aunt Donna and Uncle Larry and Bridgette came to visit this morning and then his Grandmother - who would be Kathleen's great-mother, and his 2 aunts came this afternoonn. It was a wonderful day and Kathleen was such a sweet girl!! ( I will post some pics of the visit soon...)

Soooo, being a Mommy is probably the most fun thing I have EVER done! Despite some of the frustrations of just figuring out what Kathleen needs and somewhat getting into a schedule (do you ever get to that point?!?), it's been so awesome! and I can't tell you how awesome Mack is...REALLY! She has made us both so happy and she is loved more than she knows right now!!! Keep checking for updates!

An Update...

2009-06-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

Only 4 weeks away!! I can't hardly believe it! I am so excited about meeting our little girl. And a little nervous too :) Just wanted to post a few pics and give a little update. Here is a 35 week belly pic...

We have been going to childbirth classes which has been good. I enjoyed last week because Mack got to rub on my shoulders for a while...I personally thought this should just be an everyday thing :) Then we toured the facilities at the hospital and got familiar with where to go. That was the best class so far. Last night was about handling the baby. I don't know if it's making me more nervous knowing what to expect or if it's going to help me when the time comes. I imagine things will just go as they need to, prepared or not. I feel pretty prepared I guess. At my doctor's visit Tuesday, I was dialated 1 cm. I know I can be that way for a while, but it just made me so nervous for some reason!! But, we do have the nursery somewhat done...there is a crib for her to sleep in anyways! Mary and I put the bedding on it Thursday. There are still some things to hang and some here and there things to arrange, but for the most part, it is ready for Kathleen! Here are a few pics so far....For some reason they didn't turn out very clear, but I will post some more when everything is finished.

I have been washing baby clothes, blankets, socks, bibs, etc. in my 'spare' time. ( which is not very much, btw). I have loved going through all the cute things she has. Mercy at all her clothes!! They're all so precious and given to her by some pretty special people that I can't wait for her to meet :)

The house is pretty much put up. Our computer/sewing room is still a mess and there's plenty of things that need to be hung and decorating to do, but all in all, it feels quite homey. The doggies love their big back yard. They can run and play all day and don't even try to get out when we open the gate. We love it too. What's that song 'Love grows best in little places' or something like that...anyways, that about sums it up and I think it's very true :)

Also, Ed threw Rita a surprise 50th birthday party on June 13th at their house in Adairsville. It was a blast! And she was so surprised!! Her friend Kathy and I took her to this huge antique thing in Atlanta. It worked out perfect...we got back to Kathy's after a few stalls on the way back. Everyone was supposed to be at their house at 5:30 and that's what time we left Kathy's. We got stopped by the train which helped a little too. I was so nervous the whole day. I worried that my big mouth would say something and I didn't want to get her home early and didn't know if she would be willing to stay gone that long. But it was great and she was sooo funny when we pulled up. She kept saying 'why are all these people at my house?' and she wouldn't even get out of the car for the longest! hilarious. The party was actually early for her birthday since I would be just about to pop closer to her actual birthday, Ed went ahead and had one. It was too much fun!

We also had a great time on Father's day. We just went to church with Momma and Daddy, ate breakfast at Bojangles and then Mack and I headed home for BLT's we enjoyed the afternoon together (while he was putting together baby furniture - happy father's day to him!) And then that afternoon we headed to Momma and Daddy's for steaks. Delish! AND homemade ice cream which turned out so good and what I have been wanting since I came across our ice cream machine when we moved. yummy! It was a great Father's Day and I love my Daddy and I know Mack will be a great Daddy too!

Back to reality....

2009-06-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

Let me end my non-blogging streak by saying that I had the most awesome 1 week, beach vacation last week! And how sad I am that it's over...I came back to a house FULL of boxes and then going back to work...the fun was over. We have been crazy busy getting moved. I began work here in Moulton May 11th. I have had 2 baby showers since then among a million other things going on. So, my vacation last week was very needed in my opinion. :) I guess i will start with the earlier events this past month....Like I said i started work May 11th here in Moulton and it's been wonderful. I invaded my parents house for about 2 weeks. I wasn't the only one though...Stacy and Will were here for 2 1/2 weeks!! we had so much fun and he is getting so big. I was so glad they were here while I was staying at Momma and Daddy's. They had a shower at church on the 17th which was so nice and Kathleen got so many nice things! My Momma surprised me with her day gown she had made...I was shocked! 1st of all, my mother cannot keep a gift secret and 2nd of all, she always waits til the last minute when she's smocking/sewing, so how in the world she kept from the finding out with me being there for 2 weeks, I don't know! It's so pretty though and I love it. she's quite talented :) Too bad she didn't pass much of that talent on to me..haha. Here are a few pics from that shower(ok, thought I had more than this, but they're on my Momma's camera):

The very next weekend was Memorial day weekend. Saturday afternoon, we all went over to Mary Helen and David's lake house to grill out..yummy! I put a couple of pics from that on here. Then, Sunday was the shower at my aunt Carol's. It was a blast! Again, Kathleen got so many nice things!! The house was full of people and gifts. My in-laws gave me a rocker and it is so beautiful...i am in love with it! Then Monday, I headed over to Adairsville for Ed's retirement picnic that was on Tuesday. We had a great time at Mack's parents house on Monday just playing with dogs, throwing horseshoes (i was just a spectator), and grilling out. His retirement lunch was a lot of fun too. They had some great food and so many wonderful things to say about Ed. I know he'll be missed up there! Just a few pics...

Will wore the outfit I made him for the shower :)

On Wednesday i got some wonderful news that my friend, Cece had their little girl! Rose is gorgeous!! Congrats to them!

That Friday was the day I had been looking forward to for a VERY LONG TIME!!!! I headed down to Montgomery to meet Mack at his office. Then, we were off to Ft. Rucker to stay with his cousin Zach and Krystal. We had a great time visiting with them. Saturday morning, we got up, ate breakfast, and off to the beach!!!! YIPPEE! We got to Panama City about 10:30 and went to Erin's hotel and laid out on the beach with her until we could check into our condo. We went to our condo(the Origin - a new place - it's across the road from the beach, but not a bad walk and very affordable) and got ready for Stacy and Jacob's wedding. It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding at the Beachcomber. She was gorgeous and everything was so nice. They are such a fun couple! We went to the grocery store and came back and crashed about 9:30(just so I don't have to repeat this - we were in bed and asleep EARLY every night...what old folks!). Sunday was our 1 year anniversary!! I just can't believe it's already been a year...it's crazy. It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were getting for it. So, Sunday we celebrated by layin out on the beach ALL DAY LONG!!! My sweet husband got me a Pandora charm, and a sweet frame that says 'Baby to Bee' with a little bee on it and put Kathleen's ultrasound pic in there. Too precious! I was a bad wife and had not found what I wanted to get him yet. I knew what I wanted to get him, just did not find the perfect one :) (Eventually, he got an Auburn watch that I found while at the beach - i wanted to get him a pocket watch because timepieces are one of the traditional one year anniversary gifts. sounds cheesy I know, but I had not idea what to get him and thought I'd just stick with tradition :) ) That night we went to the Boatyard for our anniversary dinner. It was wonderful!!! All day long we kept saying 'ok, it's 10 o'clock...what were we doing on our wedding day at 10' or 'it's 2...we were getting married right now'. We just had a wonderful day. This past year has been awesome and very eventful to say the least! the best anniversary gift is the arrival of Kathleen...we are so excited and can't wait for her to be here! Monday was again spent at the beach. But, it was after we invested in a beach umbrella. what a life saver! We wouldn't have stayed out there for very long without it. I had continuously applied sunscreen on Monday, but I guess when your body hasn't seen sun since last summer, it doesn't matter. And I guess sitting in a beach chair on Sunday just roasted the tops of my legs even more and my chest and shoulders. I was pretty well done. I couldn't spend too much time on my stomach. I had started diggin a hole for my belly in the sand so I could lay down :) Worked perfectly...but still not comfortable for very long. Anywho, Monday afternoon after the beach, we went to a new shopping center in PC and walked around and went to the Hofbrau Biergarten. Mack had to try out the beer there and compare to the one in Germany. Of course it wasn't as good because it's not as fresh, but still it was fun to go. We had brats in a blanket (their menu was very Americanized too). They were good as our appetizer. Then we went to Hammerhead Fred's later for our meal. It was pretty good. We loaded up Tuesday morning and headed to Orange Beach! Mack was taking me there for my girls beach trip. I was so pumped!! We went to eat in Foley at the bowling alley. This was one of my favorites when I was working in Bay Minette. and I can assure you they have the best crab claws ever!!! So, I checked into the condo at about 1:30 and waited for the 1st batch of girls to arrive. we all headed to the beach for the afternoon, then went grocery shopping which was an adventure in itself. We spent all day Wednesday at the beach and pool. It was pretty cloudy but we all just rested and agreed that we got a little bit of sun through the clouds :) The other 3 girls got there Wednesday night. We spent pretty much every day just getting up early, eating, and laying out by the pool or beach. It was FABULOUS! We all just enjoyed catching up with each other and really had so much fun together. Thursday night we went to Live Bait, ate, and then saw the Velcro Pygmies, which apparently are my friend, Molly's favorite band to go see :) So, Kathleen has already heard the pygmies and I think she really likes them...:) We also ate at the Original Oyster House while we were there on friday. Then, Saturday, we went to the outlets and finished our trip with a meal at the Steamer in Gulf Shores. We tried to go to LuLu's but we'd probably still be waiting for our food right now if we woulda ate there. Sunday we all loaded up and sadly headed home. I think we all concurred that this was going to have to be an every year occurrence. I had gotten spoiled and Monday morning, it was definitely hard to get up and come to work...I was just wishing i was going to the beach instead! Oh yes, and the movers moved our stuff into the house on Friday so I walked into a house full of boxes!! My vacation ended quite abruptly right then! We have been staying up til 10:30 or 11 (which, mind you is incredibly late for me :) ) and unpacking. It's overwhelming, but we are getting there. i love our little house and the pups LOVE their fenced in back yard. they get to run around all the time! So, that's what's been going on with me. Very busy and having lots of fun!! :)

Finally...a finished product!

2009-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welp, after STARTING to make about 4-5 different things, I decided that I must FINISH at least one in order to start another! I've been buying patterns and fabric like crazy and then thought...I haven't finished one single thing that I've started. So, this weekend, I finished little Mamie's outfit...the first thing I began to work on. Also, Will's outfit only lacks buttons and having it monogrammed, so it's almost complete (i'll post pics of it when it's done). So, here it is..

It just feels good to finally finish something! Hopefully it will fit ok :)

Saturday, Mack's aunts, Grandmother, and cousins had us a baby shower in Wadley. It was so much fun and Kathleen got lots of nice things! We played some pretty fun games too. One was that everyone got a clothes pin when they came in and they were told that you can't say 'baby'. If someone said baby then their clothes pin was free game for anybody. Whoever had the most clothes pins at the end won a prize. I was the 1st one to say 'baby'! haha. It was so funny! My Momma has some hilarious pics that I will have to get from her and put on here. Bridgette ended up with the most pins at the end. Another one was the toilet paper game where everyone tore off the amount of TP that they thought would go around my waist. so funny! It was a great time! Here are just a few pics that were on my camera...my Mom has better ones...

This is my last week in Auburn :( It's bitter sweet for me. I'm toooo excited about moving home, but somewhat sad about leaving here. I have loved our 1st house in Tallassee and have already had some wonderful memories there. And, leaving Auburn this time is a little sad. I know from here on out, when I'm here, it's just to visit. I'm so used to having things right at my fingertips here. If I want to visit campus or see the stadium or just go out to eat at one of my favorite places, I'm there. I'm more than likely going to get over that fairly quickly once I get home to my family and friends! But, it is quite sad. I have made a list of all the restaurants I wanted to hit up before I left...I have been to Jim Bob's, Momma G's and Jimmy's so far....Chicken Salad Chick today for lunch and we'll see what else. Is it sad that I have a schedule of eating out?!? yeah, probably, but I'm going to miss those places!!

Here are just a few pics from the last time I was at home. Some are of sunset at my parents. I thought it was so pretty. we took the pups out to run in the field and they just loved the tall, cool grass. They were so funny! Some of the other pics are of John David helping Daddy with the tomato plants and doing some other things...he is such a good helper :)

And now for the 28 week picture...I am getting LARGE!

Kathleen is sure enough moving around now. Especially at night...she's a little night owl :) It's so precious when Mack feels her move...he looks at me like a little kid and is like 'huh, I felt her'. He's too funny! I go back to the doctor on the 18th. I don't think it will be this visit but the next when he is wanting to do another ultrasound ...so yay, I will get to see my precious little girl soon! Can't wait!

It's Friday!!!

2009-04-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Friday's always seem to improve my mood a little bit. Such a wonderful day! And the weather is awesome! Supposed to be in the 80's. I love it! can't wait for a dress and flip-flops...my favorite summer attire.

Just a few things...

I went home last weekend to check out a house. It was cute...still lookin though. Don't have a whole lot of time though. I had a wonderful dinner at LaHacienda (the best mexican ever!) Friday night when I got in. we had a pretty big crowd with us so it took a while to get seated...oh so worth it though! Saturday morning, Mary Helen, Mamie, John David and I went yard saling. The church youth group was having one as well as the Buffler House in St. Florian. I got quite a few baby things at the church one. At the Buffler House one, I found a youth XL Carhartt jacket, a really pretty old vase, I bought some notecards with a pencil sketch of the Buffler house (a $10 donation) and some of Mrs. Dorothy Eckl's banana nut bread. It was so delicious! I brought it home and between me, Daddy, and Mary Helen, it was gone on Sunday. And I think Mary Helen only ate 1 piece....haha. We had a blast! Saturday afternoon, I just did some running around and came back to the house to eat brats...yummy. I ended up at the gym with Jennifer and Cecilia that night. I can't keep up with those girls!! They're animals. Sunday, Daddy and I went to church and went to eat at Bojangles (of course). Obviously, I didn't eat too healthy while I was at home :) I headed on back sunday afternoon. I had told Mack I would take him to auburn to see John McCuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. he was doing a private show at the Strutting Duck. I thought Mack would enjoy it since he mostly plays the banjo AND they were giving a Deering banjo away. so, we headed over there. and might I suggest seeing him. He was wonderful! He was more of a story-teller with his music and he was so funny. We really had a great time...even though we didn't win the banjo :)

Monday started out a pretty good work week. They had me a baby shower/going away party at work that afternoon. It was so fun and I got some really nice things. Sue had taken up for a gift and the office gave us a beautiful Feltman Brothers dress and $200! I was shocked. It was toooo nice. Sue also gave Kathleen a sweet cross necklace. We also got a Target gift card and some bath stuff from a couple other ladies. We had some good cake and it was very nice.

Mack and I are both going home this weekend. He's taking the FE in Huntsville...wish him luck! I'm hoping we'll nail down a rental house this weekend too. Then Monday, I have my next Dr's appointment...which I will taking the glucose test then. ewww, not looking forward to that. Wish me luck on it!!:)

I'm 27 weeks now...here's a belly pic...

Getting bigger every day!

busy, busy, busy!

2009-04-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

And about to get busier! My time before I start work in North Alabama is counting down and I have tons to do before it gets here. Eek! I just turned in my travel packet today and should hear something from relocation services soon. We have to find a day to go on a househunting trip, a day for them to come move our stuff, a day for them to deliver it after we find our new rental house....yep, it's going to be crazy! But, honestly, what do you expect from me?! I haven't stayed in the same place for more than a year and a half in the last 3 years! I feel like this will be a final move as far as where it is . I know we'll move houses, but at least stay in the same area for good.

My yard sale was a bummer. Didn't make near what I thought I would. Oh well. I still ordered my furniture this past weekend! I had a 10% and wanted to take advantage of it, so the pieces should be delivered this week. Of course I'm getting them delivered to my parents cause we would just have to move them again. Here are some pics:

Can't wait to have a room in a house to put them in:)

Oh yes, and we did get our beagle pup! We drove up to Albertville last weekend to get him. He's adorable! Mack and I made trip out of it and stopped in Childersburg at Desoto Caverns on the way. It was really neat. Never been in a cave before. Here's a few pics of the caves and of SAMSON!!

We had a wonderful Easter weekend also! Friday night, we went to church and as soon as we walked out the door, the tornado siren went off. It was a little scary on the drive home. I put together my corn casserole and we packed to leave the next morning. We got up EARLY on Saturday and headed to Mack's Grandmother's in Wadley. We ate at his Aunt Nunny's for lunch and I ate so much that most of the afternoon I spent outside in a chair...seriously, I don't think i got up for an hour and a half. We had a great time and there were a few kids to hunt Easter eggs so that was fun.

We had a great time hanging out with Mack's cousins and other family. Saturday night, we played cards where me and his cousin, Jeni, whooped Mack and Tori :) We were great partners! I still haven't given away our awesome kemps secret. hehe. Easter morning we got up REALLY early for sunrise service at Bald Rock. It was a beautiful place for it. I will have to get some of Tori's pics. They turned out gorgeous. We came back and ate breakfast. Mack and I got ready to head to Lineville to go to church with his Uncle Larry and Aunt Donna, Ben, Bridgette, and Zach and Krystal. Then we ate lunch and I ate til I was miserable AGAIN! but it was so good! We hid Easter eggs again and just had a great time with them.

Today marks the beginning of my 26th week. I can't hardly believe it. Kathleen is very active in the morning. She's quite the gymnast! It's so exciting and I can't wait to meet her in July! Here are a couple of belly pics! Gettin bigger every day...

These are my 24 and 25 week belly pics. What a difference 1 week made!

Yay for sunshine!

2009-04-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Rain is a blessing, but I am so glad the sun is shining today!! And it's Friday, which is always wonderful :) Too bad I feel yucky-popo (John David's word). My head is so congested and I sure wish it wasn't. Hopefully it will pass real soon.

This past weekend I went home for my Aunt Cleo's 87th birthday party. It was so fun and everyone, including her had a great time. She got alot of flowers and gardening things since she still really enjoys doing that. We had an awesome meal. The meat, drinks, and cake was provided and everyone brought a pot luck dish. Everything was delicious - and I'm pretty sure I tried EVERYTHING so I would know :) Mack had a weekend in Georgia planned to fish with his Dad. The fishing got rained out but he had a great time with his folks. Another fun thing about this weekend was that Mary Helen and the kids stayed at Momma and Daddy's the whole time. David was gone so she loaded up and stayed up there with us. It's always fun for everyone to be there. Oh yeah, and Friday night was fun too cause I got to eat again with some great friends of mine. We went to a new restaurant in rogersville and it was yummy! we got to talking about our prom video and made an attempt to watch it when we got back to Jennifer's but couldn't get her VCR to cooperate. We were looking forward to a good laugh but maybe next time...

I had my doctor's appointment Monday and got back in with my doctor at home. He said everything was fine so that's good news. I 'll be back at the end of April for the glucose test which doesn't sound too fun. Hopefully we'll know where in the world we are going to live by then but who knows. I'm looking forward to this weekend. Tomorrow, I'm trying to get rid of some stuff in a yard sale so hopefully that will go ok. AND, we may be going to pick up a beagle pup Sunday...not for sure yet, but hopefully :)

These Crazy Times

2009-03-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to write and give a little update on what's going on with our upcoming move. I am supposed to start work May 11th in the Moulton office. I may be working out of the Decatur office for a while also. Either way, it's in North Alabama and I am HAPPY! We are both soooo ready to be up there. So, we are trying to find a place to rent for about a year and then maybe-hopefully build. We're hoping to find a house and a little bit of yard for Sadie. We could possibly be there for longer than a year so I'd like to have somewhere nice and don't know if I could go back to an apartment-it'd be tough. Anyways, this past weekend Mack and I went back home for Matt and Suzanne's wedding on Saturday-which was gorgeous! Friday night, I had dinner with 2 of my best friends and their precious little girls at Prestons. It was so fun! The wedding was in Russellville Saturday afternoon. I spent a little time with Mary and the kids Saturday morning but it was kind of a rushed day. Saturday night we had steaks with Momma and Daddy and MH and fam. They were delicious! Mack wanted John David to bring his baseball glove so he would have someone to play with :) They were so funny and John David did a really good job at batting. He was making a karate noise when he swung-so funny! He loved it and didn't want to quit.

Sunday morning, we went to church and then ate at Cracker Barrel-yummy. When we got home, I suggested we go fishing in Momma and Daddy's pond, which I haven't done in forever. It was a few years ago the last time i tried and didn't catch a thing. So, mack dug up some worms and we went fishing! I caught 2 brim and 1 bass! I was so surprised. Mack caught 1 brim. He was so mad I caught more than him. haha. he kept stealing my spot :) It was really so much fun and Sadie loved it too! There are 2 geese that stay down there and she went swimming after them. She was jumping up and trying to grab the fish we caught. And she just ran herself tired.

We had to leave by 1 to meet a realtor at 2 in Decatur. It didn't really go as planned and we didn't get much done. That's pretty much the gist of it. I did think about my friend Morgan who lives in a house on 101 in Elgin and they are about to move to the house they built. So I contacted her to see if Clay's sister was going to rent it(they own the house and it's right in front of theirs). She said they were for $450 a month. Which is a wonderful price. I told mack about it and he was pretty interested to my surprise. It just means a longer drive. But it's a very nice house and we'd have a little room in the yard. Plus, we could save some money. So, we'll see how that goes. I have to wait on my transfer package from the government to go through relocation services to have them buy our house. It's so nerve-wrecking. But I'm just praying everything will go smoothly.. I know it will all work out. Mack stayed up in Decatur and is coming back today. He had some work to do there and Sadie and I headed back to Tallassee.

So amongst all this craziness, I went for a massage yesterday afternoon. Boy, was it needed! Mack had gotten me 2-1 hour massages for Christmas. It was fabulous. Of course, I had to do a pregnancy one and had to lay on my side which was a little awkward. But, it was still a great massage. I could do that EVERY DAY:)

Today marks the beginning of my 23rd week! I am just amazed at how fast time is flying. 119 days to go:) So, I am having a yard sale in the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping to make a good chunk to put towards the nursery furniture. I'll let you know how that goes...

Is it just Wednesday??

2009-03-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

I try to make the most of my weeks, but man I can't wait for the weekends! Although this one may not be as much fun since Mack won't be here again - thank goodness this is his last weekend in that class! I'll be staying in Tallassee and probably not doing much of anything which will be nice I guess.

So this past weekend I went home with Sadie in tote. She gets car sick and I couldn't handle that without Mack so I asked the vet what i could give her. Dramamine! Worked like a charm! She was so funny and actually acted like she was enjoying the ride up there. She wanted to sit in my lap though which is not usually the case when we're travelling. She' s really too big to be a lap dog, but I got us home safely :) She finally fell asleep and was so happy when we got there! I came into a house full of babies-which I loved. Stacy and Matt had decided to come on in with Will and John David and Mamie were staying with Momma and Daddy anyways. It was so fun. Will has gotten sooo much bigger. He is an absolute doll! I would like to say that he looks like his Aunt Amy, but there's no denying he is an Eckl. He looks just like his Daddy and the cousins on that side of the family to me. So cute! John David and I played with Sadie for a while. The babies went to sleep and John David and I fell asleep on the recliner (which his Nana was quite jealous of BTW-he wanted to lay with me and not her.hehe) Here are some pics from Friday night...

Saturday, I got my hair cut and did some running around. MH and David and the kids came over for supper that Matt and Stacy fixed. It was really good!! We had a good time with all the kids again. We got all 3 of them on the bed for pictures which I loved. Then Sunday morning, Stacy and I headed to church. After church was Will's baptism which was wonderful. Except it was about 100 degrees in there and he was NOT happy in his 'gown'. It was a beautiful gown though that my Mom had made. But, he was much happier when it was over and he wasn't so hot. Then we all went to Mary Helen's house for a spaghetti lunch. It was so yummy and we had a great time. It was a wonderful weekend but I had to go load Sadie up and head back to Tallassee. She did very good on the way back and pretty much slept the whole time. She was so excited to see her daddy when we got back!

I have started to feel Kathleen - so exciting! Here are a couple of belly pics...I think I'm getting bigger every day...

17 weeks 18 weeks 20 weeks

Halfway There!

2009-03-03T06:44:00.001-08:00

So today marks the beginning of my 20th week. I can't believe I'm already halfway through the pregnancy! So far, so good and I can't wait to see Kathleen's sweet little face! We have a crib and some furniture picked out - haven't ordered yet. But, my sister picked up the bedding in Raleigh and I'm so excited about it!!! Here are some pics:

I'm still trying to decide if those weird little feelings I've felt lately are her moving around. I'm just not 100% sure yet. It still amazes me every day that she's in there and will be here this summer. I just can't wait! We're waiting about getting started on a nursery or anything because HOPEFULLY, we'll be in North Alabama by the time she's here. We may be scrambling at the last minute to pull a nursery together, but I will SOOOO happy to be up there!

So, what a weekend of crazy weather! My parents got here last Thursday afternoon. We enjoyed a steak that night. I went to work on Friday and they headed over to Montgomery for a bull sale. Daddy called me at about lunch time and said they were in Walmart in Millbrook and were under a tornado warning! I had planned on leaving work at 2 that day but I would have been heading right into storms between here and Tallassee. So, finally all that passed and I went home and started supper. We had some brocolli cheese soup and a baked potato. yum! Oh yes, and Lent began last Wednesday, so no meat on Fridays! I have given up caffeine...again. I did so well at the beginning of my pregnancy and didn't have it. But, just one slip-up and i've got to have it every day! So, that is my sacrifice. I hope everyone enjoys this Lenten season leading up to Easter. So, Saturday morning we wake up to tornado warning sirens. Great! The 1st warning didn't cover Elmore county, but the 2nd warning was directed right at Tallassee. We got some bad storms but thankfully no damage or anything. I heard that it touched down in Tallassee but still am not sure where. This was the same one that caused damage in Opelika. Thankfully, again, no one was hurt. After all the bad weather had passed, we loaded up and headed to Sikes and Kohn. My parents had wanted to go over there because they have everything 20% during the month of February. We found a few things and then we headed back to Tallassee. Saturday night, my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Bill, my cousin Bill and his 2 boys came over and we grilled hamburgers. We just sat around and talked and had a great time. Sunday morning, we woke up to SNOW!! Oh my, it was gorgeous! I just had to get out in it. Sadie and I spent most of our day playing. She loved it! Mack was gone to Birmingham, so that stank that he wasn't there - for me to throw snowballs at! I swear I made about 500 of them. I threw some at Sadie (not hard of course), threw some at trees, and saved about 30 for Mack for when he arrived home. My parents wanted to stay inside where it was warm, so they wouldn't play with me. I did make them come out side so I could take a pic of them. I think my Daddy was cussing me the whole time :)

These are all my snowballs lined up, waiting for Mack :)

It was just too fun! So, I left and went to our Bible study class at 4. All the while thinking of how I was going to get Mack outside to bombard him with my snowballs - probably not what I should have been thinking about at Bible study, but anyways. So when I got home, I knocked on our side door and ran back to get some snowballs - which were pretty much melted at this point. I hid and Mack just stuck his head out - boo. so he went to the back door and I went to the other corner and hid. I stuck my head around and asked if he was gonna come out. He had to go put clothes on but he came outside and we threw some snowballs at each other. Well, he said I was throwing slush at him, but anywho :) So fun! My parents left Monday morning :( and I went to work.

This is Sadie mutilating my poor miniature snowman!

So this weekend I get to go home and see my new nephew, Will! Stacy and Matt are bringing him home to be Baptized and I'm so excited. I'm so ready to go :)

A Few Random Things...

2009-02-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

Not really much to write about right now, but we did have a great weekend. Friday night we did nothing, which was nice. Saturday morning, Mack got up and took Sadie with him fishing at Coon Creek. Then, I met him at his Pawpaw's in Dadeville for lunch and they went fishing some more on Lake Martin. They caught 25 fish! I headed over to Auburn and just did some looking around. I ended up at Hobby Lobby and buying some material for my next projects :) Saturday night I spent working on an outfit for my little girl! Whose name we've decided will be Kathleen Mae! Here are some pics:

This last one is one I've been working on for my niece, Mamie. It's not close to being done, but I just love this material!

Sunday, we went to church and rode over to Prattville for a little while. Mack and I have been going to this Disciple class at church that starts at 4 on Sunday afternoon. I spent some time Sunday afternoon finishing my reading and sitting in the sun with Sadie. She was loving sun-bathing :) Here's a pic of the Sadie-Lady. She and I were chilling on the porch one Saturday morning and Mack snapped this picture. I look awful, but isn't Sadie a cutie?! I just love her :)

So Sunday night, Glenn asked us to do a special assignment for the Disciple class by visiting a shut-in, someone in prison, someone in a nursing home, a cancer patient, etc. So, Mack and I wanted to do it last night because it was really the only night we had to go together. So we called the nursing home in Wetumpka and asked if there was anyone there that would like some visitors. The lady called back and said there was an 86 year old lady who was only visited by her son, so she didn't have to many visitors most of the time. So, during lunch, I went and picked her up some hand lotion, Kleenex, chap stick and a few other things. I was nervous all day about going. I'm not real good with nursing homes and the only times I've went were to see loved ones and I really wasn't sure what to expect. So, we got there and waited for Ms. Dorothy Poague to get back to her room from dinner. Well, she was awesome! I think she made our day more than we made hers. She was just the cutest little lady and so funny. We really had a good time with her. I think we'll go back and see her again. Mack told her he was going to teach her how to play Spoons :)

Such a great weekend!

2009-02-17T10:19:00.001-08:00

Just wish it would have lasted longer. Even with an extra day off, it seems to fly by! Friday was Mack's birthday and his parents came to our house. When i got home, he and his Dad had to get his birthday present out of my trunk. It was a ladder that I had gotten him and it was so stuck in my car! I couldn't get it out before I left for work Friday, so he had to work for his gift :) We all went to the dog tracks in Shorter that night, which was interesting. It was a good time! Saturday, he and his Dad went to play golf at RTJ in Prattville and Rita and I did some shopping. We went to a quilting store in Montgomery, which had the most awesome material. I got a sewing machine for Christmas so I am into making baby stuff right now. I haven't moved up into making anything for myself yet :) They had the most beautiful stuff though. I have a feeling I'll be back after payday :) Saturday night, we just grilled hamburgers and sat around. We were all pretty wore out. Mack gave me my valentines gift which was a beautiful ring and necklace! He's the sweetest! I gave him a Janis Joplin CD. I know I sound awful, but that was what he wanted. He always outdoes me on Valentines, but I try to make up for it in his birthday gift. Sunday, we went to church and came back and had leftover hamburgers. Mack took Sadie hunting at Coon Creek and I did some sewing with my new material :) We ate some roast for supper and just relaxed. It was so nice. Especially since I didn't have to work the next day. Mack did, bless his bones. And he really didn't enjoy me reminding him that I didn't :) So, yesterday, I got up, made some muffins and took my time getting ready. I went over to Prattville and added some things to my registry at Target. I am loving looking at baby stuff, especially now that we know that it's a girl! I just came back and played with Sadie. She has sooo much energy and is so much fun to play with. She and I sat around on the deck forever. We couldn't wait for Mack to get home :) We had supper and worked on our budget (yuck!) Then, it was the Bachelor. I can't believe he got rid of Jillian! I liked her the most out of the 3. Oh well, what can you do?! It's funny to hear Mack's opinion about the girls. He liked Jillian the most too. I'm looking forward to my Tuesday night TV shows tonight. I am such a Bad Girls Club fan. It is so skanky but I love it! I don't know why!!

My 1st Blog!

2009-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well, here goes. I hope I can keep up doing this blog thing. Mack and I have so many things going on right now, I thought this would be a great way to try and keep up with it all! The biggest thing going on right now is that I am 17 weeks pregnant! We just found out Monday that we are having a little girl and we are so excited! I really thought I was having a boy, don't know why. But, obviously my instincts aren't that great. I am thrilled about a little girl. It's going to be so much fun! Mack is so excited too. I can already tell she'll be a Daddy's girl :) So, I want to catch everyone up on the pregnancy...here goes...

My 1st trimester went as well as possible I guess. I was nauseated a good bit, especially in the mornings, but never actually 'got sick'. Once I got to my 12th week, I just felt this wave of relief. I had been so nervous about miscarrying and was just so thankful to be to that point without any problems. I did have one scare moving on into my 2nd trimester, but everything is a-ok! I really feel great now...I was waiting on that energy I've heard about that happens in the 2nd trimester. I definitely feel more like myself, but I haven't really seen an enormous amount of energy yet :) Still love laying around on the couch after dinner, falling asleep by 9, etc. I've still been exercising which is much easier to do now. So maybe I do have a little more energy :) Anyways, here are some belly pics that I've taken so far...

5 weeks, 7 weeks, 9 weeks, 10 weeks

11 weeks, 12 weeks ,14 weeks, 15 weeks

So, I am definitely starting to show a lot more and it's so exciting!! I have been wearing maternity pants for quite a while now. I just got tired of fixing the rubber band on my regular jeans and maternity jeans are awesome! I could probably wear them ALL THE TIME! I can still wear most of my regular shirts, but not for long :) And now for the most important picture..........................

16 weeks

Out precious little girl at 9 weeks, 1 day! I have pics from the ultrasound on Monday at 16 weeks, 6 days, but I have them in pdf format and can't put them on here like that so i will have to post them later. It was so precious watching her on the video. She was waving at us - or practicing her spike, which is what I think she was doing :) It was quite possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen. She was so precious. It's just such a miracle to me. I thank God everyday for this gift!

Here are some of the heart rates:
At my first visit at 9 weeks, it was 171 bpm! Wow, her little heart was gettin it! I was just so glad to hear one! At 14 wk, 2 day, it was 160. At 14 wk, 6 days, it was 144. At 15 wk, 1 day, it was 146. And at 16 wk, 6 days, it was 149. One of my sweet friends gave me a home heart rate monitor thing for Christmas so I can't wait to use that! It's only supposed to work once you get to 6 months, but I think I'm gonna give it a try soon :) Such a cool gift!

So, that's pretty much it for now! We are still trying to sell our house and get up to North Alabama. Hopefully it will be before the baby gets here. I'm pretty anxious about that. But, I know everything will work out like it's supposed to. So, we'll see.

So, keep checking for updates on our life! Sometimes we're kinda interesting:)