Our Unexpected Beautiful Life

Our first couple days home were comprised of many snuggles and staring at my beautiful boy.  My favorite thing to do at night is getting my baby snuggles and listen to his adorable cooing sounds. I love him so much.  I also stare at him all the time when he's sleeping. I still can't believe he is here.  The first nights home were also filled with very little sleep. Luckily, I had my mom there to help me take care of Adam. I still was recovering from surgery and was in some pain. With a newborn, you aren't able to get adequate rest so it was great having her help me at night with him. He ate every two hours and developed a bad habit of falling asleep and not getting enough, therefore making him wake up even earlier for the next feeding.  I attempted the breastfeeding and made strides but I still wasn't producing what he needed. I had to use formula to get him full, but he still usually only lasted two hours between feedings. We also were having issues with the diapers...

By day four, I was ready to go home. They wanted me to stay a full five days but since I have a great relationship with my doctor, and I begged, he let me go home a day early. Yay!  In our final time in the hospital, I was able to shower, move around very slowly, and Gammy continued to get her snuggles with Adam and help with what I was still unable to do.  Isn't he so stinkin' cute?!  As we were about to leave, I was starting to get cranky because I was feeling very overwhelmed, Adam started crying uncontrollably when I tried to put him in his car seat, and I was really hurting and was getting nauseous.  We finally got in the car after my poor mom had to haul all the stuff down to the car. We got Adam all settled in his car seat and he happened to look adorable, if I do say so, myself.  I wasn't prepared for the ride home. In my mind it was going to be this joyous occasion, but it was anything but. I was really hurting and I didn't know why it never occurred to...

Day three was the day of pain! They took out my epidural and slowly waited for feeling to come back into my legs. They took out the catheder, which by the way was awesome. I need to get me one of those!  As I began to get feeling back in my legs, they started administering a different pain medication to me that allowed me to manage my pain, but allowed me to walk around and be up.  The first time the nurse came in and said, "time to get you up" I was nervous. I've always heard, "that first time up after a c section is awful." I also am very suseptable to nausea with any kind of pain so my fear was fainting. Luckily, I had one of the great nurses at this time and she walked me through it in steps. First I just had to sit up, then put my feet over bed. I did that and OUCH! Felt the nausea coming! Then I had to bend and stand up. She held my hand and on three I did it. Holy hell! It felt like a stretch of fire being pulled apart on my lower abdomen. I immediately f...

After having 30 minutes of sleep our first night, it was a tiring day, but it was still awesome to open my eyes and see my son across the room. He is such a little miracle to me.  I felt really good the first two days because they kept my epidural in so I was numb and in no pain. While this was awesome, it was hard for me to not be able to care for my son. Every time he cried, my mom or a nurse had to get up and change him, or bring him to me, and that was hard because as a new mother all you want to do is rush to your child for his needs. The nurses had told me that I would be getting up for the first time soon and that freaked me out because I'd heard horror stories about how much that hurts. Adam continued to sleep, and we stared at him constantly. He's just so adorable!!! That night, my friends Christina, Gwen, and Ashley came up to see him. We had a good visit but man, those pain meds were making me LOO-PY! I remember feeling so out of it, like I was talking, but I...

After my visitors left the hospital, things got hairy! I could tell Adam was getting hungry and the colostrum I was or was not producing was clearly not sustaining him. It was really hard seeing him like that. He was giving me SEVERE hunger cues and he was so frustrated that even putting him to the breast wasn't working. We tried calming techniques but my baby was just starving. It was HORRIBLE. I felt so helpless and asked the nurses for formula. They reacted with some resistance which was really frustrating. They kept encouraging me to "be patient" and "wait for my supply to come in" which to me was upsetting because my baby was in distress. And I am his mother and I found it disrespectful to push back on my request for what I felt was best for him. After some back and forth, I finally convinced a nurse to get me some formula. She encouraged tube feeding so he wouldn't have nipple confusion. We tried it, he drank one ounce, then slept for 12 hours. Poor ba...

On August 11th, 2014, I woke up at 5:30am to get a good breakfast in to try to avoid the starving and thirst that I knew was coming that day. I was pretty tired, nervous and irritable because of the fear going in. Of surgery, of Adam being safe, of me recovering, the UNKNOWN in general. I finished packing, went over to my mom's house and hung out for a little while to pass the time before we had to leave for the hospital. Here is the a picture of me before we left the hospital. I was 38 weeks exactly and ready for my boy to come out! I admit I was very cranky because internally I was scared to death. My poor mom had to put up with my bitchy mood on the way to the hospital. Once we got to the hospital, they took me back and took me to a pre-op room that would later become my recovery room. Here is a pic of me before I went in before the C-Section. And here is me and my wonderful doctor. I admit I'm pretty much in love with him. Oh if only he wasn't married!! They ...

I was doing fine all day. I was incredibly calm as my extreme fatigue has been taking over, and then tonight, all at once, the emotion of him coming hit me and I sobbed uncontrollably for about 15 minutes. Hormones are no joke. I simply cannot even fathom the happiness that is coming tomorrow. It's just such an insurmountable rush of emotion. Please pray for a strong, healthy, happy baby boy to be placed in my arms tomorrow. Please pray for a manageable recovery for me as I want to be able to take care of my son and ensure him security as he transitions to a new world.  From woman to mother....biggest day of my life, here I come! 

Tonight I had my last night out before becoming a mama and I spent it with my two closest friends, Christina and Jeana. Tonight was really special for me. I know I'm seriously hormonal and over emotional, but when I think about how lucky I am to have them, it just makes me want to cry! You have people in your life that are nice, offer to help, are polite, but then you have people in your life that are just WITH you, ya know? I am so blessed. Tonight was comprised of lots and lots of laughing. It really is like therapy being around those two. With them and my mom by my side, I honestly feel like I can do anything. I have been through SO many friendships in my life, and it's just amazing how you grow up, you finally figure out what's good for you and all of the sudden the drama disappears and you are just happy! So yeah, my friends are wonderful and I'm in a good place tonight. I ended up buying Adam's birthday cupcake today and I cannot WAIT to sing to him! It ...

Today I was SO tired, we're talking make myself get out bed after three hours tired. So random! I got pretty much nothing accomplished today so I need to be really productive the next two days.  Tonight I spent some quality time with Kaci and had a talk with her about how she's about to get a brother and she needs to help me protect him. I don't think she understood as she was instantly distracted by a squirrel, but I'd like to think she will transition well. She's an exceptionally sweet dog so I'm having high hopes! I can't wait to see them together.  I got a call today from the electronic doctor appointment lady saying, "HELLO! You have an appointment on August 11th at 3:00!" Yep, sure do! I'm having a baby! Yay!!! But thanks for the reminder! :0) I'm getting excited! And only two more days of heartburn! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, I had my final prenatal doctor's appointments with this pregnancy. It was actually quite emotional, I was surprised. I had my sonogram first and everything looked awesome. He is predicted to be 7 and a half pounds at birth and in the 59th percentile. Perfect! They did tell me to expect his legs to be up by his ears because of his positioning. I knew this was a possibility since he is frank breech, but it does sound like he will be coming out with his legs looking unnatural. I am mentally preparing for this and I am going to be VERY protective of any pictures taken of him in this position. I want to make sure his feet are covered, he will NOT be on display. I'm a little unsure of how baby boy will be able to wear his clothes with his feet still up but hopefully they will be down enough by the time we leave the hospital that it will be okay. I'm very curious to see if they will give him any assistance with this or if they will just let them go down on their own. Wh...

Tonight was our SMC quarterly dinner. First of all, I have to say that this group is comprised of wonderful ladies and I am *SO* lucky to have this fantastic support. It's so nice to be around people who understand each other's mindsets and to discuss different journeys in life. One of the fantastic ladies made me some frozen meals, I'm so excited! She made mini omelettes, chicken chimichangas, and chicken tortilla soup. It just feels so good to be taken care of and to see how sweet people can be. I'm very blessed. I admit I'm nervous about surgery, but I'm getting SO excited about meeting Adam. I cannot wait to hold and snuggle him and hear his little baby noises. He is never going to have enough mommy kisses! I'm excited about him meeting all of the people that are so excited to meet and love him. I cannot even imagine the love that will fill my heart the second I lay eyes on him. My grandma called me yesterday just to check on me and tell me that sh...

Today was a great day. I got a lot of sleep and just spent the day hanging around the house with my dog. She seems really anxious and I'm trying to get a lot of quality time in with her before things change so drastically. We hung out watching movies and cooking shows today and she didn't leave my side all day. I freaking love my dog. She is the sweetest dog in the world.  I did end up making it to the store, though I admit that's getting harder so I might ask my mom to go with me next time.  I have a work training tomorrow morning so I'm heading to bed super early tonight. I'm so grateful I'm finally able to get sleep. It has been wonderful feeling rested.  11 more days!

So my dog, Kaci, has been acting really weird. She's always been very sweet but now she will not leave my side for a second! And if I have any moment of discomfort, she's practically in my lap giving me kisses. Yesterday, when I tried to leave she tried to go with me, which she never does, and then did this weird howl when she realized she didn't get to go.  It's just weird for a highly independent dog to suddenly act like this. I'm really starting to wonder if she knows something is coming.  At night, this is what she does lol. Seriously makes you wonder just how intuitive dogs are. I love her!!!

I will be meeting my son on August 11th! 12 more days!!!! It's so fun knowing his birthday! My C-section is scheduled for 3:00pm on August 11th. I'm mentally preparing for recovery and excited to meet my baby boy!!!!! Yay!!!!!

Yesterday, I went in for a routine doctor's appointment and they noticed high blood pressure and protein in my urine, 2 of the 3 symptoms of Preeclampsia. My doctor then admitted me to labor and delivery to be tested for Preeclampsia. After four very restless hours, they discovered that I had the very beginnings of preeclampsia so they decided to move up my c-section to keep us both safe.

Last week, I learned that my baby is frank breech. This position is the most rare form of breech and the hardest to turn. His feet are up by his head and he never turned. And just for the record, only 2% of babies are frank breech at 37 weeks, and my child is one of them! Because of his positioning, and me being uncomfortable with the risks of turning him, I will be having a c section. When he comes out, it is likely his feet will be up by his head. This was hard on me as I don't want him to hurt, but my doctor assured me he will not be in any pain and that his legs will go down in a few days. Poor little guy :( An example of legs up after birth.... I've gone through all the tears and now feel good about the c section decision. I know we are both in good hands and I feel good about doing what's best for my son. 

Well Adam has dropped! I didn't even notice until my mom said something and now I'm like OH WOW, he has!!!! 

Today during my ultrasound, the sonogram lady told me that Adam has chubby cheeks and tons of hair, like an inch! Omg how cute!! And that explains the awful heartburn.  I hope it sticks straight up, and if he has dimples like his mama I think I just might die. I can't wait to see my boy!  I was told to be ready for labor anytime after 37 weeks. That's next week! Holy cow!!!!

Today I did NOT feel good. I stayed in bed pretty much all day. Everything hurts and I've had some pains in my abdomen. Adam has been crazy active today, too. I've felt pretty nauseous and can't wait to get to bed. Kaci, my dog, has been so sweet today. She never left my side, in bed, the hour or so I got up, and then when I had my bad nausea spell, she was pretty much in my lap checking on me. I'm always amazed at how much dogs can love. I honestly don't know what I'd do without my furry daughter. Tomorrow, I have a sonogram at 10:00am and then I'm going up to work for a little while to get some supplies ordered for my sub.  Hoping tomorrow is better!

So I've mentioned before that I've been suffering from insomnia. Last week, it got REALLY bad. There were several times that I only got 2-3 hours of sleep per 24 hour period and I was miserable because of it. It affected my life, as I was miserable around people, by myself, and it was really hard to make plans because I never knew when I would be alert. I remember one day I actually cried. I was just SO in need of rest. My doctor recently prescribed me a more serious strength of Ambien and so far it seems to be working. I slept 10 hours last night and I tell you what, I feel like dancing. There is nothing better than feeling rested when you haven't been in so very long. As of right now, I'm back to a normal sleep schedule, being awake during the DAY. This is so nice. Next week I have two work trainings and a couple of doctor appointments so I'm hoping that this will keep me on days for a little while. And I'm hoping some productivity will wear me out and kee...

So I have to admit, I'm a bit freaked out every time I look in the mirror before a shower. There are some SERIOUS changes going on concerning boobage. When I first found out I was pregnant, the boobs were very sore for about 2 weeks, which has never happened before. It then subsided and they just grew and grew. They seemed to stop growing around the middle of my second trimester. Now, some freaky stuff is happening! The areolas are completely dark now, we're talking REALLY dark brown, gross! And now the milk glands have formed so there are seriously long bumpy glands that pop up randomly. The areolas have about tripled in size. Weird. Also, I'm getting an OUTER swelling around the nipple, it looks crazy! So basically, I now have UDDERS! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!

Over the past two years, I have gained A LOT of weight. It started slowly, when I started slacking on my nutrition during my last marathon training season. I started gaining weight and running got harder. The harder it got, the more discouraged I felt, and I ultimately just stopped trying because every time that I did and rediscovered how hard it had gotten, I felt like a failure. Also during that time, I was toying with the idea of having a child on my own. It was quite an emotional battle for myself because it was such a big decision. This created stress for me and I kept gaining weight. Once I had made the decision to YES, move forward with having a baby, the next battle was fighting for the support from my family. This was pretty hard on me as many of them didn't support what I wanted. I was passionate and emotional and kept gaining and gaining. I felt very alone. Once it was time to start trying, I was always nervous to exercise during the two week wait period of finding o...

So as I've explained in the past, I have been having some serious insomnia issues. Ambien worked for a couple of day and now it doesn't at all. I couldn't sleep at all last night, so being restless and awake, I met a friend for breakfast. After breakfast, she treated me to a pedicure, so sweet! And we were laughing so hard because you know those massage chairs? Well, I turned it on, and I put it on the "knead back" setting, and it starting "kneading" so hard that it made my whole body shake really fast. My poor baby!! He probably had NO idea what was going on! LOL!! But anyway, my toes are pretty and I got some great quality time with one of my favorite people!  I came home and slept about 6 hours but now feel even worse because it's not near enough for two days. I'm going to try and go back to sleep here in a bit. We will see if it works. Tomorrow I go back to the doctor for my 35 week sonogram and check-up. I'm going to talk to them abo...

Well, I officially look like a pregnant lady. I realized today just how big I am now! WOW! About time I look pregnant!!! I've just been looking fat up until now. I don't even mind the roly poly face now that you can tell why. Ha! From now on, I will be taking pics weekly until birth to view the progress of the bump. I made my "bump" page in the baby book and it looks really cool side by side. FUN!

Okay, I'm sorry, but I cannot help but notice the huge aches and pains in my butt, hips and upper thighs. What. The. Hell. It seriously feels like I've done 100 squats, and I assure you, I have NOT! LOL. The only thing I've been working out is my couch. Oh and my remote. I looked it up and it says it sometimes happens in late pregnancy when the body is "preparing for labor." Ummm....okay, I definitely have not heard that one, but it was nice seeing it in print. Lol the things they do not tell you!!!

So nesting is officially in full force now. I think it's safe to say the instinct has been active all summer, but I've noticed that it has gotten stronger this week. For example, I was laying in bed trying to go to sleep, until I had the severe urge to take out all the trash, mail my bills and clean out my car. And it had to be done right then, at 5am! So I did it. Everything just has to be ready for him! And now that it's done, I am able to calm down and try to sleep. And yes it's 7am. The joy of getting days and nights mixed up. 

Well, it's been a very busy summer thus far, and now, everything is done! I've read all my pregnancy and baby prep books, I'm done with his room, I've packed all I can for the hospital until the last minute, I've cleaned my apartment top to bottom, and now....there's nothing to do but wait! WEIRD!!! I guess I could always organize the pantry and scrub the base boards. Hmm... So yeah, things just suddenly got very quiet and boring and I'm not sure how to feel about it! .........*cricket sounds*..............

Today was a really good day. I got an 8 hour stretch of sleep for the first time in about two months. I woke up so happy and I felt like a different person. Feeling rested for the first time in awhile made everything feel better; it was wonderful. Once I got up, I went to an SMC gathering and it was great. What I love about this group is that it's a group full of women that are in similar situations as me, and they feel like family and take care of each other. I also love that no one is into gossip and it's just a great group of supportive women. Oh and did I mention that the kiddos are adorable? It's so fun to watch them grow up. I can't believe mine will be running around playing with them soon. A friend of mine was sweet enough to give me a baby monitor (I've been having issues finding one that works) and a couple of toys so Adam has EVERYTHING now. It feels so awesome to provide for my baby boy and to be surrounded with such giving people. I also got some re...

Well I've had a lot to think about over the last two days. Let me start from the top.... I was really thinking that Adam had dropped because of the movement I've been feeling really down low. And there was one day I had some pain and I thought maybe he was turning. Nope, the pain was severe gas pains (ow) and the movement down low is just him growing. He grew one lb in the last two weeks. Right now he is weighing in at 5 lbs 15 oz, so almost 6 lbs and if I were to go full term, he is looking to be about 8 and a half lbs. They measured him and again, he's very average everywhere, just very long, which is adding to his weight. They also said long babies sometimes are overweighed because their length messes with the calculation of how they determine weight. So, I think he's gonna be a long and skinny baby. That'll be cute cause he'll look like an old man with his jeans up high! HAHA. Ok so here is the dilemma. He is STILL breech and the doctors want him to be h...

Great news! Today I feel decent! YAY!! My tummy pains are gone and I don't feel weak anymore. Plus my pain bubble pain is pretty low today, and I managed to get a cumulative 8 hours of sleep last night. Now it wasn't at night, it was during the day, and it wasn't 8 hours in one stretch, but I'll take it just the same! Tonight was my labor and delivery class. I have been very nervous about labor as it looks and sounds absolutely horrible. It also is fact that everyone likes to share their horror stories of the knowledge of their worst labor story of all time. This does not help. Well, I was hoping that the class would ease my nervousness and help me feel less anxious about the process. NOPE! Was a total fail. Let me start from the beginning... The class started and we had the grandma type instructor that taught my newborn essentials class. I was a bit bummed about this because she's a little more not with it and doesn't know her material as well. She's ve...

Today has been pretty rough.  Got no sleep and feel bad.  I think Adam is really growing because I feel a very strong and uncomfortable Streching sensation in my mid abdomen.  I'm wondering if maybe he's now in transverse position.  Hmm,  very curious to find out.  I need to go to the store today because I have no food but when I get back,  it's off to bed again I go.  Maybe I will feel better tomorrow . 

It's been an interesting week. I've had some great social experiences along the lines of quality time with great friends and family. My "feeling like crap" spells have been touch and go, though I'm happy to report that they haven't been constant. The pressure in my chest has seemed to open up a little bit, which leads me to believe that Adam has dropped. I'm now feeling a ton of pressure in my lower pelvic area and the movement I am feeling is lower, too. I'm very curious to see if he has turned. One good thing is that I seem to be sleeping a little bit better. Not normal hours, necessarily, but now I'm up to about 6 hours a night which feels better than the 3 hour a night streak I have been experiencing. I can breathe easier, which is nice because before it really was killing me. So yeah, other than the normal pain bubble and now the feeling of him falling out of me any minute, it's a bit better. Yay! Hope it lasts!! I am loving my time off, I...

Just a warning, this is a complaint post so if you're sensitive to pregnancy complaining, this one might be a good one to skip.  I've tried to stay positive, I've tried to be cognizant of my words but I need to get it out. Things are getting HARD. Here are my current symptoms: Pain bubble is back-constant pain level of 3 as of today Severe heartburn Shortness of breath Headaches Can't bend forward Severe insomnia, averaging three hours of sleep a night  Hurts to sit without my feet being elevated ZERO energy Random severe cramps Night sweats and frequent overheating Constant bladder pressure-very uncomfortable  Nausea spells Butt and tummy is expanding and it hurts to sit in smaller chairs LOTS of lower abdominal pressure-feels like a bowling ball is going to fall out of me any minute My point: I'm miserable. This stage in pregnancy is much harder than I thought it was going to be. I'm really ready for him to come. I'm medically considered full term at 37 we...

I've really been struggling with sleep lately. I always sleep for about three hours, then I wake up for two hours, then repeat. It's so strange. I've always been a really hard sleeper so this is a struggle. And it's weird because it's not like there's a baby keeping me awake. Maybe it's my body getting me ready or something. I just cannot get comfortable.... I'm also getting overheated easily and generally feel warm all the time. My poor AC is trying to keep up! Again, strange for this naturally cold natured girl. It really is starting to feel like I have a bun in the oven.  I woke up after two hours of sleep this morning to a VERY sick stomach. I finally think it's passing, and I don't think is was fun for Adam, he's all kinds of riled up now.  I'm off to try to complete a sleep cycle....wish me luck!!!

The nursery is FINISHED!!! I absolutely *LOVE* it!!!

I'm so excited! I just finished Adam's Baby Book! Here is the link: www.mixbook.com/photo-books/interests/adam-s-baby-book-10698369?vk=mK4wXkUjgU Now obviously the birth numbers will need to be adjusted when he arrives and the blank spots are for me to write and for pictures. I'm so glad I was able to customize something specifically for us so he doesn't have any missing daddy information. It's much more simple than the family yearbook but I'm still excited about filling this out for him once he arrives! Yay! :0)

So I have made a *HUGE* dent in my to-do list over the past two weeks. A lot of it is because of my awesome friends who made decor and helped me set up the nursery, and I also was able to get all of his stuff washed. It took *MANY* loads of laundry but I have officially washed Adam's: Blankets Burp cloths All clothes up to 6 months (he has A LOT of clothes) Hats Mittens Bottles Pacis Wash Cloths Booties Bassinet sheets Towels Receiving Blankets Crib Sheets Bibs Socks MAN! That was a lot of work!! The only thing I have left to do in the nursery is: -Hang Decal -Buy a trashcan and put it up -Put the glider in there (I'm picking it up tomorrow morning) I have some more to do on the to-do list but I'm making SERIOUS progress! If I can get the decal up, the nursery will be done by the end of this weekend and ALL of his stuff will be ready for him. I also got the bassinet ready, too. It has a new clean sheet on it, fully equipped with extra sheets, paja...

Yay! Some happy news!!! I played with my Camcorder, switched out SD cards, studied and learned the DVD software and I'm happy to report that I now know how to record videos, upload them to my computer, create an adorable DVD title page and menu template, fully equipped with music and graphics, and burn and make additional copies to DVDs! Why is it that I can't be hands-on crafty, but I'm pretty good at the computer stuff?! I guess because it's fun to me. Anyway, I am *SUPER* excited to make my first DVD! I've already started it. It's called: Baby Adam: Preparation and First Days Of Life The Table Of Contents will be: -The Gender Reveal -The Home Tour (I'm going to video a walk of the apartment for him) -Labor (Don't worry, just a SMALL part, nothing graphic) -Mommy Meets Adam -Adam meets his friends and family -Coming Home -Adam meets his sister Kaci -First Bath I'm *SO* super excited that I know how to do this! How fun will it be t...

Yesterday I had my 32 week dr's appointment and sonogram. The doctor's appointment went well, I was assured the pain and nausea I've been randomly feeling is completely normal and they seemed surprised that I've had zero swelling. My blood pressure was also perfect. I'm pretty healthy for a puffy girl! WOOP!! I saw a different doctor this time, which is probably good because any one of them will be delivering Adam, depending on who's on call that day. In the weight department, I ended up gaining four pounds over the last two weeks. Oops!!! The doctor I saw yesterday was pretty funny, outgoing and full of life. I told him that I've been feeling this really heavy pressure in my pelvic area and it's really uncomfortable. He replies with, "Yeah, at this point in pregnancy it should feel like everything is about to fall out of your vagina." Haha I said, "Oh. Wow. Okay. Well that about sums up what I'm feeling!" Lol.  I was happy to fin...

This past Sunday, we had Mom's birthday celebration and then went and spent all my gift cards! While this was indeed fun, I was pretty exhausted from all the happenings and was pretty cranky. And it really is overwhelming. Plus it was SO hot and my energy was pretty lacking, and I'm getting tired of being so tired, but we were able to get a ton of stuff with all my gift cards and my mom did a pretty good job of tolerating my mood. Mom helped me carry up all the bags and then that night, I organized and put stuff together and today I finished it all up, put it away and it all looks AWESOME. The room is REALLY coming together. With the cash I have left, it looks like I will get EVERYTHING on my list, with just the right amount of money. SO blessed!! My son will have everything he needs, plus the extras, plus a beautiful room. GOD REALLY DOES PROVIDE!!!!!

Saturday was my friends and family baby shower, hosted by my besties Christina and Jeana! They have put so much blood, sweat and tears into the planning of this that I knew it was going to be great, but they beyond exceeded my expectations!! The shower was held at Christina's friend Meredith's house. It was a beautiful home and perfect for a party. She was as gracious as she could be to all my guests and was a true lady. I am very grateful that she warmly allowed us all into her home. I walked in and saw the mantel first, which was ADORABLY decorated with a banner that Christina made. She made it as décor and for the baby's room. Yes, she took the time to MAKE this. It just blows me away. Mostly because I'm not crafty, but also because she's SO busy, I have no idea when she fit that in. On top of the banner was the letters she made for Adam's room. They are adorable. Nursery pics to come soon! But yeah she MADE those, too! WOW! Then I saw the food table. W...

Whew! It's been a whirlwind of a weekend! But in the best possible way!!! Friday we had a girls day! My friend Kelly drove up from San Antonio and I picked her up Friday morning at the bus station. We went to meet Christina at Cracker Barrel for brunch right after that. The food was really good but we had a pretty comical experience of the crankiest people on earth serving us. It was hysterical. After brunch, we went to Christina's to swim! This was definitely my favorite part of the day. There is nothing better than just laying out with your girlfriends without a care in the world. Was AWESOME! We even had sno cones delivered, thanks to Christina's sweet boyfriend. Christina and I "tanned" in complete shade and we somehow ended up burned, ha. I felt really fat in my swimsuit, but at least I felt fat with my girlfriends that don't care how I look. LOL I'm SO beyond looking cute at this point. I'm just SO tired. LOL. After we swam, Christina went ...