30 Weeks and 9 More To Go :)

So here we are at week 30!!  I'm so stoked, it's only 9 short weeks away!  In the next few months I will be getting things ready at work {I need to do 4 months worth of work in 2 months}, and at home {all I have to do is get some clothes washed for baby Sam}!!  I'm feeling pretty good and organized right now!  Since I already posted about my doc appointment, I'm gonna get this show on the road...here are the belly pics...

Here I am with Joey.  The caption said I weighed 108lbs.  That's so tiny :)  I started this {Sam's} pregnancy at 104lbs!  I am going to get after it and loose all this weight and more once Sam gets here!  P90X, I will OWN YOU {Viva La Mexico 2001}!!!!  I guess I was surprised in this photo because I was feeling so big??  Not sure, but I want to go back in time and slap my preggo Joey self and say suck it up, it's gonna get worse lady, just wait till Sam is in that belly!

On that note, here I am with Sam in my belly!  YOWSER....that's something to be surprised about :)  Right now I weigh 119lbs and my doc said I need to gain 10-15 more lbs!  To that I say "no thank you!"  I feel so big already and am not about gaining anymore weight :)  Not that I'm going on a diet or anything so don't freak out people, but I'm just gonna make sure I eat when I'm hungry not when I'm bored, and stay away from the fried stuff for the next 9 weeks!  It's better for me and the baby anyway!!!

Here's the Baby Center Update:

How your baby's growing (Week 30):

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

And for those who want the inside scoop...

That's all she wrote folks!  Another end to another week of pregnancy!  My next doc appointment is 2 Wednesdays from now, so next week we have belly pics then the following week we will have an official update on how things are going!  

Threads of Gratitude

Another week and so much to be thankful for!  Here goes...

Dear Father, thank you for a great Life Group!  We study your word and so much more!  I love how we can play just as hard as we pray, and that you have hand picked each of us to be in this group for a reason!

Lord, I am thankful for doctors..people who you have blessed with the desire to know and study the human body so that I didn't have to.  People that I can trust with this life growing inside me!  We are all talented in different ways and I just think it's amazing how you give us different talents to be stewards of here on this earth!

Jesus, thank you so much for this amazing weather the past few days!  It feels so good to feel the sun shining on my face, and to drive with the windows down and the music up!  I love sleeping with the windows open at night and not getting too hot during the day! 

Now it's your turn!  What are you thankful for?  Blog about it if you have a blog...leave your blog link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog, leave your threads in the comment section of this post! 

A Trip To The Library!!

So we haven't been to the Library in a while.....{I think a month}!  It's been a crazy month, and this upcoming month will be about the same, so hopefully we won't go a whole month again in between visits this time!  We got some good books, and I know that because we have to continually get this one book, and the others I know are good because we read when we got home!  Here they are...

This is a book that Joey asks for all the time!  There are 3 in the Pinkalicious series, so we just rotate between the 3 each time we go to the library! 

*We love this book, it's about a girl who loves the color pink :)  On a rainy day, she and her mom make pink cupcakes.  She eats a few too many and turns pink herself!  It's super cute, and even cuter when Joey says "I want Licious"!!  I recommend this book to anyone!!

Joey's current obsession is Dora anything!  Her bday party is going to be Dora themed because of the obsession!  She saw this book and we had to get it!

*We got home and read the book, and it's designed for older kids to learn how to read.  It puts recognizable pictures with words underneath them mid sentence so that kids can see the picture and read the word!  The book is cute, and way better than a 25 minute Dora show episode!  We will be checking more of these out in the future!

I got this book because the cover looked so much fun!  I'm all about judging books by their cover!!!  

*We got home and read this one too!  It's about a boy who loves to chew gum and there is a bully who is picking on him all the time.  He learns to blow crazy bubbles and the boy can't make fun of him anymore until he blows this super huge bubble on the cover that sends him soaring in the air!  The book is super cute and Johnny likes it because it rhymed all the way to the end!!

We have already read Llama Llama Misses Mama, and loved it!  We had to get this one because the first one was so cute!!

*This one is about taking your little one shopping which we all know can be oh so much fun!  Anywho, we read this one when we got home too and loved it!  Llama Llama books are so cute!

This was a "grab on the way out" book, and it was the cover that grabbed me!!

*This is about a girl who was born with super huge feet :)  She was cast in the school play as a clown because of them, but decides after watching another girl that she wants to do ballet with those big old feet.  Johnny read this one to Joey before bed tonight, and it was super cute!

Who doesn't love penguins??  I got this one based on the cover, it just looks so cute!  We have not read this one yet!!

I got this one based off of an internet search for children's books.  It came highly recommended and looked like a good one! We shall see!

I got this one because it has the word Tumble in the title :)  No seriously, that was the qualifying factor!  Looks like a rhyming book, and I'm sure we will like it once we get to reading it!

I've decided to put a little * and write the reviews as I read the books!  I love getting suggestions from other people, and maybe they will want mine :)  Let me know if you know of any good books we can get for Joey to read!!!

Iron, Gestational Diabetes, and Braxton Hicks...OH MY!!

So I had a doc appointment today {I get to go every 2 weeks for the next 6 weeks, then it's on to every week for the last 3 weeks} and we discussed all in the title :)  Great news...my Iron count is back up to an 11 from a 6!  That's great, and she said I didn't need to do anything more, all I have to do is keep up what I've been doing {taking 2 iron pills daily} and I'll be fine!  I also found out that I don't have gestational diabetes!  I passed the test "with flying colors" she said!  I am so thankful for both of these things and they are answers to prayers!  Yay God!!!!

Pee alert...that's right folks, I'm about to type an entire paragraph about peeing!  Feel free to tune out or feel free to read on....here we go!!!

As far as the Braxton Hicks go, last time I was at the doc, I was told to drink more water and stay hydrated!  So for the last few weeks I feel like I have been drowning myself with how much water I've been drinking, but the BH contractions are still here and actually woke me up the other night.  So I asked the doc today what was up with that.  She asked if I was peeing enough or if I was holding it in :)  I told her that I sometimes hold it I guess????  She said that when you have to pee and you hold it, your bladder contracts and that can also cause your uterus to contract.   So when I'm sleeping and my body is holding in the pee and my bladder is contracting causing my uterus to contract. Yikes...so basically I need to pee more!  I'll try anything at this point!  I'll report the progress later!!!

So that's it!  The appointment went great!  Oh and I weigh 119lbs which is depressing to me, but they said it's fine, and that I actually need to gain at least 10 more lbs before this baby shows up in 9 weeks.  I think this basketball is about to burst as it is, so we shall see!

OK, that's really it!  Bye Bye!!!

So Blessed!

So the other day I went to the dentist for the first time in about a year...I know, that's not good people!  My old dentist is in Richardson and I decided it was time to make the switch to a local dentist with better hours!    My friend Amanda recommended her dentist.  They are in Allen, so not too far, and they are a Christian company.  So I set up my appointment and went in for a cleaning and consultation!  The cleaning was great and I was complimented several times on who good I take care of me teeth :)  If you know me, my love language is "words of encouragement" so I was eating this up! 

Then I met with the dentist to talk about implants and what not. 

 {For those of you who don't know, I had a pretty serious cheerleading accident when I was in the 9th grade.  I fell out of a pyramid and broke my right wrist, my left elbow and knocked out my front 3 teeth....needless to say, it was a mess!!  Well, that was in 1996 and 14 years later, my arms are fine, but I'm still dealing with these silly teeth!  They actually ended up putting them back in and bonding the teeth together after the accident, then I had to get root canals on all 3 teeth.  About 5 years ago I bit into a cherry pit, cracked one of my back teeth and that's when I started seeing a dentist again. Since that day I have had a crown put on that tooth, had my wisdom teeth pulled {4}, had 4 other teeth pulled because my mouth is too small for all those toofers, had my front 3 teeth that they put back in my head removed, had braces, and now have a flipper {kind of like a denture but not held in the same way} to fill the gap in the front of my mouth where my front 3 teeth used to be....phew, that's a lot!} 

 So back to meeting with the dentist...he said that my teeth look great...no decay or anything like that, but before we get the implants going, I have to get braces again!  You read that right folks, I have to get braces again...invisalign, but still.  He said that my old ortho got all the money he needed and stopped the job short {not fixing my bite and some other small things}.  To the naked eye I guess my teeth look great, but when we are talking about spending money for implants {a huge investment} they must be done right or they can be ruined and the money just gets to be spent all over again :(  So I literally started tearing up when I heard the news...I mean I just got out of braces 2 years ago, and I knew I was done for good!  Blah...

So you are wondering, where does this title "So Blessed" come into play?  

Well when I was leaving the dentist's office I called Johnny and he said he and Joey were at the park, so I stopped by and this is what was going on....

Just when I was in the middle of my pity party, I was reminded of some of the most precious blessings in my life!  Joey is so much fun these days, she laughs, runs, and plays all the time!  And my husband is amazing!  He spent his entire Spring Break playing with our little girl.  He does this not out of obligation, but out of desire, and I couldn't ask for anything better!  These to people light up my life, and this is why I am so blessed!  Just when things look dark, God reveals the light!  Praise God, I needed it after the dentist :)

29 Weeks and 10 To Go!!!

I am so excited to write about this week!  You see when I had Joey in my belly at this time, I was in Mexico for my cousin's wedding!!!!  It was so much fun to share her day with her :)......more about that later!

This week I am feeling pretty good!  It has been a busy week since I wrote last, and I am in full nesting mode!  Not sure what nesting is??  Well it's basically a need to organize, clean, and be in control of the situation!  For instance, Monday I was super tired, but I cleaned out and organized the pantry.  We had an old griddle stored in there that we need to donate along with some other donation items and expired food items....it's all gone! Then I arranged the pantry based on things we use the most and put all the stuff I need on the shelfs I can reach and put Johnny's stuff on the top shelf where I can't reach!  After dinner I cleaned and organized our laundry room supplies.  Made sure all the like things were together, threw out old stuff and cleaned our shelf that holds all these items!  After that I tackled the game closet.  I again found some things for donation, and rearranged all our games so that I could reach the ones we use the most.  I put the kid ones on the top shelf to get when our nieces and nephews come over because Johnny is usually home too and he can reach those for us :)  Our gift bags are also in this closet...I grouped all the like bags {Christmas with Christmas, Bday with Bday, Baby Shower with Baby Shower, etc.} and went on my way!  Needless to say, I slept well that night!  Oh and I also cleaned the toilets...what can I say, I was on a roll!

The rest of this week is crazy too with meetings, practices, deliveries and more, but I won't go into that!  I have an appointment with my OB next Monday, and I'm happy to say that I haven't heard anything from my doctor about the gestational diabetes..they said if I didn't hear from them within 5 days that I didn't have it and don't have to do the 3 hour test!  Yippeeeeeee :)  I'm also thinking "no news is good news" in the iron department because they said they would call me if we needed to do anything in addition to what Iron I'm already taking.  We shall see I guess...now on with the belly pics!!!

It's no secret that I love Mexico!  It's sunny, peaceful, relaxing and more!  I love the smell of sunblock, and I also love drinks on the beach!  I could go on forever, but I won't bore you :)  Anywho, because I love Mexico and more importantly love my cousin Lindsay, I went to her destination wedding to sing during the ceremony, and have a great time with family!!  So naturally all the belly pics took place in this little piece of paradise!  Here they are :)

This is me, Lindsay, and Joey {in the bump}!  Lindsay now has her own baby Maddux and he is so super cute!!

Here I am back in the hotel room for a real belly pic with baby Joey :)

And what's Mexico without a bikini, a book and a lawn chair??  Nothing if you ask me!  Here I am rocking all 3 with Joey in my belly :)  What a fun time!  Linds...thanks for letting me be a part of your special weekend!!  I love you!!!!

Here I am with baby Sam and my best "holy tamoles" look on my face!  She's been kicking like crazy and has loved nestling into my ribs {joy}

On with the Baby Center Update!

How your baby's growing {Week 29}:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

And for those who want the inside scoop...here you go!!!

This has been a great week, and I can't wait to update everyone on my appointment next week!  If you are reading this, thanks for sticking this post out...it was a long one!

Wishful Wednesday!!!

Kelsey posts a super fun questions on Wishful Wednesday this week and I was so excited to participate!  Here it is...

'I wish' .... I could afford _______ without putting a dent in my pocketbook!

......and my answer is......

'I wish' .... I could afford the Lockit Louis Vuitton handbag without putting a dent in my pocketbook!

Louis Vuitton Lockit Handbag...only $885 :)

Let's be honest, I'm a mom of a 2 year old, and about to be a mom of a 2 year old and a newborn, so affording such luxury is something I can't even fathom right now....but one day, I will own a Louis Vuitton!!!  I will :)  It would be great to stick some diapers in and get going, don't you think? :)

So what handbag would you buy if you could???  Pop on over to Kelsey's blog and link yours to hers letting everyone know!!!

Threads of Gratitude

Here we are, 1 more week down!  What are you thankful for??  

Dear Father, I am so thankful for Godly girlfriends that I can have fun with!  I just put make up on for these ladies...that's how much I love them :)

Most High...thank you for our amazing babysitter Holli!  She loves our daughter and goes more than the extra mile.  She is so good to Joey and I can tell Joey loves her!  Each night she prays for Holli without being reminded to do so :)  It's so stinkin cute :)

Jesus, thank you for saving me from an eternity in the lake of fire.  I'm so thankful for the free gift you have so generously given me and can't wait to reign with you one day!

 Now it's your turn!  What are you thankful for?  Blog about it if you have a blog...leave your blog link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog, leave your threads in the comment section of this post! 

Wishful Wednesday!!!

If you haven't joined in on Wishful Wednesday yet with Kelsey at the Seattle Smiths, then you are jumping in on a fun one!  She poses the question below:

'I wish' .... I could win the lottery REAL soon, and I would hope to ________.

**The real question is would you

1.) quit your job/career 
2.) continue working

'I wish' .... I could win the lottery REAL soon, and I would continue to work and volunteer {I get bored at the house}.

Let's be honest, I love to work!  I think I'll work as long as I can, and I'll volunteer till the day I die!  How about you??  What would you do??  Write your post and link back to Kelsey's blog!

28 Weeks Down...11 To Go!!

So here we are on week 28 and I just had a doc appointment yesterday which I wrote about here.  I am feeling pretty good and weighed in at 115lbs at the doc :)    I've been sleeping much better these days  with my new pillow {thanks Tracy!!} and my hips aren't hurting when I get up!  I have been super tired and a little dizzy at times, but as mentioned yesterday, my doc said that was normal at this time during my pregnancy.  Enough of the boring stuff, on with the belly pics...

Here I am with JoJo in my tummy!  I look super thrilled :)  Check out that mouth full of braces!!  I've said it before, but I'm so glad to be done with those things!!  Nothing significant happened this week that I recall so lets move on to baby Sam belly :)

That face is much more fun, and that belly is much bigger :)  This week several people asked me when I got preggo.  Apparently I was looking really pregnant this week!  I would have to agree, I at least feel very preggo!

On with the Baby Center update.....

How your baby's growing {Week 28}:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

And for those of you who want to get the inside scoop, here's the pic that tells all...

See you next week!!!!

Doc Appointment

So today I had a doc appointment.  It went well!  I had to drink a super sugary drink before I had to go to the doc.  Once I got there the clock started ticking...you see, they were testing for gestational diabetes and they have to draw blood exactly an hour after you finish the sugary drink.  I will find out my results sometime within the week.  I didn't have gestational diabetes with Joey so the likely hood of having it this time around is not likely! 

They were also drawing blood to see how my iron count is going.  I told my doc I was a bit worried because I've ben dizzy lately {I forgot to mention the tiredness}.  She said right now during the pregnancy women who are anaemic are at their most anaemic at this point, and again, I'm not getting enough rest and water.  She said if the blood tests came back and they were worried, they would let me know and we would get to gettin on fixin it!

I also asked about my Braxton Hicks contractions and she said that I needed to drink fluids and rest.  She said that when she was 25 weeks with her 2nd child she had to go to the hospital because she was dehydrated.  They pumped her with a couple bags of liquid IV and she was good to go!  She told me to drink enough water to make my pee clear each day :)  Game on!!!

Last but not least, they checked for early dialation.  I am not at all dialated so all it good!

My next appointment is in 2 weeks.  I can't believe we are already to the 2 week appointment mark!!!  This baby will be here in 11 weeks or less....WOW!!  Belly pics tomorrow!!

Threads of Gratitude

Here are mine :)  Join in if you like!  Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King...His love endures FOREVER!!!

Father, Thank you for my job.  Even though there is tons to do before Baby Sam comes, I have a job and I love the job that I do!  I love that I get to work for my brother in law who is honestly the best boss I've ever had...even on his worst days :)

Lord, I am so grateful for a husband who loves spending time with our daughter! He has a week off and is delighted to take Joey to the park, play games, make lunches, and more!  What an amazing man!

God, Thanks for music.  I love singing in the choir at church and I am so grateful that you would have me sing for you!  I know that whenever people open their mouths and sing to you that you are delighted, and it delights me!!!!

and Finally....Jesus I am so thankful for my new pillow that is helping me sleep better at night!  I know it seems trite, but I am so excited that I am sleeping through the night and that my hips are feeling better in the mornings!!!

So those are mine, what are yours??  My friend Tamra emails me her Threads of Gratitude every week, and here are hers for this week...

LORD, thank you for time away from work. Although I'm still grading and planning and working around the house, spring break is a much needed respite!  Thank you for that time. Father, thank you for a few days with my hubby while the kids are having fun at Grandma's. The time to just quietly exist is very nice. Most HIgh, thank you for the message given by Rafe yesterday. To be reminded of what's coming is always good. Now it's your turn!  What are you thankful for?  Blog about it if you have a blog...leave your blog link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog, leave your threads in the comment section of this post!

27 Weeks.....12 To Go!!

So here we are at week 27!  Johnny and I talked about it the other day and this baby will be in 12 weeks for sure!!!  It should be 13 weeks, but I am scheduled for a c-section at 39 weeks, so we are officially 12 weeks away!!!  I can't believe it :)  This pregnancy has gone by so quickly!  I am feeling great and thanks to my friend Tracy I am sleeping with a cool new pillow that is helping my hips at night!  There's not much going on this week, so I'll get on with the belly pics!!! 

Here I am with Joey in my belly...the flowers are fake :)  Not sure what I was thinking in this pic, but it looks like I was having fun :)

Here I am with Sam in my belly!  This is my "Look Mom, no hands" pose!  I can't rest things on my belly while standing, but it will hold up my shirt :)  Crazy right??  And to think, this baby isn't done, I'm going to get BIGGER!!  This week I have pretty much stopped picking Joey up because Sam kicks her every chance she gets!  When she kicks, it not only gets Joey, it hurts mommy....she's strong!!!

On with the Baby Center Update :)

How your baby's growing (27 Weeks):

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

And here's the inside scoop for those interested!!!

I'd also like to give a shout out to my friend's Holly and Aaron who just had their first baby a few weeks ago!  Check out Aaron's daddy blog, it's super fun!

Threads of Gratitude

So I'm trying this new thing that my friend Tamra mentioned to me.  It's called Threads of Gratitude and was started by a friend of hers a few years ago.  Here's the jist...take some time each week to give thanks to God for the things/circumstances/people/etc. in our lives.  I pray often, but too often it is about things I "need" or prayers for my friends.  Rarely do I reflect on the good that is going on in my life because of our maker!  So here goes....

Father, I want to thank you for the life growing within me.  How cool and scarey is it that you have entrusted my body with one of your own creations?  I am completely honored and amazed, and can't wait to hold and mold baby Sam!


Lord, thank you for my Life Group who are a constant source of encouragement.  They help guide me spiritually, they pray for me and I for them, they make me laugh, and I am so lucky to have each and every one of the members in it in my life!


Jesus, I am so grateful to have a husband who is present and so much more.  By that I mean he helps out, loves his daughter, loves me, and works really hard for our family while making time for our family.  He is a man who chases after you with excitement and leads me in that direction as well! 


Father, I am in awe of you and the book of Revelation.  I am so thankful that we go to a church who is not afraid to read from and study your word.  


Now it's your turn.  Write on your blog and leave your post's link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog? Leave your Threads in my comment section. I will post my Threads every Tuesday and if enough people comment with a link to their blog, I'll get a MckLinky thing to go with mine!  So what are you thankful for?  What has our Lord blessed you with today?

Paint!!!

So we have had some cruddy weather here in McKinney, Texas lately, so imagine my surprise when I picked Joey up from Miss Holli's on Tuesday and it was beautiful outside!!!  I called Johnny and we decided to meet at the park at our church which is right by the school he teaches at.  We got there and it was FREEZING!!!  We lasted until Daddy got there and about 5 minutes after that which resulted in no pictures from our park outing :) Burrrrrrrrrr

On a different/but similar note, today was also a beautiful day, but instead of kinda being beautiful, it was full on beautiful!!  We didn't meet Johnny at a park, but we did decide to paint when we got home!  I dressed Joey in some pants that don't have a matching top, and one of my old favorite shirts that I used to wear when I was a skinny mini, and we went on our way!  It was nice to be in the sun and even nicer to create something from nothing!  My roomie from college used to paint all the time, and she would let me use her stuff :)  I forgot how much I like to just sit and paint......keep in mind an almost 2 year old was helping, so my personal work is not represented in the pictures to follow :)  Here's how the painting went.....

All the paint is out...let's go!!

Don't worry, her left arm is not that short....my shirt that is skin tight on me is way big for her and she has her elbow bent :)

She didn't like when the brushes were dirty so she'd put one down and start with another one :)

Like a true artist...sitting back and preparing to create!

Oooooo La La!!

She also didn't like when the paint would get on her hands till I let her know she could wipe them on the shirt! {Notice the shirt says "Everyone loves an Irish girl".  I absolutely love this shirt and I'm so sad that there is a hole in the shoulder and that I have too big of a belly to wear this anymore!  Alas, it is now Joey's painting shirt....and she looks very Irish in it if you ask me! }

Daddy's home!  Check out what we have done Daddy :)

Now she's really going after it!

Go Joey Go!!

She threw her paintbrush down and said "I'm done"

Showing us that her sock also got paint on it...Oh well, we will manage!

How do you get the creative juices flowing with your kiddos??  I like crafty things, and would love to let Joey help with some stuff, I'm just too darn particular :)  So I need some ideas!