Blue-Eyed Bride

did you move with me?

2009-10-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

I noticed that some traffic is still going to this site, so I wanted to remind everyone to update your Readers and blog rolls with the new Blue-Eyed Bride blog.

Visit me at blueeyedbride.com!

See you over there!

a birthday!!!

2009-05-26T05:26:00.001-07:00

Today is a very exciting day for me! I've been waiting for this day for quite a while and after finally getting everything together it has happened.

Today is the last day that I'll be posting Blue-Eyed Bride posts at this address, akincarroll.blogspot.com. This blog has really evolved from just a family blog to update everyone on our wedding plans to a place where I find my friends every day.

From now on, you can find me at BlueEyedBride {dot} com. Click on the button below to be directed to the new site and find out all of the exciting details!

I am so excited for all of you to see the hard work that has gone into the new site and I would be so happy if all of you come along for the ride with me. My blog friendships mean so much to me, so please don't forget to make the switch!

I have turned off the comments at this address. All of my old and archived posts can be found at the new address, too.

If you have any questions, please email me at eeakin11 {at} gmail {dot} com. Lots of exciting things are coming up, including the arrival of Baby Boy Carroll and the debut of his nursery. Please come with us and update your Readers!

Love y'all!

Erin

pre-baby maternity leave to do list

2009-05-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

I'm really looking forward to the few days (weeks?) that I'll have at home to prepare before the baby arrives. There are quite a few things that I'd like to get done and just because I love making lists, I'm going to share the list with you.

Finish reading Same Kind of Different as Me
Read The Shack
Finish reading The Happiest Baby on the Block
Read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Clear out my DVR
Catch up on my Netflix
Go to Target to get last minute items for hospital bag
Organize closet and put away most maternity clothes (while realizing that my old clothes won't fit immediately)
Stock the pantry and freezer with ingredients for meals
Make a list of desired meals and organize recipes
Put together a good list of people to call when the baby arrives
Begin working on big blog project
Install car seats
Get guest bedroom ceiling repaired
Wait.

Does anyone have any good book suggestions or movie suggestions? It will be a long time before we can go to the movies, so my Netflix queue is in need of a good update.

Does anyone have a favorite recipe that they'd like to share? It needs to be easy and man friendly. Todd is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so the recipes need to be something that he's going to like, too. You can email any suggestions to me at erakin11 {at} hotmail {dot} com.

Finally, would anyone like to volunteer to bring a beautiful order of sushi to me in the hospital?

Oh, and an Arnold Palmer, please!

image via Hostess Blog

moving along

2009-05-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

We've had quite the eventful week at our house. The nursery is coming together thanks to my wonderful parents (no, you can't see pictures yet) and we finished off our registry at Babies R Us thanks to Todd's parents. Now the baby boy has everything he needs. Now all we need is the baby boy.

At my last doctor's appointment at 36 weeks, I had an ultrasound to check out his position. At this point I'm reluctant to say anything about how things are progressing because 1) so many readers and commenters are harsh and judgmental and will tell me to change something about what I'm doing and I just don't want to read it right now and 2) things could change at any point on their own. I don't want to report news because I know that by my next appointment things could change.

Our little boy is currently a whopping 7 lbs 9 oz and at my next appointment on Thursday of this week I'm sure they'll tell me he's even bigger than that. He is in oblique position and running out of room to turn. I've had two ultrasounds in the last two weeks and I'll have another this Thursday to see what position he's in. If, at that point, he is still oblique, the doctor wants to schedule a c-section for 38 weeks. So this guy could be here before June.

We're frantically trying to get everything ready before next Thursday as we prepare for his arrival. We'll put the finishing touches on the nursery, finally get the car seat and extra car seat base installed, and now we've got one more project to tackle. We live in an old house and have had some leak trouble in our guest bedroom the whole time we've lived there. After a few repairs but not official diagnoses, the ceiling finally fell in yesterday. Beautiful. This is the room that my parents will be staying in when they come to help me with the baby, so it's crucial that we get it fixed as soon as possible.

Nothing like good timing, right?

Good news, though: my last day of work before maternity leave is Friday. It's so nice to have that light at the end of the tunnel. I'm experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions a few times every day and working is next to impossible. Sitting is next to impossible. I'm looking forward to being at home and preparing myself mentally for our lives to change!

I promise to post an update after my appointment on Thursday. Keep us in your prayers as we enter the final few days. Baby's health is of utmost importance to me.

holy prom photo, Batman!

2009-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through some old boxes yesterday looking for books from my childhood to add to the baby's library when I found some fun old pictures. I had to pull this one in particular out because you may recognize a few other bloggers in it.

This is a photo of my friends and me at our senior prom ("Take My Breath Away" was the theme-- horrible, right?) in March or April of 2000. Nine whole years ago. Not possible.

The dress that I'm wearing was really wonderful and I ended up wearing it again for something after college because it is so timeless. Too bad you can't really see it in this picture. Like my wedding dress, it is in a box where it is being preserved under our guest bedroom bed.

Serving as the "bookends" for this picture, are me on the left and Ms. Nonsense on the far right. My hair was pretty short back then and I was in the process of growing it out.

In the background, in the lovely raspberry dress is Practically Perfect and next to her (standing, left) in the pretty coral dress is Mrs. H.

How I Clean Now

2009-05-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was approached to take part in a blogger cleaning intervention hosted by Pledge. I recently wrote a post about some of the challenges of pregnancy and how cleaning in our house has fallen to my husband (or fallen by the wayside) and the good folks at Pledge saw that post.

For the past few weeks I've been working for Pledge helping them to promote this product-- and they are paying me and offering me some very helpful advice on how to maintain a clean, baby-friendly home. This is the new Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner. You can learn a lot more about it and a great contest for you at How I Clean Now.

You can read my blog posts, and the posts of four other bloggers who have some home cleaning challenges, at the How I Clean Now bloggers page.

We opened up our home to a video crew and those videos will go live in a few days so you can see me talk about my challenges and our problem areas. The lovely Trish Suhr will be offering me some very helpful feedback to try to get my house ready for Baby Boy Carroll and how to easily maintain a clean house once he arrives.

So if you want to see what I'm writing about and how I'm losing all kinds of control in my home because of pregnancy, dogs, and lack of energy, please check out the Pledge blog. And feel free to leave your cleaning tips as comments on that blog.

a year is long enough

2009-05-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

A year ago this week we returned from our fabulous honeymoon on Maui. We both returned to work and got back into the swing of things. I always had a long list of housekeeping type things in my head that I needed to do now that I was married: get new driver's license, change name at social security office, change name at bank, get joint accounts, change name on insurance.

Over the past year I've gradually taken care a few of these tasks. I keep telling Todd that I'll do them sooner and without complaint if he'll come with me and just sit there. You know, since he married me and all. I am taking his name.

I was allowed to change my name at the DMV without changing it at social security first. My doctor's office, though, won't change my name until I change it at social security and change it with benefits at work so as to avoid confusion. This is where Todd is upset and concerned. The baby's birth certificate (which should be filled out in about 3 weeks) will show that we have two different last names and he's not okay with that.

So, I am taking actual leave from my job today and braving the smelly social security office-- with all necessary documents in hand. I hope. And Purell in hand. Blech. If I'm catching Swine Flu that's where it's going to happen. So, dear friends, at the end of today I will officially be Mrs. Todd Carroll. And I promise I won't still be mad that I spent most of my day at the social security office.

Anyone else been married a year and still hasn't changed her name?

happy mother's day, KK!

2009-05-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you the last time I saw my mom on Mother's Day. It always makes me a little sad that I don't ever get to celebrate my love and appreciation for her in person because we live so far apart.

This Mother's Day she and my dad are on an Alaskan Cruise and then going to Los Angeles for a couple of days. Must be nice!

We have always had a very special relationship and I can see a lot of her in me. I can also see a lot of my dad in me. I remember a big argument that we had back when I was in high school and I asked her why she couldn't just be my friend. Her response was, "Because I'm your mother. I'm not here to be your friend." And she was right at the time.

But now things are completely different. I go to her with everything and she is my best friend. I still need advice and I ask her. If it's decorating advice or relationship advice, I go to her. She is an amazing woman of God and I learn from her every day. Her patience and desire to give and provide for everyone she comes in contact with are truly inspirational.

She is the first person I call when something funny happens or I'm upset about something that happened at work. I know she's always going to listen and because we're so similar, she's going to give me a response that either makes me laugh or gets me fired up! I'm sure she is driven crazy by the insane amount of times I call her every day.

So here's to all of the mothers out there!

holy 35 weeks pregnant, Batman!

2009-05-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Do y'all see the pregnancy ticker right up there? Right above this post? Does it really say 35 weeks and 0 days today?

Just a little FYI: there is no way that I'm going to be pregnant for five more weeks. I'm not going to show you a picture of me to prove it, but I'm freakin' huge. I know, I know. I'm going to get bigger. There's just a really big baby in there already.

I go for my 35 week appointment tomorrow and the only big event happening at that time is my Group B Strep test. Awesome. Some of these routine pregnancy things are really disgusting and I'm so glad that our wonderful nurse at the child-birth class told us about this test because I would be in for a world of surprise tomorrow at my appointment if she hadn't.

My normal routine for going to the doctor is 1) check in at the front desk, 2) walk down the hall where Todd waits in the "Waiting Womb" and I go to leave a urine sample, 3) go in to have my blood pressure checked and weigh in. Right now, I've gained about 35 pounds. There, it's in writing for everyone to see. I'm sure, by the end it will be at least 40 pounds. Oh well.

TMI alert: (stop reading if you don't want to know a little too much about me)

On the way to the doctor's office every time I'm thinking to myself, "I don't even have to pee. How am I going to leave a urine sample?" Then as soon as I step into the restroom and lock the door, I feel like I'm going to wet my pants.

I start doing the pee pee dance and frantically try to unwrap the plastic wrap around the plastic cup and then pull down the giant maternity pants. There's always a little bit of a question in my mind about my aim and if I'll actually make it into the cup, but there was never a problem. Until the last visit.

My stomach has gotten so big that it's physically difficult for me to hold the cup in the line of fire and make it around my belly. The toilet at the doctor's office stands up really tall, but because I'm so "front heavy" I'm always afraid the gravity is going to pull me forward onto my face while I'm trying to balance and hold the cup in the correct position. So at my last visit, I really had to go. I miraculously made it into the cup, but as I was pulling the cup back up, I hit my belly, stumbled, and dropped the entire cup in the toilet. Toilet water filled the remainder of the cup and my "sample" was ruined.

The worst part was that I had to retrieve the cup from the toilet so I could throw it away. Then I had to ask for a bottle of water so I could "try again" at the end of my appointment. Of course I didn't tell them why I was unsuccessful on my first try. I'm sure I've psyched myself out now and I'll struggle with this for my next four visits. Lovely. It's a good thing they have amazing soap and scalding water in those restrooms.

picnic chic

2009-05-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

I am co-hosting a bridal shower for one of my best friends. She is getting married in Charlotte on August 1 and I am beyond happy for her!

Her shower is in Charlotte, too, a few days before my due date, so I'm only hoping that the baby hangs in there for a few more days so I can actually be there for the shower. Because I wasn't positive how much I could help on the day of the shower, I volunteered to coordinate the invitations.

We decided that we wanted to do a picnic theme shower in yellow and navy. Then Ashley Brooke Designs found me.

Remember when I hosted the giveaway for Ashley? Well, I decided I had to not only have something for me, but I was so inspired by her Kentucky Derby themed invitations, that I knew that Christina's shower invitations had to be done by Ashley!

I sent her the following images for inspiration that I found on Once Wed via Chelsea Fuss.

And a few hours later, Ashley sent this to me:

The drawing looks just like my friend and the invitation fits the inspiration perfectly! I can't wait for the shower! Thanks, Ashley!

say hello to my little friend

2009-05-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce all of you to my anniversary present:

Isn't it beautiful? My husband is too good to me! Very similar to my reaction to my new handbag, I haven't worn it yet because I'm afraid to. I also haven't had it fitted yet, so I don't want the extra linkage to be clanking around on my desk all day.

You all should know some background on my timepiece collection, though.

Back in the eighth grade, I begged my parents for a Swiss Army watch. I saw it at a store and absolutely loved it. It was around Christmastime and my dad kept telling me, "Erin, you're not old enough or responsible enough to have a nice watch like that."

I had one present under the tree that Christmas and it was my Swiss Army watch!

Even now, when I see pictures of this watch I love it. I have worn that watch every day (except when the battery is dead and I'm too lazy to get it replaced) since the eighth grade. Christmas of 1995 until today!

I'm not trying to prove that I "deserved" a new watch, but I am quite proud of myself for being "responsible enough" to have a nice watch like that for so many years.

our wedding: one year later

2009-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we were...

Dancing to "Boogie Shoes" with my best friends...

Exiting the reception with our guests waving the wands I made...

Riding around downtown Greenville with Earl the horse...

Goofing off with our best friends...

And taking some time from the partying to catch up with each other...

Acting like big kids and eating giant lollipops at my mom's gorgeous candy buffet...

Preparing to join hands and hearts til death do us part...

Frolicing around the Furman campus with pretty pink umbrellas...

Listening to sweet little girls tell funny stories...

Taking one crazy group pic...

Turning the party over to Walter and The Root Doctors and dancing our tails off...

Stealing a "first glance" before the ceremony began...

Trying to pretend like it was any other day and I was just putting on my make up, as usual, in an effort to not completely mess up and look nothing like myself...

Putting on my wedding dress for the last time, but the only time that it really mattered...

just an excuse to break out the bridal portraits

2009-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Because it's my blog and because we're celebrating our anniversary, today's post is just some of my favorite bridal portraits by Kelly Moore Photography.

Kelly took me to Benton, Louisiana that day and then we ventured into downtown Shreveport. It was a whole lot of fun to prance around in my wedding dress that day.

I haven't attempted to sell the dress yet because I'd like to wait for the economy to turn around first. If you're getting married and you're interested in a size 4 Carolina Herrera let me know and we'll work out a deal!

gone to Savannah

2009-04-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

We're leaving for Savannah tomorrow morning to celebrate our anniversary. A whole year has flown by. We spent most of the year adjusting to pregnancy, but it has been something that we've tackled together.

We don't have many plans for this weekend. We're going to do a trolley tour and we have dinner reservations at a couple of restaurants that promise to be amazing. I may spend a lot of time just taking a nap. It doesn't matter much to me what we do.

It's just nice to get away, out of town, with my husband. I have a few posts scheduled for this weekend recapping the year and looking back at a year ago.

And because it's our anniversary and I love an excuse to break out some great images from Kelly Moore Photography, here are some of our engagement photos.

a whole lotta gratitude

2009-04-27T08:24:00.001-07:00

Today marks two years from the day that Todd and I got engaged. I can't believe it has been two years since that day, nearly four years since our first date, and Sunday will mark one year since our wedding day.

Like all relationships, we've had our good days and our not-so-good days. We're about to welcome our first child into the world together and I'm looking forward to many more "together" moments.

engagement day, April 28, 2007

One of the things about our relationship that I'm most proud of is that the instant I met him, I knew I was going to marry him. I knew my parents would love him. I just knew. This was it. I don't know how I knew, but it was obvious to me very early on that he was the one for me.

My parents instantly loved him and they tell me on a regular basis how wonderful he is and how lucky I am to have him. They're exactly right. It had been a long time since my parents really liked a boyfriend and I was so happy to be able to enjoy spending time with all of them together.

The other night, Todd and I were at dinner with my dad at Mr. Friendly's and one of my exboyfriends walked in. In the four years that Todd and I have been together, this has never happened. We've never run into an exboyfriend or exgirlfriend. He came over to the table with his girlfriend and introduced her. Then he hugged me, shook Todd's hand, and hugged my dad. We talked about my large belly, talked about what they had done that night, said how nice it was to see each other, and then they went to their table and we continued to enjoy our dinner at our table.

When they walked away, my dad said, "Who was that?"

He honestly did not remember who he was. I know that Todd got a ton of satisfaction out of his question, but it really showed me how much my family loves Todd and how they truly thought that all of my other relationships before him were insignificant. It was my Garth Brooks "Unanswered Prayers" moment. It wasn't completely uncomfortable for me (maybe a little for Todd), but we all realized just how lucky we are when the moment was over. God picked out the perfect person for me and brought us both to the same place at the same time when there were so many other places we could have ended up.

I told Todd later that night how lucky I feel to not have to run the risk of seeing any of his exgirlfriends from college or law school. None of them live in town and it's just something that has never been an issue. I know a lot of girls have to exchange pleasantries with their husband's or boyfriend's exes and I feel so fortunate that I've never had to even think about that.

Happy engagement anniversary, TC! I love you!

Anyone else have any awkward encounters with your own ex or your significant other's ex?

my big fat sigh of relief

2009-04-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

My events are over! (okay, not officially over, but the three that I have left before I go on maternity leave are small and no big deal) I can breathe now! Everything went great and I'm so thankful for all of the volunteers that helped and a couple of my coworkers who did everything in their power to be there to lift heavy things (literally) when I needed them.

My dad was in town this weekend and I had a baby shower hosted by a couple of amazing girls in my Sunday school class on Saturday. My dad and Todd drove me to the shower and I seriously almost burst into tears of relief as I thought about having the two most important, caring, protective men in my life being right there when I'm nearly 34 weeks pregnant and just coming off one of the most challenging weeks of my life. The event was over and I had Todd and my dad in the car with me! sigh

I'm such a big kid and I've mentioned this before, but I feel so much relief and comfort when my parents are around. Maybe it's because they live so far away, but no matter which one of them is visiting or if they're both visiting, I feel like I can completely relax. My mom was in Denver this weekend visiting my cousin and her 3 month old baby girl for the first time, but it was great having my dad around. He helped Todd put down the massive rug in the nursery and helped us assemble our Graco SweetPeace soothing center (a glorified baby swing).

I am looking forward to both of my parents coming in town for the arrival of Baby Boy and being around to help us with all the little things. I'm sure I'll be a complete basketcase as soon as they leave!

a pattern?

2009-04-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

One year ago this week, I was doing all of the same things I'm doing this week except instead of preparing for a baby I was preparing for our wedding.

Tonight I worked the Etiquette Dinner that I've been planning and tomorrow night I'll do the same thing. On Thursday and Friday I'll be working on our big golf tournament and kick off party. Last year, I was doing the same exact thing except I was stressed for different reasons.

I had butterflies in my stomach about all the events I was working on and the biggest event of my life: our wedding! I was juggling phone calls with our caterer, the contact at the chapel, and the people at the golf course. I was so worried that something was going to fall through the cracks-- and nothing did. I was worried about everything I ate because I needed to fit into my size 4 wedding dress. I was excited about seeing all of my best friends in one location! I was so excited about our Maui honeymoon and couldn't wait to get some sun and spend time with my new husband.

This week I'm juggling doctor's appointments, furniture deliveries, a 5 pound baby that kicks all the time, clothes that don't fit, and conversations with the golf course and 48 student volunteers. I'm worried about everything I eat because I want to satisfy my strong hunger, but keep my little boy healthy. I'm excited about meeting my son for the first time and spending an extended period of time with my parents when they come out to meet the baby. I'm really looking forward to our anniversary trip to Savannah and then our post-baby getaway with my extended family.

History shows that spring is obviously a really busy time for me. I wonder what major life event I'll be experiencing at this time next year. What is in store for 2010?

Todd, mom, and dad, if you're reading this, don't worry. I'm not going to come up with something just to keep things interesting in 2010. I think a "year off" will do us some good.

Totally unrelated, please look at the adorable stationery that arrived today from Ashley Brooke Designs! After the baby comes, I'll debut the version with his name on it! I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to start writing baby shower thank you notes on these! (Isn't Fiona just the cutest thing?)

weekend plans

2009-04-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

My major event for the year is next Thursday and Friday and I have two minor events on Monday and Tuesday. It will be a pretty hectic week, so I'm really looking forward to this weekend and getting a chance to do whatever I want and relax.

Todd and I are going to see State of Play tonight. I love Rachel McAdams and I've never gotten over my ninth grade crush on Ben Affleck. I'm sure we'll eat dinner at some cheesy chain restaurant near the movie theater.

We're having dinner tomorrow night with a couple of friends from Sunday school at Mr. Friendly's, my favorite restaurant. I'll probably spend some of the day tomorrow at work either grading papers or working on event day timelines to give to everyone out at the golf course. I only have to work on the weekend about three times a year and I always dread it. I know I'll feel much better on Monday if I just get it over with this weekend, though.

I had a beautiful lunch shower at the Motor Supply Company today and we had so much fun! I gave the hostesses gift certificates for massages and I'm hopeful they'll invite me to join them-- and I'll cash in on my prenatal massages! Baby Boy Carroll got some great gifts today! I love it when people give us their favorite baby gift or favorite baby book. Then there are those gifts that we need like the Diaper Champ and the Mobile Activity Mat. We're getting really close to being all set and ready for a baby!

Have a great weekend, friends!

lamaze = lecrap? {vol. 2}

2009-04-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

This post is intended to be an update on how our childbirth classes went, but I have a feeling it's going to turn into a little more than that.

Todd and I arrived at our all day Saturday childbirth class at the hospital with two pillow and a blanket in tow (for the dreaded lamaze/breathing portion). There were three other young couples in the room and one of the other couples also got the memo about the pillows and blanket. The lovely, sarcastic, and perfectly perfect nurse told us that she doesn't believe much in that so we should just take the pillows and blanket back to the car. Score! The day started off perfect!

So that's my lamaze experience. Nothing. No breathing. No "hoo hoo heeeeee". Nada. Her response was, "that's why there's the epidural. If you really want the lamaze I can put you in touch with someone who teaches those, but it's not me." I loved her.

The class was very much like any other classroom experience. Lots of Power Point, lots of questions, and a few much too informative videos. I've watched "A Baby Story" on TLC a couple of times, but things are often blurry. Nothing was blurred out in this video. And nothing was pretty. These women were completely exposed from head to toe.

Now, I like clothes. I even like hospital gowns if it means that a doctor, an anesthesiologist, two nurses, a scrub tech, and my husband aren't going to be staring at every inch of me for God knows how long while I scream and sweat and push a baby out. Why weren't these women wearing their robes?! Do they think it's organic and natural for a woman to be totally nude?

Seriously, the first question asked after the video by one of the husbands was, "Where are the hospital gowns?!" The second question was, "How can I sign up for a c-section?"

That leads me to my next point. Baby Boy Carroll is still breech and I pray every night that God will let him stay in that position. Please don't flip, Baby Boy! Keep your c-section criticism to yourself. I want one! The little incision is tiny and no one would ever see it. It's scheduled. I'm an event planner for crying out loud. I need schedule.

Here's my rationalization (I'm a pretty irrational person, by the way): I'm going to have some significant recovery either way I go. I've heard horror stories about the natural delivery (even with epidural) aftermath. I think no one ever wants to share those stories because they're afraid that they'll seem like childbirth wasn't beautiful.

Here's the thing.... a baby is beautiful. Why does childbirth have to be beautiful?

We also toured the hospital after all the videos were over. It was a very informative day. Possibly the funniest part of the day was when the nurse showed us the labor and delivery room and told us that some moms want to see the baby coming out. (WHY?!) She told us that one option was to request "a meerow." (A mirror) Then she kept saying it. "A lot of couples like this big standing meerow because the mom can see everything while she's pushing." Todd and I don't have a lot of tolerance for bad grammar or mispronounced words, so we just cringed every time she said it.

Good news: I have a baby shower/luncheon tomorrow with some of my coworkers at one of my favorite Columbia restaurants. It'll be nice to get out of the office and get away from golf tournament and party planning for a couple of hours to watch some of my favorite people drink yummy lunch cocktails!

some Idol chaos

2009-04-15T16:08:00.001-07:00

This year, on American Idol they've introduced a fourth judge. And I happen to love her. Kara DioGuardi brings a lot to the judge's table with her real knowledge of music, star quality, and her ability to recognize a talented person when she sees him or her. She's also gorgeous (and she reminds me of one of our favorite bloggers, Nina).

Over the past few weeks, as the end of the show gets closer, the judges have less and less time to give their critiques. It takes a good bit longer for four judges to state their opinion, so the producers were rushing them along when it came time to critique the last two or three contestants.

Last night, Ryan said that the judges would be working in teams of two; Randy and Kara would critique one contestant then Paula and Simon would critique the next. And they would rotate. Personally, I don't like this method because I always want to know what Simon has to say. Honestly, I think everyone except Paula always has something constructive and valid to say. I'm also tired of Paula rolling her eyes every time Kara speaks. She seems a little territorial.

I personally like American Idol better with three judges-- I just think that Paula should be the one to take a hike.

I want to know what you think. Are there too many judges? Did you like the way they set it up last night? Are Nina and I the only ones that like Kara?

Jesus is Risen!

2009-04-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

We're off to church, so I don't have time for a full post about how special today is, but wanted to let you all listen (if you want to) to my one of my favorite songs that our choir sings. {My parents' choir in Dallas also sings this and my sweet mother knows how much I love this song. She called me from choir rehearsal a few weeks ago so I could listen in on the phone.}

Enjoy and worship!

Happy Easter, friends!

lamaze = lacrap?

2009-04-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if my blog gives this away or not, but I'm kind of jaded and pessimistic about some things. Pregnancy is one of those things. Maybe it's because I spent 18 weeks of my life either throwing up or trying not to throw up 24 hours a day. I loved this baby from the moment I found out about him, but it's hard to see the beauty in pregnancy when your experience is so bad.

I've been pretty realistic about pregnancy and I've approached it with no expectations. I'm planning on doing the same thing with childbirth and motherhood. A lot of people have shared their opinions and advice with me. There are a lot of people whose opinions I value and others that I just don't...

Try this method, don't try that method, you have to breastfeed, breastfeeding destroys your boobs, you need a detailed birth plan, throw the birth plan out the window because it won't matter anyway, don't resign yourself to a C-section, try to get the baby to flip on your own, epidurals are huge no-nos... blah, blah, BLAH!

It all begins to sound like a broken record and a whole bunch if gibberish. My mother had two healthy babies and had two C-sections. For a long time, that was the only "birth story" I'd ever heard. I don't have negative opinions about C-sections. A lot of my friends and family members ended up having to be induced and then ended up having C-sections after many many hours of labor. Lots of healthy babies there, too.

I've approached baby reading cautiously and taken it all with a grain of salt. (I hate that expression) I will definitely be listening to my pediatrician and taking his or her advice, but with so many differing opinions, too much reading can lead to a lot of confusion.

Tomorrow we're going to our childbirth class. We chose to knock it all out in one Saturday rather than attend five different nightly sessions over five weeks. We may not come back after lunch if we think it's a bunch of phooey anyway.

I may get some hate mail for saying this, but I just don't think that learning how to breathe during a class when I'm not experiencing severe discomfort and the worst pain of my life will be beneficial to me when I'm actually going through it. I don't think I'll remember a thing about lamaze in those moments! And I'm fairly certain that anyone that tries to tell me how to breathe will get a fist to the face. We almost didn't sign up for the classes at all, but I decided we needed to in order to feel like I covered all the bases.

The one thing I'm looking forward to about tomorrow is the part where we get the tour of "The Stork's Nest" (where the babies are born) and the part where they tell us about anesthesia. God bless anesthesia.

ETA: I forgot to mention that I asked my doctor what on Earth a birth plan actually is and she said, "Don't worry about it. You're definitely not a birth plan kind of girl." Told you so!

a winner!

2009-04-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Gwen at Confessions of a Control Freak for winning the Preppy Monogrammed Gifts giveaway from last Friday!

Gwen, you'll be hearing from the gals at Preppy Monogrammed Gifts soon!

31 weeks

2009-04-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

I totally stole (borrowed?) this picture from Mojito Maven. She took it in Charleston and it's the most recent picture to show off what the bump looks like today.

I had my 30 week check up this week and the baby weighs 4 pounds now. We had our final sonogram, so the next time I see his face will be on delivery day. I wanted to thank Lulu at the Dirty Martini Diaries for giving Baby Boy the nickname, "Blue Eyed Baby Mascot." I love it.

Life is pretty hectic and crazy right now and I'm writing this post on my lunch break. I've reached the point of pregnancy where sleeping is difficult because the sharp pains in my lower back and the charlie horses that take over my legs are keeping me awake. Gravity has also taken over and I have to use all of my might to stop myself from rolling from my side onto my stomach. This bump takes up a lot of space in the bed.

I'm not horribly swollen yet and I'm hopeful that I can keep that away for a few more weeks. I have a very busy few weeks coming up. In addition to teaching every Monday night and attending newlywed girls Bible study every Wednesday night, I'm working on six events that will be executed before May 10.

I'm hopeful that all of the busy-ness will make the next few weeks fly by. I'm also hopeful that BEB Mascot's bedding and furniture will arrive before he does. Here is a breakdown of the next few weeks for us:

April 11- All day childbirth classes at the hospital (31 weeks)

April 12- Easter (31 weeks)

April 14- Meeting with possible pediatrician (31 weeks)

April 17- Baby shower hosted by my coworkers (32 weeks)

April 20,21- Event (32 weeks)

April 23, 24- Event (33 weeks)

April 25- Baby shower hosted by our Sunday school class (33 weeks)

April 30- Event (34 weeks)

May 1-3- Anniversary trip to Savannah (34 weeks)

May 8,9- Event (35 weeks)

May 18- Lactation class (37 weeks)

June 6- Hosting bridal shower for dear friend (39 weeks)

I know you all don't care what all I have going on every day of my life, but I did want to point out just how busy life is right now and it appears that it's only getting busier. I'm just concentrating on getting through these next few weeks and getting everything done that I need to accomplish.

We're in the home stretch!

if these dogs could talk

2009-04-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what voice would come out of your pets if they could speak? (Yes, I know some of your dogs say "I love you" in a weird little dog voice, but that's not what I'm talking about.)

I'm talking about the way the babies in Look Who's Talking have internal voices that sound like Bruce Willis.

Todd and I have decided that if Boudreaux could talk, he'd sound like a 14 year old boy that's going through puberty. He'd have an uncontrollably squeaky voice and a cocky attitude.

Fiona's voice would be the complete opposite. She would sound like a 65-year-old woman that has been smoking her whole life.

Beaux, the family dog that lives in Dallas with my parents, would sound like an old Southern gentleman. A very slow talker with only wise words to say and the perfect Southern accent.

If your dogs could talk, what would their voices sound like?

*first photo by Kelly Moore Photography

Ashley Brooke Designs giveaway winner!

2009-04-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Ashley Brooke Designs Giveaway is...

Emily of Living Our Own Fairy Tale!

Emily's favorite item on Ashley's website was the Daisy Flat Card. It truly is adorable! Enjoy your custom design, Emily. Just send me an email and I'll send it on to Ashley! Congratulations!

my girl crush

2009-04-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

I present to you my girl Carrie Underwood.

That dress was incredible and was one of the most dramatic things I've ever seen in country music-- even more dramatic than the LeAnn Rimes drama going on right now!

I'm so proud of Carrie for winning the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year-- one of 7 women to ever achieve this!

Who's your girl crush?

a fantastic weekend!

2009-04-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is definitely one of those weekends that I never want to end. I just dropped Mojito Maven off at the Columbia airport and I was so sad to see her go.

We had a great night in Columbia on Thursday and then headed to Charleston on Friday to meet up with GRITS. Meeting her for the first time was like seeing an old college friend after not seeing each other for a couple of years. We walked a lot-- I think Mojito Maven determined that it was likely about six miles. We ate a lot- Charleston Grill, Magnolia's, Blossom, A.W. Shucks. Mojito Maven discovered Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka for the first time and liked it. A lot.

the three of us outside the Charleston Place Hotel

GRITS adapting to the Charleston lifestyle

It was great being in the most charming city in the United States with these beautiful girls, but I know that we could have been anywhere and had just as many laughs and good times where ever we were. These girls are both just as sweet, hilarious, and beautiful as they come off in their blogs and I'm so happy to have finally gotten to meet GRITS.

So I have a little announcement to make, and I'd like to introduce all of you to my new addition.

The Louis Vuitton Galliera PM

I purchased my first Louis Vuitton bag. It was a big moment for me because, as I explained to the girls this weekend, I could go on a shopping spree and buy tons and tons of clothes that reach a large total, but I have never bought one single item over a certain dollar amount.

The sales girl was seriously hilarious. I am nearly 31 weeks pregnant and obviously pregnant. I'm having my first child. But she was beyond excited and ready to congratulate me on "my first" Louis Vuitton bag. She said over and over again, "I'm so excited that this is your first! Congratulations!" (I'm not sure she picked up on the irony of the situation)

I can't wait until we all get together again in the next city-- or Charleston again! My dogs are already missing Mojito Maven now that she's gone.

Giveaway: Courtesy of Preppy Monogrammed Gifts

2009-04-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm in Charleston today, so today's post is a giveaway opportunity.

Fabulous Friday Giveaway from Preppy Monogrammed Gifts

It's a monogrammed sunglass holder and a monogrammed koozie to match. Just in time for the warm weather!

Leave a comment on this post before next Friday at noon EST. The winner will be announced next Friday!

a bloggin' good time

2009-04-02T06:38:00.001-07:00

In about an hour, I'm heading to the airport to pick up dearest Mojito Maven for a fun-filled weekend of shenanigans and shopping. We're spending the day today in Columbia and I plan to show her around my town and eat at my favorite restaurant.

Tomorrow morning, we're heading to Charleston to meet up with GRITS! We're staying at the Charleston Place and eating dinner at Magnolia's tomorrow night. The lovely Nina was supposed to be joining us, but couldn't make it. I think she is secretly staying at home because she can't leave Kris Allen and her DVR behind.

I saw that someone left the comment on MM's blog asking if we are running the Cooper River bridge run. While Mojito Maven is on the fit train and could probably run that thing, none of us are running the bridge run. It's just a coincidence that she chose to visit during that same weekend.

Good times are coming! I'll post pictures on Sunday or Monday!

Ashley Brooke Designs Giveaway

2009-03-31T10:38:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited about this giveaway! I have a strong love for paper and invitations and I feel extremely happy when I see a custom invitation designed especially for my event.

This Kentucky Derby-themed invitation was designed by Ashley Brooke Designs and couldn't be more adorable! Do you have a special event that you're hosting and you're looking for a unique invitation? Have you been itching to get some personalized stationery?

Time for the giveaway!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your FAVORITE item is on the Ashley Brooke Designs website!

You will have until April 5, 2009 to leave a comment. The winner will be announced on April 6, 2009.

The winner will receive a custom design to be printed on Invitations, Flat Cards, Calling Cards, or Stickers.

To see what the design process looks like click here!

Good Luck!!

ETA: The more I look at that precious Kentucky Derby invitation, I want to be Julia and Hunter. How cute are they? (I know they're just drawings by the fabulous Ashley Brooke, but still...)

blast from the past!

2009-03-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that if I could be trained to do anything and do it perfectly it would be to Riverdance. You know, the Irish dance troupe stuff? Michael Flatley: Lord of the Dance? (anyone else remember the hilarious Friends reference that goes with this?)

A good many years ago, there was this great Folger's commercial and I just saw it when Dancing With the Stars went to commercial. I love it when they bring back old commercials!

This is one of my favorite commercials of all time. Makes me want to get up and dance-- or try to!

And it makes me crave a good cup of coffee!

i did it!

2009-03-30T14:06:00.001-07:00

This accomplishment is nothing short of miraculous. I set out to complete something and I did it. I'm totally proud of myself and feel no different about this achievement than any other goal I accomplish.

I watched two full seasons of Damages in eight days!!!

No big deal? Shallow? Do I have a life?

It is a big deal. It is shallow, but it's a great show. And I do have a life.

If you haven't watched the show, you must get Season 1 on Netflix, then download every episode of Season 2 on iTunes and watch them all consecutively. I finished just in time to watch the season finale on FX on Wednesday!

Please keep in mind that my husband was out of town two weekends in a row and I had lots of time to myself at the house. I also went out on Saturday and volunteered for the local food bank, but came home immediately to cook a big spaghetti dinner for myself and plop down in front of Damages. It's okay if you judge me. I was a woman on a mission.

Anyone else ever get completely hooked on a TV show and let it take over your life for just a few days?

in one week...

2009-03-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

On this rainy Friday, I'm comforted by the fact that in one week, I'll be....

staying here...

shopping here...

and walking along here...

Not to mention the fantastic company that I'll be keeping while I'm there.

Charleston, here we come!

first anniversary: help!

2009-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

So many women in this beautiful blog community are newlyweds and I've always loved that! The number of other bloggers that got married between March and August of 2008 is amazing!

We got married on May 3 and I just cannot believe how fast time flies. With the baby on the way, the anniversary has kind of snuck up on me and I'm not sure what my big first anniversary gift to my husband is going to be. The traditional first anniversary gift is paper and the modern first anniversary gift are clocks.

So, helpful readers, I need your help in deciding what to give my husband for our first anniversary. Should I stick to tradition or go for something completely out of the ordinary. He never wants anything, so either way I go I'm going to have to think for myself!

ETA: We already have lots and lots of personalized stationery. We have joint stationery and individual stationery that we both use for personal and business purposes. We have also decided not to focus on the baby for our anniversary. I think the baby ideas are very sweet, but we'll be a month away from the due date and we would rather focus on each other and the reasons we love each other. I'll definitely do some sweet things for Father's Day, which will come just a few short days after the baby arrives.

baby gear for Baby Boy

2009-03-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Part of the fun of being pregnant is deciding on all of the fun stuff for the baby. The two most important things to me were the car seat and the stroller. Fortunately for me, I had two other experienced baby gear researchers in my corner that were willing to share some of their expertise. This way, all I had to do was decide on a color!

Nina and my cousin (who is a brand new mommy) both recommended the Bumbleride Flyer for the stroller. The Bumbleride Flyer is so versatile! The handle flips around so you can either push from behind or have the handle positioned so you can face the baby. The other great thing about the Bumbleride is that it is compatible with the Graco Snugride car seat.

The Graco Snugride comes highly recommended by many mommies and experts. We chose the Graco Pedic Snugride in Lotus color for three reasons; #1) it's compatible with the Bumbleride, #2) it matches the red Bumbleride that we chose, #3) not only is it the most highly recommended car seat, but the Pedic version comes with some extra padding. I think the red and black will work well later if we ever have a little girl.

The car seat (that we received as a shower gift) will arrive today and I'm seconds away from ordering our stroller. I'm excited to get the car seat in the car to make sure it fits and make sure we know how to use it! I'm also eager to learn how to work the stroller so I don't embarrass myself in the parking lot of the mall while trying to figure out how to open it and collapse it!

a 3 pound baby!

2009-03-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

I had my 28.5 week check up yesterday and because of some issues at the 20 week appointment, I was scheduled to have a regular ultrasound. The doctor wanted to check for a couple of things again and see if they had changed in eight weeks. The ultrasound technician told us that we could "upgrade" to a 4D ultrasound if we wanted to and only pay $50 instead of $150. We took her up on it.

The 4D ultrasound is purely for entertainment purposes and they still did the 2D ultrasound to look at the important stuff. Everything was great. Everything was measuring as it should be and the baby is actually weighing in at 3.3 pounds and looking more like a 30 week baby rather than a 29 week baby. She told me that his growth rate could slow down and a lot can change between now and delivery day.

He is currently in breach position with his cute head up in my rib cage-- ouch-- and his legs angling across my stomach. Hopefully he'll do a few more flips and get into the correct position. If not, we'll be alright and just have a C-section. I'm really not worried at all about the delivery at this time. I'd prefer not to have to have a C-section, but I'm just not that worried about it. There's nothing I can do about it, right?

So on to the good stuff. The baby was sleeping soundly during the ultrasound and had his little face turned in, so we weren't able to get a good look. After lots of wiggling around, they gave me a Coke and told me to walk around the office and do some toe-touches for about twenty minutes to try to wake him up. When I got back into the room, he had moved a little bit and we did get one or two good looks at his face before he fell back into a deep sleep.

We saw two tiny ears, a round nose that was kind of smushed in there, and some huge baby cheeks! It's kind of hard to make out what you're looking at in the picture above, but it's the side of his face with his hand over his mouth.

That's all you get! I gotta save some surprises for when he makes his debut into the world.

first conversation of the week...

2009-03-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

I was awakened at 1:45 this morning by my husband talking to me... loudly. I sat straight up in bed and said, "What did you say?"

The rest of the conversation went like this:

Todd: "I saaaiiid, 'Know what I mean, Vern?' "

Erin: "What?!"

Todd: "KNOW. WHAT. I. MEAN. VERN?"

Erin: "I heard you. I just don't know what that means."

Todd: "Never mind. Just forget it."

Erin: "No. Not 'never mind.' It's the middle of the night and you woke me up to tell me something and I want to know what it means."

Todd: "It's from Ernest!"

Erin: "Yes, sweetheart. I know that the quote, 'Know what I mean, Vern?' is from Ernest. Why did you say it to me right now?"

Todd: "Because of the conversation we were having about writing journals and the big discussion we just had about research."

Erin: "Todd? Are you asleep?"

Todd: "I don't know, maybe."

Erin: "We didn't have a conversation about journals or research."

Todd: "Just forget it."

I don't have much experience with people talking in their sleep. One of my best friends does some sleep walking and talking and I was always able to talk her back into bed, but it's a little different when your lifetime bed partner is quoting Ernest P. Worrell in the middle of the night.

p.s. We had a 4D ultrasound of our precious baby boy today, but the "Ernest talking in your sleep" story trumped the 4D ultrasound story for blog material. More on the ultrasound coming tomorrow.

home alone...

2009-03-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

My dear husband is traveling to Lexington, Virginia this weekend to speak to some law students at his law school alma mater. He leaves tonight and doesn't return until Saturday night. I've made sure to have plenty of things going on because I will definitely be missing him. The only good part about him being gone is that I will have our big bed all to myself and these days I need it!

We have a women's conference going on at church on Friday night and Saturday morning, so I'll be there with my Sunday school friends for most of the weekend. I'm coming down with a yucky cold and allergy attack that has been brought on by all of the pollen floating around. I hope to get lots of sleep in the next few days.

I just received Season 1 of Damages on Netflix, so I think I'll spend the evening watching that. I've heard great things about it from my parents and cousin and think I'll like it. The last thing I need, though, is a new show to be addicted to. Anyone else watch Damages? What do you think?

all down hill from here?

2009-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

We've officially entered the third trimester! I am 28 weeks pregnant today and seriously cannot believe how fast time flies. I thought I would never have a baby bump. I had nothing at 18 weeks, a little something at 19 weeks, and now I have a very noticeable, no-doubt-in-this-world -that-there's-a-baby-coming, bump.

28 weeks

I'm standing in the nursery for the above picture, so that is your sneak peak of the nursery for now. We have one yellow and white striped wall. I go back to the doctor on Monday where we'll have another sonogram and see Baby Boy again. Please continue to pray with us that he is healthy and in great shape!

I'm heading out to hang out with my Bible study girls tonight and hope that you all have a great night!

And kudos to my friend, Mojito Maven, for opening up and the representing those of us (those few of us) who are not Lilly Pulitzer fans. I knew I loved my friend for lots of reasons, but this is just one more. There. I said it. Not a Lilly fan and I never have been. Please don't hate me. Lilly lovers: I still love you!

colors!

2009-03-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

There are so many gorgeous, feminine things in the latest J. Crew catalog and I'm so anxious for August to roll around. August is my realistic goal of fitting into normal clothes again. Not necessarily my old size, but just non-maternity pants and tops.

My family is planning a beach trip for mid-late August and I'm hopeful that I can go without having to wear any pants with the secret fit belly while I'm there. I feel very fortunate that Baby Boy will arrive before the summer kicks into high gear, so I'm hopeful that I can be completely done with maternity clothes by August. Is that realistic? I know that I will still want to and need to wear them for quite a while after the baby comes.

Here are the J.Crew items I'm hoping to own soon. {After I lose the weight AND win the lottery} That light I'd buy them now, but I have no idea what size to order. All of the ruffles are so gorgeous and that "breeze" color is so calming and beautiful!

the unwelcome things that people say to pregnant ladies...

2009-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun reading and relating to all of your comments. I'm pretty sure that everything mentioned in the comments of my last post has happened to me. It's amazing what people think is okay to say and how so many people think that your pregnancy and/or baby is their business. If you haven't had a chance to read the comments, go back and do it now. It's very entertaining.

I've tried to sum everything up to come up with a comprehensive list of the most off-putting comments that people have heard while they were pregnant... along with some of my own commentary.

Being told you're fat. Are you kidding me? What is wrong with people? If you want to tell a pregnant woman how excited you are to see a baby bump, then say, "What a sweet baby bump!" Don't say, "Well you've gained weight!" And especially don't shout it in front of a room full of people. Don't tell the woman how much bigger anything other than that baby bump has gotten. Also, don't ask a woman how much weight she has gained or how much her doctor recommends she gain. It's none of your business.

Unwelcome bump touching. Just because a woman is growing another person inside of her, that bump is still part of her body. You should ask before you touch. It is not acceptable to walk up to a strange woman that you don't know at a wedding and just put both hands on her stomach while telling her how you have "bump envy." My parents didn't even touch my baby bump until I told them to feel the baby kicking, so why would a stranger think it's okay? You're not touching a woman's stomach when she's not pregnant, so don't do it when she is.

Asking the couple if the pregnancy was planned. Again, none of your business. If it wasn't planned, then they've just exposed their little "oops" to you. If it was planned then you know they were trying to have a baby, but may have had some trouble conceiving. It's also not okay to tell newlyweds, "Wow, you didn't waste any time."

Assuming that just because the couple is expecting a baby, they care about every baby under the sun. Not true. At least not for us. We're intelligent people, or we like to think we are. We have lots to talk about other than babies. I love my friends' babies and I will love my precious baby. This doesn't mean that I care about every baby that was born in 2009. This probably applies to the expectant father even more than the mother.

Unsolicited advice. Everyone will figure out how to raise their baby at their own pace. Each baby is different and each parent is different. What worked for you may not work for everyone else, so don't force the opinions and advice on the poor pregnant girl. She's already overwhelmed enough as it is. Public school vs. private school vs. homeschooling. Bottle feeding vs. breast feeding. The family bed vs. the crib. This pediatrician vs. that pediatrician.

Constantly talking about the bad stuff. "My labor was so hard." "You will never get your sleep again." "My baby cried for four months." How is any of this encouraging the poor pregnant girl?

Asking questions that are none of your business. Don't ask her how long it took her to get pregnant. Don't ask if they are going to breast feed or bottle feed. Usually the poor pregnant girl's response to this question is followed by a strong opinion from the person that asked the question. Asking, "How do you feel?" When the pregnant girl responds, "I'm still sick." It's not okay to respond to her answer and say, "There is no way your baby is getting enough nutrients if you're that sick." And stop asking if she's getting enough sleep.

Not thinking before you speak. One commenter found out she was pregnant with her second son. The rude person said, "Oh no. You'll get a girl next time." Don't imply that anyone is disappointed in the sex of their child.

Telling the couple that their life is over. It is not over. My parents' life was not over. A baby is a huge responsibility, and it will completely consume our lives, but life is not over. We will still have our own identities and find a way for the baby to fit into our lives.

Outright judgement. It's okay if someone chooses not to find out the sex of the baby. It's okay if the couple chooses not to share the baby's name with you. It's okay if the couple chooses a name you don't like. Keep your opinion to yourself.

Acting like this pregnancy and this baby are about you. It's not. It's about the parents and their sweet, precious baby and what is right for them. You may have done or will do things differently, but this time you don't get to make the decisions. Fighting over who gets to babysit and threatening the couple that you'll show up on their doorstep every day without warning (this did happen to a friend of mine) is not what's best for the baby.

New parents need a chance to learn and figure things out for themselves. No one needs to swoop in to save them until they ask for help. And they will ask for help! Everyone needs help. But they also need to build their own confidence and learn how to be good parents. We're entering the third trimester tomorrow and panic will set in soon!

Here's a little something for those that have not been pregnant...

Don't ask newlyweds when they plan to have children. The answer could be "never" and you will definitely have an opinion about that. They could be currently trying, but don't want to share that with you. Most importantly, they married each other because they love each other. Let them focus on that for a while before making them feel pressured to move to the next phase.

tell me...

2009-03-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, ladies (and all three of you gentlemen who read this blog), I want to know what you think. If you've had a baby or you are currently pregnant, what is the #1 most off-putting comment or action that you heard or experienced from someone during your pregnancy?

Did someone touch your belly without asking? Did someone call you fat?

Those of you that have not had a baby, what do you think would drive you crazy? What have you observed that you think would put you off?

Don't be afraid to write lengthy comments because I want to know what happened!

a new week!

2009-03-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today is my first day back to work after being gone for over a week. It was a very hard morning! We had a great morning at church yesterday, then celebrated Todd's grandmother's 87th birthday. We came home and took a really long nap-- 4 hours! It has been raining here for a few days and it was so nice to relax all day at home.

I have to teach tonight, but my DVR is set to record Dancing With the Stars. I'm mostly excited about watching Melissa Rycroft dance again. Then American Idol is on tomorrow! Does anyone have a favorite yet? I'm kind of obsessed with Danny Gokey. I wouldn't erase last week's episode until I watched him perform PYT one more time. Yummy! What do y'all think of the new addition to the show where the judges can save one contestant? I'm pretty excited about it! I wish they'd done this a long time ago. These days, with websites completely devoted to voting for the worst American Idol contestant, there's a strong chance that the best person could go home very early on. My parents and I said last week that we wish American Idol would come on every night of the week. I'm always so eager for Tuesday to roll back around!

I have a fun little post coming up later today that I need your help with! Stay tuned...

Dallas update

2009-03-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I returned from my always wonderful trip to Dallas late last night. It was so great to be away from everything for a week, but I was excited to get home to my husband and dogs. My time with my parents was so precious as my mom and I prepared for Baby Boy Carroll and we had lots of time to laugh, talk, watch American Idol and Biggest Loser, and shop.

I'm going to start with the shower update because it was so beautiful! My great friends and my mom's great friends were so sweet to Baby Boy and me and I have a few great pictures to share with you.

the beautiful flowers were arranged in glass Evenflo baby bottles

the sweet hostess used the Martha Stewart kit from Michael's to make the beautiful blue pom pom balls hanging from the umbrella

more gorgeous flowers and the yummy lemon cake

Three of my Louisiana Tech Alpha Chi Omega sisters and me-- I'm definitely looking pregnant!

The beautiful Mojito Maven was also in attendance and the shower was the morning after her serious dental surgery! She's a rock star! We chose not to put her picture on here as she was in full recovery mode, but her spirits were high and she was gorgeous, as usual.

Baby Boy got some great gifts! We received his Graco SnugRide car seat, two Boppys, a Tiffany elephant bank (not a piggy bank), a set of Tiffany dinosaurs cup, saucer, and plate, a cute set of burp cloths, sweet little hooded towels, a rubber ducky that tells if the bath water is at a suitable temperature, and his bath tub.

I have to share this sweet gift with you, though! Mojito Maven got Baby Boy three Bla Bla dolls and this is what they look like! They are so much fun and I know he's going to love them!

It was a great shower and the trip was a lot of fun! I'll post more pictures of all of the great goodies that his KK (my mom) and I picked up on our outings. The nursery will get its second coat of paint tomorrow and all of the bedding and furniture has been ordered. We have to wait about 8-10 weeks for all of that to finish up.

I've got a busy weekend ahead of me. I'm spending the day tomorrow as the Day of Coordinator for a wedding. I'm bringing my sweet husband along to do any heavy lifting.

in the big D

2009-03-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

I flew to Dallas yesterday for a much needed week of rest and relaxation-- away from work and all that comes with it. I have our first baby shower tomorrow and I'm so excited to see my besties from college and my blog bestie! I'm also really excited just to have a week with my parents and a few days with my brother. Beaux, the world's best dog, is also here showering me with lots of love and attention.

My reading may be at a minimum this week, but I promise to do some updates as I brought the Rebel with me to document all of the fun!

My mom and I finalized all of the baby bedding and curtains yesterday at Calico Corners, where she is an in-home consultant. Today we're going to order all of the furniture, get pedicures and manicures, and then do some shopping. I saw this giant stuffed dog yesterday that I must bring home for Baby Boy Carroll!

I hope you all have a great Friday! The weather in Dallas is amazing and I couldn't be happier to be here.

seeing things through my husband's eyes

2009-03-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

I've realized more and more that my poor husband really didn't know what he was in for when he married me. He probably thought that he'd get lots of fun "play time" with his wife for traveling, hanging out, late nights, no schedule, and at least a few years of this kind of behavior. I came up with a list of what I think may be the top 10 reasons that newlyweds shouldn't get pregnant, through a man's point of view.

10. Your wife, who used to love to cook, no longer sets foot in the kitchen because the smell of food cooking makes her gag. Because of this, you're once again eating cereal and take out when you thought that by marrying her you were going to get wonderful home-cooked meals every night.

9. Your wife, who was a svelte size 4 on your wedding day 10 months ago, now has a stomach that is bigger than yours and doesn't look good in a swimsuit. She definitely won't go anywhere where a swimsuit is a requirement.

8. You have officially become the gopher of the house; picking up random meals at random hours of the day, being the only person in the house who can take the dogs out after dark, completely responsible for cleaning, and pretty much the only one willing to move an inch after 7:00 p.m.

7. Your house was almost fully decorated and furnished, but now that a baby is coming, you have to completely furnish and decorate another room: and this seems to be the most important room to her. But aren't they all?

6. You hear at least five times a day, "Well, when the baby comes, that's not going to work!"

5. Your golf clubs have been banished to the outside storage room, but strollers, car seats, bouncy seats, jumpers, pack-n-plays, and swings have replaced them.

4. Your wife's mood is hot and cold and sometimes the dumbest thing you say can make her laugh for an hour, but the funniest thing you say only gets an eye roll.

3. You're completely tired of hearing, "I miss Starbucks!"

2. For the first time since the two of you have been together, you don't have an acceptable answer to the question, "Do I look fat?"

1. The phrases, "but I'm tired" and "but I feel nauseated" will hopefully be a thing of the past very soon!!!

{I must add that my husband is wonderful and completely understanding of this exciting time and what we're going through together and what I'm going through on my own physically. He's perfect!}

repeat... and again

2009-03-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Any guesses as to what is on repeat on our new iMac?

I am a huge Kelly Clarkson fan. I saw her live in Clemson back in 2005 and she was amazing. I'm so happy she's back and this song seriously makes me want to hold on to my baby bump and jump around! Kelly and Carrie Underwood are my favorite {American} Idols by a mile and they both tend to be on repeat at our house.

Anyone else addicted to this song?

guest bathroom: before and after

2009-02-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas, Todd and I finally broke down and bought a replacement sink and console for our downstairs bathroom. The house was renovated right before we moved in, but the previous owners decided to keep all of the original fixtures in the bathroom.

It looked kind of cute, but the sink was such a pain to use. The mirror doubled as a medicine cabinet and was so tiny that you could barely see your whole face in it. The original tile is still on the floor and we absolutely love it. It is very tiny black and white tiles. All of the doors in our house are black and have all of the original hardware, so we wanted to find something that looked like the rest of the house for our bathroom.

This is also the bathroom that we'll use when we bathe our little boy. Here is a picture of the bathroom before:

The original sink had a spout for hot water and a spout for cold water. The bathroom also had zero storage, so we purchased the basket in the above picture to hold towels and wash cloths for our guests.

And here is a picture of the bathroom after:

The adorable shower curtain that we had made with my mom's help at Calico Corners in Dallas.

You can see the new sink and mirror on the right. We also reversed the direction of the door swing so that it opens out into the hall instead of into the bathroom. This gives us so much more space and allowed us to get a bigger sink console without having the door hit it when it was opened into the bathroom.

We've been very happy with it. I think we still kept a lot of the charm of the bathroom in our 1930s house, but everything functions like it's brand new!

happy birthday, Todd!

2009-02-26T11:35:00.001-08:00

Today is my husband's 29th birthday!

Everyone give him a big birthday shout out!

His own little boy will be born this year, so I think we'll have a brand new appreciation of birthdays in June.

Oh, and thank you so much to Penny Lane Designs for adding the adorable "little something extra" in my blog header! Can y'all tell what it is? It's so sweet! Thanks, Marina!

come on, baby, let the good times roll

2009-02-24T12:12:00.001-08:00

It's Fat Tuesday! Happy Mardi Gras! I've got about 100 different songs going through my head today as I celebrate this holiday from a distance. Our neighbor and friend made us an authentic king cake (she's from Louisiana, too), my cousin shipped one to me a few weeks ago, and then I found another king cake on our doorstep this morning from my sweet parents. The note said, "laissez les bon temps rouler."

I had a good doctor's appointment this morning. I am officially 24.6 weeks pregnant. My Glucola test was today. I had to fast to prepare for this appointment and I had to drink the yummy glucola orange drink this morning that tastes like a flat Sunkist. After drinking this stuff, I had to wait an hour for it to get into my system so they could take my blood and test for gestinational diabetes. While I waited, I got weighed and heard the baby's little heartbeat again. Everything sounded great. I'll go back in 4 weeks for another sonogram and will get to do the 4D sonogram on this visit. Just one more visit until I start going every two weeks. Time is flying!

In honor of Fat Tuesday, here is a list of all of the songs that make me think of New Orleans and/or Mardi Gras:

Let the Good Times Roll- Shirley and Lee

Mardi Gras Mambo- The Hawkettes

The House of the Rising Sun- The Animals

King of New Orleans- Better than Ezra

This Time of Year- Better than Ezra

Iko Iko- Dixie Cups

They All Asked for You- The Meters

When the Saints Go Marching In

What songs remind you of Mardi Gras? Who else is celebrating from a distance?

all posts now coming to you from here...

2009-02-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

My husband is interviewing hopeful new attorneys this morning, so he is spending the morning and the early part of the afternoon at the law school. I was able to partially catch up on my sleep this morning and do some "nesting." We have a four bedroom house, so we had two guest bedrooms, a study, and our master bedroom. We initially decided to turn the study into the nursery because it was the brightest, cheeriest room in the house. We moved all of our study furniture out and then realized we didn't have anywhere to put all of our stuff! We realized that it seemed ridiculous to have two guest bedrooms that may only be used twice a year and then try to cram our own stuff into nooks and crannies in the house.

We decided a couple of weeks ago to turn one of the guest bedrooms into our new home office and get a "family computer." We both spend so much time together on our laptops and when the baby comes we don't want to be doing that anymore. Not that it will be as much of an option, right? We also realized that needed to have somewhere for a third guest to sleep in case my parents and brother visit at the same time. A chair and a half was our solution! We ordered an oversized chair and ottoman and the chair is a hide-a-bed with a twin bed inside. Perfect solution!

Here is the new study. We painted it Silver Sage (a Restoration Hardware color that Benjamin Moore kindly matched for us) two nights ago. We haven't hung anything on the walls yet because we're still deciding on some organization pieces.

My next post will have pictures of the downstairs bathroom updates and pictures of the furniture we just had reupholstered. No nursery pictures yet!

a family discussion

2009-02-20T04:59:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday, Fiona sat down beside me so I could talk to her about the baby. Boudreaux has been very aware that something is different and he often comes around to sniff my baby bump. Can dogs smell babies? Anyway, Fiona seems to want to refuse to believe that things are going to be a little different in June.

I keep telling both dogs that they need to be my helpers and set good examples for the baby when it comes to crying, playing nice, and potty training.

On another note, this week has been really rough on me as far as sleep goes. I'm just not falling asleep until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. I will lie in the bed and just wait to fall asleep. I think a lot of it is because I'm worried about the many projects and events I have going on at work, but the rest is just the general aches and pains that have come along with the pregnancy. Neck pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain. I fall into the deepest sleep right around 5:00 a.m. and then I know it's too late. It's just a shame I have somewhere to be every morning, otherwise I'd be sleeping until I can't sleep anymore.

Here's how I feel about not getting any sleep!

ETA: I was totally aware that my white shirt was so see-through that you could see the big "secret fit" waste sitting way up on my waste through the shirt. It does look a bit ridiculous, though!

24 week belly!

2009-02-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Baby Boy Carroll is really growing. My bump has definitely doubled in size in the past five weeks and I have a hard time recognizing myself when I look in the mirror. I've also been reading to Baby Boy a lot lately and have been using his name more. I've actually almost let the name slip quite a few times, so I need to be careful!

This picture was taken today. I wore the same shirt I wore for the 22 week picture, so you can see the full effect. You can also see how much my face is expanding-- and if you say it's not you're just being sweet. Pretty soon my cheeks are going to be so big that you won't be able to see my eyes. Then I'll be the No-Eyed Bride. Yeah, that wasn't that funny.

I found all of my favorite books from my childhood in a box and I'm so excited to get the nursery finished so I can put the books on the shelves and start reading them again. I've also been downloading lots of fun music for him to listen to in his room. We're getting a little iPod shuffle and small iPod dock just for Baby Boy, so I've been searching for good music for him to listen to. "Rockabye" is amazing! I've downloaded songs by the Beatles, Coldplay, and the Eagles rearranged in a lullabye way and they're so sweet and familiar. Elizabeth Mitchell also has some great music for children that is just so cute! Music was such a big part of my house when I was growing up and I want the same thing for him.

I also downloaded a bunch of my favorite children's music from church and have that ready to go. I can't wait to sing to him and then finally hear him start singing back! I'm going to cry just writing about it. We'll sing Zaccheus, Jesus Loves Me, You are My Sunshine. Oh, I love him so much!

a crazy day!!!

2009-02-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

It's raining cats and dogs here in Columbia today! I woke up this morning and right after I finished drying my hair I ran to my computer to check out Reality Steve. I knew he had a huge, shocking, spoiler regarding The Bachelor that he was revealing today and I couldn't wait until I got to work to find out!

Before I went to his website I checked my email and saw that my friends Mojito Maven and LyndsAU had already checked out the spoiler. I just have to say that I'm shocked, but I'm not shocked. I knew that something horrible was going to happen, but didn't know exactly what. I'm just glad that the suspense is over. Anyway, if you're into reality TV spoilers, go visit Reality Steve to read the posts and watch the You Tube clips. Poor Melissa! And you know all those other rejected bachelorettes are thanking their lucky stars they got out when they did!

(I want to thank Tara from Jimmy Choos and Tennis Shoes for letting me know about this website a couple of weeks ago in her Bachelor update post. I've been glued to it ever since!)

I'm also so excited because I won an amazing giveaway today! I won Bama Belle's Bliss Spa giveaway! I'm addicted to Bliss products and they're all I use on my face, so this is such an amazing giveaway and I'm completely shocked that I won. I never win anything! Thank you so much, Bama Belle!

Lost is on tonight and something excited is bound to happen there, too! I'm also going to spend the evening painting my study-- and future home office. There's a little project in the works that I can't wait to share with all of you!

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-02-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

So this may make me a very unpopular blogger today, but I wanted to give an update on Confessions of a Shopaholic. I went to see it with four fabulous girls last night and the company was great! We had all gone to see He's Just Not That Into You last Sunday night and loved it.

I've read two books in the Shopaholic series, so I was kind of invested in the movie. I was really excited about watching a chick flick with some fun chicas and getting some great eye candy from all the fantastic fashion. The movie was styled by The Pat Fields, so it had to be great. Wrong. The clothes weren't even that great!

I found myself getting bored about twenty minutes in and I covered my face with embarrassment at least twenty times. There were lots of those, "I can't watch" moments. Does anyone else do that? I think the worst movie for me was Meet the Parents. That movie makes me so unbelievably uncomfortable that I have to leave the room when I watch it.

I didn't have high expectations for the movie. I was entertained enough for a Sunday night. It's just not going to be one of those that I must watch again even if it's on TBS on a Sunday afternoon. I always stop to watch The Devil Wears Prada for its funny acting by Meryl Streep and fabulous clothes!

If you loved the movie, please don't hate me for writing this!

ETA: This is just my opinion. I am not an expert on the books and I didn't have high expectations of the movie. I was just looking for a fun movie to watch with fun girls. It met that criteria. I wasn't disappointed, but I just don't need to see it again. There were plenty of funny parts, but I looked at my watch a lot during the movie. The books frustrated me just as much as the movie did, so I knew what I was getting into. It was still entertaining.

happy Sunday!

2009-02-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

We had a great Valentine's Day. Even though we agreed on "no gifts," Boudreaux and Fiona still surprised me with the remaining two Sonya Renee necklaces with my other two initials on them, roses, a series of five prenatal massages, and truffles from Lexington, Virginia's Cocoa Mill. They went a little overboard. I felt so bad that I missed the underlying truth that we really would get gifts. Our dinner last night was fantastic and I can't even put into words how good everything was.

We're off to Sunday school and church in about twenty minutes and, as usual, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there. And hopefully I'm going to see the Shopaholic movie tonight with some of the girls.

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day, too!

a LOVEly weekend

2009-02-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

Todd and I are headed out to meet some friends for Thai food tonight. We plan to spend our Valentine's Day picking out paint colors for the nursery and my new home office. We've got all of the swatches for the nursery together, so we can finally choose a paint color.

We decided not to do gifts this year for Valentine's Day, but we're going to splurge on a fabulous dinner at Garibaldi's tomorrow night.

Happy Valentine's Day, blog friends!

new obsession: baby photos

2009-02-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with wedding photography; particularly the work of the fabulous Kelly Moore. The only bad thing is that Kelly is located in my home state of Louisiana and I have to fly her out here or go to Louisiana if we want her to take our pictures. Kelly's good friend is also an incredible photographer and luckily she lives in Wilmington, North Carolina! So now I'm obsessed with Millie Holloman Photography.

Millie's weddings are fantastic and are frequently featured on Southern Weddings blog, but she also takes beautiful photos of babies, kids, and families. I've contacted Millie about taking pictures of Baby Boy Carroll and we're so excited about this!

The package we're interested in gets us 5 sessions with Millie starting when Baby Boy is 2 weeks old through the time he has his first birthday. I'm excited already!

we've got letters

2009-02-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Emily at From the Land of Cotton assigned me the letter "T" a few weeks ago after she did this on her blog. I'm supposed to list 10 things I love that begin with the letter "T."

1. Todd (obviously)

2. Tater tots from Sonic

3. Traveling

4. Toss Designs

5. Tech

6. Time with the girls

7. Terrific weddings

8. Television

9. Tiny Baby Boy Carroll

10. Talking on the phone with my parents and brother

Get Married!

2009-02-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for keeping up with the wedding trends and I'm so excited to share this wonderful resource with all of you!

Get Married has just launched its second season on Lifetime Television. Get Married is a multi-platform wedding resource with its show on Lifetime Television and its user friendly website, www.getmarried.com. Some of the most sought-after wedding professionals are featured in season two and the host is Colin Cowie himself! The show airs at 7:30 a.m. on weekday mornings.

Some of the other industry experts involved in this project are Darcy Miller (from Martha Stewart Weddings), the fabulous Preston Bailey, and the all knowing Peggy Post (my hero).

So if you're a bride-to-be, a single gal that has been planning her wedding since she was 5 years old, or a newlywed or not-so-newlywed that is still obsessed with weddings, tune in on weekday mornings and visit Get Married. It's the most expertly-driven wedding website I've seen and I'd known about it when I was planning!

* Some of our favorite Blogger Brides are already involved!

the big Hanky Panky winner!

2009-02-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

With 405 comments and most of you either becoming a follower and posting about this on your own blogs, I had to cut up a lot of little pieces of paper for this drawing. I think we had 1200 pieces of paper in that bowl. Thank you so much to everyone that played along! I never expected such a huge response!

The winner is...

All-American Preppy

Congratulations! Please email me at erakin11 at hotmail dot com with your address, so I can get these to you before Saturday!!!

love it or hate it?

2009-02-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

What do y'all think of the patent Reva espadrille? I kind of love it, but my friend hates it. Opinions, please!

now, that's a first

2009-02-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

I was driving down the lovely Devine Street today with the windows down, the sunroof open, and some Fleetwood Mac greatest hits playing. I was thinking how much I love that street and how I wanted to go back to Kicks later to find some new sandals and flats. I was thoroughly enjoying my morning off and couldn't wait to get my pedicure.

Then I see a perfectly normal looking Southern woman walk to the middle of the road and wrap something around her hand to cover it up. She starts to bend over and as I'm getting closer I can see that she's going to pick up something in the road. But what is it? I get closer and realize that it's definitely road kill. And she's picking it up. Picking up the road kill on Devine Street.

As I get right next to her, I've slowed my car down to 5 miles per hour to get a good look at the dead opossum (is the "o" really necessary?) that she's carrying by its nasty pink tail. Never in my life.

I guess I've always wondered who moves the road kill from the street to the curb, but I just never imagined it to be such a lovely looking woman. If it had been me I'm sure the possum that I assumed was dead would all of a sudden wake up (from "playing possum") and take a bite out of my hand and give me rabies.

a morning for me!

2009-02-10T06:15:00.001-08:00

I'm so sorry for the delay in posting for the last five days. I've been a little busy and I'm afraid to see how many posts I need to get through in my Google reader. I can't wait to see what all of you have been up to.

I plan to post the winner for the Hanky Panky giveaway later today, so stay tuned!

I taught my three hour class last night after work and got home around 8:15-- just in time to find the President on every channel, causing me to stay up until 11:00 watching The Bachelor. Today I'm able to stay at home for three hours as a means of comp time. I have a big morning planned!

I'm going to get a pedicure, taking my maternity jeans to be hemmed, going shoe shopping, picking up dry cleaning, grabbing lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, and then heading in to work. It's 76 degrees here today and the weather change has put me in the best mood! I'm already looking for fun Spring maternity clothes. Here's what I'm eyeing right now!

A Pea in the Pod

Citizens of Humanity Kelly Bootcut Maternity Jeans

ooey gooey fun!

2009-02-05T15:21:00.001-08:00

I have been craving sweet stuff all afternoon. I was specifically craving Birthday Cake ice cream from Marble Slab, but I decided not to take any detours on my way home from work. Instead, I made these:

A good friend of mine gave me the Williams Sonoma brownie mix with a 9x9 brownie pan and cover and a 9x13 brownie pan and cover. It was such a great gift!

I've been saving the brownies for a day when I'd really appreciate them. I knew they'd be better than the regular Duncan Hines brownie mix. I finally made the Williams Sonoma brownies today and they are phenomenal! I'm sure I'm overly excited about this because I'm pregnant and no one appreciates gooey chocolate like a pregnant woman!

22 week belly

2009-02-04T10:52:00.001-08:00

Today officially marks the 22nd week of my pregnancy. I can't believe we are past the half-way mark and well into the second half. My next appointment will be at 24 weeks, then I'll have another ultrasound at 28 weeks. After my 28 week appointment I'll start seeing my doctor every two weeks. That's just crazy to me. Time is seriously flying by and I feel like I haven't done anything!

My first shower is in Dallas on March 7 and invitations have apparently gone out for that. This means that Todd and I have to register this weekend. I'm completely overwhelmed by the idea of registering for baby gear. When you register for wedding gifts, you just pick out the prettiest things and the things you know you need and like. Registering for baby gear requires researching for safety purposes and lots of Consumer Reports information and comparisons.

I'm spending a week in Dallas from March 5-12 with my mom to pick out nursery fabric and furniture and get that ball rolling. Once I decide on fabrics I can choose a wall paint color and get moving on that. February will be over be we know it and we'll be one month closer to Baby Boy's arrival.

MM, here's the next "hot" baby bump photo. You can see that my face is definitely starting to fill out. It's amazing how much weight you can gain when you're not throwing up every hour! I feel great because I was finally able to get my hair highlighted again yesterday. It had been six months since my last highlight. I couldn't get it highlighted in the first trimester, then my stylist went on maternity leave, and now I don't have an ugly dark line separating new hair from old hair.

My Baby Does the Hanky Panky

2009-02-02T09:58:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited about this Valentine's Day giveaway! This is one of my favorite holidays because I love pink and red together, hearts, chocolate, and a day to celebrate love!

I've never been quiet about my love for Hanky Panky panties and how they're perfect for everyone and every figure. They're one size fits all and never ever show panty lines.

My Hanky Pankies were my something blue and I've seriously got about 40 pairs of these. I know that it's time to do laundry when I run out of Hanky Pankies!

For Valentine's Day, I'll be giving away this cute little Hanky Panky gift set from Nordstrom. It's two pairs of Hanky Panky panties in a cute little leopard gift box!

Here are the rules:

1. Leave a comment and be entered once.

2. Leave a comment and become a follower to be entered twice. If you become a follower or if you're already a follower make sure you let me know in your comment.

3. Leave a comment, become a follower, and do a post about my giveaway on your blog to be entered three times.

By the way, I can still wear these awesome undies even as a pregnant lady, so they really are one size fits all!

Deadline to enter is February 9!!!

Mojito Maven's Yummy Valentine's Giveaway

2009-02-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

My friend, Mojito Maven, is hosting a delicious Valentine's Day giveaway!

Go here to enter to win this:

what I'm looking forward to...

2009-02-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

I get about six catalogs every day at my house. I used to love it. It was so much fun to curl up at 5:45 after I've let the dogs out and look at all of the catalogs. I'd build my shopping cart in my head or immediately grab my laptop and start making my own virtual shopping cart at the catalog's website.

Now, notsomuch. When your back side is still it's normal size, but your waist is nearly a 36, there's not much you can do. So I don't even open the catalogs anymore. However, yesterday, when I saw the new J.Crew ready to be thrown into the trash unopened, I decided to just give it a flip through.

Spring dresses are my favorite. I've got a closet full of last year's J.Crew spring dresses that I wore for showers and parties that I'll be dying to fit into. I'm going to have my friend Amy at Chapters on speed dial so she can get my body ready to fit into these dresses by August. The rule about having to wait so many weeks before being able to work out again may pose a problem, but this dress is motivation enough!

And these soft pink sling backs. I don't care what my doctor says. I'm wearing these this Spring!

J.Crew was there for me all through the wedding process and for every shower and brunch. Why are they failing me during my pregnancy? Where are the maternity clothes, J.Crew? Pregnant women look great in these colors!

I got tagged!

2009-01-31T16:29:00.001-08:00

Megs at Perfectly Imperfect tagged me to fill this out. I'm cooking supper right now and it's a nice little break while I impatiently wait for everything to finish cooking! Thanks, Megs!

(I want to point out that I love the title of her blog. When Todd and I first started dating he pointed a few little things about himself like the little gap in his teeth and a couple of tiny scars that he has. I have always told him that they were "perfect imperfections." So I love that blog title!)

Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people

.1. What were you doing and who were you with at 9:59 PM on Friday night? Todd and I were lying in bed. We had just eaten huge pimento cheeseburgers at one of my favorite local places and I couldn't hold my eyes open. He was watching DaVinci code and at some point we both fell asleep in the clothes we'd been wearing all day.

2. What's the last thing you read/are currently reading? I'm reading The Girlfriend's Guide to Baby Gear and The Happiest Baby on the Block. Not real thrilling. I have a huge stack of unread books at my house. I just need the motivation.

3. Do you nap a lot? A few weeks ago I took a nap every day. Now I wake up feeling really sick after naps. I'm sure after little boy Carroll arrives I'll be begging for naps.

4. Who was the last person you hugged? Todd was the last person, but I gave Boudreaux a huge about two seconds ago-- he thinks he's a person.

5. What's your current obsession/addiction? Other than the usual addictions of TV, blogging, decorating, and online shopping, right now I'm addicted to cheeseburgers. Pregnancy has definitely gotten the best of me.

6. What was the last thing you said out loud? "Can you set the timer for 20 minutes?"

7. What websites do you always visit when you go online? Google reader, private blogs, hotmail, facebook, people.com, my bank, cnn.com, todayshow.com

8. What was the last item you bought? the Canon Rebel camera bag

9. What is your most challenging goal? to find the vision for and to start my own event planning business. I have a feeling it's not too far away.

10. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished- anywhere in the world, where would it be? Charleston, SC or Austin, TX-- I'm also lusting after the HGTV Dream House in Sonoma, California

11. Favorite Vacation spot? any major city or Gulf Shores, Alabama-- it's a simple place, but so familiar to me. I love it!

12. Say something to the person who tagged you: Megs is beautiful, real, and a joy to read about! I'm happy to know her through the blogging world.

13. Name one thing you just can't resist no matter how bad it is for you: French fries

14. What is your favorite item of clothing? all of my spring/summer dresses. But currently I'm obsessed with my ruched white maternity t-shirt.

15. Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is over flowing with a zillion others?! black Reefs, brown Rainbows, brown Danskos, platinum Jack Rogers, and silver Bernardos.... that's definitely more than one

16. Name one thing you can not live with out: My flat iron.... even on curly hair days, I have to straighten my crazy bangs. (of course I can't live without my husband and family, but they're not actually a thing)

17. Has a celebrity's haircut ever influence you on your own hairstyle? I had short Meg Ryan hair in high school and that was the picture I always took in with me. I also had that shoulder length with bangs look based on Jessica Simpson's haircut back in 2004 or 2005.

18. What is your favorite room in your house? It's our guest bedroom that I call the "white room." It's so bright and fresh in there and I love to just nap in there on a quiet day.

Thanks for the fun, Megs!!!!

Grease is the word

2009-01-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

I know this image is a little small, but if you have impeccable vision like I do, you can see that our independent local theater is having a Grease Sing-a-long tonight at 10:00 p.m.

It's when I see things like this that I miss my high school and college friends the most. A few of us in high school loved Grease and would frequently have sing-a-longs at our houses and dance around the room pretending to be Rizzo and the girls. For my 14th birthday, a group of us went to see the live musical.

I was an Alpha Chi Omega in college and our skit for Rush was Grease! We had lots of fun ways that we changed up the lyrics to the songs like "Greek is the word" instead of "Grease is the word." We also sang, "Summer rush, we're having a blast" instead of "summer lovin'...."

Who's willing to come to Columbia, South Carolina tonight to sing-a-long with me at the Nickelodeon Theater?

questions: answered {part IV}

2009-01-30T07:52:00.002-08:00

My home- My life said...
Are you going to work after you have your baby? I am not sure what you do now so maybe you should address that first please.

I am the Events Manager for one of the colleges at the University of South Carolina. It's a really fun job that has really evolved since I've been in the position. I was actually the first person to hold this position in our office. I plan about 40 events per year. Because I have a Masters degree, I am qualified to teach at the college level. This semester, in addition to my event planning duties, I am also teaching a professional development seminar for our juniors and seniors. Last semester I taught the freshman seminar class.

I am planning to return to work.

Mrs. Cup said...
What is your favorite part about your job and what is your least favorite?

My favorite part is that I get to use my passion for event planning and organizing every day. I know that events are what I'm supposed to be doing and I love that I'm getting so much experience.

My least favorite part about the job is that it is pretty much the same thing every year; meaning that every January we have this event and every April we have that event. We're pretty much in a steady rotation. Some creative freedom would be nice somedays. Also, because I work for the state, our event budgets are really small. I would love to see what I could do with a nice big budget!

What is your biggest passion in life?

I'm not going to get deep with this answer. My passion is creativity and the arts. This is broad, I know, but I am completely inspired by music, singing, hearing someone else sing with a beautiful voice, beautiful photography, gorgeous scenery, a well-planned event, musicals, and fine art.

Hollie said...
Will this be your parents' first grandchild? Your husband's parents?

Little boy Carroll will be the first grandchild on both sides. Todd doesn't have any siblings, so until we have another baby there won't be another baby on Todd's side. My brother is a ways away from getting to that point, so this child could have siblings before he has a cousin.

Bama Belle in the Big City said...
I know you used to work at a law firm (which is where you met your husband)- what did you do there? And what do you do now?

I managed the conference and event space at the law firm. The best part about that job was the wonderful people (not even including Todd) that I met there. See above for what I do now.

When did you know your husband was the one?

Before we even went on our first date. There was just something there between us and his heart is so kind. I just knew. I know everyone always says that when you know, you know. We had so many wonderful conversations and really got to know each other before we ever went on a date, that I knew before we ever went on our first date.

GrannySmithGreen said...
Did you ever consider NOT finding out if it's a boy or girl?

No. Not even a consideration. Haha. I plan events for a living and wanted to get started planning a nursery and monograms. My husband will confirm that I don't like surprises. I beat them out of him, so we just never considered it. I really love the couples that can wait until that big moment to find out!

Mrs. Stilettos said...
What is the most important thing that your parents taught you/showed you growing up that you want to pass to your child?

To love the Lord, Jesus Christ first and above all. They taught me the importance of letting others see Jesus in you. Then to love your spouse second and never put your spouse down in front of the children. They also taught me the importance of loving my sibling like he was my best friend. Unfortunately, I didn't take advantage of that when I was younger and my brother and I argued a lot. But now, he is my favorite person to be around and I think he's just an incredible man.

CLuthren said...
What are your three most treasured items? Other than Todd and the dogs what would you rush to save if your house was burning down?

I would save Le Mutt (my stuffed dog that my mom received at one of her baby showers when she was pregnant with me), our wedding album or CD, and the video that my mom made for my high school graduation. The video is about 4 hours long and has hours of video of my life and still pictures in a slide show. Really special.

Marden Family said...
I know you said you like to cook- what are your favorite cookbooks/websites to make recipes from?

I like The Comfort Table by Katie Lee Joel. Any Junior League cookbook is great. The two that I love are The Cotton Country by the Monroe, Louisiana Junior League and Down by the Water from the Columbia, SC Junior League.

The Shabby Princess said...
How is it working while being pregnant? Is your office/workplace supportive?

It has been fine other than when I'm sick. It's really hard to get out of bed when you're exhausted and throwing up and have to go put on a happy face and put together a great event. My responsibilities haven't changed at all.

How do you think your furry kids will react to the new addition to the family?

I think they'll be a little confused at first, but I think they're going to love him. I plan to keep their lives pretty much the same and not shut them out of the baby stuff.

Tara Gibson said...
What do your parents and your husband's parents want their grandchild to call them?

My mom will be K.K. and my dad will be Poppie. I don't think Todd's parents have decided yet.

What is the first thing you will go buy for your child if it's a girl? Or a boy?

I haven't bought anything yet for him, but I'm sure it will be something special.

Mrs. Jetplane said...
As someone who is still to scared to have kids... What does it feel like to be pregnant, I mean physically feel like? Do you feel different?

There is a lot of heart burn and nausea. That's more obvious, though. I have some neck and back pain. We saw in the ultrasound that the placenta is pretty thick, so that's why I'm not feeling him move, but his little movements feel like little bubbles. It isn't too strange yet since he's still so small.

Allison said...
If you had to be on a reality TV show, which would you choose? Survivor? American Idol? The Bachelor/Bachelorette (pretend you aren't married...), So You Think You Can Dance?, Fear Factor, Real World?

I would totally be on American Idol. No question.

the push present

2009-01-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

I think Todd was a little surprised at Thanksgiving when my pregnant cousin informed him of the "push present." I'm sure he was thinking, "I just married her. Now I have to give her a present for having a baby?" Of course he doesn't have to, but I think it's a wonderful tradition. Wink wink.

When we purchased my wedding ring that was fitted to my engagement ring, the jeweler had to make a mold. He told us he would hang on to the mold because he was sure that Todd would come back someday to get the ring for the other side. I said, "Oh! Five or ten year anniversary presents!" And the jeweler corrected me and said that he was implying that Todd should come back when our first child is born. Who knew that would come so soon?

So, if it's not the other piece of the wedding ring set, then I'm thinking that I love the David Yurman blue topaz ring. Topaz is my birthstone and I have tried this ring on about twenty times already.

And there's always the option of taking a trip. My mom has offered to keep the baby for a week whenever Todd and I are ready to take a belated anniversary trip. A real babymoon is not an option for us because my work schedule is too hectic this Spring. Our anniversary is May 3 and I'll be a month from my due date at that point. A beach vacation is out of the question. No one wants to see that! A city vacation is not a great idea because I know my legs and ankles will be enormous and walking around could become miserable.

So it looks like we'll have to wait on a trip until the baby is a little bit older and we decide that we're ready to leave him.

So those are the fun decisions ahead! Has anyone else heard of the push present?

questions: answered {part III}

2009-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Shorty said....
I'm curious about your baby name choices, too.... what are your faves?

Well now we know it will definitely be a boy name, but no hints yet. Please see this post.

Will you breastfeed?

I plan to try.

What do you think about babies sleeping (aka the family bed) with their parents and will you try this, or keep the baby in its own bed/bedroom?

We will have a nursery with a nice crib for baby boy Carroll. That's where he will sleep. I don't have any opinions on the "family bed" because it's not something I've even considered.

Is there something that you absolutely can't stand that one of your friends or family members is doing to you while you're pregnant? I ask b/c I had a friend who ALWAYS rubbed my belly without asking when she would walk up to me. I absolutely despised it when she would do this, but she was the hypersensitive type so I just didn't say anything...

I think the belly rubbing thing would really bother me, too. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I definitely think I would have to say something if it happened. Todd is also prepared to say something. We would obviously do this in a passive aggressive jokey kind of way.

I've also been annoyed with unsolicited advice. It's different if someone is my good friend because I really want to know what they think or how they did something, but when a coworker just tells me that something won't work that I'm planning to do I get really irritated. I also get tired of hearing every single birth story. "Well it happened to so and so this way..." and "so and so was only in labor for an hour..." I have my mom and cousins for those kinds of stories.

EJ & Roo said...
What's your favorite Carolina beach?

The only Carolina beach I've ever visited is Pawley's Island and I liked it fine. I'm used to the Gulf beaches, though, so I'm really partial to Perdido Key, Florida and Gulf Shores, Alabama. That's where I plan to take all of my beach trips because that's where we went every summer as kids.

Following Him said...

What are you craving/hating during pregnancy? Any names yet?

No name hints yet. I am craving chocolate ice cream, cheeseburgers, chips and salsa, and Za's pizza. The things I liked when I wasn't pregnant. :)

Mrs. Newlywed said...
If you could go on a date with any superhero who would it be and why? (pretend Todd doesn't care)

I'd for sure choose Batman. He doesn't have super powers. He's all man!

If you had to pick between having pink hair or permanently purple lips, which would you choose?

I'd go for the purple lips. I am kind of obsessed with hair, but think I could find a nice lipstick to camouflage the purple lips.

GIRL FROM THE LAND of 10KL said...
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would you live?

I think I'd hop around some. I love to move, so I'd really enjoy moving everything around. Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.

Lori said...
What is your favorite thing about being married? And a not so favorite thing?

I love having my best friend at home with me all the time. I love that we don't have to make plans and that we can just do whatever we want to. I love talking about the future and daydreaming about what we might want to do and then quickly changing our minds and taking it down another road. Having him around all the time is definitely the best part. And it's great even when we're not saying anything at all.

My not-so-favorite thing would just have to be our habits. I'm a "do it now" kind of person because I can't stand clutter or mess and Todd's fine to leave it alone for a day or so until he can "get around to it."

From California to Portland said...
Did you have a feeling you were pregnant before you actually found out?

Kind of. I felt really strange and tired. I thought I was just in a funk because we'd just gotten back from a great trip visiting my parents. Then I realized that I was late and that it could be more than just being tired. So I left work and rushed to CVS and my suspicions were confirmed.

What's your favorite season and holiday?

I love fall because I love fall clothes. And Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. Spring is fun, too, but it doesn't last long in South Carolina. The hot humid days are here by the beginning of May.

How did you tell your husband you were pregnant?

I called him at work and asked him to please come home because I wasn't feeling well. He hesitated for a while and I had to convince him without telling him over the phone. I paced for ten minutes until he got there and I told him as soon as he opened the door. He was really excited.

If you could travel anywhere in the world (money's no object) where would you go?

I would take a Mediterranean cruise and then visit the Greek Isles. I'd try to spend at least a month over there seeing and exploring everything. I'd love to go into antique shops and find treasures and furniture and then find a way to get them home.

it's a ...

2009-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

Can you tell? It was really obvious to us when we saw this.

It's a BOY!!! A very proud little boy. We are so excited and I've had a feeling the whole time that our first child would be a boy. I'll apologize to you later for putting a picture of his stuff on my blog.

Here's a new little picture of his profile. He had great lips and a perfect little face. I already can't wait to see him again. It's so much fun to write this and be able to say "he" and "him!"

And here he is looking at all of us! Say hello to all of mommy's blog friends!

My mom just sent me a text message saying that one of her oh-so-stylish clients would like to give me all of her little boy's clothes. This little boy has some great clothes! Some wonderful little Feltman outfits. He'll be begging me for "big boy clothes" by his first birthday for sure.

today's the day!

2009-01-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to a mix of about twenty different feelings and emotions. It feels the way Christmas did when I was a little girl and couldn't wait to see what Santa brought me. It also feels the way the first day of school used to when I'd repeatedly tell my mom how nervous I was and how I was sure I was going to be sick.

I've got my 20 week ultrasound today-- at almost 21 weeks pregnant! We're going to see the baby again and I'm so excited, but I'm nervous. I've been praying for this baby my whole life, but real specifically praying for this life for 20 weeks. The whole thing feels surreal. I will know by 3:00 today whether this little person that will spend the next 18 years living with us (maybe a little more) and changing our lives for the better is a boy or a girl!

It's one of those things that I never thought would happen like "I'll never be old enough to get married" and "I'll never be old enough to have a baby." The day is here. We've reached that point in our lives!

I haven't posted a poll yet, so I'd love to hear what you think. Is Baby Carroll a girl or a boy?

I'll let you know later today as soon as I can get back to a computer after the appointment.

Note: A new reader left a comment yesterday asking if Carroll was going to be the baby's name. Carroll is our last name.

you got the baby!

2009-01-26T10:36:00.001-08:00

I'm having my first serious craving. I've craved other things lately like Za's three cheese pizza, chocolate ice cream, and chips and salsa. Those cravings weren't too intense, though, because I'm able to satisfy the craving within minutes.

Now that Mardi Gras is almost here, I know that it's King Cake season and I. Want. One. Now. I don't care if it's filled with cream cheese, strawberry, strawberry and cream cheese, pecan praline, apple, or not filled with anything at all. I just want a King Cake. The only problem is that I can't get one in Columbia right now.

My fingers are all ready to click "order" on the Gambino's website. And I may as well order five or six full King Cakes, right? If I eat the whole cake and then I get the baby, then I'll have to provide the next cake, and I'll get the baby again. Then I'll have to provide the next cake and... This could go on and on and I'm fine with that!

My husband has never been to New Orleans and I don't think that it's the best idea to take him down there for Mardi Gras while I'm pregnant. I've already told him that next February when Baby Carroll is 8 months old that we'll head down there for the celebrations and he can experience New Orleans in all its crazy Mardi Gras glory.

Are there any other displaced Louisiana girls that plan to have Mardi Gras parties in their current towns?

questions: answered {round 2}

2009-01-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the weekend is over! We had a great time at Sunday school this morning and we saw Slumdog Millionaire on Friday night. It was great! I've answered round two of the questions. More to come!

Mojito Maven said...
1. When can i convince you and Todd to move to Dallas so we can be bff?

I don't need to be convinced! For those of you that don't know, not only does Mrs. Mojito live in Dallas, but my two best friends from college and my parents are also in Dallas. I visit as often as possible-- every two months or so. I'd pick up and go in a heartbeat just because I so badly miss all of my favorite people and Dallas is a great city. My sweet husband loves his job, though, and that's so rare these days! We'll be here as long as he's happy at work. We moved around a lot when I was growing up, so I'm used to moving and I actually like it. I would pick up and go anywhere if he said it was a great job for him.

2. What is the first alcoholic beverage you are going to drink when you are done being pregnant?

Maybe a mojito! I really don't know. I've thought about it a few times-- especially when we're at Mexican restaurants and I see other customers drinking margaritas. I like sharing a glass of wine with my mom when I'm visiting her, too. Mojito, margarita, Bud Light, chardonnay, it doesn't matter. To tell you the truth, though, I was sick for so long during this pregnancy that I really haven't missed not being about to have an adult beverage. I'm sure after 19 more weeks I'll be ready!

3. When are you going to post more HOT pictures of you being pregnant???

Hilarious. I'll try to post one this week! It's definitely growing and it's the strangest feeling!

Mrs. Buck said...
What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?

Just knowing that there is a little life inside of me that is a little bit of Todd and a little bit of me! I can't wait to meet this person that I've been praying so long for!

What is your least favorite thing (aka. what do you dislike the most) about being pregnant?

There are a lot more things that I dislike about being pregnant. I'm sorry if that makes me sound ungrateful. I was sick for 18 straight weeks and that's not fun at all. I get excruciating heartburn every night, wake up about six times every night, want a nap every three hours, and the bad headaches have started. I could write a book about the things that I wish I could eat and how much I miss exercising, but am afraid of getting sick if I do too much.

Seriously, I'm not trying to complain, but she asked what I didn't like. I know that as soon as I see that little face all of these things will be a distant memory and none of these things will stop me from wanting to have another one someday.

Madison Girl said...
1) Are you still sick?(I hope not)

The pregnancy-related sickness is gone for the most part. I only get sick once every two or three days and then it's over. I'm beyond thankful that this prayer has been answered and I can leave the house without the fear of getting sick in the car.

2) Whats your favorite place to eat out in Columbia?

Mr. Friendly's! It's so cute and quaint. The atmosphere is wonderful because it's not too quiet in there, but it's so small that it's not too loud either. It's so close to our house that we tend to eat there more on a week night instead of the weekend. The food is Southern, but not fried and fatty. Their grits are my absolute favorite. Yum... who's hungry?

3) Whats your favorite place to shop in Columbia (when not prego!)?

I love this store in 5 Points called Mary. (The Columbia bloggers know what I'm talking about) When I was so dedicated to exercising and following the Weight Watchers Points leading up to the wedding, I finally had the body where I could wear the gorgeous dresses that come in sizes that you'd never imagine you could wear. I loved to go to Mary just to try things on. Those 40 pounds came off over about 3 years and I had to buy a lot of new clothes during that time. But it wasn't until those last pounds came off right before the wedding that I bought some of those clothes that I never imagined I could wear again. Now I'm gaining them all back with the pregnancy, so I'll be so anxious to work hard again so I can get back in my favorite clothes.

Kate said...
(1) Good Gals stole mine with the baby names question! I know some people are hesitant to share those, though - but if you're willing... I'm curious too!

I can't wait to tell all of you our name choice, but I have to wait! Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

(2) I know your parents live in Dallas and you bought your wedding dress at WB... did you grow up in Dallas?

No. My parents just moved to Dallas in 2006 and I never lived there. I was born in Baton Rouge. When I was 7 we moved to Ruston, Louisiana then when I was 13 we moved to Indiana. I graduated from high school in Indiana and went back to Ruston, Louisiana for college at Louisiana Tech. My parents had moved to Columbia, SC while I was in college, so I moved out here to Columbia to attend graduate school near my family when I finished college. After I finished grad school my dad accepted a job in Dallas and off they went! I had already met Todd at that point and knew that Columbia would be my home. I LOVE visiting Dallas, though. We'll get together when I'm there sometime!

(3) You've posted about deciding whether or not to sell your wedding dress... I have a feeling I will struggle with that too... what was your thought process in deciding to hold on to it for now?

I had to send my dress off to New York to be cleaned and preserved-- which is not easy or inexensive! That process took about eight weeks, but I just got word that the dress is on its way back to me, so it will be nice to see it again. I am 90% sure that I want to sell it. When I get it back in a few days I plan to post it on Preowned Wedding Dresses.

he'll always be your Daddy

2009-01-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

I've been crying all morning ever since I heard Barbara and Jenna Bush's recorded version of their letter to Sasha and Malia Obama on the Today Show. Who else saw this? It was the sweetest, most appropriate letter with some really fun pictures and it keeps me choked up.

I love that they told them to slide down the banister at the White House and to play games on the White House lawn. I especially loved that they cautioned them not to listen to the reports or skits that tear down their father. They told them that he will always be the Daddy that held them, rocked them, read to them, and the Daddy whose world was changed the day they were born. Presidents are all faced with so much criticism and it's probably much harder on their wives and children than it is on them.

But I think we can all relate in a way to what the Bush twins said about their father. No matter what else your dad becomes in life, he'll always be your Daddy.

You can read the entire letter here.

questions: answered!

2009-01-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Y'all ask some really fun questions! I've answered a few of them already and will answer them all over the next few days.

southern daze
If I came to visit you in Columbia, what would we do?

Oh boy! First of all, if Cyndi came to visit me I would be so excited! What would we do? We would eat a lot. I'd take you to my favorite restaurants; Mr. Friendly's, The Gourmet Shop, DiPrato's, Rockaways, and Hampton Street Vineyard. We would be stuffed to the max and we wouldn't have any money left, but we'd be happy.

Then we'd get in the car and drive to Greenville (for more great food) and Charleston (for great history and shopping).

Columbia is a great town, but it's not its own destination unless you're coming for the capital or for USC. It has a lot to offer kids when they visit with the Riverbanks Zoo, EdVenture Children's Museum, and the State Museum, but there aren't a lot of activities for adults.

Good Gals Inc

Were you suprised when you found out you're pregnant? Did you plan on it?

We were so pleasantly surprised! We knew that we wanted kids someday and we weren't trying to get pregnant, but it was definitely part of God's perfect plan and we couldn't be happier.

What names are you leaning towards for your baby?

Todd and I plan to keep the name(s) a secret for as long as we can. We may burst at some point. I will tell you, though, that we are planning to use family names for all of our future children and we really like classic, timeless names. There are a lot of names that I like that I think are really pretty or cute, but find that I ask myself, "but what does that name mean to me?" I don't mean the history of the name or the meaning of the name that you look up in books, but what does that name mean to us? That's why we like family names-- as long as we also actually like the name! We've found some bad family names on both sides that go way back, too, so we've been on the hunt for the perfect family name.

Where did you and your husband meet and did you know he was the one when you met him? Looking forward to your post! Hope you are doing great!

We met in 2005 when we were both working for the law firm that Todd works for now. We didn't work together, but saw each other in passing a lot. We ran into each other at the grocery store one night after I finished working out. I had a cart full of groceries (because when I was single I only went to the grocery store once a month and would spend $200 every time) and he had a little basket with milk and cereal in it. We stood there and talked for a while, then he emailed me the next day and this perfect friendship began. I was dating someone else at the time, but I ended that quickly because I knew that Todd wasn't worth passing up for that relationship. I didn't know he was the one when I met him, but I told my good friend the night of our first date, "This is the last first date I'll ever go on." And it was!

Missy

I love your taste! I'm in the midst of wedding planning myself and I love looking at your wedding pictures for inspiration. I actually went to Furman too, so I loved seeing all the pictures from the chapel and the Westin Poinsett! Your wedding was absolutely beautiful. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out gifts for my bridesmaids, but I have 7. I've already made some drop pearl earrings for them, do you have any other suggestions for bridesmaids gifts? Thanks!

The earrings are going to be so special because you made them! That's so wonderful! It really depends how much you want to spend, but there are so many options. You can get them a monogrammed makeup bag or a larger monogrammed tote bag. I gave my bridesmaids a lot of Toss items that we were able to get wholesale through my mom's business. They got the tote bag, the makeup bag, and a Toss umbrella that we used in the pictures.

Another great idea I've seen is to get them matching terry towel wraps or robes. You can get them monogrammed, too, if you want. But they're really fun for getting ready. Everyone can wear their matching robes and you can get one for yourself in white. It makes for really cute pictures, too!

Okay, more answers to the questions coming later... Go here if you want to ask a question!

holy crazy Lost episode, batman!

2009-01-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

Wow! Last night's season premiere of Lost was the craziest one I've ever seen. It definitely proved that it is completely necessary for you to see every episode of the show in order to know what is going on. I'm not going to say anything specific in case someone hasn't seen it yet, but I will say that I never imagined it going there.

One thing I don't like about when Lost comes back on is I hate waiting until the next week to see what happens. I've only seen one season solely on DVD, but that was so much easier.

Who watched it? Are you dying for next week already?

If anyone hasn't watched it and would like to borrow Season 1-4 from me just let me know and I'll send them to you.

it's up to you!

2009-01-21T13:07:00.001-08:00

I'm having a bit of writer's block again. We can all blame this on the fact that I'm now 20 weeks pregnant and don't know if I'm having a boy or a girl. Lots of other pregnant ladies and bloggers have known for weeks what they're having and I'll be nearly 21 weeks before I find out. At least I know that things will be pretty accurate because I'm so for along.

In order for me to leave you alone with posts about, "Is the baby a girl or a boy?", I'm going to let you ask questions and I'll answer. I did this once before and my friend Mojito Maven did it this week.

Go ahead. Ask me anything. I'll take my time answering your questions and maybe when I'm almost done it will almost be time for me to go for my January 27 ultrasound! Help me!

ETA: Please leave your questions as a comment below.

some lighter thoughts

2009-01-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

After this morning's heavy post I decided that I needed to put something a little more fun out there.

But first I'd like to give you one lesson in Blog 101. (My friend, Nina, coined this phrase today and I am just borrowing it from her. She'll be teaching the full class soon.)

We are not always going to agree with each other in the Blogosphere. What I write on my blog is my personal opinion, and this world that we live in is interesting and fun because of differing opinions. I do not force my beliefs down anyone's throat because you have to come to me to read what I believe. I will never come to your blog to give you my opinion, but you know that you can always find it right here.

Okay, on to the fun!

I want to introduce all of you to my new bed partner, the Boppy Total Body Pillow! It's comfy, provides a place for my growing tummy, and is really nice support for my lower back. One of the best things is that I can take the cover off and wash it because we all know it's already covered in Boudreaux hair.

Pregnant bloggers, how do you get comfortable when you sleep? Mommy bloggers, what worked for you? Non-pregnant and non-mommy bloggers, tell me something interesting anyway!

praise who?

2009-01-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

I'm really moved to see so many Americans joined together in Washington for a common purpose. I love patriotism and any time I see millions of American flags waving around I'm going to get choked up.

I am, however, disappointed that so many people are wearing shirts with Obama's face on them and hats that say "Obama." Why not just a shirt that says "America?" I am so tired of hearing this person be glorified and tired of hearing people talk like he is the savior they've been waiting for. He is a man. Just a man. I just think it's really unhealthy to treat a human being this way. He has big shoes to fill and really high expectations to meet and I think Americans are making those expectations bigger and bigger every day as they build Barack Obama up to be this savior.

As I saw all of the flags waving around this morning, I thought, "Wow. Wouldn't it just be incredible if that many people got together to glorify Jesus Christ? What if that many people got together and instead of shouting 'OBAMA', they shouted 'JESUS?'"

Can we have a $150 million celebration on Easter Sunday?

I heard Oprah say the other day about inauguration day, "What a day of rejoicing that will be!"

I'm sorry. Those are the words to a hymn. It goes, "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be."

I'll be praying for our country, for the Obamas as a family, and for our new President. I hope these next four years are the best our country has seen. But I don't plan to praise Barack Obama after that happens. I will surely thank him, but I'll be praising Jesus.

lazy Monday

2009-01-19T14:00:00.001-08:00

I didn't do anything today, so this post is going to be a little scattered.

1. Todd and I attended our new Sunday school class for the first time yesterday. I'm so excited because it's just for newlyweds and I'm already committed a ladies weekly Bible study and lots of upcoming gatherings for the Super Bowl, a ladies retreat, Valentine's Day, etc. And to make it even more exciting, I just found out that Elizabeth from No Worries Wynn in Love and her husband go to the same church that we do and will be joining our class! We've yet to meet in person, but we will soon!

2. Snow is coming to Columbia tonight/early tomorrow morning. I doubt that USC will cancel classes/work, but it's always a possibility. It never snows here. We got a little bit lat year, but it didn't stick.

3. I'm getting so anxious about finding out the sex of the baby. It's hard because I'm reading other blogs where they've already found out the gender and they're a week behind me. We go in on January 27 and I promise to let you all know as soon as I know. I'm also worried because I pretty much know my boy name, but can't decide on a girl name. I know I don't have to until the baby arrives, but I just want to be prepared. My instinct has kind of been telling me that Baby Carroll is a girl, but I could be totally wrong.

4. I didn't make it to see Doubt or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button this weekend. I don't want to go tonight because I like to be at home the night before I go back to work after having a few days off. And The Bachelor and Gossip Girl come on tonight, so why would I leave the house?

5. The armoire that you can see in the background on this post was just taken to be refinished and repaired. I plan to use it in the nursery. They're going to repair it, take off the top two doors so I can leave it open for books and frames, and then we're going to paint it black. The inside of the shelves will be green or pink depending on the sex of the baby. I promise to post pictures when it's finished.

I think that's a good little summary for now. I'm hitting a bit of a writer's block. I'm sure it's because most of my thoughts are consumed with, "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl." Believe me, I'd love to have something else really interesting to think about.

two movies down. two to go.

2009-01-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

We saw Gran Torino on Friday night, and it was honestly one of the best movies I've ever seen. I was never bored (as I tend to get in lot of movies that are nominated for stuff) and I think I experienced every emotion imaginable while watching it. Ladies, take your husbands, boyfriends, fiances, brothers, Dads to see this movie. You'll like it, too. The story is incredible and Clint Eastwood's performance is so real and convincing.

Then we saw The Reader on Saturday afternoon and liked it, too. Kate Winslet was really remarkable. I haven't read the book, but I knew a little about the plot going into it. Todd and I even had a serious conversation about history when we left the movie. We enjoyed the movie, but we probably could have rented it once it comes out on DVD, too.

Both movies were really thought-provoking and I recommend seeing them both at some point!

I'll give updates on Benjamin Button and Doubt once we cross those off the list.

Also-- I want to congratulate MMM! Her Baby J was born today!!!

19 weeks and 3 days bump!

2009-01-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

I finally have a picture so you can all see how I'm progressing and so I can have a record of what I looked like when I was pregnant with Baby #1. So... all of you superstitious ladies... any thoughts on whether the baby is a boy or a girl based on the way I'm carrying him/her?

I'm standing in the future nursery for this picture. It's kind of a pig stye right now because we've started moving things out of it, but the dog crates are still in there. I'm not sure what Boudreaux and Fiona are going to say when we tell them they have to give up their room for the baby. Right now, they're still looking happy! (All pictures taken with the new Rebel-- and Boudreaux's eyes no longer reflect the camera flash)

On another note, please lift up Kelly, Scott, and baby girl Harper of Kelly's Korner in your prayers. There have been some complications after Harper's arrival yesterday. Visit Kelly's blog for the full story by clicking on the "Praying for Harper" button in my sidebar.

a busy weekend

2009-01-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for another long weekend! I plan to spend the weekend away from my television and away from all the inauguration hype. At some point, though, I'm going to have to take down our Christmas decorations. I've been away from home every weekend since Christmas and every time I pass our Christmas tree I just have to try to ignore it. I did take some decent pictures of the tree with my Canon Rebel, so I'm going to have to put some of them on the blog before the tree comes down. Am I the only one that made it to January 16 with a Christmas tree still up?

Over the course of this long weekend, Todd and I will see the following movies. We've got four nights to do it and I'm determined!

Okay, so maybe Todd won't agree to Bride Wars, but I'll see it without him.

One of my favorite mommy mentors offered to take me to Babies "R" Us this weekend to show me the ropes. I have no intentions of registering for a thing until I know if we're having a boy or a girl. I am just so excited that somebody is going to take me to that superstore and help me so I don't get too lost. I've never even set foot in a Babies "R" Us, so I'm sure there would be plenty of things that I'd be unsure of.

How do all of you plan on spending the long weekend? Any big plans?

Scrappy!

2009-01-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

My friend, Emily, of From the Land of Cotton tagged me with the Honest Scrap Award. This should be fun. I read all of her answers and feel like we might have been separated at birth because we're so similar.

The rules of the award:
1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.
3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

Here are my 10 honest things:

1) Though my husband is an optimist when it comes to Gamecock football, I have kind of given up hope. Maybe it's because I'm growing a baby and feel like I have more important things to worry about, but I don't share his optimism right now. I have to bite my tongue any time I see something on TV. Sorry, TC.

2) Other than our house, we are completely debt-free. I can't even tell you how good that feels. I spent a large part of my time in college racking up credit card debt without completely understanding what I was doing. I am just so proud to have that as a thing of the past.

3) I love to cook, but refuse to make a mediocre meal. I don't mean how it tastes, but how big the challenge is. If I'm going to take the time to cook I'm going to go all out. No heating up frozen vegetables or canned vegetables. Ingredients must be fresh. I'm 100% sure I'll get over this after the baby arrives.

4) I'm so excited to be serving as the Day of Coordinator for a wedding for the first time! The wedding is in March and I can't wait!

5) I have to take off my wedding and engagement ring every time I fall asleep. I think my fingers swell while I sleep and that is the most claustrophobic feeling in the world to have the rings stuck on my finger!

6) I love to sing. I have done a lot of musical theater and have been singing my whole life in choirs, weddings, and church. I also love to pretend like I'm singing. Pantomime. I think my friend, CET-Destinesia and my Dad are the only ones that truly appreciate this hidden talent. Give me some old school Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, or Tina Turner and I'm going to pretend like I'm belting it out. Another favorite is Danke Schoen-- Ferris Bueller-style. Maybe my baby will appreciate it, too.

7) I hate replacing the toilet paper roll and paper towel roll. Period. Good thing my husband accepts this about me.

8) I love change. Lots of people don't, but I do. I feel like things aren't right if I don't have a big change take place in my life every couple of years. I'm sure that comes from so much moving around when I was growing up. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

9) I think my husband and I have decided not to publicly share the name of the baby. This will be pretty difficult, I think, but I just don't want to hear anyone criticize the name and I want to wait until the baby arrives to make sure that's what we want to name him or her.

10) TC and I love game shows. LINGO is a favorite as is The Family Feud. I personally love Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy (like my friend, USCEmily) and can be found watching both game shows every night after work.

Dearest Mojito Maven gave me the You Are Truly Beautiful Award awhile back. Thank you, MM. So are you!

And Nina gave me this lovely award. Thank you, thank you!

my funny valentine

2009-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Sure, I don't really want to see Valentine's Day items hitting the shelves before New Year's Eve comes and goes, but I do love to see the cute red and pink things. Hearts, candy, balloons. Maybe I like it because the colors are great. I also like Valentine's Day because it reminds me of being a kid and passing out valentines at school. My mom would always help me make a really cute "mailbox" for my desk and I am so looking forward to doing those things with our child.

I know that Valentine's Day is known as the Hallmark holiday, but I don't care. My husband and I don't even go crazy on Valentine's Day with gifts and dinners. I just love the feeling of love all day. And I like candy.

Williams-Sonoma is definitely on the Valentine's Day band wagon with these delicious looking treats. We actually ordered some of the chocolate-filled croissants to eat over Christmas and they were delicious.

This is just the icing on the red velvet cake. Oh my goodness, it looks heavenly. Of course red velvet is my favorite, but it's heart-shaped! Adorable.

Am I the only one that's already excited about Valentine's Day?

2009 is here!

2009-01-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting on 2009 for just two reasons:

My DVR is taking care of American Idol tonight so I can watch The Biggest Loser and Real Housewives of Orange County (feel free to judge). I just can't believe I haven't seen a new episode of Lost since May. I can't wait to see what happens next week when it returns.

Awards season has also arrived. I was in Atlanta this weekend and watched the Golden Globes with my parents. They live in Dallas and don't have to wait weeks for all of the award-worthy movies to come to a nearby theater. I, on the other hand, may not see Slumdog Millionaire until it comes to DVD. There are a few award-worthy movies in Columbia and I have plans to see at least four movies over the long weekend.

And I hate to say something negative about Blake Lively because I am a Gossip Girl fan, but how on Earth did People.com put her on their Best Dressed list from Sunday night's Golden Globes?

This dress is at least one size too small. And her body is amazing. Who let her wear this dress?

And here's my favorite dress. I have a soft spot for ladies that can pull of yellow so beautifully. Christina Applegate looks stunning.

to market, to market

2009-01-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! I'm headed to Atlanta tomorrow morning for Market. For years I've either met my mom and her best friends at Market in Atlanta or Dallas. It has always been so much fun to tag along with them as they laugh and look at all the latest trends. They stopped meeting up at the Dallas Market a few years ago and have been going strictly to Atlanta for about six years now.

This is the first year that my mom's friends aren't coming, but both of my parents will be there. I'm picking my folks up at the airport tomorrow morning and then we'll be shopping. More like browsing this time. We won't be getting anything for our house for a long time and we've got a particular bedroom to focus on this time.

And guess what! I think I get to meet Belle from A Belle and Her Beau!

Since I don't know the baby's gender yet I'm just going to browse around and see what I like. Once we know the gender (on January 27) I can make some final decisions on a crib, a rocker/glider, dresser, etc. I know that I can order a lot of these things through catalogs, but having the wholesale option is very attractive and I'm going to take advantage of it.

So I've already got some fun color combinations that I like. Of course almost all are for little girl rooms. I'll apologize to my baby later if he happens to be a boy. My mom and I will be working on picking out fabrics so she can make the bedding, but I do want some inspiration rooms.

I just stumbled upon Serena and Lily. Have I been under a rock? Have all of you heard of this adorable catalog and website before? I've posted some of my favorite rooms from their collections. I'm really digging the pink and yellow combination in the Isabel collection. The pink is soft, but I love the vibrant yellow.

And here's my gender-neutral color palette. Yellow and green. It would totally work for a boy's room and it's so bright and cheery in there! I wouldn't use flowers for a little boy, but the colors are fantastic together.

I also love yellow, black, and white for a girl and green, black, and white for a boy like this nursery from HGTV's Rate my Space.

That's what I'll be doing this weekend. Browsing and looking for ideas. It would be nice to get these big furniture pieces wholesale if the price is right. I have to say that it's still a little surreal to be in a position to be making these kinds of decisions. I'm sure I'll procrastinate on it, but I just want to make sure the room is ready when the baby comes home with us in June.

off the wagon, but still proud!

2009-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Weight Watchers Wednesday is here! I'm not following the Weight Watchers program right now because of the pregnancy. I considered it, but I haven't been able to hold much food down that I kind of figured that whatever I could eat, I should eat!

I still think about Weight Watchers points every time I eat even though I don't let that stop me from eating something. This little baby is letting me know very clearly what he or she wants to eat!

I apologize for abandoning Weight Watchers Wednesdays. I will not be letting any of you know what I weigh throughout the pregnancy, so don't count on that, but I'm going to be counting on my fellow Weight Watchers to hold me accountable after the baby comes and help me get back on the wagon-- or fit train, as my dear friend, Mojito Maven calls it.

With all of that said, I'd like to give a huge shout out to the two ladies that started Weight Watchers Wednesdays with me, Mojito Maven and LyndsAU. I'm sure you have all followed their stories and know how incredibly successful they've been with their weight loss journey. I am blown away by their discipline and ability to completely change their lifestyles. They were both totally gorgeous before, but now they are these strong, healthy, gorgeous women who know exactly what they want and know how to get it. And they're inspiring everyone around them to get fit!

giddy!

2009-01-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

I've been so excited about the launch of the Southern Weddings magazine for months now and today is the day! The Southern Weddings blog is the best wedding blog out there and features the most inspiring details and images. I get excited every morning to see what gorgeous weddings they'll post each day. The premiere issue of their magazine hits stands today and I've got to go out to find my copy.

Cyndi's favorite photographer, Jose Villa, shot the adorable cover image.

Thanks to the wonderful Kelly Moore, I'm able to see a sneak peak of something that I'm so excited about!

The image is a little small, but that's our wedding on the left in case you can't see it. Erin and Todd in Southern Weddings magazine! I have known for a couple of months that this was a possibility, but I didn't want to say anything about it because I wasn't sure if it would actually happen. So I'm heading out today to find about 10 copies of this magazine to send to family and friends!

I just have to say that if Kelly Moore had not been our photographer this would never have happened. Her work is so beautiful and I always feel like I could have been a guest at each of the weddings that she shoots. Bravo, Kelly! And congratulations to the gorgeous ladies of Southern Weddings magazine!

the fake bump

2009-01-05T13:42:00.001-08:00

Please don't mind the horrified look on my face. And please note that this is not my belly, but the foam/padded belly that they gave you at maternity clothes stores to try on. Definitely more strange than trying on a wedding dress. And it didn't look the same as when you put a basketball under your shirt in the 6th grade.

Edited to add: That's a 7 month belly in there. I have a feeling I'll be bigger than that when I'm at 7 months.

the baby bag!

2009-01-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was in high school when I received the black nylon Kate Spade messenger bag, I knew that I would to have the Kate Spade baby bag when I had a baby. This bag has only gotten cuter.

In this post, I mentioned that I had a large store credit to Kate Spade due to a little mix up with a certain green bag that ended up being one of my wedding gifts from my husband. He got a black bag and a green bag, but we were unable to return the black bag for a refund. But who says having a large store credit at Kate Spade is a bad thing?

While shopping in Charlotte last weekend, I decided to stop into the Kate Spade store to try on the baby bag and see which style I liked and what kind of strap would be the most comfortable. They were having a 30% off sale! 30% off and a huge store credit! They were practically giving it away! I had to get the bag that day while the sale was going on and before I used my store credit on a small clutch! This gorgeous bag was only going to cost us peanuts. Todd's mom offered to get it for us and I'm so excited to have it.

I wasn't really worried about making sure to get a pink bag if it's a girl and a blue bag if it's a boy. The baby isn't the one that's going to be carrying the bag for two years anyway. I wear at least one piece of black every day, so it's going to match everything. I can't stop staring at it!

happy birthday, Southern Daze!

2009-01-05T07:06:00.001-08:00

Today is a special day. It's my friend, Cyndi's birthday! Head on over to Southern Daze to wish her a very happy day. Hopefully she's relaxing and doing things she loves like reading blogs and watching Sex and the City.

I love you, Cyndi and I hope you have a fantastic day!

*photo by Kelly Moore Photography

there's a bump!

2008-12-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, the little one growing inside of me is starting to make his or her appearance. There's not much of a bump and I don't have a picture to show you, but my regular clothes were starting to get really uncomfortable.

I tried the Bella Bands a few times, but they didn't really stay put and if my shirt wasn't long enough you could see the band. After church on Sunday, Todd, my mom, his mom, and I got in the car and headed to Charlotte to Destination Maternity. Destination Maternity has all of the major maternity retailers all in one location; A Pea in the Pod, Mimi Maternity, and Motherhood Maternity. Todd went on to the mall to entertain himself while the ladies watched me try on clothes.

Trying on maternity clothes was even more strange than trying on a wedding dress for the first time. We found so many cute things and my mom and I did some serious damage at that store! Since then, I've been in clothes heaven! Maternity clothes are so cute and so comfortable.

I was able to find my usual Seven A-Pocket jeans, but maternity-style, and in my usual size. The legs and booty fit the same, but there's just lots of space for my expanding mid-section.

These are two of my favorite new short sleeved sweaters that I'll likely wear with a long sleeved t-shirt underneath.

I got to try on the little velcro baby bumps to see what the clothes will look like when I'm 7 or 9 months pregnant. That was pretty strange, too. My mom took a picture and I may be able to get my hands on that to show all of you. The other thing I noticed is that when I took the baby bump simulator off, I noticed my tiny bump a lot more! Maternity clothes these days don't hide the bump, the accentuate it so you can have your normal shape and curves, but that the bump looks like a baby bump and not a Christmas diet bump.

I'll be 17 weeks pregnant on Friday. Time is flying! I went to the doctor on Monday for the 16 week appointment and to have the genetic blood test done. I don't know the test results yet, but I'm trying not to really think about it. I didn't have an ultrasound, but I heard the strong heartbeat again and the doctor says that everything is fine.

I am feeling much better during the day (except for the last two days when I've pretty much thrown up all day), but I'm finding that I feel sick right when I lie down to go to sleep. Here's to no more throwing up in 2009!

Todd and I are spending the evening at home with Italian take-out and some movies. I can't think of a better way to spend the evening! Happy New Year, friends.

it was a very merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T10:33:00.001-08:00

I've been gone a while, but I have very good reason! My parents, brother, and their dog Beaux arrived on December 23 and I didn't read or write a blog the entire time they were here. They left yesterday and, as usual, the goodbye was tearful.

We had a great Christmas at our house. We went to church on Christmas Eve with my family and Todd's family and then we all came back to our house to eat gumbo. On Christmas morning we woke up and ate breakfast and then opened presents. My family decided to draw names this year so we could all save some money and it was great. My parents and Todd's parents gave us a new hutch for our dining room. My mom got my name and gave me lots of scarves and a beautiful silver tray for my dining table.

Todd gave me the Canon Rebel. I can't wait to figure out how to use it and get ready to take lots of gorgeous photos of our new addition that will arrive in June.

He also gave me the Sonya Renee necklace I've been wanting, some comfy boots, and DVDs.

I gave Todd lots of lawn equipment, some jeans, and the new Gamecock football vault. My brother drew Todd's name and Todd got loaded up with clothes and socks.

We went to see Marley and Me the day after Christmas and I'm not sure I've ever cried so hard in a movie in my life. The only other time I've cried that hard over a story was when I read the book. But I was crying and had to take a couple of those big deep, choking breaths. Great movie. I'm sure I'll watch it every time I see it on TV. There is nothing like the unconditional love that you get from your dog.