Date Night & Quick Trip to SSI

Friday night we went to Fernbank for our date! It was Martini's & Imax - first time we've gone on a Friday and it won't be the last! We had a few drinks before the show started (Martini for Matt, Sprite for yours truly) and then at 9 pm our show started. We saw Cirque du soleil and it was fantastic. We LOVED IT - truly amazing and made us so sad we didn't go see the real one while it was in Atlanta.


Matt's sister & Mom and some other family members were at the real one in Vegas on Friday night and had a great time!! We know it was just amazing & can't wait to hear all about.
After our show we went to Everybody's Pizza for a late dinner, came home & crawled in bed. Lovely date with hubs.

Saturday we got up early - work for Matt and I was going to SSI for the night. It was my nephew's birthday party. It was fun to be with my family! Mom, Jess, Melissa, Garrison, Ryan & Baby J and I had a really good time together for the night. Matt & I had gotten TBJ a stuffed dinosaur from the museum for his birthday gift, and I think he liked it. He named it "Sushi" - but I'm sure his name has changed a few times since then!






Sunday I drove home and now I can't believe it's already Wednesday evening! This week has gone by so fast. We're about to go eat Indian at a new restaurant we haven't tried yet....Baby adores Indian food which is a good thing because it's one of our favorites!

What did they see?

Guess we'll find out in less than 20 weeks!

We're halfway there, everyone. I can't believe it. I was talking to a friend yesterday who said, "just think, in ten weeks you'll start counting backwards!" and she's right!

This morning we had our anatomy ultrasound, saw the first doctor at 8.30 am. I don't think we were prepared for all that we were able to see! At 2D, we could see virtually everything. When it was time to check out the lower parts (!) Matt and I had to look away, and I'm SO glad we're not finding out the gender. At the times when we could look, it was incredible to see how much our babe is growing in there! You should see the little feet....with ten long toes, sorry baby, you got that from your mom. Long fingers (all ten!), tiny little face, ears, everything was there and looking good. And he or she is seriously a mover and a shaker! Very active and so much fun to watch! Girl or boy - Matt definitely has a soccer star on his hands. Those feet were so unbelievably tiny and cute,and I just can't wait to put some little socks & shoes on them! Oh, and at one point the little one opened its mouth and then put both hands on top of its head! I don't say this without a grateful heart, believe me. I am so thankful for the results we got today. It amazes me more and more each day and every time we are able to see our baby.
We'll have another visit in four weeks, then another peek four weeks after that, so until then I guess I'll just keep feeling this little guy or gal moving around - which is by far the most sensational thing ever. It feels like waves and they happen nonstop. I think he or she loves all the root beer, and the insane amount of peanut m&m's this Mommy-to-be has been eating!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

My gift to my husband.

Hope everyone had a great V-Day! I decided to get Matt a cookie cake. You should have seen the look on the sweet lady's face at Publix when I asked her to write this. Priceless.
After a long day at work we (Matt, me and especially our unborn baby) wanted to eat some Mexican, so we went to El Torrero and ate too much, then came home & watched LOST. I have to say, that's the perfect name for that show, because that's exactly how I felt after last night's episode - lost. There are some cool blogs out there that try & decipher each episode, but lately those only confuse me more and more. It's still my favorite show, though, and Matt and I look forward to Thursday nights all week. I'm just starting to be intriqued and saddened because the Losties are all turning on each other, and they are all beginning to think life is better on the island. It's the bomb dot com show though.
So glad today is Friday. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Already February?

Time flies when you're having fun!

I am currently 18 weeks pregnant, oh, and by the way, I am definitely a "weeks" person now. I never understood all of my pregnant friends & my sister who would speak the "weeks" lanuguage, but here I am doing it too. It's just so much easier. I have made myself a pregnancy chart, which I'll include here:
Weeks 1-4: One month
Weeks 5-8: Two months
Weeks 9-12: Three months
Weeks 13-16: Four months
Weeks 17-20: Five months
Weeks 21-24: Six months
Weeks 25-28: Seven months
Weeks 29-32: Eight months
Weeks 33-36: Nine months
Weeks 37-40: Ten months

As you can see, I'm in the middle of my Fifth Month today.

I have this feeling that the next four to five months of our lives are going to go by faster than we expect. In the coming months, here are just a few things happening:





We have Valentines Day in February, which we don't really celebrate but it's still gonna happen, nonetheless....
And February is also my nephew, Joey's, fourth birthday. I cannot believe how old he is!



In March we are closing on our FIRST HOME!! We are SO excited, thrilled, beyond ecstatic. We love it and want everyone to come & visit us as soon as we get moved in. Or, if you want to come visit before then, you can help us. Just kidding. Unless you're my Mom or Dad, then I'm being serious!!! :)





In April, Matt has a vacation for a whole week, and we are thinking of going to Seaside, Florida, one of our favorite places ever! Ahhh, I can hear the waves now....
OR, we may stay home, relax and decorate the new house, we haven't decided yet. Either way, Matt deserves a break for sure.


In April we also celebrate Easter....


And one of Matt's personal favorite "holidays" - The Masters.




In May we celebrate our Two Year Anniversary. I cannot believe it's been that long. We've had an awesome first few years of marriage. Went on a couple of really fun vacations, minus a few incidents, and had a ball just doing our thing!


Summer, my all time favorite season of the year, officially begins in June. In the South, it really starts in April or May based on the temps, though! It will probably either be really, really quiet, as I'm sure I'll be nesting in our new home, cleaning like a mad woman, and just getting ready for our little bundle to arrive. Yet, there's a chance we'll get our tiny one a little bit early, so June could be far from quiet!!


And then comes July!! July 4th may come & go with just the fireworks in the sky, but the REAL fireworks for us will be when our Baby Boy or Girl makes his or her debut into the world!

And as for my burgeoning belly, we're going to start taking pictures documenting the size and shape. I'm still in my regular clothes for the time being, but I have a feeling that that won't be the case for much longer!!

Sweet Home Alabama

Matt was a groomsman in a wedding this weekend, so we headed to Birmingham!



I got sick on Tuesday night of last week and STILL have it. It has been the worst cold I've had in a LONG time. Apparently something has been going around and working in a cubicle in an office with forty people daily with poor ventilation did nothing to keep me well. The good news is it's not strep throat (I went to the doctor) and it's slowly but surely getting better. My voice has sounded like something out of a movie though, with me playing the lead male character, so answering my phone has been something I've not done much of the past week. I'm back in the cubicle today - was getting way behind at work so decided I needed to return to the land of selling ads & events. :) Let's just hope Matt stays well.

Anyway, we had a really good time with everyone at the wedding. The tuxes the bride chose were seriously the best I've seen. Matt looked super handsome, the reception was beautiful, and the bride's gown was made for her! And the groom could not have looked more excited to see his bride making her way down the aisle. It was a very sweet wedding & a great party! We left the reception and went to the hotel bar, where I had to make my exit - I left the revelers at midnight and headed upstairs to watch SNL. I even went sans crutches (they were in the car) so I felt somewhat normal. However, with the advent of pregnancy brain, I also left the camera in Atlanta, so no pictures. It's a shame, too, because everyone looked so very nice!

I am 18 weeks now and tomorrow is our 18 week check up at the Doctor. The exciting Anatomy Ultrasound. Although we're not finding out, it's really fun to know that tomorrow morning our Doctor will know for SURE if Matt & I are going to be parents to a daughter or a son!!

Ish your birthday!

We celebrated Melissa's birthday last night. She turned 26!








We went to the new Westside's Six Feet Under - SO fun and what a cool restaurant. Happy Birthday to my youngest sister, who isn't so young anymore. We missed you Jess & Garrison, Ryan, Matt & Joey. Happy Birthday Sissy, we love you!! Oh, and the general consensus is that I am definitely looking prego! Yay, Baby on Board!

Five Months Later

Much better than the first x-ray picture we posted in September.

Holiday Weekend - UPDATED

Second update: Not buying home. Fell through. Took down pics of us in the snow in the backyard that is not ours, and never will be. Kinda funny. Still on the search for the perfect home for us for the next 5.5 years of our lives. :) Stay tuned.


We stayed pretty busy & had a really nice time. Friday night we had dinner with some friends and then went to listen to a band. Our Baby heard heavy metal for the very first time! I'm sure his or her little hands went up to his or her tiny little bitty ears and closed them as best as possible. It was pretty intense and we were there supporting a friend. Got home LATE for us, around 10:30! Starbucks Saturday AM, then headed in the cold to Barnes & Noble. While we were both enjoying our home decorating & landscaping books we looked outside and it was completely white with falling snow! It was absolutely beautiful. We decided to leave & ride by the house so we could see it with snow on it (and see the Under Contract sign again, thus making it more & more real!) so we took some pictures of the roof with snow on top. After lunch I went to see 27 Dresses with some friends, and then we spent the rest of the day with Damon & Katie. While the boys enjoyed a malt liquor and a cigar on the porch, snow falling all around, Katie & I enjoyed a non-alcoholic beverage and a whole lotta food. That girl can cook and is the best host ever! For dinner, the four of us went to Damon's brothers house for dinner, there were four other families there. Thanks Meredith, it is always so good to see you and the fam!! There were nine kids total, ranging from age one to ten. All absolutely precious and excited b/c they had played in the snow all day! It was a big dose of reality - and really fun to see where our lives are headed.

On the home news, we heard from the sellers this morning, and they've agreed to our requests and now all we have to do is wait until the closing. I'm really looking forward to getting in there & decorating, and Matt can't wait to get in the yard and make it our own little paradise! We're so blessed and thankful. We'll hopefully be all moved in by March - that's the goal, anyway. First dinner party will happen very, very soon!

It's currently 26 degrees outside, the snow is still all over the ground and on parked cars and homes. This is such a great city, and with snow all over, it really became a little Winter Wonderland and we had a great time enjoying this lovely, cozy weather!!

Whoa Baby!!

You're growing so fast already!!!











It looks like a little teeny tiny baby in there! Hard to believe that just four weeks after our first ultrasound, this is what we saw last week. I can only imagine what Baby C will look like in four more weeks. Back to the doctor on February 6 for the anatomy ultrasound, where we will not be looking at the screen. Oh...how hard it will be to not peek, just once!!

Words Seem Inadequate, But I'll Try...

Today was a BIG day for us!!

We went to the Doctor for our second visit. The ultrasound was AMAZING! We already have some bragging rights - our little guy or gal was flipping all over the place, turning upside down & sideways, waving at Mom & Dad, and we even saw one of the precious, tiny hands go into his or her mouth. We may have a little ham on us, everyone, a big show off. Wherever does our baby get that? It was as if our little one knew that all eyes were on him or her, and the excitement was overwhelming. For all three of us!! Heartbeat was 171...we saw the face, the spinal cord, legs and arms, LONG fingers & toes, everything looked healthy so far. Our doctors both said everything looks to be on track for the July 13 due date! Thank you Lord....what an answered prayer, and we know we are blessed. It truly is a miracle.

I hope that one day our little one will know of this blog and perhaps read this, and I just want to write here that Mom and Dad LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Hearing your heartbeat was incredible and our life will never be the same. You have already completely stolen our own hearts.

We have several months to go, lots of growing, lots of changes. We're still going to wait and not find out if we're having a girl or a boy. Many nicknames have been established already!

Photos to come soon!

Much love to all.

Back in the Swing of Things

Well, after four long months I'm actually going back to work tomorrow. It's really hard to believe it has been that long, but here we are in 2008 and I'm amazed at how fast the time has gone by - not to mention all that has happened and how much life has changed.




We are entering 2008 with such bright hopes, and we have so much to look forward to -a new home, a new addition to our family (YAYYYY!!!) and all of the new experiences that will inevitably come our way. I get completely nostalgic when I think about it (imagine that). It just makes me realize in the blink of an eye, things can change. I know we have all had a life changing experience, and for me, I know God allows those things to happen for a reason. Looking back on the last several months I know for an absolute fact that I am not the same person I was six months ago, and one big lesson that immediately comes to mind is that since I have been so dependent on others, it's been really weird having to ask others for help, whether it was a ride somewhere or asking if someone could get a few things from the store for me. But, I have learned that it's ok to do that, because of course I would do it for any of my family and friends without question....but accepting it was something I have almost had to relearn during this. People enjoy helping others in need, which is something I've always known, but I now appreciate so much more. Patience, thankfulness, appreciation for your family and friends, getting support from those you love, giving those you love the support they need...and just simply being the best person you can be to all and enjoying life. That's what matters.

I will never again take the simple task of driving to the grocery store for granted again, and I vow to help those who are so much less fortunate than me. There are so many volunteer programs that I am interested in working with and that is my main goal for this year (among many others!!) so I am looking forward to working with hospitals, shelters, etc......anything to show people who are in need that someone cares! I'm excited about this and I'm writing it down in order to be held accountable for it, so everyone who reads this needs to ask me every now & then how that is going, please!!

Any resolutions for me? To try and remember all of the above every single day.

The old adage is true: Life is fragile, handle with care.

HAPPY 2008 to everyone!

Happy New Year!

We wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Boy, 2007 flew by faster than we ever imagined. There were broken legs, broken arms, bahama trips, skiing trips, and a few other little surprises. What a great year! Anyone have some interesting New Year's resolutions? Leave it in the comment section, we'd like to know. After the break, you'll see some of the more interesting photos of this year.






Here are a few pictures from this year.

Christmas Day

Matt had to work Christmas Day, he was home by about one though,which was a great surprise! When he got home, we had lunch together, opened gifts from our family on SSI (THANK YOU ALL!! We love & miss you!) and then headed up to my Mom's house.
When we got there, we sat around and talked, played a few games and waited on Jessica, Ryan and Joey to get there from NC. Around 6 they arrived, so we hung out for awhile and then had dinner. Mom made a wonderful dinner with SO much food, which was perfect for all of us go back several times. I was stuffed and I don't think I was alone. Then it was time to open gifts which is always so much fun at Mom's!
















Matt had to work Christmas Day, he was home by about one though,which was a great surprise! When he got home, we had lunch together, opened gifts from our family on SSI (THANK YOU ALL!! We love & miss you!) and then headed up to my Mom's house.




When we got there, we sat around and talked, played a few games and waited on Jessica, Ryan and Joey to get there from NC. Around 6 they arrived, so we hung out for awhile and then had dinner. Mom made a wonderful dinner with SO much food, which was perfect for all of us go back several times. I was stuffed and I don't think I was alone. Then it was time to open gifts which is always so much fun at Mom's! It was a large Christmas for everyone. Most importantly, we were all together, we are all healthy, and it was really a blessing to see that everyone is happy. It's easy to get wrapped up in the craziness that is the Holidays, the excitement builds and presents are given, and then you realize that all that matters is family and being together. Matt and I are both so thankful for our family's and as much as we wish we could physically be together more, and especially during Christmas, we know that we're all together in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.

Christmas Eve

Matt and I enjoyed what will most likely be one of our last very peaceful, quiet, uninterrupted Christmas Eve dinners right here in our apartment. Just the two of us, we had such a lovely time. He got off work around 1 pm, we did some last minute grocery shopping and then came home, took a nap (which all of my friends keep telling me to enjoy!) and then started preparing our meal. Well, Matt did.







I set the table with our china and crystal and silver that we got for the wedding. I love it all so and use it as often as I can. He made a phenomenal dinner for us! Ham, (yes, I'm eating some pork every now & then!), parmesan green beans, long grain & wild rice with cranberries, and maple glazed carrots.

It was excellent which I consistently and annoyingly said throughout the meal after every single bite. After we cleaned the dishes we exchanged gifts from each other, then watched Matt's new Planet Earth dvds. Spending Christmas Eve with my all time favorite person in the world was a gift in itself, and I could not be more thankful. Merry Christmas everyone!