25 Week Recap: Memorial Day for the Lake Baby!

Okay, so this is the only 'pregnant, sitting down, in a bathing suit' pose you're gonna get.  So enjoy it :)

Week 25 was kinda rough at first, but ended REALLY great.  Drew called to let me know that rather than coming home that Saturday as planned, he was going to have to stay another 3 days to do some additional training.  I was okay with that at first, knowing that I'd deal with anything to help support him in this 'new job' transition and reminding myself that it was equally as hard on him being away from home as it was on me not having him there.  So I sucked it up, stocked up on Easy Mac for dinners and decided to make the best of it.  Then came Tuesday.  I have no idea where it came from, but the hormone monster invaded my body and I had just had it.  I wanted him home - I NEEDED him home.  For someone 6 months pregnant, it's really hard to keep up with the little things that you don't think about.  (i.e. rolling the humongo trash can down to the curb while still trying to maintain your balance with this basketball extending out in front of you - or, cleaning out the litter box, which is a HUGE pregnancy no-no...my apologies to Greyson, who took it upon himself to show his displeasure by simply pooping on the spare bathroom floor.  At least he got the main purpose of the room correct).  So, after freaking out on Drew, and then feeling REALLY guilty about it because I knew it was just as much out of his control as it was out of mine, I pulled myself together and enjoyed the last few nights I had of Bravo and Bachelorette on DVR...when low and behold, he surprised me by coming in around midnight on Wednesday.  He had originally planned to not tell me and just show up in the middle of the night, but after running this idea past my mom and both of them deciding the scare could easily put me in labor, he called when he was in WV and let me know he'd be home that night.  I don't think I've ever been that excited and ready to see someone.  I missed him SO much - and was beyond thankful to have him home.  2 days is a good amount of time for couples to have some space and appreciate eachother - 2 weeks...wayyyy to long.

We enjoyed being around eachother again on Thursday and Friday I worked a half day and we picked up Brandon and Avers and headed to the lake for a long Memorial Day weekend!! 

Me and the Avers - backseat chillin
(she loves her Cohen)

It's crazy how much fun we have no matter where we go or what we're doing.
(oh hello, double chin...)

It was an awesome weekend, filled with really great food, a block party where it was awesome to see all of my lake family, and lots of fun in the sun!  Momma even bought me a new float for the summer (pictured above).  It's awesome and big enough to fit both me and Cohen next summer!  I can't wait for my little fishy to be here :)  While there was skepticism as to whether the float (which rocks in the water) could even be turned over and if I could actually fall out of it, the theory was proved to be incorrect on Sunday, as I completely slipped out and into Hurricane Cove.  No worries though, I was actually tired of floating and resorted to our typical in-the-lake setup: turning the ski jackets upside down and sitting in them like a diaper.  I may have had to use the largest one that we had, but it was really comfy to just float around and be weightless - considering the extra I'm packing on, my muscles and joints really thanked me for the water therapy.  Pretty sure that's exactly how I'll be spending the tail end of my pregnancy - just floating around, whether it be pool or lake...that's where you'll find me.

WEEK 25 CRAVINGS:  It was so hot this week that I really didn't eat a whole lot, nor did I really want anything in particular.  One day I didn't even eat lunch - just had a smoothie from Smoothie King.  Besides, the way that Cohen's laying, no matter what I eat, I can only have a few bites and feel so full that I'm going to be sick...so yeah, other than the typical green apples and lemon juice ice water, no new cravings.

WEEK 25 "Dose of Brothers":  I don't really know who coined the nicknames "Brother" when Brandon and Drew refer to eachother, but it's pretty much the sweetest Bromance of all time.  A Bromance that rivals Starsky and Hutch...maybe even Bert and Ernie.  One thing is for sure with these two - when they get together, they make it a point to have the BEST.TIME.EVER and blow it out in any and every way possible.  These moments together are especially special when they're experienced at the lake.  You can expect them to always stay up til 2am, whether it's in the garage playing Tunk or on the boat, just hanging out in a (kind of) totally heterosexual way.  While they may not remember every conversation they have during this time together, they sure do make everyone laugh - and this weekend was no exception when they put Avery in the lake and decided to 'reward her' for staying on her own float with Bud Light.  With her special pink bear (that Uncle Dru brought her from the dumpster in Chapin), we captured this moment:

No animals were harmed - except for the pink bear who almost drowned like 50 times.

WEEK 25 "To Remembers":  Saturday momma and I had pedicures in town, and afterwards we took lunch to Susan Dickens and her family.  Susan is one of momma's sweet church friends, and she is nearing the end of her battle with Ovarian Cancer.  It was so nice to get to have the blessing to actually hug her neck, but seeing her so frail and tired really put alot in perspective for me.  She was on the back deck, overlooking the lake with her husband, daughter, son and daughter in law.  As much as they were trying to enjoy the weekend together, you could see the pain and helplessness in their eyes.  I missed Drew in Cleveland for 2 weeks - I can't imagine being her husband, Randy, knowing that soon she'll be in Heaven for eternity.  And I can't even fathom being one of her children, as they watch the woman who gave them life slowly lose hers.  I got in the car after we dropped off the food and said our goodbyes and just stared at my momma for a few minutes.  She is so beautiful, so caring, so perfect when I think of what a mother should be - and I was overwhelmed with not only how blessed I was to have her as mine, but how incredibly thankful I am for each and every moment we have together - alive and free from disease and just enjoying life. 
Life is so very short - and especially now that I'm about to have a child of my own, I really value everyone that I'm surrounded with that God has blessed my life with that has helped make me the person I am today.  So for everyone reading this right now, do yourself a favor and stop whatever it is you're doing - send a text, an email, a phone call, or if you're lucky enough to have someone special in the same room as you to hug - and tell them how much they mean to you and how much you love them.  Because life really is so very precious - and so are the people in it.

Dear Baby Cohen - 6mo Letter

HELLO BABY!!

Mommy has been SO very busy over the past few days that I'm just now getting a chance to write my 6mo letter to you!  I'm so sorry!  Hopefully I'll have my crazy long list of things to accomplish completed before you get here!  And trust me, that won't be long now...only 3 more months.  AHHH!  It's so crazy to me how time has flown by.  In some ways, I feel like I've been pregnant forever.  When I think back that I was pregnant on Christmas and it's now summer time, it seems like forever.  But when I think about the fact that in just a few short months (94 days and counting!) you'll be out in the world and in my arms rather than in my belly, it seems like the time has gone by crazy fast.

You and I have sure had some fun times over the past month.  Grammy and I flew to Cleveland for a Baby Shower in your honor, thrown by Mimi and PapPap and Aunt Abby!!  We've gone to the beach with Grammy and Uncle Boo (who bought a ton of blue fireworks to set off at the lake with Daddy to celebrate you being a boy).  And we've celebrated Memorial Day at the lake!!  You seem to be just like mommy and daddy and REALLY love the water.  When I first get in, you kick and wriggle around from excitement, but then I think it calms you down and you fall asleep.  I can't wait til next summer, when we can take you on boat rides and you can be our little fishy!!  All of the traveling has been so much fun, but as you're growing, so am I - and I'm starting to slow down a bit.  So I'm looking forward to a few weekends in town at home. 

Daddy was gone for 2 weeks this month because he had training in Cleveland for his new job.  It was REALLY hard without him home, but I kept him in the loop with random videos of you kicking and moving around.  :)  We're so lucky to have him and how hard he works to provide for us.  I can't wait for you to be here and to love him as much as I do. 

Over the past month, you've grown to be about 13-14 inches long - that's longer than a ruler!  And you weigh in at almost two pounds now. You're  already practicing walking by pedaling your feet and kicking me, and I'm beginning to think you never ever sleep because I feel you all the time.  It's so funny because there are times where you kick or punch so hard that it takes my breath away!  And then there are times where I can tell you have the hiccups as you practice swallowing.  But the craziest thing is that you found this really comfy spot that you LOVE right underneath my right ribcage - and most of the time I can feel your head nestled right there!  It gets a little uncomfortable, but I love being able to feel you right there, so close to me and my heart.  I know these are the things that I'm really going to miss once you're born.  In addition to being my little womb mover, you've also developed a strong grip and you can open and close your eyes in reaction to light!  I find myself wondering all the time, whether you'll have blue eyes like me or brown eyes like your daddy.  Your vocal cords are fully functional, although you won’t be truly practicing until you're out and about and see your first glimpse of daylight. The best thing about this month - as of 3 weeks ago, you're totally viable, which means if you were born right now you'd have a great chance of survival!  That being said, as eager as me and so many others are to meet you, I dont want you to feel rushed - you need to stay in and grow big and strong for as close to September 2 as you can!  So stay comfy little one, you'll be exposed to the craziness of this world soon enough.

This month's "5 Things" is going to be all about weird and random facts about mommy and daddy.  I figured I may as well go ahead and warn you as early as possible of how weird and random we can be, so you can go ahead and get used to it.  Don't worry though, we'll never be embarassing in front of your friends...wait, I can't really make that promise...
**1.  We make up songs and sing them to eachother.  They never have a beat...and they never EVER rhyme.  But they're hilarious and can break us out of any bad mood.  I can't wait to hear you make up your own songs one day.  You'll definitely get it honest.
**2.  I HATE when pictures aren't hung perfectly straight.  To the point where I'll fix a picture hanging in a restaurant or store without shame.  I get all hot and dizzy if it's in a place that I cant reach, but trust me, if there's any chance of me being able to reach and straighten it, I will.  In fact, last year when Grammy and I were at the beach, I went to adjust a picture hanging in our hotel and it fell off the wall.  Oh well, better shattered than hanging all crooked.
**3.  Daddy hates when the visors are down in the car or when the sunroof 'shade' is open, but the sunroof is closed.  I have to admit, I do it on purpose to mess with him all the time.  And it's funny.  You'll be laughing with me soon enough.
**4.  I'm a little more than mildly obsessed with John Mayer.  You already know who he is because I play his music for you all the time, and I can tell you like him because of the way you dance.  I know every word to every one of his songs and when you're old enough I'll tell you about the times Aunt Dana and I have gone to great lengths to actually meet him.  (Your momma is a stubborn one and once I get my mind set to something, I make it happen - even when it involves me scaling a dumpster...but more on that when you're older).
**5.  We have an Oreo addiction.  While we argue against the perfect "count" of how long you should hold the Oreo in the milk after it's been dunked, we have Oreos in the house 90% of the time and eat them as dessert most nights after dinner.  You're going to LOOOOVE Oreos.  They're one of God's gifts to the people on Earth to keep them happy.  And they do just that.

Gotta run for now - you're sitting directly on my bladder which means I have to cut this short and take care of some things.  But I want to let you know how much I love you and how excited I am to finally meet you in person, although I already know every inch of your heart.

All my love,
Mommy.

24 Week Recap: Beach Baby!

Beach Bump @ 24 Weeks!

Well, week 24 was pretty awesome, considering Drew was gone the entire time.  I had my 24 week checkup w/ Dr Belle Monday afternoon and I'm proud to say that while the weight is starting to creep a little higher, I haven't gained NEARLY what I was afraid I had and Dr Belle was really impressed with how I looked and how I was measuring!
In an attempt to maintain whatever sanity I actually have left, I kept myself busy while Drew was gone with dinner with Daddy and Tracie @ Peckers on Monday (what better way to start out the week than with family and Hot Ranch!??)  Tuesday I enjoyed a night in my pjs, cuddled up with Greyson and some Nothing but Noodles and caught up with my beloved Real Housewives.  Wednesday I had dinner @ Bonefish w/ Sean and Chris - it's always entertaining to get together with two of my faves!  Thursday I packed and Friday I worked half a day and then Brandon and I were

BEACH BOUND!!!

The view from our condo.

Momma makes it a point to plan a trip for us every year.  It started out with our 25th birthdays in NYC (which of course were 2 years apart).  And last year we all decided to do an annual trip, just the 3 of us.  Last year's Savannah trip was guaranteed to be a lot more wild than this year's Myrtle Beach venture because I wasn't 6 months pregnant.  But we all wanted one last trip before the baby gets here.  So MB bound we were :)

There is no doubting that Brandon is my absolute favorite person to road trip with.  We have the most fun EVER and that's something that's never changed.  I remember how I taught him to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on my portable keyboard to pass the time in the car going to Mamaw's when we were little.  And how we'd trip out on the short ride to Butler in the morning and then to work @ HSBC afterschool in the afternoons while we were in highschool (including the time that Brandon had an asthma attack while we were rocking out to the rap part of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It").  To this day, none of that has changed.  We listen to old school rap and R&B (most of which we both know every word to) and laugh uncontrollably at the stupidest things.  This trip was absolutely no different.  'Uncle Boo' and 'Sister' for life.

It's a Brother & a Sister Kinda Thang.

We kept seeing all the signs for a Myrtle Beach tourist attraction known as "Sparkys" (a hole in the wall dump that sells an impressive amount of fireworks as well as stupid, useless 'treasures' as Brandon and I refer to them).  It's the kind of place that we'd pass when we were little and knowing we'd beg for every ridiculous thing in the store, Momma and Daddy would never stop.  So, being almost 30 and having our own car, we decided to make the detour and shop a bit. 

Pug Pic #1

This store had it ALL.  I peed about 5 times while we were there (surprisingly clean bathrooms considering all of the bikers that had stopped there on their way to the beach for Bike Week) - and Brandon purchased $70 of fireworks.  That's right - $70.  Most of which are blue, to honor his new nephew.  In true Brandon/Drew/BROTHER fashion, there was no way Drew was going to miss out on the fireworks show, so Brandon decided that he'd wait until next weekend (Memorial Day) at the lake to set them off from the dock. 
I found a few ridiculous items I didn't need, but HAD to have.  However, I somehow talked Brandon out of buying this 'treasure':

I'm not even kidding.

We finally (after a good 45 minute detour) hopped back in the car and made it to the BEACH, where momma was waiting!  We relaxed for maybe like 7 minutes (thanks to our completely necessary and totally worth it pit stop), and headed to the Flamingo Grill, where momma had made reservations.  It was the best filet oscar I'd ever had and I while I missed my standard dirty martini with the blue cheese stuffed olives, the virgin drink the bartender made for me was fun.

Flamingo Grill, sans Pugs.

Friday night we attempted a game of Trivial Pursuit, which quickly turned into the most ridiculous game ever, never really deciding a winner, just which of us was dumber.  I took the cake.  And I'm not even ashamed 1) I have preggo brain - normally I'm WAY smart and 2) it was the 'Genius' edition.  Seriously, who even buys that??

Saturday it was rainy, but that didn't stop us.  We were at the beach and we were bound to make the best of it.  So, I put on my new maternity bathing suit, B put on his trunks and we rocked it out on the porch overlooking the ocean.

Always with the 'A'.

And ALWAYS with the drinks!
(Mine's on the right).

Cheeeeyahs!!

We finally decided to get ready and entertain ourselves at the Outlet stores.  We shopped until my poor feet couldn't take it anymore, and were heading out when I found a Motherhood Maternity outlet.  SCORE.  So while momma and I were in there, B ventured to a sports store across the way.  As I was paying, he came back and momma was showing him a Braves onesie...then (in true Brandon fashion) he completely set the bar way too high and put these 'prizes' for Cohen on display:

Clearly spoiling Cohen is going to be Uncle Boo's specialty.

After shopping, we headed to one of my favorite places ever - Broadway at the Beach!  And by this time, we decided it was happy hour.  So we ducked into Key West Grille, where I had the best (and most expensive considering there was NO alcohol in it) pina coladas. 

Pirates and Pugs - what more do you need?

We made one last stop at Joe's Crab Shack (another personal fave and I still hate they closed the one in Charlotte).  I desperately wanted some Crab Balls.  Don't judge - they're amazing.  And Joe's is the only place you can get em! 

We wear our sunglasses at night.

Notice the little asian kid to our right who totally photobombed us.

Brandon's disgusting, but visually impressive drink "for Cohen".

Our original plan was to leave Sunday.  However, when we got up the sun was shining so bright and we'd spent our 'Beach Day' Saturday inside, so we all foiled a plan to stay...which is exactly what we did.  And it may very well had been the best decision the 3 of us had ever made.  We spent all day having fun in the sun - maybe even a little too much 'fun' because this preggo got a little more shrimp-esque than I like.  ***SIDE NOTE: I have to mention in case my Mamaw is reading this, that I applied sunscreen every hour and was very precautious...the Myrtle Beach sun just loved me a little more than I could handle this time around.  And as I sit here almost a week later, I can tell you it's completely soaked in and I already have my 6mo dermatologist checkup scheduled for October.***
The tender skin was so worth it though.

Seriously, you can't recreate memories like this!!

He made his first mark in the sand.  LOVE.

Sunday night I wanted crab legs...so after driving around Myrtle Beach for what seemed like FOREVER, we stopped at a MB landmark that I've always loved driving past, but have never had the pleasure of experiencing for myself.  We dined, at the extremely appropriately named GIANT CRAB.

"Tommy" is 25 feet tall, 35 feet wide, and weighs 4.5 tons"
Southern Awesomeness.

More impressive than Tommy the Crab, was Brandon's ability to house a sampling of almost every item on the 170 item buffet.  I can't lie, this kid put the preggo to shame.  And it was awesome.

ONE of Brandon's 4 plates.
BRILLIANT.

Sunburned and feeling really glutonness, we went back to the condo and went to bed early.  Afterall, in return for our extra day at the beach, we had to leave before 7:30 the next morning.

Like they say, all good things must come to an end.  :(

WEEK 24 CRAVINGS:  Seafood.  Appropriate.  And I got my fill at the 170-item buffet.

WEEK 24 "Dose of Uncle Boo":  Since Andrew was MIA in Cleveland all week for his new hire training, I'm dedicating this week's 'Dose of...' to Uncle Boo.  I'm still not sure what he was trying to accomplish in this picture.  I think he was trying to dig his legs into the sand as far as they'd go.  Or maybe he was trying to create some kind of failed optical illusion.  Or mayyybe he was trying to see what it would be like to be a midget and only 3 feet tall.  Whatever the reason, I give you one of the funniest pictures of the weekend.

Normal?  Never.

WEEK 24"To Remembers":  Momma and Brandon and I have shared MANY a beach trip together...and I remember all of them with fun and fond memories, but this was by far one of my alltime faves. While we all love our significant others and all of the fun they bring to the table, there's nothing quite like it being just the 3 of us. There's never a 2 minute span that goes by without us laughing, or where one (or all) of us is saying or doing something completely stupid. But that's the best part. That's what memories are made of. I'm beyond blessed to have the tight-knit relationship that I do with the amazing family that I have...and I cannot wait to introduce Cohen into the craziness of it all.

Thanks so much, momma - for another AMAZING weekend trip.
I'm already excited about next year's!!

23 Week Recap: CLE Showers Bring May Flowers!

23 Weeks - Proud Momma & Daddy!

Week 23 was one of the best yet!!  It was our Cleveland Baby Shower!! 

The beginning of the week was spent getting Drew ready for his week-long training in Cleveland for his new job.  As much as I hated to think about him being gone for a week, I know I need to support him and encourage him to do whatever it takes to be successful in this new career path - so suck it up, buttercup!  Nothing but smiles and encouraging word from this proud wifey.

He left on Thursday to drive the truck up since a) he was staying another week for his training and b) someone needed to be able to take the gifts we got at the shower home!  Considering I'm peeing like every 7 minutes on average, we both refused for me to ride 8 hours to Cleveland - so Momma and I invested in plane tickets and let me say, it was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made.  Momma came to town to spend the night because our flight was leaving early Friday morning (however, that didn't stop us from staying up WAY too late, like we always do) .  Anyway, never did I realize how big the Charlotte Douglas airport was until I had to scale the entire thing 6 months pregnant and in flip flops.  And as always, our concourse was pretty much the furthest away that it could have been.  But I figured I could use the walk and made the best of it.  After 30 minutes of walking and $40 spent at Starbucks, we finally made it to our gate, with enough time to spare for me to use the bathroom 3 times and to eat our $7 banana nut muffins and lattes (1/2 caf, 1/2 decaf for me - although in retrospect I should have swung for the FULL caf this time - with the trek across the airport, I think I deserved it).  Either way, our flight was finally called and we were Cleveland bound, baby!!

Cohen's First Airplane Ride!!

Momma and I settled in and thankfully, they placed us only about 3 rows from the back, so I was really close to the bathroom!  Usually I'd rather sit more near the front, but this time I was super happy to be near the back - turbulence and all.  Cohen LOVED the plane and he was quite entertaining as momma and I just sat and watched my belly move most of the ride (on second thought, it's probably a good thing I stayed with the 1/2 caf latte...because if I had gone with the high octane one he'd have probably judo kicked through my stomach).  The best thing about the flight, was where driving to Cleveland takes us about 8 hours, a plane ride only lasts a little over 1!!  SCORE.  And honestly, I think I'll be vying to fly there more often.  I'm not a good car rider and Drew HATES to make pit-stops (even when I'm not pregnant), so I think the skies are pretty much in my favor from now on. 

Flying High!

We flew into the Akron airport to save $$, so we had to rent a car and drive the 40 minutes it took to get to Olmsted Falls, where Drew's parents live.  I was so happy to be there and relax a little, but the relaxing didn't last long - it was the beginning of a whirlwind 48 hours!  Friday night we just hung around Ma and Pa Sac's house, and I went to bed to rest up for the big day.  Plus, with Will and Aubrey in the house, you can't ever tell how early they're going to wake you up, so I decided turning in early was probably my best bet.


Saturday morning all of the guys got up to tee off at 8am at the same Golf Club we were having our shower at.  So, the guys were gone, I did my nails (and Aubrey's nails), and finally it was our turn to head to the course.  I was so excited for our shower, and Ma Sac and Abby sure did an amazing job with it!!  We had the best food, some amazing guests and Cohen got some FABULOUS gifts!  This kid isn't going to be here for another 3 months and he's already beyond spoiled.  I love it ;)

The 'Lake' diaper cake from Aunt Abby.  Absolutely LOVE!!

Books for my genius baby!!

The guys got done golfing and it was Drew's turn to open some presents.  I love that my mom and his mom and Abby had thought to have some things for him to open - he's already so excited for his little sports fan and his grin was a mile wide opening the things they had for him!


Cohen's first pair of Chuck Taylors!

Cohen's first pair of boxer shorts - embroidered with his name, of course!!

'You can't ever have too much Ohio State stuff'

The shower was amazing and we even had the chance to take a few shots of us on the course afterwards. 

Grammy Mack, Mommy and Cohen!

Aubrey, Aunt Lindsey & 'Baby Cohen'

Mommy & Daddy

23 Weeks and Rockin the Seersucker!!

We were SO blessed that day.  And it reminded me that although I don't get to see my in-laws as much as I'd like to, they're amazing to me and I'm thankful to have them in my life.
Saturday night was one of the best parts of the weekend!  Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm addicted to any and everything Food Network/celebrity chef and Michael Symon is one of my faves!  He's a Cleveland boy, and I was surprised with dinner at his new restaurant, B Spot, at Crocker Park!!  It's a burger joint, and after a totally-worth-it wait, I sat down to one of the best burgers I'd ever eaten, the 'Symon Says' w/ bolonga, coleslaw, whip sauce and american cheese.  They also had these rosemary 'Lola' fries and homemade chips w/ parmesan fondue.  But the best part of the meal was probably dessert - a strawberry almond milkshake.  It. Was. Awesome.  And at 10:35am right now, I want another one.  Or two.  Heck, just keep em coming.  B Spot was FAB and I'm contemplating creating a petition for Michael Symon to open one here in the QC.

Sunday was MOTHER'S DAY!  And I was so excited that I had my momma with me in Cleveland to celebrate with us!  The closer I get to becoming a mommy myself, the more I admire her and how hard she works to be the best for Brandon and I.  There aren't words for how blessed we are and for how much I love her.  If I can be half of the mommy to Cohen that my momma is to me, then he'll be one lucky child.  I have big shoes to fill though, and she set the bar really high.  And I love her more and more every single day for it.
I was also glad I had her with me because I had to say goodbye to Andrew for a week.  I can't remember the last time I cried so hard, especially in a Friendly's parking lot.  I knew it would be hard to kiss him goodbye, but I didn't expect to lose it the way I did.  He's my best friend...and I depend on him so much, every day, even when he's just sitting beside me and not saying a word.  I just need him there.  But, I also know I have to be strong and supportive, so I tried my best to suck it up and leave with a smile.  Fail.
The plane ride home wasn't as great as the one up there - maybe it was because I knew I'd be missing my love, or maybe it was because of the storms we flew back into.  Either way, every time I looked down at the shirt momma had made for me and my first 'Mothers (to be) Day', I grinned and felt better.  Just can't wait til next year when it's officially Mothers Day for me and lil man will be here to share it with me!!

He sure is.

WEEK 23 CRAVINGS:  Still on the green apple kick.  Still on the water w/ lemon juice kick.  Still have to have my daily 1/2 sweet, 1/2 unsweet tea.  So no new cravings...I can't complain though - at least I'm not craving pizza, burgers and fries.  (Mmmmmm....pizza, burgers, and fries....uh oh...)

WEEK 23 "Dose of Daddy":  After the guys got done golfing on Saturday, they came up to eat.  Now, Drew looooooooves to eat.  In fact, within the first 2 months of our relationship he gained about 20 pounds because of his love of food combined with my love of cooking.  But sometimes I just sit back and watch him devour his food.  For whatever reason, it can be wildly entertaining and incredibly impressive.  If Adam Richman ever needs a stand-in for "Man v. Food", I think we found an eligible contestant.  Now, I have to think that if this baby follows his daddy's eating habits, we're going to have to take out a second mortgage on our home to compensate for the grocery bills.  Either that, or Cohen is going to have to start mowing yards at 2 years old.

Looks about right.

WEEK 23 "To Remembers":  To really cherish every single moment of this journey.  I know I've said that before, but this my first experience with all of it.  First kicks, first shower, first pacifier (that I almost cried when I opened).  I look at some of the outfits that we've gotten labled '9 months' and I tear up, just thinking that in less than a year this little blessing I'm carrying will be wearing that size and growing so unbelievable fast.  The past 6 months have flown by, and I wish I had a way to make it slow down because 3 months is going to go by REALLY fast...and I'm so blessed to be able to experience it all. 

"He's Just A Little Boy"

Every now and then I see or hear something that stops me in my tracks. 

I'm one of those people that really pays attention to every single lyric in a song or puts myself in the shoes of the author of whatever I'm reading.

As I was playing around on Pinterest the other day, I came across this pin of a sign that a Little League team had posted to the fence of their home stadium.  It hit me so hard, thinking back when my brother played baseball and ho some of the parents of the kids on his team would get so frustrated with the way their child was playing, as if they were in the infield themselves and able to control the situation. 

Now that I'm going to be the momma in the stands in a few years, going crazy for my little sports player out on the field, this sign hits so close to home for me.

I know that given myself and Andrew as his parents, our little man is going to be into any and every kind of sport possible (while I hung up my bat after a 'my brother just knocked out my front tooth with a tball during practice' incident, I'm one heck of a cheerleader).  I'm positive that this kid is going to love going to sporting events just as much as he's going to fall in love with participating in them.  And if he's anything like his daddy, which I have no doubt that he will be, he'll be completely athletic and amaze everyone with how talented he is on whatever field or court he steps onto.

However, I hear stories and have unfortunately been in the stands when a parent has replaced the beaming proudness of their child standing on home plate with a bat in their hand or in the outfield holding a glove with rude and insensitive words slung at their children who innocently let the ball fly past their swing or above their head.  There aren't words for how moments like this break my heart.

While I have 3 months until I'm actually a parent myself, I've always said to myself "that will NEVER be me or my husband".  Our children will be praised for every single attempt they make to better themselves, whether it's on the baseball field or in class or in our back yard setting a good example for their friends. 

Strikes happen.  Missed shots happen.  Life happens. 

But one thing is for sure, while I may not have trophies lining my childhood walls, I'm one heck of a cheerleader.  And I vow to always be my child's biggest fan.  Building him up, and screaming from the stands, no matter what the score.



22 Week Recap: Cinco de Preggo

Here I am again, playing catch up!  But it seems like every day people comment to me how much they love the blog and how awesome it'll be to have printed out and look back on.  I'm so glad I started it right at the beginning and that I've kept up with it (albeit a little late some weeks).

Week 22 was laid back - and considering summer's fast approaching and this baby will be here in 18 weeks or so, relaxing weeks are few and far between, so I'll take it!! 

I recently joined the wonderul and crazily addictive world of Twitter - and I can say, between Facebook and Pinterest I doubted I had time for any additional cyber distractions, but as soon as I activated my account and realized I could stalk John Mayer without actually having to scale a dumpster behind a concert venue (which I've unashamedly done), I was hooked.  The most exciting moment came when I tweeted Andy Cohen (EVP of the Bravo network which has brough me hours of joy in such classic reality television such as The Real Housewives, Million Dollar Listing, and Top Chef).  I tweeted him and told him that I was having my first baby and I wanted to know where I could buy a Mazel onesie (Andy Cohen is jewish and on his show Watch What Happens Live he passes out a "Mazel of the Day" and has various Mazel gifts for purchase).  I figured throwing in the fact that I'm naming my son 'Cohen' MAY get me a reply - and it did!  I totally geeked out because he has over 713K followers and I was pretty sure there wasn't a chance he'd even read my tweet...but not only did he read it, he replied with where I could find the onesie AND a 'congrats'!  Loves it!  And here you are, Cohen's first tweet from a celebrity (the first of many, I'm sure):

The rest of the week was spent with me working, then immediately coming home to put my feet up.  I'm now the proud owner of a pair of glorious cankles!  As Andrew likes to remind me, I'm not doing myself any favors by rocking 5 inch wedges, but what's a pregnant girl to do?  I've never been the tennis shoes with jeans type, and I'm not starting now.  Flip flops with a sundress - fine.  But most days call for a pick me up (and by 'up' I mean 3-5 inches of stiletto or wedge glory).  In order to counteract the cankle plague, Drew purchased a container of Epson salt that would make even the oldest granny proud.  I don't know why I've never explored the wonders of this magical sodium - IT'S AMAZING!!  After about 20 minutes of soaking, the swelling subsides and HELLO, BEAUTIFUL ANKLE BONES!  :)  Who knew $3.99 at CVS would bring me such joy!??

Saturday began with a shower for my dear friend Krystyn Smith!!  I'm sooo happy that after years of praying, she and her husband Joe are welcoming a baby BOY in July!  What's even better is that our friend Alecia is due with a baby girl in June and Margeaux is due (with a surprise!) 2 weeks after I am!  It's going to be so much fun getting all of our little ones together and to think of all of the memories Cohen and these babies will make as they grow up together!!  Again, so blessed.

BUMP ALERT!!
The Birch Girls - me, Alecia, Margeaux, Jill and Krystyn!

Saturday was also Cinco de Mayo, and never one to turn down an excuse to hang out (especially when mexican food is the cuisine being provided), Drew and I headed over to a get together at Kevin and Shavon's.  We had tacos and while everyone else did tequila shots (oh, how I miss you, Mr. Cuervo), I had my non-alcohlic margarita mix :)  I have to say, I think I came out the winner here because not only did I get to participate by drinking a fun, slushy drink, but I avoided the next day hangover.  Preggo-1, non preggos-0. 

Cinco de Preggo.  OLE'!

18 weeks and counting...AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 22 CRAVINGS:  A few months before getting pregnant, I bought a drink blender in order to make delicious healthy smoothie recipes.  Upon my first attempt I was immediately aware that I was a terrible smoothie maker and therefore needed to just keep investing in the talents of the kids that work at the local Smoothie King.  Howevever, I've begun constantly craving slushy drinks and the 'smoothie' blender is now referred to as the 'slushy' blender.  I just put in ice, whatever juice or drink I want, and in 5 seconds I have exactly what I want!  Cheaper than Smoothie King, and healthier than ice cream. 

Pink Perfection.

WEEK 22 "Dose of Daddy":  This coming Saturday, May 12th, is our little buddy Damon's first birthday!  I was talking to Shavon on Saturday night about how a year ago she was SO miserable and ready to have him - and how beautiful he was when he was born.  I honestly can't believe this little guy already has teeth, is walking, and is ONE YEAR OLD!  It really makes me aware of how fast the time flies, and how I want to bottle each moment of this pregnancy and Cohen being little.  With that said, we're unable to attend Damon's first birthday party because we'll be in Cleveland for our baby shower up there.  So we decided to go ahead and get his birthday present and take it to him last Saturday.  If it were up to me, I'd buy a cute outfit and maybe make something memorable that he could keep and look back on, but not this time, considering it was Drew's best friends son.  So we walk around the toy dept in Target and Drew picks out a 4wheeler that makes all these noises and that a 1-3 year old can ride.  He was so excited that I couldn't tell him no and so Damon is now the proud owner of a toddler 4wheeler.  I dont know who was more excited about it once Damon opened it - himself, Kevin or Andrew, but I have to admit, the kid looks REALLY cute on it.  And if this gift doesn't make us the favorite aunt and uncle, I dont know what will ;)

Seriously, this is one cool kid.

WEEK 22 "To Remembers":  I'm a very proud southern girl.  And I LOOOOVE the summertime and all that it entails.  However, this summer is going to be slightly different considering I'm pregnant.  This means a few things: a) I'm due a week before the Brad Paisley concert, which means there's not much of a chance that I'll make it this year.  b) Bud Light Limes and TurboShandy's are a thing of summer's past.  Trust me, they'll make their return next summer, but not so much for the summer of 2012.  c) while I love the summer sun and the way my skin reacts to it, I dont really so much love the sweltering heat - and being 9 months pregnant in August, when it's the hottest, is sure to be alot of fun.  I've decided that my plan of attack is to be surrounded by water at all times.  Pool, lake, laying in the backyard grass while Drew sprays me with a water hose.  Redneck I know, but more than necessary.  I caught a glimpse of how miserable I may be (and the unattractive effects dramatic heat has on a pregnant woman) this past Wednesday when I got into my car after work and saw this terrifying sight:

The scary part is, it's only May 2nd.

VIVA SUMMER 2013!!!

My First Design for Cohen's Nursery

So for some reason I'm really obsessed with chevron patterns.  I have no idea why, but I think it stems from my complete love for all things that are striped!!  I love how vertical stripes can make things look tall and slender, adding height, while horizontal stripes make things look long and wide, adding depth.  And the chevron pattern seems to incorporate both of these affects!

In picking out fabrics for Cohen's nursery, I played around with the teal and grey theme and came up with this design for a print I'm going to have created, matted and framed to hang above his dresser.  I'm no graphic designer, but I do love creating signs and pictures on Photoshop - so here's my latest 'LJ Original' creation, all dedicated to my baby boy and my love of chevron ;)