Family Florida Trip

Well I am back from the beach!


We had a great time but I have to say that I am super happy to be home.  I really missed my honey and my bed.  But also...vacation can be exhausting!  


We don't really do anything so I really shouldn't be so worn out BUT I think anything that involves 7 women HAS to be tiresome!!


We woke up at our own leisure every morning.  Then we would have our cheese toast.  This is a staple.  One our drive down there we stop in Mobile at a fruit and veggie stand and buy great tomatoes for our cheese toast that we eat every day.  It is weird but I never eat this any other time.  I have tried to make it at home and it just isn't the same.  

I did have this for breakfast one morning....I think I was really missing my peanut butter toast!

After our cheese toast we get our bathing suits on and lather up with the sunscreen.  We pack our beach bag and an ice chest if we are taking one.  We each have our own glass of water that we take so we have to fix those.  It is quite and ordeal for us to get out the door!  My Grand and Aunt Jerry don't go to the beach and they just love watching us get ready to go...I am sure it is comical.  

I would usually stay in the sun for about an hour and then I would get under the umbrella.  I was so scared to burn because I know I am more sensitive to the sun now.  I would cool off in the ocean or get in the pool for a little bit.  I drank TONS of water and I could seriously tell that I needed it.  This, of course, led to multiple bathroom trips.  

After we had had enough sun we would go up and take showers and get ready to go to dinner that night.  We definitely have a system when it comes to dinner.  The first night we get there, after driving 12 hours, we just order pizza.  We eat at the same places every year and usually in the same order but sometimes we change it up.  We go to one restaurant twice because it is so good it is hard to decide what to get!  At a place called Louisiana Lagniappe I get the shrimp and grits....it is so amazing!!!  Although this year I did get sick after eating it....kinda ruined it but I am sure I will be ready to eat it again next year :)

My favorite dinner was FOR SURE the night we went to Old Bay Steamer.  I get the crab legs and they are just absolutely DELISH!  It is really messy to eat them and hard work but totally worth it.  

One morning we go to breakfast at a place called Another Broken Egg Cafe.  I was craving a bagel badly so I was just going to get that.  Then I decided I would get just one pancake to go with it....UMMM....this is what they brought to me....

Yeah...that is the biggest pancake I have ever seen!  I ate about a third of it.....

As you can see, my vacation revolved around food!  It usually does anyway but this year it did even more because I was eating stuff that I don't normally eat at home.  I enjoyed every second and I am scared as hell to get on the scale at the doctor next week.  

So now that I have showed you the important stuff...I'll leave you with some pictures of my family ;)  And I want to cry because I forgot to get a great pic of me, baby girl, my mom, and my grand :((((

Oh and sorry some of the are grainy....I took quite a few with my iPhone instead of my camera...

our view from the balcony

me and mom...and some people had asked me about the dress.  It is from Target and it is non-maternity!

me and Jenni

me, mom, and Grand

All of us!

all of us again at breakfast!

mom and Jenni

me and Casey

Jenni and Casey

Me and Grand....love this one!

I just thought this shirt was soooo cute.  It says Twinkle Twinkle Little.....and then there is a star on my belly!

Ok so I can't believe I am going to share this picture.  I have added it to this post and taken it off like 5 times.  But I am just going to go for it.  I am pretty sure that I am going to want to remember how I looked in this stage of pregnancy and also after I have the baby this can be motivation!!!

 OK so if you made it through all of that then YOU ARE AWESOME!  
Happy Memorial Day to all and I hope everyone is having a great weekend :)

Kelly Belly-19 weeks (a day late, of course)

This post is a day late but I 'm at the beach so I am just proud that I got it up at all!!!

How far along:  19 weeks!!!

Size of baby:  size of a large heirloom tomato or a mango....I like thinking mango ;)

Maternity Clothes:  most of the time.  I am at the beach this week though so mostly bikinis and dresses the past few days.  I will say being pregnant in a bikini is interesting!   

Weight Gain:  +6 pounds total...although I am sure that number will go up after this week!

Stretch Marks:  same as before pregnancy...nothing new

Belly Button:  still in...I am actually liking my belly better without the belly ring

Sleep:  it is still hit or miss.  I am sleeping pretty good for being in a random bed without my body pillows.  Lots of naps though....

Best moment of the week:  being pregnant on our beach trip is pretty great.  I have wanted to be pregnant on this trip for the last 3 years so I am just enjoying every second. 

Movement:  it is still sporadic but I am pretty certain when I feel it.  I am starting to feel the difference between her moving and gas.  It is exciting!!   Another great moment this week is that I swear she starts kicking when I talk to my husband on the phone...she must sense my excitement!

Symptoms:  feeling pretty good this week.  My headaches have been much better but I do have one today.  Still peeing all the time and still pretty tired.   

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I have just been hungry!  I made some cookies for our trip and they are just delish...can't stop eating them.  I also can't get enough fruit.  We stopped at a fruit stand and I got all kinds of stuff.  We are going to make a fruit salad today and I am pumped!

Gender:  a precious little princess :)

What I miss:  nothing as far as pregnancy goes....but I am missing my husband this week :(

What I'm looking forward to:  feeling her move more and more and starting the nursery when I get home. 

Weekly Wisdom:  fresh out of wisdom this week....

Milestones: every day is a milestone!  I am just so happy to be here and each day is a day closer to holding my little princess in my arms. 

Dreams:  none that I can remember this week!

And here is a couple of belly pictures!!!! 

As you can see I am still totally pale.  Apparantly my pregnant body just wants to stay that way! 

By the way...I am posting this from my mom's computer which is a PC and I am used to a MAC....it has taken me two days to get this done....What the heck???  I hope it turns out right!

Beach Bound!

I am leaving in the morning and heading to the beach.  I can't wait!  Today I am packing, baking cookies, making fudge, and doing general last minute stuff.  


My mom, Jenni (aunt), me, and my mom and Jenni's best friend Casey have been going every year for quite some time.  A couple of years ago my cousin Jan (my mom's age) started going with us.  Well then last year we decided to take my Grand and my Aunt Jerry (Jan's mom)!  SO there is seven of us, all women, heading to the beach!  


It is such a relaxing trip.  We don't do anything but lay on the beach, eat great food, play games, and listen to the waves.  Oh, and maybe we have a few drink ;)  Although, this year I will happily not participate in that! 


Here are some pics of us from last year!

Aunt Jerry, Grand, Jan, Jenni, Casey, me, and my mom (Dianne)

Three generations...mom, jenni, me and Grand

Jan and Aunt Jerry (her mom)

Casey and Jenni goofing off....there is a lot of that!!!

Have y'all been able to tell yet that my family consists of mostly women?????


This year is technically baby girl's first girl's Florida trip!  SO I will get a picture of 4 generations :)  This just makes my heart smile.  


My mom is taking her computer so I will hopefully be able to do my 19 week update on Tuesday and maybe I'll post a few pics from the trip.  I hope you all have a great weekend and week next week!!!

Kelly Belly-18 weeks

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of Baby: size of a sweet potato!!!  That seems big!  No wonder my stomach grew like crazy this week!

Maternity Clothes:  I am wearing a few maternity shirts on my days off...with my workout pants of course!  I ordered some maternity jeans from Motherhood the other day....we will see if they work.  I have to have LONG jeans.  I also ordered a couple of tanks and some capris. 


Today is the first day I wore a fitted top to work instead of a frumpy scrub top.  I got a few remarks from people that know I am pregnant. It felt liberating to shed the scrub top!

My mother and I went to Target yesterday and I got a few more shirts, a dress, and some khaki shorts.  Of course, baby girl got an outfit as well :)

Weight Gain:  +6 pounds total

Stretch Marks:  same as before pregnancy.  My stomach has been itching lately so I have been lathering up like crazy with my lotion.  I know that this won't prevent stretch marks but it sure can't hurt!  



Belly Button:  still the same.  I am getting used to looking at my belly without the belly ring in it now.  



Sleep:  I mean it is really hit or miss with the sleep.  I'll sleep really good one night and then awful the next.  I am loving my body pillows though!

Best Moment of the Week:  My mom and I looking at fabrics for baby girl's nursery.  That was really really really fun.  We have narrowed it down but it is just so hard to decide.  I ended up liking things that I never thought I would have liked!  I have also enjoyed thinking about baby names.  

Movement: not that I know for sure.  I have felt some little things but I can't be certain it is her yet.  

Symptoms:  I started having some cramps this week.  Not all the time and not really bad.  Just every so often it feels like a period cramp.  I asked my dr. about it and he said that it was normal and is my uterus accommodating my moving and bouncing girl.  It seems to happen when my bladder is full.  After I pee, it goes away.  I am starting to think that maybe it is my bladder cramping and not my uterus!  It is really low.  I hope I am not getting a bladder infection.  I haven't had any problems today at all.  We will see!


***little update***  I wrote most of this out yesterday and just added the picture today.  But, the girls at work today convinced me to go up to the dr to get a urinalysis just to make sure I didn't have a bladder infection.  I thought it was probably a good idea since I am leaving for Florida on Sat.  It all turned out fine.  He said that since my uterus is so big now it can cause bladder spasms.... 

Food Cravings/Aversions:  nothing really this week.  I did cook dinner the other night for the first time since I have been pregnant!  My poor husband!  I made pork tenderloin with mustard dill sauce, roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes, roasted parmesan asparagus, and a spinach salad.  It was yummy!  The problem is that after I ate it the thought of it made me want to puke.  So the leftovers are still sitting in the fridge :(

Gender: a sweet little princess :)

What I Miss:  nothing this week!

What I'm Looking Forward to:  knowing for sure that I am feeling her move and my Florida trip on Saturday

Weekly Wisdom: nothing will calm you down or make you  more relaxed than a warm bath....

Milestones:  Each day is a milestone and one day closer to holding my precious little princess in my arms :)

Dreams:  I dreamed the other night that I was back in high school and they were making me play on the boys basketball team instead of the girls...because I was that good!  Well every time they would put me in I would do awful and people would boo me.  


I also dreamed that I was in high school and I was trying to park my car in the parking lot but it was flooded so I would try a spot and then have to hurry up and leave it.....


And here is the belly this week.  I swear it has gotten way bigger and more firm this week!

18 week belly

And just to compare....this was my belly two weeks ago at 16 weeks!

Wine and Gourmet Club

We are members of a Wine and Gourmet Club that meets twice a year.  There are about 60 couples (mostly older than us).  The group had been around for 28 years.  We meet twice a year at a restaurant in town and have excellent food and wine.  There are two couples that host each event and they pick the different wine we drink and the restaurant makes food to go with the wine.  We usually have a spring dinner, which is more casual, and then a winter dinner that is more formal.  Which we learned last year means tuxes!!  


We were invited to join last year so the dinner this past Tuesday was our third one.  We always look forward to it because of the good wine and the great company.


When we got the invite this year I wondered if we should go since I am pregnant.  I mean it is a WINE DINNER!  We decided to go ahead because we enjoy the company and at least I get to eat great food.  I should mention that my OB is also a member and was at the dinner.  


These people LOVE their wine.  I mean we are by no means wine snobs or anything.  I know what wine I like and what wine I don't like and that is about it.  I will try anything though...as will my husband.  I can't describe the wines or anything.  BUT most of these people can!  We actually learn something at this dinner every time.  


The second we walked in the door the hostess' were handing out the wine.  I politely declined which got me a crazy look.  I then explained why and then everyone was excited!  I made my husband go get me some water so I could at least have something to hold in my hand while we mingled.  


This dinner was 6 courses.....SIX COURSES PEOPLE!!!  I was do darn full by then end I though my husband was going to have to carry me out.  It was great fun though.  The host couples assign seats for everyone.  So you sit by someone new each time.  I like this because you either get to meet someone you don't know or you get to know someone you just kinda know.  


I really enjoyed being the pregnant one.  That is pretty much what everyone at my table wanted to talk about.  I have learned that people definitely give you advice when you are pregnant.  It is interesting.  I have to say there was quite a bit of pressure to drink some wine...or at least taste it.  I had to say no like 20 times.  I know they meant well but I am not going to be THAT girl.


Another interesting tidbit....another couple that we sat with did IVF 5 times.  They ended up adopting a little girl.  It is amazing how many couples have trouble conceiving.  It is just something you never think about until you have to go through it.  


At the end of dinner I asked my OB, Dr. C, if maybe he wouldn't weigh me at my appointment the next day.  Yeah, that didn't work....


Here is a picture of me and my honey.....

He is so handsome :)


Hope y'all have had a great Monday!

What you've all been waiting for!

So I have kept you in suspense long enough, right?

Well I didn't do it on purpose.  I just wanted to look again to double check and make ABSOLUTELY SURE we were right.  


I'm going to share a few things first.  


The Chinese gender chart said it was a girl


The Intelligender said it was a boy


The ring on a string of your hair test (some call this the needle test) said it was a girl


The heartbeat has been high...according to the old wives this means girl


The old wives also say that it should be a boy because girls should steal your beauty.  I haven't had any acne or anything like that.  


So are you ready???

Can you believe it?  Because I was surprised.  I had been thinking boy the whole time!


It is still sinking in that we are going to have a daughter.  It is so cute hearing my husband talk about HER.  Crazy!  We were at dinner the other night and of course people are giving us all sorts of advice.  One man told my husband  to just wait until she was a teenager and boys started coming around.  I thought he was going to pass out.  He was white as a ghost!  Heart him....


For Mother's Day my mom and Jenni (aunt) got me a few things.  I took some pics to share with y'all.  

beautiful gowns...

I was in Belk the other day buying stuff for me when I wandered over to the little girl section.  I can't even focus when I am there.  It is all just so cute.  I wanted to buy something but I felt like my first baby purchase needed to PERFECT.  I couldn't find anything that I just couldn't live without so I was about to leave when I came across the sale rack.  I got each of these for $7.  Each set has two onsies (one short sleeved and one long sleeved) and the pants.  Ummm....that is PERFECT!

This says daddy adores me...and how cute is the flower on the booty!!!!!  I love it!

 mommy says I'm purr-fect...

 This one says one of a kind on the other onesie that I didn't get a picture of.  

So there it is.  We are having a baby girl.  Now she just needs a name.  That is going to be tough.  We have had a few names that we have liked for a long time but now that it is real the list seems to keep growing instead of getting shorter.  I think it will be a while before we decide.  


Oh and guess what?  My sister in law (married to my husband's brother) sent me an email the other day with some excellent news.  Her grandmother has offered to make the bumper pad and bedskirt if I want her too!  I am so excited!  My mom and I went to look at fabrics yesterday and I literally can't stop thinking about it.  I had dreams about little girl colors all night long.  There is so much to choose from.  I am off today and I think I will spend it online researching!  Fun Fun Fun!  

Kelly Belly-17 weeks (a day late of course!)

I wanted to wait until today to post this because I had my doctors appointment.  

How Far Along: 17 weeks!!!

Size of Baby: they say baby is the size of the palm of my hand...but I do have a pretty big hand!

Maternity Clothes:  some.  We had a dinner to go to last night and I wore a maternity dress.  You could for sure see my little bump but the dress was black so it kind of hid it.  Oh and this picture was taken after a SIX COURSE MEAL so some of that is bloat...I was soooooo full!!!!!

By the way, my husband HATED the flower in my hair.  I thought it was cute and springy.  What do y'all think???

I went last week and bought some summer dresses at Belk.  They aren't maternity but they will work for a long time.  Here is me in one of them.  I also got a bright blue one and a navy one.  Oh and those are my mother's day flowers from one of my friend's...how sweet is that?

I got some non-maternity shorts from Old Navy that have a stretchy waist and no buttons or zippers.  They just tie so they will be able to grow with me also.  And they are long so my butt doesn't hang out.  I HATE THAT.... 


Also, you would think that a girl wouldn't grow out of her scrubs....well I have.  I can't go back to work in the same scrubs!  They drove me BONKERS yesterday.  They have absolutely no give at all so they just dig into my belly.  I am going to order a bigger size pants and see if that helps...UGH!

Weight Gain:  I was up 4 pounds at the doctor this morning from a month ago.  So this is +6 pounds total.  

Stretch Marks:  no new ones.  


Belly Button:  I did take my belly button ring out this week.  It was showing in the dresses I was wearing!  I guess I'm going to leave it out.  It's not that I am attached to it but I feel like I look weird without it.  I have had it for 10 years so I am just going to have to get used to looking at my tummy with no bling.  Oh and it is always way in....I find it hard to believe that it could poke out!  



Sleep: I have been sleeping really deep but I wake up with headaches about every other day.  My hips have also started hurting at night.  It almost feels like they have a cramp...weird...  I bought some new pillows and two body pillows so hopefully that will help all of this.  

Best Moment of the Week:  Of course hearing the heartbeat this morning.  It was 158 bpm.  My mom went with me so she got to hear it too.  Such a sweet sound!  Oh and I had a girl at work, A, scan me yesterday.  That will always be a great moment :)

Movement: not yet that I can tell.  I have felt a few little weird things but I have no idea if it is the real thing or not....

Symptoms:   still the headaches, huge boobs, and fatigue.  

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I have been eating two pieces of peanut butter toast every morning.  Then for a mid morning snack I have been having one of those Naked drinks that I talked a little bit about here.  This seems to work very well for me.  I don't get that "OMG if I don't eat right this very second I am going to fall over and die" feeling.  I am still loving Simply Lemonade...I guess that is not going to go away.  I have done really well this week on drinking the right amount of water.  It is hard!  My honey also made some chicken salad yesterday and I can't wait to chow down on that for lunch!

Gender: I promise a gender reveal post tomorrow :)

What I Miss:  I honestly don't miss anything and I love being pregnant.  We are members of a Wine & Gourmet Club that meets twice a year and our spring dinner was last night.  I am going to post about that later this week but if you like wine and are pregnant you will miss your wine at this dinner!!!  Although it was super fun being the pregnant girl there!

What I'm Looking Forward to: my Florida trip with the girls/women in my family.  We leave in a week and a half.  So technically it will be baby's first family Florida trip!  And, of course feeling the baby move!

Weekly Wisdom: This comes from my friend Sarah....KELLY!!!  You are four months pregnant and it is ok to have a belly!  QUIT thinking you look chubby!!!!  Literally she yelled this at me.  I should listen to her more....

Milestones:  Another doctor's appointment down!  Officially started wearing some maternity clothes that show my belly!  

Dreams: A few days ago I dreamed that I drank a bunch of wine because I forgot that I was pregnant.  A total flip out ensued....


I also dreamed that I was running around my aunt Jenni's house naked.  I was banging on her window so she would let me in and shower but she wouldn't....super weird...


Here is the baby belly this week!