24 Week Update

So here is the 24 Week Update, a week late... :)
Last Tues was our doctor's appt. I have been rotating through the doctors at my practice so you aren't meeting a new doc for the first time on your delivery day, if your doctor happens not to be the one on call. Anyway, so I met with Dr. Bradford(Sue), who I know personally, as I worked with her husband, and it was a great visit.

MG made it difficult for Sue to get her heartbeat, making her chase her from the bottom left corner of my belly, over to the right side, to up above my belly button, before she settled down enough for us to hear that heartbeat clear. She was quite the show-off and Sue kept saying we were in "trouble"! She is constantly on the move these days, often times I wonder just how she is positioned to be kicking me in the spots I'm feeling her(like in my bum!).

I started feeling her kick right around 20 weeks, and Jeff really felt her the first time around 22-23 weeks. The other day he laid on my belly for a bit in the morning, when she is really pretty active and he felt some really good movements for the first time. It was exciting!

I have the "burps" a lot, and have had a couple more spells of "getting sick" the past couple weeks, but for the most part feeling pretty good in that department. It is getting harder to breathe and my appetite is starting to pick up. Yesterday I finished my big slice of pizza and then started on the end of Jeff's he couldn't finish! HA! Maybe that's why I gained 5 lbs this visit!! HA! I blamed it on the turkey and mashed potatoes that I ate!

I have also been experiencing a decent amount of back pain. This is said to be attributed to my anterior placenta as she is sitting on my spine instead of the placenta being a cushion between baby and my spine, therefore she has direct access to kick me there! And boy do I feel it!

I also was experiencing some sharp pains that I knew weren't quite right. I talked to the doctor about them, and turns out.....I have a small Hernia! Urrghh! I joked around saying I felt like my stomach was going to bust through my skin, well I guess it just about did! She said it can happen in pregnancy as your muscles relax and it makes it easier for your organs to push through those walls. Hopefully it will repair itself in a matter of time, if not, then they will do surgery after MG is born. It just makes for a little more discomfort and I'm now restricted to lifting no more than 5-10lbs! In the middle of packing and moving, I find that rather difficult, but I'd prefer for it to heal itself and so I am trying to refrain from lifting too much.

24 week Stats:
Bust - + 1/2"
Waist - +4" - the Belly is definitely growing
Hips - no change
Weight Gain - +5lbs, total to date 8lbs - gotta love the Holidays!

Madelyn Grace is over 1 1/2lbs now, and about 9 inches in length! She has outgrown all the "fruit" references regarding size now, and is about to be compared to a 2lb chuck roast regarding size now! HA! She is in a growth spurt in these next couple weeks gaining 1/2lb a week! Her little face is almost fully formed now, complete with eyelashes and eyebrows and some hair starting to grow on her head!
It truly is a miracle! We are soo blessed and continue to pray for her growth and health!

***I hope to be back this week to upload pics and with an update regarding our weekend; Jeff surprised me with a room downtown overlooking the Marion Square Christmas tree, and we went to his Christmas party. BUT disclaimer, I might not find the time bc my parents arrive this week and we close on our new house. We will be painting an entire house this weekend if you are bored and want to come help!! ;)

Happy Holidays!!

WAR EAGLE, a Baby Shower, and Thanksgiving!

Can I start with a WAR EAGLE!! Undefeated, 12-0!!!

I am Soo proud of my Tigers this year! They look great, never give up, play with heart, stand beside each other, regardless of all the mud that has been slung their way around this Cam Newton situation! I've never been more proud to be an Auburn Grad and part of the Auburn Family. I Believe in AUBURN and LOVE it!! I can't wait for the day I can take this little girl to a game and she can see and witness the true Auburn Spirit and LOVE for the "Loveliest Village on the Plains" !

I say this not just as a fan, but as a Graduate and a 4th generation Grad at that! My Great-Grandfather played for Auburn and helped on the field after! My Grandfather graduated from Auburn, my Aunts, my Uncles, both my parents! My sister and I! We are ALL GRADS!! I LOVE IT!! On my graduation day, I stood next to the Auburn Stadium in my cap and gown and my Great Grandfather stood on my shoulder! His picture from his days of playing was on the side of the stadium in a huge mural! He is in the Sports Hall of Fame! He has a "star" in the Auburn Walk of Fame! I could not be more proud! How many people our age can say they are a 4th generation Graduate all from the same lovely University! I LOVE AUBURN!

I was not oblivious to the situation with Cam Newton, but I stood behind Auburn and an innocent kid and believed we didn't do anything wrong! And turns out, I was right! I was appalled by the actions and words of many people, even friends and family, that wanted to think this 20 yr old kid was Guilty until proven Innocent. Don't we live in America?? Where a man is INNOCENT until proven Guilty??!! He is just a kid, who looked to his father for guidance and evidently his father was wrong. That's not HIS fault. The fact is, he is one of the most talented players in SEC history and not just because I'm an Auburn fan, but bc all his stats prove it! His father let him down! Shame on him! But shame on you, if you were one of those people that spoke so badly of him, he's just a kid doing what he loves, and you were slandering him without knowing the facts! Shame on you!

But I am proud of Cam for continuing to play hard and not let the negative thoughts and words of the rest of the world harm him! I'm proud of the Auburn family for being soo supportive of this young man. And I'm extremely proud of Coach Chizik for sticking up for his "son" and defending him against the negative media, even though his own father brought this on him.
I am Proud to be AN AUBURN TIGER!! :)

OK - now that my love affair with Auburn rant is over....I'll move on to a Baby Shower and Thanksgiving! :)
My sweet friends threw me a shower while I was home, since we won't be back in AL until after MG's arrival. Yes, we have a name! :) MGC!!
The shower was wonderful, thoughtful, and I'm soo thankful for these women in my life. Friends that have been there for everything, and I can't wait to introduce my little girl to these women!
We received some wonderful gifts and some true treasures that we'll hold dear to our hearts forever. She got her first bracelet from Jeff's Grandmother, she was given her Daddy's baby ring from Sally, and Mimi(my mom) knitted her a blanket and passed down my first hair brush to my little girl. We are thankfully for everyone and their generosity!

AU Diaper Cake!

The Wonderful Carriage Cake made by Sweet Magnolias(Nicole's mom and sister's business)

My Sis, Me, and Momma

The ladies of MG's Life(Jeff's Grandmother, Sally, Me, and Mimi)

My Beautiful Girlfriends!

3 Preggos! All a Month apart, in order....HA! We have been friends since Elementary School! Erin is having her 4th, my 1st, and Kim's 1st. I can't wait to find out what the other 2 are having! Erin isn't finding out, but Kim does in a couple weeks! I'm guessing Girl for Erin and Boy for Kim!

Thanksgiving was spent in Bham with my extended family! There was about 27 of us, all at my mom's house. It is always fun to get together and see everyone, as that's about the only time of year we see everyone now, bc of living so far away, and everyone having to fit in time with in-laws too. We are a little more split these days. Next year 2 more little ones will be present! Kerri is due about 5 weeks before me. :)

My SIL, Sis, and Me

Parker on Uncle Ronnie's motorcycle!

Mollie and Uncle Jeff! I think they could pass as father daughter in this pic for some reason....makes me smile thinking about him with his own little girl soon! :)

If you are still reading.....THANKS! I've been MIA and then upload all at once! HA!
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your family and are getting into the Christmas Spirit!

It's A............

GIRL!!!
YAY! Looks like ribbons and pearls are in our future! Both Jeff and I had guessed it was a Boy so we were pretty shocked to see that it was a girl. I have a video of when we found out. I wish we had gotten our faces but you can hear our reactions.

It was a fun day! I don't think I stopped smiling and was THAT mom to be that wanted to tell EVERYONE!! :)
Of course I went shopping right after our visit and had to buy her something!
I got her this little comfy sweet gown and her first book. "Good Night Charleston"

Dare I say it again, but I'm hoping I'm on the upswing of this sickness stuff. It's almost been a WEEK since I got sick and I've been off the Zofran for a little over a week! Prayers that it's OVER!!

We have had a name we have liked and talked about since even before we were married, but aren't 100% sure we are going to use it, so are holding off on telling that. Her middle name, which I contemplated actually calling her, I hear ALL the time now. It made me sad when I started hearing it so much, but Jeff says that I worry too much and not to worry about it bc it's pretty and we liked it! She would be named after my Grandma too, so that would be really special!

On to 20 Week Stats......
We shall see how much longer I actually share these, depending on how bad they get...ha!
Chest - + 1"
Waist - no change from 16 weeks
Hips - no change from 16 weeks
Weight Gain - 0lbs, this appt

Visitors and a Wedding!

Sally and Amanda(MIL and SIL) came for a visit! We had a great long weekend with them, even though they were pulling for LSU against Auburn. I almost told Amanda she could sleep in her car! ;) We did a lot of shopping, football watching, and Eating!! Boy did we eat! Sally had a list of restaurants she wanted to try and we did our best to hit some of them. Dinner at Blossoms, coconut cake and after dinner drinks(don't worry, I didn't partake in the drinks, although if I had, I would have loved a Bailey's on the rocks!) at Peninsula Grille, lunch at Glass Onion, and Brunch at Poogan's Porch! I was Stuffed! We also did a surprise early birthday celebration for Sally. Her birthday was Nov 1st, you can see her surprise when she walked in to see her birthday cake and us singing.... :) Great Visit!

Then last weekend we headed up to Greenville to celebrate the wedding of these two!! Nick Brown and Ashley Inabinet. Now Mr. and Mrs. Brown!! :)

The fall colors in Greenville were so pretty! Our Bridesmaid dresses were Eggplant and Spice, you got to pick your color, and from 4 different styles. I Loved my dress!! We had a spa day on Friday and I pampered myself with a massage, mani and pedi.

Jeff and I after the wedding, heading into the reception. (don't worry, I wore heels in the wedding and just changed into my flats for the walk to the reception)

Nicole, me, Jeff, and Jessica. You can see the "spice" dress on Jessica. It was like a pumpkin! The colors looked beautiful!

Me and the Beautiful Bride!!

Belly Pics.....Me and Baby C!! 18 1/2 weeks
We had our hair and make-up done, which was soo nice not to have to do myself

I really liked my hair. She put these braids in it and I thought they were cute! :)

A little sneak peak of something else exciting that is going on in our lives..... ;)

Love you all!!
PS- we find out the sex of Baby C, next week!! We are soo excited!! Get your predictions in.... :)

What's Your Guess??

Boy or Girl???

It's that time to take the poll?? We find out in 2 weeks!!
I can't wait to know which is growing in my belly and will be joining our family!!
I'm so anxious!
Nov is going to be a BIG month for the Coleman's!!
Stay tuned for more exciting news!! :)
Let us know what your guess is?
Hope you're having a great Monday!
ps-I spoke to soon, only off the meds 2 days and it started back. So Back ON them!! I think I have decided to embrace it and come to terms with the fact the sickness is here for the long haul. Lately it's an every other day occurrence...better than every day, I guess. :)

Baby Update

I just got back from the doctor for my 16 week appt! Things are looking great! Heartbeat was still strong, my uterus is making its way up, just under my belly button, I have finally gained back some weight, 3 lbs, and I'm happy to report I haven't gotten sick in a WEEK!! I'm still 7lbs down from the start of my pregnancy but she said she's starting my weight gain from when I started gaining! So my pre-preg weight just comes down. I'm on day 2 of weening off the Zofran and hope that it's over, and I'll be able to stay off of it this time. Say some prayers. Baby C's heartbeat today ranged from 149-152! My belly has also officially popped out!! Wow, has it! I literally woke up one day and there it was! So weird isn't it! I have attached a pic! I feel like it looks pretty big in this picture, but doesn't seem THAT big in real life, but I might be kidding myself. B/C I have been taking my measurements to see where my weight gain goes, so I can focus on getting it off after baby.

16 week Stats
3lbs gained
Hips - no change
Waist - +7 inches
Bust - +2 inches
No longer can wear my pants, buttoned at least. I wear the bella band and it works for now. Got a great pair of Maternity Sevens online and they are working great also. I'm also loving my leggings and dresses. Thankfully the boobs haven't grown too much, much to Jeff's dismay, but I'm very thankful, as that was my biggest concern.
I developed a pregnancy rash on my chest that drives me crazy and went to the dermatologist. He says it might likely be there until I have this baby! Boo! But gave me some stuff that should help with the itch in the meantime.

Also, if you're interested here is a video from our 13 week appt/screening of the ultrasound. It's kind of long, but she changes to 4D toward the end which is cool.
We got all Negative test results from our screenings which was a relief! :) (video was taking FOREVER to download and wasn't even progressing. Any Help? I'll see what I can do to post it later.)

Here is a pic of Parker for fun! It's from his B'day and we gave him his football pants and his mom and dad got him a new jersey! He thought he was soo cool!!

A Smile....

A Grandparents smile that is....
Call it emotional, sentimental, whatever you want, but lately I've been thinking about my grandparents. Maybe it's because I think about our parents being grandparents to our little one, and I pray they can experience and remember things with them like I do with my grandparents.
You see, I don't have any of my grandparents with me here on earth anymore. I have relived in my mind lately everything about them. Memories, laughs, things that just remind me of them, and mostly their smiles!! :)
I will find pictures and scan them one day but in the meantime, just use your imagination.

Grandma and Grandpa (My mom's parents)

Grandma - she was so talented. Crafty. She could knit, crotchet, needlepoint, paint, make porcelain dolls, sew, you name it she could make it. She cooked. She played the piano and organ and had an amazing voice! Her laugh was contagious and loud. She gave lots of hugs. She taught me how to cross stitch, and always had a project we could work on together. She made clothes for all our dolls. She was an amazing gardener. She use to say it was bc she talked to her plants. You had to prune and talk to them! Doesn't work for me, but she was amazing! She had the prettiest gardens and rose bushes at all their homes.
Her smile.....Big! Mostly with an open mouth bc she was smiling so hard or laughing! With Bright Blue Eyes!

Grandpa - so talented and crafty as well. He was an engineer, so if you could dream it, he could build it! He built my sister and my first play house, my brother a HUGE skate board ramp. He always was on the boat on the lake. He taught me how to ski. He worked for GE and was on the team that invented the self cleaning oven! So when you clean your oven, think of him! :) He was actually pretty quiet. But VERY organized. He used to always tell us, "Don't monkey with it." meaning not to put our grimy hands on all his stuff in his workroom! HA! He'd rarely say he loved you. When I would tell him, "I Love you" he would smile, close his eyes, and shake his head yes. I knew he loved me too! Even though, he didn't say it much.
His smile....short, mostly closed mouthed kind of smirk. With the most beautiful blue/grey sparkly eyes. His eyes smiled for him. :) He was Very handsome.

Grandmother and Granddaddy (my dad's parents)

Grandmother - active! wow! that woman could run laps around me when I was 10, no joke. She was a PE teacher. She put on my rollerblades when she was 70. She used to play hockey with us, with a pin cushion as the hockey puck. Do handstands in the lake, go ice skating with us and teach us how to twirl. She and my Granddaddy were avid tennis players. She played up until the day she couldn't stand anymore. She taught me how to ballroom dance. And was BIG on our southern manners. She also had the Longest hair! You wouldn't know it, as she always had it rolled into a very tight low bun. But when we would stay with them, she would let me brush her hair. Her hair was all grey and was almost to her bum! Yes, that long!
Her Smile....perfectly straight, always with lipstick on(sometimes on her teeth :)). Very poised, southern, and proper.

Granddaddy - he was funny! Always telling a joke or pulling a prank. He had some of the craziest things, like a remote controlled robot with a serving tray we called Cousin It, that brought everyone drinks! He was a Business Man, a Treasurer. He used to do this trick that he was pulling off his thumb and when I was little it always looked real. He taught me how to hang a spoon on my nose. How to play pool. How to shoot a gun. He always had this coin "egg" that you squeezed and it opened. Every Sunday at church I'd run to find him to get my dime for a doughnut and my quarter for my coke from the old school coke machine. Our church had one of the old school machines that served the 8oz glass coke bottles and then you recycled the bottle next to the machine. I look just like him! :)
His smile....crooked. He smiled with a mischiveous crooked smile, like he was hiding his laugh out of the corner of his mouth.

I will never forget their smiles! I was close to all my grandparents and miss them! :( But I LOVE remembering the memories!
I hope you remember smiles!

Better than a Hallelujah

If you haven't heard this Amy Grant song.....take a listen....It's GREAT stuff!!

Better Than a Hallelujah



It reminded me that even when we are complaining and ridden in sin, God just hears a Melody and thinks we are still Beautiful even in the mess we are! :) As we are his children! It makes me smile!
And maybe the very first lines start to ring a little true to me, as I know I'll be singing through tears some nights! But I smile thinking about it! God is Good!!
*also, you savvy bloggers, anyone want to tell me how I could have attached the actual video into my page? I'm still slow with this stuff. Thanks!
Thanks Morg!! I think I got it!

Let there be Light!

How often do you clean your windows? I mean really clean your windows? Windex inside and out, wash the screens and window sills inside and outside. Well, in this house it isn't all that often and it showed. I will windex the inside of the windows and clean the window sills inside, but next to never outside. I made a mention of it to J that we should do it before Fall so we don't have to look at the dirt in the sill when we open the windows up.
Well, a little nerves before a big Sat football game is all it took and that man was on a mission! YAY! My windows are sparkling! Now I open all my blinds wide open and just stare out my "barely there" looking windows, they are so clean! YAY! Now, come on Fall!! I'm ready for you!

Big win for the Tigers!! War Damn Eagle! It is great to have wins against Clemson and USC when you live in SC. :) And Alabama pulled it out against Arkansas. Maybe it put them back in their place a bit, even though they won that they are a beatable team. But the win made for a happy hubby!

We had a Kamikaze Squirrel!! We heard the trap Friday evening as we were getting ready to head out for dinner. Our friendly Trutech man came over....and we had caught a squirrel! It was in the Raccoon trap though, so he transferred him to a squirrel cage and took him to a park to be released. Crazy squirrel was acting all kamikaze style in the cage when he brought him down, it was pretty funny. Today he came back...still nothing in the other traps. He is thinking the Raccoon might have gotten scared and actually left the house, so we might be in the clear.

We had a great weekend of date night, dining with friends and football, and a brunch with friends on Sunday. I'm not complaining anymore, so let's just say, I only flushed a little money on meals but fortunately not all. :)

Happy Monday!

The Killer First Trimester

OK, so I just need to get this off my chest. Please don't take any of the following as me being ungrateful for this tiny blessing I'm carrying because that is NOT the case. I'm just being Honest. If you have a weak stomach or don't want to really know about the gruesome details of pregnancy than read no further. I warned you..... :) But, you're curious, aren't you..... :)
Also, another disclaimer....everyone is different and everyone has a different experience, this is just mine. I envy those that have it easy!
I decided I would document this just in case I forget about how I felt and do something crazy like go for 4 kids or something! J/K, Erin!! :) I want to try to remain positive, but I just need to vent, hopefully this once......no promises though, I am moody!
I'm also documenting for my future book, I'm going to write. Erin and I decided we'd go in together, as my dear friend who is pregnant with #4, has also been sick with ALL of hers! It MUST be worth it, if she keeps going back for more every other year! :)

So, yes, your mom tells you a little, and in my case, my mom let me know she puked for 9 months, but you still don't REALLY get it! Until it's YOU!! Oh, how good I felt those first couple weeks, when we had just found out we were pregnant. We were on cloud nine, and I felt great! Little did I know, how that would change in 2 short weeks! Yes, by week 6, I was visiting the toilet 6-8 times a day!! You name it, it didn't stay down! I was short of saying I was dying. I thought one day as I was lying on the bathroom floor in tears, that I truly might die RIGHT there! Whoever named it "Morning Sickness" was sorely mistaken! Mine didn't discriminate. From the moment my feet hit the floor until the moment I was getting ready for bed, I hugged the porcelain! WOW!
I did this for about 3-4 days before calling the doctor. She recommended I take B6 supplements and Unisom sleeptabs at night. OK, I'll try it! Well, the Unisom sure did help with sleeping, and the B6, well.......it made me feel better, thinking it might work, but really didn't!
I let another week and half go by. I can do this! Women do this all the time! I can power through. Meanwhile, I'm not eating much of ANYTHING! NOTHING sounds good, when you've seen it all in reverse, it really discourages you from eating it again. I ate a lot of peanut butter toast-for protein, banana's, apple sauce, and noodles. Yep, that pretty much was my diet for a month! Or, and the occasional french fries!
So came my breaking point........!!! I was weak, I was teary, I was hungry, and I was thirsty. When you throw up water, what do you do??? I had a doctor's appt on Tues and it was Monday. I couldn't wait! I called and asked for STRONGER meds! This B6 isn't cutting it, and you might have to hospitalize me soon for dehydration if something doesn't give!
Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!! They gave me a prescription for Zofran! I was immediately on my way to CVS to pick it up! I heard it works! I was sooo excited! Relief was on the way!
I popped that Puppy and guess what! Dinner stayed put! YES! I'm on my way to bliss!
Not soo fast there cowgirl....... :( Take a look at the side effects that come with this miracle pill.....
Yep! If it's not one thing it's another, right?
So, now, I'm able to keep some food in my stomach, although, I still have little to no appetite. And aside from the now, 9lb weight loss, things are good.
Until my friends Constipation and Migraine came to play! Yep! Try not pooping for almost 2 weeks! Ouch! And the Migraines liked to come on in the evenings. Lovely side effects, but hey, I was holding down my food and could actually leave the house without fear, so I was taking it!
I won't go into details about those side effects, but lets just say, it's not comfortable, and Nothing really works for me.
I was doing much better, still little energy, but holding down most meals. I'd have the occasional "moment" or 2 a day, but much better than before.
I think I started becoming immune to the meds, the hormones around 10 weeks were raging, and even on the pills every 6 hours, I started getting sick again! Boo! Again, not as bad as the initial times, so I was going with it.
I learned taking trips aren't too fun! One, you aren't in your home, with your toilet, and you get really embarrassed. No one really understands how you are feeling, and for me, I was too emotional to tell them, without crying! Also, you feel bad bc everyone seems to be worried about you and you don't want to ruin anyone else's good time. My poor husband would just look at me after one of my trips to the bathroom and I'd break down in tears! I JUST wanted to feel good, feel normal, enjoy my meal, you name it. Yes, I threw MANY pity parties! But constantly reminded myself, how I shouldn't, that so many women would die to be in my shoes, would love to know what throwing up from raging hormones felt like. And I didn't/don't take that for granted! But I don't care who you are, if you were throwing up the sip of water you just drank for the 8th time that day for the 12th day in a row, you'd be feeling pretty pitiful too! I promise.
I have now thrown up in my toilet, in friends' toilets, in my MIL house, in a bag in the car, in a plastic cup in the car, in the parking lot of a rest stop, and in restaurants!! UURGGHH! Frustrating! The restaurant last weekend was my icing on my cake! ALL I wanted was mashed potatoes and green beans! We were on the road and decided to look for a Cracker Barrel, Piccadilly, or something, so I could get it. Jeff gets excited when I actually say I want to eat and what I want, so he was on a mission. The only thing we found close was a Golden Corral. I hadn't been to one in ages, and let me tell you! The people watching was Fabulous and Priceless!! I got my mashed potatoes and my green beans and was a happy camper! Until....my stomach started rumbling....yep!! Before we could even walk out of the place, I was in the bathroom losing everything I had just eaten!! Talk about frustrating! It didn't even have time to hit my stomach! :(
Anyway, the first trimester for me has been HE-double hockey sticks!!(My grandma used to say that, hehe) I'm 14 weeks and hoping it will come to an end soon! If I am in the lucky 2-3% like my mom and sister that gets it all 9 months......you might find me in a padded room, before this baby arrives. :)
My vent session is over now! If you have any questions/concerns please contact me. Otherwise you will find me in your closest restroom! ;)
HeHe, Have a Great weekend Everybody! I get to see my friend Mags, go out to eat 2 nights(for the first time in a LONG time) in a row(wish me luck), and watch some Auburn Football!!

***for any of you still reading that might be curious about the Raccoon.....last night, we did hear the trap shut, so today the guy came by to check it. It was shut, but nothing in it. Either the Coon is a big one, and hit the top of the cage, the door shut and it was able to back out, or it was something smaller that hit the trap and set it off. Regardless, we now have 4 more traps up there, and this booger is Going DOWN!!!

It's a Raccoon??!!??!!

OMG!! I'm about to wet my pants! We have a Raccoon in our attic! AAAHHHHH!!!
So, yesterday Allison stopped by for lunch. I had gone to the bathroom and we heard a crash. I said, "Was that you?" she said "No, but it came from back here", as she walked toward the bathroom and bedrooms. Then we heard it again......"Was that you?" "NO" "OMG, something is in the wall, it's in the closet, no, it's in the attic!" Something was scuffling around, we heard claws, we heard a bang, we heard scampering! EEKK!!! It Sounded BIG!!
I freak out and called Jeff!! I ask him, what to do? Something BIG is in our attic, and I'm NOT going up there! Thankfully, Allison was here to witness the noises or he would have thought I was a hallucinating preggo! B/C of course when he got home and looked up there, there was nothing and we didn't hear any more noises!! Of course!
Well, he called our pest control people anyway, and they were sending someone out today.
Soooo, this morning, 7am! Jeff has left for work, and thump, thump, thump!! AAHH! Seriously! Why can't it happen when he's home!??! I remembered that months ago Jeff had put some sticky traps up in the attic in case we have any rodent friends. He nailed them down, so they didn't hop off and get lost in the walls or beneath the insulation. Well, something was on one! I could hear it hopping around trying to get off the trap! GROSS!! What do I do?? The guy wasn't getting here until 11am!! UURRGGHH!
I HATE Rodents, bugs, insects, you name, I loathe them!!
By about 8-9, I'm not hearing much noise anymore. Either the "thing" tired out, or worse case, it got OFF!! 11am, and the "Wildlife Animal Services" guy is at my door!! Thank Goodness! Hey, mister, there is something Big up there....Have fun! I tell him, where the trap was and that I knew something was on it this morning. He went up, and straight to it, and......NOTHINGS there, but gnawed wood and hair! It was a RACCOON!!! He could tell by the hair, and it had gnawed on the wood in the attic by the wall trying to get loose. EEEWWWW!!!
We have some mesh wiring in the eves on either end of the house for ventilation. One side has a hole in it, and he assumes he got in through that. Also, he thinks squirrels have been up there bc he sees nuts. After he tells me he is going to charge me an arm and a leg, he sets traps in the attic. He had me close him in there, in case the "thing" decided to attack, it couldn't come into the house! Instead would be trapped up there with him! Brave Soul he was, Mr. Ryan!
Bless this poor guy, who was soo nice. He said when he graduated with his bachelors in Animal Biology/Wildlife Science, he didn't imagine this is the job he'd be doing, but non the less he seemed very thankful for his full time job.
He comes back every other day to check the traps, unless we hear something, then we call! Hopefully, we catch this thing! Then they fix the eves, then we fork over a couple thousand more for new insulation!! Oh, the JOYS of home ownership! Doesn't someone want this house? We are about to give it away!!!
O'well! Here's to Catching us a Coon!! :) He said actually they are kinda cute, and I will be sure to take a picture of the thing when we catch it. In the meantime, my attic will smell like Sardines(they put a can in the trap)! yuck!

This is what I picture this Thing looking like, and it will EAT me!!

We're Having a BABY!!!

YEP!! Finally I can break my silence!
We are soo excited to announce we are expecting a little one March 31, 2011!!
I have been about to bust at the seams to announce this, but we were waiting until after we got the first trimester "all clear" appt out of the way! YAY!
We had our doc appt yesterday, and got to have another ultrasound. It was so fun to see the little Nugget! It was just bouncing all around. Unfortunately, we didn't get yesterday's images digitally but did get ours from a month ago, so I'll share one of those. We took a video yesterday during the ultrasound and once I figure out how to upload it, I'll share that.

It is still crazy and surreal to me that this little baby is living inside of my belly! It's just amazing!
Some fun facts from the appt and where our Nugget is today.
-3inches in length
-measuring right on target
-little arms and legs just moving all around
-it was arching its back and squirming during the ultrasound
-settled into a spot and put one hand behind its head and the other up to its mouth, relaxing
-had it's little legs crossed
-has a heartrate of 156

This little Booger is also making Momma VERY sick! :( More on that later. But if you haven't already put it all together, this is why my husband has been soo fabulous and I have been so under the weather!
Now, that I can actually voice what is going on in my life, hopefully, I'll blog some more! :)

****I'm off to remove a large animal from my attic......yes, you read that correctly!!! Wait, I'm not actually doing it, but having someone come and check it out! Something is up there, and NOT happy about it! EEeeewww!

A trip home...

Last weekend we were in AL for the long holiday weekend. We were fortunate enough to not have bad traffic at all. VERY surprising considering we were hitting Atlanta at 5pm on Friday of a holiday weekend. I guess not many people were traveling this year, or they were well on their way out of town before 5. Either way, it was a welcomed surprise for a smooth trip.
We made it to Tuscaloosa by 8, in time for a late dinner with Sally(MIL), Amanda(SIL) and Mike(MIL, boyfriend). Yummy Chicken Rotel!!
Enjoyed a Sat morning of shopping downtown Tuscaloosa at all the Campus bookstores, and Jeff undoubtedly had to get more AL gear. One piece being RED pants with white Elephants embroidered all over them!! YES, you read that right!! I'll admit it was a little bit of an overload for me of Crimson, but I was a good wife. :) Although, I did threaten to wear my cute blue dress and orange scarf I brought to wear for the AU game. I told Jeff he would witness first hand how ugly the fans could be if I did. For my own safety I opted for a neutral outfit while on campus. :)
The weather was Beautiful on Sat. There was a nice breeze and if you were in the shade it actually felt very nice out.
We met up with friends Chris and Kristi Thomas to tailgate. Then off they all went to the game, and I took Kendall(Chris and Kristi's 2 yr old) with me over to my sister's house. I opted out of the game. :) Chris and Kristi got to enjoy the game kid free and Kendall and Mollie are the same age and got to play. AND I got to watch my TIGERS play!! WAR EAGLE!! :)
Sunday, we celebrated Parker's 6th Birthday!! He was too cute and so were all his little friends. It is so fun to watch him so grown up, and sweet Mollie just wants to be just like all the Big kids!
We gave Parker some "real" football pants!! He was Soo excited! Of course his mom helped us by telling us what he wanted. He also got new cleats and a Jersey and immediately stripped down and put it all on. He was outside having Uncle Jeff tackle him, when he came in and told us..."I just saw a wishing star. I wished that I would get some shoulder pads......Maybe it will come true tomorrow!?" It ranks right up there with when he said, while at the beach jumping in the waves...."Mom, I just talked to Jesus!!" You did, what'd he say? "He said, he made these waves SOO BIG just for me to jump in!!" with the most excitement ever in his sweet voice, as he ran back to the waves!! I love such sweet innocent moments like that! It makes my heart smile!
On our way home, we stopped in Bham to visit with Jeff's Grandmother. We had a nice but unfortunately quick visit. She is such a cute little spitfire. She acts half her age!
We had a great trip and visit with family. We are fortunate to be able to see both our families at the same time when we are home, although it does make for busy trips making stops back and forth.
Now, here's to Football Weekends and hopefully the beginning of cooler temps!!
****Pictures to come....when I download....sorry, I'll get there....

No more Frustrations....

Well, it sure has been a while. I'm not that great at this blogging thing...but I try!! :)
Some things have definitely changed since I last blogged, that in turn have caused these frowning frustrations to turn upside down.....All smiles!! :)

The house is OFF the market!! Not that we are thrilled about it, but at least I don't have to keep up with the cleaning/bed making/dishes away/look like no one lives here, look!! I think it was a dead end and we will probably try again another time, but as of now, we are staying put!! :)
Now, I'm looking for someone that wants to build some great built-in storage cabinets in our den and bedroom, for added space, for free!! You think that exist? I've even looked at ALL the shows on HGTV that I could apply for, and none seem to be looking for people in Charleston, or really looking for people with NO budget for the project!! HA!! Wishful thinking....

Secondly - the job hunt is on hold for the moment. Not that it's an extreme positive, but at least I don't have to deal with the frustrations that come with job hunting! :) So that makes this little housewife a happy camper! More on that later....

Lastly, but certainly not least, I just have to brag on my husband for a moment! I mean seriously, I didn't think that I could love this man anymore than the day I married him! UNTRUE! Lately, I have not been feeling so good, and let me tell you something!! This man, has stepped up and been AMAZING!!! You would think with my job search on hold, that he would come home to clothes washed, dinner on the table, house cleaned, etc.....
yeah, not so much!! I haven't been feeling good, like I said, and he has done ALL of the above, and worked a full day and comes home and caters to me!!! Seriously, it can't be fun! Yet, he calls on his way home and asks what I need and if he needs to stop for anything? Then comes home, cooks dinner, throws in some laundry, and scrubs the toilet. No, I'm not kidding!! And doesn't ONCE complain!! I have a love and RESPECT for this man like no other!! He truly is Amazing!! I Love you, Bab!! Thanks for all you do to make me smile. :)

Guess, who has a birthday coming this weekend!! That's right! P-Man!! Parker Brooks Cameron will be 6!! I can't believe it! He started kindergarten this year too. We will be off to celebrate with a Karate party and of course see some College Football!!
(He's the best at hugging up for pictures! He asked his mom to take this of us at Lowes last year, bc he wasn't going to "see" us again after we left there! - we were heading home...)

Frustrations, getting you down?

See...the confusing thing to me about blogging, and maybe bc I am such an analytical person and always ask the question.. "Why", is that I really want to know my readers...I received 3 comments yet my hit counter went up by 16 after my last post?? And I actually have the counter set to new IP addresses not every hit!! Oh, well. Maybe I'll get over it. It just makes me question....??
So I have been thinking A LOT lately........here are some random unloading thoughts.....

1. Why are no celebrities doing more for the oil spill?? They jumped on Haiti and Nashville, but Jimmy Buffett is the only one to have jumped on the oil spill. Maybe they just aren't publicising it?? I mean, Sandra B, Angelina, Brad, Harry C all have places in New Orleans. Courtney Cox, Britney Spears, and many others have places on the Gulf in Panama City and Destin. Is it bc they are liberals and against off-shore drilling so they aren't going to support? I know that might be extreme, but I can't help but question? All around it makes me sad! Yes, there were tar balls all over my beautiful beach last week! But it didn't stop me from having a LOVELY time, and honestly the water looked Beautiful! It's a little deceiving. But there was the presence of many trucks and workers up and down the beach to aid in the clean up.

2. Why do people tell you, you are "Over Qualified"!! Wouldn't you rather hire someone that is "over qualified" than Under?? Yes, I have been applying for jobs lately, and it is completely and utterly frustrating! It becomes a bit of a pride issue after a while?? Really, it does! I realize I left and very high paying, highly sought after job, and people question why I want to do something that pays less, or appears less glamorous. I left that job for a reason! And sometimes you decide you want to experience life from a different view, one that doesn't involve such high stress, corporate breathing down your throat, monthly quotas over your head, and travel woes that make you sick bc you missed a very special family event! Yep! I'm not even going to get started on all of that.......Point is.....Job searching is frustrating! And I just want to be a pion!! Is that too much to ask??!! HA!

3. Who wants to buy a House????? Oh, yet another life issue....our house has been on the market for 5 months now! Talk about frustrating! 2 showings!! YES, you read that correctly! 2!!! Don't even get me started on this one....."Is it the house? Is it the neighborhood? Is it that we ONLY have 1 bath?(I don't blame you, that's why I want to move!) Is it the small kitchen?(Again, don't blame you) Is it too old? Is it lack of storage and closet space?(Again..) Why??
Well, the point is, this home was Jeff's first house. He had no intentions of staying here long, but it worked just fine for him in his bachelor days. The market worked against us, and here we still are! Also, we still have my townhouse!
Now, as frustrated as I am, and although I dream of a large kitchen, a walk in closet, a garage for extra storage, and 2 toilets in the house, so I'm not doing the dance outside the door while Jeff is in the restroom.......there are MANY things I LOVE about this house! And at the thought of moving, makes me a little sad.( I said a LITTLE) ha!
What I Love about this little house......

• It's all Brick!
• It's a ranch style
• It has all original hardwood floors throughout the whole house
• I have 2 built in corner china cabinets
• The tiled wall in the bathroom that completely dates the house!
• Our cozy sunken den(converted carport)
• The backyard, that isn't big, but bigger than the yards they have in newer more expensive subdivisions these days
• Our back deck - it has been the place of many late night talks, many girls chats, many football games(we have cable on the deck), many cookouts, and most importantly...the location of OUR ENGAGEMENT!!!
• The fact we don't have a dishwasher so my sweet hubs does the dishes every night!(think I can still get away with this, if we get a dishwasher??)
• The fact our 3rd bedroom is my walk in closet/office. Well this is a source of like and dislike
• The proximity to shopping and downtown
• The fact our neighbor Bubba(he's a little special and lives with his sister and her family) takes our recycling and trash to the street and back every Tues and Wed. (He does it for 4 houses)
• The memories!! We started dating 4 months after Jeff bought this house, and have spent our first year of marriage here! It holds a LOT of our memories!! I really would be sad to say goodbye, maybe that's why it's not selling......????

Anyway, this post has been long enough......I'll have another one soon I'm sure. Fact is, I wanted ya'll to know.....it's not all about the travel and fun, that's just the way I cope with dealing with the above frustrations! :) All in God's timing!
Hope you have a Lovely Weekend!

More Travels......and Updates!

So I realize we have been out of touch for a while.....late Spring and Summer hit and we have been ON the Go!!
WARNING:::: LONG Post!!!
Recap...
April 25th, 2010 - Our 1 Year Anniversary! Jeff did an amazing job planning a vacation for us to Dominican Republic. We stayed at the Majestic Elegance and it was Beautiful!! I was so thankful and proud of him for planning this trip all by himself!!! YAY! I am typically the social and vacation planner so it was nice to just show up at the airport and do what he told me to do... :)
An Amazing 1st year it has been!! Love you Bab!

(Banner on our door when we arrived!)

Beautiful Lobby

Lovely Pool Beds

Steakhouse with Cowhide Stools

We returned home for a week, and then we're both off again.....

May 8-15, 2010
Jeff went to St. Louis for the week for work, so I decided to use that time to take a trip to FL to the beach with family and friends.
I was there for Mother's Day and got to see my Sister, BIL, kids, Mom and Dad, and even my Mother in Law, was in town with her friend "Sister".
After the weekend, the family headed home and I was joined by Nicole H, and Nicole M, and her kiddos. We had a great girls week and some great weather to top it off! It was a great week with family and friends.
Now, Jeff really didn't have ALL work while he was gone.....he enjoyed a Cards game, toured the Budweiser Plant, took pics of the Clydesdale and the Bud doggie, went to the casino, and somehow managed to "break"(it might or might not of had anything to do with a beer spilling on it) his phone. Needless to say....I don't think he was that jealous of me! :)

Only Pics from the week... :(

May 21-24
Another TRIP!!! YEP, up to the NC Mountains I went.....
I left on Friday to meet Nicole M, at her in-laws Mountain house in Sapphire, NC. Between Highlands and Cashiers. We had a great night, with Nicole making a fabulous Stuffed Chicken dish over angel hair with an artichoke wine sauce! Fabulous!! And Danced around with some cocktails and DMB!! An amazing night for sure. And the Weather was an Amazing break from the heat we were experiencing here in Charleston.
Saturday - we were off to Asheville, to celebrate with a 1 year old! Summer Marie Martin turned 1!! Jana spent a lot of time on many cute little decorations around the house and all her family was there to celebrate. Happy 1st Birthday Summer Marie!
Nicole and I returned to the house, pretty tired and decided to call for a lower key evening, and some rest.
Then Sunday I was off to Greenville for the night to see the newly engaged Ashley Inabinet and Nick Brown! Great visit and I got to go with her to pick up her wedding dress so I got to see it!!

June
June here was HOT!! Jeff and I started practicing golf, and it took a while for me, but I was actually starting to make contact with the ball! HA! Yes, which meant that a bucket of 80 balls at the driving range, meant that I swung at least 200 times!! Hey, don't judge..... :)
Well.....that lead to me ending up in the ER one morning.....yep! urrggh!
The most frustrating thing EVER!! Have you ever laid in bed and not been able to get up?? I'm not talking about opening your eyes; I'm talking about physically not being able to move to sit up!!! One of the scariest things that has happened to me. I had to call Jeff at work to come home and get me, and it was still a struggle getting me out of bed. Talk about a humbling experience, when your husband has to get you dressed bc you can't move!! Anyway, after several tests, it turned out I had a sprained Rhomboid muscle, which is the muscle behind your shoulder blade. It was so inflamed it put pressure on my lungs, making it hard to breathe, and all my muscles around it had tightened including my neck so I couldn't move it! Misery!! Anyway, I don't feel like talking anymore about it.....it HURT!! I opted against having 6 shots directed into my back muscle and instead decided to go to a chiropractor. Jeff and I felt the shots were just a band aid that were going to numb the pain, but not actually "fix" the root of the problem. I'd never been to one, but heard good things. I am a fan! After 4 visits, I'm back to normal!! It took me over 4 weeks to get full movement back, but I'm back!!! YAY!

June 9-13
Boston and Cape Cod!
This trip landed a day after my ER visit so I was a little drugged up most of the trip, but fun none the less. My mom and I went to the Cape to visit her cousins that are still there.
We flew in and made our way over to Swampscott, MA(about 20min from Logan Airport) were my Mom was born! We found her house and her Grandmother's homes. It was such a pretty little community right on the water. We took a pic of her home, although she said it has definitely been updated and added on to.

(Mom's childhood Home)

We then made it to the home in Poccasset, where her cousins grew up going, right on the Canal. Mom and I had the house to ourselves. So nice and peaceful.
We had a great time, relaxing, shopping, visiting with her cousin Cindy, Even going and listening to her band play, Eating lobster and clam chowder, and Sipping wine on the porch overlooking the Canal.

View from the Porch Every Evening!

We made a day trip over to Martha's Vineyard. Such a cute place, but not what you would expect, as everything is so hidden. Saw the Onassis compound, the Kennedy compound is on the Cape in Hyannis, and the Jackie Onassis place is over on the Vineyard. Caroline has it now. So many famous people have and had homes on the Vineyard. James Taylor, Bob Vella, Billy Joel and Christy Brinkley, many others I can't remember. Obama and Clinton stayed there.

Cute Victorian Style Dollhouse Homes in Oak Bluffs
(I automatically start singing the Jack-o-Pierce song..."And we'll go to the Vineyard for the Summer, we'll go to the Vineyard for the year. We'll buy a little house down there in Oak Bluffs..." :) )

Yummy Lobster Roll!!

Mom and I on the Vineyard

June 19th - Charlotte
Charlotte for the night for a Concert. Lynard Skynard/Bret Michaels....oh, the people watching was Grande!! HA!

HA! Guess I needed my Sunglasses on bc the stage lights were so bright!

Mark and Jeff with Brett in the background!

YES! That is "Nature Boy" Rick Flare! SC Lotto Commercial Anyone?

July 4th weekend was fabulous!!
concert Friday night, Beach day Sat, Basil for dinner Sat night, Sunday bike ride downtown, Firework picnic with friends Sunday night, and Monday lunch at 82 Queen with Grant, Maggie, Barrett, and their friends. We strolled downtown a bit and enjoyed having some friends in town enjoying our city! We had unusually cooler temps and the weekend was Perfection!

Our Bike Ride

Our Fireworks View...Beautiful from the old Pitt Street Bridge

The Newly Engaged!! Morgan and Guy

Sporting our Red, White and Blue! Yes, Jeff has on Red and White Seersucker Pants! :)

July 10-18 - BEACH!!

Finally up to date......
The Annual Burr Family Beach trip was here! Off I went on Sat 10th and Jeff flew in on Wed. We had a great time with family, and even got to see Sally(mother-in-law), and our friends Chris and Kristi Thomas and Joe Birdnow. Kristi and I surprised the boys by conspiring to meet but not telling the boys who we were meeting. Chris and Jeff were college roommates, frat brothers, and best friends. They were soo surprised and we enjoyed an evening with them, although I have NO pics of that night. :(

Crab Hunting! Notice me leaping in the air as the Crab runs my way...HA

Buddies! Wearing their matching UA shirts bc Parker asked Uncle Jeff to wear his too!

Aunt Les, Parker, and Marg swimming

J and I at LuLu's for lunch. Jimmy Buffett's sister's place

Family Pics!

And now......here we are.....home for 2 weeks before we are off again........:)
The busy life of living!! Loving every minute of it!!

Hey....If you're out there and reading, let me know!!! Yes, You! I'm talking to you!! :) just leave a little comment and tell me you're reading. Might motivate me to update more. Yes, I'm talking to you!! :)
Hope you're having a good day!!
xo