24 Weeks!

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +20 pounds. Heading back to the doctor in a few days, so we'll hear the final holiday break eating verdict then.

Maternity clothes? Definitely on the bottom. I'm still trying to wear as many of my tops as possible.

Stretch marks? None, though I hear rumors that this is about the time they show up with vengeance.

Sleep: Trying to catch up as much as possible with these days off for break. I will certainly miss my naps when school starts back up.

Best moment this week: Getting a glimpse at how loved she will be. I think she got more presents than we did!

Miss Anything?  Nothing really stands out. . .

Movement: I'm feeling some flips and flutters. The best part was when I was out walking one day last week and I tried to pick up the pace. She didn't like that too much and gave me a good 'ol kick to show her disapproval.

Food cravings: Starbucks Peppermint Mochas, mmm. Really, anything with peppermint!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing stands out in particular this week.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! There is a bit of a bump there.

Gender: A sweet baby girl!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In, but it's trying to pop out.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy for the most part, but there are always those mood swings;-)

Size of Baby: Sweet girl is the size of a cantaloupe this week. Must be about the smallest cantaloupe ever because I can't imagine her being that big yet!

Looking forward to: Our two appointments on Wednesday (one with the regular OB and the other with the Fetal Maternal Specialists. I hope we get to see her on the big screen!

I can't believe we only have four months left!!

"Cowboy" Oatmeal Cookies

No clue where these guys got their name, but I do know they are fantastic! I am currently on a butterscotch flavor kick where I butterscotch chips to any sweet I can. I have not been disappointed with my recent creations:-) Here is one I found and tailored to fit our taste buds.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups oats

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, blend butter, oil, brown sugar, and white sugar.

Combine two bowls.

Add oats and butterscotch chips.

Bake for 10-12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets.

Enjoy!

Count Your Blessings

It's very easy to get caught up in the "want, want, want" mentality that surrounds this time of year. We very easily fall into the trap of lusting after things we do not have instead of being thankful for what we do have. I know that no matter how hard I try, the greedy Grinch in me comes out at some point every year to make an appearance. This year before that green monster comes, I'm going to recognize what I DO have and how grateful I am for it.

an amazing husband

I am so grateful for David. There really are no words for wonderful he is to me. My eyes have been opened to this even more in recent weeks and I hope that they never close to these things. He has been angelic with my pregnancy moodiness and probably deserves sainthood for all that he has to put up with from me these days! 

a healthy pregnancy

We have been infinitely blessed by how smoothly things have gone thus far. With my kidney mess there have been lots of opportunities for issues, but we have been very blessed.

support

I have a great support team in my family, friends, church peeps, etc. Without their love and prayers I would not be where I am right now.

comfort

So many do not have a home to go to or a warm meal at night. I am fortunate enough to have both, and much more. 

What are you thanking God for today??

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +20 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Definitely on the bottom. I'm still trying to wear as many of my tops as possible.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep: Trying to catch up as much as possible with these days off for break.

Best moment this week: Feeling her flips and kicks.

Miss Anything?  Nothing really stands out. . .

Movement: I'm starting to feel some flutters!

Food cravings: Sweets:-)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing stands out in particular this week.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! There is a bit of a bump there.

Gender: A sweet baby girl!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In, but it's trying to pop out.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Much happier this week than I was last week!

Size of Baby: Sweet girl is the size of a grapefruit this week.

Looking forward to: Visiting with all our family over the next few days!

Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds

One of the best smells I've ever come across is that of cinnamon sugar almonds roasting. For many years I was only able to enjoy it when the local Renaissance Festival came to town. Then, the mall started joining in on the fun with booths in the middle of the walkway. Then, things got super real when I discovered this recipe to make them at home! It was super easy (minus the 20 minute increments of stirring) and worth every minute of waiting. Added bonus? The house smelled ah-mazing!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg white

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups plain, unsalted almonds

1/4 cup water

Directions

Mix first four ingredients in small mixing bowl.

In another bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla until frothy.

Add almonds and coat thoroughly.

Combine sugar mixture with almonds and coat well.

 Spray crockpot with cooking spray.

Put coated mixture into crockpot set on low.

Cook for 3-4 hours (mine took 3 and a half), stirring every 20 minutes.

 In the last hour, add water and stir well.

Line counters with wax paper (aluminum foil works too!) and spread out almonds.

Separate well and try to unclump as many as possible.

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters [12.21]

Happy Friday, folks!

Dear Mayans, What's up with all this crazy talk? If I had to hear one more student mention the world ending this past week, I probably would have lost my mind. You couldn't have kept it going for another few hundred years or so? I mean, how hard can it really be. . .

Dear students, We made it! I hope y'all are enjoying every minute of your first day of break. Be sure to thank your parents for all that you do for you on a regular basis, but especially this time of year!

Dear Davido, You'd think that after you do the Alabama thing for 6 months I'd be used to you leaving. Not so much. Your girls are very happy to have you home. I hope you don't have another trip planned for any time soon because we're not letting go;-)

Dear Pinterest, Thank you for all the FABULOUS ideas of things to make for Emerson and to do with her once she arrives. I'm not sure my hubby appreciates all the extras projects or tutus on my wishlist, but I'm excited:-)

Dear Apple, I am super impressed with your stellar customer service. From the moment I walked into the store I felt like royalty. You were able to fix my problem in a timely manner and not even charge me for it. Now, that is awesome. Want to pass on some of that knowledge to other stores (*cough*Pandora*cough*). 

Operation Nursery

From the moment we found out we were expecting, I have wanted to work on the Nursery. My lives-in-the-real-world husband was good about reminding me we should probably wait a bit before until we decorate because I'm likely to change my mind 15 times. He's so wise, that one. We knew the room that we would use as the Nursery namely because it was the only room in the house without furniture in it. We go for simplicity around here, folks.

So, when I was about three and a half months pregnant we went ahead with the first step of painting. Choosing a color wasn't difficult because we knew we wanted this to be the Nursery for any future children we had-boys or girls. We went with a neutral color referred to by Lowe's as "tranquility". Honestly, it's a lovely sea foam green color. Something that would look good with blue accents for a boy and pink accents for a girl. We dove right into it on a Friday evening and finished in just a few hours. Minor touch-ups were completed the next day but overall it turned out pretty well!

We decided not to purchase any furniture because my super sweet and generous aunt had furniture from my cousins she was more than willing to pass along to us! And before any one freaks out my last cousin isn't even in kindergarten yet so things still meet code:-) We saw it for the first time at Thanksgiving, and I couldn't wait to get it home and set up. It sat in my parents' garage for a few weeks before they kindly brought it down to us. We made plans to put it together this past weekend, so imagine my surprise when I come home Friday afternoon from a long week at work to see this. . .

My sweet husband had put it all together to surprise me! I sure got a good one:-) 

The next step? Wall hangings. We picked up some things when we were in Boone a few months ago that I can't wait to put up. After that we'll get a dresser of some sort and bedding then we should be all set for her! It's making it all so much more real!

22 Weeks

How far along? 22 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +17 pounds, but it's sure to climb with all the Christmas treats I've been baking!

Maternity clothes? Definitely on the bottom. I'm still trying to wear as many of my tops as possible.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep: I officially have a boppy sleeping pillow! It is absolutely amazing and worth every penny in my opinion!

Best moment this week: Feeling her flips and kicks.

Miss Anything? Caffeine. These hyper, break-ready children are wearing me out!

Movement: I'm starting to feel some flutters!

Food cravings: Sweets:-)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Breakfast. I have inhaled box after box of candy canes for the peppermint to settle my tummy.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! There is a bit of a bump there.

Gender: A sweet baby girl!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In, but I see the potential for it to poke out in the near future.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: This has been a rough week. I've been super moody. My poor husband and students!

Size of Baby: Peanut is the size of a papaya!

Looking forward to: Break starting this week!!

Coconut Brownies

It was a Tuesday (Community Group night) and we needed dessert, what's a girl to do? Raid the pantry of course! I knew I had a boxed brownie mix on hand and a few other things, but didn't want to go the traditional brownie route. Thus, these delicious treats were born. Be prepared to enter a sugar coma in 3, 2, 1. . .

Ingredients

1 package brownie mix

 3 eggs

 1/4 cup water 

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups flaked coconut 

1 cup chocolate chunks (I chopped up Hershey kisses, but chocolate chips would work too!)

 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk 

1 cup almonds, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

Prepare your favorite brownie mix according to package directions.

The amount of eggs, oil and water included above are common to most prepared brownie mix instructions, but follow your box says

 Bake 16-18 min or until brownie is set.

You are just trying to set the batter, not finish it. 

 Layer coconut and chocolate chunks over brownie base. 

 Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over coconut and chocolate chunks. 

Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely. 

Enjoy!

These taste especially yummy with vanilla ice cream:-)

Friday's Letters [12.14]

Happy Friday one and all!

Dear Mother Nature, Way to throw us all for a loop! 70 last week and 27 this morning? Wowzers! At least it's beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas:-)

Dear students, I know we are a mere four days away from break, but I'm gonna need y'all to chillax. Yes, we still have to do work. No, we can't just sit there and play games. Together we can survive to next week!

Dear Starbucks, How is it possible that your one little drink can bring so much happiness? Thank you for creating the deliciousness that is a peppermint mocha. Now, how about y'all drop the price a smidge so I don't feel so guilty every time I partake? Thanks!

Dear Emerson, So it just really hit me that we're over halfway to meeting you-holy smokes! Keep doing your thang and baking away because we are nowhere near ready!

Dear Davido, I hope you have the very best time next week as you kick start your Christmas vacation early. Enjoy every minute of it because come next year it may not be so easy to sneak away;-)

The Spirit of the Season

To be perfectly honest, I've had a hard time getting into the spirit of things this season. Maybe it's the fact that it was seventy degrees here last week, maybe it's the fact that I was practically done shopping in October, perhaps it's the fact that I haven't had the energy (or time) to do any baking this year, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that we'll be at school until December 21. Oof. Whatever the reason, I've been feeling a bit Scrooge-ish this season.

I've tried to fight it by blasting Christmas music whenever we're home (and even when we're not. The princess listens to it while we're at work. Pathetic, I know). We light up the Christmas tree as soon as it gets dark. We've even started watching Christmas movies, though that's more for my benefit than my sweet hubby's. Needless to say, I'm still struggling.

I think all I really need is some downtime. A little R&R with David and Daisy by the fire and I'll be back into the groove. Until I can get that I'll be blasting Christmas music in my classroom, eating candy canes, and giggling at these ecards to get into the mood!

This is my husband. . .

What's in a Name?

Emerson MacAlpine Mobley

Emerson

We picked this name out for a girl even before we were engaged. I was volunteering in the Nursery at our old church in Raleigh and a little girl names Emerson came in with her parents. I had never heard the name before but I thought it was beautifully unique. I mentioned it to David and he said he liked it too. This surprised me because he usually goes down the more traditional route. Fast forward four years and we find our we are pregnant. We immediately decided if we were to be blessed with a little girl, then Emerson would be her first name. We've already shortened it and have started referring to her as Emmy too!

MacAlpine

No, I didn't sneeze. That's going to be her middle name. All the first-born girls on my mom's side of the family received this as their middle name (me included). When I was super young I didn't understand the importance of it, but now that I am older I appreciate the story behind it. The name was originally our Scottish ancestors' surname and has been carried on in our middle names since then.

Mobley

This one is kind of a given;-)

We can't wait to officially meet her!

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +17 pounds. The doctor was surprised I only gained 2 pounds in a month, but after jumping 6 pounds the month before I think it all evens out!

Maternity clothes? Some things. I'm still able to wear some of my other stuff, but the maternity clothes are much more comfortable at this point. Have y'all ever heard of the "belly band"?? It's magical! I think everyone-pregnant or not- should invest in the wonderfulness of this clothes stretcher.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep: Love it, though I am tossing and turning more now. If I wake up to go to the bathroom it takes a pretty significant amount of time to fall back asleep again:-(

Best moment this week:Seeing our sweet girl on the big screen at our appointment this week. She was such a lady and had her legs crossed the entire time!

Miss Anything? Nothing in particular sticks out this week. . .

Movement: I'm starting to feel some flutters!

Food cravings: Back to the Mexican food:-)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Soaps and lotions are still an issue, as well as Raisin Bran cereal. Don't ask me why, but I thought I was going to yak every where after a bowl earlier this week.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! There is a bit of a bump there.

Gender: A sweet baby girl!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In, but I see the potential for it to poke out in the near future.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but that may be because Christmas is so close!

Size of Baby: Peanut is the size of a pomegranate, measuring about 12.5 oz!

Looking forward to: Last FULL week of school before break.

Pumpkin Bars

So, somehow I ended up with an extra can of pumpkin in the pantry. What to do, what to do, what to do? Bake, of course! Here is a yummy recipe for pumpkin bars!

Ingredients

1 cup applesauce
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-oz can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
  4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

 Combine the applesauce, sugar, oil and pumpkin. 

Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.

Mix the dry ingredients and the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spread the batter into a greased 13x9 baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Let cool completely before frosting with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

Cut into bars.

Enjoy!

 

Friday's Letters [12.07]

Happy Friday AND Happy December!

Dear sweet baby girl, You sure are a stubborn little thing, aren't ya? Every time we try to take pictures of you, you flip and flop all over the place. Please get out of this habit as soon as possible so I can take the gajillion photos of you I have planned for the rest of your life:-)

Dear crazy December, Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said you could be this insanely busy? Enough of these eleven and twelve hour days. This is supposed to be a time of resting and enjoying others' company. That can't happen if I'm running around like a madwoman. 

Dear Cuties, Thank you for being so positively delicious AND healthy. I must admit that your addictive nature has taken me completely captive. Are you still healthy if someone eats an average of four of you a day?

Dear Dr's Offices, What is going on with these ridiculous waits?! I can kind of understand why it takes so long at the nephrologist's because there are a bunch of old people with lots of questions, but all the others?!? The two hours we spent at the OB this week was insane! Any chance y'all could work on this?

We Play for Keeps!

Have you ever heard of CrossFit? I hadn't either until this past April when it invaded David's workout regimen, and thus our lives as well. The concept (at least what I understand it to be, though I'm sure my husband will correct me!) is in order to become the best you have to constantly vary your workout and challenge yourself to do different things. There is a Workout Of the Day (WOD) every day with different exercises. You try to do as many repetitions of those exercises in a certain amount of time. It is very competitive, which is one of the reasons David loves it so much.

He was introduced to this phenom by a friend of his at work, and has since got into incredible shape. It does all of this from our garage since it is pretty costly to frequent a "box", or gym. Before I go any further I must tell you that this is SO not my cup of tea. His grunts and shouts during the workout, and extreme exhaustion following it, are not my idea of a good time. He loves it though, so CrossFit will continue to be a part of the Mobley vocabulary.

All of that mumbo jumbo leads me to our Saturday morning-his first competition! The local minor league hockey tea was hosting it as a benefit for the Wounded Warriors Project. He had to see how many calories he could burn rowing for a minute, then he would see how many shoulder presses he could get in a minute (with 75 pounds), then take a 30-second rest, then do as many ball slams he could get in a minute (weighing 30 pounds), then do as many kettle bell swings (weighing 35 pounds) as he could in a minute. That was one round. He did this three times for time. It was intense to watch. Here are some pictures from our adventure:

He checked out the competition by counting for another competitor. 

Assessing the ball slam challenge.

Swing that kettle bell!

Last round of shoulder presses

Absolutely exhausted.

And my favorite picture of the day. . . 

Believe it or not this guy started off fully clothed and ended up in just his underroos by the end of it! The best part? His Mulan-looking ponytail on top.

Will I ever do this? Never say never, but it's not likely. I like to be in shape, but I'm not a big fan of my thighs crushing others to death as many of the women at the competition looked like. I may be singing a different tune after Peanut is born, but for now I'll leaving the intensity to David!

20 Weeks!

How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +15 pounds. We go back to the doctor tomorrow so I'm sure next week's number will be a big jump!

Maternity clothes? Some things. I'm still able to wear some of my other stuff, but the maternity clothes are much more comfortable at this point.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep: Love it!

Best moment this week: Going out to dinner with another couple who is having a girl and are due a week after us! It was so much fun to talk to someone who is in the exact same spot.

Miss Anything? Caffeine this week. It was rough going back to school after a glorious 5-day weekend!

Movement: I'm starting to feel some flutters!

Food cravings: Spinach salad this week. I went to the Teeter every day after school this week to pick up more. At this week's grocery trip I'm just going to buy enough to last the week!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Soaps and lotions are still getting to me oddly enough.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! It's exciting:-)

Gender: A sweet baby girl!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In, but I see the potential for it to poke out in the near future.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with some mood swings in between. The past few days have been kind of rough. For some reason the smallest thing has me about bursting into tears. I will be elated when this passes!

Size of Baby: Peanut is a banana this week. She is roughly 10.5 oz. Wowzers!

Looking forward to: Working on decorating the Nursery!

Cool Whip Cookies

While I was posted up with my foot this past summer I went a bit recipe crazy. And by "bit" I mean I tried at least one or two new recipes a day. Yea, crazy. Here is one that I rustled up with only the things I had in the kitchen. It was super easy and super yummy! They tasted even better when we put a little cream cheese frosting between two of them. Mm mm mm. Let me know what y'all think!

Ingredients

1 egg
8 ounces Cool Whip 

 1 box devil's food cake mix (could use just about any cake mix!)
1/2 powdered sugar

Directions

 Preheat oven to 375.

Mix egg, Cool Whip, and dry cake mix together.
Roll teaspoon size balls into powdered sugar and bake on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. 

Enjoy! 

Friday's Letters [11.30]

Happy Friday one and all! Today I am linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds for Friday's Letters.

Dear December, Thank you for finally arriving! I was beginning to think you would never get here and we would be stuck in the depths of November forever. I am excited for you and all your Christmas joy.

Dear Davido, You are a rock star. The end.

Dear massage, I am stoked for you tomorrow. The opportunity to rest and relax will be stellar after this long week back at school.

Dear Crossfit Competition, Please do not kill my husband tomorrow. I really enjoy him and would like to keep him around a bit longer.

Dear peppermint, If it were not for your superb flavoring I probably would have lost a few breakfasts along the way. Thank you for settling my tummy every single morning while this sweet baby does her thing in there!

Happy Friday!!

Odd Duck

I'm going to be honest with y'all, I'm a bit of an odd duck. Who am I kidding, I really am strange. In fact when we first started dating and were navigating the waters of a new relationship, my sweet love looked at me and said, "wow, you are weird" to which I replied, "here is your fair warning". Luckily he found my oddness endearing and decided to keep me around. Today y'all are fortunate enough to hear some of my oddities, aren't you excited?!? Strap in folks because the truth comes out!

I only eat with a little fork

There are two size forks in the drawer, a big one and a little one. I'm sure there are some fancy names for them but I missed out on the cotillion experience so I don't know them. Anywho, I've always been a big fan of the "little fork". Even my husband has learned that if you give me a big fork at supper, I'm going to get up and switch it out for a little one. Yes, I know, it's bizarre.

I have to fall asleep on my left side

Not exactly sure when this one started but for as long as I can remember, I've had to fall asleep on my left side. Sure, I can start off on my right, but if I have any intention of getting some sleep I have to roll over onto my left.

On the topic of sleep, my knees can't touch

Crazy, right?! I cannot fall asleep at night if my knees are touching. Any other part of my legs can touch, but not my knees. In the winter it's not an issue because I can just wear sweatpants, but in the summer I have to get crafty. I usually end up just putting a pillow or blanket between my legs.

Toilet paper 

Yep, I'm about to go there. The toilet paper has to hang a certain way. Now, I'm not going to go around fixing other people's toilet paper (I'm not that crazy, give me some credit here), but I do like it to hang a certain way at our house. Curious which way? With the paper hanging over like so:

   

Travel coffee mugs

I am very particular about my travel coffee mugs. When you spend as much time as I do drinking coffee, you get to be a bit particular about your drinking vesicle. I like microwavable ones with a thick plastic that can drop without getting dented or messed up.

I'm sure if you ask my sweet husband he could tell you a much longer list, but that's about all I could come up with right now. Now that I've bared my heart and soul and shared my crazy, what are some of your bizarre habits??

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +15 pounds.

Maternity clothes? My sweet mother-in-law took me shopping at a wonderful maternity store this past week and I was able to stock up on some items. Maternity jeans are much more comfortable than regular jeans!

Stretch marks? I thought I saw some and freaked. Then I realized it was the lighting. Whew! Needless to say I'll be doubly applying the cocoa butter now.

Sleep: Still want to do it all the time.

Best moment this week: Finding out what we are having!!

Miss Anything? I missed having a few drinks with the fam this year.

Movement: I'm starting to feel some flutters!

Food cravings: Still chowing down on lots of Mexican food.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of soap. I know that sounds bizarre but in the shower this morning I thought I was going to throw up everywhere when I caught a big whiff of Dial.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! It's exciting:-)

Gender: A sweet baby girl!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with some mood swings in between. The past few days have been kind of rough. For some reason the smallest thing has me about bursting into tears. I will be elated when this passes!

Size of Baby: Peanut is the size of a mango this week. It's crazy to think how fast she is growing!

Looking forward to: Continuing to share our news that Peanut is a girl.

A Themed Thanksgiving

We seemed to have a bit of a themed Thanksgiving this year at my parent's house. This was not done on purpose. Let me back up. . .

We arrived at my parent's house on Thursday morning after spending a few days relaxing and pigging out at the Mobleys. Daisy went in ahead of us with a pink scarf to announce our big news. After hugs and celebrations we settled in for more food and visiting. None of us were overly impressed with the Black Friday sales, so we skipped that tradition.

The next morning we decided to head out and see what was left. Have you ever tried to get nine people out of the house and moving? This was not a simple process. We ended up going in different directions for a bit with a plan to meet up later. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond was having a sale in which you could take 20% off your entire purchase, not just one item. The BB&B in Winston Salem has a HUGE baby selection as well, so we spent some time there. Mama could not fathom how expensive everything was. She kept saying over and over that she just couldn't believe it. Even with the 20% deal, we didn't see anything we needed.

The boy car called and said they were headed to Gander Mountain (a massive camping and outdoor store). Mama scurried us to the car so we could get there quickly. She was on a mission to check out their gun selection. Mama and Daddy spent the next 30 minutes analyzing guns while the Wardlets entertained ourselves with some people-watching and iPhone fun. By this point this preggers mama was struggling. It had been hours since I ate and I needed a nap. Daddy sensed my frustration and as we were leaving he went back into the store to get something he thought would cheer me up-season 1 of Duck Dynasty!

This is when our themed weekend really takes off. Have y'all heard of the magic that is Duck Dynasty? It's the story of the Robertson clan and the multi-million dollar empire they have created around duck calls. I know it sounds crazy. That's because it is. This people are unlike any others that you have ever met. Or, maybe you have, but that would make it that much better! We piled into the den and proceeded to watch three and a half hours of their antics before we got into our own.

Daddy had found out about a local Boy Scout troop that was doing a turkey shoot fundraiser. For $20 you got eight shots at a target. After hours of watching the Robertsons doing the same thing, and making it look easy, we thought we'd give it a go! Who knew David had a secret talent for shooting? He won us an actual turkey! After a few hours of shooting fun, we headed home to watch more Duck Dynasty.

Daddy giving Mama a few tips.

David and Tyler plotting.

Daddy teaching Manda how to shoot.

 Abby even gave it a go!

We're already planning more marathons for Christmas vacation and perhaps a little more shooting. Maybe we'll have our own show a few years down the road!

It's a. . .

Daisy would like to announce something. . . 

It's a girl!!!

Gender Guesses

I've been all over the internet since we found out we were preggers trying to figure out if Peanut is a boy or a girl. The time has finally come for us to find out!! Here is what some of the Old Wife's Tales have us leaning towards:

Carrying high or low? High

Heartbeat above or below 140? Above

Craving sweet or salty? Salty

Chinese Gender Predictor? Girl

Acne or no acne? Acne

Hair is more full or duller? duller

Morning sickness or none? Yes!

Sleep on your right or left? Left

Carrying the weight in your rear or front? Rear

Headaches or none? Headaches

We have a feeling what Peanut is, but we'll wait until after our appointment to share if our prediction was correct. Until then, y'all will just have to wait on the edges of your seats;-)

Liebster Award

I am honored to announce that my sweet friend, Dana at Let's Meet for Lunch, nominated me for a Liebster Award! This award is given to "up and coming" bloggers with less than 200 followers.

The rules:

1. Post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions that the nominator asked of you

3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.

5. No tag back (but please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you)!

11 Facts:

In the Fall, football is life.

I am a sucker for a Peppermint Mocha Latte and will allow myself to drink as many as I want over Christmas Break without even thinking about how bad they are for me!

Our puppy is the princess. . .

. . . but will only be for a few more months. Our first is due in April!

We don't have cable. We watch everything on Netflix or Hulu+.

I love buying people gifts!

North Carolina is the only state my hubby and I have ever lived in.

Date night is super important to us in our marriage.

 

I would eat a sweet potato every day for lunch if they were available. Side note-I did do this my freshman year of college when the dining hall had them!

 

I fuss and complain about my "rattletrap" car all the time, but deep down I still love Suzy Subaru.

 

I always have at least one thing of chap stick with me at any given time.

 

11 Questions to Answer:

1.  If you had a free Saturday, what would you do?
2. What's your favorite "go-to" thing to cook?
3. What's your favorite book of all time?
4. What would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow?
5. What's your dream career?
6. If you could give the 18 year old version of you advice, what would it be?
7. Of all your Pinterest boards, which is your favorite?
8. What's your favorite holiday tradition?
9. Are you a dog or cat person?
10. What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
11. What is your favorite season?

 

11 Blogs:

1.  Fun, Love, and Football
2. Everything Changes
3. Just Sayin'
4. Sweet Like A Song
5. Mrs. In The Making
6. Established 2008
7. In the Queen City
8. Adventures of the Southern Wife
9. Pamela's Place
10. Life as Mrs.
11. A Sweet Simple Southern Life

 

 

 

 

18 Weeks

How far along? 18 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +12 pounds. I will weigh again today at the nephrologist. Good thing it's before the Thanksgiving pig out sessions;-)

Maternity clothes? I'm getting there. I almost wore some to work this week but the pants weren't long enough for the shoes I wanted to wear. It's not that I necessarily need them, but they are much more comfy than my regular clothes!

Stretch marks? I thought I saw some and freaked. Then I realized it was the lighting. Whew! Needless to say I'll be doubly applying the cocoa butter now.

Sleep: I used to be a total side sleeper, but for some reason I've been doing better on my back recently. Unfortunately my growing girth means I need to stick to my side. We'll see how that affects my sleep. . .

Best moment this week: Actually having people tell me I look pregnant!

Miss Anything? Nothing stands out right now.

Movement: I'm starting to feel some flutters!

Food cravings: Mexican seems to be the craving of the second trimester while Japanese took over the first trimester. This baby is just making it's way around the world;-)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular. I'm feeling a lot better than I was earlier!

Have you started to show yet: Kind of. It depends on what I wear.

Gender: We find out on Wednesday!!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with some mood swings in between.

Size of Baby: Peanut is the size of a sweet potato according to thebump.com. How appropriate considering Thanksgiving is this week!

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender and sharing it with all our family over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Panthers Game

At the start of the year I created a 30 Before 30 List of tasks I wanted to complete before I turned 30. One of the items on the list was to attend a professional sporting event. You'd think this would be something we do regularly with two professional teams in town, but it's hard to justify when the teams don't have much to write home about. Just being honest here! Well, last Saturday evening our friend, Scott, called David and offered us two extra tickets to Panthers game against the Broncos. It was made even better when we confirmed our friends from Raleigh, Steve and Caroline, would be coming into town for the game.

Sunday morning we made our way downtown for a few hours of tailgating in the gorgeous North Carolina Fall weather. We munched on some Bojangles (a North Carolina MUST) and played cornhole while we readied ourselves for the game. It was great to catch up with Scott and Tiffany (and Scott's sweet mama who joined us as well!) and Steve and Caroline before the game.

A little before kick-off we headed down to Scott's awesome seats behind the Panthers' end zone. We had an incredible view of the field and game. The only thing that could have made the game better is if Cam Newton had decided not to be a big baby and actually play the game. The good news? We got to see Peyton Manning play!

Despite the pitiful loss it was an awesome game and we are grateful for such great times with great friends:-)

View from our seats

Greatest tailgating game invented.

Cinnamon Squash

It's that time of year again. The time of year when our farm box includes a delicious type of squash each week. We tried this for the first time about a month ago, and have made it many times since. In fact, when I attempted another squash recipe David asked for this one again!

Ingredients 

1 large butternut squash, cubed

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400. 

Toss the squash with the maple syrup or honey and oil. 

Stir the salt and ground cinnamon together. 

Arrange the squash in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. 

Sprinkle the cinnamon-salt mixture over it, and then roast it stirring once, for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters [11.16]

Happy Friday, folks! Today I am linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds for another edition of Fridy'as Letters.

Dear Peanut, I am SO excited to find out if you are a he or a she next week! Then I will finally have an excuse to start buying you precious little things:-)

Dear conference week, You about killed me this year. I don't know if it was all the bookings or the fact that I am preggers and exhausted, but I am pooped. I will definitely be getting a good night's sleep tonight when it is all over!

Dear readers, Any avid readers out there with suggestions?? I am looking for a few good books to dive into over Thanksgiving Break and am welcome to any and all suggestions.

Dear movie theaters, Please do not sell out of Twilight tickets. I would really enjoy getting to see the final installment of the Bella-Edward-Jacob drama ASAP. Want to save a couple for the Mobleys?

Dear Duck Dynasty, Thank you for the ongoing laughs and great things that come from your show. I am officially hooked and will be catching up as much as possible over break next week. Keep up with the crazy!

The Repeating Question

To cut or not to cut, that is the question.

Cut what? My hair. I may have lost some of you with that right there, but I'm sure others of you are nodding right along with me. It seems that every time I cut my hair short, I love it for a few weeks. Then, I get impatient with it and began to wish it longer again. So, I start the dreaded process of growing it out and getting past that "awkward" stage. You know the one in which your hair does nothing that you want it to do and everything you don't want it to do. I finally get it to a long length that I like, then I decide it looks flat and dull and cut it. The exhausting cycle starts over.

My hairdresser likes my hair short. She's right, it does look more polished that way, but there is just something about having long hair and being able to do more with it. It's easier to throw up into a pony or whip into a braid. You can do all sorts of fun things with short hair, but it's just different things.  

Here are examples of my hair at each length:

Longer

 Shorter

What are y'alls thoughts?? Two separate Christmases, two separate styles/lengths. I have an appointment scheduled for Saturday and I'd love some input before I head in there!

17 Weeks

Not necessarily a "bump" photo, but it was taken yesterday!

How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +12 pounds. In my defense I was wearing my "clodhopper" clog and a jacket when the nurse weighed me. I wanted to ask for a do-over but David wouldn't let me. I'm hoping the next appointment doesn't have such a big jump!

Maternity clothes? Not yet but I'm thinking it's going to be soon with the ways my clothes have been fitting.

Stretch marks? I thought I saw some and freaked. Then I realized it was the lighting. Whew! Needless to say I'll be doubly applying the cocoa butter now.

Sleep: Still sleeping well and not feeling as exhausted as before. I'm tired, but it's a different kind of tired.

Best moment this week: Hearing Peanut's heartbeat at our 16 week appointment. It also sounded like he/she was swatting at us.

Miss Anything? Nothing stands out right now.

Movement: Not yet, but I should start feeling him/her soon.

Food cravings: I managed to devour Mexican twice this past weekend.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular. I'm feeling a lot better than I was earlier!

Have you started to show yet: Kind of. It depends on what I wear.

Gender: Only a week and a half until we find out!!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with some mood swings in between.

Size of Baby: Peanut is now the size of an onion. Kind of ironic considering the heartburn onions give me!

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender and sharing it with all our family over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Sauteed Red Swiss Chard

Ever heard of red swiss chard? Neither had we. That is until Barbee Farms gifted us with some in our farm box. It reminded me of bok choy so I went ahead and prepared it the same way I would bok choy. Very simple and very yummy. Hope y'all enjoy!

Ingredients

red swiss chard, washed

olive oil

minced garlic

Directions

Cut up swiss chard. Even the stems!

I typically roll the leaves up and slice them. Makes for good bite sized pieces.

Warm olive oil in skillet on stove top.

Add swiss chard and garlic. 

Saute until stems are tender.

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters [11.09]

Happy Friday! Today I am linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds for Friday's Letters.

Dear tickle in my throat, What are you doing? You know darn well I do not have time for you to stink around. Not to mention the presence of Peanut prevents me from taking any medications to get rid of you. Please just skedaddle on out of here. Please?!?

Dear winter temps, Well hello there. Wasn't expecting to see you for quite some time. Any particular reason you've arrived so early after doing a great job staying away for so long?

Dear creative minds, HELP! We're trying to think of a creative way to share the gender of Peanut with our families at Thanksgiving (since we are finding out the day before!) but we're having trouble. Any suggestions??

Dear Veterans, Thank you so much for your service. Far too often we get caught up in our worlds and forget that our world is what it is because of your sacrifice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +4 pounds as far as I'm concerned. I've decide I'll just leave the weighing up to the professionals;-)

Maternity clothes? Not yet though some items are getting snug.

Stretch marks? I thought I saw some and freaked. Then I realized it was the lighting. Whew! Needless to say I'll be doubly applying the cocoa butter now.

Sleep: Love it.

Best moment this week: We were just randomly sitting on the couch watching TV and David said how excited he was for Peanut to be here. My heart about burst out of my chest!

Miss Anything?  We went to the Renaissance Festival and they had pumpkin-flavored beer almost every time I turned around. At least it seemed like it. Think it will still be good if I buy it now and drink it after Peanut's arrival?? Ha! I wish.

Movement: Not yet, but I should start feeling him/her soon.

Food cravings: Greens. I can kill a bowl of spinach or collards in record time these days.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Morning. What started out as "evening sickness" has made it's way to the beginning of the day. I now wake up and ask myself what the least offensive food will be and try to eat that for breakfast. I've gone through a lot of toast.

Have you started to show yet: Depends on what I wear. A few of my students have started commenting on my bump! On a side note, they all think I should name it after them and have begun forming arguments as to why. It cracks me up!

Gender: We'll find out at our 18 week appointment-only two and a half more weeks! Any one have any creative gender reveal ideas?? We're finding out the day before Thanksgiving!

Labor Signs:  Nope.

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with some mood swings in between.

Size of Baby: According to the bump, Peanut is the size of an avocado (as I type this I enjoy a little Wholly Guacamole, no offense Peanut). He/she can now hear and recognize our voices!

Looking forward to: Our 16-week appointment on Monday and hopefully seeing Peanut on the big screen:-)

Renaissance Festival 2012

I spend the first nine months of the year waiting for the last three. So many stellar things occur in these few months that it's hard to cram it all in there. One of my favorite activities is the Carolina Renaissance Festival.

We've been every year since we got married, and I went almost every year before that when I was growing up. Every year is better than the last. There are always new foods, drinks, shows, and acts that make it even more exciting. This year will definitely be remembered, though, because for the first time in all these years we were called on from the audience to participate in a show!

We decided to stop by Don Juan and Miguel's show when we got there because it was just getting started. We'd never seen it before and it looked interesting. They started with some silly jokes and did a few cool tricks with whips and swords that were very impressive. Then, they started in with the audience participation. As soon as Miguel started walking down the aisle I knew we were in trouble. I stupidly sat on the edge of the aisle and wore a bright pink fleece. It's like I was begging to be called upon to be embarrassed. He asked me a few questions and made jokes about defending my honor. It was actually a lot more fun, and a lot less mortifying, than I thought it would be!

We then wandered around the festival and took in a few more shows before devouring a turkey leg and spinach artichoke bread bowl. David also insisted we stop at every single sword/axe booth to admire their wares. My sweet husband does this every year, but has yet to buy one. I've contemplated surprising him with one for Christmas, but that means he would insist on displaying it somewhere in our home and I'm not quite sure I'm ready for that step! A few pictures from our day. . .

Medieval Neo

The jacket and hat alone would set you back over $1000!

Don Juan and Miguel!

 

 Bagpipes show

 

Roasted Acorn Squash

I didn't know acorn squash could be used for anything other than decoration until it showed up in our farm box a few weeks ago. Not quite sure what to do with it I took to the internet to hunt for a recipe to use. There were a few fancy ones out there that I knew would take more time than I was willing to dedicate to the task at hand. Listed below is what I came up with off of a few others. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1 acorn squash, cut into fourths

olive oil

sea salt

butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Put squash pieces, skin sides down, on a lightly oiled baking dish.

I lined it with aluminum foil to aid in clean up.

 Sprinkle with salt. 

Bake squashes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. 

Remove from oven, and brush each slice with butter. 

Put back in oven for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters [11.02]

Happy Friday one and all! It's a great day to link up with Adventures of Newlyweds for another edition of Friday's Letters. . .

Dear gas prices, Why, oh, why is it that every time I finally stop to get gas you drop the prices the very next day? I try to put it off as long as possible, but without fail you always seem to beat me. It's just not fair (said in childish pouting voice). Want to be nice and give me a good price every once in a while?

Dear Renaissance Festival, We are very excited to come enjoy your little bits of crazy this weekend. Everything from the delicious food (I see you, roasted turkey leg) to the hysterical shows (Tortuga Twins!) keeps us coming back year after year. Can't wait to see what new stuff y'all have in store this year!

Dear November, Welcome! I am so excited you are here. You bring a month of holidays off of school and time spent with family and friends. This year you are also bringing us the news of what Peanut's gender is-hooray! Make yourself comfortable and stay awhile.

Dear students, I know you've had a crazy week with a Teacher Workday on Monday, Halloween on Wednesday, then Clubs and a dance today, but it would be greatly appreciated if you weren't crazy today. I understand that any disruption to your routine often has adverse effects, but this tired teacher would love it if nothing out of the norm happened today. Appreciate it!

Happy Halloween Wishes!

This past weekend David and I made a quick trip up to Boone to visit my sisters and their boyfriends for the night. Our activity of choice? Pumpkin carving! What better way to prepare for the impending holiday?! Here are our final creations. I hope they are surviving in the foot of snow Boone has gotten thanks to Hurricane Sandy!

 

Abby and Brayden's drunken pumpkin

Our classic monogrammed pumpkin for Mobley

Mandy and Tyler's mountain themed pumpkin

Happy Halloween!!