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!! 

15 Weeks

How far along? 15 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? Nope. I've already started applying the cocoa butter pretty religiously!

Sleep: Still wanting to all the time, but getting about 8 hours a night. I did get 10 hours last night, and a nice nap that afternoon. Just call me the queen of sleep. . .

Best moment this week: Painting the nursery and purchasing wall hangings while we were in Boone. It just makes it more real!

Miss Anything? This week was definitely a coffee withdrawal week.

Movement: Nope, but according to a few baby sites I should start feeling it in the next few weeks!

Food cravings: Japanese food has remained a part of our weekly rotation, but nothing else.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Indigestion continues to be rough and I could do without the headaches, but it's getting better.

Have you started to show yet: Depends on what I wear.

Gender: We'll find out at our 18 week appointment-not too much longer!

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 equivalent to a navel orange these days.

Looking forward to: My energy returning. I hear rumors that this is about the time you start to return to some normalcy.

Friday's Letters [10.26]

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

Dear Peanut, What is this all of a sudden aversion to dairy products? You've completely turned me off of everything from milk to yogurt to even ice cream. Would you be a dear and figure this out? You need the calcium all of those things provide!

Dear Boone, We are very excited to come visit you, even if it is for only a brief trip. I've heard rumors of chilly temps and rain. How about you hold off on those for another day so we can enjoy the gorgeous fall weather? Many thanks!

Dear sleep, Oh how glorious, yet fleeting you are these days. I promise to catch up on you, probably over Thanksgiving Break. Will you wait for me?

Dear iPhone, PLEASE arrive before we leave for Boone! We've been stalking the mess out of you since it said you shipped Wednesday afternoon. It would be superbly awesome if you arrived in time for us to get you set up!

Aiding an Obsession

I know I’ve mentioned it a time or two before, but I am a proud member of the four-eyes club. I’ve been a card carrying member since that fateful day in 4th grade when the doctor said I had a astigmatism and would need eyeglasses to correct it. Fast forward a few years to 8th grade when I was wearing them almost everywhere I went, no longer just at school. As I prepared for high school I knew I needed an upgrade and moved onto the world of contacts. While contacts were not a smooth transition, they did help me in the pool because this swimmer was not about to invest in prescription goggles! A few more years down the road I decided that the glasses route wasn’t so bad after all, and they were reintroduced into the rotation.

Why does all this matter?? It matters because I found a fabulous new website to entertain my glasses obsession-Glassesusa.com. They have hundreds of different glasses frame options for men and women all at stellar prices. We’re not just talking run-of-the-mill styles either. They have everything from designer options to multifocal glasses to prescription sunglasses. Everything you could possibly want all in one site. Not sold yet? What about the free shipping both ways? Talk about a deal!

Another nifty feature of this site is the Virtual Mirror option. It allows you to "try on" different pairs to see what best fits your face and style. VERY helpful when ordering eyeglasses online.


Needless to say I will definitely be investing quite a bit of money in a few new pairs. How do you think I’d look in colored frames?? ;-)

Use the coupon code below to update your outdated pair!

Take 15% off your entire order with Code: FS15

 OR 

Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses with Code: Blog10

Advice

I got a bit of a late start this morning thanks to a rough night's sleep. Nope, it wasn't Peanut's fault. It was the princess's fault. She thought it would be kind to jump on me in the middle of the night to keep me warm. I didn't think it was so kind. I proceeded to sleep in a bit and caught a very different radio show than I normally catch in the mornings. This morning the personalities were talking about advice you would give to an 18-year-old, because apparently today is "give advice to an 18-year-old" day. Who knew.

This had me pondering, what advice would I give to an newly minted adult if given the chance? Would I tell them to live it up before adulthood ties them down? Probably not because that just doesn't match my Type-A, Daisy-do-right personality. Would I tell them to buckle down and not take their opportunities for granted? Probably not, because who wants to be that stick in the mud. No, I think I would advise them to do what their heart leads them to do.

I think so many kids reach 18 and are suddenly thrown to the wolves. Pick this major, pay this bill, take care of this responsibility. It's a lot for someone who may be used to leaning on mom and dad for guidance and support. I'm not condoning codling our kids and therefore not preparing them for life. I'm just saying that maybe we should consider who we are talking to when we suddenly expect so much of someone. I think these kids should go where their hearts lead them, and not where their friends or families think they should go.

If you could give an advice to an 18-year-old, what advice would you give?? 

14 Weeks

Disclaimer: This picture was taken after a pretty big supper, so baby bump may appear larger than it is in real-life;-)

How far along? 14 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? Nope

Sleep: Still wanting to all the time, but getting about 8 hours a night.

Best moment this week: Telling my students. They were very hurt that I didn't tell them the minute I found out!

Miss Anything? This may make me sound like a horrible future mother, but. . . beer. I would love a Blue Moon Pumpkin Beer right about now!

Movement: Nope.

Food cravings: Japanese food has remained a part of our weekly rotation, but nothing else.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I am having the worst indigestion!

Have you started to show yet: Depends on what I wear.

Gender: We'll find out at our 18 week appointment.

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 actually the size of a lemon this week.

Looking forward to: Finding out what Peanut is so we can register and buy things!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

What to do with chicken and bacon? Find a new recipe of course! Here was a super easy recipe we tried the other night with the few things we had in the kitchen.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cut in thirds (12 pieces)

Bacon slices

garlic powder

Lawry's seasoning salt

brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut each breast into 3 pieces.

Mix equal parts garlic powder, seasoning salt, and brown sugar in a bowl.

Season all the chicken with the spices.

 Wrap a bacon slice around each piece. 

Coat the baking dish in olive oil. (2 or 3 tablespoons should be enough)

Roll in brown sugar and place into an oven proof dish.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is nice and brown and crispy. Enjoy!

(Would probably also taste good grilled if it's too hot to use the oven!)

Baked Kale Chips

Have y'all ever had kale? I think I may have once or twice at a restaurant, but I'd certainly never pepared it myself. That is until recently when it popped up in our CSA box! The recipe below was an absolutely fantastic way to enjoy this super food and I suggest you give it a try next time kale pops up in your fridge.

Ingredients

 1 bunch kale

 sea salt

olive oil

Directions 

Preheat an oven to 350.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. 

Wash and thoroughly dry kale.

 Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 

Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters [10.18]

Happy Friday one and all! I'm linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds for another edition of Friday's Letters!

Dear Mumford & Sons, You are total awesome sauce. From the moment I bought your album 2 weeks that is all I have listened to. I may have to break down and buy your entire collection. Want to throw in a discount?

Dear pregnancy brain, You are soooooo not a myth. Everything from forgetting to wash my hair when I take a shower to taking my students to lunch TEN MINUTES EARLY has completely thrown this type-A organizer for a loop. On a side-note, I've taken the kiddos at the same time all year and not a single one of them said something. Gotta love middle schoolers and their love of socializing:-)

Dear house projects, We have quite a few of you coming upon us this weekend. How about y'all go easy on us and actually work the way you are supposed to? K, thanks!

Dear David, You are going to do amazing when you preach on Sunday-I just know it! I am so excited to hear what the Lord has to say through you!

Dear Apple/AT&T, This is getting ridiculous! It's been 3 weeks and you originally told us 24-48 hours. I would call and complain, but I know that's not going to do any real good. Seriously though, how about you get on the ball and get those phones out!

Just Stop Talking, Please.

This is what I felt like telling someone the other day. Before you think I'm a terrible person, hear me out. . .

The team of teachers I teaches with was sitting at lunch catching our breath for the first time since the kids came back from exploration classes that morning. There was a substitute there for a teacher on our hallway. She found out last week that I was pregnant, so she kindly asked me how I was feeling. She then proceeded to tell me about someone she knew who randomly lost her baby at 5 months. She then went into the details of how upset this woman and her husband were (ya think?!?) and how bad she felt for them (I should hope so!). This was about the moment I wished I could say, "just stop talking, please" but I kindly refrained.

You may think I'm a horrible person for wanting to shut her down when she was telling a story, but I'm sticking to my guns here. What first-time preggers woman wants to hear that when she is already nervous enough?!? None! The worst part is that she just kept going. I politely tried to steer the conversation in a different direction, but she didn't take the hint. Needless to say it was a painful few minutes. I tried not to think much more about it, or let it bother me, but that attempt was pointless. It ended up weighing on me the rest of the day, and truthfully it still is.

Have any of y'all ever been in a situation like that? Any of you brave enough to speak up and ask them to stop?? I have a feeling I'm going to need to toughen up in these next six months otherwise I'm going to hear a lot of stories and advice I wasn't prepared for!

13 Weeks

Everyone keeps telling me I need chronicle this journey so I don't forget any of it. While I agree with not wanting to forget most of it, I will be completely okay forgetting about these headaches! Want to take a guess what is plaguing me right now? ;-) Here is a look at where Peanut and I are in the 13th week:

How far along? 13 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +4 pounds this past week at the doctor. I was informed that I should only be consuming 300 extra calories a day in the second trimester. What?!? Peanut will not be pleased to learn the sour cream and onion potato chips can't happen every day anymore. . .

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

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: When do I want to sleep? All the time. When do I get to sleep? A regular night is about 8 hours.

Best moment this week: Getting to share our big news with everyone:-)

Miss Anything? Coffee and the energy burst it brings. Decaf just isn't the same!

Movement: Nope.

Food cravings: Not really, but I have been asking for Japanese food a lot more. . . 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes. Evenings. I'm typically fine through the whole day and then around 3pm I start to feel yucky.

Have you started to show yet: Meh. I like to think so, but it also could have been a big lunch;-)

Gender: We'll find out at our 18 week appointment.

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, but there are definitely some mood swings in there. Not sure if it's the prednisone or pregnancy, but when you see that look in my eyes I wouldn't cross me. Give me about 5 minutes and the werewolf will leave and I will be back to normal:-)

Size of Baby: According to the bump, Peanut is actually a peach this week!

Looking forward to: Starting to really show!

Girl's Night Out!

Last night I was fortunate enough to get together with some fabulous ladies that I have known for over 20 years. That's right, twenty years. I have known these girls almost as long as I've been alive, and I can't stop thanking God for all the lessons they have taught me over the years! We got together to celebrate our friendship and to catch up on where life has taken us in recent years.

Jenna, Kelley, Kellie, and moi

Kellie even surprised me, Jenna, and Kelley with one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received-a personal photo book chronicling the 20 years we have known each other! Looking through the cuteness of our childhoods to the awkwardness of our adolescents to the more mature years of our adulthood had us all laughing and crying. It is absolutely perfect and I can't wait to one day share the details of our friendship with little Peanut to show what he/she could have too:-)

Speaking of Peanut, he/she got its very first gift! Kelley surprised me with a precious pair of 0-3 month socks (which had us all cooing at their tininess) with little giraffes on them. I just couldn't get over how precious they were!

Precious little socks!

It was a wonderful evening that we are hoping to recreate at Thanksgiving. I can't wait!

Friday's Letters [10.12]

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

Dear Peanut, I am so excited the world knows all about you now!! You are going to be one very loved little one when you enter this world:-)

Dear massage, I am very excited for you tomorrow. It was very painful having to wait until the second trimester, but I know it will be worth it when I am drifting in la-la land tomorrow.

Dear Saturday, Please be as restful and relaxing as I am picturing you in my head. It was a long week of late nights and rushing around, and I would absolutely adore it if I could just be a bump on a log (or the couch) for a day to make up for it.

Dear tonight, Hooray for reuniting with childhood best friends!! I cannot wait to catch up with some ladies I have known for over 20 years-eek!! Now if only Peanut will allow me to stay awake past 8pm. . . 

A Few Questions Answered

Many, MANY thanks for all the love and support after our big announcement yesterday. We were positively overwhelmed (in a good way!) by everything y'all had to say! We've heard a few questions a few times so I thought I'd go ahead and let y'all know some of the details and answer some of those questions. . .

How did you find out??

Well, I'd been feeling "out of it" for about a week or so and couldn't figure out why. I tossed it up to the new school year and didn't think much of it. After almost a full week of turning down dessert, which is completely unheard of for me, I knew something wasn't right. That Friday afternoon I went ahead and took a pregnancy test,  just to see and boy oh boy was I shocked to see it positive! I proceeded to take 3 more tests just to be sure;-)

How are you feeling?

Tired, puny, nauseated, fat, headachy, etc. Whoever said pregnancy was a glorious experience had never felt the wrath of a Mobley baby. Don't get me wrong, we are over the moon with excitement, but I am definitely counting down the days until these yucky symptoms start to abate. The good news is I haven't thrown up and my nausea typically shows up in the late afternoon/evening hours. This means I don't feel too out of it at school! 

How did you keep it a secret?

Good question! It was so hard not to tell any one for so long, but with all my kidney stuff we wanted to make sure we cleared the first trimester.

Speaking of kidney stuff, how does this affect your kidneys?

Your kidneys get worked extra in pregnancy thanks to the new life growing inside of you. My OB, nephrologist, and fetal/maternal specialist doc all do not seem overly concerned right now. We are keeping an extra eye on everything, but proceeding as normal. I did have to do a 24-hour urine collection (that was NOT fun) to establish a baseline protein for the pregnancy, but other than that nothing unusual.

Any cravings yet?

Nothing in particular, but I am enjoying the salty variety of foods more so than the sweet.

Are you going to find out the sex?

Yes! We have about 6 weeks to wait until we find out.

 

Roster Addition

We are excited to announce we will be adding one more to the roster in April!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

I am a sucker for anything pumpkin flavored. My hubby? Not so much. What to do, what to do. . . I pondered it for a while and then decided to try a recipe that had the pumpkin yumminess for me, and a little something else for him. Thus the deliciousness of pumpkin butterscotch cookies was discovered. These are some of the best pumpkin-flavored treats I have ever had, and that is saying a lot considering how often I try new sweet treats!

Ingredients 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 can of pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

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

In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.  

Mix in the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.  

Mix in the flour mixture.

Mix in the chips. 

Scoop onto cookie ungreased cookie sheets and flatten the rounds before baking.

 Bake cookies 14-16 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters [10.05]

Hip hip HOORAY for Friday!

Dear iPhone 5, Why are you still not here?? Do you know how frustrating it is to log into AT&T and see "pending shipment" day after day?? It was promised that you would arrive within 24-48 hours and not only are you not here after a week, but you haven't even shipped! Hurry up, please?!

Dear pumpkin flavor, Thank you oh so very much for showing up in just about every thing. I love you in my coffee and in my cookies. I adore you in my pop tarts and on my biscuits. Just keep on doin' your thang.

Dear NC State, Want to share what's going on? I mean honestly, fellas. This continuing to play pee wee football against the big boys is just pathetic. How about stepping up your game for FSU this weekend? Your fans would greatly appreciate the effort!

Dear Raleighwood, We're coming!! Please prepare accordingly:-)

How Can I Help You?

How can I help you?

My wonderful husband uttered those 5 magic words yesterday evening as we were making supper together. He has always been quick to help with chores around the house and offer to do things to make my life easier (his parents raised him well!) but we have a pretty even split most of the time. I take care of most of the cleaning and house stuff while he takes care of outside and most of our finances. 

Just this week, though, he started a new project at work that has him working four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days. This allows him an entire day off to do whatever his heart desires, and what does my sweet husband ask? How he can help me. Did I luck out or what?! There are a few random things he can do to simplify my life and allow us more time together over the weekend, but I'm going to do my darnedest not to make a long "honey-do" list and scare him off from ever asking again;-)

Kidney Update!

It's been a long while since I posted a kidney update, because, well, there just hasn't been much to update y'all on. I suppose that's a good thing! After my relapse at the beginning of the month the doctor put me back on a high dose (60mg) of prednisone every day. Back to all the crazy side effects of acne, big appetite, moon face, etc too. It did it's job though and the swelling disappeared as the drugs started to kick in.

This past week I went back to see my dear ol' doctor for a check up. Things were going so well, according to my lab results, that we will begin tapering again. Hooray! Starting this past Friday I will taper 5mg every four days. It will look something like this:

55mg: Friday-Monday

50mg: Tuesday-Friday

45 mg: Saturday-Tuesday

40mg: Wednesday-Saturday

35mg: Sunday-Wednesday

30mg:Thursday-Sunday

and so on and so forth until I get to 20mg a day

Once I get to 20 mg a day I will stay put until my next doctor's appointment and lab results. So what does this all mean? Well it means that things are looking good! How can things stay good? That is the million dollar question, folks. She mentioned something about keeping me on a low dose of prednisone for a long while just to keep things at bay. While that is not ideal, it would be better than relapsing again. There is no telling for sure what is going to happen, but right now I am grateful for the continued health!