His Crib is Here!

Another eventful week in the life of this baby boy! And he doesn't even know it! Well, actually, the week itself was quite normal (work every day)- but the weekend was full of activity! Last week, while Nick's mom was in town, we all went to Buy Buy Baby and she purchased our crib and mattress for the boy! SUCH A BLESSING. It is part of the same set as the dresser, so the room just looks PERFECT. I am so grateful for the generous hearts of our family and friends during this time in our lives. The nursery is essentially finished. We obviously have some dots to put up. We need to put his name above his crib. We need to stock the drawers with diapers, wipes, creams, etc. BUT- all furniture is in place! Here is a quick picture of the assembled crib. My husband was kind enough to help put this together with me yesterday. I tend to rush through directions, so we had to screw and unscrew quite a few times, but he didn't complain at all. I love him! You can't tell in the picture, but the crib sheet is ALREADY on the matress :) Yes, I will wash it before he arrives. I will not let my baby sleep on a crib sheet that has accumulated dust for 4 months. Please.

I should mention that when we went to pick the crib up on Saturday, we almost walked out of the store with a MORE expensive crib as the guy that was bringing it out to our car had NO idea what he was doing. AND we almost landed a second crib mattress. Good thing we are honest people. He may have lost his job. Or maybe not, but I don't think they'd be okay with him handing out expensive cribs and free mattresses. I could be wrong. We were at the store almost an hour just trying to pick the crib up. This was only after we spend a good hour at AT&T getting me a new phone. My battery had been lasting all of 45 minutes off the charger. It was ridiculous. It was at this store that I was told I don't even look pregnant. Those are offensive words at this stage in my pregnancy. I guess wearing a baggy t-shirt doesn't help, but still. Moving on!

Friday night we celebrated our nephew, Adam's, 1st birthday. Saturday morning was full of errands (as described above) followed by a game night with our Small Group that evening. OH- also- there was a grand opening of a Whole Foods near our house, so we stopped by there for TONS of free samples. I love that place! We scored some natural peanut butter (you grind peanuts while you are in the store to make your own peanut butter). A jar of pickled onions (canned in Charleston South Carolina!) Some popcorn, some 3 cheese pretzel crisps. Some fresh GA peaches. I think that might be about it. We could have spent $100 in there but sneaked out only spending $20! Sunday morning finally arrived, which was BAPTISM Sunday! I really hadn't been nervous about the occasion until I got up to the baptismal pool area and realized there was a risk of slipping and falling into the pool! Luckily, no horror stories to report! It was a wonderful experience. God has been so faithful in my life and the family and friends that were there to support me have been so instrumental in my life. It was awesome to see how many people came out to be there to witness the event. My prayer is truly that God was honored and glorified above all else, and that maybe there was 1 person in the audience that could relate to my story and possibly make a move towards their own public declaration of faith in Jesus! I was also so blessed to have been baptized by a family friend (once high school teacher), Bryan Apinis. He has been such a solid source of wisdom, support, and advice to Nick and I ever since he married us. I have so much respect for Bryan and his wife Kathryn and the way they raise their family. I was so thankful that I could be baptized by someone who knew me, and knew my story, and was part of my life.

After Church, most of my friends and family were able to come to breakfust/brunch! We gave this local cafe-Cuzi Fresh Cafe- some serious business! The food was delicious but you could tell they don't usually see this kind of crowd! I wanted to share some pictures of my support group. My life has been so changed by each one of these people:

The Wright family. Missing Miss Lauren Wright herself, but, Kelsie's parents have been like a second family to me. All throughout high school and college, their home felt like my home. Kelsie has, and always will, feel like a sister to me. She also gave me a cross charm to commemorate my Baptism. I just love her so much! I'm pretty sure this baby will know her voice just as well as he knows his own mother's.

My "Married No Kids" Small Group! Love them too! We haven't even been together a year, but I have developed relationships with some of these girls that will last a lifetime (I hope!) They were all MORE than willing to get up at 9am to be there for me. Such sweet friends. Even Amy, a girl from our last small group, came out to support me! God has truly blessed us with loyal friends. I could not ask for more!

And finally, my family! Pretty blurry, but iphones can only do so well in my opinion. Jackson even sat through my baptism before being escorted to Waumba Land. So glad he could be there! My brother and sister-in-law were able to come, with their son Kyle as well! I love how supportive my family has always been, and will always be. Dad doesn't like to be in pictures, but he was present for both the baptism and the breakfast :)

For any who would like to see it, my Mom uploaded a video of my baptism. Keep in mind, yet again, it is only iphone quality! Watch my Baptism Here

So after breakfast, a trip to the grocery store and crib assembly summed up the afternoon. I went to a bridal shower for one of my friends Marissa, which was wonderful. I am so happy for her and was glad to be able to see her as she now lives in Seattle. And we all know I don't like to fly and can't really travel much anyways! Here is a picture that is actually at 23 weeks 3 days. Probably one of the last weeks I can pull off this pre-pregnancy dress. Its already extremely. Add a belly and we are talking t-shirt.

My verse and my prayer for the boy this week is that he would be obedient to the Lord as he grows up. I read about the Armor of God this morning in my quiet time and thought it would be perfect as a prayer for the boy for this blog post:

Ephesians 6:10-17


Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Significant Progress on the Nursery!

Oh, this is another post I have been anxious about writing! Progress on the nursery has been made! And significant progress at that!

A couple weekends ago, my sister-in-law helped me match paint colors to the crib sheets we picked out for the little boy. Then, last weekend, my mom and I took the crib sheet down to a fabric store and found the fabrics we will be using on his curtains! It is so fun to see these things coming together! It just makes the 4 months ahead seem doable. Lately, I have hardly had the patience to wait on this little peanut much longer! But, with things to do ("nesting") I feel like 4 months may go by quicker than I had imagined! Anyways, back to the task at hand! Nick left Wednesday morning for a golf tournament he plays in once a year with his buddy in Ohio. This seemed like the perfect time to work on painting the nursery. His closet is in the baby's room so I think the work zone would have taken its toll on him had he been home trying to get in and out of the room! My mom, who I cannot thank enough or say enough kind things about, spent her time Wednesday afternoon (while I was at work) taping the whole room! The real blessing here is the fact that I'm a fast and impatient taper, so... really.... it's better for me to be left out of this task. Otherwise, there will be paint on the baseboards, ceilings etc. By the time I got to the house, all we had to do was paint the accent wall! We painted it with this wonderful Benjamin Moore Natura paint that has no VOCs and was essentially odorless so I was able to help! The brown wall took us all of maybe half an hour. For both coats. The highlight of this accent wall is yet to come... hang tight! Unfortunately, Wednesday night, we discovered that we had been given the wrong green for our walls. Again, while I was at work, Mom went ahead and returned the paint, picked up the right color, and put a first coat on all 3 remaining walls, went back for more paint, and put a second coat on 2 of the walls. By the time I got there, all we had left was the second coat on the last wall, and again, that may have taken all of 30 minutes. Let me tell you something. I am not a good painter. I am not patient. I am messy. But when I am given small tasks such as- roll the paint on one wall- I can do a good job. I think she knows that which is why she put in so many hours while I was away :) Believe me, its a blessing! I still feel like I helped, but the walls look crisp,even, and well done. That's not a look you get when Aly Sharp does the whole thing solo!

This first shot serves 2 purposes. First of all- this is obviously one of the green walls. But second- this is the changing table I purchased last weekend (or maybe the weekend before- i can't remember!) It obviously is also a dresser, but stick a changing pad on the top and viola! (We don't have the changing pad yet.)

And this picture shows part of the accent wall and part of the green wall. I hate how the natural light kind of takes away from the look in this picture, but in person, its wonderful! The whole room feels brighter!

One more shot! Again, part of the accent wall, and then the green wall that you haven't seen yet!

In the meantime, my mom also ordered these cool wall stick ons called Roommates. They are pastel green and brown polka dots that decorate the accent wall (the brown wall). Here's a picture of them! Unfortunately, in small print which I am notorious for NOT reading... it said not to use on freshly painted walls for 3 weeks. I guess there's a chance they could adhere to the paint and would not peel back off the wall in the future! So... stay tuned. About 2.5 weeks from now, you will see a photo of the accent wall WITH dots!

 So that was the excitement of the nursery for the weekend. Next update will most likely be curtains! Maybe crib? Not sure! But there are many additions to come! OH! I almost forgot, my mom also bought the peanut this adorable monkey footie sleeper. LOVE! I didn't take a picture, but just take my word for it. It WILL be the first thing he sleeps at home in... unless he's a 10 pound baby in which case... he may never see time in that newborn sleeper!

In other news, and for the record, I have officially gained 12 pounds. At first I didn't really care. I read somewhere that you were supposed to gain about 5 pounds over your first trimester and then about 1-2 pounds each week after that. Technically, I guess I'm right on track at this point, but I feel like I went from a 7 pound gain to a 12 pound gain overnight. The scale is not my friend anymore. Betrayal. Anyways, thinking about possibly gaining another 18 pounds (1 per week remaining) is frightening! I hope I can level out here. 25 pounds was my goal, but I think I'm well on my way to 30. Boys will be boys. That doesn't apply here. Lets move on.

Here is my 22 week photo shoot. Not really a photo shoot, but its the first time someone else was around to take my pictures instead of myself holding iphone and shooting into bathroom mirrors!

He is definitely growing. I love it. Nick got home Sunday night and after 4 days of being pretty quiet on the movement front, the boy lit up a storm when his daddy was around. We watched the movie Se7en Sunday afternoon and the whole time Nick and I were sitting together, he was moving/kicking/squirming non-stop. I think he already knows his daddy :)

My verse for him this week/today is 1 Timothy 4:12. "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." We love you baby boy!

21 Weeks!

It is crazy to think that we are actually over halfway through this pregnancy. It's also crazy to think we are closer to meeting him than we were to conceiving him. Too much information? Sorry! Those types of realizations just boggle my mind. To think that by Christmas I'll be holding my own baby and its already July... that blows my mind! While 19 weeks still seems infinitely long to wait on this little peanut, I am starting to believe that time may just fly after all! He is quite the mover these days. Last night was probably one of the most active evenings he's had since I've been able to feel him. It's absolutely wonderful. Every single time he moves, my world just stops. I firmly press on my belly until he reacts. And he does. Each and every time. In fact, at work last week, I was able to pull Molly and Kelsie into my office and the boy performed for both of them! That makes 3 that have felt this guy! Nick got to feel some more kicks last night as well. I just love when other people can share in the amazing fact that there is a living baby moving inside of me! I always asked and wondered what it felt like to feel a baby move. If someone were to ask me that question, I would say "It feels like there is a baby moving in your stomach." Some people say butterflies, some people say it feels like gas, but honestly, it feels like a person moving inside of you. Helpful, right? But I'm serious. I can't wait for him to grow enough to where I can see a foot or an elbow or a fist pushing on my stomach. Until then, I will enjoy just feeling him shift around to get comfortable!

My mom and I went to get some fabric samples this weekend for the nursery. That was exciting, but overwhelming. There are so many cute options for the color scheme we are working with. We have yet to come to a conclusion on what pattern and what fabrics we will go with. But, I'm pretty sure there's no bad option that could come from the options we are working with! I also went out to lunch and to the nail salon with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Oh how I love getting my nails done. Such a luxury I wish I could afford on a regular basis! It was so nice to be pampered :) However, all of the employees looked at me like I was a freak when they found out I was pregnant. Apparently I'm not showing enough for it to be obvious. That was slightly disappointing, but, I know my time will come. Maybe just another month or so!

Totally not baby related, but, Nick and I had a date night this weekend as well which was truly one of the best I think we've had since getting married. I have already decided this will need to be happening on a regular basis. We had an amazing dinner at Thai Emerald. If you live near Roswell/Woodstock- this is WORTH trying! Wow. I could eat there once a week. I had Pad Thai, Nick had Cashew Nut Chicken. I would HIGHLY recommend both menu items! We will be going back. For sure. After that, we went and picked up some groceries to make a healthier version of peach-blueberry cobbler and we picked up the Lincoln Lawyer. AWESOME. MOVIE. If you haven't seen it yet, rent it! Worth the money. Especially the $1 we paid for RedBox! Can't beat that price. I realize I have a food blog, but I need to share this recipe with you! It was so simple and so affordable. All we really needed from the store were blueberries and peaches. Since both are in season, no significant harm done to the wallet! So, ,we came home, made the dessert, then enjoyed the movie. It was such a fun evening! I can't wait to start planning our next date night! (Nick pictured below popping dessert in the oven for baby and me..... and him!)

Nothing else too exciting or memorable to report. Here is the official baby bump at 21 weeks!

Our 20 week Ultrasound!

I have been anticipating this post for awhile now! It feels like so much has happened in the past week. Mostly just really exciting things have happened in the past week so it makes it seem like a lot. I'd say we had 3 significant milestones though!

FIRST... on Thursday evening, this little boy kicked/squirmed/moved more than ever before. I was actually home along and just naturally had my hand on my stomach while laying in bed. He kicked. I pushed down where I felt him and he responded. Not just a flutter. It felt like he was aiming for my hand with a vengeance. I loved it! I texted and called Nick immediately, but he was out shooting with my brother and my dad. By the time he got home, I thought for sure the little boy would be gun shy. WRONG. Nick only had to put his hand on my belly for less than a minute and the baby was eager to show off for daddy! It was absolutely wonderful! Even more wonderful was watching/seeing Nick react to the feeling. I don't think he really thought he was going to feel anything so he was completely caught off guard and amazed. I think I'll remember that moment forever! The movements have been spotty since then, BUT, there's a reason. Keep reading if you want to find out more!

SECOND... I have kind of kept this to myself with the exception of a select few, but I am getting baptized on July 31st! I had my video-taping session Sunday afternoon, and I was waiting for that to be over before I made the announcement! I just wanted to make sure everything went as expected up to that point but now it's really happening and I am so excited to tell everyone that I am finally, after way too long, going public with my faith! This little boy inside of me was the greatest of motivations. I want to set a good and Godly example for him and the rest of our children to follow. I want to be able to tell them when and why I got baptized and I want to encourage them to do the same when the time is right! All that aside, if you want to come and be a part of the celebration, my baptism is at 9:00am on Sunday July 31st. It is at North Point Community Church. If you need me to save you a seat, just let me know!

THIRD... the obvious. The ultrasound today. Oh it was wonderful, as always. We were probably with the ultrasound technician for a good 10-20 minutes. She spent the majority of her time focusing in on and measuring parts of his heart. I wish we could have spent more time on his profile, hands, feet, you know, the recognizable parts of a baby, however, nothing is as reassuring as seeing a healthy heartbeat. Seeing the ventricles forming and functioning properly. The tech was able to see his bladder which means he has kidneys and they are working! Praise God! Everything was normal. And I couldn't be happier. The tech was also able to snapshot and ZOOM IN on the male parts of this boy. He made his daddy proud, to say the least. I'm sorry, but I just can't expose my child on this blog, but take my word for it, we are 100% positive that we have a boy growing inside of me! Unfortunately, I have recently started having some lower back pain, specifically a portion of my back is painful to the touch. My doctor confirmed today that there is most likely pressure on my sciatic nerve and that this pain won't get much better until I deliver. Yikes. Son, you are worth the pain! The other takeaway from today was the fact that there is a 50-50 chance that my placenta is either on the front of me or on the back. Basically, if its on the front, when baby kicks/moves, it will be like there is a pillow in between him and I so his movement will feel different to me than it may other moms. Eventually he will be bigger than the placenta and that will change, but it gave me some comfort in knowing that my baby's movement will not always be obvious and noticeable every single time he moves. (If only I had known this a week and a half ago when I rushed to the doctor, right?)

So, some other significant events in the life of the Sharps- my family's neighbors, who have moved around the country and out of the county, came to visit! Actually, they came for a wedding that we were all going to on Saturday evening, but it still felt like a visit. I always enjoy when they come in town. I actually ended up purchasing a dresser/changing table for the nursery and they were willing and able to load it in their pickup truck AND carry it up the stairs for me. Could you ask for better friends? I think not! All we are missing in the nursery is a crib, but that should be coming within the next several weeks. Oh I just cannot wait. Pain will be going up in about 2 weeks! Fun times ahead! 

Okay, photo time! First, and most boring, my picture at 20 weeks 3 days, before heading in for the ultrasound!

There's his pointer finger!

And peanut's profile!

Profile with belly!

This one is hard to see as it copied, but he is face forward here! Looking right at us!

Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well"

A Lake Trip, a 10k, and a Growth Spurt ... All in 1 week?

Oh man, the weeks are flying now! I never thought I would say that, but alas. I shall eat my own words. I truly love being pregnant. I sure do miss certain foods, and other random delights of non-pregnant folk, but I can't complain. This is the greatest gift/blessing ever. Totally jumping ahead of myself here, but, at one point this past weekend, I felt this little guy move/kick/jab/roll- so I pressed on my stomach where I thought I felt him, and sure enough, he did the same movement again against my fingers. Oh I just loved it. I'm sure he was super irritated that I was squishing his home, but, he's gonna have to get used to it! I like playing with him too much to stop!! Where to start....

Last week is kind of a blur now. All I recall is that I was extremely paranoid that I had hurt this little boy by accident while moving furniture between rooms the weekend before. I had felt him move around, and then for a couple days, felt nothing at all and I couldn't handle it. After being convinced by 2 girls at work that I should just run over to the doctor and have them check for a heart beat, I called and they got me in within about 30 minutes of that phone call. I LOVE MY DOCTOR. They could have easily turned me down as it was the day before a holiday weekend. They could have told me I was being irrational because I shouldn't be feeling baby consistently yet, but she just said come straight up to my office and I'll get you in. No checking in. No insurance garbage. Just honest, sweet, nurses. She said it happens all the time and that I didn't need to apologize or feel bad about it. I laid down, heard the heartbeat, sighed with relief and left the office. I was probably away from work for 40 minutes total! This includes travel time. So, to sum up, it was so nice to go into a long weekend knowing that baby was okay and heart was beating just fine!

The weekend was truly FULL OF ACTIVITY and MISSING SLEEP! I am exhausted. I needed one more day to wind down before starting work again. Saturday morning started early with Nick's alarm going off at 6:30 to head off to the golf course. Light sleeper here, woke up right along side him and decided to start the day. YUK. I had eaten breakfast and worked out by 9:30am. My mom and I went downtown to the Expo in order to pick up our numbers for the Peachtree Road Race. That was eventful, to say the least. We had lunch at Zoe's Kitchen and then hung by the pool for a little while before I left to shower. Nick and I then went to our niece's 6th birthday party which was fun. My sister-in-law is about a week ahead of me in her pregnancy so we always have a lot to talk about/compare notes on! I had 2 servings of pasta. 2 servings of dessert. Snacks in between. Yes, I am into the hunger state of pregnancy.

After dinner, we went to a movie and didn't get home until about midnight. Sunday morning was early as usual for Church, which was AWESOME. Unbelievable message from Andy. If you didn't hear it, you should go to northpoint.org and listen to "The Separation of Church and Hate." It was a message geared towards North Point's political decision making etc., but it had applications across the board and even into parenting. I was RAPIDLY taking notes as fast as I could. From Church, we headed straight up 400 to meet some friends at Lake Lanier. They were generous enough to take us out on their boat and provide a DELICIOUS lunch lakeside! It was wonderful. We tooled around the lake, parked, swam/floated, ate, relaxed. It was an ideal way to spend the holiday weekend. I am slowly getting more and more disgusted by my body in a bikini, but not ready for the tankini quite yet! While I was swimming, and my stomach was protruding, a fish came and BIT my little mole above my belly button. AND IT BLED. I was irritated by this fish. Bad story, but there you go. We drove home from the lake and then went out to grab a quick bite to eat before heading back to my parents house. We crashed there and then all woke up around 5:15am to pack it up and head downtown to the Peachtree Road Race. NO REST FOR THE WEARY!

Group shot! This is our 4th year with the same group! Love them all! Such troopers!

After riding Marta, we got to the race with about 45 minutes to spare. I spontaneously ran into Molly, which believe me, you cannot plan on meeting someone there if you WANTED TO! Snapped a quick photo with her and then we all had to break and get to our specified starting blocks!

I was in A which meant I got to take off with the first wave of runners right at 7:30. It was great. Still shady. Pretty cool. And I got to see North Point's Band perform the National Anthem! It was awesome! It took me until 8:40 to finish the 6.2 mile run, but I was able to job the entire time and felt GREAT. I felt so accomplished. It wasn't record breaking time. In fact, it was a good 30 minutes slower than last year's pace, but I felt good about finishing without walking! I racked up on the free food from all of the Publix tents and then headed up the hill to wait on the rest of the family to finish. I'm sure people at the race were judging me for running while pregnant, but, I really felt okay the whole time and BELIEVE ME, I AM ONE TO WORRY! We ended up getting home abound 11:30, ate lunch, and then all crashed by the pool. This was the afternoon, while floating on a raft, that I felt that movement, twice! It was wonderful. It was also at this point that I noticed my stomach had FINALLY popped out overnight! One of my pregnant friends told me it would happen like that and it did! I was so happy to see it sticking out there! Supposedly little peanut is the size of a small cantaloupe now! Isn't that crazy!?

Well, the wonderful weekend of activity didn't stop there. We went home around 4 to shower up and regroup for a night that was supposed to be full of fun, food, and fireworks. It turned into fun and food but no fireworks as the storms rolled in and were pretty constant from about 8-10. We enjoyed just spending time with friends though (and secretly enjoyed crawling into bed earlier than expected!) We were exhausted and still are!

Next Monday (a week from yesterday) we will be heading in for our 20 week Ultrasound. I am so excited for Nick to see his son move around on the monitor. I just know it will be so real to him, if it isn't already! There is just something magical at peeking in on your baby inside of you. I guess its just the fact that you are eye witnesses to a miracle! I cannot wait to see the little boy! Its been far too long!

Here is the most recent photo of the BUMP! 19 weeks 4 days. Look out ... its growing at a rapid pace now!

The verse that I want to jot down today is more for Nick and I as we parent. The blue sections is what I would like to impress upon this little boy as we raise him, the rest is for his mom and dad!

It comes out of Dueteronomy 6:4-7

"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on their children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

The Beginnings of His Nursery!

I have SO been anticipating this post! Little boy has been becoming more and more tangible to me each day as this pregnancy progresses! I know I have felt some little flutters and as I work my way closer to 20-22 weeks, I know they will only become more and more obvious. I so look forward to those flutters. I wish they happened more often!

Anyways, Nick and I got the urge this weekend to move the rooms around and clear space for the baby's nursery! We basically had one bedroom that was filled with a queen sized bed and 2 dressers ... not to mention this room also stored ALL baby gifts received from the last post, a baby swing, all baby cards I've received, baby clothes, blankets etc. The other room (The office) had a full sized desk, bookshelf and sofa table. In our garage sat a beautiful antique cider oak dresser as well as a rocking chair that needed to be moved into the baby's room ASAP! We received these items as a gift from one of mine and my mom's dear friends. It was such a blessing. You will see pictures shortly. Luckily, my parents were willing to head over and help with the heavy lifting. We knocked it ALL out in about 1 hour! I was SO excited! The nursery is pretty bare without a crib and a changing table, but all in due time! We have a shelf that needs stained to match the furniture, but that shouldn't be a problem either. Here are some pictures of the room from different angles!

This is the wonderful cider oak dresser. The top 2 drawers have these awesome dividers for socks/underwear/diapers/anything else miscellaneous that needs to fit! This is also the rocking chair we were gifted. My mom will be making a seat cushion once we find appropriate fabric and paint colors!

This is the bookshelf that we need to stain and then eventually hang on one of the walls. Not sure which one quite yet! The swing we were also gifted from another one of my friends! SO THANKFUL FOR SUCH GENEROUS FRIENDS!

 This area will be designated for the crib, but for now it is storage space for shower gifts, un-hung said shelf, and diaper basket!

I should have snapped some photos of the new and improved office/bedroom. As strange as it sounds, I like that bedroom better with more furniture crammed in there! Sounds crazy.. but... maybe I am! It's just so much fun to walk by this room, or walk out of my bedroom and glance across to the beginnings of this baby's room. It is finally SO REAL.

On Sunday, my Mom and I went to Buy Buy Baby to create my registry. I doubt any of you really want to view it, but if you do, there's the link! That was way too much fun! I doubt I'll get even half of what I asked for, but it was just fun to get everything that I want on one list! The store sent me home with a goody bag full of fun magazines to read, baby products to try, a bottle, another pacifier. I love those freebies! After that, I had to run some clothes to Plato's Closet and Goodwill and I truly think I lifted too much. I am regretting the manual labor and pray that this boy is still 100% safe inside of me! My last stop for the day was A Pea in the Pod. I scored 4 new work tops, 2 tanks, and a $75 dress for $66 thanks to gift cards, coupons, and cash from the Plato's Closet donations! I was pretty excited about my purchase! Hopefully I can be done for awhile, but lets be honest.. I will need a new wardrobe in time for fall :)

Many of you (or not many of you) have asked/wondered if we have names picked out. The answer is, we are still brainstorming. Right now we have three that are sticking around. Gavin. Brady. Colton. None of them are more likely than the others at this point. Well, actually, I'd like to eliminate Colton, but Nick is still hanging onto that one! In 2 weeks we go to our next ultrasound. This will be Nick's first time to see the little man in action! I can't wait to watch NICK watch the screen. It's just too amazing for words or still shots! Anyways, I'm hoping maybe after seeing the little fellow again, it may help us nail down a name that we want to call him! I'd love to decide soon so that I can start praying for him by name and talking to him by name!

Not much else to report. I am feeling well. I've been able to keep up my running/jogging. I can do about 3-4 miles at 5.5mph right now. We will see how I do at the Peachtree next week! Not counting on record breaking time by any means! Here is the latest bump photo! (18 weeks)

Our First SURPRISE Baby Shower!

I would like to warn the weary readers- this post is FULL of pictures. I couldn't stop myself. I had the BEST baby shower EVER given to me by my whole extended family. Nick and I were blown away by the planning, effort, and thoughtfulness that went into this. First, lets rewind a bit here.

As many already know, we were at the beach for vacation with my Mom's entire side of the family. Significant others, children, etc. NO ONE was missing! It hasn't happened in probably 10 years! And I am already in a mild state of depression without them still with me. We enjoyed long days at the beach, good food, games, ice cream, desserts, you name it! I was looking pretty pregnant in my bathing suit. I didn't allow many side shots while in the bikini this trip!

Anyways, on Saturday, my Aunt invited us over to her house they were renting for breakfast. It seemed totally normal since it was going to be our last morning together and we hadn't been to their house yet. Unbeknownst to me ... a surprise shower was in order! When we walked in, the whole family yelled SURPRISE and the house was decorated FULL FLEDGED for the shower.

A Diaper Cake was Front and Center on the Food Table.

The Wonderful Shower Planners and Food Spread

I'm sorry, but I had to get a picture of the plates and napkins!

Last, but not least, Nick and I were given sashes that said MOM TO BE and DAD TO BE. and there were cute little monkeys hanging around the house!

After eating some breakfast and having some Mimosas (mine was virgin of course!) we got to move onto my PERSONAL FAVORITE: Shower Games!

The first game they had planned was the coolest idea EVER. They took EVERYONE'S baby pictures and made a handout. You had to guess who was who as a baby. I did AWFUL. Couldn't even find myself in the mix. Nick, however, WON THE PRIZE for guessing the most right! 

Next, we played the baby food testing game. I came in second place on that one. I love baby food!! I got all the "doubles" right which I was very proud of! (Strawberry Banana and Apples and Apricots). YES MA'AM!

Next came the gift opening. We were blessed beyond belief with great gifts for this baby boy! I cannot even express how much joy came from opening gifts for my own child to be! Here are some highlights:

Baby play mat: Ocean Themed. There is even a little stuffed whale to help the baby practice Tummy Time! Love it! This gift brought to us by Mom and Dad (Grammy and Grandpa)

This awesome gift pictured below is a baby bottle drainer/spinner. My cousins Megan and Josh got this one for us and I am STOKED to use it. I can hardly wait 5 months to get some bottles going on it! It drains RIGHT into your sink!!

This is a homemade fleecy blanket for baby boy. My sister-in-law is a woman of MANY gifts. She has made me sugar scrub from scratch. She has made me a beautiful butterfly art picture frame from scratch. And now this sweet baby blanket. I can't wait to see this boy all snuggled up in this soft sea of blues and greens!

This may turn into the best thing since sliced bread. It is a portable sleeper/rocker/seat for baby. It can fold up and be carried EASILY when mommy needs to move it. Once it snaps open, it can rock, you can buckle baby in, its on an incline so baby can see whats going on. Oh its just delightful. I already set it up. Actually, it was set up within the first 10 minutes of unpacking from vacation. No lie. You can ask my husband!

This is the bathtub for baby boy! It's in the shape of a whale. Alex and Leslie bought us this along with a cute little Rubber Ducky that tells you if the water is too hot for the baby!

Not pictured are adorable sets of clothes, story books, gift cards to Target (WOOT!), and pacifiers! Not to mention the stash of newborn diapers when you disassemble the cake!

I truly could not have asked for a better first baby shower. I was so worried my family wouldn't be able to make it down for one this summer (if I even had one!) It was just the best feeling to know that this baby is already so loved by this many people. They selfishly gave of their time, money, and BEACH TIME to throw this wonderful baby shower! 

On another note, I realized this week how much we love Daddy. I went to the beach solo because Nick has minimal vacation time due to his recent job change. At first I thought to myself it would be a breeze because I would be surrounded by family. And it was fun to be with family, don't get me wrong, but there was just something missing until he flew in on Friday. We missed him more than expected! Once we got home last night, while laying in bed, this little baby did some significant moves inside of me and it was a wonderful feeling. I look forward to the next ones and I REALLY look forward to when Nick can feel what I am feeling from the outside. We have another ultrasound on July 11th and I am hoping Nick can come. There is just NOTHING like watching that baby move in front of your eyes!

That's all for now. Just truly enjoying the memories and warmth of family and the unconditional love that comes from them. Can't wait for this boy to feel the same love I've felt my whole life!

Last- my Mom sent me a verse that she thought would be a good one to add to the mix of baby verses. It comes from Psalm 78. I have included verses 1-8 below, but it instructs us on how to raise and foster the generations to come after us and what our responsibility is to them:

¹ My people, hear my teaching;
   listen to the words of my mouth.
² I will open my mouth with a parable;
   I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
³ things we have heard and known,
   things our ancestors have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their descendants;
   we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
   his power, and the wonders he has done.
⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob
   and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
   to teach their children,
⁶ so the next generation would know them,
   even the children yet to be born,
   and they in turn would tell their children.
⁷ Then they would put their trust in God
   and would not forget his deeds
   but would keep his commands.
⁸ They would not be like their ancestors—
   a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
   whose spirits were not faithful to him.