nothing exciting.

I don't have much. Feel free to move on.

I think a lot of people forgot about MLK day. Some people worked, some didn't. Regardless, it's a day that should be recognized like any other holiday. Praying for a day when ignorance and prejudice truly do die...

Teething sucks. It's from the devil. Just in case I haven't mentioned that before.

Tripp INHALED two slices of pizza last week. TWO. Minus the crust. I didn't even eat that much. (No comments on what I should or shouldn't be feeding my kid.) Seriously, kid. I blame David. Empty-leg-syndrome. Always-hungry-syndrome. Eats-anything-in-sight. I could go on.

Tripp has FIVE teeth coming in. Poor thing. I hate when he's not himself. Makes me sad!

I did NOT win mommy award this past Sunday. All three of us FINALLY made it to church - on time, at that! And I swear satan took that and ran... David went to watch football, no biggie. Except I got a massive migraine that would not let up. And teething sucks. And Tripp was super grumpy and clingy. And the washing machine got clogged. Took me 5-6 hours to get a load of towels "washed." Yea... those got re-washed after David fixed it. I just lost my cool. My flesh got the best of me. My anxiety was through the roof. I had to put Tripp in the crib and take a mommy break. I was rude to David. Just not a good day. Not proud moments in my book by a long shot.

But aside from Sunday (and teething, which is no fun), the week has gone well. Working on REALLY doing DAILY devotionals. I'm bad about skipping/forgetting and then reading 2-3 days worth at a time. I'm really trying to center things around God and my family again. It's funny how much time goes by before you realize where you focus is (or isn't).

Our house is a little quieter. My phone usually has enough battery to make it through another day without a charge. We play and read and talk and pray.

I love the stage Tripp is in (minus the teething). He is really showing us his personality in even the little things. He takes his shoes off, then tries to put them back on but can barely get them on his toes. Then he just puts them next to each other (or throws them across the room - ha! Gotta teach that kid patience and to keep trying). He can point to things he wants, shake his head for what he doesn't want, working on using some signs (we got "more" tonight during dinner - looks more like clapping, we called it a success)... He's figured out how to get on and off his riders. He has figured out how to look under things and on top of things... It's just amazing the things he didn't do less than a month ago that he does now. No, he's not walking. We are afraid he is just going to skip walking and go straight to running!

I'm jealous of people I know who are just funny. Kaci, Peyton, Rachel... just to name a few. I want to be funny! Forgive my jealousy.

I think Facebook should have a spin off called "Pitybook" or "Dramabook." Or that they would just remove the ability to have status updates. I try to just pray for folks I see being all debbie-downer.

I cannot stand Kenny Chesney. At all. Not even a little. I'll take talk radio or silence over that. I don't know why.

I feel like I'm getting way better with my time management. Still areas to improve on, but I'm getting there. Makes me feel good.

Getting back into running. Feel free to ask me how it's going. I ran 10 minutes straight the other day. I didn't quite make it a mile, but I lasted 10 minutes... Couldn't tell you the last time I did that. Here's to a couple 5k's coming up... and maybe, just maybe, a half-marathon.

Speaking of 10, I slept 10 hours Friday night. It was glorious. Hasn't happened in years. Maybe college. Beautiful, uninterrupted sleep. Ahh...

I feel like hashtagging isn't cool anymore. But I'm just getting into it. Y'all forgive me.

I'm trying to (cheaply) spruce up my wardrobe. I've got a lot of stripes or solids in drab colors... Lame!

I really want someone to adopt Holden. Praying so hard for that boy! If you have lots of money and are looking to adopt a teenager from China - go get Holden.

I am really on a French Toast kick right now. I've eaten twice already this past week. Yum.

Trader Joe's peppermint hot chocolate or apple cider? That's the conundrum for tonight.

random thoughts. reflections on the year. and a resolution to do better next year.

Let's start with my resolution to update this better next year, whether it's about day-to-day life or just random thoughts. Here's to trying! I know some of y'all read this. BUG ME if it's been awhile. (Ahem, Kaci.)

So the year in review:
-My son got bigger. He just turned ONE. Holy cow!
-I'm not going to rant about the milestones he's hit. What matters to me is the JOY he brings to so many people. Often, people stop me in the grocery store and other settings just to look at him. Seriously, I was in Wal-Mart one day and this sweet old man came up to me and ASKED if he could just stand by me and look at him for a minute. He missed his grandkids, and he thought Tripp was adorable. Some people think that's creepy, but it made my heart melt. I'm a sucker for sweet old men, especially the ones who remind me of Papa Smitty.
-David and I celebrated 3 years of marriage. Woohoo!
-I got to take David to his first ever UGA game at Sanford Stadium. Praise God we won that game!
-I worked. David worked. No job changes.
-We bought a house! We love and hate it. Haha! It was nice being an apartment to call maintenance to come fix something without having to pay for it!
-I ran in the Highland Mudder (local) this year. I. DID. AWFUL. But I did it. And I only skipped one obstacle. My poor sister tried to wait on me... I was only a few months post-partum.
-David did the Savage Race. Way more awesome. It was fun trying to keep up with his team. Lesson learned: leave the kid at home or bring the jogging stroller that is meant for crazy terrain.
-I did some great Bible studies with some fabulous ladies. Sadly, I missed out on the last one. :( But those ladies are dear to my heart.
-We made new friends and kept the old. (Pause for a stroll down memory lane in Girl Scouts.)
-We celebrated engagements, weddings, and children.
-We celebrated birthdays.
-We celebrated our friends and family just for being them.
-David got a Bengals room. I got the joy of doing it for him (with an excellent team, of course).
-I got accepted to grad school. I start in 8 days.
-That's all that strikes me right now. I'm sure I left out some random stuff, but nothing is jumping out at the moment.

Random:
-I am pretty sure Diana has a pinterest board of dinosaur things just for me. That makes me laugh.
-The things that come out of kids' mouths makes me laugh.
-I love my niece and nephews. A LOT.
-I am still getting used to my latest phone. The other day I typed a "v" everytime I tried to type a "c." My text looked like it came from a vampire.
-I haven't had ice cream in a long time.
-Babies should be born with teeth. I'm sure moms who can nurse disagree, but teething is awful. AWFUL.
-I really, really love my church. I don't make it every Sunday by a long shot. But, I'm working on it. I love our pastor. I love the people. Even the ones I don't know.
-The people I work with are great. I'm thankful we all get along. (Well, except for Liz... geez. ;) )
-I know I've said this before, but if I need a good laugh, I just go to Peyton's HILARIOUS board on Pinterest. It never fails me.
-I am stoked that Columbus is getting a rock climbing gym. The question is... do I still have my rock climbing shoes and chalk bag or did I donate them? Hmm...
-I have come to the conclusion that I don't like American cheese on sandwiches unless it's a grilled cheese. I don't know why. I just don't. It's gross.
-We moved into the neighborhood with (mostly) the sweetest neighbors. Thankful!
-There is an incredibly smart mouse in our house. Traps - 0, Mouse - 6. Yes, 6. 4 different kinds. Ugh.
-My sister's sugar cookies are crack. Seriously. I've tried making them. They're not the same. I ate a whole plate in 2 days. David hardly had any. I am not ashamed at all.

Onto next year:
-Love more.
-Bicker less.
-Turn the TV off. (Already getting better at this.)
-Put the phone down. Turn it off even.
-Show my faith more. I feel like I hide my faith. Not intentionally. It used to just pop in conversation all the time. I've noticed it hasn't lately. Definitely gotta work on that.
-Give more. With time. With cookies. With money. Whatever I can.
-Take a trip.
-Go running.
-Be an adult without growing up.
-Keep up with a daily devotional. How does daily get so hard?!
-Invest more in my friends family.
-Pay better attention.
-Update this.
- Make Eat more ice cream. And sugar cookies.

Here's the story... hospital to home...

It's been awhile... Do all my posts start like that? I think the holidays + being 9-10 months pregnant gives me good reason, right? Well anyway...

It all started the week of Christmas. I got to a point where I couldn't keep any food down, regardless if it was bland or the tiniest amount of anything. So, I started feeling pretty miserable. Combine that with not sleeping, and I wasn't good for much of anything. Oh yea, and I was still working. I knew being sick wasn't a viral issue or food poisoning; my stomach had just run out of room and was getting too squished. Nothing could be done; I just had to wait it out. My appointment was the 26th, and, though I said initially I wouldn't ask, I already had the mindset to ask - more like beg- to be induced (unless I was making progress). I was physically and mentally near a breaking point and thank the Lord I asked David to get off early the day of my appointment. I just had a feeling it wouldn't end well.

My exact words to my doctor, "If you tell me I haven't made any progress, I'm going to cry." And cry I did. Not sobbing. Just frustrated steady stream of tears. So I sit up and ask, "What are your thoughts on induction?" (Not all doctors support it and will just make you wait it out.) He said he'd send me for an immediate ultrasound, and we'd talk about everything afterward. Everything looked great, but our sweet boy was measuring about 8 pounds, 10 ounces. That's always a hit-or-miss "guesstimate." Doctor said, "This is how he's measuring. That could be dead on, could be 7-10, could be 9-10. We need to get him out." So, he hops on the phone to the hospital and asks what they have scheduled for tomorrow. He turns back to us with, "How's 4:00 for you tomorrow?" My response, "PM?" "Nope, AM." "You mean 13 hours from now?! Ok."

My mind started whirling. I had worked that morning and had intended on working Thursday and Friday to catch up on paperwork. Oops. And there were still essentials that needed to be picked up. And we needed to get keys copied. And we had to take our dog to my mom. And... and... and... After about two hours, my anxiety started to die down. I tied up as many loose ends at work as possible, sent out an urgent e-mail letting them know the situation, and headed out. David took care of the keys and the dog. Krissy helped me pick up some things. I squeezed in a mani/pedi (don't hate!), and David and I grabbed dinner. After about 3 hours of sleep, we headed to the hospital.

From here on out, my "time stamps" are not 100% accurate. Forgive me!
We got to the hospital about 4:15. Praise God for a familiar face! My friend Dara was on shift and actually supposed to be my nurse. "Do you care?" she asked. "Not if you don't." And thank God for Dara. She was amazing. She was only on shift the first 3 hours we were there, but she was back the next night when things got rough... more on that in a minute.

So they start me on Cytotec to get contractions started - a dose every 4 hours as they checked my progression. Wasn't too bad. They gave me Benadryl with something else to help with the pain and to help me sleep through early labor; so, that was nice. I hung with that the majority of Thursday until late that night when they gave me Pitocin. I had only progressed to about 3cm around 9pm. Somewhere between 9 and midnight is when they started Pitocin. "You can have an epidural at any time now." "I'm gonna wait it out a little longer." The pain was tolerable, and I knew epidurals had a chance of wearing off. To all you ladies who go natural - MORE POWER TO YOU! I was going to try, but once I heard my baby might be 10 pounds, I pretty much said "sign me up for the drugs!" My goal was to wait until I was 5-6cm. Once I hit that point, I asked for it. It's now a little before 2am on Friday... almost 24 hours in.

Here's where it starts to get really fun. We had heard from other husbands/dads that watching their wife get an epidural was either a) something they just couldn't do, or b) the worst part of the whole thing. That being said, I asked David to switch with Krissy who was still up there. She had one before, so I knew she knew what to expect. Unfortunately, she is now even more traumatized. The anesthesiologist stuck me 6-7 times before it took. Dara and Krissy were right there- praying for me the whole time. Even though I couldn't hear them, I knew they were. God-sends.

I start to feel my body going numb, except the left side of my stomach/uterus. They rolled me to my left side, but it wouldn't subside. Worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I cried through every contraction. Around 4:30 or 5, the anesthesiologist comes back in and gives me half a dose of what someone would get going in for a c-section. That lasted maybe 30mins-1hour. Around 7, he completely re-did my epidural. Fortunately, he got it on the first stick, and the pain subsided. Alright... now we're back on track.

Somewhere in the midst of everything in the middle of the night/early morning, they told me if I hadn't progressed anymore in an hour (I think), they would take me for a c-section. "Ok." David and I knew it was a very likely possibility, especially with inductions. We had both mentally prepared ourselves as best we could if it did happen. To everyone's suprise, though, I progressed. Around 9-9:30am, I was finally at 9-9.5cm. Even the doctor said, "We're getting this baby out before lunch time." So David called friends and family back up, saying it should be in the next couple of hours. Little did we know...

I started pushing around 11-11:30am. And pushed. And pushed. Around 1-ish, they told me to stop pushing b/c the doctor now on-call was in a delivery. Not pushing did not last long. I was trying, but I was exhuasted; my body was fighting me. So we called the nurse in and just said I couldn't not do it anymore. She came in, and we were back on track. A little bit later the doctor comes in... our baby is stuck, they don't think I can get him out, they're sending me for a c-section. So many emotions went through me. I've made it this far, I've gone this long (37 hours, 3 hours pushing... but who's counting?)... NOW, you call a c-section? "Ok. Let's go. Now." was about all I could get out.

Our little man was born at 2:02pm, 8lbs 12oz, 21 inches long. And he was worth every minute of pain and frustration I endured. Truly. I know it sounds cliche, but I really do mean it. We got to come home Sunday evening. Our friends and families have been huge helps - bringing us meals, holding him while we cleaned, watching him so we could sleep... It's been wonderful. David is an AMAZING dad. So helpful. So patient. And he is waaaaaay better than I am on little-to-no sleep. :)

Here's some things I've learned so far:
-be productive when you can, but sleep first!
-tag-team if you have the opportunity to (I'm lucky David's off for a month. Not lucky. BLESSED. And so grateful.)
-don't be afraid to ask for help
-don't watch Big Bang Theory when your baby is literally asleep on top of you. containing laughter = extremely difficult.

There's plenty more, but that will suffice for now.

But where are the pictures?!?!?! I'll get some up soon. Haven't quite synced the camera to the computer yet. Total let-down. Sorry, folks.

Thanks everyone for your love, prayers, support, and encouragement. We are so grateful. So blessed.
Good night.

Approaching single digits...

On Tuesday, we will officially hit the single-digit countdown. Crazy! Time really is flying by!

We have the furniture in the nursery set up. My mom is making the bedding. David and a team will hopefully be able to paint the room this upcoming weekend. I've got a baby shower Sunday. So much to do, but so much to look forward to.

We are still getting settled in the apartment. I'm still trying to find a place for everything and sort through what we don't need. My goal is to finish everything in the next two weeks, if not this week.

I kind of spiraled since my last post. I just got worn down, overwhelmed, and stressed out. So many people offered to help, but I didn't know where to begin. I was completely exhausted Wednesday night but couldn't fall asleep... until 6 AM. Unwillingly, I took the day off of work. I vegged alllllll day. The only productive thing I did was one load of laundry, and I took a friend to pick up her car. As much as I hated taking the day, I definitely needed it. I have slept better and felt so much more at ease since I took the time off. God knew I needed it. I guess that's why He kept me awake Wednesday night!

David and I have had a productive but incredibly great weekend. We feel like we've just been going non-stop lately. While we still ran errands over the weekend and got things accomplished, we really enjoyed taking our time running errands and grabbing a bite to eat. We went to a childbirth class on Saturday that we both found very helpful and informative. After that, we went and had maternity pictures made. It was fun! Amanda at Southern Rivers is great and has been so accommodating to our busy schedules. I'll be sure to post/link some once we get them all in a week or two. She's posted two on facebook, and we are pleased!

We busted out the original NES this week. Yes, folks, the original Nintendo. We are on World 8 of Super Mario 3. We didn't skip any worlds with whistles, either! Boom! (Confession, David is waaaaay better than me. Most of the levels are stamped with an M. But, I totally kick his tail in Donkey Kong!)

Hey, how about them Dawgs?! Yeaaaaaaa!! We were able to watch/listen to some of the game despite our crazy Saturday. We got back in the car from the maternity shoot right before Georgia scored the final touchdown. Woohoo!! Glory, glory to ole' Georgia!

Thanks to Kristin, I bought the knock-off version of Zantac, and my reflux has really died down. Thanks, girl! I definitely sleep better!!

29 down, 11 to go

Wow. It's been a bit of a whirlwind since my last update.

We moved to an apartment complex within the past two weeks. We are still adjusting. We both feel like we are living in a hotel. With the exception of decorating and the entirety of the baby room, we are pretty much unpacked. There's still a little bit here and there. Thanks to our awesome friends who helped us get out and in in a day!

Work has kept both of us on our toes. We are both incredibly grateful to have jobs we love, though. So, we can't complain. We have our stressful days (today being one of mine), but all in all we both love what we do. I overheard David talking to a friend the other night, and he said something like, "No matter where I am, I don't see myself doing anything other than law enforcement. I love it." Makes me smile. I am so proud of him, so happy he is happy, and so thankful that he can turn off the "tough cop" just as quickly as he can turn it on.

Some sweet friends of ours got married this past weekend. Sonia and Thomas, your wedding was perfect. I kept telling myself I wouldn't cry, but I think y'all had everyone teary at the vows. It was a fun celebration of the life you guys have together! Thank you for letting us be a part of it. :) We love y'all!

I'm officially 29 weeks pregnant. I feel like I've started to drop, and several people have commented that it looks like I have. Crazy! I feel like I've handled the pregnancy pretty well thus far, but I can feel myself becoming more easily agitated and short-tempered. I'm trying to work through it and control it (and NOT use it as an excuse), but you folks out there be patient with me, please! I still feel pretty well for the most part. My one, consistent complaint is acid reflux/heartburn. It doesn't matter what I eat or when, that stuff hits me hard and quick and lasts forever. Thank God to whoever created Tums! I feel like I eat them like candy for dessert before I go to bed. I go to the doctor every 2 weeks now; pretty soon I'll be going weekly. One of the hospitals offers a childbirth class. They have a series or an all-in-one day option. Due to our work schedules, David and I decided to knock it out in one day at the end of this month. I'm sure we'll be overwhelmed with information, but we are looking forward to it. We are also having maternity pictures taken after the course. I'm excited about that!

I'm so happy it's Fall, and that the weather has been more Fall-esque. It still gets hot and humid, but nothing like those 90-100 degrees. The breezes are wonderful, and the colors starting to change always makes me happy.

Side note - it REALLY bothers me how close the paper towels are in proximity to the trash can at Target. I feel like it's a race to wheel it down and grab it before it touches the trash on top. Always freaks me out. And I always immediately sanitize when I walk out. Eee. It's just gross.

I can't believe the holidays are right around the corner. I can't believe little man will be here before we know it. It's still sinking in that we're about to be parents.

In other news, it's Boss's Day. And this is exactly how I feel about my boss! She's great, but I do not ever want to fill her shoes. Ever.

She can walk through walls!

Remember how I ranted about people being so gutsy when they drive? I SWEAR people just love to cut out in front of someone because they just know you would rather slam on your brakes than crash. If I said that already, sorry. But geez!

I also think people think other people have the ability to walk through walls. Example: I was walking down a wide, empty school hallway the other day. I was walking on the right side, because that's the side you're supposed to walk in. Preggo belly, work bag, and all, I was right up against the wall despite the empty hallway... two ladies come walking toward me, and I swear they thought, "Oh, we don't have to move to our right side of the hall, because that lady can walk through walls!" Seriously, I got as flat as I could get, and ended up having to stop and turn sideways. No lie. Behold, I cannot walk through walls.

David and I went to Steak n' Shake last night. I wanted a chocolate shake. We sat in the drive-thru, which I'm aware usually takes a few minutes there, when I realized the person in front of me was having a conversation with the lady working the speaker! I mean, full-blown, talking, laughing hysterically conversation. I get it- you want to talk to your boo. But could you circle back around after someone actually orders? We sat there almost 5 minutes before driving around to the window to ask if we could order from there when "boo" came around right behind us, so I just drove away. Steak n' Shake- you were spared from pregnant hormones and a protective hubby!

Alright, enough rants. Thought some of you might find them comedic.

I'm 6 months pregnant! WHOA! Can't believe we are going to be parents in a few months. It is going to fly between football, weddings, holidays, and such. David and I are actually moving to an apartment in a few weeks. HUGE PRAISE! Won't go in to all the details, but just another time where God's timing and provision were just perfect. Why do we question or doubt Him?!

I think I'm going to rename our son Bam-Bam. This kid is all over the place!

My family threw a sweet shower for me last week when my oldest sister was in town with her family. Missed those who could not be there, but it was a very sweet time. Our little man racked up on some goodies that mommy and daddy can't wait to use!

I. LOVE. FALL.
Ok, it's not Fall yet. But the weather has just been beautiful lately! Especially the cool mornings. So nice!

That's all folks!

just because it's been a few weeks.

It's (almost) September!
So much to look forward to this month.
College football! Can I get an Amen?!
My sister and her family visiting
No agenda shopping trips
Our second anniversary
David goes back to day-shift for four months! Can I get another Amen?!

Things have been going pretty well. Pregnancy-wise, everything looks great! We are so thankful! Work is keeping my busy, as I'm finally full-time/salaried. I have some new clients, so that's been an adjustment for me. I've had the same 2 since I started working for the company. Now, I have 5. They keep me on my toes! One of my kids was bummed about going camping this weekend because it meant I wouldn't see him after school on Friday and because I couldn't go with them. Melted my heart!

David is still enjoying his job. Never a dull moment! Especially lately. Poor guy... hopefully things will settle down a bit when he switches shifts next week. We did find out that the average salary of a McDonald's manager is $38,500, while the average salary of a police officer is $35,000. I'm just saying, one carries a gun and fights crime - the other oversees flipping burgers and serving fries. (Ok, I know managers do more than that, but you get my point.)

Really nothing else to mention. Just felt like I was overdue for an update.

I stole this from sweet Mary Grace. I haven't done one yet, and I thought it would be fun.
How far along? 22 1/2 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Nope :)

Sleep: It's been a rough week. I don't feel uncomfortable; I just feel restless.
Best moment this week: Random lady at Publix told me I looked gorgeous on a rough day, sweet man going through a tough time commented on my "glow," felt my silly boy hiccup all through a meeting this morning, found an awesome Batman onesie at Old Navy
Movement: Lots of it!
Food cravings: Athens food. As in Athens, GA. As in I may take a day trip just to eat there (and of course see friends!).
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. I've had a bit of "reflux" or something at night. But otherwise no complaints.
Have you started to show yet: Yep!
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Excited!

Looking forward to: my family shower next week, shopping for more clothes and necessities, fall weather

Anything else? Thankful that right now my work schedule is incredibly accommodating to my sleep schedule, when I do sleep.