Pregnancy Update

Poor baby #3 is already getting blog deprived! I just haven't had time to do a pregnancy update!

In this first photo, I was 9 weeks pregnant.

I was very tired throughout the first trimester. I often took naps in my car over lunch or I would fall asleep as soon as the girls and I got home and still go to bed by 9:00! I wasn't sick or nautious (sometimes I would gag brushing my teeth). And, I craved fast food (just as I did when I was pregnant with MC).

I'm 11 weeks pregnant in this picture, and we were at the Liberty Bowl. I was still very tired with all of the traveling, and was in bed by 9 most nights!

I had my first doctor's appointment on January 10th. The doctor confirmed the pregnancy with an ultrasound (although I already knew I was pregnant!) And, he told us the heartbeat was 160. The heartbeat, was right around the same with both girls. We confirmed there was only one bambino and that was thrilling news! I just new with an "oops" baby, we'd have the luck of ending up with two "oops'". Thankfully, God didn't show his sense of humor by surprising us with two!

DJ was able to go with me to this doctor's appointment and the doctor told us he was 99.4% sure that baby 3 is another girl!

These are our first two ultrasound photos from my 14 week visit.

Our doctor completes ultrasounds at every visit, so i'll have lots of baby devloping pictures!

And, finally, an up-to-date picture. Here I am at 15 weeks and 5 days.

I have gained 10 lbs. and the baby should weigh only 2.5 oz. The baby is about the size of a navel orange.

I am wearing a few maternity shirts, only to change up my wardrobe, but I can still wear some of my regular blue jeans and slacks. Leggings have been a lifesaver, and even though DJ hates the style, I think i'll be living in them over the next few months. I love pairing leggings with tunics and dresses, or throwing a large sweatshirt on with them when i'm home! I'm still craving sweets, but honestly, I always crave sweets! I'm hungry all the time, and want to eat at least every 2 hours!

I felt the baby move for the first time on Friday, January 18th. I had just stuffed my face with a chicken sandwich, fries, and a coke from Mc Donald's and there were several flutters on the right side of my belly about 15 minutes later. It was exciting to feel her for the first time, and it made me want to eat McD's again!

We have the fabric picked out for the bedding, and will continue to use the same crib that both girls have used. We'll be looking for a painted/antiqued dresser that can double as a changing table. Because this baby is suppose to be another girl, we won't be needing much. We will be purchasing a new car seat, because ours is likely expired, and we talked about purchasing a video monitor, because the girls' bedrooms are further away in this house. I also think i'd like to borrow a basinet, because putting the pack n play in our bedroom will just be too crowded.

We have a few names picked out, but nothing set in stone. My top choice was Eleanor, but DJ hates the name, and for now we have the name Madalyn in our top 5, although the other 4 spots aren't filled. I have decided the middle name will be Pearl. Gretchen and Megan both have the name meaning of Pearl and I want to incorporate it into this baby's name as well.

I go back to the doctor on February 7th, and hopefully we can confirm more good news and make sure the gender hasn't changed !

Liberty Bowl: Game Day

Game Day at the Liberty Bowl finally arrived, and boy were we ready! 

It had been such a long and fun filled week, that we were ready to get a "W"!

Here's our official team photo:

 And, our police escorts. These guys were amazing to get the players and us wherever we needed to go!

 The girls ended up staying at the hotel with my mom. It was just too cold for them to be at the game, and MC was already getting the sniffles. I'm thankful that my mom gave up her ticket to stay with them. 

So, my stepdad and I went to the game and enjoyed a pre-game BBQ meal, and then looked forward to freezing our hiney's off!

 Here I am at the game. My parents ended up bring some extra hot hands as well as one of my stepdad's waterproof hunting coats. I'm not normally a camp girl, but I was so thankful to have this coat! Between the coat, blanket, extra layers, and poncho, I was pretty warm.

 DJ's dad and stepmom also came up for the game, as did his mom, sister, and brother-in-law. We love having family join us and cheer for TU!

 I was pretty nervous through the first quarter of the game, but our boys started turning it around the middle of the second quarter- and boy did they turn it around, because we ended up stomping over ISU. I loved seeing their fans begin to get quiet and then start to leave. 

 Our boys celebrating after the win.

 And, the trophy presentation.

After being to five bowl games in our football career, we finally pulled out a win! It was amazing watching our players put their heart and soul into the season, and to see all of the hard work by the coaches and staff. 

We have been so blessed to work with such an amazing coaching staff and to be here at Tulsa.

Shrimp Dish

I made this Shrimp Dish that I found on Pinterest and I had to share! First, it was so easy, and cooked super fast. It's a great week night meal when you're in a rush to get dinner on the table!

Saute shrimp in butter, with diced onions. Add garlic and parsley.

 Once shrimp is cooked, add a tomato sauce; bring to a boil and simmer. 

 In a separate pan, cook rice. I used brown instant rice. (You could also use pasta.)

 Toss rice and sauce together and serve. 

DJ and I both really enjoyed the dish, and you know it's a hit when G makes a happy plate! 

What's In? My Sewing Machine

I have been a sewing machine over the last week! It has felt so good to be back in a groove and to actually not feel stressed with all of the projects i've wanted to accomplish!

This week, I worked on a few baby shower gifts. We have two coaches wives that are pregnant (and due 3 days apart!) and we're having a shower for them this weekend. I love giving my hand made creations as gifts!

One of them will be recieving this burpie made with this preppy fabric. 

Another is receiving this chevron bib that has a matching burpie! I'm totally in love with the way it turned out!

 G's birthday is this week, and I always make her a shirt to wear on her special day. But, this year, her birthday is on Saturday, so we are having a small party earlier in the week at her preschool. I made this shirt for her to wear. She wasn't very specific on a design that she wanted, and since we did a crown last year, I just did a huge number 5 made with pink and white chevron and stitched in grey.

I also found this pink whale applique I had made probably two years ago, and it never sold. I had some 3 month onesies laying around, and I thought it would be perfectly sweet for this new baby girl due in July! (I haven't made the official announcement on the blog yet- so I guess this it!) I decided to stitch it in a dark green, and i'm going to add leg warmers and a matching bow later!

If you're interested in any of these products, please check out my facebook page! All of these make wonderful baby shower gifts (and i'm beginning to add a registry option to my page)! Don't forget, I love custom orders and a bib and burpie set start at only $10.00!

Rainbow Party Inspiration

G's 5th birthday is coming up on Saturday!!! I cannot believe that she will be FIVE YEARS OLD! If you have read this blog for some time, or if you know me personally, you know that I tend to plan my children's birthday parties at least 9 months in advance! Obsessive? Maybe.

Last Spring, G was invited to several "bounce house" birthday parties, and after DJ took her to one (because I was sick) DJ had convinced G to have her next birthday party at a bounce house. I think in part, because he saw how much the 'hosts' did, and that the parents had to do nothing! And, he was tired of me going overboard with their birthdays.

After we had a place, we had to come up wtih a theme. I kept thinking of how bright bounce houses are, and that I didn't want to do a girly princess theme in such a bright environment. So, I came up with a rainbow theme. Of course, I really had to convince G that she wanted a rainbow theme party.

In October, I finally started to check into bounce houses and how much it would be to host her birthday there. Let's just say, I was in sticker shock. I know that I may spend about $500.00 on birthday parties at home, but I knew that with a bounce house party, I would easily spend over the $500.00 limit. Plain and simple, a bounce house was out. But, so was a party at home, as I was (and still am) hoping that a party at a fun location will be less stressful.

Alas, my search continued for the perfect (and reasonably priced) party spot. I checked into swim places, gymnastic studios, The Little Gym..... everything I could think of! Then, one day, I happened upon a flyer for an art studio in our town, and decided to check it out!

I went in that afternoon and spoke with the owner, who explained everything! We would have a reasonably priced room, there was a small play area for children, I could bring in my own decorations, the kids could paint whatever piece they chose, and we weren't limited on a time frame.

My next chore was to convince G that she wanted her birthday at an art studio rather than a bounce house. Thankfully, the girl loves to paint and color, so that part was easier than I thought!

Finally, I had a plan in place (later than usual) and could start to work! I started pinning and perusing the internet for some rainbow party inspiration.

And, this is what I found:

First off, this bright yellow bucket with ribbon and a huge rainbow emblem. (Not to mention the adorably wrapped plastic-ware) But, I knew buckets with ribbon would be a good starting point, and that I'd be able to fill them and utilize the buckets as I saw fit.

I was able to find tons of rainbow colored plastic party ware at.... The Dollar Tree... seriously, who knew?  I spent about $12.00 on all of the plastic pieces that I picked up to use for decorations, our party favor area, and more!

(Via)

Next, we were on to the cake. I actually decided cupcakes would be easier, because I didn't want to have to bring a knife to cut a cake at a party location. So, I called up a friend, who made MC's 1st birthday cake. She and I came up with the perfect cupcakes after both getting inspriation from Pinterest (where else would you get inspiration from in this day and age?)

I knew I wanted cupcakes, and for the inside to look like this:

(Via)

 And, she has come up with the rest! I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Finally, on to the party favors. I picked up individual paint containers from Hobby Lobby for $.99. Remember, I'm attempting to stay under my usual $500.00 (or so) budget!

But, then, I started thinking, which is the place that always gets me into trouble. We needed more. So, we have settled on a rainbow confection of candy goodies that guests will be able to take home in rainbow dotted bags!

And, these......

(There, in the 2nd picture)- Rice Krispy Treat Paint Brushes.

(Via)



Stay tuned all this week & next for more inspiration ideas, do-it-yourself activities, and the ultimate Rainbow party post!

Valentine's Goodies in my Store

I have loved creating these Valentine shirts and accessories this year! I typically take a break this time a year to solely concentrate on my daguther's birthday, but, I took such a long break over the holidays, that I was ready to dive-in to the next holiday, as soon as we got back in town!

I decided to focus on only two prints for Valentine's with only one design. I also decided to take only custom Valentine hair bow orders only. I figured this would alow me to not be stressed, but also get back into a hobby and business that I truly love!

This year's Valentine's design was a Chevron heart in the customers choice of red and white or pink and white.

All customer orders were placed on white shirts, but my daughter wanted red.

These shirts are only $18.00 shipped!

After, I created the shirts, I couldn't help but go through my remaining supplies and come up with two hair accessories.

This "bow" is made with pink marabou, and a red and white chevron ribbon, as well as a heart resin center. This bow is still available for $7.00 (+ S&H).

I had originally placed this hair accessory on a headband, but the customer that snagged the bow wanted  french clip instead. The accessory is again made of a pink marabou puff, with red sequins, and a rolled rosette that uses the same chevron fabric as the shirts. I also added this darling sequin red bow!

Finally, I made this pink and white chevron shirt for my neice. I was out of the pink thread, but thought purple thread would be darling! I love how the shirt turned out, and it's available for $18.00 shipped!

If you're interested in purchasing any of these items, please message me on my facebook page or leave a comment below!

I hope your little honey pie shares lots of love this Valentine's day!

Liberty Bowl: Parade and Gala

I don't have any pictures from Saturday of the bowl trip, but it was spent at Pottery Barn outlet, Williams Sonoma, and then later that afternoon, shopping at the mall with the coaches wives. Nana came up on Saturday to spend time with the girls!

The team went to church on Sunday, but we decided to stay at the hotel, mostly because we needed to rest, and because we didn't have church clothes. We ended up going to lunch as a family, and then we met Pops and Grandma Dee at the hotel.

DJ had a busy afternoon of walk throughs, and then meetings, and we were kept busy with the bowl parade on Beale Street.

It was freezing cold, but the girls were bundled in their jackets! When we arrived ISU fans were everywhere, and that is not an understatement. It was ridiculous! We finally found a spot to watch the parade, and then we asked if the ISU fans could part a little bit, so G could at least go up front and watch. Thankfully, they not only allowed G to get up front, but they allowed me to push the stroller forward a bit, and let me go up front with G. 

At this point in our trip, MC was getting a cold, and not feeling well, but we kept her bundled as much as we could. 

 Here's TU's band and cheerleaders. 

 Nana also met us back in Memphis to watch the parade. 

 MC enjoyed playing with pom poms and even enjoyed her first sucker. 

 Both girls loved the necklaces that were thrown at the parade. 

We headed back to the hotel after the parade, and I got ready for the President's Gala at the Peabody hotel. The gala is a huge fundraising event for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. All of the wives were invited to attend. 

 We had a cocktail hour, followed by dinner, and a performance by The Temptations.

Pops and Grandma Dee stayed at the hotel and watched the girls while DJ had meetings to get ready for game day!

Liberty Bowl: Incredible Pizza & Graceland

Friday was full of events for the families! We were offered the choice to go to the Memphis Zoo, which I've heard is spectacular, and sadly, we all declined because of how cold the weather was! It gave the girls and I a chance to sleep in on Friday morning, and we headed to Incredible Pizza for lunch.

 I only had these two pictures taken while we were there.... I didn't imagine how big Incredible Pizza would be and all of the activities there were to do! We were given a private room and all the pizza and food we could eat, and generously given a 90 minute card of free play.

I remember going to game places as a kid, putting in coins, and anxiously awaiting for the tickets to spew out of the machine. But, with the card, all we did was swipe and after the game was finished, the card would memorize the amount of tickets you had won!

There was also a little kids area, which was a bit more appropriate for G and MC. They both loved the merry-go-round, and I let G ride in this little car first and MC was dying to have a turn. She loved it! In fact, she did not want to get off and cried when the ride came to an end!

We had a lot of fun on our lunch trip, and afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to pick up players and then we were off to Graceland!

I have been to Memphis several times, but never to Graceland, and even though I knew the girls needed naps, I selfishly decided to postpone them so we could visit the King's castle. I was trying to explain to G who Elvis was, and told him he was the king of rock-and-roll. She became very fascinated that we were going to a king's house and asked if the Queen would be there and if there was a princess.

The girls had fun riding together on the bus.

I wore MC in the sling, and G walked and listened to the audio-play headphones that gave you history of the house and of Elvis. I decided to forego the headphones, knowing MC would just pull them off. You also weren't allowed to take flash photographs, so my pictures turned out horribly. I think this is the best I got!

At Christmas, they hang red drapes in his house, although the rest of the year, the drapes are blue.

We toured the living room.

 And then, his parents bedroom on the first floor, the dining room, kitchen, downstairs bar, and then the 'jungle room'. Finally, we went outside and saw Lisa Marie's swingset, and then went into an office, and then on to a trophy room, where many of his gold records are displayed, as well as costumes, clothes from movies, and Elvis' and his Priscilla's wedding clothes.

We saw his grave, but it was raining by then, and I was just cold and knew the girls were miserable, and I could not wait to get back across the street!

When we finally did, we went to tour the rock-and-roll museum, as well as the car museum.

 Finally, we went to see his airplanes.

It was such a rainy afternoon, but we really did enjoy ourselves. The girls both fell asleep on the bus ride back to the hotel and afterwards DJ and I took them to Corky's for dinner while the team went to a rodeo. 

Liberty Bowl: Welcome Event

This years welcome dinner for the Liberty bowl was at Autozone park. I remember going there to watch baseball games when I was in college, so it was fun to go back!

DJ did a great job getting the girls dressed and ready, since I was heading back from the St. Jude visit.

I'm always a little nervous traveling with the girls on a chartered bus. It confuses me, because I want the girls in their car seats and I want them to be safe. I felt more comfortable last year with G, because she was getting bigger, and I just wore MC in the bjorn, but I was really nervous this year with MC. Thankfully, our buses had seatbelts, and I made both girls wear them. I know I probably could have dragged their car seats on the bus, but they're huge and it's just so much to carry while already being overwhelmed. Anyway, here's MC sitting by DJ on the bus.

 When we arrived, they sent the players to the 2nd floor and families to the 3rd floor. It was admitedly nice being able to have just families and our friends to interact with. However, they completly underestimated the amount of people between TU and Iowa State, and there ended up being no where to sit! Thankfully, TU arrived first, and we did have a table, but many people found suites or sat on the floor. Can you imagine, trying to feed G and MC on the floor!

When we arrived, we found our seats, got our drinks, and waited on the others to arrive, and for the food to finish being sat out. There was even a roasted pig. I was kind of shocked and already determined that I would not be eating it, but G however, was thrilled there was a pig, and told everyone she would be eating the pig meat. And, she did!

 Dinner was really good, we had BBQ sandwiches, some of the best potato salad i've ever had, pasta, and the pig.

After we ate, there was entertainment for the kids in the players locker room downstairs. I was so glad that they had thought of our kids and ways to keep them busy and entertained!

Here's G showing off her ladybug ballon animal bracelet.

 Then, she got her face painted.

 He did a great job!

 After letting the girls play, we decided to walk around for a bit and show the girls the park.

Then, we headed across the street to the Peabody hotel. DJ had never seen it, and I hadn't been since my senior year in college. (My sorority formal was there.)

We then went back to the event for dessert and to check out the trophies.

 

The players had a gaming competition, followed by a singing competition, and we were able to listen to the sounds of both teams singing.

 It was a fun evening, but we were glad to head back to the hotel when it was over!