Mini McDonald Has Arrived!

Scout & Fam go to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous fall Sunday! It was so warm; 72 degrees! We took Scotlyn to the pumpkin patch for a fun filled afternoon with the fam, allowing us to fully enjoy the beautiful warm weather.

Scotlyn wore a grin from ear to ear the entire time we were there, except when we got too close to the pony, llama, and sheep at the petting zoo. She's content watching these animals from afar; one step too close and she'd burst in to tears.

While a visit to the petting zoo was not a first for Scotlyn, riding a tractor was!

We all piled on and took a ten minute ride out to the pumpkin patch!

Scotlyn thoroughly enjoyed every second of this.

We all found a perfect pumpkin, then headed back home.

She's now napping peacefully, like a little angel!

the new face of MODERNISTIC!

2010-10-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

My baby is getting so big. While this photo is far from recent (taken when she was only six months old), it's still one of my favorites! And it's plastered all over detroit on the Modernistic ads! www.modernistic.com

2010-06-08T19:03:00.001-07:00

Counting Down the Days

2009-09-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

No Labor Here!

It was a great Labor Day Weekend on Long Lake! Here I am swimming with my cousin, Kathy. Below is my buddy, Gina, who did a big cannonball off the dock. Not bad for a girl with a baby bump, too. Go Gina!

Miracles Never Cease

Spent a great day downtown shopping with Gina, Grandma, and Great-Grandma. Here I am in the greatest little baby shop and didn't even buy anything!

Went to other shops, Kilwin's Chocolates, a super lunch at Folgarelli's, and then on to another baby shop. Okay, I bought something here - the hunting was too good. Baby says "thank you Great-Grandma for the little pink snowsuit"!

Teaching Jada how to play Yahtzee (Great-Grandma won).

Eating deep-fried pickles at the Hofbrau! Yum!!

Fishing with my little buddy.

My mom says that this isn't how Uncle Brad goes fishing!

Join the Baby Pool!

It's count-down time and there is a baby pool now. It's only $5 to get in; you pick the weight and the birth date. If you want to get in, you have until Friday, September 11th. Just let the baby's godmother know - Kelly at kb31084@aol.com. Baby will announce the winner when she is good and ready. Good luck!

Back to reality...

Vacation weekend is over, but we have one last fling before we officially end the holiday weekend. Gina, Lindsay, Jessica, and I are going to the Britney Spears concert tonight. I'm sure we will put on a better show than Britney.

.....more reality! I will update you soon on what has happened between my last blog and this blog. But this pic pretty much wraps it up. LOL

i dream of baby

2009-08-22T04:51:00.001-07:00

It's the morning of my baby shower and I am so excited! One of my very best friends from college, Lindsey, drove in from Chicago last night. We spent the evening getting all caught up - it was so refreshing and very overdue! I can't wait to see everyone else's face this afternoon - it is going to be wonderful!

Katie, Me, & Lindsey

On our last girl's trip (Oct '07)

Also worth mentioning... Kelly and I started out Child Birth Education Class on Wednesday! It was LONG (3 hours) but interesting. It was the first of four classes we will complete over the next month. There were nine other couples in the class, all of which were having boys - we were the only ones expecting a girl!!!

And finally, as I mention in the title of this post... I dream of baby! I had my first dream about the baby Thursday night. It was so real! I wont bore you with all the detail! But I wanted to make sure to document it so I didn't forget when this memorable dream occurred.

That's all for now - I have to get ready for the day! YAY! Talk to you SOON!

This is Random

2009-08-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Heartburn or pyrosis is a painful and burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone usually associated with regurgitation ofgastric acid.^[1] The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw.

Heartburn has taken over my life! I can't remember what life was like without it! It keeps me up all night, breaks my concentration all day, and no matter how much medication I take, the heartburn still remains! My doctor tells me the only remedy left is LABOR! This really bums me out, as I cannot imagine living with this for another 47 days!

My shiba knows I'm pregnant!

For those of you who don't know the love of my life, allow me to introduce you. Her name is Jada, she's my seven year-old shiba inu (a rare japanese breed). She is very independent and cat like; not big on cuddling, rarely shows much affection - but she is super smart and so adorable! I LOVE her!! Did i mention that already?

I think Jada knows I'm pregnant because for the last 2 weeks she has been sleeping next to me every night, napping next to me every afternoon and is rarely more than 5 feet away from me. And this is so not normal behavior for Jada. Plus, look where I found her yesterday?

Too cute, right? I love you, Jada!!

Jada watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua with me

Scotlyn Faith - A Mover & A Shaker

Did I mention that Scotlyn never stops moving? Seriously, this little baby is going to be a mover and a shaker! I feel her moving constantly. It feels a bit different than it did during the earlier weeks; slower, larger and longer movements rather than the quick jabs!! She sure has a lot of energy; I feel like she is going to pop out and start bossing me a Kelly around!! LOL!

BABY SHOWER! YAY!

My shower is this Saturday! I am so excited!! I can't wait to celebrate with family and friends - some of which I have not seen in years!!! It is going to be super special!! Stay tuned for photos of this event!!

My Obsession

Every night before I go to bed I look at baby clothes on line - while Scotlyn surely doesn't need any more, I can't help LOOKING. Check out some of these - so damn adorable! And don't worry - i didn't buy any of them ... yet anyways! :)

7 weeks and 3 days to go

2009-08-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! 32 Weeks Already! That's 8 months!

Sorry for the delay, but this little girl of mine has kept me very busy over the last few weeks and she hasn't even arrived yet. But I'm here to get you all caught up.

On the agenda for this blog entry is the following:

1. the nursery

a. paint

b. carpet

c. crib & changing table

d. what were still waiting on

e. choosing the ART

2. the pediatrician

3. date nights with an old college bff

4. baby's name

5. baby's movin' and a shakin'

#1 - The Nursery

The nursery is almost complete! And I LOVE it!

a. Paint the Walls - check!

My Mom, bless her heart, spent a week painting the entire room for her first grandchild!! And wait until you see it - it is perfect; modern, peaceful, and feminine. As my mom mentioned, I only changed my mind a "few" times on the colors, but in the end - we were all very happy with the end product - check it out!

b. FIX the Floor and Purchase & Install New Carpet - check!

This was Kelly's big project and I must say, he did a fabulous job! While I got to pick the color of the carpet, Kelly chose everything else - and saw this project thru, start to finish! We got the carpet for a great price from Contract Design. They also helped fix the floors! Then Kelly's friend, Scott got us great padding and helped Kelly install the carpet! It turned out beautifully! And it is SO SOFT! Check it out!

c. Get the Crib & Changing Table - check!

The Nurseryworks crib and changing table finally arrived from California on Tuesday! It was so exciting! Kelly and I immediately began putting the crib together - then a friend of ours, Marc, came over to help Kelly finish it up! By the end of the evening both were put together! The nursery was finally coming together!

d. Pieces we're waiting on - almost check!

To help you visualize what the end product will look like, I must remind you that we're still awaiting the arrival of the glider, drapes, and mattress (so I can get the crib bedding all put together). What do you think?

e. Find the right ART

I still have not found "the" piece. However, there are a few pieces I really, really like. Let me know what you think. One piece I did get, which I am really stoked about, is the my brother's mirror. I love it, love it, love it! Thanks Mum! If any of you have art ideas, please let me know!

my brother's mirror

stay tuned

more to come...

Hello! It's Violet Fields!!

2009-07-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

No, it's not the name of the baby and it's not my name either. More on that later.

For those of you, like me, that have been eagerly awaiting Jill's next blog update, I threatened that I would just have to update it myself. I just know that my little grand-daughter would want you to know what has been going on now and not have to wait and read about her in a Christmas card.

Yes, my little grand-daughter! She still doesn't have a name, at least one agreed upon by her parents, but she knows who she is to me!

Blogging

Okay, I have never written a blog before, so you may want to stop reading; I'll understand. Presurfer.blogspot.com is a pretty cool site if you get bored. For those of you that know me, I tend to do things backwards (like start at the back of a magazine, run backwards, you get the idea). I shall start with today (it's still fresh in my memory) and work my way back to the last blog.

Violet Fields

That is the main color of the baby's nursery. I love the color and Jill has picked out several other pretty colors to accompany it. They all look nice on me, especially my hands (gee, I thought I washed my hands better than this). I started painting the room yesterday. Out of the three colors, Jill has only changed two of them. lol. Jill does have a keen eye and I like her new choices even better, she is going to have her little girl's room looking posh.

Kelly is putting in new carpet as soon as I am done painting. The glider chair has been ordered, as well as the crib and dresser/changing table. Jill bought the most beautiful, feminine lamp. Actually, I think a pic of it is already in here somewhere. More to follow as the room comes together!

the Mommy-to-Be

My little Jilly is doing great. She is glowing and beautiful and I just love that big round tummy of hers. Little Miss What's Her Name is a mover! She is constantly doing cartwheels and back flips and making her mommy moan in mild discomfort. She is busy in there and we all love to watch Jill's belly move. Jill has yet to complain about all of the handprints we must be leaving behind on her belly.

4D Ultrasound

Several weeks ago Jill had her 4D ultrasound and it was amazing, very surreal. We could see her yawning, moving her hands, sucking her thumb, opening her eyes, give us the peace sign and let us know everything is A-Ok in there. Jill has a lot of pictures and a DVD showing all the action.

Back to the Future

Next on the horizon is another shower for the princess, I mean, princesses. I am looking forward to it and I know that Jill is, too! It will be so nice to see everybody and to try not saying "that's sooooo cute" a hundred times. Everything is SO CUTE, though.

Has Mommy-to-Be Been Napping?

Okay, Jill...I hope you got in a nap while I've been updating your blog. Thank you for letting me do so; it actually wasn't too hard and way easier than giving a speech live. No one can throw anything at me (alas, there IS that delete key).

...that's so cute!

Showered in Couture

2009-07-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

My first baby shower was on July 5th at our cottage in Traverse City, Michigan. My Mother did an amazing job! It was an impeccable party; every detail was perfect - the decorations, corsage, games, drinks, food, dessert, and COMPANY! And on top of that, we couldn't have asked for better weather! It was a gorgeous day in TC!

While I celebrated with my family and friends, Kelly spent the day with my dad, uncle and our friend, Tom Brayton! It was a wonderful afternoon! My family and friends SHOWERED our little girl in COUTURE and everything else in between! We are so lucky!

Here are some of the highlights!!

The Party was held right here, at our cottage in Traverse City!

My Mom did it all!

So Creative! Check out the details!

My Family & Friends helped me Celebrate!

And Showered Her in Couture...

(especially Aunt Vickie)

And other Necessities!!

I can't wait to meet this little angel!

She is already loved by so many!!

We are so Blessed!

My Baby Has a CRIB & BEDDING!

2009-06-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

If you've read my previous posts, you may be surprised with the crib and bedding I ended up choosing! However, after a little help from my friend Angie and the seal of approval from my mother, I could not be more certain!!

I ordered my crib on line from Dimples Baby!

Dimples Baby

I HIGHLY recommend purchasing all you need from them - ASK for LEWIS. He is amazing! You will get incredible service AND no sales tax, no shipping, and a low price guarantee. He was great to work with! TRUST ME & CALL HIM!!

So, here it is... I chose the nurseryworks aerial crib in all snow (white). Because my first choice (circles on the side) was back ordered till the end of October, I went with squares on the side. The two pictures show the style (with squares) and the color (all white). What do you think? Surprised?

Square Siding Color - ALL WHITE

The Bedding

I've been in love with this bedding since the first time I saw it; Serena & Lily's Rory Bedding. It was a little pricy, but then I found the crib set HALF OFF! YES!? That never happens to me; Im always the sucker that pays full price! So, I purchased it! And I feel so accomplished! Check it out!

NEXT DECISION(S)

(1) Wall Color

(2) Rocker

(3) Find a Changing Table

(4) Window Treatments

WALL COLORS I'm considering:

Rockers...

Lewis from Dimples Baby suggested a rocker by monte design; the luca glider or alto rocker. He said it is the MOST COMFORTABLE chair out there; people end up moving them into their living rooms eventually!! Since there is very little comfortable furniture in my house - this was a huge for me!! Plus, The color options are endless, so thats where I'm having difficulty! You can create your own color combos on their website:

Monte Design Group: modern children designer furniture

If I went with the Alto Rocker, I'm thinking of doing the white leather.

If I went with the Luca Glider, it's a total toss up because there are so many color options and Lewis highly recommends playing with the color, not playing it safe...

So here are a few of my ideas. But, I'd love to know what you think!

WINDOW TREATMENTS

Check these out! I LOVE THEM!

Zoning in on PINK!

2009-06-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

I follow a blog called MY MOD STYLE as it has great interior design ideas! Jessie is the name of the gal who writes the blog! She recently checked out my most recent post about searching for my inspiration piece - and with that and only that, Jessie was able to put together three AMAZING story/design boards for mini mcdonald's nursery!

PLEASE check them out! They are fabulous!! I'd love to hear what you think and I'm sure Jessie would as well!

You can check it out here: MY MOD STYLE: waiting for mini mcdonald

One of the designs is called Pink Taffy! I love it! I think it helped me solidify the direction I'm leaning towards, which is PINK PINK PINK!! But, I'm not entirely sure; I love Jessie's first design too! So I need your feedback!

In the meantime, I've put together some photos to give you a better idea of what I mean when I say, I'm zoning in on PINK!

As you know, I'm buying this rocker with the matching ottoman - other than this and the crib, i have NOT chosen anything for the nursery!

So here's what I'm thinking...

I'm thinking pink, pink, pink! Lot's of texture!

Think Betsey Johnson... for baby!

i love betsey johnson!

This is the direction I am leaning towards!

Got an idea to help create this vision? Let me know!

Fun Wallpapers to accent one wall and/or place behind some built in wall shelves.

Still looking for an inspiration piece!!

Rather thank art work, I'm considering hanging some of my favorite childhood photos of family etc. in a number of different size baroque frames. I would hang them all close together, similar to the photo below.

I love these window treatments! I love the colors and pattern & love that they puddle on the floor!

Some Fun PINK Rooms!

Searching for My Inspiration Piece

2009-06-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

After hours of surfing the net, magazines, books and catalogues, I have yet to find my inspiration piece. Once I find it, the nursery will come together fast - I'm sure of it! However, I'm beginning to worry that I may never find it!

Here's what I do know. I want Scottlyn's nursery to be the most beautiful room in the house; peaceful, serene, inspirational, and comfy/cozy! Girly, but not too over the top, modern french baroque, clean and clutter free, with one main center piece - the inspiration piece, which I have yet to find.

I envision the inspiration piece being a chandelier, sconce(s), a piece of art, or even some very unique wallpaper that I would put just on one wall. But who knows, maybe it won't be any of these.

I have chosen the crib and I'm 99% positive that the chair below will be my next major purchase.

With these two pieces in mind, I thought I'd post a slew of photos to show some of what I like, maybe this will help!?? If you have any ideas, PLEASE ADVISE! I'm all ears!

COLOR

I love the shade of green and pink used in this room! I love the whole room!

I'm not a pink and brown gal, but I do like this combo!

And I LOVE the bedding!

UNIQUE

These simple pillows are so adorable! I'm sure half of you think I'm a weirdo, but I LOVE these!

BEDDING

I'm totally undecided in this area, as you'll see ...

Look #1: Pink, Frilly & Girly

Look #2: Girly, Minus the Frilly

Look #3: Vintage Animal

Look #4: Geometric

Look #5: Fun & Girly

ART

I like so many different types!

These simple dog pieces are adorable!

I also like these...

AND...

And...

COOL WALLPAPER

Accent - on just one wall, not the entire room!

Ceiling Medallion

I love this!

It just needs a chandelier hanging from it...

Do you like the striped walls? I think I might?

So there! What do you think?

You can probably see why I am so confused - I like a lot of very different looks!

I have no idea where to go from here AND this is only a small taste of the many things I have saved!

Any suggestions?

The Premier of "The BUMP".

2009-06-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

You asked and asked and asked ... and I'm finally giving in! LOL! You're about to see my first posting of belly photos! I'm not sure why it took me so long, I guess it's taken some time to get use to!? So, here they are, hot off the press; taken yesterday!

21 Weeks 3 Days

(5 1/2 Months)

Holy Moley! Look at that Belly!

Since Sunday, I've been feeling her move all day long; it's so neat!

This process is pretty miraculous, I must say!

View from the top! Ha!

I LOVE baby clothes!

I never thought filling up someone elses closet could be more fun than filling up my own!?!

On the top, is the green and white stripe golf jumper her Grandpa Mac got her at the Masters.

On the bottom, the first piece of clothing her father bought her!

The first two outfits I bought for her!

So now we are beginning to work on her nursery! I've chosen the crib (the second one pictured in the earlier post) and now we have to determine the color scheme/theme... and it is TOUGH. I need help! Next time you hear from me it will be regarding all the nursery ideas! I hope you'll help me make some stylish decisions!

What I'm Going Goo Goo Ga Ga Over Right Now

2009-06-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've been surfing the web for the last few months and some of this baby stuff is so darn cute! I thought I'd post some of my FAVS - the stuff I'm going Goo Goo Ga Ga over!

#1: How cute are these metallic moccasins? I LOVE them! I want a pair too!

#2: I've always admired Gwen Stefani; I love her music and her clothing line! But now I love her even more! Check out these adorable pieces from her LAMB and Harajuku Lovers collection.

#3: Splendid has a baby line - Need I say more?!?!

#4: These Peace Bibs - LOVE THEM!

#5: Cupcake pants - C & C California! YUM!

#6: Paul Frank for Bugaboo!

#7: This kids stool is quite posh!

#8: Baby Kimonos!

These are a few of my favorite things!

What Are Yours?

Who's Your Daddy?!

2009-05-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha! I love the title of this post! It's perfect because this is the post where I introduce Kelly Stacy to those of you who have yet to meet him! This is definitely necessary since there are still quite a few of you out there that don't know him. So, why not give a brief overview on daddy!

Plus, for those of you who do know Kelly, you know there is nothing he loves more than HIMSELF! Ha! He's going to love reading about and seeing photos of himself. Don't worry my friends, he's not that bad, really.

So, his name is Kelly Stacy. Yes. Kelly Stacy. With this girly name, he also comes with the deepest voice you've ever heard! He's been told he should do radio (he loves that)!

We met at Modernistic (Yes ya'll, I coming out with all me deepest secrets)! That place was already giving me headaches, then I hired a new one - KELLY!

He's the company's best salesman, which is what I contribute to the outcome of this story (us ending up together), but he consistently has to be reminded that sales are not everything! Despite what he may believe, his sales alone do not make him "the best"! To be the best, you must also be a team player (amongst other things), which is something we're still working on! HA!

Long story short, I did what I swore I'd never do; date someone I work with.

And the rest my friends, is history!

Besides a SALESMAN at Modernistic, Kelly is a son to a mother who adores him and the brother of one, Nick (who is my age). Did I mention I am two years older than Kelly? Yeah... Does that make me a cougar? LOL!

Top 11 things you should know about Kelly:

1. He's a major hypochondriac.

I cannot let him watch the news; one word of the swine flu and you know he thinks he has it!

2. He has to work out every day or he becomes quite a ... brat

He is obsessed with working out, no wait, he is addicted to working out and obsessed with getting big, bigger and bigger and bigger! There are worse things I suppose.

I definitely admire his dedication to it. I wish I could get my fat behind off the couch and to the gym (actually no i don't, i like it here). Kelly is kind of a health nut, but just kind of - by that i mean he doesn't smoke, he drinks TONS of water DAILY, and he doesn't like dessert, YET he eats a steak sub from Tubby's every morning for breakfast and then has steak again for dinner at least four times a week.

#2.5: He LOVES STEAK!

3. He makes me laugh REALLY REALLY hard

Never underestimate the power of laughter. I did for a LONG time!

And I will forever be grateful to Kelly for reminding me. He helped me find some serious laughter I never knew I had. Seriously, I've never laughed so hard and I'll tell you what, it's addicting! He's a total Goof Ball, just look at him!

4. He always wears blinding white tennis shoes.

He'll buy four pair of the same shoe at the same time! Because once they are the slightest bit dirty, they immediately go in the trash. He's Nutty!!!

5. He Loves to Shop for himself & still doesn't quite understand grocery shopping.

I needed to clarify, "for himself", because I don't want anyone to think he likes shopping with me or for me - because all it takes is two stinkin' minutes

in Anthropology and he's whining and pouting like a two year old! However, if we're shopping for him, he's all smiles and moonwalking through the store!

Grocery shopping is a whole other story. Bottom line, he takes the list to someone who works there and has them escort him around the store to find each and every item. I'm totally not kidding!

6. He's high maintenance.

Just to fall asleep he needs all of the following: water right next to him, white socks on his feet, a fan blowing on him, the tv on and and an extra pillow. Can you believe it. Did I mention he hates camping? Yeah, he wont do it! I've learned to live with all of this except for the TV. I can no longer fall asleep with it on, plus it is bad for you. Okay, moving on.

7. He thinks he can sing!

He is always singing and dancing around. Now dancing, I'll give him that - he's pretty good, but singing - not so much! And when he is in the shower, he feels the need to belt it out - LOUD! I instantly get a headache, which he thinks is funny. Ugh!

8. He's a boys boy, but a girly man too! HA!

By this I mean, he is always there for his buddies - he keeps his word and needs to get in his fair share of time with them, but on the other hand, he's not get your hands dirty, play with bugs (or sports) kind of guy... he's a bit more... girly?! If you know him, you totally know what I mean, and if you don't, remember what I said about high maintenance and camping? Enough said.

9. He Loves his Lazy Boy Leather Rocking Chair More than Life itself.

I'm serious he has this chair that he has to sit in daily and get a few solid hours of rocking in. I mean, the chair rocks back and forth the whole time. It's crazy weird!

10. He's a huge mama's boy!

His mother still does his laundry, dry cleaning and pretty much anything he asks. It's cute and sweet for a minute or two, but not when you have to teach him how to take out the garbage and empty the dishwasher! HA!

11. He is very proud of his (self given) nickname, "2Smooth"!

Omg, i can't believe i just admitted that. I had too! He loves this nick name that he was given years and years ago - and it annoys me! Give it up already! I can't even talk about it.

Overall, Kelly thinks he's a "pretty bad dude".

I often catch him flexing in front of the mirror saying exactly that, "I'm a pretty bad dude". This makes me laugh! If only you could see it, you would laugh too!

As for me, I agree!

We certainly are as opposite as they come and there is no telling what the future holds, but one thing is for sure,

we are both going to love our little girl to pieces! We already do!!

Thing I've Found Comfort in While Pregnant

2009-05-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

I am 21 weeks and 5 days pregnant today. And over the last five months I've found extraordinary comfort in some weird things! With four months to go, I'm sure this is only the beginning, but in the meantime, I thought these were worth noting!

1. SLEEP.

I've always loved it, but never this much!

I could sleep an entire week away and not even feel bad about it!

2. Michael Jackson (in excess).

Prior to this pregnancy, I can't tell you the last time I listened to MJ! But now, I don't know how I ever lived without him! SERIOUSLY! I listen to the 30 track MJ mix I made at least once a day (if not more)! If anyone wants a copy, just let me know! It instantly puts me in the best mood EVER!

3. The Office (Season 1 - 4).

I finally watched and episode of this show, which i had been hearing people rant and rave about for years! And Wow ... the pilot was all it took; I was hooked!! I spent the rest of the weekend watching BOTH seasons one & two. I've never laughed so hard and so loud while watching something on TV in my life; it's unreal! I was addicted! Who wouldn't be? After spending an entire weekend doing nothing but watching this funny little comedy, I proceeded to borrow seasons 3 & 4 from my cousin the following Monday!

Looking for something to watch this weekend? Rent season one, you won't be disappointed!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show!

4. McDonald's Coke.

This is not new I suppose, but I am consuming mass quantities!

5. Edamame.

My favorite snack! I crave this more than ice cream or any other junk food! With a little butter and garlic salt - it's a tasty treat!

To Choose a Crib

2009-05-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Choosing a crib has become quite the task! After spending hours searching the internet and finding over a dozen potentials, I had to do some research to weed out the ones least qualified. For future mums to be, I highly recommend purchasing the book, Baby Bargains. It's a necessity, especially if your a first time mom! Trust me! There were two things that have helped me survive the last five months (especially registering for baby necessities): that book and my dear friend, Lindsay Clark! She recently had her first child, a son, Carter and is now pregnant with her second, a little girl, Paige, who is due in July! Having a friend you can trust to give you tips and advice on the process and must have products is essential (if you want to stay sane anyway). HA!

Anyway, with all of that said, I've finally gotten it down to two cribs! Which one do you like best?

Is it a GIRL or a BOY?

2009-05-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait for this appointment! I was practically counting down the minutes! I knew immediately that I wanted to find out the sex. And fortunately, Kelly agreed! I felt that regardless of when I found out (at 18 weeks or upon birth) it would still be one of the biggest surprises of my life. With that said, those of you who know me, also know that I prefer to be in control, organized, ready and prepared, at all times (if possible)! Ha! Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I would be finding out as quickly as possible! I mean, I had a nursery to plan and pink baby clothes were already calling my name!

I was 18 weeks pregnant when we went to Troy Beaumont Hospital for our fetal imaging appointment (they did a spectacular job, the photos we received were so vivid). I wasn't the only one looking forward to this appointment; my mom, dad, grandma and Kelly all joined me!

We sat in the dark room staring at a huge flat screen monitor mounted on the wall! It was quite the experience! The first image we saw showed the baby faced down (facing the floor). We could only see the back of her head, the spinal cord, her tush and legs! This was fine for the first 15 minutes because the nurse had to measure all of those areas, but once she was finished and it was time for mini mcdonald to roll over, she wouldn't!

What I went through next, in an effort to get this little baby to role over and face the other way, is quite funny.

The nurse asked me to run up and down the hallway and steps (of the hospital) for three to four minutes. When this didn't work (baby still facing the opposite way), the nurse had me eat a sucker and lay on my stomach!! After this too had failed, She had me running up and down the halls again! It was quite the work out I must say! And still, there was no change in the baby's movement.

By this point, my appointment time was up. The nurse knew how badly I wanted to know the sex and she hadn't even started measuring the front side of the baby, so rather than send me home, she got another nurse to finish up my appointment. My family and I were left alone in the room, feeling a bit bummed considering we may have to wait another few weeks for the news. Then we had another idea, maybe we could convince the baby to role over by talking to her!?!? My Mom and Grandma immediately started talking to my belly, asking her all sorts of questions!! It was funny! Within moments of them finishing, the new nurse walked in - and what do you know - the baby had rolled over!! She was so cute! Sucking her thumb, moving all around! And best of all, she was healthy! I got tears in my eyes hearing and seeing this!

It finally came time to learn the sex! The nurse verified with me one more time, "you do want to know the sex of your baby, correct?"

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

As she slowly moved the doppler lower, we came across one last obstacle we'd have to wait out;

the baby had her right hand between her legs!

We all got quite a kick out of this as we sat there and waited for her to move, and within moments she did!

And that's when it was confirmed! We were having a GIRL!!

I was so thrilled! I knew it was a girl! I had the strongest gut feeling from the beginning.

I couldn't wait to start planning! ... And Shopping!!

Week 21. I Realize I'm Pregnant.

2009-05-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have been pregnant for 21 and a half weeks and only now is it finally beginning to REALLY set in. Until this week, my pregnancy has seemed somewhat surreal. You'd think after all of the changes my body's been embracing, along with my tinier than ever bladder, and with the continuous expansion of my waist line, it wouldn't take much convincing! But, it has!!

I was certain that it would completely set in by May 7th @ 1:00 PM (if it hadn't already), as that was when I would get to see mini mcdonald with my own eyes at our second ultrasound. Kelly & I would also be finding out where we'd resume our argument over names, we decided to give it a rest until we found out the baby's sex! And while this amazing experience certainly helped solidify everything (like we'd be painting the walls PINK, PINK, PINK) it wasn't until recently, week 20 to be exact, that I really began to feel the reality of this little miracle! Hence, this blog! My dear friend Jeannie helped inspired me over the weekend! So, here it goes!? With only 18 weeks left until my due date, I have a little back tracking to do in order to get us all caught up!

So many things to discuss! Where shall I start??

There's a First Time for Everything!

2009-05-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my very first blog ever! I'm hoping it will serve as a journal, where i can note and share the details of the last 17 and a half weeks of my very first pregnancy. I don't want to forget a thing about this miraculous experience, and I certainly want to keep all my dear friends and loved ones up to speed and in the loop as we await the arrival of mini mcdonald! Once she arrives, I hope she too will enjoy the story of her miraculous little life!

Welcome to my blog!

xoxo