An Important Question and Some Loves

• Singing along with Oasis in a British accent, top down, cruising in the fall weather.  Even errands are fun in a drop top.  Who else besides Oasis and the Cranberries actually sings in their accent?  My version of Linger in an Irish accent is rather amazing. ("Ohhhh, I thawt the wawrld of yew. . . .")  Don't you want to ride around in the Barbie Dream Car listening to 90's on 9 with me now?

• Finding pasteurized eggs in the grocery store. I have eaten a fried egg every morning since this discovery.  Oh, runny yolks, I have missed them so much.

• Big furry paws petting me, as we snuggle up to watch Gossip Girl with open windows and a cup of hot dark chocolate.

And now, since I am also digging my outfit today, some almost 22 weeks bump pictures, for those who are interested.

I got a few new drapey sweaters from TJMaxx yesterday, and I am loving them as maternity wear. 

So, that's what I've been feeling in the last few days of early fall.  Oh, there have been a couple pumpkin spice lattes (bought in the Starbucks drive-thru to avoid pregnancy police), but they have lost their luster for me. . .too sweet (even with half the syrup pumps). 

What is floating your boat these days?

Beyonce and Me

So, I'm not sure if y'all know this, but I adore Beyonce.  Simply adore.  I am practically as excited about her pregnancy as my own (or maybe just that we are knocked up together). 

Anyway, most of my bizarre dreams of late have been rather unsettling.



Not this one.

I'm in a hotel in Dallas for a wedding, when I spot B heading to the restroom.  I throw caution and coolness to the wind, and dash after her, slipping into the ladies.  As we wash hands, I ask her when she is due.  She sweetly replies "January 17th" and we begin to compare notes.  I tell her that I am a huge fan, and we talk about my favorite songs.  Of course, my mind is completely blank, and I can barely think of any of her songs, but we laugh it off to pregnancy brain.

Then she asks if I want to perform a routine to a new song with her and her dancers.

Um, yes!

She picks a ballad, since I have to take it easy, and her back- up dancers show me the moves.  I didn't mess up too much, we exchanged hugs and said our goodbyes, and then I woke up.

How's that for a way to greet the morning with a huge grin?

Now your task is to find out B's actual due date.  If it is January 17th, this means that I obviously have pregnancy ESP, and need to start a lucrative side business.

Preggy Sue

The Road to Hell. . .

Paved with good intentions, blah blah blah.  It's been almost a week since I posted.  After my solemn vow. C'est la vie.  I've been going to lots of yoga classes, and am going to learn to relax.  This mono type exhaustion also really helps the relaxation process.

So as an appeasement measure for lack of posting, I have pregnancy pictures! Much like Kate, I had qualms about this type of posts, but after a conversation with my dear friend Miss Purvis, in which we realized that she may never see me pregnant in person, I decided it's time.

So 21 weeks.

I'm sure you love my high quality iphone pics taken this morning on my way to out the door.  I, for one, appreciate their blurriness.

This was probably not the best dress to wear for this exercise, as it does a fairly good job of camouflaging the bump.  Flip-side?  I then look chunky not preggo.  I am pulling it tight here, so you can see the goods.

My waist has disappeared, but I look slightly normal from the front (please just agree with the delusional pregnant lady, okay?).

So the rundown (I copied your headings, Melissa)-

How Far Along: 21 weeks


Sex of baby:  We dunno, much to all the ultrasound techs' displeasure.  I have had an ultrasound every 2 weeks because of the wonky uterus, so tomorrow's scan will be the fourth chance we've had to find out. Obviously, I am made of willpower enforced steel, no?

Size of baby:  A big banana! The banana is right at the 49th percentile for size, which sounds great.
Total Weight Gained:  At my estimate about 11 pounds.  I don't pay attention at the doctor's because 1) my appointments are right after lunch 2) I haven't used the restroom yet and 3) I have on copious amounts of clothes.  Everyone knows your true weight is first thing in the morning, after using the ladies, with minimal amounts of clothing.  Obviously.

Maternity Clothes:  Pants and skirts.  I am loving that elastic waist.  All my normal flowy dresses and tops are still in use.

Movement:  All the time! Baby is most active around 3:30, and 8-9:30.  It really likes yoga, and bounces all around at the end when we lay still, or after a walk or swim.  Hubs is thinking that it is already taking after me in the activity levels.  Maybe all that playing is why I am so dad gum tired!

Sleep: Oh, just about 9-12 hours a night. . .

What I miss: Just feeling like myself. Jazzercise and a run.  Oh, and my energy.

Cravings: Pineapple and cheeseburgers.

Aversions:   Chicken.  I can wolf down a damn barbecue sandwich, but the thought of even Chick-fil-a makes me gag.  Not loving salads either.  It's so strange.

Symptoms:  My back hurts, and I can't remember my last name.  Literally.  I was leaving a message for someone, and left it with my maiden name.  I've been married for almost 2.5 years.

Best Moment this week: A pregnancy massage last weekend at Westglow on Mama and I's mother daughter spa weekend! Seriously, go there- it was wonderful!

My So-Called Life- High School

So Monday of Labor Day weekend was a wet tropical storm induced drippy mess.  There was also a My So Called Life marathon on the Sundance Channel.

I was pleased.

I was brought back to my time of clothes that were simply too big, sideways glances fraught with meaning exchanged between lockers, bad boys, and parental rifts.

So similar to my look- even had that Jansport backpack, which then had to be upgraded to a Northface for high school.  I was in eighth grade when the show premiered, and was canceled, then a freshman in high school replete with my own Jordan Catalano to agonize over during the MTV repeats.

It's so bizarre to remember those days, when a wink or hello from an older boy in the hall could make your month, and riding around in a car with your friends was super fun, although you pretended to be bored.  I had my wild child period freshman and sophomore year, running around in my vintage overalls, and thrift store jeans, flannel shirts hanging off my barely 100 pound frame.  (Why, oh why did I not take copious pictures of myself in bikinis at this period, so my thirty year old pregnant self could remember how I used to be?).

And Rayanne?  Did y'all have that "new" friend? One that you didn't know growing up, and maybe felt a bit nervous around?  So exciting and fun, but after spending rare moments at her house, you were so secretly appreciative of your parents who were always around and imposed rules.

Anyway, I was instantly brought back to those years, filled with insecurity and anticipation.  I found myself becoming a bit wistful and angsty, completely absorbed in Angela's life.

Then Hubs came in, complained vociferously, and changed the channel.  This was probably a good thing, because I don't think my hormones could have handled when drunk Rayanne slept with Jordan in the back of his car while Brian filmed it. 

Too much for this thirty year old to handle still.  Sniffle.

Solemn Vows

So we were in Savannah last weekend for Preston's beautiful nuptials.  Jessie was giving me a little guff about my severe lack of blog updating lately.  I hung my head in shame, and agreed.  I promised that I would do better- after all my camera is loaded with pictures of yummy recipes for y'all to try, and my mind churns at night with all the things I want to discuss with you, dear readers.

But then when it comes to turning on my laptop, I fall asleep instead.

This lack of energy is just too much!  I was so pleased to stay at the reception until the wee hour of ten p.m. (I'm such a party animal), but then I slept the whole way home, and twelve hours Sunday night because I was so worn out from the trip.  I have time for nothing but sleep!  This is really cramping my lifestyle.

Anyway, what else is going on?

1.  I have been going to so yoga classes lately- normally I get way too antsy in yoga, being more of a bop around and bounce person.  However, maybe I am already mellowing, because it just suits me to a tee lately!

2.  Mama and I are going to the spa this weekend!  I am too tickled about this trip, to celebrate our respective 30th and 60th birthdays which occurred last month.  We are going here, in Blowing Rock.  What should I pack?  Hmmmm.  Might need some suggestions on cute preggo spa wear, ladies.

3.  Buddy and Hubs will be having a bachelor weekend, and I say there will much imbibing and cursing going on at our house during the UT-Florida game. 

4.  Buddy is a nut case as usual.  We were taking a stroll around the neighborhood the other night.  While I was looking at people's gutters (we're getting new ones, and I was deciding the color), Buddy took advantage and took off!  Now, I am not supposed to strain too had after him, or fall trying to hold him, so I dropped the leash.

What he took off after, sniffing furiously, tail waving like a furry flag?

A  damn concrete bunny. 

He came back to me, dragging his leash behind him in defeat, shamefaced.

I laughed pretty hard.

So, that's pretty much it around these parts.  I am renewing my vow to get back to almost daily blogging in front of all the interwebs as  my witness.

I'm going to try at least. . . 

Nursery Beginnings

I have found that the most difficult part of not finding out the gender of the kid currently residing in my tummy is the nursery planning.  When you look up gender neutral nursery ideas, everything seems to be tasteful neutrals.  Which is lovely, but sooo not my style.  I love color and print.

I started out with several ideas, including Khandar Jewel by Robert Allen, yellow walls, an aqua dresser/changing table, and white crib.  That all changed when I found this-

Please excuse the crappy iphone pictures.  So, dresser and crib will be antique white, and the walls will be Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore.

The fabric is by Braemore, and will comprise the drapes and the crib skirt. 
Bumpers are going to be a great textured yellow and white fabric, which I will also make a bolster pillow for the glider (haven't found that yet- thinking a natural will work nicely.

If the bean is a boy, I will pull out the reds, and if it is a girl (my sneaking suspicion purely based on how damn tired I still am, the Chinese disagree with me and predict a boy), I will pull out the pink.

Now all I have to do is wait for our mudroom renovation to begin (and end), relocate Hubs' office to new office in mudroom, paint, add crown molding, and have my linens made. Hmmmm.

Well, this guy is geared up and ready to relocate-

Grinning from ear to ear in anticipation already!  Kind of resembles my daddy in that respect. . .

Silver Britches

I know.  I am terrible.  It's been over a week, and I have no excuse.  Well, except for work, and the fact that at 18 weeks I am still exhausted all the time.  It's getting really old.

Apparently pregnancy makes me look like a zombie.  Or maybe it's the lack of adult beverages in my life.

The good news is, I've been back in the kitchen and have lots of delicious goodies to share with you.  The bad news is, after attending a birthday party Friday night, and having people over for the game Saturday night, I couldn't even stay up to watch the Dawgs lose.  Which may not be that bad, since my retinas were seared by my alma mater's uniforms.  Why, Georgia?

I can't even discuss it.  How am I supposed to cheer Go You Silver Britches!??  Poor Larry Munson.  Please read this article if you are bored, for a brief history of the silver britches.  Obviously Nike did not.  Hmmmppphh.

I am just going to continue to picture this in my head, and yearn for its return.