Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Where He leads me I will follow

Dear Diary,

House hunting can be a lot of fun. Looking at different ones, seeing how your stuff can fit in that persons home, finding ways you can add your own touch to it. All of this would be great to start doing if we could just find one to go look at. Every single house we find that we love ends up being sold right under us. We have the appraisal today and if everything comes back good, we will need to be out of our house come May. That gives us a little over 1 month to do what we just did for our house. But with no houses to look at, I am starting to feel the pressure. I don't want to settle and I don't want to get a house that I'm just ok with. I want to walk in and say Yes, this is it. This is the one. I don't like the new homes that are being built because every house looks the same and I am not that kind of girl. Both Bobby and I love a home with character and a backyard space. And the ones they are building now are just cookie cutter homes, with no backyards. They are just trying to fit as many homes as they can in one lot. So when you take those homes out of the equation, you aren't left with many and the ones you are left with sell fast. And I'm not shocked because our house sold fast (well if everything goes good today, it will be). 
Bobby and I are finding we either need to spend just a tad more to get what we want or go on the cheap route and buy a house that needs a lot of work. And if I wasn't 22 weeks pregnant, going the route where we have to do a lot of work would be amazing and fun and make the house our own. But I am pregnant and this isn't going away anytime soon and then there will be a baby and doing construction around a baby just isn't what I want to do. 
I keep praying and keep asking God to send us something that is best for us and I have to put my faith in him that everything will work out to his plan. As hard as it is, and as much as I struggle on a daily basis, I know at the end of the day everything is in his hands and he will lead us where we need to be. It reminds me of the Hymn: Where He Leads Me:
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow;
I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way.

I just keep telling myself this each day and it reminds me that God is in control, God will lead me and Bobby where we need to be and that I am living on God's time, not my own. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are 22 weeks today! He is the size of either a spaghetti squash or an ear of corn, whichever is your preference. He can see light and has eye brows. He can hear my heart beat, my stomach churn and the sound of my voice (poor kid). He is working on his motor skills by moving his arms and legs around. 




Love, Me

Monday, March 30, 2015

Color Run!

What a fun weekend I had. I love when I stay busy on the weekends because it helps me not just sit on the couch and watch TV and eat junk food. Which I find myself doing more and more as this pregnancy gets farther along. I had the Color Run Saturday morning with a few of my favorite girlfriends: Kristen Lewis, Julie Cordova, Mary Skinner and Jasmine Elias (who sadly was not in any photo because she was the one behind the camera the whole time) and she brought 2 friends with her. This is our 3rd one we (Kris, Julie and Mary) have done, and each year it get's better and better. I told you last week I had made a shirt for the Color Run and here it is. 
Color My Baby! 
Do you know how many people stopped me to take a photo or to compliment my shirt and where I made it and how far along and am I having a boy or girl. And every Color Run volunteer would shower my belly in powder paint, because it simply tells them what to do. 
I woke up at 6am, got dressed with the help of Dash, kissed my sleeping husband and drove to Kristen's house. I am awful at downtown driving. And Kristen is amazing at it. So I always ride with her. Julie rode with us as well and we made our way there. We were a tad late, but to be honest, I actually liked going closer to 9am then the 8am start time. It is more hectic at 8am and the 9am crew is more laid back, less runners and the line at the paint stations wasn't nearly as long as normally. Here we are at the start, all nice and clean. 

My one fear was having to pee every 15 minutes. I ate a Quest bar and about 6oz of water for breakfast and peed twice before I left the house. I wasn't able to pee at Kristen's because I never went in, afraid I would wake everyone in the house. So I peed when I got to the Color Run and prayed I would be ok. I made it through the first color which was yellow and when I was approaching blue, it hit me. I had to pee. But I didn't want to be that person. That one friend that makes everyone stop for her cause she can't hold her bladder. At the blue station, they had a check in point where you could get your picture taken and it would upload it to your facebook account. Here we are at the blue station. 

So after we started back running, I looked over at Kristen and she said "You have to pee don't you?" And I laughed. The girl knows me way to well. Luckily we were coming to the half way mark and I could see the orange port-a-potty's in view. And luckily, Kristen needed to pee as well so I didn't feel bad. Do you know how hard it is to pee sweaty, covered in powder paint and having no toilet paper? Oh and add a fanny pack and a pregnant belly to the mix...it's hard. But I managed and we went on our way. Somewhere along the start, we lost Jasmine and her 2 friends. They made it through so fast because she texted me when she was done and we were just on the 3rd color.  My favorite color to run through is pink of course. I load myself up with as much pink as I can get. And it is usually the last color but this year they added a 5th color... GLITTER! They added glitter to the end. You talk about 4 happy girls. But what we didn't realize, it that this was real glitter. Not fake paint powder glitter. I didn't get much on me but Kristen and Julie were practically rolling around in it. Do you know how hard it is to clean glitter off of you? Kristen is probably still covered in it because as of yesterday at Church, she still had it all over her, even after 2 showers! 
Here we are after we crossed the finish line. 

If you have never done it, I highly suggest you do. No one judges you for walking it. No one cares if you wheelchair it. There are strollers and kids running around and dogs! It's one of the most fun things I do and everyone is always in good spirits. We don't go for time here, we go for fun and laughter and just being with each other. When I look back on my life, it's these moments I will remember. It's these moments that I will carry with me. It's these girls that help make it for me. I can't wait till next year when we do it again.

As for the winner in the baby bag, y'all voted for the Black Petunia Pickle Bottom backpack as the color of choice that I should get and I have thought long and hard about it... and decided that that IS what I am going to get! When I originally thought about a baby bag, my first thought was getting black. I wanted something sleek and this is it. I let all that pretty yellow color cloud my original thought process. So thank you all for your help! I can't wait to get it! 







Friday, March 27, 2015

21 weeks




How far along? 21 weeks and 3 days 

Total weight gain? 9.5 lbs and feeling myself getting heavier and heavier each day. Which I know is a good thing because that means the baby is growing but it's just hard seeing the scale go larger than smaller and have to remind myself, it's all for my Mighty Mouse.

Maternity Clothes? Totally Yes! Can't wear anything else in my closet except my dresses. I can't wait to go dress shopping for some maternity ones.

Sleeping? Like a baby. Except I have been waking up about 4am every morning in some cramping pain so I have readjust myself or get up and walk around some till it passes. But I always fall right back to sleep so it doesn't bother me to bad...yet. 

Best moment this week? FINALLY feeling him move around in me. My doctor told me it would happen soon at my 19 week appointment if it hadn't already and up until last Sunday, I hadn't. But Tuesday when I hit 21 weeks, I felt this feeling inside my stomach and knew it wasn't because I was hungry or gas. It was him going from one side to the other. I stopped where I was and just took it in. He is still too small for Bobby to feel him since he is behind my placenta and needs to be a little bigger for us to feel him on the outside. 

Worst moment this week? Getting sick after one of my work-outs. I never got to the point of throwing up but I couldn't shake the puking feeling for a good 5 hours that night. I've been trying to do different machines at the gym instead of the just the treadmill and I think I must have over done it on one. 

Do I miss anything? Not really. With the weather getting really nice, my love of white wine keeps showing its gorgeous head at me while I sit outside at night on my patio and take in the cool Spring air. I refuse to buy a bottle of wine to only drink 6oz of it. And Bobby doesn't drink it and I won't drink 2 nights in a row because there's no point to it. And I don't want to order anything at a restaurant and get the ugly stares from people. So instead, I grab my bag of chips and munch on those till my sourness goes away from my lack of a crisp, clean Sauvignon Blanc. 

Cravings? My cravings have gone away. Now, it's just finding stuff to eat. I do still keep a bag of chips at home and did munch on them last night. But for wanting anything, or just needing to have something, I don't have the urge anymore. Now, it's more like oh I'm hungry but nothing sounds good. Like nothing ever sounds good to me. Poor Bobby...he tries so hard to cook good, clean food at home to help me and MM and to help keep my weight on track but I just can't do it some nights. 

Aversions? This has kind of gone away too. Nothing ever sounds good but nothing just turns my stomach anymore. Trying to find a balance of good for you foods and bad for you foods is hard. Luckily, I am gluten free so a lot of those bad for you food I just can't eat. I watched a donut show last night and it's all I have been thinking about but donuts are not gluten free and I haven't found a place yet that has one. 

Pregnancy symptoms? My boobs are killing me. I am starting to slow down some. I went for a run on Wednesday and I couldn't go past a mile. My belly was just too heavy and I felt like I was going to hurt my MM if I kept bouncing him around like that. My back is starting to hurt some. Usually I can just adjust to another position and I am fine but I can tell that will change soon. And I am getting really tired of having to pee so much. During the day it doesn't bother me, it's just at night when I just want to relax but can only get comfy for about 30 mins before the need takes over. If this kid could just make his way up a little in stomach, instead of making my bladder his punch bag, I would be so much better! 

Belly Button? In and starting to stretch a little 

Stretch marks? Nope, thank God

Looking forward to? Moving.....that's if we find a place. Our house is pretty much sold. And when I say pretty much, I mean like we have signed a few papers and are just waiting for a few more things to come into play and it will be sold. But the problem is us finding a home in the area of Mansfield we want. We had like 3 homes we liked but all got sold. So it's back to the drawing board. We look every night to see if new ones have popped up now that the weather is getting warmer. We just keep praying and asking God to lead us where he knows we need to be and keeping our faith in him is how we make finding our new home happen. 

Gender? Boy

Name? Mighty Mouse

Due? August 4, 2015 




OK people......you did NOT help me with the baby bag dilemma I was in. You did narrow it down to 3 different ones for me so that helped some but I guess it's all up to me to decide. 

The 3 way tie was between the Petunia Pickle Bottom backpack in black, the backpack in yellow/grey and the Stella and Dot red/orange and blue. I did take into account what you all wrote about why each one would be best and I was able to narrow it down to the Petunia Pickle Bottom backpack. Most of you said you either didn't have one and ended up switching to one or wished you had gotten one so you can carry baby and bag all at once or the next time around, you will pick a backpack. 
It's just the color I am stuck on. Part of me wants to do the all black because besides pink, it is my favorite color and if something spills on it, it's OK cause it's black and black never goes out of style and would last a good while. The other side of me wants the yellow and grey because this is a baby bag, not a purse and I want it to stand out as a baby bag. Baby bags are always so full of light and color and this is just that. And it would stand out to me with its bright colors and I won't lose it in my house because of it. 
UGH! My head says one and my heart says the other so for now, there's just no choice. They do carry them at Nordstrom's so I might go there and see if they have them and actually see the colors in person rather than online. Maybe that will help my decision.


If you would like way in on which color you think I should go with, please do! Either black or yellow/grey. I made a new poll on the right side of this blog. Voting goes till midnight Sunday. Or let me know by commenting below or on Facebook.  







Lent scripture for Thursday- Luke 18, verses 31-34, Another Prediction of Jesus' Passion (ESV)- 31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written abut the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.  

Lent Scripture for today- Luke 10, verses 30-37, The Parable of the Good Samaritan (ESV)- 30 Jesus replied, " A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell amount the robber?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

What I am loving right now!

Today's blog is all about the things I am so in love with at the moment and just can't live without! 

So you all know my sister in law Kristen is my Stella and Dot rep and you all know how much I love Stella and Dot. One reason I love them so much is because I am allergic to nickle that is found in jewelry and all of Stella's pieces are nickle free. So I know I can shop from them with ease, that any piece I love, I can buy with the security it won't harm me. Oh and if you order by 3/30, you will get it in before Easter! 

I am loving this Elodie Necklace right now. It is the most perfect for spring and summer time. It is $89. 




















My next love from Stella is this gorgeous ring called Zinnia Split ring. I love split rings because they have such a neat different look to them. Not like an original ring. They make such a fashion statement without taking anything away from the look. This one is $39. 


And when you think of Stella and Dot, you don't really think of purses do you? You mostly think of jewelry. But when Kristen showed me her new green purse I knew I had to add it to my list. She told me every where she goes, she gets asked about it. It is $138 but to me, that is cheap for a purse compared to all the designer ones out there and just as cute! 



So what Stella has introduced is an earring you can wear multiple ways. So you buy one pair of earrings but you are able to take them apart to become 3 different earrings. How awesome is that? These are my favorite of the multiple way lines. They are called Flora Chandeliers and are $49. 

Here is Kristen's site if you want any more information on the above information or just want to browse at all the awesome Stella and Dot jewelry.... http://www.stelladot.com/sites/kristenmlewis/?lc=en_us  



Ok my next love comes from Younique. I can't even begin telling you how in love with this product I am. And it's not because I sell this. Even if I didn't, it would still make my list. It is the Shine Eye Makeup Remover Cloths. I have never been able to take my makeup off as easy as I do with the Shine clothes. With rosemary, vitamin E, jojoba, sunflower and olive oils, it takes my makeup off with such ease. You get 36 cloths in one pack and they are $20. I swear by them. Besides the 3D fiber lash mascara, this is probably my favorite product from Younique. They leave my face so soft and so clean. You don't need to rinse it off. I do it about 20 minutes before getting into the shower to let all the refreshing ingredients soak into my pours. It really refreshes and hydrates my face. 
 You can find this and all Younique products are my website.... https://www.youniqueproducts.com/DaniLynnLewis 



I have been feeling very nostalgic lately so I decided it was time for me to update some pictures at work. I use a mouse pad everyday but I noticed that it was missing a few children and the children's pictures I had, were much older and didn't look the same. So I went to my favorite site, www.shutterfly.com, and made myself a new mouse pad. People...they have them for $5 right now! Actually, they are having a huge sale on almost everything. I just love Shutterfly. Their stuff is always nice and always good and I never have a problem using their website. 

I mean come on right....look at these faces. Pure perfection! 




So I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows, The Kitchen with Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, Sunny Anderson, Marcella Valladolid and Geoffery Zakarian (who happens to be my favorite chef) on a Saturday morning with Bobby. Well, Marcella is pregnant and I always look at the clothes they put her in. Well this one show in particular, her shirt kept catching my attention but I couldn't tell what it said on it cause she had a blazer over it. She finally pushed her blazer back at the right moment and I saw it! I started laughing, looked over at Bobby and said..."I must find and get that shirt. This is what every pregnant girl needs in her life". So I found it on www.cafepress.com for $39.50 and found a discount code to make it even cheaper and bought it that following Monday. What is it you ask....? 
It is a little big on me (or it was when I got it in a few weeks ago) but the moment my belly fits, you will see me in a lot. I get cold easily and I love the whole long sleeve with shorts look so this shirt will last me all the way into the summer. What I love about Cafe Press is their shirts are super soft and you can also make your own shirt for a really good price. 

I am doing the Color Run on Saturday and I made me a shirt for it from Cafe Press. I can't wait to blog about the Color Run next week and show you the shirt I made! MM and me are going all out this year. We might be walking with the handicapped, the strollers and the dogs but we will finish, covered in color and having the best time EVER! I love the Color Run and I love the girls who do it with me and I can't wait for Saturday to get here! It's not to late to sign up either. Go {here} for more information on it. 


Is there anything you are just loving right now that you think I need to try? Let me know! I am so up for trying new things or seeing new things, as long as my pregnant, gluten free self can! Also...don't forget, today is the last day to vote on which baby bag you think I should get. Closing is tonight at midnight. You can vote on the side of my blog, under the About Me, titled Which Baby Bag Should I Get? If you need a refresher on them, go {here}

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Lent catch up

For Saturday's Lent Scripture- Matthew 6, verses 1-4, Pure-hearted Giving (ESV)- 1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 

For Sunday's Lent Scripture- Luke 8, verses 50-56, Healing (ESV)- 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping." 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead 54 But taking her hand he called, saying "Child, arise." 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given to her to eat. 56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them t tell no one what had happened. 


For Monday's Lent Scripture- Mark 3, verses 31-35, Jesus' True Family (ESV)- 31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." 33 And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." 

For Tuesday's Lent Scripture- Matthew 6, verses 31-34, part of Do Not Worry (ESV)- 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

For Today's Lent Scripture- Mark 13, verses 28-31, The Parable of the Fig Tree (ESV)- 28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know the summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Knowledge is power

Dear Diary,

We both know how much I love Angelina Jolie. She is my favorite actress and one of my favorite people ever. The amount of good she does in this world is enough to buy her many lifetimes in heaven. But this morning, I read an article that she wrote about something that she had done recently and I thought I would share it with you. I found this on the NY times website: 


LOS ANGELES — TWO years ago I wrote about my choice to have a preventive double mastectomy. A simple blood test had revealed that I carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. It gave me an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. I lost my mother, grandmother and aunt to cancer.
I wanted other women at risk to know about the options. I promised to follow up with any information that could be useful, including about my next preventive surgery, the removal of my ovaries and fallopian tubes.
I had been planning this for some time. It is a less complex surgery than the mastectomy, but its effects are more severe. It puts a woman into forced menopause. So I was readying myself physically and emotionally, discussing options with doctors, researching alternative medicine, and mapping my hormones for estrogen or progesterone replacement. But I felt I still had months to make the date.
Then two weeks ago I got a call from my doctor with blood-test results. “Your CA-125 is normal,” he said. I breathed a sigh of relief. That test measures the amount of the protein CA-125 in the blood, and is used to monitor ovarian cancer. I have it every year because of my family history.
But that wasn’t all. He went on. “There are a number of inflammatory markers that are elevated, and taken together they could be a sign of early cancer.” I took a pause. “CA-125 has a 50 to 75 percent chance of missing ovarian cancer at early stages,” he said. He wanted me to see the surgeon immediately to check my ovaries.
I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.
I called my husband in France, who was on a plane within hours. The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful.
That same day I went to see the surgeon, who had treated my mother. I last saw her the day my mother passed away, and she teared up when she saw me: “You look just like her.” I broke down. But we smiled at each other and agreed we were there to deal with any problem, so “let’s get on with it.”
Nothing in the examination or ultrasound was concerning. I was relieved that if it was cancer, it was most likely in the early stages. If it was somewhere else in my body, I would know in five days. I passed those five days in a haze, attending my children’s soccer game, and working to stay calm and focused.
The day of the results came. The PET/CT scan looked clear, and the tumor test was negative. I was full of happiness, although the radioactive tracer meant I couldn’t hug my children. There was still a chance of early stage cancer, but that was minor compared with a full-blown tumor. To my relief, I still had the option of removing my ovaries and fallopian tubes and I chose to do it.
I did not do this solely because I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, and I want other women to hear this. A positive BRCA test does not mean a leap to surgery. I have spoken to many doctors, surgeons and naturopaths. There are other options. Some women take birth control pills or rely on alternative medicines combined with frequent checks. There is more than one way to deal with any health issue. The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally.
In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because on top of the BRCA gene, three women in my family have died from cancer. My doctors indicated I should have preventive surgery about a decade before the earliest onset of cancer in my female relatives. My mother’s ovarian cancer was diagnosed when she was 49. I’m 39.
Last week, I had the procedure: a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. There was a small benign tumor on one ovary, but no signs of cancer in any of the tissues.
I have a little clear patch that contains bio-identical estrogen. A progesterone IUD was inserted in my uterus. It will help me maintain a hormonal balance, but more important it will help prevent uterine cancer. I chose to keep my uterus because cancer in that location is not part of my family history.
It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, “Mom died of ovarian cancer.”
Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause. I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.
I feel deeply for women for whom this moment comes very early in life, before they have had their children. Their situation is far harder than mine. I inquired and found out that there are options for women to remove their fallopian tubes but keep their ovaries, and so retain the ability to bear children and not go into menopause. I hope they can be aware of that.
It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power.

Monday, March 23, 2015

I need your HELP!

So I need your help with something. With the baby coming, it has come to my attention that I need a baby bag. So I started researching and looking around and finally found a few I love. But I can't decide on which one I really want. So I thought I would tell you about them and then have you help me pick a winner. 

The first one comes from Petunia Pickle Bottom and it is part of their Sashay Satchels collection. Their Sashay Satchels convert from a carry bag to a backpack with one easy switch. It has 3 pockets, 2 bottle pockets and a key slip. It has 2 bottle pockets on the outside as well. It has 2 exterior front and back pockets and 1 cell phone pocket. The problem I am having is the color. I like 3 different colors in this bag. 

This one is their limited edition in black with the etching on it. 


 I like this one because I can wear it with brown or black clothes and doesn't look to masculine or to feminine. 



And this one is so much fun with the yellow and grey and would totally stand out as a baby bag over a purse. 

What it looks like as a backpack. 


OK, the next one I like is also from Petunia Pickle Bottom and it comes from the Tailored Tote collection. This collection doesn't convert but is much taller and more sleek. It has 1 small side zippered pocket and 2 open pockets. It has 2 exterior bottle pockets as well. I only have 1 color I like from this, black and white


The last one I like comes from Stella and Dot. It is called Keep It In The Bag and for those who thought Stella and Dot didn't have a baby bag, well they do now. And it is adorable. Comes in orange/red and blue and has 2 exterior pockets, 2 side pockets for bottles, 3 interior pockets and a stroller clip. 


You see my dilemma? UGH! 
Ok so here's how you can help me. I have a survey going on the right side of this blog (under the About Me) asking you to choose which one you like best. Or you can post below or let me know on Facebook which one you think looks the most like me or would be the best for me. I am trusting all you moms out there. They are all about the same price so that I am not worried about. The survey will go till Thursday at midnight where I will announce the winner on my Friday's post. 

Thank you all in advance for this! I really do appreciate the help. 


Friday, March 20, 2015

20 weeks




How far along? 20 weeks and 3 days 

Total weight gain? 9 lbs 

Maternity clothes? For sure. I have been lucky to find some really cute maternity clothes for myself for a good price. And I can pretty much wear what I want to work so jeans and tops are my new best friend. I wore a dress last week and loved it. And once the weather warms up some, dresses are going to be my best friend then. 

Sleeping? Awesome. I fall asleep really easy (after about 5 mins of finding a comfy spot), wake up about 2 times to pee and I fall right back to sleep. But I am sleeping so sound that I have been waking up feverish and with headaches. My cheeks and face stay hot and red for about 30-45 mins after I wake up but the rest of me is cold. It's so weird. But at least I am sleeping. 

Best moment this week? Not only getting 1 but 2 offers on the house! 1 was not a good offer and Bobby and I went back and forth on it with the person and prayed on it and right before we decided to do anymore with it, got a 2nd offer that was sooooo much better and decided to go with that. So we will see how this plays out. 

Worst moment this week? Waking up with the headaches. The slight raised temperature I can deal with but the headaches just drive me crazy. And they last for hours. I have been taking 1 Tylenol after breakfast but it takes a good while to work on me. I'm just praying it's allergies because of Spring time and that this will go away soon. I know I am allowed to take a Benadryl while pregnant so I might have to take one of those at night so I don't wake up like this. 

Do I miss anything? Honestly, not really. Each week is different for me. One week I really want wine. The next week I really want sushi. But I think my brain is so in pregnancy mode that I don't even think about those things anymore. I had a sip of my moms wine at the movies the other night but it just wasn't worth it to me. Granted it wasn't the best stuff in the world and if it had been a glass of Cuvison Chardonnay or Kenefick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc I might have thought differently. I do miss Happy Hour and when all the guys from my work go to the bar, I do feel left out but it's ok. I am working towards a bigger goal and keeping this little guy healthy and strong is it. 

Cravings? This weeks chip of choice was the Kroger brand Sour Cream and Onion chips. Kroger has their own line of chips that are $2 a bag so I thought I would try them out. They are amazing! They come in different flavors so that's good for me. Bobby was a little shocked when I put them in the basket at the store and said "Sometimes you surprise me". Usually because I always grab a brand name chip and turn up my nose at store brands. I've also been cravings cereal....any kind of cereal, but mostly the ones that are made for kids rather than adults. It has been my 9pm snack of choice for me when I take my prenatal vitamins. 

Aversions? Not as bad this week. This is the second week in a row Bobby has made chicken mozzarella and I have eaten half of it. That's about all I can take. But there's nothing really that just turns my stomach anymore. I do have to be in the mood to eat for food to sound good to me. 

Pregnancy symptoms? Cramps or growing pains. Sleepy. Tired. Headaches. One minute I am starving and the next I don't want to even look at food. And when I am done I am done. I don't want it sitting in front of me anymore. 

Belly button? In

Stretch marks? Nope

Looking forward to? House shopping. We have been looking everyday on different sites for housing in Mansfield and have found a few we like but because houses are selling really fast, we are trying to not fall in love with any because we can't really buy yet. Not till our house is officially bought do we even want to go look. But I have feeling it will be in a couple of weeks we start going and I can't wait. Do I want a house move in ready....or a fixer upper and make it how I want it? 

Gender? Boy

Name? Mighty Mouse. Out of 2 names we have, Bobby is about 80% sure on one of them but I am not. I just can't pick yet and really don't want to. I am fine calling him MM till he gets here and I get to see his perfect face and make the decision then. But even if we do decide his name before he is born, I will not be revealing it. Too many people have too many opinions that I don't care to hear. 

Due? August 4, 2015 




For Thursday's Lent Scripture- Matthew 5, verses 43-45- Love for Enemies part 1 (ESV)- 43 "You have heard it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

For Today's Lent Scripture- Matthew 5, verses 13-16- Salt and Light (ESV)- 13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." 


AMEN on that that. Being God's light is something I strive for everyday. And you should too :) 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Have Courage & Be Kind

What a great night I had last night! Ever since myself, my mom, my sister and Landry saw this poster...

We knew we couldn't wait to see it. There didn't have to be any words or who was staring in it...we all knew what this one shoe meant. 

CINDERELLA!!!! 


And last night, the 4 of us made our way to Grapevine Mills to see it. I always pre-purchase our tickets on Fandango and was able to get the best seats in the house for Landry and us for the night. This was going to be my first time seeing a movie with her in the theater so I was very excited. We went to the fork and screen theater so we could eat dinner while we watched the movie. 

There was a 7 minute Frozen mini movie before Cinderella called Frozen Fever which was awesome. The creators of Frozen really know what they are doing and I can't wait for Frozen 2 to come out. But then right after that, Cinderella started.
 And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It was sooooo good. The girl they got to play Cinderella (who's real name is Ella but her stepsisters call her Cinderella to insult her) was gorgeous. Her name is Lily James and she is more known for her Downton Abbey character. But she really brought the grace and kindness of Cinderella to the screen. She had this natural beauty about her that was really refreshing to find in a character. A character that is so loved by so many little girls and women around the world. She did a wonderful job. She taught so many lessons in this story without giving you a lecture. I don't want to give away the movie so I won't talk about that, but I will say at a few moments I wanted to tear up. And yes, I know I'm pregnant but it doesn't matter. It gets to you. She reminds you to be kind and gracious and to have manners and when in doubt...wear blue! 



Richard Madden played Prince Charming, or Kip (learned his real name last night) and he didn't disappoint either. He has these piercing blue eyes that are totally real (I looked it up and read they did not digital enhance them. They just placed him in good lighting and his eyes just shined like that). I was afraid they were going to make him dorky or unmanly but nope. He was perfect. 


And then you have Cate Blanchett as the Step-Mother. It was the most perfect casting for the step-mother. WOW. I love Cate but really hated her in this movie. And that's what you want. She was that good. Besides Helen Bonham Carter, she was the only big name in the whole movie but it was great because she lived up to her name. And the 2 girls they got to play her 2 step-daughters made the perfect Drisella and Anastasia. Sophia McShera played Drisella (dressed in yellow the whole movie) and Holliday Grainger played Anastasia (dressed in pink the whole movie). 

Speaking of Helen Bonham Carter, she played the fairy godmother and narrated the whole movie for us. I love her!!!!! She's always so good in every character she takes on and even though she was only in it for a short time, she was perfect. She was a little younger and prettier than the original fairy godmother but it didn't matter cause she played the part so well. 

Look at these two....this is what you want in a love story. You want some action, some drama, some heartbreak but in the end true love always wins. 







But the main lesson of the story, the lesson her mom teaches her when she was young, the lesson we must all take away from the movie, the lesson that we need to use in our everyday lives, the lesson that would make this world a little better...Have Courage & Be Kind! 








And what would my night be without a picture of me and my girls! 

Me and Lou and my future Prince Charming *aka Mighty Mouse* *aka baby bump*. 

Us Girls! 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Let's go to church!

For Saturday's Lent Scripture: Luke 6, verses 6-11: Healing a Withered Hand (ESV)- 6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. 

For Sunday's Lent Scripture: Matthew 4, verses 23-25: Jesus' Healing Ministry (ESV)- 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pain, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

For Monday's Lent Scripture: Luke 6, verses 12-16: Choosing the Twelve Apostles (ESV)- 12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he names apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. 

For Tuesday's Lent Scripture: Matthew 5, verses 1-6: The Beatitudes part 1 (ESV)- 1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Bless are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

For Today's Lent Scripture: Matthew 5, verses 7-12: The Beatitudes part 2 (ESV)- 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heave. 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 



Feeling blessed is something I think a lot of people take for granted. Or they do something so great, and think it's all them. In reality, every single thing we do in life, is because of God. Every accomplishment we get, is because of him. We don't do something, or go through something without him being a part of it. It is so easy to blame God for all the bad, so easy to turn away from him. But God doesn't want his children to suffer. That's why we must lean on him and his word when times get hard. And remember to thank him for the things you have been blessed with. Remind him how much you love him everyday and everyday count all the blessings in your life and remember they all come from him.