Here at Hold the Gluten Please, nothing is off limits. I am a proud mom and wife. I love God, food, wine and movies and I plan on talking about it all.
For almost 14 years he has made me smile and laugh.
When I talked to him about becoming a stay at home mom a little over a year ago, he never complained. Instead embraced it. Instead encouraged it. He picked up the money slack and gives Brody and I the best life.
This man is my best friend.
He is my love and my lover.
He is my husband and I love being his wife.
Happiest of Birthday's Robert Samuel Lewis. I sure do love you and don't know what my life would be without you nor do I ever want to find out. Growing old with you and raising these kiddos we are blessed with is my dream. You are the best dad in the world to this little boy, who loves you the most and you never take it for granted. I wish every man was like you!
Due to the move there was no 18 week photo or blog so I covered the past two weeks below. Nothing changed between the weeks and I look the same. Also, I can't find my chalk for my chalk board so this was the best I could do!
How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain? 3.2 pounds and couldn't be more excited. My doctor told me to enjoy the holidays and eat more so I have been trying. Some days I forget to eat till like 11am but then try to make up for it the rest of the day. So I love that I am seeing the results she told me too.
Sleeping? Good. I have found a good position that I am comfortable in and it works for all night.
Best or worst moment in the past 2 weeks?Best: Moving into our new home. I just love it here. Worst: Brody getting the flu. It sucks having a sick kid but we got him on medicine and it was gone by Christmas.
Do I miss anything? Being able to have a drink to relax. I just want a big glass of dry white wine, preferably French, super cold!
Aversions? Actually nothing really. I'm over all of that as of now.
Pregnancy symptoms? My skin is awful and dry. I get irritated super easy. And I cry super easy.
Looking forward to? Brody going back to school. Aren't all parents...?
Gender? There's a 50% chance it's a boy.
Name? The name will start with a B no matter what.
Sorry, no 18 week blog today because it is someone in my life's birthday and that trumps the weekly blog.
Happy birthday to my brother in law Tim.
I just adore you Tim and I hope you have such a wonderful day. You are an incredible father and husband. You are super smart and always know what to say. You are the silent type but I love that about you. You make me laugh all the time and I love you. Happy birthday!
I won't be blogging starting tomorrow through at least Christmas. We are moving and with the holidays, it's just going to be too hectic. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Oh how I hate the process of taking photos. I stress the whole time leading up and trying to get all of our outfits just right and myself fixed. It is so stressful. I don't mind my picture taken, I never shy away from the camera (except those 2 and half years I had braces) but just the idea of having pictures made stresses me. But then I see the results. I see what my girl Betsy captures and it literally makes it all worth it.
Betsy, I know I keep telling you this but you seriously know how to capture the best sides of us all. I adore everything about you, even when you are yelling at me at the gym because I'm being lazy. I just love you friend!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. God bless you all!
Love, Me
Also, don't forget that Betsy has an awesome offer for my blog readers. Book by the end of 2017 with her for anytime in 2018 and receive 10% off that session. Go to https://swinkphotos.com/ for more details and make sure to mention this blog when booking.
What a whirlwind this past week has been. I feel like I am a chicken with my head cut off. Packing, shopping, 2 Christmas's down...5 to go. I know I have said it before but I do apologize for being absent from the blog. It is totally on the back burner these days and will be till after the New Year.
But I have so much planned for the new year and I can't wait to get back to being full time on this. I have some awesome shop smalls I have discovered shopping online that are run by great people. I am finally feeling better so I can't wait to finally enjoy this pregnancy. I have so much to be thankful for this year and the year to come.
I couldn't let today go because today is special day for me:
~Back in 2009, Bobby proposed to me. Thank God I said yes. I love him beyond words. When God gives you a gift you take it and hold on to it and that's what Bobby is to me.
~In 2010, I became a Godmother to the Weddel twins. Oh man I miss those babies! They are 7 now and oh so beautiful. I don't get to see them like I like but I do pray for them and that whole family.
~In 2014, I found out Kristen was having a girl and little did I know that what kind of girl that would be. Billie Marie is something else and if you have met her you know what I mean.
I love this day in history. I love thinking back on each day and where I was in life and what I was doing. Life has changed so much for me but I wouldn't change anything that has happened. Just feeling so blessed today!
How far along? 17 weeks Total weight gain? None. I am actually less than what I was at 9 weeks. Due to getting super sick, my weight dropped. Hoping to catch up in the next couple of weeks to make sure the baby gets enough. Sleeping? Ugh.....as much as I love sleep, it comes and goes for me. I sleep about 6 hours a night and I try to take a 1 hour nap while Brody naps. I think once we move and get settled, I will sleep better but right now, I just have to much on the brain and I can't shut it off. Best or worst moment this week?Best: furniture shopping for our new home. Took everything out of us, but it was fun picking out new stuff for the house. Worst: getting sick. I would never wish that on my worst enemy. Do I miss anything? Having control over my body. Feeling normal. Sushi. Aversions? Well since I haven't eaten much this week, not really. I've mainly stuck to crackers, cheese, watermelon and cuties. Pregnancy symptoms? If it's a symptom, I got it. Like seriously. Looking forward to? Brody has a Christmas program tonight and I can't wait. Gender? January 11! Name? Gotta know gender Due date? May 24, 2018
I had a doctors appointment today and the heartbeat was great. She wasn't worried but said I needed to up my calorie intake. I am burning way to much during the day and not replenishing it. I need to eat about 2000 calories and I am only in-taking around 1100-1300. So I have to start eating every 2-3 hours and up my water intake to 90 ounces a day.
I can't believe I didn't blog yesterday. It was the first time since I have started the blog that I didn't write anything (except holidays or vacations).
Actually I can.
I was incredibly sick. Both Bobby and I caught some sort of bug and it completely wiped us out. To the point where we both had to go to an Urgent Care to get IV's. We couldn't keep anything down and I started worrying about dehydration and ended up dehydrated so the only thing that made me feel better was that IV. I was there for about 3 hours while they helped me.
Thank you to those who reached out to me and prayed for me. I greatly appreciated it.
So that's it for today because I am still out of it and need some rest.
No five on Friday today. I do apologize. From now until the new year, the blog may be running a tad behind. With us finding a house, we move 3 days before Christmas so when Brody naps, I try to take care of as much as I can around the house, so cutting into my blog time. So if you ever come a day and there isn't a blog, just know that is why. As much as it kills me, I have so much to do around here and little time to do it. All with Christmas shopping and everything else this holiday season brings. And being pregnant...let's not forget that.
Once we get settled in our new home the blog will resume everyday like normal, it's just these next 2-3 weeks may be a little off. Thank you in advance for your patience and your dedication to coming to this blog.
How far along? 16 weeks Total weight gain? 2 pounds which doesn't shock me since I hadn't gained anything and then all of a sudden I look pregnant and am eating full meals again. Sleeping? Still at an incline but much better this week. I have had a bad cold but I am sleeping because I am allowed to take a nighttime medicine that helps. Best or worst moment this week?Best: finally finding a home to move to. We have been searching and finally found the right one and these next 2 weeks are going to be so chaotic but this house we found is worth it. I can't wait to share all about it. Worst: being sick and not being able to do much about it. There is only a handful of things I can take so my cold last longer than normal. Plus my immune system is shot so it just makes the recovery time so much worst. Do I miss anything? Being able to work out full out. I am starting to notice things I can't do fully and not because I can't do them. But because my body won't allow me to do it. Aversions? Nothing this week which is shocking. I always don't like chicken but this week I craved Wing Stop so I got some on my meat day. Pregnancy symptoms? My belly finally popped. I actually look pregnant and not just out of shape. I love it. If you say something to me about food, and I don't have it in front of me and it's something I love, I will sit and think about it. And think and think and think until I give in and go get it. I will go days like that and then BAM...gotta have it at that moment. Looking forward to? Hearing the heartbeat next Thursday at my 17 week appointment. Gender? Wish I knew but still feeling like it's a girl. Name? Gotta find out if boy or girl first. Due date? May 24, 2018
Starring: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Bobby Cannavale, McKenna Grace, Caitlin Carver, Bojana Novakovic, Julianne Nicholson
"Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes."
December 15th
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rated PG-13
152 Minutes
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Tom Hardy, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Billie Lourd, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, Benicio Del Toro, Justin Theroux, Laura Dern, Lupita Nyong'o
"Having taken her first steps into the Jedi world, Rey joins Luke Skywalker on an adventure with Leia, Finn and Poe that unlocks mysteries of the Force and secrets of the past."
Ferdinand
Rated PG
106 Minutes
Starring: John Cena, Kate McKinnon, David Tennant, Bobby Cannavale, Gina Rodriguez, Daveed Diggs, Gabriel Iglesias, Anthony Anderson, Peyton Manning, David Tennant, Boris Kodjoe, Karla Martinez, Raul Esparza, Jerrod Carmichael, Miguel Angel Silvestre
"After Ferdinand, a bull with a big heart, is mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure."
December 20th
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Rated PG-13
119 Minutes
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Missi Pyle, Madison Iseman, Nick Jonas, Ser'Darius Blain, Alex Wolff, Tim Matheson, Morgan Turner
"Four teenagers discover an old video game console and are literally drawn into the game's jungle setting becoming the adult avatars they chose."
The Greatest Showman
Rated PG
139 Minutes
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Charity Williams, Paul Sparks, Keala Settle, Gayle Rankin, Cameron Seely, Austyn Johnson, Sam Humphrey, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
"Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation."
December 22
All the Money in the World
Rated R
Minutes N/A
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Charlie Plummer, Teresa Mahoney, Stacy Martin, Olivia Grant, Timothy Hutton, Andrew Buchan, Charlotte Beckett
"The story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom."
Downsizing
Rated R
135 Minutes
Starring: Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Rolf Lassgard, Ingjerd Egeberg, Jason Sudeikis, Maribeth Monroe, James Van Der Beek
"A social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself."
Pitch Perfect 3
Rated PG-13
93 Minutes
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Ruby Rose, Elizabeth Banks, Alexis Knapp, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Hana Mae Lee, Kelley Jakle, Ester Dean, Shelley Regner, Chrissie Fit, John Lithgow, Matt Lanter, Guy Burnet, John Michael Higgins, Andy Allo
"Following their win at the world championship, the now separated Bellas reunite for one last singing competition at an overseas USO tour, but face a group who uses both instruments and voices."
My today shop small is not a company but an individual. And her name is Betsy Jones. And her talent is photography. She is the owner of Swink Photographyand she is by far one of the best photographers I have ever worked with. Not only is she good at picture taking, she is incredible with kids, understands that they are not always going to sit still and look pretty. She embraces that and ends up capturing the best photos. When I went to her to take our Christmas/Baby Announcement photos, she sent me the best places for us to choose from for location based off what I was wanting the background to be and worked around our schedule, multiple times. She also does bulk photography because I have her booked for pregnancy and first born photos as well and she gave me an amazing bundle price for it all. When the day arrived and I was stressed to the max, she kept reassuring me that these were going to be great. There was nothing to stress over, even after Brody's 4th melt down. She's calm, she's patient and she is truly one of my dearest friends. She recently got back to me the Christmas pictures and I do plan on sharing them with you closer to Christmas but here is just one them. And again, let me remind you how much of a mess I was due to a lot of different things and yet, you can't even tell.
Y'all are NOT going to believe what she is going for my blog readers. Book by the end of 2017 for 2018 and she will give you 10% off her photography packages. And you can book anytime for 2018, not just for specific months but you must book by the end of 2017 and mention my blog when booking so she knows!!!
Never heard of it? It's amazing. It is the largest Christmas light display maze in the US. It's like walking through a Christmas light wonderland. They have fake snow flying around and Santa is there. There are food trucks and an ice skating pond. If I wasn't pregnant, I would have been ice skating. Words can't even describe it seriously. It's kind of expensive but Sunday's are the cheapest to go. It averages $21-$30 a person and kids under 4 are free. There are 3 different start times (5pm, 7pm and 8pm) and it just helps with crowd control. They don't kick you out when your time is up, it is simply to just help the amount of people they allow in at one time. I took more video than photos last night but here are a few I snapped, included this kid rocking it with Santa.
These were my favorite photos of the night. The pure joy in Brody's face is the whole meaning of this holiday. I wish I could live everyday in these lights with this happy carefree child of mine.
I highly recommend this to anyone. It's one of those things you just need to experience for yourself.
Because I took so many videos and not photos, I found this YouTube video showing you some of the features so you could see for yourself.
