Oh my my...so much to catch up on!

Okay dear blogger friends, apparently I am no good at keeping with something... especially while pregnant. There were days when I thought 'hmm.. I should probably write a blog post today...nah I don't feel like it.' Have no fear, I had very much to say and many many things happening, such as decorating a nursery, buying cute clothes, and ya know, growing a baby. However, I just couldn't find the energy or the care to sit down and write those things out.

Lazy, I know.

I would love to promise that I'll go back and do a post on everything important that's happened...and I very well may, but I might just kind of briefly update and get back to business now.. I haven't decided. But stay tuned friends, because I do plan on staying on top of this whole blogging thing in 2013.

I really want to use this as a journal of our lives and I know I'll look back and regret it if I don't document it all...especially things going on in Bailey Grace's life!

So...fresh start. Let's begin with the MOST important thing that happened in 2012 my whole life! The arrival of Bailey Grace!

We went in to the hospital at midnight on October 21st.. or midnight on October 22nd..? How do you say that? It was 12:00 in the morning no the 22nd, I know that... but how would you say it? Anyways, who cares... I was induced at about 2:30 that morning and started having contractions and all that jazz a few hours later. I think I got my epidural around 11:00am and really started dilating pretty good. We thought we were making good progress and even got up to 6 or 7 cm dilated, but when the doctor came in around 5:30 or 6:00 that evening, he said the baby was dropping like she was supposed to, so he thought we should do a C-section. I really didn't want to have a C-section if I didn't absolutely have to, so we gave Bailey Grace about an hour and a half more to see if we'd progress anymore. Well...we didn't. So we went in for the C-section at about 7:30pm and Bailey Grace was born at 8:00 on the dot! The doctor said it was a good thing we went with the C-section because she was wedged up in there pretty good and there was no way she would have come out on her own.

So, because we had a C-section, we didn't get any pictures of her RIGHT when she came out. In all the hustle and bustle, John John forgot his phone and the camera..naturally! So we saw her for the first time in the OR and to be honest, it was SO incredible! She and JJ headed to the nursery to measure, weigh,etc. and I got PLENTY of photo updates from Bailey Grace's "entourage" (our friends and family waiting outside the nursery window) after I got back to the recovery room. JJ eventually came back from the nursery and we waited not so patiently to see our love bug! :) Because it was so late when we finally delivered, and all of our friends and family had been waiting most of the day, everyone went home to get some rest and said they'd be back to visit her the next day. I was so so thankful for this because it gave John John and I some alone time with our baby we had been waiting on for so long. We were all so tired, but we did enjoy a couple hours with her before the nursery nurse came to take her back for the night.

Here are a TON few pictures from our hospital stay!

This sweet girl has been bright-eyed since she arrived in this world! Always afraid she will miss something!

                                                

 Bailey Grace had many many visitors at the hospital! **Disclaimer: these are only the photos I had on my phone. I didn't get a picture of everyone, so no hurt feelings if you're not in these pics! It's just because I didn't have a copy of your picture! :)** My mom was the main "paparazzi" for the first several weeks of BG's life, so I really need to get with her and get all those pictures. Another thing to add to my to-do list! 

 Poor sweet thing was NOT happy to be changed into her going home outfit!

 Daddy had to come to the rescue and calm her down a bit!

 On the way home, she decided her headband could double as an eye cover!

Well, that's just a small portion of our sweet baby's new life! I can't wait to get you up to speed on all that's happened in her short little life! She is SUCH a joy and we can't imagine life without her! 

^"17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17

I'm Baaaack!!

Hey strangers! Wow, I didn't realize I was taking a blogging break, but apparently that's what has happened! I just haven't had anything to talk about. I mean, don't get me wrong. We've had plenty of things going on, but it just didn't feel blog-worthy..

I think I'm spending so much time planning for and looking forward to the baby's arrival, that I'm not really spending a whole lot of time appreciating the here and now, which I KNOW is not good.. So this is me going back and trying to appreciate even the little things that have been going on around here...

1. My mom came to visit for about a week and we had SO much fun! Johnny boy went on a boys fishing trip for half of the time she was here and we just had a really really good girls time! My BFF Alli came to visit with us, and we really didn't do much exciting stuff, but we ate good, planted some flowers, and did lots of girls talk!

2. We got the baby's crib!!!! Eeekk! We are borrowing it from a friend and are so grateful for them letting us use it. It's black and we are having some furniture refinished in black so even though we don't know what the baby is, we are making progress in the nursery department!

3. Which brings me to the next exciting news (I realize this is not in the here and now, but I just can't help writing about this...) we find out what the baby is next Thursday! SIX DAYS!!!! AHHH!! Sorry I am like having a freak attack I am so excited! And I think JJ is too! At first he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out, but now he's like chomping at the bit just like me! :) I can promise you I WILL have blogging content after we find out if we're having a boy or a girl! :)

4. I am O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with the "Fifty Shades" trilogy of books. Oh. My. Word. I'm embarassed to admit that I'm reading them, but seriously without all the "ris-kay" material, the story line is SO interesting and captures your attention for sure! I mean, I read the first two books within 4 days and am working on the third book now. I'm not going to recommend that everyone go out and read these books, because as I said, the content is a little bit questionable, especially for younger readers, but... read at your own risk if you want! :)

5. We've had a pretty sad week around these parts.. First, on Saturday afternoon, we found out that John John's hunting dog/BFF of 13 years, Rebel, had passed away. So sad. We took him down to their hunting land and buried him just where he should be for the rest of his days. He was seriously the best dog ever and we all miss him, but I especially know that JJ does. Next, my mom called me late Sunday night and told me that my Nana (my step-dad's mom) had passed away. She's not been doing well for a while -- had several strokes, etc -- but it is still hard to lose someone who is such a constant in your life. I mean I can't tell you how many times while I was in Texas for the funeral, we'd be leaving the hotel or something and we all kept saying, "we're going to see Nana and Papa" or "we're going to Nana and Papa's house" -- I mean their names go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly....but now, it's just Papa. And more than anything, I'm so sad for him. He's lost his life companion and she's more of a constant in his life than in any of ours. I know death is a part of life and hat we should rejoice her finally meeting her/our savior in Heaven, but it's still a little sad to lose someone you love. I did have a really great time visiting with family in Texas and we all had a blast reminiscing about Nana.

6. We were having the HARDEST time potty-training (yes, I know it's called house training, but I call it potty training :) ) Baxter! When my mom came, she shared in my frustrations and we came up with a new plan, with the help of the vet and he is doing SO much better. He's not completely trained yet, but my fear of him not being trained by the time the baby gets here is no longer a valid fear. He will definitely get there and I am SO glad. He's such a sweet baby boy and I just didn't know WHAT I was going to do with him. So yay for that! And here are a few random pictures of the puppies... you know I can't have a picture blog without some of them...and six months from now I'm sure it will be that way with pictures of the baby..can't help it :)

 These two pictures are of Baxter doing what he does best, "sunbathing".

 Riley sometimes doesn't like when I read..she needs all the attention on her. Can you believe that?! Spoiled.

 Little mama's boy! And Johnny hates it! He cannot stand that Baxter likes me more! But then again, I can't stand that Riley likes him more..soooo I guess we're even?

                                                                       Sweet girl!
7. I've blogged about these green beans before, but I made them again the other night and wow. I just can't even put into words how GOOD these things are! I posted a picture on facebook and everyone wanted the recipe. Just in case you're a newcomer, here is the link again.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-green-beans-fennel-and-feta-cheese/ (I omitted the fennel b/c I wasn't sure where to find it or even what it was, and it is still super yummy!)

8. Today is Friday, but it feels like Monday to me, since I got back from Texas last night... LOVE that! It always seems like Mondays should be Fridays, but having a sweet surprise like a Friday not feeling like a Friday, welp folks, it doesn't get much better than that!

9. Please please PLEASE pray for my friend's sweet little cousin. I don't know a lot of details, but I do know that she is 2, almost 3 years old and is battling cancer for the second time in her precious little life. Her name is Kendall "Grace" Eddings and her mom has started a Facebook account in Grace's name to keep everyone updated. You can add her, she won't think you're a creeper. She knows that there are people/churches all over praying for her little girl and these folks just want to keep up to date on Grace's treatment, etc. Just search "Kendall Grace Eddings" on facebook and it should pop up. They are selling bracelets for $3 a piece to help with medical expenses and to keep a cute little reminder on your arm to keep PRAYING for this sweet girl! If you can't tell in the picture, one side says "Cure Childhood Cancer" and the other reads "Kendall Grace Eddings" (in an adorable Disney font, I must add!) I have a few of these bracelets left if anyone is interested. Just let me know!

10. I got the absolute cutest little onesie, burp cloth and bib for Baby Averill the other day off Etsy. Here's a picture of the onesie and the bib. The burp cloth is the same design as the onesie. Can't wait til Election Day 2012 for the baby to be styling in this! :)

Well, I think that's about all the randomness I can come up with as of right now... I'll try not to take such a blogging break again. Haven't been doing too well keeping up with what's been going on around here. I hope you all have a fantabulous weekend!


xoxo



Spring Has Sprung!!!

Hey friends! I'm baaaackk! I have finally figured out why I haven't had much to talk about lately on the blog, or in general really. It's because I've been worthless for about....I dono, five weeks?! My Lord! I have not wanted to do anything at ALL! I think I'm finally getting my energy and motivation back though and have actually had a very productive Saturday!

Baxter had his third round of shots and de-worming this morning at the Vet.. I went to Warner Robins to kill some time and run a few errands (two of my favorite places --> Target & Kroger!!) Then, I came home, played with the puppies a little bit, washed some clothes, cleaned up the kitchen, organized the pantry, and decorated the house for Easter!! I'm telling you, this is more activity than I've done in WEEKS!

Which brings me to the main part of this post.... my Easter decorations! A lot of people in the blog world have been talking about their Easter decorations and since I love me some holiday decorating, I figured I would share my decor'! Hope y'all enjoy!

All this bright, colorful stuff makes me so very happy!! I want to leave it up all the time!! Hope you have all had a very happy, productive Saturday!


xoxo

Jenn

The Size of a Blueberry!!

Ohhh my goodness!! Have I told you that we're having a BABY?! Lol I know I have but it just is really starting to seem real! We went to the Dr. today for our first ultrasound and it was amazing!! I've been thinking all day about what I want to say and how I want to say it, but I just don't know! I am literally so happy that I'm speechless. And those of you who know me well, know that is an accomplishment (making me speechless)! So, instead of talking about it, I'll just show you the pictures! :)

I know most of you are thinking.."hmm I can't even really see anything" and believe me, I understand because I used to feel the same way about ultrasound pictures. However, when you have your very own little baby love, you'll understand the excitement of this little black and white picture! :)

We had such a good time at this short and sweet appointment. It was great! We were a little concerned that we may be having twins (don't know why, I just had a feeling), so it was reassuring to find out there was only one little butterbean growing in there! I'm not saying we wouldn't have been thrilled to have two babies at once, but it definitely would have been stressful! So we will just be thankful for the one healthy baby that we have! :)

My weekly pregnancy newsletter thing says that butterbean is the size of a blueberry this week! I can't believe that in three weeks, we've gone from a mustard seed to a blueberry! And in three more weeks, we will be at the size of a PLUM! Agh! So blessed and excited for this addition to our little family!

On a side note, I wanted to share a recipe that I made last night. It's not a new one and it's not mine originally, but it's G-R-E-A-T and simple so I thought I'd share!

 

Ingredients:

Portabella Mushroom Caps (I usually get about 6)

Sliced swiss cheese

Kraft - Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing & Marinade (I've tried to add red pepper and parmesan to regular Italian dressing when I can't find this kind, but let me tell you, it's NOT the same! This dressing is a MUST when making this recipe!)

That is literally all you need.

First you take the mushroom caps and lay them upside down in a casserole dish like so...

The ones I bought were extra big, so I had  to use a big casserole dish and a small one. Usually I can get 6 normal sized ones to fit in one large dish.

Next, pour the dressing on top of the mushrooms.

Next , bake them at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, place one slice of cheese on top of each mushroom cap and bake.

This is what your finished product will look like. I cannot tell you how yummy this tastes! And if your hubby is like mine, and won't eat any type of mushroom..this just means more for you!!!

Okay, this has been a very random post, but that's all I've got guys. Hope you all have a fabulous rest of the week. It's downhill from here!!

xoxo

Real Life Romance..

Hey guys! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I had a very lazy/wonderful one myself! Friday night, I told Johnny that I desperately wanted to go out to eat! We had been eating in, saving money (I'll do a post about my meal planning skills another day), etc. for 2 weeks and I needed to eat somewhere besides our living room or dining room table! Now, Johnny boy is not one to go out to eat a lot. He uses the excuse that "it's more personal and romantic to eat at home just the two of us", but  I say that's just bologna!

So anyways, after begging and begging, we finally decided we would venture out.. but only to a small town about 10 minutes away from us..blah. But hey, I'll take what I can get with this stubborn boy. -- side note.. I hope baby Averill doesn't get both of our stubborn tendancies.. that would be a mixture for disaster! -- anyways, back to the story.. after much discussion, we decided that Huddle House (much like Waffle House for those of you who don't know) would be our destination!

We actually had a great time though, and although I already knew it, this date simply reinforced the idea that you don't have to go somewhere fancy or expensive to have a good time together. Maybe the atmosphere isn't sultry and the lights aren't dimmed, but it's still good, quality time together -- and when you're married and competing with friends, other obligations, etc. you take what you can get and make it worthwhile! This, my friends, is real life romance to me!

Saturday, we didn't do much. I took Baxter -- or "Badness" as we call him -- to the vet for his second round of shots and de-worming and went to the grocery store. JJ did some work around the house like hanging extra sets of shelves in closets, etc. That evening, we went to a benefit Wild Game supper at a local church and had a great time with friends! The food was very yummy , but I don't think it quite agreed with my stomach b/c that night is when I started getting sick.. blah!

That continued on into Sunday, and therefore we declared it a PJ day on the couch, where we did nothing but take turns changing to what movie or TV show we wanted to watch and take the dogs out. We did venture out to the pizza place  to pick up supper, since I was having a strong craving that night! But we were gone a total of 20 minutes and ended up right back on the couch where we started, and watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2!  Great, great movie!

That was our weekend... I think we meant to get more done than we did, but ya know what? We spent some good, quality, much needed time together doing nothing! It was fabulous! And I'm sure once baby Averill comes along, we won't have many more times like this.. without a whole bunch of planning, anyway. I love our real life romance. Sometimes it's not spicy, and it's not really romantic at all, but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. I love that boy...PJ's and all!


xoxo

Hungry, Hungry Hippo!!

That is what I feel like right now-- a hungry hungry starving hippo! I can NOT get full!! At the same time, I'm trying not to eat just crap, but my goodness, it's like nothing is filling me up! I told Johnny maybe the baby is going through a growth spurt.. I sure do hope so! I need some kind of explanation for this craziness!

And I think the cravings are beginning.. someone just slightly mentioned the Wendy's parking lot earlier and it was like my stomach was on a rampage for Wendy's chicken nuggets!! So strange..

mmm... don't they look scrum-didly-umptious!!? (pretty sure I didn't spell that right, but hey -- who cares?)

I'm trying to drink more water, but let me tell you.. it's just disgusting to me right now. I have had almost two bottles of it today though. I've found that drinking through a straw makes it more bareable for some reason. I'm a strange, strange girl haha!

Oh, AND the hormones are starting to swing.... I got home the other day to find that Riley (our yorkie, mind you, not a lab or anything big) had knocked over our trash can in our kitchen and had also busted out of the kitchen, where we keep her during the day contained by two baby gates.. and had TWO accidents on the carpet... It is so weird b/c she can stay in the kitchen all day while we are at work and not have one accident, but let her get on the carpet and BAM, she can't hold it any longer.. I guess it reminds her of the grass? or maybe she just does it to get under my skin!! Well, this particular day, it worked. I saw all of this, called John John and burst into tears! I don't typically cry very much, but it's like I couldn't control myself.. AHH what am I going to do with this crazy person that's taking over my body?!

So, I'm feeling a girl vibe lately! I don't know if it's because I reeeally want a baby girl or if it's a real gut feeling.. but I guess we shall see around the middle of May.. I'm so ready to be able to decorate the nursery, buy cute little clothes and things, and ultimately I'm just ready to hold this bundle of joy in my arms!! I absolutely cannot wait!!

Well, I guess that's all of the rant that I have today for y'all. Kind of all over the place, but that's all I've got! :) Hope your week is going great, and if it's not, well... it's almost over!!!


xoxo