Mothership Confessional

Another week down! I feel like these weeks are going by super fast. I knew February was going to be gone before I knew it - just a few more days and it will be March! And then it will be May.  And then it will be June.  And then Ava will be here!! Here's a great picture for ya: I kept forgetting to take my 21 week photo. So this was last night. At 10:30. When I was very tired And should have been in bed over an hour ago. And the lighting was bad. Oh well; that's life. Anywho, I am now going to stand in front of her crib because the rest of her room is a complete mess. But I am very thankful to those who helped this room become a mess! I had 2 baby showers at home last weekend and Ava got a lot of very special things! Now we just need to get her some furniture so we have a place to put it all! This week I have really begun to notice that it is more difficult to get up off the couch, to get out

I have reached the halfway point! Exciting and scary all at once! It's been a fairly busy week. We took a trip with some friends to Nashville to check out some baby stuff.  And we got a crib! After putting it together, I originally wanted to keep the door shut to keep the cats out. Zorro loves to chew on strings, and Pearl likes to chew on plastic. And they both love to get on and crawl into things. But I was working on decorations for her room and let them wander around while I was in there. I looked up after awhile and this is what I saw:  My first  babies.  It was exciting to see the crib in the empty room; once it was put together we stepped back to look at it in silence. Our baby will go in there! Seeing the crib makes I feel much more real! They already love this room. So I've decided to only keep the door shut when I have things laying out that I don't want them getting into.  I had a doctor's appointment a few days ago; Ava

Yes, you read that right.  Crockpot. Dr. Pepper. Bacon. CHILI! This stuff is amazing! And so easy! I love dump-and-go meals. Especially in the crockpot. Here's how you do it: TAKE THESE INGREDIENTS... ___________________________________________________________________________________ 1 pound cooked ground something : beef, turkey, pork, sausage, chicken...whatev sounds good! I had a pound of cooked beef in the freezer, so thawed that quick used it. 12-24 strips of cooked bacon, chopped (I would have gone with 24 since bacon shrinks so much when it cooks, but I only had a little left after our breakfasts the past few days) ____________________________________________________________________________________ 4 cans of beans, drained (any kind you want - I used 3 pinto and 1 navy) 1 can tomato sauce (or 2 if you want it a little less thick and more saucy) 1 can crushed or diced tomatoes 1 can Dr. Pepper (I used

...aaaand I'm back to having my photographer. Lookit my belly!! I spent the day clearing out Ava's room. I may or may not have bought 4 rugs. I laid them all out to see which ones I liked best. Pearl helped me decide that this one was the keeper: As soon as I laid it out, I went to the window and as soon as I turned around, there she was. Whoring herself all over it. Ha! And here is miss Ava! All 18.5 weeks of her! She was in the same position as last time, nestled up against the placenta, but this time she decided to turn her head so we could see her! She liked to move her arms around and cross them over her face. At one point she held on to the umbilical cord, which is laying across her. I think she has her daddy's mouth.  The ultrasound tech said she is laying transversely, instead of the typical breech or head down orientation, which would explain why I mostly feel her kicks on my right side. We watched her move around for a bit. S

I took another major life step about 2 weeks ago.  I put in my notice at my job. I have never been the type of person to just quit or "get tired" of working somewhere. I don't interview at jobs that I'm not serious about, nor do I just take a job just because it's a job. I am committed, I don't like letting people down, and I always put my all in whatever I do. So this was kind of a big deal for me. In college, I quit working because my mom grew very sick and I went home just about every weekend. I quit working at the preschool that I adored because the Army was taking us away. And now, I have worked my last day at maurices because I am going to have a baby. A baby! It is so hard for me to turn in these keys. Turning in these keys, to me, represents BIG life changes ahead. Each time I have quit a job and turned in keys has been the first step towards something drastic and life changing. My last day at work was yeste

I can't believe it's February already!! I'm 18 weeks and the baby is approximately the size of a mango. A kicking mango! She likes to kick a lot. Sometimes I have to really be focused to feel it; the other day she gave a pretty strong kick for being just 5 inches long! I feel her right at the waistband on my non-maternity pants. (Would you like my chevron cardi? Check it out here  on maurices' website!) Is it just me, or does 18 seem like a very big number?! I am approaching the halfway mark! That is kinda scary! I was at the PX the other day, and I was wandering around and realized I haven't bought anything  for baby Ava yet. Ok, so we bought a few KU onsies, but that was before we knew she was a girl. So I thought I'd let myself pick up a few things. I about lost it when I saw this in size newborn: Is that not THE CUTEST THING  you have ever seen?!?!?! I had to have looked like a fool to anyone walking by; I'm sure I had a h