Week 19

Here is our picture from Week 19!

Thank you to my awesome sister for the pile of maternity clothes she gave me. This dress was one she had when she was pregnant and it is super comfortable.

Week 19 was pretty low key. We didn't have any after work activities scheduled this week which was nice because I got to go for walks every day. It was beautiful here so walking was great.

I had been craving mexican food all week so Friday night Lenny and I went out to dinner and I got my fill of chips, salsa, cheese dip and guacamole. I surprisingly didn't have heart burn afterwards. Not that I get heartburn often - I just know how much I ate that night which is why I'm surprised :)  It surely was delicious though!

Saturday night we had a neighborhood potluck which our neighbors, the Koesels, and we organized. It turned out to be really really fun and a ton of people came. We had so much food and Lenny got to grill burgers on his big green egg so he was a happy camper. We had a fire pit where we all got to make s'mores for dessert. The kids in the neighborhood wore their Halloween costumes. And it was COLD. Unexpectedly cold. I stayed seated by the fire pit most of the night.

Lenny's sister, Lisa Marie, came down and stayed with us as well. It was great being able to spend some time together. She is so excited about baby Shelor and is going to be an awesome aunt. She's an incredible mom and someone I look up to - especially for her parenting skills. I'm very blessed to have her. I wish she could have stayed a couple of more days actually -- but I think she might miss her boys at home :)

I had a really nice Sunday - A relaxing morning, followed by a two hour prenatal yoga class. A dietitian - who also is a friend of mine - came to the first part of the class and answered questions about pretty much anything to do with food, drinking, vitamins, breastfeeding, etc. It was really interesting.  When I got home I ate lunch and then got to take a two hour nap (woohoo!). It does stink waking up and realizing I still need to go to the grocery store. But I did a quick trip there and came back to house. All in all - a great Sunday.

I have our 20 week checkup on Wednesday. I have been feeling more and more little movements that baby Shelor keeps making. It's almost like little bubbles in the belly. It makes me laugh a little each time I feel it because it's such a miracle. It makes me so happy.

I hate to cut this short but it's late for this momma. I'm ready to get in my pj's and lie down.
Until next week!
xoxo,
Sara

Week 18

Week 18 has been wonderful!! Here's our picture from this week...

This was first thing in the morning. Let me be the first to tell you, as the day goes on, and you eat breakfast and lunch and a mid afternoon snack, I swear the belly expands and I look a LOT more pregnant by 5pm then I do at 9am. Just saying :)

Like I mentioned above, week 18 was great. We had our 18 week ultra sound on Wednesday. They did the "anatomy scan" where the tech measures EVERYTHING. The ultra sound lasted about 45 minutes. It was amazing. She talked us through everything she measured which was very interesting. It's crazy what they are trained to see. She explained to us that everything looked perfect. I cried... of course!

She got to the part where she needed to determine the sex of the baby and she knew we did not want to know so she told us to look away.  She took out the pictures at the end so we would not have any clue. The general consensus right now amongst our friends is that everyone seems to be convinced we are having a boy. I will be happy either way :)  We will find out in about 5 months! Here is one of the ultra sound videos from Wednesday. You can see those arms and legs kicking around. It's absolutely crazy. I've started to feel the "flutters" as everyone calls them. It's like you had a little twitch in your stomach. It's wild. I'm not sure how long it will take till Lenny will be able to feel the baby. Enjoy the video!

Baby Shelor at 18 Weeks

Pretty crazy, huh? It's amazing all the things we got to see - Arms, legs, fingers, toes, the brain, the heart. It's incredible. Every day it feels more "real". 

Another VERY fun thing Lenny and I got to do this week was go to CLEMSON on Saturday and watch the Tigers play UNC! They are doing great this season and the games have been very exciting to watch on tv so were really pumped to have the opportunity to go down and get tickets to the game and tailgate with friends.  Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Tailgate time! Sara Bryant (who is very newly a  Blondie by the way!) and I at her parents tailgate. It was so good to be able to see and catch up with her.

Shelly and I at the tailgate! I love me some "shelbell" as I call her. She had me laughing so hard I was crying yesterday. Literally. Crying.

I miss these girls so much. We don't get to see each other as much as we'd like and yesterday was so fun but I was also left with a sense of sadness because we pick up right where we left off each time and it makes me miss them that much more. I need to be better about planning get togethers - even if it's meeting halfway for dinner. It's a small thing to do when people bring you so much joy.

I also got to see one of my best friends Caroline at half time (WAY TOO SHORT OF A TIME!) and sadly don't have a picture to show for it :(  It was so good seeing her too. She just passed her boards and is going to be the best nurse in Greenville, SC. Again, another friend I need to make more time to see. Especially before the little bean gets here. 

I am off now to eat dinner with our neighbors. We do "Soup Sundays" when the weather starts getting a little colder and we switch off each week. It's their turn and we are having chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches! We are even going to get yogurt afterwards. YUM!

Until next week!

xoxo,

Sara

Week 17

Here is the week 17 picture... I spy a baby bump! I'm officially wearing maternity jeans in this picture by the way! And they are oh' so comfortable! 

October is one of the busiest months in the event industry and we are on full blast at work.  Lenny spent a few days out of town this week working on the setup for a wedding this weekend. Between his quick trip and the days being filled with phone calls, emails and appointments - the week (like I feel like I keep saying) truly does fly by.

Earlier this week a package arrived to the house. I wasn't expecting anything and was surprised to see some special presents for baby Shelor!  Marmi went out of town to Dallas and Atlanta this month and during one of her trips, couldn't help herself - she saw some adorable items at Pottery Barn Kids and shipped them straight to us. How adorable are these?? 

We have a sheep washcloth/mitt and a sheep towel wrap. Sophie the giraffe is a great play toy and two organic swaddling blankets! 

Thank you Marmi!! Baby S loves you so much already!! We've been feeling so blessed and loved during this whole process. 

I bought a flight back home to Memphis for a long weekend in November this week as well. I can't wait to give my family and friends big hugs! Marmi already has a plan for my sister and I and my niece and her to go do baby registry. I have so much to learn but I know I will be in good hands with this crew. 

This weekend was filled with fun activities! On Friday evening we got to meet our good friends Aundrea, Michael and their son Samuel out at a restaurant called the Waldhorn for their annual Oktoberfest. I do all of the event equipment for their month long festival so we like to go each year. We had bratwurst and pretzels and turkey legs (the biggest turkey leg you've ever seen!) We had German beer (I drank non-alcoholic beer of course!) and we listened to German music but the most fun of all -- People watching! It was a great time for us.

I worked on Saturday for a little while and came home afterwards to eat lunch and went for an hour walk outside. It's been so beautiful - the walk was fantastic. Lenny's parents came to Charlotte yesterday - their friend was having a birthday party here so they came over afterward and spent the night with us. We always have so much fun together! Lenny's mom, Mimi, is the queen of scrap-booking. Our nephew, Austin, has some of the most beautiful scrapbooks I have ever put my eyes on. Mimi is extremely talented and she could make some big bucks doing scrapbooking professionally but I know it takes a LOT of time! :)   She has been so excited to start our little bean's scrapbook. She brought it down with her and showed us the first page which she completed this week. See below. 

Can you believe this?? It's already so so sweet! We found out in July that we were pregnant so this is the first page - The calendar for July, a picture of Lenny and I -- and yes... THE pregnancy test (some people find this a little weird - I think it's totally normal to save your pregnancy test!) And on the right hand side - it says "How I told your Daddy" - so it's my perspective, telling our little one, how I told Lenny I was pregnant. And, look at the three hearts on the left by our picture. Now there's three hearts in our little family unit. It really does make me tear up! I'm emotional over one page in this scrapbook! It's only going to get better! 

Thank you Mimi for doing this for us. It will keep this incredible time in our lives fresh for years to come. Baby Shelor is so lucky to have you as a grandmother!!

We have our 18 week ultra sound on Wednesday. Pictures and videos to follow, of course! And next weekend Lenny and I are heading down to Clemson, SC to watch the Tigers play!! I am so excited to see some of my best girlfriends. It's been way too long!

Until next time!

xoxo,

Sara

16 Weeks

I am officially in my second tri-mester and I can definitely feel some changes! Here is my 16 week picture.

As my pregnancy journal tells me - in the next few weeks, there should be some weight gain that takes place. I'm absolutely starting to notice it in some areas. Especially after a big meal :)  Last night Lenny surprised me with an amazing date out to Ruth's Chris. We had a great time. As these weeks start going by, we talk about how we really need to take advantage of "date night" while we can. Because in less than 6 months, we are not going to be alone - ever! :)  Can I please have a total pregnant moment and tell you everything we ate last night? Because it. was. so. good.  We started off with the fried calamari. YUM. I of course didn't know if calamari was on the okay list to eat so I had Lenny look it up for me. Then I had one of the best filet's I have ever had. They serve it to you so hot and on a plate that is 500 degrees - it was sizzling when it arrived. We had creamed spinach and sweet potatoes for our sides. And I got a side of Bearnaise sauce for my steak. Everything was so delicious! My steak was to die for. However; I did have to send it back because it was more on the rare side than the baby needed. I mean-- Me?? I LOVE rare steak. But right now I have to eat them cooked medium and as sad as it was for me to send it back, I had to. Lenny had called up to the restaurant and told them he was taking me out to dinner because I was pregnant and he wanted to do something special and the waiter and the staff -- everyone who came by apparently knew because they all were saying "congratulations!" -- even the chef came out and introduced himself. It was wild. I am a very very lucky girl. I will say it over and over in this blog I'm sure but I have the best husband a girl could ask for. He's my best friend and we are partners in everything together. I know he always has my back and he takes care of me more than he ever needs to. He loves me even when I don't deserve to be loved. And most importantly - He is going to be an INCREDIBLE father to our child. It gives me chills to even think about. If I am half the mother that he will be a father, we are in good shape :)

This week went by fairly quickly. I had two doctors appointments this week. The first being Tuesday - I went to the dermatologist. All clear! I go twice a year because, I'm fair skinned and have lots of freckles and am a little paranoid. I told the Dr. (who Lenny is also a patient of) - that our baby is most definitely going to be a future patient of his. He advised we keep baby Shelor out of the sun as much as possible - or put on lots of sunscreen! :) hahaha.

I went to my ob's office on Wednesday morning - they took more blood to test for spina bifida. I also got to hear the baby's heartbeat (best sound in the world I tell you!) - it was 155 - perfect! :)  I also got to talk to my OB for a little bit, he said everything was looking great. It's always nice to hear that. Lenny and I will go back n the 18th of this month and get our 18 week ultra sound. This is when we "could" find out the sex of the baby, but we are not! This might be a tough appointment! Wish us luck!

Today we will be heading up to Mimi and Papa's house for Lisa Marie's birthday! It's always nice to get out of Charlotte for a couple of days.

Until next week!
Xoxo,
Sara

15 Weeks

I feel like we have accomplished SO much this week. First, let me share a picture from week 15!

 

Can I please tell you what I am doing right now? Because I feel like the happiest girl in the world. It is 60 degrees and sunny and it's a Saturday and I am not working!! I stayed in bed until 9 this morning, got up, ate breakfast, went for an hour walk and decided I wanted to do the weekly blog post from our back deck because it's gorgeous outside and I've been dying for some Fall weather and I'm finally getting a glimpse of it and trying to soak every bit up!  More importantly however; I found out last week that.... dum dum dum... 

The pumpkin spice latte is back at Starbucks!! For those who don't know, this is absolutely one of my most favorite drinks of all time AND it's one of the BEST things about Fall. For limited time (I think until after Thanksgiving?), Starbucks sells the oh' so delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte. Well. A few weeks went by and I was SO sad seeing the signs for this drink everywhere and seeing Facebook posts about this drink. I mean, I'm pregnant. I can't drink lattes, they have espresso in them. WELL. On a whim, I went into Starbucks one morning and asked the lovely barista "I have a silly question for you. You wouldn't be able to make the pumpkin spice latte... decaf? right?" And she said.... "Yes!"  YESSS..... MUSIC TO MY PREGNANT EARS. I was so happy. I know, how silly is that? But I was going to be very upset going through this entire season without having one.  SO... right now. I am on my 

back deck typing this blog sipping on my amazing decaf soy milk pumpkin spice latte. I am a HAPPY girl right now.

This week we marked one of the biggest things off our "to do" list.  BABY FURNITURE. Woohoo!! Here is the picture of our baby room pre... pre.... anything really. It's been empty since we moved in :)

I know... it's so bare and sad.

But don't you worry, we have a DELIVERY!

We are now the proud owners of... A crib, a dresser/changing table, a book case, and a lamp! Woohoo!! They are all "antique white" and I love them. I'm so excited. 

Right now, nothing is set up in the room - We are wanting to paint the room so nothing really can be set until we do that.  My sweet mom and sister went this week and picked out fabric for us and I got all the samples in last night. I have been anticipating this all week and am SO excited to share. My wonderful mother-in-law is going to make our curtains and one of my moms best friend is going to make all of our bedding, etc. SO... Here are the samples ... and I separated them into three groups. My favorite is the middle group which I believe is what we are going to use.... just I don't know how we will use each fabric yet.... What do you think?!!?

(these are our favorite!)

Any ideas or suggestions are always greatly appreciated :)

I have felt really great this week. The only thing that ever really hits is sometimes I'll be fine and then all of a sudden, a wave of tiredness will roll over me and I literally feel like I could fall asleep at that very moment. My eyes get heavy and I yawn a lot. But, I've heard that is normal. 

Baby Shelor received a few goodies this week I'd like to share! On Tuesday we got a package in the mail of the most sweet stationary I had ever seen. I mean, it's so cute. But there was no note, no order form - nothing! It looked like something my sister would do at first so I called her. She led me straight to the source. Marmi (my mom). Mom wants to be here with me so bad experiencing all of this and it really does break my heart that I can't be near them. I wish my whole family could pick up and move from Memphis to Charlotte but I know that's not going to happen. I don't want to cry so I'm just going to share the pictures of the stationary. I mean, come on.. how adorable is this??

Baby Shelor LOVES their new note cards. We can't wait to send thank you notes!!

Another gift we received this week was from our neighbors Niki and Brady and their girls who keep showering us with all these wonderful presents - I told them to stop doing so many nice things for us, but the stuff they keep giving us is so cute I'm having a hard time telling them that! How hilarious is this??

I know this was a long blog post, but like I mentioned  - a lot happened this week! Thank you for reading! This is such a fun thing for me to do. I'm praying I can continue to stay on top of it as things get more busy with this season and holidays, etc.

See you next week!

xoxo,

Sara