30 Weeks and Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy 30 Weeks

and Happy Valentine's Day! 

To celebrate I got a delicious dinner, two dozen roses, lots of chocolate and a promise for a date night at the Franklin Theatre soon. Keith got a cookie cake. And Darcy had a few extra carrots for her nightly snack.  Our Girl Scout cookies were also delivered. So far, my 30th week has been pretty good. :)

29 Weeks

It is so crazy to think that in one week (actually just a couple of days now since I'm updating late once again) I'll be 30 weeks! 

At Week 29:

Parker is around three pounds and measures about 17 inches. That is close to his birth length, but he'll be packing on the pounds in these last weeks. During the past few months my fatigue had faded and my appetite was pretty normal, but lately I've been feeling tired again (although not as bad as the first trimester) and I'm having to snack more between meals. 

At my 29 week appointment I measured 28 cm and gained four pounds so, according to my doctor, Parker is right on track. I found out that I passed my glucose test! I also learned that from this point forward I'll be seeing my doctor every two weeks instead of every four. 

In other news this week, on Friday I walked into the salon with long hair and walked out with the shortest haircut of my life. Maybe a bad idea right before maternity pictures!?

28 Weeks!

This week marks the beginning of my Third Trimester! I really can't believe it!

I still have SO much on my "to do" list and I know that these last three months are going to fly by. We have made several crucial decisions over the last few weeks including choosing a pediatrician, enrolling Parker in a great Christian-based childcare facility and booking a photographer for maternity photos and sessions throughout Parker's first year. And yes, that last one falls into the crucial category. :) We're registered for classes at Baptist Hospital this weekend and a newborn class at our pediatrician's office next weekend. So even if the nursery isn't finished and Parker has nothing to wear, after these classes we'll (hopefully) be prepared for delivery and his first few weeks at home!

Sunday Night Dinners

For the the past month Keith and I have hosted our life group at our house almost every Sunday night. Coming up with 3 entirely different and easy-to-make meals to serve to a group of 16 is not an easy task! Here's what we did- and judging by the comments and amount of leftovers, everything (especially breakfast) was a hit!

Week One: Breakfast for Dinner
*Spicy Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
(recipe from Eat-Drink-Smile, found HERE)
*Overnight Caramel French Toast
(recipe from Eat-Drink-Smile, found HERE)
*Mini Blueberry Muffins
*Fruit Salad

Week Two: Mardi Gras
*Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
(recipe from Williams-Sonoma, found HERE)
*White and Brown Rice
*Cornbread
*Raspberry and Blueberry King Cake
(made by Wolfe Gourmet Cakes and sold at Porter Road Butcher in Nashville)

Week Three: Mexican
*Chips, Salsa and Guacamole
*Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken (shredded)
(recipe from Pinterest, found HERE)
*Soft Tortillas
*Taco Fixings- lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, cilantro, sour cream
*Strawberry Cake with Homemade Frosting
(a mix of confectioners sugar, butter, milk and vanilla)

While it was fun to host (and it was excellent motivation to get some house projects done and things in order) I'm glad to be passing the torch for the rest of the year!

27 Weeks!

3 months to Parker's due date, give or take a few days! I'm getting a little confused on his size comparisons as I get several emails that all say different things (eggplant? head of cauliflower?). What I do know is that this is the end of the last week of my second trimester!

This week I've had my fair share of root beer (who knew it is caffeine free!), king cake and... Tums. Luckily, the Tums have only been on a minimal basis. I feel so lucky to have had very few complaints and an easy pregnancy so far. Here's to hoping the last trimester goes as smoothly!

26 Weeks!

The countdown to my due date is now in the double digits. 93 days to be exact. So exciting and so scary all at the same time!

Here's me and Parker at 26 weeks (with our potentially new curtains):

Random Facts:
* Parker is still kicking like crazy. All. The. Time.
* I keep getting asked about any cravings. I wish I had something really weird to share or anything at all, but I just don't. I have had some food aversions. I can't even think about eggplant (interesting since during Month 6 Parker is the size of an eggplant). In the beginning I couldn't stand to eat Italian food, but I got over that one.
* I've done really well giving up all of those things I'm not supposed to be eating at all or majorly limiting. The one thing I can't give up- sweet tea.
* Recently I've had a little trouble sleeping, which means Darcy has had some trouble sleeping as well. Yes, she sleeps in our bed. Don't judge.
* We have a car seat! After a ton of research we finally went shopping. I'll admit, it took us a while to figure out how to detach the seat from the base, but we did it. Now, getting it latched into the car may be another process altogether. :)

Finally... New Floors!

2011 was the year of house projects. We started the year with the fireplace reno and ended with the floors in the foyer and living/dining rooms. It was very labor intensive, but so worth it. I am amazed at the transformation!

 The Foyer:

After!

The Living Room/Dining Room:

Step One: Roll up the carpet.

Step Two: Level the concrete.

 Step Three: Glue the hardwood.

After!

(Since these pictures were taken we've moved the rug in the living room to the dining room and purchased a much bigger rug for the living room. We're also close to making a decision on curtains.)

And just because she's so cute...