Akin Carroll Blog - The Amee Farm

I noticed that some traffic is still going to this site, so I wanted to remind everyone to update your Readers and blog rolls with the new Blue-Eyed Bride blog.

Visit me at blueeyedbride.com!

See you over there!

a birthday!!! - 26 May 2009, 8:26 am

Today is a very exciting day for me! I've been waiting for this day for quite a while and after finally getting everything together it has happened.

Today is the last day that I'll be posting Blue-Eyed Bride posts at this address, akincarroll.blogspot.com. This blog has really evolved from just a family blog to update everyone on our wedding plans to a place where I find my friends every day.

From now on, you can find me at BlueEyedBride {dot} com. Click on the button below to be directed to the new site and find out all of the exciting details!

I am so excited for all of you to see the hard work that has gone into the new site and I would be so happy if all of you come along for the ride with me. My blog friendships mean so much to me, so please don't forget to make the switch!

I have turned off the comments at this address. All of my old and archived posts can be found at the new address, too.

If you have any questions, please email me at eeakin11 {at} gmail {dot} com. Lots of exciting things are coming up, including the arrival of Baby Boy Carroll and the debut of his nursery. Please come with us and update your Readers!

Love y'all!

Erin

pre-baby maternity leave to do list - 21 May 2009, 4:42 pm

I'm really looking forward to the few days (weeks?) that I'll have at home to prepare before the baby arrives. There are quite a few things that I'd like to get done and just because I love making lists, I'm going to share the list with you.

Finish reading Same Kind of Different as Me
Read The Shack
Finish reading The Happiest Baby on the Block
Read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Clear out my DVR
Catch up on my Netflix
Go to Target to get last minute items for hospital bag
Organize closet and put away most maternity clothes (while realizing that my old clothes won't fit immediately)
Stock the pantry and freezer with ingredients for meals
Make a list of desired meals and organize recipes
Put together a good list of people to call when the baby arrives
Begin working on big blog project
Install car seats
Get guest bedroom ceiling repaired
Wait.

Does anyone have any good book suggestions or movie suggestions? It will be a long time before we can go to the movies, so my Netflix queue is in need of a good update.

Does anyone have a favorite recipe that they'd like to share? It needs to be easy and man friendly. Todd is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so the recipes need to be something that he's going to like, too. You can email any suggestions to me at erakin11 {at} hotmail {dot} com.

Finally, would anyone like to volunteer to bring a beautiful order of sushi to me in the hospital?

Oh, and an Arnold Palmer, please!

image via Hostess Blog

moving along - 19 May 2009, 3:12 pm

We've had quite the eventful week at our house. The nursery is coming together thanks to my wonderful parents (no, you can't see pictures yet) and we finished off our registry at Babies R Us thanks to Todd's parents. Now the baby boy has everything he needs. Now all we need is the baby boy.

At my last doctor's appointment at 36 weeks, I had an ultrasound to check out his position. At this point I'm reluctant to say anything about how things are progressing because 1) so many readers and commenters are harsh and judgmental and will tell me to change something about what I'm doing and I just don't want to read it right now and 2) things could change at any point on their own. I don't want to report news because I know that by my next appointment things could change.

Our little boy is currently a whopping 7 lbs 9 oz and at my next appointment on Thursday of this week I'm sure they'll tell me he's even bigger than that. He is in oblique position and running out of room to turn. I've had two ultrasounds in the last two weeks and I'll have another this Thursday to see what position he's in. If, at that point, he is still oblique, the doctor wants to schedule a c-section for 38 weeks. So this guy could be here before June.

We're frantically trying to get everything ready before next Thursday as we prepare for his arrival. We'll put the finishing touches on the nursery, finally get the car seat and extra car seat base installed, and now we've got one more project to tackle. We live in an old house and have had some leak trouble in our guest bedroom the whole time we've lived there. After a few repairs but not official diagnoses, the ceiling finally fell in yesterday. Beautiful. This is the room that my parents will be staying in when they come to help me with the baby, so it's crucial that we get it fixed as soon as possible.

Nothing like good timing, right?

Good news, though: my last day of work before maternity leave is Friday. It's so nice to have that light at the end of the tunnel. I'm experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions a few times every day and working is next to impossible. Sitting is next to impossible. I'm looking forward to being at home and preparing myself mentally for our lives to change!

I promise to post an update after my appointment on Thursday. Keep us in your prayers as we enter the final few days. Baby's health is of utmost importance to me.

holy prom photo, Batman! - 17 May 2009, 4:00 pm

I was going through some old boxes yesterday looking for books from my childhood to add to the baby's library when I found some fun old pictures. I had to pull this one in particular out because you may recognize a few other bloggers in it.

This is a photo of my friends and me at our senior prom ("Take My Breath Away" was the theme-- horrible, right?) in March or April of 2000. Nine whole years ago. Not possible.

The dress that I'm wearing was really wonderful and I ended up wearing it again for something after college because it is so timeless. Too bad you can't really see it in this picture. Like my wedding dress, it is in a box where it is being preserved under our guest bedroom bed.

Serving as the "bookends" for this picture, are me on the left and Ms. Nonsense on the far right. My hair was pretty short back then and I was in the process of growing it out.

In the background, in the lovely raspberry dress is Practically Perfect and next to her (standing, left) in the pretty coral dress is Mrs. H.

How I Clean Now - 14 May 2009, 1:41 pm

A few months ago, I was approached to take part in a blogger cleaning intervention hosted by Pledge. I recently wrote a post about some of the challenges of pregnancy and how cleaning in our house has fallen to my husband (or fallen by the wayside) and the good folks at Pledge saw that post.

For the past few weeks I've been working for Pledge helping them to promote this product-- and they are paying me and offering me some very helpful advice on how to maintain a clean, baby-friendly home. This is the new Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner. You can learn a lot more about it and a great contest for you at How I Clean Now.

You can read my blog posts, and the posts of four other bloggers who have some home cleaning challenges, at the How I Clean Now bloggers page.

We opened up our home to a video crew and those videos will go live in a few days so you can see me talk about my challenges and our problem areas. The lovely Trish Suhr will be offering me some very helpful feedback to try to get my house ready for Baby Boy Carroll and how to easily maintain a clean house once he arrives.

So if you want to see what I'm writing about and how I'm losing all kinds of control in my home because of pregnancy, dogs, and lack of energy, please check out the Pledge blog. And feel free to leave your cleaning tips as comments on that blog.

a year is long enough - 13 May 2009, 9:14 am

A year ago this week we returned from our fabulous honeymoon on Maui. We both returned to work and got back into the swing of things. I always had a long list of housekeeping type things in my head that I needed to do now that I was married: get new driver's license, change name at social security office, change name at bank, get joint accounts, change name on insurance.

Over the past year I've gradually taken care a few of these tasks. I keep telling Todd that I'll do them sooner and without complaint if he'll come with me and just sit there. You know, since he married me and all. I am taking his name.

I was allowed to change my name at the DMV without changing it at social security first. My doctor's office, though, won't change my name until I change it at social security and change it with benefits at work so as to avoid confusion. This is where Todd is upset and concerned. The baby's birth certificate (which should be filled out in about 3 weeks) will show that we have two different last names and he's not okay with that.

So, I am taking actual leave from my job today and braving the smelly social security office-- with all necessary documents in hand. I hope. And Purell in hand. Blech. If I'm catching Swine Flu that's where it's going to happen. So, dear friends, at the end of today I will officially be Mrs. Todd Carroll. And I promise I won't still be mad that I spent most of my day at the social security office.

Anyone else been married a year and still hasn't changed her name?

happy mother's day, KK! - 8 May 2009, 2:36 pm

I can't tell you the last time I saw my mom on Mother's Day. It always makes me a little sad that I don't ever get to celebrate my love and appreciation for her in person because we live so far apart.

This Mother's Day she and my dad are on an Alaskan Cruise and then going to Los Angeles for a couple of days. Must be nice!

We have always had a very special relationship and I can see a lot of her in me. I can also see a lot of my dad in me. I remember a big argument that we had back when I was in high school and I asked her why she couldn't just be my friend. Her response was, "Because I'm your mother. I'm not here to be your friend." And she was right at the time.

But now things are completely different. I go to her with everything and she is my best friend. I still need advice and I ask her. If it's decorating advice or relationship advice, I go to her. She is an amazing woman of God and I learn from her every day. Her patience and desire to give and provide for everyone she comes in contact with are truly inspirational.

She is the first person I call when something funny happens or I'm upset about something that happened at work. I know she's always going to listen and because we're so similar, she's going to give me a response that either makes me laugh or gets me fired up! I'm sure she is driven crazy by the insane amount of times I call her every day.

So here's to all of the mothers out there!

holy 35 weeks pregnant, Batman! - 6 May 2009, 11:16 am

Do y'all see the pregnancy ticker right up there? Right above this post? Does it really say 35 weeks and 0 days today?

Just a little FYI: there is no way that I'm going to be pregnant for five more weeks. I'm not going to show you a picture of me to prove it, but I'm freakin' huge. I know, I know. I'm going to get bigger. There's just a really big baby in there already.

I go for my 35 week appointment tomorrow and the only big event happening at that time is my Group B Strep test. Awesome. Some of these routine pregnancy things are really disgusting and I'm so glad that our wonderful nurse at the child-birth class told us about this test because I would be in for a world of surprise tomorrow at my appointment if she hadn't.

My normal routine for going to the doctor is 1) check in at the front desk, 2) walk down the hall where Todd waits in the "Waiting Womb" and I go to leave a urine sample, 3) go in to have my blood pressure checked and weigh in. Right now, I've gained about 35 pounds. There, it's in writing for everyone to see. I'm sure, by the end it will be at least 40 pounds. Oh well.

TMI alert: (stop reading if you don't want to know a little too much about me)

On the way to the doctor's office every time I'm thinking to myself, "I don't even have to pee. How am I going to leave a urine sample?" Then as soon as I step into the restroom and lock the door, I feel like I'm going to wet my pants.

I start doing the pee pee dance and frantically try to unwrap the plastic wrap around the plastic cup and then pull down the giant maternity pants. There's always a little bit of a question in my mind about my aim and if I'll actually make it into the cup, but there was never a problem. Until the last visit.

My stomach has gotten so big that it's physically difficult for me to hold the cup in the line of fire and make it around my belly. The toilet at the doctor's office stands up really tall, but because I'm so "front heavy" I'm always afraid the gravity is going to pull me forward onto my face while I'm trying to balance and hold the cup in the correct position. So at my last visit, I really had to go. I miraculously made it into the cup, but as I was pulling the cup back up, I hit my belly, stumbled, and dropped the entire cup in the toilet. Toilet water filled the remainder of the cup and my "sample" was ruined.

The worst part was that I had to retrieve the cup from the toilet so I could throw it away. Then I had to ask for a bottle of water so I could "try again" at the end of my appointment. Of course I didn't tell them why I was unsuccessful on my first try. I'm sure I've psyched myself out now and I'll struggle with this for my next four visits. Lovely. It's a good thing they have amazing soap and scalding water in those restrooms.

picnic chic - 5 May 2009, 11:44 am

I am co-hosting a bridal shower for one of my best friends. She is getting married in Charlotte on August 1 and I am beyond happy for her!

Her shower is in Charlotte, too, a few days before my due date, so I'm only hoping that the baby hangs in there for a few more days so I can actually be there for the shower. Because I wasn't positive how much I could help on the day of the shower, I volunteered to coordinate the invitations.

We decided that we wanted to do a picnic theme shower in yellow and navy. Then Ashley Brooke Designs found me.

Remember when I hosted the giveaway for Ashley? Well, I decided I had to not only have something for me, but I was so inspired by her Kentucky Derby themed invitations, that I knew that Christina's shower invitations had to be done by Ashley!

I sent her the following images for inspiration that I found on Once Wed via Chelsea Fuss.

And a few hours later, Ashley sent this to me:

The drawing looks just like my friend and the invitation fits the inspiration perfectly! I can't wait for the shower! Thanks, Ashley!

say hello to my little friend - 4 May 2009, 5:01 pm

I'd like to introduce all of you to my anniversary present:

Isn't it beautiful? My husband is too good to me! Very similar to my reaction to my new handbag, I haven't worn it yet because I'm afraid to. I also haven't had it fitted yet, so I don't want the extra linkage to be clanking around on my desk all day.

You all should know some background on my timepiece collection, though.

Back in the eighth grade, I begged my parents for a Swiss Army watch. I saw it at a store and absolutely loved it. It was around Christmastime and my dad kept telling me, "Erin, you're not old enough or responsible enough to have a nice watch like that."

I had one present under the tree that Christmas and it was my Swiss Army watch!

Even now, when I see pictures of this watch I love it. I have worn that watch every day (except when the battery is dead and I'm too lazy to get it replaced) since the eighth grade. Christmas of 1995 until today!

I'm not trying to prove that I "deserved" a new watch, but I am quite proud of myself for being "responsible enough" to have a nice watch like that for so many years.

our wedding: one year later - 3 May 2009, 1:00 pm

One year ago today we were...

Dancing to "Boogie Shoes" with my best friends...

Exiting the reception with our guests waving the wands I made...

Riding around downtown Greenville with Earl the horse...

Goofing off with our best friends...

And taking some time from the partying to catch up with each other...

Acting like big kids and eating giant lollipops at my mom's gorgeous candy buffet...

Preparing to join hands and hearts til death do us part...

Frolicing around the Furman campus with pretty pink umbrellas...

Listening to sweet little girls tell funny stories...

Taking one crazy group pic...

Turning the party over to Walter and The Root Doctors and dancing our tails off...

Stealing a "first glance" before the ceremony began...

Trying to pretend like it was any other day and I was just putting on my make up, as usual, in an effort to not completely mess up and look nothing like myself...

Putting on my wedding dress for the last time, but the only time that it really mattered...

just an excuse to break out the bridal portraits - 2 May 2009, 12:00 pm

Because it's my blog and because we're celebrating our anniversary, today's post is just some of my favorite bridal portraits by Kelly Moore Photography.

Kelly took me to Benton, Louisiana that day and then we ventured into downtown Shreveport. It was a whole lot of fun to prance around in my wedding dress that day.

I haven't attempted to sell the dress yet because I'd like to wait for the economy to turn around first. If you're getting married and you're interested in a size 4 Carolina Herrera let me know and we'll work out a deal!

gone to Savannah - 30 Apr 2009, 9:43 pm

We're leaving for Savannah tomorrow morning to celebrate our anniversary. A whole year has flown by. We spent most of the year adjusting to pregnancy, but it has been something that we've tackled together.

We don't have many plans for this weekend. We're going to do a trolley tour and we have dinner reservations at a couple of restaurants that promise to be amazing. I may spend a lot of time just taking a nap. It doesn't matter much to me what we do.

It's just nice to get away, out of town, with my husband. I have a few posts scheduled for this weekend recapping the year and looking back at a year ago.

And because it's our anniversary and I love an excuse to break out some great images from Kelly Moore Photography, here are some of our engagement photos.

a whole lotta gratitude - 27 Apr 2009, 11:24 am

Today marks two years from the day that Todd and I got engaged. I can't believe it has been two years since that day, nearly four years since our first date, and Sunday will mark one year since our wedding day.

Like all relationships, we've had our good days and our not-so-good days. We're about to welcome our first child into the world together and I'm looking forward to many more "together" moments.

engagement day, April 28, 2007

One of the things about our relationship that I'm most proud of is that the instant I met him, I knew I was going to marry him. I knew my parents would love him. I just knew. This was it. I don't know how I knew, but it was obvious to me very early on that he was the one for me.

My parents instantly loved him and they tell me on a regular basis how wonderful he is and how lucky I am to have him. They're exactly right. It had been a long time since my parents really liked a boyfriend and I was so happy to be able to enjoy spending time with all of them together.

The other night, Todd and I were at dinner with my dad at Mr. Friendly's and one of my exboyfriends walked in. In the four years that Todd and I have been together, this has never happened. We've never run into an exboyfriend or exgirlfriend. He came over to the table with his girlfriend and introduced her. Then he hugged me, shook Todd's hand, and hugged my dad. We talked about my large belly, talked about what they had done that night, said how nice it was to see each other, and then they went to their table and we continued to enjoy our dinner at our table.

When they walked away, my dad said, "Who was that?"

He honestly did not remember who he was. I know that Todd got a ton of satisfaction out of his question, but it really showed me how much my family loves Todd and how they truly thought that all of my other relationships before him were insignificant. It was my Garth Brooks "Unanswered Prayers" moment. It wasn't completely uncomfortable for me (maybe a little for Todd), but we all realized just how lucky we are when the moment was over. God picked out the perfect person for me and brought us both to the same place at the same time when there were so many other places we could have ended up.

I told Todd later that night how lucky I feel to not have to run the risk of seeing any of his exgirlfriends from college or law school. None of them live in town and it's just something that has never been an issue. I know a lot of girls have to exchange pleasantries with their husband's or boyfriend's exes and I feel so fortunate that I've never had to even think about that.

Happy engagement anniversary, TC! I love you!

Anyone else have any awkward encounters with your own ex or your significant other's ex?

my big fat sigh of relief - 27 Apr 2009, 11:11 am

My events are over! (okay, not officially over, but the three that I have left before I go on maternity leave are small and no big deal) I can breathe now! Everything went great and I'm so thankful for all of the volunteers that helped and a couple of my coworkers who did everything in their power to be there to lift heavy things (literally) when I needed them.

My dad was in town this weekend and I had a baby shower hosted by a couple of amazing girls in my Sunday school class on Saturday. My dad and Todd drove me to the shower and I seriously almost burst into tears of relief as I thought about having the two most important, caring, protective men in my life being right there when I'm nearly 34 weeks pregnant and just coming off one of the most challenging weeks of my life. The event was over and I had Todd and my dad in the car with me! sigh

I'm such a big kid and I've mentioned this before, but I feel so much relief and comfort when my parents are around. Maybe it's because they live so far away, but no matter which one of them is visiting or if they're both visiting, I feel like I can completely relax. My mom was in Denver this weekend visiting my cousin and her 3 month old baby girl for the first time, but it was great having my dad around. He helped Todd put down the massive rug in the nursery and helped us assemble our Graco SweetPeace soothing center (a glorified baby swing).

I am looking forward to both of my parents coming in town for the arrival of Baby Boy and being around to help us with all the little things. I'm sure I'll be a complete basketcase as soon as they leave!

a pattern? - 20 Apr 2009, 8:47 pm

One year ago this week, I was doing all of the same things I'm doing this week except instead of preparing for a baby I was preparing for our wedding.

Tonight I worked the Etiquette Dinner that I've been planning and tomorrow night I'll do the same thing. On Thursday and Friday I'll be working on our big golf tournament and kick off party. Last year, I was doing the same exact thing except I was stressed for different reasons.

I had butterflies in my stomach about all the events I was working on and the biggest event of my life: our wedding! I was juggling phone calls with our caterer, the contact at the chapel, and the people at the golf course. I was so worried that something was going to fall through the cracks-- and nothing did. I was worried about everything I ate because I needed to fit into my size 4 wedding dress. I was excited about seeing all of my best friends in one location! I was so excited about our Maui honeymoon and couldn't wait to get some sun and spend time with my new husband.

This week I'm juggling doctor's appointments, furniture deliveries, a 5 pound baby that kicks all the time, clothes that don't fit, and conversations with the golf course and 48 student volunteers. I'm worried about everything I eat because I want to satisfy my strong hunger, but keep my little boy healthy. I'm excited about meeting my son for the first time and spending an extended period of time with my parents when they come out to meet the baby. I'm really looking forward to our anniversary trip to Savannah and then our post-baby getaway with my extended family.

History shows that spring is obviously a really busy time for me. I wonder what major life event I'll be experiencing at this time next year. What is in store for 2010?

Todd, mom, and dad, if you're reading this, don't worry. I'm not going to come up with something just to keep things interesting in 2010. I think a "year off" will do us some good.

Totally unrelated, please look at the adorable stationery that arrived today from Ashley Brooke Designs! After the baby comes, I'll debut the version with his name on it! I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to start writing baby shower thank you notes on these! (Isn't Fiona just the cutest thing?)

weekend plans - 17 Apr 2009, 4:36 pm

My major event for the year is next Thursday and Friday and I have two minor events on Monday and Tuesday. It will be a pretty hectic week, so I'm really looking forward to this weekend and getting a chance to do whatever I want and relax.

Todd and I are going to see State of Play tonight. I love Rachel McAdams and I've never gotten over my ninth grade crush on Ben Affleck. I'm sure we'll eat dinner at some cheesy chain restaurant near the movie theater.

We're having dinner tomorrow night with a couple of friends from Sunday school at Mr. Friendly's, my favorite restaurant. I'll probably spend some of the day tomorrow at work either grading papers or working on event day timelines to give to everyone out at the golf course. I only have to work on the weekend about three times a year and I always dread it. I know I'll feel much better on Monday if I just get it over with this weekend, though.

I had a beautiful lunch shower at the Motor Supply Company today and we had so much fun! I gave the hostesses gift certificates for massages and I'm hopeful they'll invite me to join them-- and I'll cash in on my prenatal massages! Baby Boy Carroll got some great gifts today! I love it when people give us their favorite baby gift or favorite baby book. Then there are those gifts that we need like the Diaper Champ and the Mobile Activity Mat. We're getting really close to being all set and ready for a baby!

Have a great weekend, friends!

lamaze = lecrap? {vol. 2} - 16 Apr 2009, 11:56 am

This post is intended to be an update on how our childbirth classes went, but I have a feeling it's going to turn into a little more than that.

Todd and I arrived at our all day Saturday childbirth class at the hospital with two pillow and a blanket in tow (for the dreaded lamaze/breathing portion). There were three other young couples in the room and one of the other couples also got the memo about the pillows and blanket. The lovely, sarcastic, and perfectly perfect nurse told us that she doesn't believe much in that so we should just take the pillows and blanket back to the car. Score! The day started off perfect!

So that's my lamaze experience. Nothing. No breathing. No "hoo hoo heeeeee". Nada. Her response was, "that's why there's the epidural. If you really want the lamaze I can put you in touch with someone who teaches those, but it's not me." I loved her.

The class was very much like any other classroom experience. Lots of Power Point, lots of questions, and a few much too informative videos. I've watched "A Baby Story" on TLC a couple of times, but things are often blurry. Nothing was blurred out in this video. And nothing was pretty. These women were completely exposed from head to toe.

Now, I like clothes. I even like hospital gowns if it means that a doctor, an anesthesiologist, two nurses, a scrub tech, and my husband aren't going to be staring at every inch of me for God knows how long while I scream and sweat and push a baby out. Why weren't these women wearing their robes?! Do they think it's organic and natural for a woman to be totally nude?

Seriously, the first question asked after the video by one of the husbands was, "Where are the hospital gowns?!" The second question was, "How can I sign up for a c-section?"

That leads me to my next point. Baby Boy Carroll is still breech and I pray every night that God will let him stay in that position. Please don't flip, Baby Boy! Keep your c-section criticism to yourself. I want one! The little incision is tiny and no one would ever see it. It's scheduled. I'm an event planner for crying out loud. I need schedule.

Here's my rationalization (I'm a pretty irrational person, by the way): I'm going to have some significant recovery either way I go. I've heard horror stories about the natural delivery (even with epidural) aftermath. I think no one ever wants to share those stories because they're afraid that they'll seem like childbirth wasn't beautiful.

Here's the thing.... a baby is beautiful. Why does childbirth have to be beautiful?

We also toured the hospital after all the videos were over. It was a very informative day. Possibly the funniest part of the day was when the nurse showed us the labor and delivery room and told us that some moms want to see the baby coming out. (WHY?!) She told us that one option was to request "a meerow." (A mirror) Then she kept saying it. "A lot of couples like this big standing meerow because the mom can see everything while she's pushing." Todd and I don't have a lot of tolerance for bad grammar or mispronounced words, so we just cringed every time she said it.

Good news: I have a baby shower/luncheon tomorrow with some of my coworkers at one of my favorite Columbia restaurants. It'll be nice to get out of the office and get away from golf tournament and party planning for a couple of hours to watch some of my favorite people drink yummy lunch cocktails!

some Idol chaos - 15 Apr 2009, 7:08 pm

This year, on American Idol they've introduced a fourth judge. And I happen to love her. Kara DioGuardi brings a lot to the judge's table with her real knowledge of music, star quality, and her ability to recognize a talented person when she sees him or her. She's also gorgeous (and she reminds me of one of our favorite bloggers, Nina).

Over the past few weeks, as the end of the show gets closer, the judges have less and less time to give their critiques. It takes a good bit longer for four judges to state their opinion, so the producers were rushing them along when it came time to critique the last two or three contestants.

Last night, Ryan said that the judges would be working in teams of two; Randy and Kara would critique one contestant then Paula and Simon would critique the next. And they would rotate. Personally, I don't like this method because I always want to know what Simon has to say. Honestly, I think everyone except Paula always has something constructive and valid to say. I'm also tired of Paula rolling her eyes every time Kara speaks. She seems a little territorial.

I personally like American Idol better with three judges-- I just think that Paula should be the one to take a hike.

I want to know what you think. Are there too many judges? Did you like the way they set it up last night? Are Nina and I the only ones that like Kara?

Jesus is Risen! - 12 Apr 2009, 8:27 am

We're off to church, so I don't have time for a full post about how special today is, but wanted to let you all listen (if you want to) to my one of my favorite songs that our choir sings. {My parents' choir in Dallas also sings this and my sweet mother knows how much I love this song. She called me from choir rehearsal a few weeks ago so I could listen in on the phone.}

Enjoy and worship!

Happy Easter, friends!

lamaze = lacrap? - 10 Apr 2009, 2:37 pm

I'm not sure if my blog gives this away or not, but I'm kind of jaded and pessimistic about some things. Pregnancy is one of those things. Maybe it's because I spent 18 weeks of my life either throwing up or trying not to throw up 24 hours a day. I loved this baby from the moment I found out about him, but it's hard to see the beauty in pregnancy when your experience is so bad.

I've been pretty realistic about pregnancy and I've approached it with no expectations. I'm planning on doing the same thing with childbirth and motherhood. A lot of people have shared their opinions and advice with me. There are a lot of people whose opinions I value and others that I just don't...

Try this method, don't try that method, you have to breastfeed, breastfeeding destroys your boobs, you need a detailed birth plan, throw the birth plan out the window because it won't matter anyway, don't resign yourself to a C-section, try to get the baby to flip on your own, epidurals are huge no-nos... blah, blah, BLAH!

It all begins to sound like a broken record and a whole bunch if gibberish. My mother had two healthy babies and had two C-sections. For a long time, that was the only "birth story" I'd ever heard. I don't have negative opinions about C-sections. A lot of my friends and family members ended up having to be induced and then ended up having C-sections after many many hours of labor. Lots of healthy babies there, too.

I've approached baby reading cautiously and taken it all with a grain of salt. (I hate that expression) I will definitely be listening to my pediatrician and taking his or her advice, but with so many differing opinions, too much reading can lead to a lot of confusion.

Tomorrow we're going to our childbirth class. We chose to knock it all out in one Saturday rather than attend five different nightly sessions over five weeks. We may not come back after lunch if we think it's a bunch of phooey anyway.

I may get some hate mail for saying this, but I just don't think that learning how to breathe during a class when I'm not experiencing severe discomfort and the worst pain of my life will be beneficial to me when I'm actually going through it. I don't think I'll remember a thing about lamaze in those moments! And I'm fairly certain that anyone that tries to tell me how to breathe will get a fist to the face. We almost didn't sign up for the classes at all, but I decided we needed to in order to feel like I covered all the bases.

The one thing I'm looking forward to about tomorrow is the part where we get the tour of "The Stork's Nest" (where the babies are born) and the part where they tell us about anesthesia. God bless anesthesia.

ETA: I forgot to mention that I asked my doctor what on Earth a birth plan actually is and she said, "Don't worry about it. You're definitely not a birth plan kind of girl." Told you so!

a winner! - 10 Apr 2009, 1:58 pm

Congratulations to Gwen at Confessions of a Control Freak for winning the Preppy Monogrammed Gifts giveaway from last Friday!

Gwen, you'll be hearing from the gals at Preppy Monogrammed Gifts soon!

31 weeks - 9 Apr 2009, 1:23 pm

I totally stole (borrowed?) this picture from Mojito Maven. She took it in Charleston and it's the most recent picture to show off what the bump looks like today.

I had my 30 week check up this week and the baby weighs 4 pounds now. We had our final sonogram, so the next time I see his face will be on delivery day. I wanted to thank Lulu at the Dirty Martini Diaries for giving Baby Boy the nickname, "Blue Eyed Baby Mascot." I love it.

Life is pretty hectic and crazy right now and I'm writing this post on my lunch break. I've reached the point of pregnancy where sleeping is difficult because the sharp pains in my lower back and the charlie horses that take over my legs are keeping me awake. Gravity has also taken over and I have to use all of my might to stop myself from rolling from my side onto my stomach. This bump takes up a lot of space in the bed.

I'm not horribly swollen yet and I'm hopeful that I can keep that away for a few more weeks. I have a very busy few weeks coming up. In addition to teaching every Monday night and attending newlywed girls Bible study every Wednesday night, I'm working on six events that will be executed before May 10.

I'm hopeful that all of the busy-ness will make the next few weeks fly by. I'm also hopeful that BEB Mascot's bedding and furniture will arrive before he does. Here is a breakdown of the next few weeks for us:

April 11- All day childbirth classes at the hospital (31 weeks)

April 12- Easter (31 weeks)

April 14- Meeting with possible pediatrician (31 weeks)

April 17- Baby shower hosted by my coworkers (32 weeks)

April 20,21- Event (32 weeks)

April 23, 24- Event (33 weeks)

April 25- Baby shower hosted by our Sunday school class (33 weeks)

April 30- Event (34 weeks)

May 1-3- Anniversary trip to Savannah (34 weeks)

May 8,9- Event (35 weeks)

May 18- Lactation class (37 weeks)

June 6- Hosting bridal shower for dear friend (39 weeks)

I know you all don't care what all I have going on every day of my life, but I did want to point out just how busy life is right now and it appears that it's only getting busier. I'm just concentrating on getting through these next few weeks and getting everything done that I need to accomplish.

We're in the home stretch!

if these dogs could talk - 7 Apr 2009, 5:41 pm

Have you ever wondered what voice would come out of your pets if they could speak? (Yes, I know some of your dogs say "I love you" in a weird little dog voice, but that's not what I'm talking about.)

I'm talking about the way the babies in Look Who's Talking have internal voices that sound like Bruce Willis.

Todd and I have decided that if Boudreaux could talk, he'd sound like a 14 year old boy that's going through puberty. He'd have an uncontrollably squeaky voice and a cocky attitude.

Fiona's voice would be the complete opposite. She would sound like a 65-year-old woman that has been smoking her whole life.

Beaux, the family dog that lives in Dallas with my parents, would sound like an old Southern gentleman. A very slow talker with only wise words to say and the perfect Southern accent.

If your dogs could talk, what would their voices sound like?

*first photo by Kelly Moore Photography