37 weeks

*I totally sported a maternity bathing suit yesterday at our family's Memorial Day BBQ!!

**I'll be posting on Tuesdays from now on, since the rest of my appointment are on Tuesdays.

how far along?  37 weeks 1 day

how are you measuring? 39  weeks (Dr. said his head is low, but not super low.  My cervix is STILL closed, but it is soft.  Again, she couldn't tell how thinned I was because I wasn't dialated at all. I'm not going to lie, I was a little sad hearing that there was no change.)  

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 19 inches long, about 6 1/3 pounds, and the length of a a stalk of Swiss chard. Dr. thinks he's about 7 pounds right now. 

heartbeat?  150's bpm (at our 37 week appointment) He's an active little dude.

total weight gain/loss? +40 lbs  (I think I  might have been hanging on to a little Memorial Day BBQ, but still, I'm SOOOOOOO tired of gaining weight.  Go ahead and tell me he'll be worth it and it will all fall off....I know, I know!!  But I'm still tired of gaining weight.)

maternity clothes? Maternity clothes all the time. 

stretch marks? I think 3 little stretch marks might have made their ugly appearance on my side, but I can't tell for sure because I can't see them  up close. Matt can't really tell either, so I need to show my Mom to see what she thinks.  
sleep? I'm going to the bathroom a ridiculous amount of times at night.  Some night 6-8 times.  Ridiculous, huh?  And every time I get up and down I have to re-position myself and that just wears me out.  I fall back asleep each time pretty easily, but I'm just sleeping about an hour at a time, so it's never too restful.   

best moment this week?  I got to meet one of my college roommates new little baby.  Baby Thomas was the sweetest, cutest little guy and made me SUPER excited to meet Pearson very soon.  Kristen and I had such a good time catching up too.  I love it when you can not see a friend for a long time and just pick right back up where you left off!! 

movement? I keep thinking his movement is going to slow down, but I swear he is moving more and more lately.  And it's starting to hurt.  He pushes SO hard.  

food cravings? I can't stop drinking ice cold water in the middle of the night.  I know it would help with my bathroom breaks, but I HAVE to have my ice cold water.  I'm so thirsty even in the middle of the night

gender predictions? It's STILL a BOY!!!  Pearson Davis Link!!! 

what i miss:  Feeling normal. 

what i'm looking forward to: The last day of school.  Oh my goodness I am soooooo done with school.  Matt packed up my classroom and it is completely empty. (well, almost.....we've got the bare minimum to get us through the week) It's really starting to hit me that I'm not coming back next year.  I can't wait to stay at home with my little guy!!

how are you feeling? I've definitely hit that "uncomfortable/miserable stage" that everyone tells you about.  I'm so done being pregnant.  I just want my baby boy to be here.  I'm hot all the time, I feel huge, I'm tired, I can't bend over, I feel helpless sometimes, I can't sleep, I go to the bathroom all the time, I've got hemorrhoids,  I can't get comfortable, and my feet hurt at the end of the day.

**Okay, so maybe I'm not that miserable.  I'm just a little depressed that there was no change in my cervix at my doctor's appointment today.  I've been thinking he was going to come early all along, but today I really feel like I'm going to go all the way to my due date, and 20 days seems SO far away.  I'm just having a little pity party for myself.  And my little pity party did include some tears this afternoon.  I'm just a little bit emotional these days.

a little taste of summer

I'm a dork and left my memory card at home,  so I have no pictures to show for our Memorial Day fun. 

Memorial Day always feels like "a little taste of summer" to me.  We get a nice long weekend, then we have to go back to school for 3 days.  This year because of all the snow we had in February, we had to go to school yesterday.  I was SO not happy about this, but it ended up being a great day.  

Matt had the day off so he came to school and helped me pack up my classroom.  We got everything off the walls and got all but the bare essentials taken home and put in the attic.  I say we, but he did everything.  I seriously have the best husband ever. 

Because it was a holiday, I only had 11 kids.  It was fabulous!!  We just played all day.  (Ha, who am I kidding, we didn't just play because today was a holiday. We are going to be playing all week!!  Grades were due on Friday, so we are just babysitting this week.) We had our Kindergarten Awards Ceremony at 1pm also, and afterwards 6 of my parents took their kids home.  For the last hour of school I only had 5 kids.  It was amazing!!

After school, Matt and I scooted out and went to his sister's house for a little Memorial Day BBQ and birthday celebration for our niece.  My brother in law made THE BEST brisket, sausage, & ribs, gourmet mac n cheese, baked beans, & cole slaw.  We also had homemade peach cobbler and ice cream.  I seriously think I might have gained 5 lbs from all the good food.  Oh wait....I did gain 5 lbs this week!!  Ha!! It was perfect weather for hanging out by the pool.  I even sported my maternity swimsuit and got in the pool to play with my little 19 month old nephew.   

I hope you had a fun day with family and I hope you took time to remember those who serve our country.

meal planning monday

Monday: Ellie's Birthday Party

Tuesday: Crispy Chicken Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Spaghetti, Rolls, Salad, & Veggies
(doubling to freeze some)

Thursday: Out to Eat....Celebrating the Last Day of School!!

Friday: Quesadillas 

Saturday Breakfast: Sausage & Cream Cheese Twirls/Ashley's Shower

Saturday Lunch: Southwest Eggrolls

Saturday Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie (doubling to freeze some)

Sunday Lunch: BBQ Chicken Pizza

Sunday Dinner: Ravioli with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, Garlic Toast & Veggies

rangers game

Matt and I braved the heat at the Rangers game this afternoon.  It was hot (thankfully there was a nice breeze), but I'm so glad we went.  We, mainly I, might not have a chance to go to another game this season since we will have a little one any day now!!

 We got to the game about an hour and a half early, so we ate lunch in the breezeway then went to the Cuervo Club and hung out in the air condition for a while.  I'm so thankful that they guy we bought the tickets from let us know he had access to the Cuervo Club.  It was nice to sit in and air conditioned room instead of the heat for the hour before the game. 

 Our seats were great!! We had a great view of the brand new big screen!!

Matt brought his glove to protect me if any foul balls came our way!

I had to take a picture to show Pearson someday that this was his "first" Rangers game!!

 Before the game, they announce a little boy for each position.  They got to run out and stand in their position and then the Rangers player that played that position came and signed a baseball for them before the game started.  It was so cute!!  It made me super excited to be having a boy.  I can't wait to see Matt teach Pearson all about sports!!

 The game was pretty crazy.  We were losing for a while, tied it up in the 8th inning, gave up a run in the top of the 9th and then won the game in the very last play of the game!!  

 I'm so glad we braved the heat the entire game and didn't give up on our Rangers.  We really had a good time.  

fan on board

Pearson is due to arrive smack dab in the middle of the Rangers season.  

Matt and I are big fans, but we haven't had a chance to go to any games this season.  

When a friend posted on facebook that he was selling his season ticket seats to a game, I totally took him up on the offer.  I knew Matt would enjoy going to game!!  When I bought the tickets, the weather was still nice and in the upper 70's/low 80's.  

Now I'm starting to think I'm crazy for buying tickets to a Sunday afternoon game because it's supposed to be 94 degrees tomorrow.  I'm going to be one hot 9 1/2 month pregnant girl.

Oh well, we'll have fun!! Our seats are great.....15th row in fact.  I'm just going to enjoy taking my little fan on board to his "first game" and enjoy spending the day with my hubby.  

Who knows, this could be one of our last dates before the little guy arrives!!

**Photos by Rachel Ledbetter Photography

i can totally relate.....

24 days to go......

ham {turkey} rolls

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, I'm spending less and less time in the kitchen.  I'm just totally exhausted when I get home from school, so I'm loving easy recipes like this one!! My Mom and Grandma make this for big crowds and parties all the time.  

Here's what you'll need.....

(I halfed this recipe twice for Matt and I because that's all the bread I had.  But a  half recipe would perfect for dinner and a couple of lunches.  These sandwiches warm up great.)

2 trays of Hawaiin Rolls

2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 T. dried onion

1 lb of shaved ham or turkey

{the original recipe calls for ham, but we prefer turkey}

1 stick of butter melted

1 1/2 tsp. dried mustard

1 1/2 tsp. sesame seed

Keep the package of rolls together and slice the rolls right down the middle.  Put the bottom layer of rolls in a pan.  Cover with turkey an cheese.

Make the sauce by mixing Worcestershire sauce, onion, melted butter, and dried mustard.

Place the top layer of rolls back on and drizzle the sauce over the rolls.  Sprinkle with sesame seed.

Cover with foil and place in refrigerator overnight.  You don't have to do this, but they taste so much better when they have the night to soak up all the juices.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

calling all mommies:babywearing

This week's topic is.....

BABY WEARING

There are a ton of different ways to "wear" your baby these days.  

So my question this week is......

Do you have a sling, a carrier, a moby wrap, or something else?

Do you like it?

When do you use it?

Have you ever heard of Seven Slings?

I don't know anything about this sling, but I got a coupon in the mail for a free one (a $39 value)!!  I just had to pay shipping ($11.95). My coupon said "**While supplies last.  Share this promo code with a friend.  So if they still have them, go to Seven Slings and enter the promo code "TX2" to get your own Seven Sling!!

i keep trying to picture.....

I haven't been able to sleep lately. 

I keep waking up thinking about my sweet baby. I can't get him off of my mind.

I keep trying to picture what he will look like.  

I keep trying to picture what being a Mom will be like.

And I keep trying to picture what life will be like with a little one.

I won't know the answer to these questions until he's in my arms.

But I do know that God has painted a beautiful picture for our life as a family of three and I can't wait for it to all unfold.

**Photos by Rachel Ledbetter Photography

36 weeks

**I'll add the stats after my appointment tomorrow!!

how far along?  36 weeks

how are you measuring? 38  weeks (Dr. said his head is low, but not super low.  My cervix is closed, but it is soft.  She couldn't tell how thinned I was because I wasn't dialated at all.)  

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 18 1/2 inches long, about almost 6 pounds, and the weight of a crenshaw melon. Dr. thinks he's about 6 1/2 pounds right now. 

heartbeat?  140's/150's bpm (at our 36 week appointment)

total weight gain/loss? +35 lbs  

maternity clothes? Lovin' all my maternity clothes.

stretch marks? Still no stretch marks!!  Still lotioning up twice a day!! I wonder if my body can my body stretch 4 more weeks without leaving any marks??
sleep? I actually slept pretty good this week.  Bathroom breaks don't really bother me anymore as long as I can fall right back to sleep when I get back into bed.  

best moment this week? I got my maternity pictures back.  I shared some of them on Friday, but I'll be posting the rest of them later this week.  I can't wait to put some up around the house! 

movement? He moves all the time.  Literally.  He is such a squirmer.  I wonder if he'll be the same after he is born?

food cravings? Nothing really other than ice cold water. 

gender predictions? It's STILL a BOY!!!  Pearson Davis Link!!! 

what i miss:  Couponing.  I haven't had time to sit down and sort my coupons in about a month.  I went to CVS yesterday and bought some diapers with some Extra Bucks that were expiring and it really made me miss it.  I've been going to the grocery store without coupons and just buying the bare minimum of stuff.  I hope to do a little bit of stocking up the pantry before Pearson gets here so I've got to sit down this week and clip & sort my coupons. 

what i'm looking forward to: An easy week at school.  I am working a half day today and getting my maternity massage this afternoon, then taking off Wednesday & Thursday, and Friday is Field Day!!  

how are you feeling? I'm feeling like my belly is out of room.  I really don't see how it can stretch and grow for 4 more weeks.  I'm really starting to slow down and tire out with just my everyday activities.  My kids at school are absolutely wearing me out.  When I come home from school I literally can't keep my eyes open.  I've been taking afternoon cat naps almost everyday now.  After school I spend my afternoon/evening doing very little and mainly sitting on the couch.  

meal planning monday

Monday: Talapia with Shrimp Bayou Sauce, Rice, Rolls, & Zucchini

Tuesday: Nachos & Leftover Rice

Wednesday: Spinach Artichoke Stuff Chicken, Salad, & Rolls

Thursday: Chicken Fried Rice & Egg Rolls

Friday: Pizza

Saturday Breakfast: Pigs in a Blanket

Saturday Lunch: Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Saturday Dinner: Quick Pasta, Bake, Salad, & Veggies

Sunday Lunch: Fast Food

Sunday Dinner: Rangers Game

my little matey's nursery

Welcome to Pearson's nursery!!

Come on in....

 When I first started thinking about decorating a nursery I fell in love with this bedding.  When we found out it we were having a boy and went to buy the bedding we found out that it was out of stock and wouldn't be in until possibly late May early June.  Obviously, I couldn't wait until then so my Mom and decided to make it ourselves.  {Well, I didn't really make anything.  I just helped with the design process} Everything that is made out of fabric in the room my Mom made.  She is SO talented.   

 Pearson's letters are from Hobby Lobby and Matt just spray painted them black.  So cheap!!

 The bookshelf and baskets are from Ikea and all the decor is from Ross, Marshall's, or HomeGoods.

I got this little pirate as a gift.  It's a little stuff toy that teaches you how to tie, zip, button and velcro!! I ordered Pearson's little piggy bank off Etsy at this shop.  

 They discontinued the red changing pad cover that I registered for, so I ended up having to search for one online.  I got lucky and found one of the last ones on Amazon.  

 I actually designed and cut out all the pieces to this wall hanging.  My Mom just sewed it all together.  

 For his bedding, we used the bumper pad fills from Joann's.  I'm so pleased with how the different fabrics look together.  I think it turned out way cuter than the store bought bedding!!

 I'm not really sure what I'll be putting in this little toy bag, but I'm sure it will be nice to have a place to put night time routine stuff, i.e. pacis, lovies, blankies etc.

 My Mom made Pearson 3 different blankets, so if he decides for one of them to be his favorite blankets we've got 2 backups when one is in the wash!!

 This is the corner of his room that took me forever to decide what I wanted to do.  I really couldn't picture what I wanted until the glider arrived.  We got the glider and ottoman from Lonestar Baby, and I absolutely love it.  It is so comfortable.  I'm so glad we spent the extra money to buy a nice cushiony one rather than the typical ones at baby stores.  Night time feeding won't be so bad in this chair.  Matt really liked the ship wheels, so I just decide to add a little symmetry to the room and put on the other side of the window.  

{Notice Izzie in the picture.  She absolutely loves to hang out underneath that table.  

It's her little spot in Pearson's room.  } 

I originally saw this shelf at Pottery Barn, but I refused to pay $69 for a shelf.  I found a nautical nursery on Project Nursery that just happened to have a homemade version of this shelf.  She even told how she made it.  My parents had this shelf and bracket just sitting in the attic and we got the rope and brackets at Home Depot for $13.  My Dad just drilled holes in the corners of the bookshelf.  It was super easy to make.  The ropes don't actually hold the shelf up, it's totally supported with the bracket.  The ropes are just for show!  I absolutely love how it turned out!!

Again, all of the decor is Ross, Marshall's or HomeGoods.  My sister in law made the cute initials and the cute Pearson Pirate Bear was a part of the center piece at one of my showers.  For the picture frames, I plan on filling the outside two with newborn pictures and the inside one with something similar to this.  Again, I refuse to pay $25 so my other sister in law is going to make one for me after he is born!

I got this cute little light house (that actually lights up as a lamp) at Kirkland's.  I still need to fill all these frames.  I just haven't decided what pictures I want to put in them.

 I've got Pearson's cute little diaper bag all packed and ready to go.  My Mom has been making these diaper bags for 29 years.  I'm so excited to finally get to carry one!!  I'm sure this will just be the first of many precious diaper bags that I carry for Pearson.  If you are interested in buy one, you can check out my Mom's Etsy Shop.  She also makes super cute burp clothes, bibs,  and snack bags too. I'll have to post all the cute pirate things she made for me!! 

 And, last but not least, his closet full of sweet little clothes and all stocked up on diapers and wipes!!

So there you have it!!  I hope you enjoyed the little tour of Pearson's nursery. 

I know Pearson will probably never really care what his nursery looks like, but I sure did have fun putting it together.  I'm going to be spending alot of time in there over the next few years, so I'm glad I like the way it turned out.  I sometimes just go in his room and sit in his chair and look at it.

Just a few more weeks and I'll have my sweet baby boy in my arms and we can sit in the glider and look at it together!!