32 weeks

how far along?  32 weeks

how are you measuring?  33 weeks

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 16.7 inches long, about 3.75 pounds, and the weight of a larger jicama. (What is that?)  

heartbeat? 135 bpm (at our 32 week appointment)

total weight gain/loss? +29 lbs (I would like to keep my weight gain at no more than a pound a week from here on out. It is so stinking hard to not gain too much.  I have found that it is SO easy to gain weight during pregnancy.  I'm hoping it falls off as easy as it has come on!! But that is wishful thinking I'm sure!!)

maternity clothes? Maternity clothes all the way!! I went to Motherhood Maternity this week and got a few things for my showers coming up and bought some nursing bras.  My regular bras were just too small and I figured if I need bigger bras, I might as well buy ones that I can nurse in.  

stretch marks? Not yet.  I'm still hoping they won't make an appearance!!
sleep? I slept pretty good this week.  We have been so busy the last few weeks.  I think I'm just going to bed exhausted.  Of course I'm still getting up 2-3 times a night for a bathroom break!

best moment this week? Our glider came in!! Oh my goodness, it is so comfortable.  It will definitely make those 3am feedings not so bad.  We also got the curtain and a wall hanging put up and a few other little projects for the walls started.  I'm hoping to have his nursery all complete by the end of April!!

movement? Lots and lots.  He is a busy boy, always have a party in my belly.  I LOVE it though! He gets the hiccups about twice a day.  He almost always gets them in the morning before I even get out of bed and then some other time during the day too.  

food cravings? Ice cold water.  I can't get enough of it.  I'm always SO thirsty. 

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

what i miss:  I know I keep saying this, but I really miss being in shape.  I know you can work out during pregnancy, but I'm so afraid to over do it. I do not want my belly pain to come back.  I'm just starting to feel my face, legs, arms and butt grow and I don't like it one bit.  

what i'm looking forward to: I have my first shower on Saturday!! I'm so excited!!

how are you feeling? No belly pain this week again!! Praise the Lord.  I really thought that it was going to be a long miserable end to this pregnancy if my belly pain continued.  I am so thankful that I'm not hurting anymore.  I have been having LOTS of Braxton Hicks contractions.  I've been feeling them since about 25/26 weeks, but I'm definitely having more of them lately.  I have at least one almost every hour.  They don't hurt, but they sure are annoying.

meal planning monday

Monday: Not sure yet....

Tuesday: Out to Eat before our last Childbirth Class

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken w/ Lemon Basil Pasta, Zuchinni, & Garlic Toast

Thursday: Fajita Pizza

Friday: Chicken Cacciatore, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Biscuits


Saturday Breakfast: Sausage Balls

Saturday Lunch: Snackin' @ My Baby Shower!!

Saturday Dinner: Dinner w/ Our ABF

Sunday Lunch: Pizza or Lunch w/ ABF after Engage Sunday

Sunday Dinner: Poppyseed Chicken Casserole, Veggies & Rolls

Christ is RISEN

no time to blog....

I swear, my To Do List to do before Pearson gets here is growing exponentially and I've only got 8 weeks to get it all done.  

I've got a few recipes and some little projects I've been wanting to blog about I just can't find the time.  It seems my blog has turned into a Meal Planning, Baby Bump, & Calling All Mommies blog.  Sorry if that bores you.  

Hopefully I'll have some more exciting things to post about with my showers and the completion of Pearson's nursery coming in the near future!!

calling all mommies: boy clothes

This week's topic is.....

BOY CLOTHES

So we all know that it's not hard to find cute things for little girls to wear. There are definitely cute things for little boys to wear, I think you just have to look harder for them.  

So......

Where do you shop for your little boy?

Where do you find good deals on clothes?

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops?

living out of a suitcase boxes

When we found out that we were pregnant in October, I may or may not have starting packing up my classroom in November.  

After I have taught each unit, I have been bringing home my box of books and files that go with it.  After I'm finished with the  unit, there's no need to have any of it up at school, so I packed it up!!  I've been really good about not taking home anything that I'm still still using or have needed all year. 

But.....

We are down to 32 days of school, and my belly ain't getting any smaller, so this week during all my breaks I've been using every spare moment to really get packed up.  I've got just about everything packed up in boxes and all packed up in my cabinets.  

It's like I'm living out of a suitcase, but I'm living out of boxes.  I know where everything is, and I can still get to it all.  It's just in boxes, rather than my cabinets. 

All I have left to do is take all the boxes home and take everything down off the walls, but that's a job for my hubby!!

31 weeks

how far along?  31 weeks

how are you measuring?  33 weeks

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 16 inches long, about 3.3 pounds, and like the weight four navel oranges.  But since he was already 3 pounds at our 28 week sono, he's probably a little over  3 pounds now.

heartbeat? 140 bpm (at our 30 week appointment)

total weight gain/loss? +27 lbs

maternity clothes? Maternity clothes all the way!!

stretch marks? Still no stretch marks.  I don't know if it's in my genes to not get them or if it's because I'm rubbing my belly down with lotion religiously.  
sleep? I dread going to sleep every night because it's just not as restful anymore.  I never know how many times I'm going to wake up to go to the bathroom, or wake up with a Charlie Horse or to turn over and adjust my pillows.  This is all preparation for those late nights in the beginning I guess, so I better get used to it!

best moment this week? I bought  lot of cute things for Pearson's nursery on my day off, scheduled my maternity pictures and I got all 3 invitations to my showers coming up!!

movement? Lots of squirming and wiggling this week.  He especially likes to move around when I get home from school and right before I go to bed.

food cravings? None.  

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

what i miss:  I really miss working out.  I have been taking it easy because of the pain I have been having in my belly.  It hasn't hurt this week, but I'm afraid if I over do it and work out, it will all come back again.  

what i'm looking forward to: Our glider should be here by Saturday, so that means Pearson's nursery should be finished this week!! I'm SOOOOO ready to see his room totally come together.

how are you feeling? No belly pain this week.  It was amazing.  My doctor thinks it was just a really bad muscle pull.  

meal planning monday

Monday: Dinner w/ The Havards & Craddocks

Tuesday: Panda Express before Our Childbirth Class

Wednesday: Barbecue Sandwiches & Chips


Thursday: Date Night w/ The Janes, Davis' & Barricks

Friday: Talapia with Shrimp Bayou Sauce

Saturday Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls

Saturday Lunch: Matt: Golfing Me: Shopping

Saturday Dinner: Leftover BBQ Sandwiches, Chips & Pears

Sunday Lunch: Easter Lunch w/ My Family

Sunday Dinner: Taco Salad w/ leftover Taco Chicken

i love my hubby

I've got nothing to complain about.  My husband is simply the best.  

But I sure thought this was funny.......

precious cargo

I took the day off today.  For no reason.  Just because.  

I didn't really have anything that I had to do except run a few errands, but I was super excited to get out and shop for Pearson's nursery and a few home projects I have planned.  I woke up pretty early so I could maximize my time and was all ready to walk out the door at 9am.  

Unfortunately I walked out into the garage and saw this......

Ughhh......I was so mad.  I called Matt to see what he wanted me to do.  He was planning on getting my tires rotated on Saturday anyway, so he told me to call my Dad to air it up then take it up to Discount Tire to get it fixed and to get my tires rotated.

Thankfully my Dad followed me up there and helped me talk to the tire guys.  Apparently two of my tires were worn down and I ended up needing new ones.  Somehow my Dad argued with the guys to give me 4 new tires, so I basically got 4 new tires and warranty certificates for the price of 1 tire!!

Although I didn't really want to spend my morning taking care of my car, now it is all ready and safe to carry our "precious cargo" around in June.

And just incase you were wondering........

I did get to enjoy the rest of my day off.  I hit Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, HomeGoods, & Hobby Lobby and got some super cute things to put in Pearson's nursery.  I can't wait to finish his room.  I think it's going to turn out really cute!!

calling all mommies: pediatricians

This week's topic is.....

PEDIATRICIAN

It's time for Matt and I to start thinking about who we want our little guy's doctor to be.  It's so crazy to think that we need a doctor for someone who isn't even here yet, but he'll be here sooner than later!! Nine and a half weeks to be exact if all goes according to planned!!

So......

How did you pick your pediatrician?

What type of things were you looking for?

What questions did you ask them?

Did you meet with them before the birth?

Did you choose someone close to home?

30 weeks

how far along?  30 weeks

how are you measuring?  At my appointment today I was measuring 32 weeks

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 15.7 inches long, almost 3 pounds, like a head of cabbage.  Since he was already 3 pounds at our 28 week sono, he's probably a little over  3 pounds now.

heartbeat? 140 bpm (at our 30 week appointment)

total weight gain/loss? +26.2

maternity clothes? I am wearing all maternity pants, mostly maternity tops, and maternity dresses.  I have a few regular shirts and dresses that I'm still wearing, but I'm not going to for much longer.  I had to retire my Smith Bulldog polos that I wear to school on Friday.  They were all looking a little too small, even with a maternity tank underneath them.  

stretch marks? No stretch marks yet.  I'm hoping I don't get them, but I think my belly still has quite a bit of stretching to do in these last 10 weeks.  
sleep? I slept okay this week.  We were super busy this week, so maybe I slept better because I was so tired.  I still wake up 2-3 times to go to the bathroom and almost every time I switch sides I wake up because I have to adjust all my pillows.  

best moment this week? We started our Childbirth Classes this week.  Although it wasn't that exciting learning all about Childbirth, I actually enjoyed going to the class.  It is really helping me be more confident about the whole childbirth process.  (I don't really have a choice about now!! It's gotta happen!!) I enjoyed having dinner with my hubby before and spending the evening with him and going to class means it's getting closer to meeting our baby boy!!

movement? Pearson has been very squirmy this week, especially in the evening when I sit on the couch and watch TV and when I hop into bed at night.  He hasn't really been kicking, he's just been moving all around.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of that feeling.  It is a constant reminder that our God is truly amazing!!

food cravings? Nothing really. 

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

what i miss:  Being active.  

what i'm looking forward to: I'm taking Thursday off for no reason!! I'm planning on doing a little relaxing and a little shopping for some wall decor for the little guys nursery.  I have 8 days to take off before the end of the year, and I plan on using all of them.  I'm going to try to save atleast 4-5 of them until closer to the end just in case I have to go on bed rest or if I have him early.  But hopefully neither of those happen and I can just take my 8 days off when I feel like it!

how are you feeling? I'm feeling pretty good.  I still had some belly pain this week, but it wasn't near as bad as it has been. Praise the Lord!!

friday vs. monday

I'm definitely feeling like the polar bear today.

Only 7 more Mondays until summer!!

meal planning monday

Monday: Swedish Meatballs, Rice, Veggies & Rolls

Tuesday: Out to Eat before our Childbirth Class

Wednesday: Chicken Spaghetti, Veggies, & Rolls

Thursday: Taco Chicken, Rice, & Beans

Friday: Barbecue Cupcakes & Fruit Salad

Saturday Breakfast: Pig in a Blanket

Saturday Lunch: Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, & Fruit

Saturday Dinner: Baked Cream Chicken Taquitos and Leftover Rice & Beans

Sunday Breakfast: Breakfast Casserole and Fruit for our ABF

Sunday Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup & Crostini's

Sunday Dinner: Talapia with Shrimp Bayou Sauce, Rice, & Veggies

sunday's are for....

......takin' it easy.  

We usually try to get all our house work/yard work done on Saturday so we can take it easy on Sunday afternoon/evening.  

Today after church and lunch at Sonny Bryan's with our ABF, we definitely took it easy on the couch.  Matt watched The Masters, The Rangers, & The Stars while I caught up on reading blogs.  We finished up the evening with some Amazing Race.  I love our lazy Sunday evenings together!!   

Izzie loves our lazy Sunday evenings too because of all the cuddling and belly rubs she gets!!

five on friday

Just thought I would share 5 random things with you today!!

1.  I put a roast in the crockpot this morning for dinner.  I love coming home and smelling dinner already cooked!!  

2.  Softball season starts tonight.  Matt and I have played together for the last 3 years.  I won't be joining him this year.  I'm kind of sad to not be playing, but I'm excited to be taking on the role of Team Mom!!

3.  I got a cute little step stool delivered from Amazon today.  I'm going to paint it black and make a vinyl that says "Pearson" to put on it.

4.  Izzie has started getting toys out of her basket and playing by herself.  It's the cutest thing ever.  I think she knows there's about to be someone in the house that is going to steal her playtime.  I keep trying to get it on video, but I haven't been successful yet.  Hopefully I can catch her in action soon.

5.  8 more weeks of school!!  We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

calling all mommies: hospital bag

This week's topic is.....

HOSPITAL BAG

We went to our first childbirth class last night, so I've got Labor and Delivery on the brain.  I know I'm still 10 1/2 weeks out, but I want to have my bag packed and ready to go 3-4 weeks out. {I know, I'm crazy!!} I just had a friend have her baby 3 weeks early so I want to be prepared.  I'm such a planner and I want to have everything packed and ready to go when it's "Go Time."  

So......

What did you pack that was absolutely essential?  

Did you pack things that you didn't need?

What do you wish you would have packed?

Did your husband pack a bag?

Look forward to hearing what you all have to say!! I have ABSOLUTELY loved hearing all of your input on my previous "Calling All Mommies" posts.  I just love how much all of you love being Mommies and love sharing your stories and advice with me.  I can't wait to be apart of "The Mommy Club!"

i'm a loser & a winner

Every year Matt and I make a bracket for March Madness.  I can't even remember who won last year, I usually don't really care about the tournament.  Long before the tournament was over I had already lost.  Both of our final four brackets were COMPLETELY wrong.  Matt beat me by just a few games.  So I'm a loser!

BUT.....

This year Matt's family decided to do a tournament online through CBS.  We all made our brackets (including Pearson) and made it a big competition.  Since we were together during the entire 2nd round of the tournament while we were in Arkansas, it was so much fun to check the standings each night.  Matt, Pearson, and I all kind of stuck around 4th place, 5th place and 6th place most of the time.  After all the games on last Sunday I was in 1st place and the person in 2nd place couldn't even catch up with my score even if she got all the rest her bracket right!! So I won!!  Matt's Dad even made a certificate for me!!

So until next year, I am the reigning champ of the Annual Link Family March Madness Tournament!!

29 weeks

how far along?  29 weeks

how are you measuring?  At my 28 week appointment, he was measuring 29 weeks in the sonogram.  When my doctor measured me, I was measuring 31 weeks.  Ahhhh....Am I going to make it to June 20th??

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 2 1/2 pounds, like a butternut squash, and a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel.  According to our sonogram last week, he was already measuring 3 pounds.  We've got a big baby on our hands!!

heartbeat? 128 bpm (at our 28 week appointment)

total weight gain/loss? +24.6

maternity clothes? Lovin' them!!

stretch marks? No stretch marks yet.  I'm lotioning up my belly like crazy.  
sleep? Some nights I sleep great.  Some nights I sleep terrible.  I'm going to the bathroom 2 times a night, but it's at random times lately.  One night I woke up to go to the bathroom at midnight then I woke up and tossed and turned around 1am &  2am, then woke up to go the bathroom at 3am, then I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep.  Around 4:30 I finally got my phone out and messed around for 45 minutes or so.  When I realized I wasn't going back to sleep I just woke up at 5:15 and started getting ready for school.  

best moment this week? Seeing our sweet boy in the sonogram and hearing that he is doing great and really thriving.  And find out that I don't have gestational diabetes!! 

movement? Lots!!  Sometimes he kicks me so hard that it startles me. He's a little stinker though.  He'll be kicking me a ton, and I'll tell Matt to put his hand on my belly and as soon as he does, he stops.  Last night Matt did get to see him move and squirm alot.  He even asked, "How can you sleep when he's moving like that?"

food cravings? Nothing really. 

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

what i miss:  Ever since my belly pain started 4 weeks ago I haven't really worked out or gone on walks.  I feel so lazy.  I hate not being able to workout.  I really feel like it's hard for me to watch my weight when I can't be as active as I want. 

what i'm looking forward to: We got the nursery painted yesterday.   Our chair should be here any day now.  I'm so looking forwarding to getting some things on the walls so his nursery can be finished!!

how are you feeling? I'm still dealing with some belly pain.  I have my doctor completely stumped with this pain, so I'm just trying to take it easy and sit down quite a bit, because that is the only thing that helps.  I had a little heartburn one day this week too.  Not bad though. 

meal planning monday

Monday: Dinner @ My Parent's House

Tuesday: Chick-fil-A on the way to our 1st Childbirth Class

Wednesday: Turkey & Cheddar Paninis & Coupon Class Goodies

Thursday: Chicken Chili Crescent Bake

Friday: Roast, Carrots, & Potatoes

Saturday Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls

Saturday Lunch: Chick-fil-A.....again!! :)

Saturday Dinner: Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti, Salad & French Bread

Sunday Lunch:  Sonny Bryan's w/ Our ABF

Sunday Dinner: Frito Pie

want some cute jewelry??

Look at 

how cute 

 these necklaces are!!

I got lucky and won a giveaway of one these Rosette necklaces.   

 Today only you can score your own because Sew Called Life is offering 20% off all of her necklaces if you use the code WIN20.  So head over to her shop, Sew Called Life and your own cute necklace.  

Now what color should I choose??  Too many cute colors to choose from. 

I'm leaning towards the lemon or lagoon. I want a fun Spring color!!

newest little rangers fan

We love the Rangers here at The Link Home.

Maybe I should re-phrase that. I LOVE the Rangers, but Matt REALLY LOVES the Rangers!! 

So introducing to you........

The Newest Little Rangers Fan.

{And just in case you can't read backwards, it says "Fan on Board"}

Go Rangers!!!

I SO wish we were going to the game.

april desktop

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