A little thing I like to call "NESTING"

Cody and I would like to say we have been off traveling to exotic places, eating at fancy restaurants, and making cool new friends during our last few months of coupledom; however, this is not the case. We have been doing endless projects with our new yard and house.
This weekend, and I do mean all weekend, we tackled the biggest project yet: the backyard landscaping. It was overgrown with weeds, onion grass, and vines. Southerners just love their freakin' vines! If you have anger issues, try pulling vines, it is very theraputic. A total count of 28 bags and 2 trashcans filled with yard crap! We found all kinds of crazy stuff, rusty poles, broken toys, concrete chunks, and bricks. I lost two hand garden tools to the job, snapped right in half.
We layed down about 50 bags of mulch, transplanted some flowers and bulbs. We still need a border around the beds to keep the mulch in, and the grass and weeds out. Finally, the beautification of 223 Edgedale comes to a close....
Sort off.

St. Patrick's Day!

I wasn't going to let a little thing like pregnancy get in the way of celebrating my favorite holiday, this is how Irish preggers do it! In a pinch, O'Douls can go great with your Cornbeef and Cabbagge. I also attempted for the first time this year to make homemade Irish Soda Bread, and it came out awesome! Thanks to my girl Lisa's Irish granny, I got a handed down recipe that is deliscious. I was so proud of myself because Soda Bread is tricky to make and I am not much of a baker.
And of course, a Happy 1st year of life to Mr. Paddy Mc Birthday Himself... Jake Magaldi! We are sorry we missed your celebration up in Philly. I am sure most of your fan club made it though.

24 Glorious weeks!

The 24 weeker checkup was today, and everything looks hunky-dorey with little BF. We had a stong heartrate of 156 beats per minute, and a total weight gain of 5 pounds. It was a pretty basic checkup, nothing to exciting.
I am headed into my 6th month, and cannot believe how quickly July is sneaking up on me. I still feel like I have so much to do! The nursery is about half complete, still need to buy a plush, fluffy carpet to cover the hardwood floors...decorations...the soft, comfy glider that I absolutley can't live without (HINT! HINT! Cody-man). I know it will all come together soon though.
Check out these pictures, I look like I swallowed a basketball! Just in time for March Madness.

I am feeling good, with the exception of some back pain that recently started. It is difficult to sit up straight because it is as if something is poking me in my backribs. The only relief I get is when I am standing or laying down. I hope that it doesn't last long, and whatever is streching, growing or poking me moves! Working out does seem to help, so I just try to work through it.
I am feeling the rage of the hearty appetite, three hours is about as much as I can handle without a little something. In the morning I can't wait to dive into my cereal bowl. I have been trying to eat lots of fruit, which I have taken on a whole new love for me since pregnancy. I can't get enough, especially plums, necturines, and oranges. Thank goodness, it is fruit and not french fries, right. Frozen yogurt or ice cream has also been a love of mine. Hmmmm....butter pecan sounds good.

Spring has sprung

I would like to report that Cody and I have led terribly interesting lives in the last few weeks and that is why I haven't had a single moment to blog about our adventures. Unfortunately, we have just been busy with yard work. The temperatures finally have begun to rise and so have the daffodils, with that we raked up the remaining leaves and winter ugliness and spread mulch. Lots of mulch, two car loads... totaling out at approx. 50 bags! The yard is looking good and we have started to sketch plans in our imagination of what new shrubs we want to buy and flowers to plant. As boring as this is to the rest of you, it is totally awesome and thrilling to us dorky homeowners. And, yes, we spent all Sunday at Home Depot.

Saturday, we did venture out of the house for some socializing. We met up with a few of my cousins from South Carolina for brunch, it was great to catch up in a nice relaxed environment rather that at a wedding or funeral. This seems to always be the case now that we are older and our grandparents are not alive to keep us connected.

Saturday evening we attended our first High Point Oyster Roast. This is an annual fundraiser for Family Services of High Point, a wonderful organization that helps low income families get the help they need, such as financial planning, abuse counseling, and so on. It is a huge winter BBQ, everyone bundles up and hovers around bonfires drinking beers and listening to blue grass. It is so fun, I can't wait for next year when I can enjoy the debauchery! None of the pictures turned out, to dark, but here is Cody holding his very expensive beer cozy.

A Charlotte weekend

After all the duldrums of winter cold, being stuck inside and being pregnant... Cody and I just wanted to get out of the house for the weekend. We headed down to Charlotte to spend some time with Dennis and Holly.
Holly invited me out with some of her friends for a birthday celebration, it was good to spend some time with girls and enjoy some new company. We went to Mama Ricotta's, it was delicious. We totally chowed, and then thought dessert was a good idea. Look at these pieces of pie! They were huge! And, the big news is Dennis and Holly bought a lot in a development and are going to start building a house. Here is a sample picture of the model home, it is basically the same as theirs will be, but instead of the garage on the front of the house... it will be on the side. The inside was lovely, spacious, but still felt very cozy and homey. I am jealous of their soon to be kitchen, it is perfect. They took us out to see the new neighborhood, it is charming, and they are tucked way in the back of it, so there won't be any danger of through traffic. It is also about 20 minutes closer to us, yeah!

20 weeks Checkup!

Here are a few ultra-sound pics from the 20 week checkup. This is the 3D version, of BF's little face. If you look closely you can make out the eyes, nose and mouth. BF was pressing the front of his/her face into my belly. It was a tough shot to get according to the ultra-sound tech, because of the position of the baby. This is the traditional profile shot, is that not the most beautiful profile you have ever seen or what?
The technician did a very detailed ultrasound, she checked out every organ and bone. She made a few comments regarding how "beautiful the spinal cord was" and "what a gorgeous heart" our baby has. This of course made my over active imagination very, very happy. Everything looked great according to her, and my placenta was the "most beautiful placenta she had seen all day". Whatever that means....
We got a heart beat of 150 bpm, which was an increase from the last appointment. And, like BF's daddy, the baby is currently breech. Nothing to be concerned about now, the chances of a change in position are very high. BF now weighs about 10 ounces (an ounce more than a typical 20 weeker), but the measured precentiles of his organs, bones and head circumferance are registering as a 18 to 19 weeker, the technician suspected my due date may be a little off. I think this baby is just like his parents, a little on the small size and kinda stocky.
I have gained a total of 3 pounds, and am feeling great at five months! I feel the baby all the time now, and Cody got his first kick on Sunday. It was very exciting! I also got the green light to travel to San Diego in April...
My mom was down this week to help me register for the nursery and a shower. I choose Babies-R-Us, since there is one in every area. That was kind of overwhelming, I am so glad I had some more "experienced" help. And, she got to be there for the ultrasound. That was neat for her and I to share together.

Frontal view!

Side view!

A few more pics from adventures in babysitting!

Nana and Dennis relaxing with Sesame Street! Yee-haa!!!!
Blowing bubbles with Uncle Cody
Dropping leaves into the water with Auntie
Mmmmm....pudding.
Could there be any two cuter boys?

Dennis III and Nana come for a visit!

Dennis and Holly went to Utah for a wedding and they left little Dennis with his Aunt and Uncle for a few days. It has been a very busy few days! Fortunately, Nana came to help out.
Breakfast always tastes better when it is from someone else's bowl! Dennis enjoyed playing out on the deck with the dogs and balls. He is quite fearless, he just prys open their jaws to get his turn.
Having some lunch, green beans were a hit, especially dipped in ketchup.
And, "ding-das" were for dessert. For those who don't know Dennis, "ding-da" is
Dennis-lish for doughnut.

Bath time!
Dennis loves his Uncle, Nana and the "mew-mew".
Dennis also has been having lots of fun dressing up in Cody's green sneakers. He walks all over the house with them on, it is so cute.

All in all, Dennis has been very well adjusted and secure since his stay. We love having him, and his Nana has enjoyed all the Dennis time and not having to share attention with Pop-pop.

A hazy shade of winter Blahs....

I wish I had something exciting to report, but we have reached the winter duldrums in the worst way. It has been cold and dull around here, therefore, no blogs.

We did manage a little excitement this weekend, we were invited to a Superbowl party by some newer aquaintences. We had a great time, there were around 30 people. Everyone brought there favorite "man-ly" snack, so for the preggo girl, it was good. I couldn't indulge in any keg stands, but bye-golly I had me a smorgesboard of saturated fat yumminess.

Cody and I brought Sammy's world famous, prize winning Chili... here is Cody chopping and dumping the secret ingredients. It was delicious!

I took this picture today of Tillie, I am not sure why she is taking a nap in the flower pot, but apparently it is quite cozy when the temperature hovers just above 30 degrees. She stayed there most of the afternoon. Crazy cat!
We also started to prime the walls in the nursery, and picked out a color... it's called "Restful". Let's hope the name inspires a restful infant. I'll post the before and afters when it is all finished up and the furniture is in there.

Belly, mustaches and other things

The latest and greatest in Project New House, the hallway... a bland, and dirty white. We say, do not be afraid of color! We chose the same color as the living room, it is a kinda carmel like shade.

BEFORE DURING

It took us an entire Sunday afternoon, but it was fun.
AFTER

Ah... that is so much better! My plan is to get a hallway runner and fill the walls with family pictures.

Cody sported the mustache for a few hours, personally, I couldn't decide which was more offensive: the "Philthadelphia" T-shirt (although, quite funny, a direct hit on my beloved home town) or the creepy mustache. Sorry babe, just not my favorite look! **wink, wink**
Taylor flew in from LA, for a quick visit. We pretty much laid low, since it was a work week for Cody. We mostly hung out, watched movies and caught up. Taylor was able to get one commission for a portrait while he was in High Point, which was some money in his pocket.
And of course, everyone who has been clamoring for the latest installment of belly shots, here we are at 18 weeks! Belly and booty are about the same size right now. As you can see I graduated to "big girl" pants full time.
Front view! I have just started to feel the babies movements, it is very subtle now. I have to be kinda of sitting quietly in the chair and suddenly it will feel like the spin cycle on my washer is in my tummy.

Week 16 checkup!

I went for my 16 week checkup on Friday, and everything went smoothly. The doctor mostly just asked me questions regarding how I was feeling and if Cody or I had any questions to ask of him. I was mostly concerned with my weight gain, I have only gained a pound so far, and that is after losing 4-5 when I first became pregnant. I wasn't sure if that was normal, many of the women I work with like to lecture me on how I need to "get me some fried chickin' and biscuit!". The doctor said he is very pleased with my weight gain, and I am in a perfectly healthy range. He also told me to tune out what other people tell me, just listen to my body, eat when I am hungry and put good nutrious food into it. Dr. O'Keefe makes me feel really comfortable, we really like him. He's young, energetic and well...Irish! What's not to like?
He hooked up the heart rate machine and we all listened to the pidder-padder of BF's little heart, S/He has a healthy average of 144 beats per minute. If you listened carefully you could also here BF's movements, which sounded like a static and crackling on the speakers. It was pretty cool. I am not sure if I have felt movement yet, but sometimes I feel an odd little nudge that just might be my little buddy, it isn't consistent so I am not sure.
The other part of my visit involved taking a blood sample for the "triple screen". They want to look for abnormalities, such as Down's, Spinal Bifida and some other birth defects. We were really torn about having the blood work done, but Dr. O'Keefe gave us some good counseling on the subject and we went through with it. He also supported us fully in whatever decsion we would make, which was nice to not feel pressured. Ultimately, the descion was made based on a smoother delievery, and more options for infant care in the end. We get the results back in about 5-6 days. Also, being a special education teacher, I felt like it would put my mind at rest.
Some fun facts about BF!
* BF is almost 5 inches long and weighs approx. 3 ounces (about the size and weight of a
bar of soap.
* BF's hair is begining to grow on his head, and nails on his feet and hands.
* The bones are becoming calcified
Fun facts about me!
* I am craving lots of sour things, like lemonade and sweet tarts. I carry a roll of them in my
purse and munch on them all the time. I also am really into pastas, yogurt, fruit and milk.
I use to HATE milk, unless chocolate cake was involved.
* Alot of things I normally love, eh... I could do without, such as, steak, chicken, soda,
peanut butter, and anything fried.
* I am soooooo thirsty!!! Makes middle of the nights trips to the bathroom oh so fun.

We had some wintery weather on Thursday, it was snowing! We are expecting more tomorrow! BRRRRR.....

Our first house guests!

Cody and I had our first house guests at the new house. Uncle Lou and Aunt Pat made the trip down from Jersey to check out the new digs. We had a good time just visiting, and showing them around the Triad area. Flower enjoyed having a running partner for a few days, and deeply fell in love with Uncle Lou, believe it or not it had nothing to do with baked goods.
Uncle Lou wants to retire to N. Carolina in a few years, so we were really talking up the area. He seemed to really like Emerywood, and High Point neighborhoods over Greensboro. Who'd a thunk it?

Sunday, Dennis and Holly came up for the day and stayed for dinner. Lil' Dennis enjoyed getting to know "Uncle Pop-pop" and "Aunt Mum-mum"... hahaha! Here are some cute pictures of lil' Dennis discovering the joys of flashlights with Uncle Lou. He burned out Cody's and Uncle Lou had to dig one out of his car.

Aunt Pat and Dennis had a lots of fun bouncing on the ball! He enjoyed it so much, you can see him signing "more".
And still, signing more...
We all just relaxed after dinner and watched the poor Chargers get spanked by the Patriots. It's okay Charger fans, my Eagles suffered a heart-breaking loss too.
In other news, I bought my nursery funirture today. I got a fantastic deal, USA Baby was having a store clearance and I bought a beautiful set for 60% off. I wasn't seriously looking, I just kind of stumbled on to it, and there was a set that was exactly what I have had in mind. I just could not pass it up, it is being delieverd on Thurday.

Here is the link if you want to check it out: http://www.behrsfurniture.com/pali/pali-16.htm
We got a dresser in place of the armoire and the finish is a dark cherry. It is beautiful!

belly

we had our first fancy grownd up dinner party. we forgot to take a picture of the table all set and nice, and our guests, and the food. i know you all like to look at pictures of heathers cookin.















but since you can't see heather's fine cookin you can check out her belly. she's 15 weeks and hardly shows. she was measured by her trainer the other day and has lost inches on her hips, thighs, and other spots. and gained 3 inches on her belly. her body fat also went down. being preggo is good to her.
















we started some home improvement projects.
we figured with a little one arriving we should probably cover open electrical ciruits. kids ruin all the fun!!

Heather built this fancy shelf. i only helped a little. i cut the board, and placed the brackets, and screwed it in, but heather painted. isn't it nice?

soon you will get to see pictures of our painted bathroom. so check back soon.