A Week of Weekends

Can you believe this is Texas?!!?!!

 

During all of these snow days, I have certainly tried to keep myself from going stir-crazy

by staying busy...

On Tuesday, I finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusac,

which I cannot recommend highly enough.

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The story follows a young girl who lives in a suburb of Munich, Germany,

during World War II. I know this sounds odd, but Death is the narrator - and a fantastic one at that. The writing is absolutely amazing - I can't even begin to describe it. Please, please, please check this book out! It is absolutely worth your time to read. And if you need a copy, I've got one I'm happy to lend. :)

I also worked on some photo books using Picaboo, which is one of my

"28 Before 28" goals. Three down and (only) 12 more to go!

Clay watched Despicable Me one evening this week while I did some crafting. I know we're a little behind the times in viewing this one - but better late than never! It was a very clever movie with a great ending. ;)

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AND my cute little felt snap-ons are one step closer to being finished -

if only I could have run to the store since I ran out of snaps. :(

My sister's birthday is today (Happy birthday, Rach!)

and she requested that I make her a chocolate cake.

So with my schedule clear, it allowed me lots of time to whip up this beauty:

We'll see how it tastes at her party tonight!

And that's not even counting all the fun things I've yet to do today. :)

Hope you've enjoyed your week of weekends!

19-20-21

 

20 Weeks                                 21 Weeks

(Yes, we forgot to take a picture at 19 weeks. I promise we'll do better!)

There are lots of new experiences that have come

with this pregnancy over the past few weeks...

Purchasing a Boppy pregnancy pillow.

I had always thought it was a high-maintenance thing to do - until I really needed one! After many restless nights and lots of online research, I decided upon the Boppy brand total body pillow. Although I'm still working to overcome my tendency to roll onto my back (which this pillow doesn't really help), I am definitely getting a more comfortable night's sleep!

Transitioning to maternity clothes.
Although I have a few items that have transitioned well into this stage of pregnancy, I have discovered that the Bella Band will only get you so far. This past week I made a trip to Motherhood Maternity and Gap Maternity to find some more comfortable workwear. I wouldn't have needed to make this outing if only I could wear yoga pants to work every day!

Adding an antacid to our medicine cabinet.

I have never been one to take lots of medications, but the recent development of heartburn has made it necessary to take extra measures. Maalox tablets have been a life-saver!

Taking prenatal yoga classes.

For about a month now, I have been attending a weekly prenatal yoga class at Hobbstudios in Fort Worth. Although I've been practicing yoga for the past three years, there are a lot of poses that need modification! Katy is an amazing instructor and the classes are small (only four people will fit in her studio). I always leave feeling refreshed - and a little bit more prepared for the journey still ahead!

Feeling Baby Rich movin' and groovin' in my tummy!

For the past few weeks I have felt what can best be described as a growling feeling in my stomach - but it was a little different from when I'm hungry or thirsty. At first I wasn't sure if it was really our little jellybean moving around, but the more and more I've felt it the more sure I was that Baby Rich is exercising its little limbs. Clay will occasionally put his hand on my belly in hopes to feel a little kick, but I think we're still a ways from that milestone. :)

So many new experiences - and so many more to come!

A Taste of Spring

I seized the chance to enjoy some of the amazing springtime weather this weekend. There were many others taking advantage of the weather too - dusting off their shorts and flip flops to take their dogs for a walk. (I know - shorts in January?!!!) Because my job will require me to work on Saturdays for the next month, I figured I should capitalize on this opportunity - although I passed on the shorts part. ;)

My dirty little Honda made a trip to the carwash. Now it's all sparkly and pretty.

The previously empty flowerpots on my porch are now filled with some beautiful kale, pansies and herbs.

Although the temperatures have plummeted once more and Al Roker says winter weather is on its way, I still have a little taste of spring to tide me over until the real thing gets here. :)

Blue Or Pink?

On Friday we had our almost-20-week sonogram. It was so much fun for Clay and I to see Baby Rich again! Even more amazing was to see this precious little one as explained to us by the sonogram tech (and yes, we needed an interpreter!).

See what I mean?

(Now that it has been explained to me, I can tell that this is a back view of our little jellybean.)

As I mentioned before, we did not find out if Baby Rich is a boy or a girl - and we won't be finding out until June 11th (or somewhere thereabouts)!

What do YOU think: is Baby Rich a boy or a girl? We'd love to hear your predictions. :)

Weekly Wows

What a week this has been...

I've been having a little trouble with my sewing machine, so I took it to Richland Sewing Center in Hurst last weekend to see what was wrong. Besides the fact that I had the bobbin in backwards, the service man recommended that I have the machine cleaned and oiled. Even though it was apparent that I had no clue what I was doing, both the men (yes, men do work at a sewing shop!) in the service department were so nice to me and explained everything in terms that novice-sewer-little-me could understand. And when I went to pick up the machine, they even loaded it into my car for me (and I don't think it's because I looked like a helpless pregnant lady). Let's just say I am now a Richland Sewing Center customer for life - and you should be too!

I have discovered my new favorite dessert: Oikos chocolate Greek yogurt with raspberries. It is SOOO good, and it has less sugar in it than other non-nutricious sweet things I might want to eat (like Girl Scout cookies).

Speaking of Girl Scout cookies, did you know that you don't have to pre-order them any more? Girl Scouts now peddle their cookies with boxes in hand rather than the old-fashioned order form, which I remember from back in the day. (Geez - that makes me feel so old.) If only they had gone to that method sooner, it would have spared me much grief and competition with the younger, cuter Girl Scouts who would steal all my customers at church.

My sister-in-law let me borrow the Perfect Pregnancy Workout DVD, which I tried out last Thursday night. Let's just say I had no idea what I was getting into. First of all, the instructor has performed with Cirque du Soleil for many years and plans to film something for them only six weeks after giving birth, so she is in incredible physical condition. She is "one of those" pregnancy ladies who has crazy muscles in places I didn't even know existed! Not only that, but she is pretty far along in her pregnancy (think close to 30 weeks) and yet she is doing exercies that would wind me even in a non-pregnant state. I only did the beginner level of each exercise and was definitely feeling it for a few days afterwards. But then again, they say giving birth is a phyically-challenging experience which you should train for. I just think I like the prenatal yoga-style of training a little better. :)

My dear, sweet grandmother Ruth - or Mema, as I called her - went on to be with the Lord early Friday morning. She fought for the past four months to overcome the effects of several strokes which caused her left side to be paralyzed, and made incredible progress despite the difficulties this caused for everyday activities like getting out of bed, eating solid foods, and talking with those she loved. A final stroke last weekend left her completely paralyzed, yet she still fought to her very last breath on Friday. I was lucky that we were able to make the drive to Tennessee to be there for her service over the weekend. It was amazing to hear the stories of her 92 years of life and to remember all the memories she gave us. We will all miss her dearly, but we are so glad she is in a place where there is no more suffering and look forward to joining her there one day.

First Nursery Purchases!

So I finally broke down this week and purchased two small items for Baby Rich's nursery:

A brown polka-dot fitted crib sheet (on sale for $5!) and an LED bluebird nightlight, which doesn't have to be plugged in! It just sits on the beside table and you press the top when you want it to glow - so cool. I found both these items at Target on one of those dangerous browsing trips I sometimes take. :)

Clay and I haven't really decided much of anything on the nursery, and it was starting to stress me out. My dear, sweet sister-in-law in all her wisdom suggested that we decide on colors and at least that will appease my nesting instincts for now. So the other night, I was sitting in our living room watching TV when I looked over at this stack of books on the media console:

I thought to myself, I really like those colors together. And then a light bulb went off: Why not put them together in the nursery?! I'm such a genius. ;D

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. We have decided on colors. We have a night light and a crib sheet (for the crib that is yet to be purchased). And - thank goodness - we have 21 more weeks to get ready for Baby Rich!

16 & 18 Weeks

16 Weeks

(We had just flown in from LA at midnight last Sunday and picture-taking wasn't high on our radar.

Sorry for missing the 17-week pic!)

18 Weeks

I had an appointment this week and everything looked good. Our 20-week sonogram is scheduled for January 21st, at which time we will NOT be finding out the gender - just that we have a healthy baby with all its parts! We thought it would be more fun this way. :)

It is absolutely crazy to think that I am approaching the halfway mark of this pregnancy. There are days where I still cannot believe that there is a little life growing inside of me - it still seems so surreal. I am continually in awe of God's amazing creative power in the way that He shapes each and every life, and that He already has great plans for Baby Rich. It will be so exciting to see it all unfold!

Coast-to-Coast Christmas

Whew! Do any of you ever feel like you need a vacation after your vacation? I know I sure do! We had two wonderful weeks of travelling from coast to coast to spend time with family and loved every minute of it - but we sure do wish there had been a few days of catch-up before heading back to the real world.

Our journey started with a trip to Tallahassee to visit my family. It was such a nice and relaxing time to spend with my mom and dad, as well as my sister, grandparents, aunts, and cousin.

We made gingerbread houses

shot at bottles with the BB gun

took funny family photos

enjoyed a Christmas Eve bonfire

hung our stockings by the chimney with care

and spent a LOT of time at this table eating my mom's fabulous cooking!

Our time spent together made me wish that Florida weren't so far away. :(

After a week near the Gulf Coast, we hopped a plane and headed westward to meet up with Clay's family in Malibu. Clay's sister Katie and her husband Jeremy were on leave from the Marines, so it was the perfect time for us to meet up for a Rich Family Trip. And boy - did we pack it in! ('Tis the Rich way, after all. :))

We went to Disneyland 

visited the Getty Museum

played lots of games

had fun with Jaxon

watched the Rose Parade

and (some) attended the Rose Bowl Game!

What an amazing two weeks! We were so blessed to be able to spend this time with family making memories and having a blast. It was also particularly fun to think about this time next year and all the memories that are yet to come! ;)

Better Late Than Never

Do you think it's a good omen to be starting 2011 and I'm already running behind?

But after our coast-to-coast Christmas - two weeks of travelling from Florida to California and back - it only makes sense that I would be a little slow in welcoming the new year. After all, I'm still not quite sure which time zone I'm in!

Updates from our holiday travels and belly pics coming soon, I promise! Better late than never, right? ;)

15 Weeks

The belly is growing!!!!

Although it's still not super-obvious that I'm preggo, I feel like it is - and I definitely feel more pregnant, if that makes any sense. It is beginning to be more uncomfortable when I sleep, and I'm thinking one of those pregnancy pillows is going to be necessary before long.

For all you moms out there, what type of pillow (if any) did you use to help you find a comfortable sleeping position throughout your pregnancy? Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share? This mama would love to hear 'em! ;)

Christmas Date

On Saturday night, Clay and I went on a Christmas date. Both of us had SUCH crazy weeks that it was a much-deserved treat to spend some time with just us two. :)

We started off with one-hour massages at Massage Envy.

I got a prenatal massage for the first time, and although it was a little strange to lay on my side instead of my stomach, it was absolute heaven! This changing body is developing quite a few new aches and a massage was just what I needed. Clay has been working hard too, so a little relaxation was overdue for him as well.

Once we were nice and relaxed, we headed over to Fireside Pies 

in the new Seventh Street development for some dinner. 

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It was quite crowded when we arrived, but they had space available at the bar so we took it. That meant we had a great vantage point of the chefs preparing our food and pulling pizzas from the wood-fired oven - so fun!

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We started off with the modern caesar salad, served family-style.

It was super-yummy and just what my belly was craving!

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Then we finished up with the Iowa Prosciutto Pizza with arugula. (Sorry, I couldn't find a picture.) It was also scrumptious! The crust was nice and thin, a perfect combination of crispy and chewy with some nice air bubbles around the edges. It reminded me of the pizza in Italy!

After that, we made a quick stop by Starbucks to get some hot chocolate

before heading over to the Chesapeake building to admire/ photograph the lights. 

And apparently we weren't the only ones with that idea; there were so many people out!

It was quite a challenge to get a photo without people - or cars, though we managed to get a few good ones...

 

It was such a wonderful evening to enjoy the festivity of the holiday season

and spend some time together just the two of us - although we're looking forward

to the day when we can share hot cocoa and Christmas lights with Baby Rich! :D

Signs of Progress

Here's a little update on my 28 Before 28:

1. Take a cooking class at the Fort Worth Culinary Institute Central Market.

I looked into taking classes at the Culinary Institute and realized there really isn't an option to take just one class. They offer semester-long classes for people who are super-serious about cooking. And who apparently are loaded. To take a basic pastry class costs over $2500! And that's not including the chef's jacket, hat, textbooks, and all the other things you'll need to purchase. So let's just say I'll be sticking with my good 'ole Central Market classes! I know my friend Katie is always game to join me for those. :)

8. Make it through a chataranga in yoga without cheating. :D

Does a modified chataranga count? I'm definitely getting better at the version with my knees down (which is technically the only way they do it in prenatal yoga).

10. Floss. Everyday.

I went for my routine cleaning right after Clay and I discovered we were expecting. The dentist warned me about pregnancy gingivitis, which I do not want. That little extra incentive is enough to keep me flossing every night before bed! (So far, anyway.)

12. Host a craft day with my cousin Laura and sister-in-law Tara.

Although I technically didn't host it, the three of us got some good craft time in over Thanksgiving. We helped Laura get ready for a fair she was participating in to raise money for the Village of Hope. You can read more about Laura's adventures in Ghana here. So...a craft day for 2011 isn't exactly on the books yet, but I'm working on it, k?

14. Make photo books/ scrapbooks for our vacations.

So far I have gone through pictures for each of our trips and selected those I want to include in our photo books. They are ready to be uploaded to Picaboo and arranged into albums! It's just that the arranging is the most time-consuming part...

16. Try resale shopping more often.

I have signed up to participate (shop) the next Just Between Friends sale in March and I am SO excited!

18. Read 28 (or more!) new books.

So far I've read...

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan - I wanted to read this book based on a recommendation by a friend without really knowing the storyline. I was expecting it to be light and funny, but it was actually a bittersweet memoir about Kelly's battle with cancer and her father's battle at the same time. It was extremely well-written and I just flew through it in a couple of days! I definitely look forward to reading more of her work.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - This was very interesting concept for a book, one of those "why didn't I think of that?" kind of thing. The author detailed her quest for a happier life and her monthly goals for achieving this state of bliss. While I have some issue with the concept of happiness as the ideal versus joy, there were certainly a lot of great tips to take away from this book.

Beside Every Great Dad by Nancy Swihart and Ken Canfield - This was highly recommended to me by my sister-in-law. She took a Ministry to Fathers course at ACU (which I wish I had known about!), and this was one of the texts they used. Seeing as our parenthood is impending, I thought I would get a little insight as to what I can do to encourage Clay as a dad. There is so much information in each chapter, I think I'm going to have to re-read it all several times to make sure it soaks in!

Next up: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusac and Stones From the River by Ursula Hegi.

28. Keep up with (and document) all these goals!

I think so far I'm doing pretty well. Not all my posts will include multiple items from my list, maybe just one with some pictures. But it's not a bad start, eh?

Time Flies When You're Making a Baby

Yesterday marks 14 weeks this little baby has been cookin' in my oven. :)

Here are a few belly pics from weeks 12, 13 and 14:



As you can see, our little bun is growing and I'm starting to show a bit. :D

I've been reading the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, which is chock-full of great information for a first-timer like myself. However, it also refers to your growing midsection as a "small potbelly" at this stage...terminology which I'm not so sure about. Although if I'm going to have a potbelly, this is the best kind! Let's just say the Bella Band is my new best friend.

Earlier this week I had a doctor's appointment and everything looks good. They even mentioned the upcoming 20-week appointment which totally freaked me out. Am I really this far along in my pregnancy already?!
 
But you know what they say: Time flies when you're having fun - or making a baby. ;D

The Cat's Out of The Bag

It's no secret anymore - Clay and I are expecting

a little addition to join the party in June 2011!

We have been trying to keep the pregnancy a secret for over two months, and it was absolutely excrutiating not to tell at times. There have been multiple instances where one of us (usually me) almost caved in or where someone made a comment that threw us off guard. But for the most part we feel like we were pretty good at hiding it!

Clay and I wanted to tell our families after we had been to the doctor for the first time, but we also wanted to make sure it was a HUGE surprise to everyone. (Most people are expecting us to announce it any day. We can tell by your looks. ;)) We knew that if we did anything out the ordinary, it would be a dead giveaway. So we thought and thought about how to break the news...

Since a quick trip to Florida to tell my parents was out of the question, we decided the next best thing was video chatting. I sent a little package to my mom and dad with a webcam, a picture of us, a few other things (to throw them off our trail ;)), and an envelope labeled "Do not open until instructed." So for our inaugural webchat, we asked them to open the envelope and read each of the cards out loud. Here's what they said...

Postage to send this package: $4
Belated birthday CD $11
Webcam: $22
Realizing there are actually three people in this photo: pricless

My parents were SO excited! They had already been talking about how they would love to take grandkids camping, fishing and hunting one day. Looks like that day is coming a little sooner than they thought. :D

We had planned to go to Abilene to spend Thanksgiving with Clay's family. It was a little tricky figuring out how to tell Clay's immediate family without disrupting the traditional flow of events, but eventually we decided on creating a little word puzzle. Clay was the brains behind this operation and came up with a pretty fancy word scramble. So on Wednesday night after dinner as we were all gathered around the kitchen table, we pulled out a "Thanksgiving puzzle" for everyone to solve...

The answer to the riddle "Everyone was confused by the new names" was, of course, "Mom and Dad"!

Oh, what fun to see the reactions. :)

We're especially excited as our Christmas cards go out this week
with a special message from my growing belly. (Thanks, Ashley, for the super-cute cards!)

More and more people will be discovering that the cat's out of the bag! :D