Week of Craziness=1, J&K=0

What a wild week!  I had an insane week at work, including a 14 hour day in Alabama working programs.   I was ready for the weekend, to say the least, but Hey, duty calls!  To top it all off, I got a call from Josh on Friday that his back was hurting.  Less than 2 hours later, we were in the ER - kidney stones.  Yuck.  Neither of us had had them before, but apparently it is genetic and several members of his family have dealt with them.  Anyway, our big weekend of working on the nursery turned into more of nursing poor Josh, but I'm learning to expect the unexpected.  I'm praying hard he'll be feeling better soon.  I keep reminding him labor won't last this long, HA!  I've gotta keep him on his toes...

On the other hand, I'm still doing good.  My feet are starting to hurt, but I still haven't had a lot of swelling or pain elsewhere, so I'll take a couple of nights of foot rubs :)  I've watched the sweet cravings and have started letting myself do one dessert a day (rather than multiple and more multiple), although I sort of busted that this weekend, mostly out of boredom. I guess watching the Women's Sweet 16 and Men's Elite 8 will only entertain the preggo for so long. 

Pic from Friday - 29.5 weeks:

Avery Grace had a couple of new buddies born this week!  She has a new cousin, Matthew Reece, who was born Friday (Josh's cousin, Ashley's, baby).  Reece is the 13th and AG will be the 14th great-grandchild on that side of the family (Linz, correct me if my Smith math is wrong). 

She also has a new neighbor and family friend, Aubree Kate, who was born Wednesday (my old friend, Jeff, and his wife, Rachel's baby girl).

Well, though the week was a little tough, I'm confident this one will be much more easy-going. 

Hope you all enjoy another week of Spring weather!

J, K & Baby A

First Week of 3rd Trimester - COMPLETE.

We just returned from our babymoon to Sandestin - it was a FABULOUS getaway.  We got up around 1:30am on Thursday and made our way down to Florida.  Sun, Food, Beyond Amazing Weather and of course, The Beach.  I couldn't believe how lucky we got with the condo, the view, the location and the 75-80 degree weather.  We cannot complain about a thing - it was all great...perfect, even!

Josh is an amazing photographer! 

- Picture from last night's dinner-

Dinner at the Harbor. 

A super-sweet (and tipsy) lady wanted to snap a pic of the parents-to-be :)

Next weekend, we are planning on working hard on the nursery, something that has yet to happen.  We have to finish cleaning out the guest room, move all of the office furniture into the now-guest room, then begin placing furniture in the nursery (the now-office).  Confusing, enough?  Yes, it has been an adventure for us as well.  

Have a great week!

J, K and Baby A

Childbirth Class=Reality Check!

It's been a long week at the Smith house!  I've been in Anaheim, CA all week for a National Sales Meeting, which is always exhausting, much less being almost 7 months pregnant.  But at least it's over.

We went to our first childbirth class at the hospital today - it was awesome!  We learned so much about what to expect in the third trimester, prelabor, labor and delivery today.  Yes, we even watched a 10-minute video following a woman's labor and delivery (Josh only hid his face once, HA!).  The whole class was informative for both me and my "support person/coach."  It was absolutely a reality check, too.  I mean, she be full term in 10 weeks. WOW.  We also learned the in's and out's of the hospital's game plan for when the big day comes.  Next Saturday, we'll finish up our class and take a tour of the hospital's labor and delivery area. We are so excited!!!

On another exciting note, we booked our babymoon!  We'll be staying in Sandestin for a long weekend and the vacay couldn't come soon enough.  I need a break!  Sun, Sand & Seafood ALWAYS do the trick :)

Hope everyone has a great week!
J, K & Baby A

Month 6: 15 weeks to go...

Here is my 25 week (and 3 day) pic:

Everything is still going well!  I passed my glucose test on the first try, so I wasn't subjected to the 3 hour test (thank goodness!).  I go back the second week of March for my 28 week visit then I begin my visits every two weeks!  I'm just shocked I'm already that far along.

Josh and I spent Monday night in Florence, AL (part of my territory) then stopped at Sir's Fabrics in Fayetteville on our way home to look for nursery inspiration - there was none to be had.  We (along with our interior designer, Mom) have talked about going toward Nashville to look soon.  Hopefully, we'll have better luck.  Until then, I'm painting the bookshelf for the nursery (I found a color at Lowe's that matches the dresser/changer perfectly) and we're going to be converting the office to the nursery and the guest room to an office.  I think this weekend will be packed with DIY projects!

On another note, we're planning on heading to Grayton Beach in the next few weeks for our Babymoon!  I'm excited and am definitely ready for a vacay!!! Especially to the beach!

Have a fabulous weekend!
K, J & Baby A :)

Project Nursery Begins!

Thanks to Lindsey H., I learned of a one-day sale at USA Baby in Franklin. Everything is the store was on sale, including floor samples of top-rated brands such as Munire and Baby's Dream.  Mom and I made the trip early Saturday morning and had a blast!  And we had great luck finding both the crib and dresser (changing table).

Munire SafeSide Urban style in Espresso (top right) - may be "island style" in her nursery

Our Baby's Dream dresser (changing table) in antique white

We will also be painting our bookshelf antique white and are looking for a recliner/glider.  We are all about keeping it simple, though we are planning on adding a chandelier for a touch of elegance :) We also haven't picked the fabric out quite yet but I'm sure a roadtrip will be in the near future for that purchase.  I'm glad my Mom has awesome taste and a love for decorating - she's been a huge help! Thank you!!!

After we were finished shopping, I met Lindsey H, Lindsey W and Natalee (and Audrey) for lunch at Marina's - it was great having girl time and catch-up time.  When we finished up lunch, Lindsey H took us to Sam's for diaper shopping in bulk - GREAT deal!  I plan on making a couple of more trips, too, before she arrives. I also bought her a couple of adorable outfits (I just couldn't resist).

All-in-all, it was a productive weekend for the baby!  Thanks again to my Mom and Friends :)

Week 23: Observations from the Pregnant Lady...

I've made some general observations over the last week that I've taken note of - please take them with a grain of salt:

*The craving of sweets is terrible! There is zero self-control, so I just have to stay away from it. MAJOR cuts in the sugar department have begun..

*No woman, pregnant or not, wants to hear comments such as: "Wow! Your belly is really getting out there!" or "Look at the little pudge!" or "Just be glad you aren't gaining weight everywhere!" Sheesh. I get it. It's part of it and it's good for the baby and I could not be more thankful I am healthy, she is healthy, etc. etc .etc. Maybe I'm just being sensitive, but seriously...no female wants to talk about it.

*Working out isn't really that different pregnant, unless you are planning to jog along with your walk.  At this point, your bladder might beg for mercy.  (The elliptical, on the other hand, is fabulous!)

*Although I'm due in a little less than four months, I could realistically have her in THREE. Oh. Em. Gee.

*Thinking about the nursery is seriously overwhelming.

This week has been super busy at the Smith household.  My Mom and Terry got married in Charleston last Wednesday - we are so happy for them!  While they were gone, Josh laid tile at his house before it's time to put it on the market.  It looks awesome!  I'm so happy to have a handyman husband.  I also had a long week at work.  It was jam-packed with lunches, appointments and an overnight in Florence, AL.  It all is paying off, though, and I'm really enjoying my new position. :)

Enjoy your week!
The Smith Fam

Karate or Gymnastics?

Josh got to feel her move!  The first time was Friday night, the most active by far she'd ever been.  We've also been enjoying her gold medalist performances the last two nights as well. :)

I'll be 22 weeks tomorrow!  Here are some other pregnancy updates:

-Still no DEFINITE name, although we have a pretty good idea of what it will be.
-No sickness for me since January 1st!
-I'm still sleeping well, no preggo insomnia yet, knock on wood! And I'm slightly obsessed with the Snoogle pregnancy pillow!  AMAZING.
-Cravings: 1st trimester - watermelon slushes and when I DID feel like eating something, it was for a couple of days at every meal (i.e. Raisin Bran, Mac-n-cheese, saltines, etc.)
2nd trimester - so far, SWEETS! Julia's bakery chocolate fudge pie; local coffee shops' (not Starbucks!) specialty decaf drinks (especially from Buckhead coffee shop in Columbia); Double Chocolate Cookie Dough Blizzards; made from scratch chocolate chip cookies and milk; TEA (either sweet or fruit) And not a "sweet" or "dessert," Red Curry from Royal Thai in Franklin and Brentwood.  LATEST: Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Sandwiches.

Have a great rest of the week!  Two updates in one week? We're on a roll!
The Smith Fam