Making Changes

Good Morning!

As I sit and enjoy my morning coffee, the sound of the dishwasher doing its thing, and quite possibly the last Sunday I will ever have without a child, I figured I would make some blog updates and changes.  :)  So take a look around and tell me what you think!

It's been an uneventful weekend, no signs of labor, that's for sure!  Friday Danny and I went out to dinner and then went to a friends house to play cards, chit-chat and hang for a few.  Then we headed home and relaxed on the couch together.  I'm sure our friends think we are such a bore, and I know that Danny would probably prefer hanging out all night, playing drinking games and being hung-over all the next day, but our partying days are pretty much over.  Here soon we'll be on a bath time/bed time schedule and staying up until the wee hours of the night to play beer pong just won't be in the question.  I'm sure we'll be up plenty for midnight feedings, diaper changes and snuggling with Marissa though!

While Danny and his dad headed to the car show, I went to the local Antique Mall for the first time to check things out.  I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, mostly just looking to pass the time.  I did however pick up a new bread basket.  Yes, it's the little things in life that make me happy!

Yesterday I fixed a nice steak dinner (well, Danny grilled the steaks) and we had home made Red Lobster cheddar biscuits, which displayed nicely in the above mentioned bread basket (if you would like to try out this yummy recipe, go to the "Recipes" tab at the top), deviled eggs and salad with home made beets (from my parents garden)!  And for dessert we had chocolate pie, mmm, MmmM, good!  We settled in on the couch to watch the Redskins pre-season game against the Ravens.  They opened the game looking good, but couldn't follow into the end zone for a single touch down.  That's okay, it's still pre-season, we've got time to clean up our game!

Danny and the pups snuggled up on the couch together to watch the game:

Miss Sadie and Daddy

Eli Gator relaxing on the Redskins throw blanket

Hey, there's something wrong with this picture!  Where's room for momma??  They kicked me to the love seat.  With my feet being swollen, Danny made me prop my feet up on some pillows.  But he did cater to me and bring me pie and milk, so I can't complain.  :o)

Today I'm going to clean up the house and we're supposed to go to the in-laws for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow I will be 40 weeks, so I'll be sure to upload some pictures of my big ol' belly if Marissa doesn't make her appearance before then. 

Wish us luck that this full moon on the 24th brings us our bundle of joy!  

Much Needed R&R

Another weekend has come and gone.  Danny and I had a pretty relaxing weekend for a change, which was really nice!  Friday we attended our second birthing class.  Danny got to feel what it's like to carry around an extra 25 pounds, that was quite comical.  He will kill me for posting these (it's a good thing he doesn't read my blog, huh!?) but they are too funny to resist. 

And this one had the whole class laughing...even the instructor said she's never seen this happen before!

Yeah, that's Danny breastfeeding, lol!!

I think he has a lot to learn about the male anatomy, but he was a good sport!  Saturday we slept in and we set up Danny's new "media center" in the basement.  He's like a kid in a candy shoppe and I can't peel him away from his new desk.  I guess you gotta love a good Craigslist find!

My little nerd :)  I <3 him...

Once the desk was put together, we headed to our favorite place, (insert sarcasm for good measure) Fairview Beach!  Everyone knows that we have a slight history at Fairview Beach and if we knew what was good for us we would steer clear of that place, but we never learn (we've had a few broken bones, a bar fight, an ER visit, and many a drunken night occur at Fairview Beach).  We met up with an old friend that I went to High School with, Danny and I shared a beautiful sunset together then headed to the beach to watch the fireworks.  The show was great!  It was such a nice night.  Then we went to the Pirate's Den for a quick drink, well, I had ice chips while Danny had a beer, then we decided to call it an early night before we got ourselves into any trouble!  We tried to order pizza and bread sticks from Domino's but we just missed closing, so we vegged out on frozen pizza and bread sticks once we got home.  Not the best food to be eating at midnight, but it was good nonetheless.  

We grilled out steaks with Danny's parents today and they stayed to watch "The Bounty Hunter."  It was a nice relaxing day and tomorrow Danny leaves for travel to New York.  I'm bummed that he will be gone, but hopefully this will be the last time before Marissa gets here.  And hopefully Marissa doesn't decide to come early, or Danny will be on an immediate flight back home!

Tomorrow marks 5 weeks until my estimated due date.  There's a full moon on August 24th, a day after my due date, so I'll be interested to see if that impacts her arrival at all.  I know it's an old wives tale, but it's still fun to think about.  

Eli wanted to have a little photo shoot this evening, Sadie however did not...

Sadie kept her little butt under the futon, out of camera shot.  Her loss, no blog appearance for her!

**36 Days** to go!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of  July!!!

Thank goodness for a long weekend.  We've had time to relax for a change which has been really nice.  We're heading to the in-laws today to celebrate Danny's mom's birthday.  We went and watched fire works last night which was fun.  Marissa slept through most of them but towards the end she started bouncing around in there!  I wonder what she was thinking!?

This morning I made some DIY pacifier clips and I'm really happy with how they turned out.  I want to go buy more ribbon and make more.  =)  Know anyone who needs pacifier clips?  Stores like Target want $5.00 for a pacifier clip and I made 4 for about $5.00.  Can't beat that!

Love the polka dots!

We also got our lamp stand in the mail yesterday so Danny and I put it together.  I think it looks pretty good.  I'm so in love with the nursery.  I just like sitting in there and taking it all in.  I guess it's a good thing I like the nursery because in a few short weeks I will be spending  A LOT of time in there.

I found this adorable little box that says "baby" on it yesterday at the store.  It matches our pink and brown theme and it has cute polka dots on it.  Marissa's first doll is to the right of the box, it's handmade which is really neat!  My mom's friend gave it to us.  

The letter "M" that I painted awhile back also found its home on Marissa's door.  It's not perfect but I still think it's cute.

I can't believe my family/friend shower is next Saturday!!!  I'm so excited to get together with everyone and eat lots of yummy food!  We are going to have a full house.  My parents are coming in to stay with us, my best friend, my brother and his girl friend and my cousin is coming as well.  Plus, I think some of the guys are going to be hanging out, drinking beer while the girls are at the shower.

Eli and Sadie haven't made a blog appearance lately, so here's some pictures that I took yesterday:

 Our handsome brown hound

Miss Sadie being shy for the camera

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!!

Adult Drinks and Quiet Time

So being pregnant puts a bit of a damper on the whole adult drinking thing.  To be honest, I haven't missed the hang overs, binge drinking and sleeping until early afternoon.  I haven't craved a beer, a glass of wine or any fruity concoctions (yet).  It doesn't bother me to be around other people who drink, I can still hang out with my friends and have a good time.  But tonight, I wanted to jazz things up a bit!  So Danny poured me a glass of the finest 100% White Grape Peach Juice in my all time favorite wine glass.  He looked at me like I had three heads when I pulled the wine glass down and asked for it to be filled up.  I like to live on the edge!

I remember the days of "Thirsty Thursday's" and "Whiskey Wednesday's!"  Not that I partook in any such events. :)  Hahaha! 
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I will say that I look forward to being able to enjoy a glass of wine again, or to have a beer after a long day at work.  I hope that I can have girl nights where we open a bottle of wine and catch up, but don't feel the need to open 3 more bottles before the night ends.  I don't need beer pong, flip cup or beer bongs to entertain me.  Not that I'm above any of those things, I'm just in a different place now.  But, what I really need are friends and family that support our decision to take this step into parenthood.  To be there when I'm frazzled and need a break from diapers, laundry and the never ending chores.  Friends who make sure that I talk about things other than just diapers, laundry, chores and how much I adore Marissa.  I hope that my friends and family can come to our house and not expect everything to be in perfect order.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I like things a certain way, that I need order in my home and I feel good when at the end of the day the floor isn't covered in dog hair, the coffee table doesn't have a layer of dust on it and the dishes and laundry are put away.  I take great pride in our little home.  It isn't the nicest house, the fanciest or the biggest, but it's our home and there's a lot of love in it.

I know I'm going to have to let some of my OCD ways take the back burner while I figure this whole "parenting" thing out.  So if you come to visit us after Marissa gets here and you see the house a total wreck, don't be surprised.  Not that our house is the cleanest on the block (I mean seriously, we have two labs, anyone who has ever had a lab knows that it's nearly impossible to have a spotless house, let alone a spotless house with two of the rug rats).  Anyway, I digress...I know our house will probably never be as organized as I would like, so I guess I better get used to the idea, huh?!  One day I know I will look back on these pictures and think..."What happened to our home!?"

So I will cherish these photos as I sit here quietly with nothing but the sound of fingers tapping on the keyboard.  The dogs have settled into their cozy spots, soaking up every inch of AC they can, there's a quiet rumble of the battleground coming from downstairs as my husband plays World of Warcraft and the rest is just silence.  No TV, music or the sound of shuffling dog feet are heard.  It's nice, it's peaceful...yes, I have too much time on my hands, and yes, I know I need to get a life, but these are moments that will be few and far between in my near future.  So I'm going to kick back and enjoy it while it lasts!

*Father's Day 2010*

For Father's Day we went to New Market to visit my parents.  It was a nice relaxing time, the dogs got to run and play, we ate too much and also visited with some friends. 

My brother and I ~ "Uncle Fuzz"

 Now if this isn't the way to soak up summer, I don't know what is!

A little gift from Marissa to Daddy

Somehow I managed to not get a picture of my mom and I over the weekend. :-(  I think I secretly didn't want to look bigger than her.  Ha, ha!  If you are reading this mom, I'm just kidding!  Love you!

We also spent Sunday with Danny's family, we kept it simple and ordered pizza!  Who doesn't love pizza? 

Another weekend slipped through our finger tips like an ice cube on a hot summer day.  I'm down to 62 days until Marissa's estimated arrival.  I had a doctor's appointment this morning and everything is looking great.  I now have to go every two weeks, which means we are getting close to go time. 

I got some goodies in the mail yesterday, which is always exciting.  A friend from the Monastery (thanks, Doyle!) that we've known for years sent me a couple baby books, a pink boppy cover (that just so happens to match the minky dot pillow with Marissa's name on it) and a few other things. :)  I can't wait to start the books!  I guess I don't have much time before Marissa gets here, with my energy starting to drain, hopefully I will have some time to read them.  Once these next three weekends are over, I'm seriously not planning ANYTHING!  I know, I know...I say that all the time, but we really, really need a break before Marissa gets here.  So I'm hoping that there will be lots of reading, pool time, relaxing in the AC and spending time with my hubby in the near future.  We just have to make it through an anniversary/pool party this weekend, July 4th and then my shower and we'll be in the home stretch!  Someone please kick me if I try to plan anything that doesn't involve relaxing!

Happy Father's Day to all the father's and soon to be dad's out there!  Especially this guy:

 

*4 Years*

Four years ago today, June 10th 2006, I went on a date with a guy.  He was fun, charming, sweet, and a gentleman, of course!  Little did I know that he would become my best friend, lover, fiance, husband and now the father of our child.  I had just gotten out of a serious relationship, and so had he.  We were both cautious, but were looking to make a new friendship, neither of us wanted to play games and we both just wanted to be happy.  Well, happy we were, together.

Over the next few months we really got to know each other.  We went on fun dates and would spend countless hours on the phone talking (we lived two hours apart), would visit each other on weekends and would lie in each others' arms learning about what we liked, what we didn't, what we wanted to do with our lives, etc.  For our first few dates we went to a Brooks and Dunn concert, the Baltimore Aquarium, a Brad Paisley concert, Cape Hatteras, my first sushi date, the movies, church, countless dinners and I think I *may* have even cooked him a home made meal once or twice.  Hey, the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach!  It obviously worked, so I'm not complaining.  He even came to my mom's family reunion in good 'ol "West by God!"  If that didn't run him off, I don't know what will.  :)

 Gettin' tipsy on the beach in Hatteras*

At the top of the Light House in Hatteras ~ Look how young and SKINNY we were!

He stole my heart from the very start, even my best friend said after just a short month of us dating that she knew Danny was the one.   I told her that I was madly in love with him, and that I couldn't believe that I had found such a great guy.  It was too perfect, things never worked out like this for me before, but it turns out that good things come to those who wait.  After dating for three months, Danny told me he loved me for the very first time.  We both had felt that way for awhile, but didn't want to rush things.  It was nice to get it out into the open, to know that we both felt the same way about each other.

This was taken in Richmond at my best friend's house.

 Our date at the Baltimore Aquarium

Our relationship progressed and we decided to move in together after 6 months {insert your judgments here, yes we were living in sin} of dating.  Neither of us had really planned on living with anyone before marriage, we had actually had a conversation early on in our relationship that it wasn't in our plan, but something just felt right.  Neither of us had to pressure the other to move in, it just felt natural to move in together.  So we started a life together, in my parent's 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath cottage (that they let us live in rent free).  They really don't know how much that helped us.  We really grew into the couple that we are today in that house and I cried the day we moved out.

Our first child came into our lives about 2 months after we moved in together.  He was a chocolate fur ball with blue eyes, sharp little teeth and lots of love!  We got our first dog together!  A chocolate lab, 7 weeks old, and we named him Eli.   

Seriously, how can you resist that cuteness?

 Fast forward another year, to Christmas 2007, and Danny popped the question!  It was so sweet, both of our families got to share in the moment and having him confess his love for me was beautiful!

Can you tell that I was shocked?

And here we are now...married for a year and a half, with two crazy dogs - Eli and Sadie, a cute little house we call home, a sweet baby on the way and four of the happiest years of my life to show for it. 

I am truly blessed to have such an amazing husband, two dogs that love us unconditionally, the joy of knowing I will be a mother and Danny a great father, my family, friends, our home and jobs that provide for us and each day that I get to spend with the one I love.  I know sometimes I get angry over nothing, don't always appreciate each and every moment of every day, but life is too short to have regrets.  I try to embrace each day and love with all I have. 

To many more years together ~ I love you Danny!

My Little Girl Turns One **Sigh**

Tomorrow is December 1st which means that little Miss Sadie turns ONE! Okay, so she's just a dog, but it's still exciting (I don't have kids yet, give me a break!). My little baby is growing up! I can't believe we've had her for so long already. There's positives and negatives of her turning one...on the negative side, she loses some of that cute puppy-ness, but let's admit it, she's been well past the puppy stage for awhile now! On the positive side, turning one means that she is that much closer (hopefully) to getting out of the chewing stage of her life. It took Eli a little over two years to quit chewing on everything he could get his mouth on but we've got him down to just chewing on toys, sticks and the occasional beer box. :)

We don't really have any plans for her birthday, but maybe she'll get a little extra treat!

~*Happy Birthday*~ to my little snuggle bug*

My Two Fur Babies

That's right! I have two little (well, maybe more on the medium size) fur babies. We have two labs, a 2.5 year old chocolate male named Eli and a 1 year old yellow female named Sadie.

A little about Eli ~ Well, he's chocolate of course and he is a bit of a meat head. He weighs in at about 85 pounds. He is a sweetie though and tends to be very needy. He must get that from his momma. He also likes to play games, like when he wants to come in from outside he will sit at the door and bark, but when you walk up to the door he runs away. He could do this for an hour if you let him. He also loves to play fetch and swim. He gets super duper excited when anyone comes to the door and he goes nuts when you tell him "daddy's home!" Eli knows several tricks which include sit, shake, high five, lie down, roll over, stay, speak, easy, and dead (we can even point a finger gun at him and say "bang" and he will flop over on his side, how cool is that!?). He also knows all of his tricks by hand motions, we don't even have to tell him what to do!

Sadie is a very petite lab and she is spoiled like every female. She loves attention and isn't afraid to push Eli out of the way to be right up in mom and dad's lap. For some reason, both of our labs think they are lap dogs that weigh 5 pounds! She only weighs about 55 pounds and is much smaller than Eli. She loves, loves, LOVES to snuggle. She must get that from her momma too. She snores a lot when she sleeps (that would be from daddy) and she just has a face that will melt your heart. She may be smaller than Eli but she certainly holds her own. Try taking her bone from her and she will take you d-o-w-n! She's not as smart as Eli but she knows sit, shake, speak and lie down. We are working on her but it will just take time.

Both of our labs have unique personalities and we love them so much. We've had Eli since he was 8 weeks old and Sadie since she was 9 weeks old. They have changed our lives dramatically but we love them unconditionally (even when they do chew the couch). They both love playing with other dogs and they are so loyal to us. One day, they may have to share some of that love with a new addition! :)