Perfect Timing!

So if you are a blog follower you know from my last post that the third trimester blues have set in. I did lots of self therapy yesterday and was starting to feel much better! Today I went to the gym and hopped on the elyptical for 1/2 an hour. I was so looking forward to plunging in the pool when I finished so I could lift this belly, but the weather had other plans! Lucky for me there was a SURPRISE on my doorstep when I pulled up. What a great way to cheer a moody-mommy-to-be up! I came right in and ripped the package open (in my defense there was no return address so I didn't know who it was from and it was addressed to me). I opened up the box only to find the cutest, most perfect, fitted ALABAMA ball cap and t-shirt. I can't believe Isaiah has his first fitted cap. It is so tiny! The shipping sheet inside let me know the package was from Matt (Mike's best friend) and Mary!




I AM IN LOVE! Isaiah is going to be the cutest Bama fan of the season. Thanks so much Matt and Mary for thinking of us during this exciting time in our lives. I hope we can work out a time to watch a game together this season! No tequila for me this season but boy oh boy I can't wait to hear that conch horn blow and get a big RRRRRROOOOOLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL!

Third Trimester Blues

UGH! I have hit a wall. I have really enjoyed being pregnant and the 2nd trimester was amazing. In the last week or so I have felt a little more teary and dreary. Today it all came to a boil. Luckily for my hubby he was at work most of the day. hahaha. It is the craziest feeling I have ever experienced. You conciously know that your pregnancy hormones are making you irrational but you can't stop yourself from having a breakdown. Even mid-tantrum I am telling myself that I need to cut it out and I just can't. Why does this have to happen? I have been sitting here for hours trying to decide what I can do to help myself.
Here is what I have come up with. If you have some better suggestions or tips PLEASE SHARE!
1. Continue to hit the gym everyday for a blast of cardio and some yoga.
2. Do something nice for myself once a day.
3. Do something nice for Michael once a day.
4. Read a book to Isaiah each morning.
5. PRAY, spend time in the word and thank God for this blessing he has gifted us.
6. Float in the pool to relieve some of the pressure and head to my happy place!
I can't believe I am already 30 weeks pregnant but some days I feel like it's still a long road ahead. I like to be proactive and in control of situations. I have decided these hormone rages must be my body's way of telling me I am going to have to give up some control. Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Who's the Hippest Hostess in Town?

If you guessed this blog would be about my bestest, mostest talented, mostest creative, personal shopper, Ashley....then you were RIGHT! About three weeks ago I presented her with a task: thank you cards for Isaiah. Boy oh boy did she ever come through! The only request I had was that a cross be included (based on his name and story behind it this was perfect for me). I never expected them to be SO perfect. She has such a knack for picking out the right card stock, most fabulous fonts and great graphics. Check them out!





















Of course Ashley wouldn't be happy to ONLY send my request she had to go the extra mile (such the entrepneur). I now have "blogspotter" business cards. I AM NOW PUTTING IN A REQUEST FOR "MOMMY" BUSINESS CARDS! (hope you got that Ash)





















And all of this cute stuff came packaged in a handy, reusable, eco friendly velcro bag from White Satin Ribbon. Check out her ETSY shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/whitesatinribbon




SO....now that you are all super jealous of my goodies, I have great news! You can make some super cute purchases from Ashley, too! Her prices are great and she doesn't need a whole lot of direction from you (if you're like me and have no clue). I'm sure she will welcome the involvement and fresh ideas though! Check out her hostessing blogspot http://www.thehiphostess.blogspot.com/ OR find her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Memphis-TN/The-Hip-Hostess/128604060865?v=info&ref=ts.
You have my guarantee that YOU WILL BE HAPPY!
Cheers to the hippest hostest in town!
LOVE YA GIRL!

Outlet Shopping for Isaiah

Yesterday we spent the day in Orlando shopping at the outlet mall. I think we hit up every kid store they had. First on the stop was the Converse outlet. Michael has been wanting a pair for himself but when we entered I headed straight for the baby aisle! How cute are these little shoes? I am so happy my little man will be sportin' the stringless converse. Of course I couldn't walk out with one pair when I found out the second pair was half off! I HEART THESE!


I think Daddy is a little jealous that Mommy is so obsessed with baby clothes right now, but I think he will just have to get used to it! After Converse we hit up Gymboree, OshKosh, Ralph Lauren, Carters, Diesel, and many more shops. I won't bore you with ALL the goodies we came home with but here are two of my favorites!
"Gigi" (Mike's mom) spotted these jeans and I knew that I HAD to have them. They are so stylish and cute (yes I think everything is CUTE). I went through a few shirts before I settled on the perfect one to finish off the look. I definitely think this outfit will be topped off with a baseball cap. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
Here we have our Daddy inspired outfit. Michael is really wishing Isaiah would come out ready to toss the football and run around. Since this won't happen we can atleast dress him up like a little future football star!
We had such a fun, productive and HOT day. My feet are paying for it today (I will be wearing tennis shoes next time I decide to go on an all day shopping adventure). Did I mention we were there until 7pm? Thanks Gigi for all the goodies and the time we have spent together. Isaiah can't wait to meet you and sport his new wardrobe!

~Happy Third Trimester~

(Before we found out the sex of the baby my bestest, mostest creative, personal shopper Ashley sent me these in pink, blue and green to anticipate the big reveal!)
I can't believe I am 2/3 of the way through this pregnancy. I won't lie, the first trimester was ROUGH! I was more tired than I have ever been in my entire life and I spent lots of time not keeping my food down. The second trimester was a blessing. I had so much energy, the morning sickness was completely gone and best of all I only gained 3 pounds (keep in mind I lost 12 the first trimester). Now I am facing the end! I am so happy to welcome the new "gifts" that come with the third trimester. I have already gained a little more weight and I take REALLY long naps. I think I will take advantage of these now!
I am starting to feel Isaiah move more and more but doc is worried he is not moving enough. That coupled with the hemorrhage I had on my placenta the first trimester has convinced her that I need non-stress tests (NST's) done twice a week, every week until little guy arrives. If you had to have these done feel free to pass along any info! These are only done in the morning so I will be missing work which upsets me a little bit since Back To School time is always a little crazy, but Isaiah is MUCH more important. So please just keep us in your prayers. I really think he is fine and that she is following the motto "better safe than sorry" but I believe in the power of prayer! (i also hope my boss doesn't decide to fire me...HA)

meet the grandparents (take 3)

Meet Ray. Ray hasn't come up with a grandpa name yet but we are tossing around Pawpaw, Pawpaw D, and Ray-Ray. Ray is Michael's dad (if you couldn't tell from the picture). The frist thing people say about them is how much they look alike. I remember sitting in Mike's Aunt's backyard one day and watching him stand on the dock with his Pawpaw D. Three generations and from the back they all looked identical. Michael grew up working in the family business and learned so many valuable life lessons. Ray taught him to have an extremely good work ethic and that hard work pays off. He also spent lots of time with his Grandma D. She was the type of lady who had no problem telling it like it was. She taught Michael how to dress appropriately for work. Ray is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is so pleasant to be around and loves his kids very much. He lights up when they all get together. Michael remembers his Dad labeling his boots for him (left and right) when he was little so they ended up on the correct feet. He also can't wait to teach our son to pee in the toilet so he can use his dad's method (throw a bug in the toilet and aim) hahahaa. Ray always knew how to handle Michael (and from what I have heard that was quite a task). He knew just when to discipline and just when to love him. I can't believe how many spankings Michael actually remembers getting but all I can think is how many he probably got out of! Ray likes to be with his kids, play with cars and ride motorcycles.


Ray is married to Marianne. Meet "Nana"! Marianne is the gadget queen and I am already putting her in charge of keeping up with new technology so she can watch out for Isaiah! When Michael and I were married she put together an amazing video for us. It is a gift we treasure every day. I love going back and watching our memories unfold. Nana is also very creative. When Michael and I were dating I remember going over for Easter one Sunday and seeing the BEASTer baskets she made for the kids. She had such fun putting these HUGE baskets together for them and seeing the happiness it brought each one of them. Marianne and I share the same passsion for organization. (I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, what do you think Nana?) She always had such fun adventures planned for our vacations. This took lots of research and scheduling to get in all the fun things we wanted to do. I hope that Isaiah learns to be organized (atleast a little bit). Nana loves trips to Gatlinburg and hopes to have a log cabin there one day (I fully support this dream!)

meet the grandparents (take 2)

Meet "Gigi". Gina is Michael's mom. The first thing people notice about her is how beautiful she is! Gigi is gorgeous on the inside and out and she definitely does not look old enough to be a grandma! She has such a zest for life and loves to do all kinds of things. I know she and Isaiah will have lots of fun watching movies while eating candy and popcorn together. Gigi is a genuine person. What you see is what you get. She is always kind and willing to do anything you ask of her. Gina did a great job teaching Michael how to love and respect other people. She raised an amazing son and I am grateful for that every day. He would not be the man he is today without her influence. I love that she is always ready and willing to try something new. Michael says he gets his sense of adventure from her. They both love to travel and they both march to the beat of their own drum. This is such a great quality to have and I hope that Isaiah loves life as much as they do.

Gigi is engaged to Pete! We are still working on a name for Pete ("peepee", "pawpaw pete" and "petey" are a few that have been tossed around). Pete is a pilot and he makes Gina very happy. They are always on the go (well when they both aren't working). Pete is a super nice guy and we are looking forward to getting to know him better and have him join our growing family. Pete loves to play disc golf and travel.