Nursery update

When we first found out I was pregnant, we looked for a theme we both liked. We settled on Classic Pooh since it seemed like there was a lot of it out there. So we painted and put on the matching wallpaper. I was really excited to have everything match. And then... we went to register at Target and guess what line got discontinued, yep Classic Pooh! All the stuff that I had seen and loved was no where to be seen. Damn, now what? We registered for everything else and hoped we could find stuff to match the paint and wallpaper online somewhere. Luckily, the Classic Pooh stuff was still available online. So instead of registering for it and hoping someone would go online and buy it for us, or running the risk of them running out, we decided to just go ahead and get it. We ended up getting the comforter and sheet set, with a matching dust ruffle and mobile. I'm glad we got it, it is soooo cute! Here are some pics of us making up the crib, perhaps a bit early seeings how I'm only 24 weeks but I like being prepared :) Making a crib is even more difficult than making the bed, which I hate! So I'm thinking this may end up being James's job full-time too ;)

Tying the bumper on.

The matching sheets, so cute!

Bumper and sheets.

The whole thing, have I mentioned how much I like that it all matches??? :)

The mobile.

My mom came by to see the nursery and mentioned how there is nothing for anyone to get us now, we've gotten it all ourselves! I said, soooo not true! We have lots we still need to get! But at least we've put a good dent in it! :)

These are my happy thoughts

My friend Nicole tagged me on her blog http://mikkfam.blogspot.com/ to do a list of ten things that make me happy. It reminded me of Peter Pan!

Now if only my happy thoughts could make me fly too ;) Here we go...

1. Being pregnant. I LOVE being pregnant, most of the time. My very favorite time of the day is late at night when I lay down to go to sleep. This is when baby boy decides to wake up. I LOVE feeling him kick, punch, roll, etc... I can feel him at other points during the day but I love this time the best because I can just lay there and feel and talk to the baby :)

2. James. He makes me happy every day. Even on days I don't get to see him, he will call, text, leave me notes, etc... It's the little things that just melt me. One day I was listening to the radio and heard a new DMB song that I immediately loved. The very next day, I got into my car and James had downloaded the song onto my ipod and it began playing the song when I turned on my car. It was so sweet!

3. My family. I can talk to both of my parents anytime about anything and they are there for me. My siblings can help lift my mood with a simple quote or memory from the past. And when we ALL get together, watch out! Good times :)

4. My friends. I have a lot of great, wonderful, caring, generous, funny friends. We can get together for nothing and have a blast!

5. Teaching. Granted, I severely dislike when my alarm goes off at 6:00 so I can get to teaching but once I'm there, it really makes me happy. Kids are hilarious! Even if I am in the worst mood ever, the kids can say something silly and I laugh and smile and before I know it, I'm in a much better mood.

6. Good food. Lately, I've had to eat things that are good for me and sometimes not so great tasting so when I get to eat something good, it is soooooo good! I look forward to the evenings and weekends when I can give in to my cravings. Who knew food could taste so good?!?!

7. Comfy clothes. Being pregnant has downsides too. One of them being, I'm uncomfortable in most clothes. Even nice maternity clothes are not so comfy sometimes. Those big waistband are hideous and big baggy tops are too great either. The first thing I do when I get home is put on a pair of James's pajama pants and a tank top. Ahhhhh! If I could wear this all day and get away with it, I would!

8. DOOL. Right after I put on my comfy clothes, I watch DOOL. It's relaxing. Stupid, but relaxing. And insanely entertaining.

9. Surfing. No not that kind, I'm not that talented. I mean, internet surfing. I like checking my Facebook, gossip sites, blogs I'm addicted to, etc... :) When I have the energy, I love blogging myself too.

10. Bed. As much as I love my life right now, I love crawling into bed at the end of the day. It's comfy, cozy and warm. On really fabulous days, I don't have to get up early and I can sleep in. This past weekend, I was so exhausted from the week that James and I spent a whole day in bed. It was fan-freakin-tastic!

So there you have it, a short list of some things that make me happy :) Your turn!!!

You are what you eat!

I've always been what my mom calls, a picky eater. I've never been a big fan of meat, or veggies, milk, or healthy foods. I am a big fan of carbs, junk food and sweets! Luckily for me, I have an awesome metabolism and I've never really had to worry about gaining too much weight due to my pickiness. And if I ever DID start gaining weight, a couple weeks of the Special K diet and I was back to normal. However, once I found out I was pregnant, I had to change my eating habits. I didn't want to hurt the baby because all I ever eat is crap! So... morning, noon and night, I choose my foods much more carefully. In order for someone as picky as me to get all the vitamins, minerals and calcium I need, I have to be creative. Instead of Pop-Tarts (which I love) for breakfast, I have hot chocolate (which has as much calcium as a glass of milk!) yogurt and granola, for my morning snack instead of nothing, I have a banana and orange juice (which has calcium and vitamin D!). For lunch, instead of random crap, I try to have some protein, some carbs, an apple and V8 fusion juice (which had a full serving of veggies!) Afternoon snack, I have some cheese and crackers and some nuts (more protein!). For dinner, well, that's where I let my cravings take over, Oregano's, Olive Garden, Taco Bell, Subway, etc... But at least when I go out to dinner, I have a salad! There's my dark, leafy greens! :) I'm already looking forward to the days after baby when I can go back to not caring about what I eat! Although, I may have to care a little if I want to get my pre-baby body back! Here is an updated belly pic, it's getting HUGE! I am about 23 weeks here. How many months is that, four, five?

Whoa belly!!! ;)

Oooh toes!!!

I have a few pet peeves. One of the many, is unpainted toenails (on girls!). Yes, it is winter and most, if not all of the time, my toes are covered and no one can see my toes anyway but it still bugs me. I guess it must have been a while since I've done my toes because this time around seemed very difficult. Being almost 23 weeks pregnant, my tummy has bulged quite a bit in the past few weeks. It makes it quite difficult to get down to reach my toes so... I had James help me out. As most of you know, I have a problem with other people touching my feet. Anabelle had to drag me to get my first pedicure and I was a wreck the whole time. James is totally fine with touching my feet but I am NOT fine with having him touch my feet! Luckily, I was just desperate enough to get through the process without kicking James in the face! He was pretty good at it too :) I'm wondering if I can register for pedicures cuz Lord knows, it's only going to get more difficult to paint my toes. Speaking of registering, James and I finally registered! If you are curious, we are registered at Target :) Here's a pic of my ugly toes that my wonderful husband painted so nicely for me. Thanks honey!! :)

Baby shower #1

My sister-in-law, Kenya is having her baby in less than a month! We had her baby shower this weekend at my mom's house. Since my mom isn't into playing games, she was in charge of the food and I was in charge of the decorations and the games! It was really fun for me to be the one "in charge" not only because, well let's face it, I love bossing people around, but also then I got to see all the fun! We played, fill-in the nursery rhyme (which I stole from Jill's shower, thanks Jaymee!), famous mothers and fathers, guess the baby food, and my personal favorite, guess the melted candy bar in the diaper (thank you Ami for the diapers!). Note to anyone planning a shower anytime soon, don't put the diapers in the microwave for too long, the diapers WILL melt!!! Lizzie and I melted just one and boy, did it smell bad! We learned our lesson after that and everything else was fine! I think everyone had a good time and Kenya got A LOT of really cute stuff! It was hard to get some good pics cuz I was running around like crazy but here are some I had a chance to snap.

Here is the adorable cake my mom got. It was so yummy :)

Here's the fun diaper game, that's Kenya smashing a diaper in her friend's face! Classic :)

Yum! Look at all those dirty diapers!

Baby food guessing, taste it! ;)

Some people were brave enough to taste them.

Some people were a little TOO excited to taste them!

Here try this one, it's the best! :)

Whew! One shower done, two more to go! I think my mom has washed her hands of all future showers so if anyone wants to help me do mine, I'd appreciate the help :)

Dr visit, nesting and BIG thank yous!!!

I had another Dr. visit today. I love being able to go and check up on my baby boy and make sure everything is going well. My weight was better this time around and I was not instructed to eat more dark leafy greens, thank goodness! I still have to eat them, mind you, she just didn't tell me I had to eat MORE! ;) This time, I got my belly measured too! I'm not sure exactly what it is supposed to measure but the Dr said that was good too. Then came my favorite part, listening to the baby's heartbeat. It was nice and strong! Good to hear :) The next visit, I get to do the glucose screening test... ugh. I remember when my mom was pregnant with my baby sister Emily and she had to do that test. Let's just say, it was not fun for her. To this day, she cannot drink Sprite, Seven-up, or any lemon-lime flavored soda because that is the flavor they made her drink for the test. I hope I have a better experience! I kinda like Sprite...

Tomorrow will mark 22 weeks for me. I had been wondering at what point the "nesting" feelings would begin. Well, it finally hit me this week. I'd been so tired last week that I couldn't get anything done around the house. This week, I'm feeling more rested and very... restless. I simply could NOT sit still. I HAD to clean, organize, do laundry, make lists, etc... It's so nice to have a clean house again! We'll see how long it lasts!! Like my nest? ;)

Now for my BIG thank yous...

There are some BIG advantages to waiting to have a baby. For one, I feel much more prepared. I am so ready for what this little boy brings to our lives and I'm so excited about finally being a mom after seeing so many of my friends become moms. The other good thing about waiting is, I get all my friends' baby stuff that they are now done with!!! Yippee! My friend Jen had a little boy last May, right around the same time we'll be having our little boy. Very convenient! Jen very generously donated all her adorable, gently used baby boy clothes, Boppy and Boppy covers to us! THANK YOU JEN!!! Another friend, Jaymee, had a little boy about a year ago too. She generously donated all her adorable, gently used baby boy clothes, a carrier and baby hangers to us as well! THANK YOU JAYMEE!!! It was so fun going through all the cute baby boy clothes from both Jen and Jaymee :) We are going to have a very stylish little guy! I was excited to see that there ARE some really cute boy clothes out there! If there is anyone else out there who needs a place for their baby stuff, you know where to find me! :)

P.S. BIG thank you also to Jill and Ami for the maternity clothes too!!! I don't know what I'd do without all my great friends!!

Here is baby boy's dresser. Up until a few days ago, it was totally empty! Now it's stuffed to the brim with onsies, sleepers, outfits, socks, and hats!

Here are the baskets under the changing table. I know I will need to reorganize this in the future and put actual diapers and wipes and stuff in there. But for now, I just really like seeing all the adorable clothes! I'm sure my nesting will not allow this craziness to continue for much longer ;)

I totally forgot to include this in the previous blog about Christmas presents! Here's the rug my mom got us for the nursery! Now it really feels complete :)

So as you can see, I've been busy and my nesting would not allow me to sit for an extended amount of time and blog. Hopefully I can get some more belly pics up soon. It seems to get bigger every day now! :)

Not an innie, not an outtie, I have a halfie!

Baby boy didn't feel like hiding anymore!!! All of a sudden, I have a belly! It seems to have popped out over the weekend, just in time to go back to school ;) I have noticed that my belly button has not exactly popped out but has started to. Before, I had an innie but now like half my belly button is sticking out! Very strange looking indeed. Slightly embarrassing pics again but hey, still cute right? :)

Here's the belly, look how round it is! Also, please notice the missing belly button ring, I cried the day we took it out :*(

Here's my halfie, so weird!

I can't wait until the belly gets big enough that I can draw a face on it like Ami did on hers that one time! :)

Post-it note Tuesday

I saw this on two of my favorite blogs today and thought I'd copy it. Very cute! :)

That's all I have the energy to think of today :) Work is exhausting me lately...

A very Spencer wedding

Last weekend, my little cousin Eva got married! Maybe I shouldn't call her my little cousin anymore since she's married now, but she'll always be little to me :) This wedding meant a trip back to Yuma. My dad's family has been in Yuma for a long time now. Ever since my grandpa decided to settle there and start a citrus company. My two uncles went into the family business and settled there as well. When we were kids we would go back to Yuma almost every summer to spend time with my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. As the cousins got older, most of them moved away from Yuma and we didn't get to see each other as often as we used to. This wedding was a great opportunity to see some family that we haven't seen in a long time! James even got to meet some family that he never met. It was a beautiful wedding and we had fun seeing everyone again :)

My uncle Mark walking Eva down the aisle, look how happy she is! I, of course, started crying at this point!

Eva and Marcus doing their vows.

I LOVED her dress!

The first kiss!!!

James danced with my baby sister Emily at the reception :)

This was right after they cut the cake. I had a bet with my uncle Courtney about how it would go down. He was convinced they would smash it in each other's face. I think mostly because that's what he did at his wedding all those years ago. I said they would be sweet about it. Guess what? I won! They were totally sweet :)

Right to left: My new cousin-in-law? Marcus, Eva, me, Emily, Erin. James took this pic right as the photographer was taking his pic so it's a bit bright. Back in the day, I was just as thin as Eva! ;)

I loved seeing all my family and loved being able to share news about my pregnancy with them :)

What a difference five years makes!

James and I have spent six New Year's Eves together now. Our first, from 04-05 is pictured below. Note the crazy short skirt and the ridiculous blond hair.

This was from the infamous red and black party thrown at Mary's house. Things got a little crazy that year. Long story short, it involved Irish car bombs, lots of shots, firefighters, IV's and a DAMN good time! If anyone had told me then that James and I would end up married and expecting a baby by the 09-10 New Year's Eve, I NEVER would have believed them! Things certainly have changed, for the better, I think :) Note the lack of short anything and the non-dyed hair. We also had a make-shift 2010 sign drawn on our Magnadoodle! Awesome! :)

Needless to say, things were much calmer this year. We spent the evening at home with my little sister Lizzie. She and James played Mario and I watched Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve! Funnily enough, we actually had fun! No alcohol at all and I had fun! See, different is good! I wouldn't have it any other way. Enjoy the pics from our kick-ass par-tay!!! ;)

Liz and James playing Mario. Daisy was lending moral support.

Me and Liz. Note the lack of smile...

Aha! There it is! A rare smile from Lizzie :)

James, clearly very happy to become a dad in 2010 :)

Me and baby boy, ringing in the new year!

Enjoying my sparkling French berry lemonade. Not quite as fun but yummy nonetheless :)

2010 will be a great year, the year we get to meet our baby boy :)

It was a VERY good year!

2009 went way too fast! It is a totally blur. So many great things happened and I'm trying to remember everything. Here are some of the things I can remember:

* James turned 30! We had a big party with friends and family and it was a lot of fun! He was a great sport about turning 30, I only hope I can be the same in a few years.

* James still has a job! This year the Tucson Citizen closed. We were afraid James would lose his job or get his hours cut. Either of those things would have be very bad for us. God smiled on us and James kept his job and his hours and everything turned out ok :)

* Lots of good things happened for my friends and family. Ami had her triplets! Three amazing, perfect little babies. Nicole had her little boy, so cute! Jill had her little boy, adorable as well. Anabelle beat cancer! Kenya is having a baby boy and Leah is pregnant too!

* James and I celebrated our second anniversary in Disneyland (again!). We had so much fun and in the back of minds, we knew this would be our last trip as a family of two :)

* We finished our shower remodeling. James did a great job of creating a brand new walk-in double shower for us. I enjoy it everyday!

* I got pregnant! This had all been part of our plan and we were happy that God agreed with our plans :)

* We found out we were having a boy! Watching our little boy move around on that screen was the best! We were so excited to find out we are having a little boy!

So those are some of the highlights from this 2009. It was a very good year! Here's hoping that 2010 is even better!! :)