Jeremy and Erika

5 months

2012-02-03T08:53:00.006-06:00

Time is flying by and Allison is changing weekly. Her personality continues to blossom!
At 5 months...

She is rolling over occasionally, but doesn't seem that interested in practicing her new skill.
She smiles a lot and will chuckle sometimes too.
She has started to scream sometimes when she gets frustrated with a toy. It's loud!
She continues to sleep 11-12 hours at night. However, 2 or 3 nights this month she has woke up crying a few times and needed help getting back to sleep. I am not sure what that is about...maybe teething?
Naps usually 3 times a day. She still fights them most of the time and we are still in the swing for naps.
4-5 bottles a day. Probably only half breast milk at this point.
She started cereal. She is not very interested. She wants to just play with the spoon.
We took a long road trip to Arkansas. The visit was wonderful, but the traveling was no fun. Jeremy and I had been planning a May beach trip. However, after our traveling experience, we decided it wasn't worth it. Maybe we'll go later is the summer when she is bigger. We'll stick to driving only distances that she can nap the whole time for a few months.

4 months

2011-12-26T17:17:00.000-06:00

Allison is so much fun these days! I can't believe she is 4 months already!

at 4 months...
-smiles all the time at mom and dad. She now smiles as soon as she sees me in the morning...so sweet!

- has had a belly laugh twice. Once because i leaned over the crib to talk to her and the mobile hit my hair and once more when jeremy played peek a boo with her.

-rolls on her side all the time, but has only rolled over once.

-her 3 month clothes are already too short! She is in 3-6 and 6 month already.

-has started to realize that crying makes mom or dad appear. Several times recently after being put to bed she has cried. As soon as we go in there she smiles at us. She doesn't need anything, she just isn't ready to be alone yet.

-almost always sleeps from 7:30-6:30ish. We do feed her around 10:30, but she usually eats with her eyes closed.

-takes about 3 naps a day. Two of them are usually at least an hour or more and the other might only be 30 minutes. Most of her naps are still in the swing.

-not really into her bouncy seat anymore.

-loves her octopus on her activity mat. She smiles and coos at it sometimes.

-did very well traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am very thankful that she is a good car rider.

-drinks usually 6 times a day. She averages 5 ounces a feeding, sometimes less and sometimes a little more. I am now pumping 3 times a day and supplementing the rest with formula. It was too hard to keep up the pumping 4-5 times a day while at work.

-we don't go to the doctor for another two weeks and I will update her stats then. I think she weighs around 14 lbs now.

3 months

2011-12-26T17:09:00.002-06:00

I am very late on this post. So late, that 3 and 4 months are blurred together. I am just going to post this picture and then do a 4 month update. I went back to work when Allison was 12 weeks old. Just when it got fun and a little easier. Working 40-50 hours a week and having a baby is very hard! I have to admit that it is nice to get out of the house, have adult conversation and do a job that I love. However, I do miss her like crazy! In January I get to cut back to 3 days a week......yea!!!!! I am looking forward to spending more time with Allison!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T21:28:00.003-06:00

I can't say we are as tired as this little one, but life has been very busy lately. I am way behind on my blog and hope to catch up soon!

I wanted to share this picture for now and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

2 Months

2011-10-24T08:51:00.004-05:00

Where is the time going. Allison is growing like a weed. She has already grown out of so many of her cute clothes. Most of them were only worn once. This past month has flown by much faster than the first month. We are settled into our routine and we are all getting more sleep, which makes us all happier. ;-) Her personality is beginning to blossom.

At two months....

~You sleep really well at night. You go to bed around 830 and sleep until around 8, only waking briefly for one or two feedings. I am still waiting on you to sleep all night, but I count my blessings since you usually give me at least a 5-6 hour stretch of sleep.

~You are getting better at your naps and when you get your naps you are a much happier baby! I have read and reread Babywise and recently read Healthy sleep habits, Happy child. We try to follow the suggestions. You sleep great in your crib at night, but not during the day. You usually take most of your naps in the swing.

~You smile now, especially in the morning while I am talking to you. It melts my heart when you look into my eyes and give me a gummy grin! You still aren't smiling spontaneously at anyone other than mom or dad.

~You coo more and more every day, especially while playing on your baby mat or while I am talking to you.

~Love your bouncy seat! It has a rainforest theme with 3 animals hanging from it. Jeremy and I swear you have purposely hit the monkey a few times. It looks like you look at it, concentrate real hard and swing your arm at it.

~Eat around 4 oz every 3 hours during the day. Mom is now exclusively pumping. Your get around 22-24 oz breast milk a day and the rest is supplemented with formula. Pumping is a lot of work, but I am keeping it up for a bit longer. I can tell your little GI system prefers the breast milk.

~You do not like tummy time. I still make you do it at least 3 times a day, but we are lucky to get 5 minutes before the crying starts.

~took your first road trip to Cleveland, Tn to visit family. It is only a 2 hour trip, but b/c of traffic we had to stop half way to feed on the way there and b/c of poor timing we had to stop half way on the way home as well. You were a little fussy away from home. You don't nap well if you aren't at home and I think that had a lot to do with it. Luckily, you love your car seat and riding in the car. Thanksgiving will be our next big road trip and hopefully you will enjoy that more!

~love laying on your changing table for some reason.

~spent your first night away from me at almost 9 weeks. I had my 10 year nursing school reunion to attend. I was going to take you, but decided you would be happier not making the drive and staying at home. I cried for the first 30 minutes of the trip! Dad kept you all by himself and you both did great!

~Stats
Weight: 11 lbs 15 oz. 70%
Length: 23 in 61%

ONE MONTH

2011-09-22T09:43:00.005-05:00

I can't believe Allison is one month old today. In one way it seems like she has been with us a long time and in another it seems like the time is flying by!

At one month....

-We think you weight 8.2 lbs. That's us weighing you ourselves. You have gained some serious weight since we got discharged from the hospital at not even 6 lbs.
-On probably 2/3 breast milk and 1/3 formula. Mom is still struggling with milk production. This is the hardest part so far about having a baby. I can handle the lack of sleep, but some days it seems like if I am not breastfeeding, pumping or bottle feeding then I am cleaning supplies to pump or bottle feed. Recently I have developed a milk blister. If it's not one thing its another! I am still working very hard to keep a positive attitude because I know breast milk is so good for you.
-You eat an average of 8 times a day. Every 2 1/2-3 hours during the day. Sometimes at night you will go almost 4 hours.
-Smile a lot, although I know they aren't intentional yet.
-You have a serious stretching routine when you wake up. Just like your daddy, you like to wake up slow and steady.
-For the most part you only cry when you are hungry or get gas pains.
-Love your pink ocean soothe and glow seahorse. When it plays music you will usually stop and turn its way to listen.

I have to admit that I can't wait until Allison is smiling at me and a little more interactive. However, I know she will be there before I know it, so I am trying to treasure each day. I love her more and more every day.

Pictures from her first two weeks

2011-09-09T11:17:00.003-05:00

Look how little she looks in her carrier.

First bath!

Welcome home.

How sweeet is that?!

Tummy time.

First trip to the doctor.

I am a Mommy!

2011-09-01T11:37:00.007-05:00

Allison chose to arrive a little early. I went to work as usual last Monday feeling no different and then around lunch time I felt some leaking fluid (sorry, that's kind of gross). I was in denial for a minute that my water had broken, but decided to get it checked out. Lots of people, including myself, thought that there was a gush of fluid when your water breaks. Actually for a lot of people it is just a leak. So, I informed my boss I needed to leave and he had one of the other nurses walk me over to Labor and Delivery where they put me in a room and checked me. To my surprise, my water had broken and we were going to have a baby sometime in the next 24 hours. I got on the phone immediately and phoned Jeremy.

I was having a few contractions, none of them painful. They started Pitocin to speed up the process and checked me an hour later. This was around 7:00pm. I was not dilated at all and my cervix was still firm and not thinned out. My doctor told me my options and highly encouraged me to go ahead with a C-Section. If your water breaks you are at an increased risk for infection after 12-24 hours so we didn't have all the time in the world and I wasn't making any progress. We went with his advice. Everything happened kind of fast after that point . Two of my coworkers did my Anesthesia. The spinal was perfect and didn't hurt at all. I must say it is a weird feeling not to be able to feel or move your lower half. It was also a weird feeling to be on the other side of things. I felt like I needed a surgical mask when we entered the OR, but I didn't since I was the patient. Everything went great. She came out safe and sound and we are both healthy.

Allison was born at 6 lbs 5 oz and 19 3/4 long. We stayed three nights in the hospital. At discharge she was down to 5 lbs 10 oz...tiny! We had to go to the doctor two days later for a bilirubin check. The bilirubin was still elevated, but she had gained 2 oz. We went to the doctor again 3 days later and the bilirubin had dropped a point and she gained more weight. The doctor was pleased and said the bilirubin would continue to slowly drop.

One thing I didn't realize prior to having her was how hard breastfeeding would be. No one prepared me for that. We are doing a schedule of feeding every three hours. Twenty minutes feeding and 15 minutes pumping with each breast. Add a diaper change and burping and it takes almost an hour and a half! My milk was slow to come in and my production is low. I currently only produce half of what she needs, so she is supplemented with formula for the rest. We had a lactation consultant come to the house to help.. Hopefully feeding will get better soon. It wears me out, but seeing her continue to gain weight is worth it.

Life with Allison is very busy. We continue to fall more and more in love with her everyday. In one way it seems like she has been around forever and in another I can't believe she is almost 3 weeks old. I know the time will go by fast. When I am awake at 3 am feeding, I try to remember that there will be a time when I miss these days.

My first glimpse of my little angel. She has already changed so much!

I love this man! He is already an amazing father! There is nothing sweeter than seeing your husband get misty eyes as he looks at his daughter!

Very proud grandparents! Allison is so lucky to have all four of them!

Her going home outfit was a yellow feltman brothers dress. It is the same one that I wore home 32 years ago. It swallowed her whole, but we put it on anyways for the ride.

Allison's Nursery

2011-08-10T08:21:00.006-05:00

We finally finished Allie's nursery and I love it. Sometimes I just go sit in there and admire everything and try to picture what she will look like.

I found her bedding online and planned everything around it. I love lavender and pink together. The walls were already beige and we painted the ceiling lavender. Here is a breakdown of her room...

Crib...classic Jenny Lind crib ordered from amazon
Bookshelf... Handmade and painted by my sweet dad
Dresser....This was a little tricky. We ordered it from a man here in Murfreesboro thinking we were getting a quality solid wood piece of furniture. When it was delivered I was very disappointed! It was the worst paint job I have ever seen and not made the best either. Jeremy came to the rescue and repainted it and put on new pink knobs. I am very happy with the end result.
Glider...USA baby
Curtains/pillow/basket cover...my friend, Kristen, helped me with designing these. I shopped around and found the fabric for $8 a yard online. That is a steal considering it is sold for $35 a yard here in town.
Chandelier....overstock.com

The sweet dreams frame was from my mom. She did the needlework and then I got it stretched and framed. So cute!

The dress hanging on the peg shelf is what Allie will wear home from the hospital. It is a Feltman brothers dress that my dad bought when I was born and I wore it home from the hospital. This is very special and I am so glad my mom saved it!

Murfreesboro baby shower

2011-08-08T18:50:00.004-05:00

I had my last baby shower this past Sunday at Janine's house. The shower was hosted by three of my girlfriends at work. Janine, Erin and Fran did an amazing job! We had a great turnout, lots of good food and fun presents. These girls are very creative. They made me a bouquet of suckers that say Allison Marie for me to take to the hospital to pass out to visitors. They had a dozen pink roses, a sock/cupcake display, a bib display with Allison's name on it and homemade paper pink flowers. The cake was made by one of the recovery room nurses. She does an amazing job. They always look good and more importantly they are delicious! She made one of my favorite flavors...strawberry! I got some great presents. Lots of clothes, my monitor, bottle warmer, stationary entertainer, newborn rock n play and diapers. I had a wonderful time and feel blessed to work with such a good group of girls!

Fran, Janine, Me and Erin

my sucker bouquet

I thought the bib display was so cute!

My Old Kentucky Home

2011-08-05T16:05:00.009-05:00

Last weekend we drove to Louisville, Ky to visit some of my nursing school buddies. I LOVE getting to see them and catch up on old times. Some of my best years were spent at UK in nursing school and these girls were all part of it. I wish I could visit with them more! We have our 10 year reunion this year and the celebration is late October. I am excited to see them again soon.

We had a great time visiting with each other and our families at Katie's house in Louisville. The men played corn hole and the kids played like crazy. It rained for a part of the night. This didn't stop the kids. They had even more fun playing in the rain.

They had a little baby shower for me as well. I got lots of good stuff. The chicco baby seat I wanted, the baby go pod, a very cute lamp, clothes and lots of breastfeeding supplies including a breast pump!

Kentucky is one of the most beautiful states! Even Jeremy was commenting on how beautiful the countryside was as we were on the back roads. On Sunday we went to the Makers Mark Distillery for a tour. It was pretty cool. However, it was HOT! I watched my feet swell! In hindsight, I would have stayed at the house and let the boys go.

Maternity Pictures...34 weeks

2011-07-31T18:56:00.001-05:00

We had Maternity pictures made a little over a week ago. MagnifyU Photography did a great job capturing my growing belly. These are some of my favorites.

Block Party!!

2011-07-25T20:21:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday night our street had a block party. We have been fortunate in having some really good neighbors! The party was in the cul de sac close to our house. Ed, who lives across from us, cooked a shrimp boil and burgers/dogs. We had a corn hole tournament and fun was had by all!

the championship corn hole game was played in front of our house.

Our neighbors to our right are some of our better friends and they are expecting a baby two weeks after us. We also have some other neighbors that are adopting and their baby is due in 3 weeks! Our little Allison should have some babies to play with and I will have some mommies to chat with.

Lauren and Mackie

Cleveland baby shower

2011-07-20T13:11:00.004-05:00

We traveled to Cleveland, Tn on Sunday for our family baby shower. We had a wonderful time! We felt very special to have almost all of the family come and celebrate with us. Jeremy's mom made her famous lasagna for the crowd and the family bakery made a super cute baby cake!

We got lots of gifts! Allie got a jumper seat, bouncer, baby carrier, crib soother, bath supplies and toys. She got some super cute outfits, monogrammed diaper covers, totes and burp cloths! She got a homemade blanket by Madyson and Jeremy's mom crocheted a blanket, jacket and hat for her.

Miss Allison is one lucky girl!!

Knoxville family baby shower

2011-07-10T08:22:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I had my first baby shower. We had a great time and my cousin, Mitzi, was so nice and generous to host my shower at her house. I felt so special and I fell very blessed to have such a wonderful family!

Miss Allison got lots of gifts! She got bottles, gift cards, diapers, clothes, a bumpo seat, pack and play, swaddlers, books, a diaper genie, a soothing sound machine, and a homemade quilt!

The picture below on the left is a copy of my invitation that Mitzi made. It matched my nursery colors! The picture on the right is something that was passed around at the shower. Words of advice for me that started with the letters of Allison's name. I thought that was a neat thing to do.

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T19:35:00.004-05:00

This weekend we celebrated July 4th at my parents. My dad put meat on the barbecue last night. It cooked slow and low all night and most of today. It was soooo good! My parents, the Jones' (like my second parents), my grannie and our friends, Mackie and Lauren were all there for the good food. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera.

I am thankful for our wonderful country and all the opportunities we have here. I am also thankful for all the service men and women who have served and are serving our country to help protect us. My brother is one of them. I am so proud of him! He is still stationed in Phoenix and recently got a well deserved promotion. Way to go Robert!

Today has been one of those days where I look around and realize how blessed I am! I have an amazing husband, family, job, friends and a baby girl on the way! Life is good and I thank God for all my blessings daily.

30 weeks, babymoon and our baby finally has a name!

2011-07-01T17:45:00.007-05:00

We reached the 30 week mark recently. I can't believe we are 75% through this pregnancy. It went by slow at first, but time is starting to fly by now. I keep thinking of all the things I need to do to get ready for our little ones arrival. The next few weeks will be busy with baby showers and completing the nursery. My first shower is July 9th and is hosted by my cousin in Knoxville. I can't wait!

Our baby girl weighs around 3 pounds now and is continuing to grow rapidly. We went yesterday and got a 3d/4d ultrasound. She wouldn't cooperate for most of the ultrasound because she kept hiding her face with her feet or hands and she was moving nonstop. We did see her smile once. Seriously, a real smile! I know it wasn't on purpose and just a reflex but it was pretty cool. We finally got a picture or two. I thought I would be able to see what she might look like. Not so much b/c it's not the best picture and the angle was bad. Oh well, it was still fun.

We recently went to Orange Beach, Al for a long weekend. Our last trip before our baby arrives. It was very relaxing. The beach was beautiful, the food was good and the company was perfect!

toes in the sand!

We drove over to Pensacola one morning to watch the blue angels practice. This was the highlight of the trip for Jeremy.

Jeremy and I (29 1/2 weeks)

Last but not least for this post.....our baby has a name!!!! After much debate, we are stuck on this name and we both like it! Allison is beautiful and I like the nickname Allie. Marie is my middle name and is also my maternal grandmother's name. She is one of the most amazing woman I have ever met. I am not just saying that because she is my grandmother. She really is as close to perfect as you can be. She is one of the strongest Christians I know. Her love for God is evident in her actions. I don't think I have ever heard her say something bad about someone. I think sometimes she has a direct line to Jesus. Everyone calls her to pray for them when they have needs. She is very humble about all of this and I just love her to death. I hope one day Miss Allie knows what an honor it is to be named after her.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-06-08T15:13:00.003-05:00

Today is my dad's 62nd birthday! We are going tonight to meet him, mom and the Jones' for dinner to celebrate. Saturday I surprised Jeremy and my dad with a nascar ride along for his birthday. They each got to ride 3 laps in a race car at the Nashville Super speedway. It was a big surprise that neither one had figured out. I love surprises! Next year I'll have to let them drive!

Happy Birthday Dad!!! We love you!

Mike Argo (my coworker who also went to nursing school with dad), Dad and Jeremy

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-05T10:47:00.003-05:00

Over the holiday weekend we spent time in East Tn with family. On Saturday night we watched Jeremy's cousin, Anthony, get married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. The weather was great and they looked so in love! Anthony and Dani live in Murfreesboro and we love to hang out with them when we get the chance. I couldn't be more happier for them!

The next day we drove up to Gatlinburg and met Jeremy's brother, Nathan, and his family for the Dixie Stampede. I have grown up going to Gatlinburg, but had never been to the Dixie Stampede. It was lots of fun and the food was good, especially the vegetable soup...yummy! After dinner we went into the mountains and played in the stream and on the rocks with the kids. The free entertainment of the mountains is just as fun as the pricey dixie stampede. It was a great weekend!!

Jeremy, Athena and Kevin

Jeremy and I with my baby bump....26 weeks in this picture.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Gilbert

Mountain Fun!

The smokies are so peaceful! Hopefully our little princess will love the mountains like us!

24-25 weeks

2011-05-25T17:29:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I will be 25 weeks pregnant. I went to the doctor last week for my monthly appointment and everything went well. I passed my glucose test! That was a relief as I didn't want to have to do the 3 hour test they make you do if you fail. The babies heart rate was in the low 120's and my uterus measured exactly where it was suppose to. They did some blood work and called to tell me I am anemic. No biggie. I will just have to take an extra iron pill.

I definitely feel and look pregnant now. I will have Jeremy take a baby bump picture this week and post it soon. I thought I could still hide it in loose clothes, but I was wrong. I had a sweet older lady the other day who was my patient ask me when I was due. The scrubs aren't hiding it anymore.

I am feeling her move a lot now. She seems to be more active in the morning and evening. Sometimes they are strong kicks and sometimes they are little flutters. Occasionally she seems to kick my bladder which sends me quickly to the bathroom. ;-) I love feeling her and it really is amazing!

She weighs about a pound and a half now and is 13 1/2 inches from head to heels. She even has hair now! She is starting to pack on the baby fat and will continue to gain weight rapidly from now on. This month she is about the size of an eggplant.

Mother's Day and nursery sneak peak

2011-05-10T16:53:00.005-05:00

It's up for debate as to whether or not this was my first mother's day. I think it was and Jeremy made it very special for me. He got me one of the sweetest gifts and cards he has ever given me. I have been admiring some pictures frames lately that are painted and look slightly antiqued. There were some at the Franklin Main St. festival and we recently saw some at a boutique here in Murfreesboro. They are kind of pricey for what they are, so I hadn't bought myself one. He surprised me with a white one to put in our nursery and the best part of the gift was the bow and message that he added. So sweet!!!!!!! He is definitely a keeper. I love him to death and can't imagine a better husband. How did I get so lucky?!

On another note, I have been busy planning the nursery. I got my bedding, crib and glider already. We still have lots of decorating to do, but Jeremy put the crib together so I could preview my bedding. I love it! It is very girly with the pink and lavender. My granny made me a lavender afghan when I was younger that matches perfectly. I plan on draping it over the glider. I went with a classic, white Jenny Lind crib and it looks great with the bedding. I am looking forward to getting a bookshelf my dad is making, my curtains, changing table and other decorations in the next few months.

what will she look like?

2011-04-27T17:01:00.004-05:00

Today at work we had some down time so a friend and I went up to L & D for a visit. One of my favorite Laborist was on call and we asked if he would look at my baby with the ultrasound. He was more than happy to check her out. This was by far my favorite ultrasound. She was moving all around. I could feel and see her kick at the same time. It was so cool!! At one point he pressed with the ultrasound probe and it looked like she tried to kick it away. I would post some pictures, but she hasn't changed much from the last picture I posted.

Sometimes I sit and wonder what she will look like. I uploaded some pics of Jeremy and I as kids. I like to imagine what kind of combination of us she will be. Will she look more like me, like him, have my eyes or his...etc.

I am starting to get more and more excited!! I can't wait to meet her in September!

Jeremy as a baby and little boy

Me as a baby and little girl

20 weeks!!!

2011-04-21T18:54:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that we are half way through this pregnancy! The first 16 weeks seemed to go by so slowly, but since then it seems like time is flying by. Our little girl will be here before we know it. I still have lots to do in the next 20 weeks. All the baby gear you need seems overwhelming, but I think I am gathering my long list of things to buy. We also have to pick out a name. Not much luck with that so far. It is such a big decision to pick a name that she will have the rest of her life.

We went for our big 20 week anatomy ultrasound on Monday. Everything looked great. She weighed in at 11 ounces and yes, it is still a girl. Time to start buying lots of pink! We got to see her take a deep breath, yawn and move around. Even Jeremy was in awe.

Overall, I still feel pretty good. My pants officially don't fit anymore. I am getting by with the belly band, but recently bought a pair of maternity jeans. They are so comfortable! I have gained 8 lbs, which my Dr. says is perfect. I have to admit, it's still hard to see the scale go up, but I know it's worth it. I think I have felt her move a few times, especially once when I found myself lying on my belly. It was pretty cool. My Dr. told me that I have an anterior placenta, which means I won't feel her really well for another week or two.

This is a video clip from our ultrasound where you can see her yawn.

San Francisco

2011-04-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

We were only in San Francisco for a short weekend, but were able to see some of the sights. We took a segway tour one day that was tons of fun!! I highly recommend taking one sometime. We were also able to take the night Alcatraz tour which was very interesting. Other than that we rode the cable cars and ate some good food! I would love to go back sometime and rent a car to drive along the coast.

riding the cable car

this is as close to the Golden Gate Bridge as we got. I will have to go back one day to get a better picture.

Segway time!

Alcatraz

17-19 weeks

2011-04-17T15:47:00.004-05:00

Our baby is now 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches. This is approximately the size of the 6 inch subway that I ate for lunch today. :-) Her kidneys are now working and she is producing urine. Her ears are now facing forward and are completely formed and she can hear. I hope she enjoyed all the wonderful worship music we heard in church today. She is also starting to pack on the weight. This means mama is starting to gain weight too. At my 16 week appointment I had gained 5 pounds. I feel like I have gained at least another 3. We go tomorrow for my 20 week appt, so we will see. It's hard seeing the scale go up, but I want nothing more than for her to be healthy and that requires me gaining some weight. My doctor says I am right on track, so I am trying not to stress over it.

I have been feeling wonderful lately. Other than my growing belly I don't really feel pregnant. The exhaustion, heartburn and occasional queasiness have gone away for now. I will enjoy it while it lasts b/c I know the last month or two will be a different story.

I sometimes sit and am amazed at the fact that my body is growing our baby. It is an indescribable feeling. God is wonderful and I am blessed well beyond what I deserve.

This is at almost 19 weeks.

our past week

2011-04-09T16:12:00.003-05:00

This past week has been crazy! We started out by flying to San Francisco on Saturday morning. We were going to spend the weekend there and then rent a car on Monday to drive to Big Sur for an anesthesia conference. Plans changed on Sunday when I got a very sad phone call. My grandfather had passed away that morning. We immediately got on the phone to change airline reservations, etc. I can't say enough good things about Delta, Northwest Anesthesia and Marriott. The airlines did not charge any extra fees and Northwest Anesthesia and Marriott gave us a full refund. So, Monday afternoon we flew back home to Nashville and then Tuesday morning we drive to Knoxville to be with my family for visitation and the funeral.

These times are sad and my grandfather will be greatly missed. He had 89 wonderful years on this earth, raised 6 amazing kids and loved the LORD. He died peacefully in his sleep at home on his couch....his favorite spot. Please say a prayer for the family, especially my grandmother who will have to learn to live alone after 68 years of marriage.

In these times you can't help but reflect on life and family. God has blessed me with an amazing life and I have to admit that I frequently take it for granted. I am praying and trying to do better because our time is short here on this earth.

16 week

2011-03-23T15:16:00.003-05:00

I have been known to be impatient and thats exactly what I was when it came to finding out the gender of our baby. I don't go for my 20 week ultrasound at the doctor until actually 21 weeks and that seemed so long to wait when I i knew that I could know now. So, we went for a gender sneak peak ultrasound last night and..................................................................IT'S A.........................................GIRL!!!!
It took a while for her to uncross her legs, but once the ultrasound tech got a good look we saw the 3 lines that indicate a girl. We got three different views to make sure, but he would only say he was 95% sure ( I guess since it's early). However, I asked him if he had every been wrong and he said not to his knowledge. So, I think we can be safe in saying HER from now on.

I didn't really have any feelings as to what it was nor did I have a preference. Everyone kept telling me I was having a boy and that is what Jeremy was wanting, so I guess I thought I would have a boy. We were both surprised. I was excited to know and immediately starting picturing all the cute pink outfits. ;-) Jeremy took a few hours, but he is now excited about raising a girl. He said, "who am I going to play with now." I guess he thinks all girls only play barbie. I am sure ours will play barbie, but I might have to find her a pink barbie remote control car so she can play with her daddy. I know he will be a wonderful father and she will be wrapped around his little finger. ;-)

14-15 week update

2011-03-21T20:59:00.004-05:00

Am I really pregnant? I feel so much better and have my energy back. I do have a little pooch that I can't suck in anymore, but other than that I feel pretty normal. No cravings or unusual things going on the last two weeks.

The baby is now about the size of an apple, is 4 inches long and weighs about 2.5 ounces. The baby can now squint, grimace, frown, pee and possibly suck its thumb. It is practicing breathing amniotic fluid to help the air sacs in the lungs to develop.

That's all until next week. I am hoping to get an early ultrasound soon to determine if we will be decorating with pink or blue.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!!

2011-03-12T15:07:00.004-06:00

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phil. 4:6

I am the worst at worrying! I wish I could change that about myself. Lately, probably because of the pregnancy, I feel I have been worrying more. This is just a touch of what I worry about.....will I be a good mom, am I a bad mom because I will spend more time at work than with my baby :-( , what if my baby isn't healthy, what if my baby isn't happy, what if Jeremy doesn't like all the responsiblities of being a dad, should we put a deposit of money in the baby's bank account when the baby is born for future college (compound interest, right?). I get tired just making the list!

I have to remind myself that I am incredibly BLESSED!! I have been blessed with parents that love me unconditionally, lots of family, a great job, a baby growing inside of me and a wonderful husband that I love to death! I don't need to worry about anything, God has always and always will take care of me!

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26

I keep finding myself wishing I could change a situation instead of stopping and being thankful for the situation I am in. For example...I am a Nurse Anesthetist, something I always wanted and worked hard for. I have an amazing job (no call or weekends) and work for an amazing set of doctors. However, lately I wish I could change that to something more baby friendly. Maybe a job you could walk away from for a few years and then return after a baby was older (and not worry about losing your skills). Something that maybe didn't make as good of a salary so you could justify staying home with a baby. Instead, I need to be thankful for my wonderful job where I get to help people and earn a great living as well. There are so many people out there without a job at all! I have asked my boss to cut back my hours once the baby is born and I am praying that is a possiblity. If they are unable to do that, then I vow not to fret over having to work full time. I thank God for everything and know he knows what is best for me and he commands me not to worry!

Dad's Retirement

2011-03-04T17:21:00.004-06:00

This past Tuesday was my dad's last shift as nursing supervisor at Williamson Medical Center. He has been there over 30 years and decided to call it quits a few months before his 62nd birthday. I know he is happy to be retired!!!!!

One of the departments threw him a surprise retirement dinner during his last shift. Jeremy, my mom and I were surprise guests. They spoke very highly of him. I am so proud of all the lives he has impacted. There are countless patients, nurses, families, and doctors he has helped over the years.

My brother and I kind of grew up with that hospital. I can remember numerous times my parents would do a kid exchange in the lobby and I remember once when my brother and I had to sleep in dads office for an hour or two while he did work. I think I actually had one birthday dinner there, probably because one of them was working.

Dad....I know you read this occasionally. Now that you are retired, I am expecting some fresh green beans from the garden. :-) I am joking, enjoy your new freedom!

12-13 week update

2011-02-28T18:28:00.003-06:00

I went to the doctor on Friday for my 3 month check up. Jeremy didn't end up getting to go because of work :-( They did all the routine blood work and exams. I didn't get an ultrasound like I thought I would. However, they did put the doppler on my belly and listen for the babies heartbeat. It only took a second for my Dr to find it and it was ticking away at 156. It was one of the most amazing sounds I have ever heard!

I get weekly emails from a pregnancy website and I thought I would share the information they send from time to time regarding what is going on with our baby.

Our baby is now roughly 3 inches long and the size of a medium shrimp and weighs almost an ounce. The babies fingerprints are formed and the reflexes are formed this week as well. In fact, if I prod my abdomen the baby will squirm in response. I can't feel this yet, but it will be amazing when I can.

I pray so many things for our baby. Too many to list, but these are some of my daily prayers. I pray that Jeremy and I will be good parents and our child will be healthy, have a big heart, and a love for Jesus. Please add these to your prayer list as well.

Happy Valentines Day and Surprise!!

2011-02-14T16:22:00.003-06:00

Happy V-day to all my family and friends! I came home to roses, homemade chocolate covered strawberries and a gift card to A Pea in a Pod/Motherhood Maternity. Yes, it's official.........we are pregnant!!! I am 10 1/2 weeks, have had two ultrasounds and baby gilbert looks healthy! We are super excited, scared, overwhelmed......lots of words to describe the pregnancy (ha!!) All kidding aside, we couldn't be happier and are looking forward to an exciting year and meeting our baby in early September.

So far I have been very lucky. Not much nausea. A little here and there, but nothing unmanageable. I was unbelievably tired the first few weeks and that seems to be getting a little better. I already have heartburn occasionally, which is new to me....not comfortable! I have gained almost 2 pounds so far. I was very bloated at first, but that too has gotten a little better. We go again for another ultrasound at 13 weeks. I can't wait to see how baby gilbert has changed. The first one (at 7 weeks)looked like a dot and the heart rate was 140. The second (at 10 weeks) is looking more like a baby and the heart rate was 158.

The Chinese calender says its a girl, the intelligender predictor says boy. Heart rate might be looking like a girl. Only God knows and I can't wait to find out. I don't have any feelings either way and I don't really care as long as it is healthy. Jeremy really wants a boy though, so I would like him to have one.

family time

2011-01-22T08:24:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we visited Cleveland, Tn. Nathan (Jeremy's older brother), Jeremy's mom, Man (Jeremy's great uncle) and myself all have birthdays in January so they held a January party. It was so nice to see everyone! Jeremy's mom made homemade lasagna and lots of family came over to celebrate.

DJ and Adam

The Gilbert family

Roger and Athena (Jeremy's parents)

Nathan, Amy, Leighanna, Lillian and Andrew

Disney 2011

2011-01-16T08:07:00.004-06:00

We went to Disney world last week for a little vacation. We originally booked the trip to run the half marathon, but for several reasons we bailed on running after the trip was already booked. Jeremy had been a few times and I had been only once when I was very young. I really didn't remember much. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, I know its a fun place. I really thought it was more for kids though. I was pleasantly surprised at how much there was to do that wasn't just for kids. We went to each park one day. I have to say that Disney and Epcot were my favorites. We booked through Disney so we had free dining and free transportation. They picked us up from the airport and took us to our hotel where our bags were delivered about 2 hours later. I was impressed that we didn't have to deal with waiting for our bags and we even checked them at our hotel for our return flight. The food was pretty good as well. I was glad it was free because it's expensive. All in all it was a great trip.

One of my favorite things to do was the shows! We watched Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Lion King and Finding Nemo.

The first night we went to a dessert party that had premier fireworks viewing. The dessert was okay, but the fireworks were beautiful!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-16T07:53:00.003-06:00

I am a little late on this post. We had a wonderful Christmas this year! Having Christmas eve off from work was really nice. We left for Cleveland, Tn the night before Christmas eve and spent the night and then did the Gilbert Christmas on Christmas eve. There are so many people and presents there! It's nice to be a part of a big family! Lots of love going on there for sure!
We drove back to our home late that night and did Christmas morning together with just Jeremy and I. It was a nice relaxing day. We were going to try to get together with my parents that afternoon, but decided to wait until Sunday. They both had to work on Christmas. On Sunday mom made a delicious standing rib roast....yummy! After eating and opening presents we visited my granny who lives next door to them. She isn't my biological grandmother, but she is just as close. I love her as much as my real grandmother and feel lucky to have her. All in all it was a wonderful Christmas! Lots of family to visit with and celebrating Jesus' birth makes us feel very blessed!

more pictures

2010-11-21T19:27:00.006-06:00

I got to take more pictures this weekend! Jeremy's cousin, Anthony, and his fiance, Dani, asked me to take some engagement pictures for them. I warned them that I am nowhere close to a professional and I just do it as a hobby. I always worry that people won't like my pictures. However, then I realize that I am free so what do they have to lose.
We had a good time taking pictures at Cannonsburg and Oaklands mansion here in Murfreesboro. They were good sports and willing to try any pose that I suggested. We love having them here in Murfreesboro to hang out with.

Their wedding colors are pink and orange, so I love this picture!

pictures for a friend

2010-11-14T23:03:00.006-06:00

A good friend and coworker asked me and Fran to take some pictures of her kids for her. We had a great time chasing a very cute 3 year old and loved posing his beautiful sister. These are a few of my favorites that I shot.

Halloween

2010-11-03T15:08:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a good Halloween. Jeremy and I dressed up as a German couple and went to my work Halloween party Saturday night. It was so much fun seeing everyone dressed up! Sunday night we gave out lots of candy to all the trick or treaters. It was a fun filled weekend!

Oscar dressed up too, although he had to be put up for the trick or treating. He couldn't' handle all the excitement. I thought he made a cute fire fighter.

Second Anniversary

2010-10-26T11:16:00.004-05:00

Jeremy and I celebrated our second anniversary on October 10Th. I can't believe it has been two years already. It's scary how fast time is flying by. I feel so lucky to be married to my best friend. I know that God picked him just for me and I am very blessed.

We went to the mountains of north Georgia to celebrate. I had read an article a while back about a Bavarian town in Georgia that had an Oktoberfest celebration so that's where we headed. It was so much fun. We danced to the German band (yes, we even did the chicken dance), ate German food, shopped, panned for gold and did a little hiking. We stayed in a very cute bed and breakfast within walking distance that served a yummy breakfast every morning. It was a nice relaxing way to celebrate our anniversary!

Redecorating

2010-09-07T15:40:00.005-05:00

It has taken us almost 9 months to finish two rooms, but I am very pleased with the results. We got some help from a friend, Kristen Finney with Finney Interiors. She is so nice and helpful and she has saved me a ton of money. I wanted to share some pictures of our hard work.

Some before pictures.

The finished pictures

This is the eat in kitchen area in between the living room and kitchen. We bought a new table and added window treatments to the patio door.

Jeremy got me this chest for Christmas....I love it. I found a mirror to match the hardware perfectly. I also love that lamp and it was only $10 at old time pottery!

A view from the staircase of the curtains and my painting I bought with Christmas money my parents gave us. We also bought new leather couches that will hopefully last us a long time!

Jeremy and my dad re tiled the fireplace with granite. The only thing we aren't crazy about in the room are the candles beside the picture. They are fillers until we can find something better. Finding something to place on the mantle has been the hardest part.

Our completed built in bookshelf with accessories and a bigger TV to fill the space.

I have enjoyed the decorating and Jeremy and I feel so at home in our living room! I have learned several things from Kristen and this decorating experience which I will share. Hobby Lobby is the cheapest place to get little inexpensive accessories and they often have 40% off coupons in the paper. It is just as inexpensive to get custom curtains and pillows as it is to buy them in a nice store. The ability to pick out your own fabric gives you lots of options. Also, spend a little extra money on pieces you will have a long time (leather couches) as quality is important to make sure they last. I bought cheaper leather couches 4 years ago and they already had weak spots in the leather so we got rid of them and had to buy new ones.

Next up is the bonus room. We painted it this past weekend and bought a sectional and TV. Now for some color. Bring on the pillows and curtains! ;-)

Beach time!

2010-08-24T18:11:00.007-05:00

Jeremy and I had a couple of days off recently and decided to go to the beach! It has been forever since either of us has been to Florida and since it's one of the closest beaches to Murfreesboro we hit the road. I am not very good with road trips, so I decided to try something different to pass the time. We stopped at the Cracker Barrel and rented a book on CD. We, especially Jeremy, enjoyed it. It definitely did the trick and passed the time. We made it to Destin in a little less than 7 1/2 hours with a few stops.

I got a great deal on a one bedroom beachfront condo at Edgewater beach resort. We even got a $250 Southwest credit for staying 3 nights, which we can always use. The condo was so nice to have. We went to the grocery for breakfast and snack food. Most days we laid by the beach during the day and then took an afternoon nap before heading to a nice dinner. One day we hit the outlets and bought our self some treats. At night we rented a movie from the red box. It was very relaxing to do almost nothing for a few days!

I have to mention some of the good food we had. Does it mean you are getting old when you talk about food after a vacation (ha!)? Anyways, the first night we stumbled upon a seafood restaurant called Pompano Joe's. I can only speak for the crab legs, which we both had, and they were delicious! They were grilled and that was a new way of eating them for both of us. This was Jeremy's favorite meal.
The second night we went to the red bar in Grayton Beach. Yummy is all I can say! The best grouper I have ever had and the restaurant is in a really cute area to explore.
The third night was at the back porch in destin. It was not the best and very touristy.
The fourth night was really special. I had read about a bed and breakfast in Southern Living magazine that sounded very romantic. They also have a restaurant that is open for reservations at dinnertime only. We saved this for the last night. It was so nice!! I told Jeremy that I would love to go stay a few nights sometime in the future. The food and the service were perfect! Here is the link to check it out. www.hendersonparkinn.com

view from our balcony

Stones River Battlefield

2010-07-10T12:43:00.003-05:00

One of the first concepts taught in my photography class is to "see the light." A good picture takes good lighting. Usually pictures taken early in the morning and late in the evening are better than those in the middle of the day when the sun is bright. This morning I got up early and went to the Stones River Battlefield to take some pictures and thought I would share some.

July 4th....

2010-07-08T17:32:00.005-05:00

We decided to take a short vacation to Chicago over the July 4Th weekend. We had lots of fun despite me coming down with a cold the day before we left. I rallied through the sniffles and still enjoyed the weekend. We arrived Friday evening and took the subway to our hotel. We stayed in a cool area surrounded by lots of shopping and restaurants. The first night we walked across the street and got some yummy gelato and sat next to a fountain to enjoy our treat and do some people watching. The next morning after eating at the pancake house we took an architectural harbor tour. It was recommended by a friend and was very interesting but it was HOT!! After that we briefly went to the taste of Chicago festival. Then came our daily nap. For dinner that night and the next we ate Chicago deep dish pizza.....so good!! On July 4Th we watched a Cubs game. They lost miserably to the Reds, but it was still a good time. That night we went to the sears tower and watched fireworks going off all over the city from the top. We thought it was one of the coolest things we have seen in a long time.

Photography class

2010-06-17T21:04:00.010-05:00

As some of you know, I am taking a basic photography class at Nashville State Tech. It is two nights a week for 8 weeks. We are on week 4 and it's been a lot of fun so far. There are some very interesting people in my class. For example, an 80 year old retired minister, the previous owner of Dee's barbecue which is in east Nashville, several youngsters with lots of tattoos, stay at home moms, teachers and a few nurses. Some have asked why am I taking this class. It's mostly for fun. However, I have to admit that I am a dreamer at times and I like to dream that I could do Photography as a job someday. You never know, maybe I could do it on the side or it could be my retirement job. When I am more realistic, I realize this is just my new fun hobby. It helps that I have 3 girlfriends at work that have picked up the hobby as well. We went shooting recently together and had a good time. I wanted to share some of my recent pictures.

close up

depth of field

panning shot of a Chattanooga carousel

Erin, Fran and Janine

slow shutter speed...blured the water

fast shutter speed

Nashville at night

Memorial day weekend

2010-05-30T21:06:00.006-05:00

We decided yesterday morning to take a last minute road trip. I had read about a hot air balloon festival happening in Decatur, Al that sounded interesting. I mentioned it to Jeremy and it was a go. Jeremy loves road trips! We took 231 South from Murfreesboro and traveled through Shelbyville, Fayetteville and Huntsville, Al before arriving in Decatur. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the scenic route. I believe the trip took a little over 2 hours. We arrived in time to see the balloon glow and eat some fair food (roasted corn....yummy). It was really neat to see the balloons lit up at night.

http://www.alabamajubilee.net/

We took our time returning today and walked around downtown Fayetteville, TN. I was impressed at how cute and well kept the town is.

Tonight we drove to the field of flags here in Murfreesboro honoring our military. My brother left for Iraq on Friday. Please keep him in your prayers that he stays safe! I am so proud of him!!

To finish off our weekend we are driving to my parents tomorrow afternoon for a barbeque. My dad has been smoking meat all day and it will continue to smoke tonight so it should be delicious!

New Toys

2010-05-20T20:12:00.000-05:00

Jeremy and I recently paid off a student loan!!!!! yea!!!! We treated ourselves to a reward. I bought a new camera with two lenses and Jeremy bought a very expensive remote control car (RC8). Lately, after work you can find me playing either with the camera or on the computer playing with photoshop and Jeremy has the kitchen table full of parts for his car. He has bought all new parts to rebuild the engine.

my new nikon....i can't get the picture to download correctly.....very frustrating.

One of my friends recently had a baby and let me practice my photography/photoshop skills. It was a lot more work than I thought it would be, but I was very pleased with some of the results.

New hobby

2010-05-14T19:15:00.009-05:00

I have found a new hobby that I love.......Photography!! I have always liked taking pictures and feel like I was always the one in college with the camera. I have previously just had a small point and shoot and literally that's all I knew to do. When I married Jeremy, he had a real camera as I called it. It was a Sony camera with interchangeable lenses. I played around with it a bit and took an introductory digital photography class at the local technical college here in town. I have quickly gotten the bug and want to learn much more!!! A couple of friends from work and I have joined a local photography club. We meet once a month and critique photos and then there is a field trip once a month to go meet up and take pictures at various sites around middle Tn. It is so much fun! I love the way a good picture can make you feel. It can make you laugh, smile, cry or all of the above. I am looking forward to practicing with my camera and photoshop. I have a lot of learning and improving to do, but I am having fun doing it!

Below is a picture I put together while playing with photoshop elements. I am slowly trying to learn how to do that as well.

Leighanna, Lillian and Andrew

My beautiful niece, Leighanna.

Me trying to be creative with the photos on our recent cruise.

Cruise 2010

2010-05-14T19:02:00.002-05:00

Last month we took our first cruise together. It was a Princess eastern caribbean cruise that sailed to Nassau, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk. It was SO nice to relax for a week and enjoy some sunshine!!

It's been a long time since the last post!

2010-03-28T20:02:00.012-05:00

I have been a slacker lately when it comes to blogging. I have the usual excuses of being busy, but I also don't feel like I have anything to blog about. Most people blog about their kids. Since it's just Jeremy and I, I feel like my posts might not be as interesting. However, I realized recently that my friends and family do read my blog and are looking for new posts. :-) Also, one of the reasons that I wanted to have a blog was to journal our life. I love looking at old photo albums, so I thought I could print my blog out each year and put it in a nice scrapbook to look at from time to time. So, on to what we have been up to.......

1. Over the last few weeks we have been looking for a church home here in Murfreesboro. Jeremy grew up Church of God and I grew up Methodist. There really aren't any Church of God church's in Murfreesboro to try out. We have tried some non denominational and Baptist church's. So far it seems that we both like Bel Aire Baptist the best. The preacher is very powerful and his sermons are very biblical. Jeremy also loves the choir. I leave there wanting to study the Bible, because I realize there is so much I don't know. We have been trying to read the Bible more and we do our Upper Room devotionals each night before bed. My mom got me a subscription to the Upper Room some time ago and it's one of the best gifts I have ever received. She renews it for us each year. Please pray that we find a church home that we can grow together spiritually in.

2. We have been doing updates on our new house. I have tried to take it one room at a time. It's hard not to get hasty and want everything at once! I have focused on the living room and I am almost done. We got a built in bookshelf/entertainment center installed. We decided to paint that ourselves. It took some time, but wasn't so bad and it was worth the $1000 we saved by doing it ourselves. I have to give my dad a special thank you for all his hard work helping us paint. We definitely couldn't have done it without him!!! We also bought a oil painting for above the fireplace, a new rug, decorative tree and I finally got our wedding picture framed. I'm having some curtains and pillows made, but they aren't ready yet. I will post pictures of the curtains when they arrive.

bookshelf before painting

bookshelf after painting.....still missing one door, hardware and a of course a bigger TV for Jeremy

3. Jeremy is very excited about trying to make the yard perfect! He wants to win the yard of the month award. He has bought his first lawnmower, shovel, and multiple other yard tools. Right now the basic yard work is kind of fun, hopefully it stays that way. ;-)

Jeremy with his new lawnmower

4. This past weekend we decided to lay some mulch down. We did our best to calculate how much we needed...8 yards. They were going to charge us around $250 to lay it, so we thought we would do it ourselves. They delivered it Saturday morning and it was a whole dump truck full of mulch dumped onto our driveway!!!!! It took us 8 hours with one wheel barrel and 2 shovels. We also had about 2-3 yards too much of mulch that we had to pile behind the trees in the backyard. We both had to take a large dose of advil before bed that night. We agreed that our long day of work was NOT worth the $250 we saved!!!!!!

Jeremy acting crazy on the HUGE pile of mulch

The nice mulch job

5. Oh, and how could I forget!!! My mom turned 60 on February 19th. She went on a cruise with her 4 sisters to celebrate. I sent a special gift for her to open on the cruise....a 60 tiara and sash to wear. Needless to say, they had a blast!! We took mom to bonefish grill, one of her favorites, to have a family dinner for her birthday before she left on her cruise.

Happy 60th

We are looking forward to Easter and visiting family this coming up weekend. We didn't see my family last year, so we will spend Easter dinner with them this year. We are going to Cleveland Saturday morning and leaving Sunday to drive to Knoxville in time for a nice meal and Easter egg hunt and then back to Murfreesboro that night b/c we both work on Monday.

Our Christmas

2010-01-06T19:28:00.002-06:00

Our Christmas this year was very busy, but wonderful! We traveled all over Arkansas and Tennessee visiting family during Christmas week. For some reason I forgot my camera on most of these trips, but I did snap a cute shot of Jeremy and Oscar under our Christmas tree that I wanted to share. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.

SOLD!!

2009-12-21T16:56:00.006-06:00

We finally sold our condo! It's been a long process, but it is now officially gone. I really enjoyed my time living in east Nashville! From where we lived we were able to walk to restaurants, parks, even downtown. It was a wonderful first place for us! However, the drive to work for both of us was getting old! We are now in Murfreesboro, which is where I work. Jeremy's drive was cut in half. He now only drives 30 minutes to Manchester. Life is good! We feel very blessed to have sold our condo fairly easily and to have found a house that we both love!

moving day! no more Russell St.

Our new home!

Happy 1st Anniversary

2009-10-30T20:00:00.002-05:00

Happy 1st Anniversary!

Our first year of marriage has gone by so fast! I just can't believe it's been a year already! We took the week off after our anniversary to celebrate. However, we didn't get to do much celebrating on our actual anniversary, October 10th. Jeremy had his appendix taken out a couple of days prior and I was sick with a GI bug. We ended up relaxing at home and having a stay cation. Jeremy's parents got us a gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse, which we love! We had takeout from there on our anniversary night to celebrate since we didn't feel like getting out. My parents also gave us money to go out to eat. I wanted to try a restaurant I have never been to before. We chose Mad Platter in germantown. I made reservations online and when we sat down at our table the menu said happy anniversary. I thought that was pretty cool. It was a wonderful 5 course meal with my favorite, bananas foster, for dessert. Thanks to our parents for the wonderful dinners!!

Labor Day Trip part two

2009-10-01T18:54:00.007-05:00

My parents and the Jones' left and we decided to stay in NYC for one more night. We ended up getting last minute tickets to Wicked. It was one of the best Broadway shows I have ever seen!

After we left NYC, Jeremy and I took a train to Boston. This was so nice! The Amtrak was roomy, very clean and the scenery traveling along the coast was amazing. Once we arrived in Boston we rented a car and traveled to Plymouth, MA which is a very cute town. We viewed the Plymouth rock and the replica of the Mayflower.

After leaving Plymouth we drove to Hyannis and caught the ferry to Nantucket. We stayed there in a B&B for one night and rode bikes all over the island. We tried lobster.....both of us have tried it before and aren't crazy about it. Since it's suppose to be so fresh there we decided to give it another shot. It was okay. I guess we just aren't lobster people. :-)

After leaving Nantucket we went to Salem, MA and took a ghost tour and toured the witch museum which was very interesting. To end the trip we stayed in Boston and went to one of our favorite oyster restaurants....Union Oyster House. Their oysters are soooo good! The later half of the trip was busy, but we enjoyed seeing a little of MA!

Labor Day Trip part one

2009-10-01T18:37:00.006-05:00

We traveled to NYC with my parents and the Jones' the week before labor day. My dad has always wanted to go to the opening ceremonies for the US open. Since he turned 60 this year, we all decided to go as a birthday trip for him. We had so much fun!! I have to say that I didn't think the tennis tournament would be very entertaining. I was wrong! I had a great time watching all the tennis stars play!

My dad

Towards the end of the night we got to go courtside and get closer to Andy Roddick. ;-)

My dad and Wayne caught red handed trying to get a closer look at Christie Brinkley. She was in a private box on the other side of the stadium. I can't lie....she was just as beautiful there as in the magazines.

Wayne, Debbie, Mom, Jeremy and Dad getting a soft serve ice cream cone from Mr. Softie! I think we got one every day we were there. Everytime one of us was craving something sweet we would turn the corner and there was another Mr. Softie truck!

We had a blast with the Jones' and my parents. Other things we did in NYC include going to a Yankee's game, a comedy show and taking a harbor cruise!

Tomato Festival

2009-08-14T21:34:00.005-05:00

Tomato Festival

Last saturday we went to the East Nashville Tomato festival. It was just a few blocks away from our house, so we decided to see what it was all about. We had a lot of fun! Everything had a tomato theme....guess that's why it's called the tomato festival. :-) There were bloody mary contests, red head contests, BLT's, fried green tomatoes...etc. Wild Oats had a tomato sorbet...GROSS! I can't believe I tried it because it even sounds gross. There was also live music and people dressed like tomatoes.

The above picture I took for me because I do hate tomatoes. I'm one of those crazy people who love salsa, ketchup, brushetta, etc.....but, I hate a plain tomato!

Cafe Margot is one of the best restaurants in Nashville! We went for New Years Eve this past year.

Pied Piper is in the picture above. They sell homemade icecream that is sooo good! Our favorite is called Trailer Trash. It is vanilla ice cream with every kind of cookie/candy you can imagine crumbled up in it....yummy!

July 4th....

2009-08-01T08:47:00.007-05:00

I have not been good at posting on the blog lately. This is the reason for the month delay on the July 4th post. I'll try to be better from now on!!

July 4th

We decided to have a few people over on July 4th for a cookout/firework party. We live close enough to downtown that you can see the skyline from our house and if you walk up the street a few blocks there is a park where everyone brings lawn chairs and watches the fireworks. The view is pretty good and you don't have to fight any of the traffic.

Our night started out rainy. Jeremy and I had already gone to Costco and stocked up on burgers and dogs to grill so we were not happy that it was raining. It seemed to slow down a little so we started grilling.....then the rain came hard and we lost power. I brought out all the candles in the house and we made it until the power came back 30 minutes later. I had previously decorated outside a bit with a july 4th banner and my outdoor place mats were on the patio table.....they all got soaked!!! We made due and enjoyed our burgers inside as the rain stopped.

The downtown fireworks got moved up to 8pm instead of 9pm to try to avoid another wave of storms coming. It looked pretty clear so I trusted the weather man and we all toted our chairs and coolers to the east park to watch the fireworks. About the time the fireworks started it was sprinkling. We all laughed it off and tried to wait it out. Five minutes later we were all getting soaked and running back to the townhouse. All I could do was laugh! It was a downpour....we all looked like we had been swimming! We returned to the townhouse, got out the towels and passed out t-shirts and scrub bottoms to change into. So at the end of the night we were all sporting Jeremy's t-shirts and scrub pants....pretty funny! It's a memory we will never forget.

Me, Madyson and Jeremy

Mom and Brittany

Uncle DJ, Madyson and Aunt April

And now the funny pics!

soaked Nicholas....I did feel bad for him because he was really enjoying the fireworks!

Mom, Brittany and I

Me, Brittany and Jenn

FOR SALE!

2009-07-03T09:07:00.002-05:00

Our townhouse is for sale! We hope to be selling our townhouse in Edgefield and moving to Murfreesboro. It is bittersweet! I love my townhouse, but we are outgrowing it with all of our stuff and we are ready for more room and a yard! We are also ready to quit driving a million miles a week commuting to work. I make a 30 minute commute to Murfreesboro and Jeremy makes an hour commute to Manchester. However, we (especially me) are going to miss Nashville! I absolutely love the location of my townhouse. We can walk to one of our favorite restaurants, the coffee shop and our favorite homemade ice cream shop. We can run through our neighborhood or walk to shelby park and run the greenway. In the suburbs its just not the same.....all the houses look similar, you have to drive to everything and not as many cool restaurants. I keep telling myself Nashville is only a 30 minute drive away from where we will live and we can visit anytime. Who knows how long it will take to sell. I hope not long, because I am tired of keeping it so clean. In the meantime we are trying to enjoy downtown living while we can.

If you know of anyone needed a townhouse downtown/Edgefield, check out the virtual tour.

http://tnhomegallery.com/906russell/

GIRLS TRIP

2009-06-15T10:14:00.004-05:00

SAVANNAH, GA

Jennifer, Me, Jennifer and Michelle

This past weekend I met some of my girlfriends from anesthesia school at Savannah, Ga. We stayed in a beach condo on Tybee island, Ga. It was beautiful and the weather was perfect! I miss these girls so much!! It was great to have girl time and catch up on each others lives.

We ate at two amazing restaurants. If you ever go, you definitely need to try these out. Jennifer did a great job picking the restaurants. The first was local 11 ten. It serves mostly local food. I had the tuna and it was amazing! The second was NobleFare. It had a limited menu that changes daily based on what is fresh. I had the grouper there and it was probably the best grouper I have ever had! Google the restaurants and check them out!

DAD is 60!!

2009-06-15T10:08:00.004-05:00

DAD is 60!!!

Last weekend we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday with a surprise birthday dinner at J. Alexanders. It was tons of fun! We made a photo collage for him with lots of old pictures. Narciss, our family friend, got a huge card signed by all of his coworkers. Mom got him an awesome present....a new sony lcd! Thanks to all those who attended and helped keep the surprise.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Beale St!!

2009-05-02T23:24:00.008-05:00

We were off most of this past week and decided to take a short road trip to Tunica, MS and Memphis, TN. Jeremy loves Tunica. I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had. I played video blackjack for an hour and won a little and built my courage up to go to the blackjack table where I had fun, but lost a little. Jeremy loves craps and was at the craps table having fun for hours and ended up winning two hundred dollars!

The next day we drove up to Memphis, Tn for the first day of the Beale St. Music festival. Jeremy and I are both from TN, but have never really explored Memphis. I have drove through a hundred times, but have never stopped to see the city. We had a great time eating ribs and listening to good music! If you have never spent any time in Memphis, I highly recommend taking a short weekend trip there. Try to stay in the Peabody and see the famous ducks that march through the lobby. Its a tradition that started in 1933. We tried to stay there, but it was sold out. Maybe next time.

We got a recommendation from my friend, Channing, for a great restaurant. Rendezvous is a restaurant that is famous for its dry rub ribs. It is a bit hard to find, as its in an alley. It's been around since 1948 and the ribs were amazing!!! Definitely the best I have ever had. You can order the ribs shipped to you on their website, www.hogsfly.com.

Once our bellies were full of ribs, we headed to Beale St. It was busy with lots of people gearing up for the music festival. The festival is three days and hosts some big names such as James Taylor, Snoop Dog, Katy Perry, etc. We heard Matt Nathanson and The Steve Miller Band. We enjoyed it and got really lucky to have perfect weather! The festival was held at Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis right on the river. Memphis has a great trolley system. We were able to take the trolley directly from our hotel to the festival.

First post

2009-04-26T20:19:00.003-05:00

I am finally a blogger! I've been enjoying reading my friends and relatives blogs so much that I am going to start my own for others to read. Jeremy and I are enjoying our first year of marriage and all sorts of adventures together which I plan to post and share with you all.