photos {random}

just some random shots from the long weekend - including the four legged babies :)

this is rio intentionally ignoring me while i was trying to take his picture.

pretty typical picture around here - matt in the recliner, beer by his side, cooper taking advantage of the comfy seat...

if cooper looks unhappy, it's because spencer pushed back his ears and asked me to take a picture.

photos {christmas decorating}

We've tackled our Christmas decorations! Other than lighting and decorating the live tree, we are all done. More pictures of the process and finished products here.

Spencer decorating the tree in his room.

Matt hanging his one ornament (Spencer and I do most of the work).
Me hanging an ornament.

Spencer as we are picking out our live tree (trying to hide from the camera)

photos {thanksgiving}

A few snapshots from Thanksgiving. We did double duty with meals at 12:00 and 4:00. Since I was eating for two, I didn't seem to have any problem handling the extra food - but Spencer seemed to be eating for three of four!! More pictures from both houses here.

our family (but i have a really weird look on my face!)

aren't we cute?

me and christina (matt's niece)

my sister's beautiful centerpiece

{27 weeks}

With a busy Tuesday at work and then the hustle & bustle of the holiday, I'm a little late posting this week...

WE'VE MADE IT TO THIRD TRIMESTER!!! Somewhat hard to believe.

Baby at 27 weeks: Weighing in at 2 pounds and measuring about 14-15 inches. He is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening & closing his eyes and possibly sucking his fingers. His brain is very active and lungs are getting stronger. Hiccups are likely (though I haven't felt these yet).

Mama with 13 weeks to go: This week has been one of the tougher ones (at least the last few days). I've been doing a lot - helping with the nursery, decorating for Christmas, visiting with family for Thanksgiving. I think I've been overdoing it because I've had some serious bodyaches!

Friday I had to get my glucose blood test done for gestational diabetes. I have a doctor's appointment next week so I'm assuming I'll get the results then (fingers crossed that all is well there).

Last week I mentioned we had a name but didn't share what it was. Our baby boy is officially Coleman Rhea!! (Rhea is pronounced "ray" and is Matt's middle name).

digi layout {halloween 2006}

I just happened to have one template and some halloween papers saved to my hard drive, so I decided to see if I could whip together another page based on what I learned. So, here are the results - pretty cool. Please note I can't take much credit for these creations, see below.

Template is by Patti Knox. Papers are by Cherie Mask.

digi layout {i create}

The free Jessica Sprague class is almost over. Today she offered a tutorial on how to create a digital layout using templates in Photoshop. So, basically she made this layout. I just followed her instructions on how to drop everything into place. It was a very helpful video for me, as I have little knowledge of Photoshop and no knowledge of digital scrapbooking. Though it's not why I took the class, I still played along and enjoyed throwing together this little page. Without a lot, I learned a lot in a short period of time!

{26 weeks}

Baby: He weighs almost 2 pounds and is 14" long. His eyes are beginning to open though they don't have much to look at right now. Brain activity is increasing and he can not just hear noises, but react to them. Plus, his hearing is improved so he's picking up on more of the sounds in my world. In fact, all senses are in tact and functioning at this point.

Mama: Look...I found a new diagram chick that actually LOOKS pregnant :) I'm excited that we've settled on a name and Matt is working on the nursery this week - Yay!! I'm still having the same typical pregnancy bothers - heartburn and trouble sleeping. I've had daily headaches off and on the last several days, which has been quite annoying. My belly just keeps getting bigger and bigger (which I guess is a good thing)!

{what a bargain!!}

last night, i got the best bargain!!! super huge thanks to my friend lissa for thinking of me and calling to let me know about it. it's sold out this morning, so i would've missed out if i didn't snatch it up last night! anyway, it's a britax marathon seat - for $43!!!! The one we registered for was $310...i keep waiting for the phone call from target that says "april fool's day" or something :)

{25 weeks}

took this new belly picture tonight - lordamercy, i'm getting big. i might not be smiling in the next one :)

photos {dave & buster's}

sunday we went shopping at concord mills (a big mall). for spencer's patience he was rewarded (as were we) with a little play time at dave & buster's. then we had an early supper at carraba's.

photos {carolina game}

saturday, we went to the carolina v. arkansas game. we invited a friend, austin, to come with spencer. we also tailgated with a few other folks - including two girls spencer's age. it was a great day (good weather, especially for november). and we won 34-21. Lots more photos here.

we had great seats (9th row at the end zone on the home side). this shot was taken without a zoom, so it kind of shows where our seats were.

our tailgating spot

there was a surprise visit from michael phelps (he kind of had a thug look going on - very strange)

matt and i

our crew - me, matt, austin & spencer

photos {stores in hand}

our class assignments for the first three days (monday thru wednesday) were basically to compile the tools we'd need for the rest of the class. there was a TON of printing and trimming. i created my "stories in hand" notebook using my zutter bind-it-all machine (my first attempt at it!) in a 6x6 format. i also used the machine to bind my notebook for jotting notes. i wasn't able to work on the project monday or tuesday but was glad to get caught up today so hopefully it'll be a tad easier to play along from here on out. i didn't stray far from the basics provided by jessica sprague, but i did experiment in photoshop and was able to personalize the family member dividers (which i also added b&w photos to).

photos {baby stuff}

I know it's strange, but I've been taking pictures of our baby purchases to include the pregnancy album I'm doing. I thought I'd share some recent ones.

I've seen a lot of Gamecock baby stuff and I'm sure we'll end up with our share of it. But while in Charleston, a store had all the components - onesie, hat, and booties - so I couldn't resist. A bit frivilous and unnecessary, but what a great photo op!


Also while in Charleston, I just happed upon this in a scrapbook store. I have NEVER seen this before and couldn't believe how lucky I was to find it (this was the last one). Of course Grandma Sharon was sweet enough to buy it for her unborn grandson. And speaking of great photo ops, this thing even comes with a mini version to include on the scrapbook page.

This is what happens when I go to Old Navy to exchange some jeans for Spencer. Bad news. I love the little owl. I had to get it. Not only do the colors match the nursery, but the owl was my sorority symbol. I may not be having a legacy, but at least I can keep a little bit of Chi Omega around!

The amount of research that went into my diaper bag purchase is ridiculous. I am such a bag lover, I wanted it to be "perfect" though I'm sure that's impossible. I found several I liked with hefty price tags, but finally decided on these two by Skip Hop. I love the striped pattern. It's very "me" without being girly. The bigger one should be large enough to hold the essentials without being a piece of luggage!

class {stories in hand}

A few weeks ago, I signed up for this free class being offered by Jessica Sprague. Honestly, the main reason I did it was because it's free. Online scrapping courses are *all the rage* these days but they are often costly and I can't say that I see the justification. So, I figured this is a way for me to dabble in this latest trend without the investment. I'm hoping I'm able to actually devote a bit of time to it over the next two weeks, though I will also be busy with other things. Of course, I'll update my progress here.

{25 weeks}

Note: Anyone else noticing how the kid in the picture keeps getting bigger but her belly doesn't??? Not very realistic. It's depressing...I'm tempted to stop using these beautiful purple-hued graphics.

Baby: 13.5 inches and a pound and a half. Big Stuff! Starting to get some baby fat that will help smooth out his current wrinkled look (though, again I note the disrepancy of the below picture because that baby looks nice and cute - no wrinkles). More hair is growing, and now it has a more distinguishable color and texture. Skin looks pink as capillaries are forming underneath it.

Mama: We've introduced a new name possibility into the mix and I'm excited to think we may be close to making a final decision! Nursery decorating will be in full swing next week so I'm very excited about that (probably much more so than Matt). Weight gain is around 14-15 pounds, though it feels like 50. I was never the epitome of grace but I'm really starting to feel awkward these days. I'm hungry a LOT, but trying to eat a little better quality stuff. Overall though, no major complaints! Our baby boy is quite active on most days, which is awesome to feel (supposedly this is the most active times since they still have plenty of room to do flips and whatnot in there). He seemed to really enjoy the Carolina game on Saturday :)

photo {spencer as catcher}

last week in one of spencer's games, he kind of got roped into playing catcher. he wasn't thrilled with the idea (he much prefers pitching) but he was quite proud of himself after the fact.

photos {spencer's halloween}

spencer was at his mom's for halloween this year and i just got these pictures.

it's been years since we've seen a *cute* costume :)
lovely face, huh?

spencer has always sorted & counted his candy on halloween.

{24 weeks}

Baby: Weighs a pound and a half, almost a foot long. Will start to plump up soon. Taste buds and lungs are developing. Nostrils are now open (though oxygen is still provided by the placenta). Face is almost fully formed, though the skin is still transparent and there isn't much fat. Poor thing is still unnamed (Matt's fault - not mine!).

Mama: Sleeping comfortably isn't the easiest thing these days. Having trouble breathing at times (usually when lying down). My belly seems to be growing at astronomical rates, but considering my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball, I guess it makes sense. I can really feel him moving a lot now, which is super cool. I had my doctor's appointment last Friday - nothing too exciting to report there. Weight gain is higher than what I'd like (14 total). In a few weeks I have to do the glucose test for gestational diabetes - fun.

photos {charleston}

i spent saturday & sunday in charleston with my mom and two sisters. we did some shopping, walked the sights, ate lots of food and enjoyed each other's company. the weather was really nice! more pictures here.

lots of beautiful homes, gardens, gates, etc.

loved this big 'ole red door!

me, mom, sherry and michelle

photos {cross country}

saturday morning, i went to my nephew's cross country meet. his team qualified for state!! he's turned into quite a runner. you can see more pictures here, but my nephew isn't in all of them. he is the one with #282 on, and also the only one in burgundy/black with black Under Armor on. Congrats Bearcats!!

photos {halloween}

Halloween was just hanging in the driveway with friends & neighbors. We had the firepit going and handed out candy. This is my friend, neighbor and pregnancy buddy, Tara (she's due 3 weeks before me). More pictures here.

photos {spencer as starting pitcher}

last week, spencer started his first game as pitcher. he pitched two innings (the limit) and did a great job! we were so proud of him. i was finally able to get some decent pictures also. more can be seen here.

{gift card holder}

as part of my mom's birthday present, i made her this gift card holder with some gift cards to a few of her favorite spots...