15 hours and counting...

Tomorrow is the day! We leave for our "Babymooniversary" tomorrow around noon. Did I tell you where we are going? Asheville! For 5 days! We are sooo excited! We are dropping the dogs off at Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jessica's house and then we will be on our way! Wow. We have the long weekend to ourselves! No dogs! That means we can sleep in and not have to take them out for a walk... we can leave whenever we want for however long we want... I am so grateful for family that is willing to help us out! I am also really excited about the hotel! It's really nice and I happen to have a thing for hotels. I love 'em. [Most of them] Anyway. There is so much to do there, I am so excited!!! I'm looking forward to the Biltmore, shopping, fine dining, the wineries, golfing, laughing and just being together and celebrating this past year.

Chamblee will, of course, be there. But really, this is our last trip just the 2 of us. It is bittersweet for me. I have been having a hard time thinking about that lately. Don't get me wrong, I love my little girl to pieces already, and I cannot WAIT until she's here!!! But... I am selfish when it comes to K. I loved him first. I get his attention now. I like our time reading and just laying around in the quiet. I like dancing with him when the records play. I like deciding on a whim to go somewhere and just hopping in the car and going. I like our time together. I can only imagine that our time will be so much more fun and lovey once little hoot is here- but it will never be the same. . . which I am also excited about! Ha.

Speaking of Chamblee- she is kind of running out of room I think :/ I feel her move so. much. Often times it isn't very comfortable and it's usually when I am trying to sleep! Sleeping has been such a challenge for me lately. I think I may have figured out positioning as of last night- but for a girl who, for 25 years slept flat on her stomach, sleeping on my side {gag} is pretty rough. I almost dread going to bed because I know I won't be comfortable. I also know that I am going to wake up at 2 and 4 to pee. Ugh. It seems like she's using my bladder for a pillow. Or a chair. Or a punching bag. Either way she's making my urinary parts work hard. And we are running out of toilet paper faster than we ever have.

So, I thought that this blog would be a great way to track this whole process and let you guys in on the super-secret truths about pregnancy and delivery. Lately, all of the things that are happening to me are either 1) really, really gross 2) inappropriate for people who aren't my mom or my sister 3) too embarrassing or 4) all of the above. Ick. Sorry, you're on your own for the third tri-mester. Gross. And let's talk about emotional HIGHS and lows. I love sour cream- a lot. I would eat it straight from the spoon. (hmmm... i might... just... nah) K knows this. We had tacos last night. He was very sparing on the dollop of daisy. Apparently he "didn't want to break my taco shell." So considerate. Right. I'm no fool. I think it's very clear that he wants me to watch my weight. Right? I'm no fool- I'm an idiot. So, as I sob through "I've *sniff* only gained 10 pounds! *sniff* That's pretty *hyperventilate* good!!!" He laughed hysterically and agreed with everything I was {sputtering} saying. Then, while he was reassuring me -by making me a bowl of ice cream- he handed me the...smallest bowl of ice cream I have ever had. Rinse. Repeat. Turns out it was the last of the ice cream. What. ev.

Oh! I'm so uncomfortable sitting here. And, my bedtime is right around the corner. [We decided that my emotional highs and lows might be because I have been averaging around 5 or 5 1/2 hours of sleep per night: NOT ENOUGH! So my new bedtime is set for 10pm]

I have to put the laundry away and pack. Thank goodness tomorrow is blue jean day @ work. I am in no mood to iron anything tonight or find a shirt that fits over this swelling uterus. Ugh.

Until Next Time,
The (soexcitedIcan'tstandit) Guff

Today is Sunday

Yup, I still like it.

I went for the pickles and peanut butter again last night, and of course, it was delicious. Kraig gagged and I laughed and chewed with my mouth a little open to further disgust him.

Today I did a little nesting... and house cleaning. We washed the cars together -omg...hot hot hot outside today- re-arranged the nursery about nine times until we got it just right, and did the normal Sunday stuff: laundry, braves, vacuuming, shopping and forgetting to eat lunch until about 4. My parents will be in town tonight and I can't wait for them to see the new nursery set up and our glider that we picked up today! Woot! Tomorrow I am working a 1/2 day and going (more) fabric shopping with my mom. HOORAY! The bedding is complete- I can't wait to get it all set up. Pictures to follow:) Wait, did I ever show you the fabric we chose? Hmmm... I don't think I did. Here is the main one:


This picture is from Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago- we went for Mother's Day- I really wanted to post it so all could see how alike the trips look. I mean, it's remarkable. (Isn't it obvious that K is the best looking, though? ;)

L to R: Don, Katie, Jessica, Kevin, Me, Kraig

I mean, doesn't my hair look black? Maybe it's just the ghost tan I have going on. Ick.

Until Next Time,
The Guff

A real live schmorgesborg!

Sale Ends Soon!
I just want to quickly promote this product. I got 2.

Oh, I also want to promote this product. I only got 1.

In a nutshell, the shoes are fabulous. They roll up into a little pouch that you can keep in your purse for when your feet are absolutely killing you. The watches are made of solely corn resin, organic cotton, bamboo, mineral crystal, a mercury free battery and recycled fibers. The case and buckle of the watch are 100% biodegradable! Wow! There isn't a sale on the watches, but they are inexpensive and cute. AND over 80% eco-friendly. :)


I think I have had my first pregnant food finding/love. Picture this:


Yes. Pickles and peanut butter. Before you judge- try it. It. Is. DELICIOUS. And I don't really think it is that weird. I mean, unique? Quirky? Tasty and savory? YES. Weird? Gross? Not a chance.

Our doctor visit Tuesday was fine. She said "Your weight gain is
right on track, your vitals are great and you are measuring perfectly." That's what I like to hear. The visits these days are pretty standard. Pee, weigh-in, blood drawn, ask questions, peace out. Speaking of asking questions- I think my doctor knows I am...weird? no. Crazy? no. Anal? YES! I think my doctor knows that I am anal. Well, that doesn't sound right. We'll go with crazy... I always forget to ask her questions, so I had a laundry list of things that I was just dying to know. For example, "When I deliver, do I have to wear a hospital gown? They make me feel really claustrophobic, and I don't think I can wear one. It'll annoy me. I'll need to wear a tank top. Is that cool?" and "I am getting a massage Saturday. Can I lay on my back for 30 minutes, or how should I go about that? I really don't want to cancel." She loved all of my questions, I'm sure. No, I can't lay on my back for 30 minutes. She meant business on that one. And yes, I can nix the hospital gown. Score.
***I think you should know that this would have been a very juicy and TMI blog post had my mother not forbid me to write about it*** I love that my mom delivers babies every day and that I can call her any time of day or night and let her know that I don't recognize my body: and here's why: and she laughs with me and explains things to me in my kind of vocabulary. She's the greatest.

So, I probably shouldn't go in public anymore. I have always been sensitive- but for some reason homeless people get me...really get me. Like even when they aren't asking I want to buy them food. Or give them a ride when they are walking in the rain. Or give them cash when I see them scrambling for change at the gas station. I know most people probably think this way- but I have to physically refrain. I can't help it. I feel like a lot of homeless people made themselves that way- making poor decisions one after another and refusing help that was previously offered. But I also feel like a lot of them got dealt a bad hand. Their mothers and fathers made the poor decisions and they were left to fend for themselves. Maybe they were let go from their jobs and didn't have the support of a loving and willing-to-help family like I have, and would rely on if I were let go and alone. I mean, where would I go and what would I do if I had no family and I was unable to find a job? It saddens me. I drive by a few homeless shelters on my way to work every morning, and I just cringe. I have a Whole Foods bag full of food that I am going to eat throughout the day and these men and women (some with their young children) are lined up around the block in hopes of snagging a bite for the day. I need a new route to work. This is exactly why, after about 6 months, I had to quit volunteering at the homeless shelter in college. I was the girl at the door every night giving breathalyzers and counting heads. When we were full, we were full. Then I became the girl at the door who had to turn away women and children in the rain because we didn't have enough beds. Then I cried the whole way home because K wouldn't let me offer them a ride or a bed for their babies. I just hate it. All this stems from going to the Braves game Tuesday night. I ended up giving away half of our hot dogs and all of the cash I had in my wallet to the guys cleaning up our picnic area. Call me a sucker- but these guys had a good sales pitch, and we got better service from them than most restaurants downtown. Whatev. I'm a sucker.

And that, folks, is what you get when I try to write a blog while watching the most intense Grey's Anatomy of all times. A real life schmorgesborg!

Until Next Time,
The Guff

Blog of Shame

To keep with the theme of "how much can Natalie eat this week" I have a funny story to tell. Let me just say that I was sooo hungry :/ Ok. I went to Firehouse Subs to get a sandwich for lunch today... With no friends to stop me, I decided that I should get the large sandwich instead of the medium. I mean, I hadn't eaten much that morning and I was about to starve! (how much bigger could it be?) As soon as I saw the guy making the thing I almost laughed out loud. But I also drooled at the same time. Girl was HON-GRAY. As he was finishing the monster, he said to me, "Do you want me to cut it into fourths for you guys?" You guys? Wait, he thinks I'm sharing. "Uhhh...yeah, that'd be great." He thinks I'm sharing! Oh no... "And, how many pickles do you need? 4? 5?" Oh my gosh. This sandwich was made for 4 or 5 people. "4 is perfect!" What? I had to play along, he had just cut it into fourths! I hauled it out of there, laughed and almost cried the whole drive back to work, sat in the back break room so no one would see me...and ate the whole thing :(

We go to the doctor again tomorrow and I am hoping this sandwich hasn't manifested yet for the scale's sake. I am always so nervous about the doctor visits, but I am pretty calm about tomorrow's appointment. I actually have a list of questions to ask to ensure that I don't get too emotional and forget everything I have wanted to ask for the past 4 weeks. Only 89 days until the due date! We read all about our little girl yesterday as we started the 27th week... She is 2 pounds and measures over 14 inches! We get such a kick out of feeling and watching her move around. She gets the hiccups, which just makes me laugh, and sometimes when she pushes her butt way out I can push it back in and feel her head poke me on the other side. Insane. I have started to get really bad heart burn- which I hear is a sign that she will have a head full of hair- yesss! But it is not a good feeling. Especially since I have never in my life had heartburn. Yuck.

Does anyone know somewhere that I can get a cute, bigger bathing suit? I am definitely going to be the prego girl at the pool in a bikini- but I still need a bathing suit that covers me up top. Right now not much is getting covered with my old "you have no boobs" bathing suits. I wanted to go this weekend, until I realized it wouldn't be appropriate. Sigh.

Have you guys ever known a secret that you were so excited about... but couldn't talk about... so sometimes you almost forgot about it... until you remembered... and then you were so excited about it again?! I mean, not that I have a secret, I'm just asking. . . :)

Until Next Time,
The Guff

Babymooniversary

I might turn into a macaroni noodle.

Other than tonight, I have had macaroni and cheese for dinner every night this week. While K is making chicken and veggies and other "normal" yummy dinners, I am boiling water and stirring powdered cheese into noodles and noodles of goodness. I don't like the spiral noodles, or the "cheesiest" cheese macaroni. I want the plain ol' classic Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. And I want it, apparently, every. night. Then I want a small bowl of ice cream with ice cold milk...followed by 3 oreos- dipped in the leftover milk, of course. That's just this week. Last week it was, well, it was macaroni and cheese. But the desserts vary.

Tonight we went out to meet some friends for dinner and I had my go-to cocktail: The Shirley Temple. I sucked 2 or 3 down before we could order our pizza. It all went downhill from there. Oh, I will never think of throwing up the same after pregnancy. I mean, it's never fun, but after doing it multiple times every day for about 8 weeks straight you get used to it. And sick of it. I am, for lack of better word, proud that I can throw up gracefully in any bathroom in America. Any roadside in the southeast. Any cup or plastic bag that I can find in the backseat of my car when I don't have time to pull over or find a bathroom. Just sayin'. Tonight, I had time. I knew it was coming. . . and I had forgotten what a terrible feeling it really was. You see, I cry when I throw up - it's generally a mess. And, in the middle of our evening, before we had touched our pizza, we had to leave. I had spent half of our time there in the bathroom and the other time looking ill and whispering complaints to K about how miserable I felt. Boo. Come to think of it, my last "morning" sickness was after drinking about 7 Shirley Temples with Mae at dinner a few months ago. Grenadine? More like Grenade. Blah. Never again.

On a cleaner, more pleasant note: We booked a trip for our 1-year anniversary! We had plans to go somewhere, then decided to stick around here, then remembered that this would be -for a while- the last trip we would take with just the two of us. This is it. Our one year wedding anniversary? Of course we have to do something! I think celebrating the first year of marriage is important- yes, more important than the 2nd through the 4th- so we booked a weekend trip. Call it a "babymooniversary" celebration. We briefly pillow talked about it last night, and K sent me a text today while I was struggling through the work day that simply said, "It's booked!" Huh? Oh wait, YES!!! He's so good to me.

So, in 2 weeks we will be off. Off to celebrate this year of love and the decades of this feeling that we have to look forward to. Off to celebrate this little life that God created inside of me. Off to enjoy each other and reminisce over the past 5 1/2 years- and think of how lucky we are that we made it through the rough times together. Off to make up nicknames and scenarios that will eventually embarrass Chamblee until she thinks she will die. Off to remember how we fell in love in the first place. Off. Oh, I wish it were tomorrow.

...And now, it's time for my ice cream and oreos.

Until Next Time,
The Guff

In the words of my mother, "I did a crazy thing."

Today I made a Chamblee countdown chain. Don't give me any creative credit for this- I totally jacked it from a snazzy friend.




"Why, yes, DD and Nona, I did get a haircut! Thanks for noticing!"




Basically I cut construction paper into strips, and with a little moral support from my tiny friend, I glued 95 rings together into a chain. We hung the chain right outside the nursery and will tear one off every day. I know, it's a little crazy. Which is what I told K when he saw paper everywhere and asked what on earth... "I'm kind of doing a crazy thing" I said with a grin. He loves it. (The crazy in me, not the grin).

Something else that rocks? We have a photographer and chose a date for our maternity photos today. I sure hope my belly button decides to stay in for those :/ Every time I cough or sneeze it acts like it is going to pop out. I am kind of waiting for it to happen- just to pop right out mid-cough. Like a turkey timer. POP. Sound and all.

Lucky me, I get to do all this blogging on K's new computer! (Only because Sir State ate the charger cord to mine yesterday.) He got one of those new Mac's. . . I don't know how else to explain it. Something something matte something 15" something Macbook Pro, blah blah blah. Apparently it's a big deal. All I know is that I inherited the "old" mac, and I get to put whatever background on it that I want. It's mine. I have to wash my hands before I use this one, and I constantly get the evil eye from K to make sure I'm treating it alright. When I told him I was using it to blog tonight, he said "can't you just tell me what to say and I'll type it?" Right.

Guess what we're doing this weekend? Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. This hasn't happened since... Hm... I want to say the middle of March. Oh Yeah. I forsee sleeping in late, all-day jammies, open windows with a record on (unless those storms pull through), and mattress and milkshake nights. Lots of quality time with my 3 boys before the little girl comes around. It will be so nice to not have a plan. (Did I just say that?)

What are your plans?

Until Next Time,
The Guff

DO IT!...or not.

Less than 100 days left? Whoa.


This week makes me 26 weeks pregnant, and today marks my first day in the 3rd trimester! My little eggplant is seriously on the move. I feel her all. day. long. Sometimes she kicks so hard, I feel like she is trying to karate chop her way outta there. It's baffling that in 14 weeks (or less) I can kiss those little kickers! We go next week for our glucose testing- and after that- we go every 2 weeks until she arrives. Yike!

Mother's Day was wonderful. The weather was so nice and we got a lot accomplished for our baby girl. We drove up to Kennesaw and finally registered. Why in the world does Buckhead not have a Babies R Us? Lame. While we were there, we went ahead and bought a glider for the nursery and a mattress for the crib. I know, I know, people keep telling us to quit buying things for ourselves, but they were having a sale! Haha... the glider should be in this week or next. I am SO excited about it. It is so comfy, and I can totally see myself rocking Chamblee -and myself- to sleep in it.





Um, I guess that I should start getting the nursery together. And, what's up with these cramps? I know I am supposed to start having Braxton-Hicks contractions in the next few weeks. . . but not this early. And, if I am having them early, she better come early! Just sayin'... OMG. If you feel like being grossed out/terrified, (doesn't everyone?) go here. Watch the natural birth video. For real. I am getting more and more freaked. out. about going all natural during delivery. Not because of the pain so much as to what the frick is going to happen to my body. Yike yike yike. I totally should not have watched that. But you so should!

...or not.

Until Next Time,
The Guff

Happy Mother's Day!

I have the best mom in the world.

My mom always gets my jokes. She laughs with me. She cries with me. She sings with me. She dreams with me. She taught me how to be compassionate. She taught me how to pray. She taught me how to make french toast (speaking of which, I'm so hungry...). Ahem. She taught me "What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular." She taught me how to forgive. She taught me to admit when I am wrong. She listens to me. She let me learn from my mistakes. She is the best example of what a mother's love should look like. She is not afraid to be herself. She is silly. She loves wholeheartedly. She sacrificed every Saturday for years and years to attend pinewood derby races, baseball games, cheerleading competitions and soccer tournaments. She has nursed thousands of boo-boos: inside and out. She is gorgeous, her laugh is contagious and her love is sincere.

"...Love comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."
(1 Timothy 1:5)

Happy Mother's Day Noodle! I love you!

Until Next Time,
The Guff

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

Aveeno Lavendar Calming Body Wash

Victoria's Secret Gentle Liquid Detergent

Pure & Natural Hand Soap- All Flavors

Glade Angel Whispers Candles

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme

OPI Nail Laquer: Shade: Bubble Bath

Lucky Brand Leather Purse

Anything in this print.

Simply Apple Juice

Clinique 3-Step

My two sweet boys and my little girl

My Husband.
I know everyone says that they have "the best" husband... and that's really cute. But I really do. Oh, I love him. (...and those curls!)



Until Next Time,
The Guff

-10 points for being late

San Diego!

This post is definitely overdue. Almost 2 weeks ago I traveled to San Diego with my mom and my sister- we had the. best. time. We didn't have any definite plans on the agenda which was SO nice. We slept in, made plans by the hour, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. There was walking, shopping, driving, bicycle riding, baseball, beaches, sunburn, not-so-casual casual dining, and lots and LOTS of laughing. I just love them. I tried to take as many pictures as I could remember to:






Did you just do a double take? I don't blame you. Those bikes were awesome.



I have wanted this bike since around 2005. Only K, Mrs. U and Nay-Nay really know how much. When we rented these bikes to ride along the coast, I could barely contain myself. I could not stop smiling! High. Light. of my trip. Woo! After getting the chance to ride it some, I am seriously all over K about getting me one- ASAP. Mother's Day, anyone?

The Brinson (slash-former-Brinson) girls' first annual trip was a wonderful success! Where to next year? There's talk of an east coast destination... Hooray! Hooray! Wait...Chamblee's not a Brinson. Or a former Brinson. Can she come? ;)

Until Next Time,
The Guff