An easy way to help some kids in need!

I have sooo much to tell you guys today!

First off, I'm officially 18 weeks as of yesterday. Pipsqueak is very active & kicking around in there. We are getting closer to our big u/s on Jan 13. We are very excited!

Secondly, the house passed the termite inspection yesterday. There was no active termites OR signs of past damage. Awesome news!
Our next prayer is that there will be no leaky pipes when we turn the water on. We have a long list of things that need to be done before we can move in, so as few setbacks as possible would be fantastic.

And lastly, the most important part of today's post.

What do you do with your Christmas cards now? Throw them away?

You could send them to St. Jude's Ranch for Children.

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children rescues abused, abandoned and neglected children of all races and faiths from the vicious cycle of...
child abuse.

They provide healing and nurturing in a safe home-like
environment w...here children can learn life skills to start new lives
with new chances, new choices and new hope.
The children participate in making the new cards by removing the front and attaching
a new back. The result is a beautiful new card made by the children and
volunteers. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive "green"
holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work
and learn the benefits and importance of "going green".

They are accepting used, all-occasion cards from: November 15, 2009 - February 28, 2010
You can mail your donations to: St. Jude's Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program 100 St. Jude's Street - Boulder City, NV 89005
(877)-977-SJRC (7572)
www.stjudesranch.org

I thought this was a great idea, and an awesome way for us to help out.

My day has consisted of..

1. Calling Pest Control Companies to compare prices on home inspections.

2. Calling My husband to get his opinion on said prices.

3. Calling the water company to find out the necessary steps for having water turned back on.

4. Calling to schedule the pest control inspection.

5. Frantically calling my husband when I found out that the bug guy could be there in about an hour & a half. (Awesome)

6. Calling bug guy back to say "Okay, see you then!"

You would think that we just bought a house or something......

: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) <- (This is me, reveling in the knowledge that the purchase agreement has been accepted, the contract is being finalized, & that just as soon as we sign that pretty little dotted line, we will officially be HOMEOWNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Yes, All of the "!!" were entirely necessary.

What my husband will be singing tomorrow.

::Clears throat & attempts to use a deep manly singing voice::

"On the day before Christmas, my dear wife bought for me!
4 Ribeye Steaks,


3 pounds of ground beef,



2 Big Filets,




And a package of beef made for Fajitas.


Obviously, It's the steak lovers variation of the 12 days of Christmas.

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, & with this little gift I'm going to occupy about 119 oz of that big heart of his.

I have to give all the credit of this gift idea to my blog friend forever, Chelsea @ Roots & Rings.
A few weeks ago she posted about "Green Grass Meats".
It's a Texas Cattle Company that raises 100% natural, no hormones or steroids, completely grass fed cattle.
She mentioned how yummy their meat was & how she was getting some for some of her family.
So Chels, THANK YOU! My husband will have a gift to open tomorrow. He'll have to wait till January for it to be delivered but he does have a box filled with printed out pictures of steaks to open in the morning.

Merry Christmas Eve Y'all!

*P.S. This was our 100th post together!!!! Go us! I have truly enjoyed the past 100 posts and look forward to many hundreds more. Thank you for making them so much fun for me.


Disclaimer: I know not everyone is going to appreciate the pictures of meat that I posted, however it worked good for the song, & I'm not ashamed of the fact that we eat meat. It's a personal choice, but I'm sorry if anyone is offended.

My pathetic day before christmas eve confession.

I love buying people gifts. I like to pick out things that mean something. Not just generic gifts.
So far I have awesome gifts for my mother, father, sister, grandmother, & grandfather.

Did you notice an important person missing from that list?
My HUSBAND, maybe?
I only wish that I was kidding. He should be the easiest person to buy for, but alas, that is not the case.
Have you ever met one of those people that doesn't need much & when they do actually need something, they just go out that day & buy it for themselves?
He'e one of those.
It's incredibly frustrating. So for the past 2 months I have been pestering him about what he wants for Christmas. He gave me 2 things he wanted, which would lead you to believe that I had choices, correct?
Wrong.
He asked for: 1.) The horse that won the 3yr old cutting world championship this year.



(HA Right?)

& 2.) Cabela's Big Game Hunter for Wii

Guess which one my mom already bought for him?
If you guessed the horse, you are incorrect.

(For the record, the horse isn't for sale, and even if it was it would still not be purchasable by us. The whole "current world champion" thing adds a higher price tag obviously, but then add the fact that he is currently owned by Alice Walton. One of the top 5 richest women in the United States, Heir to the Walmart fortune, Sam Walton's daughter.
Yeah, she ain't selling & I'd hate to know what she would ask for him.)

So you see, what appeared to be 2 choices, ended up being zero.
Which led me to plan B. Things he had mentioned wanting but couldn't find in stores around where we live.

A trigger stick for his gun...

& A safety harness for when he is up in his deer stand.

Score right? I can order online.
Wrong again.
You remember that little trip to Texas that we went on? There just happened to be a freaking huge Cabelas sporting goods store right down the road from our hotel.
Guess what he bought for himself?
If you guessed both, you are correct.
::cue hormonal crying::

So that leaves me presentless for my husband. Which in turn, makes me feel pretty pathetic, even though it's most definitely his fault.

I'm welcome to any & all ideas, because at this rate, he will be getting switches & lumps of coal from me.

A must-watch

Anyone up for an new Christmas song?



I give you "Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey"

No, I'm not kidding. It's a real song.

Let me know what you think & if you have ever heard it before!

I'm gonna be completely honest....

and mushy. (don't say I didn't warn you)

For the past couple months I've felt like there must be something wrong with me. I have always been excited about the baby, I knew it was coming but there was something missing.
Sure, I cried at the ultrasound & teared up when we heard the heartbeat but something just wasn't quite right.
I just didn't have a connection with the baby.
I'm not sure if that makes any sense to anyone.
But one day last week, I was sitting on the couch & feeling it kick, and in that instant, for whatever reason, it was there.
The connection was just there.
I was unprepared for how powerful it would be.
I don't know if my delayed connection was because of all the fears, sickness & raging hormones that come with the first trimester. Maybe it happens at different times for everyone. I don't know, but what I do know is that I feel whole now, I don't feel awkward talking to the baby now. Instead of just being inside me, I feel like it's a part of me.
I love little baby kicks & flutters. I love the fact that my husband has been able to feel it a couple times already.
I love that when I'm laying on my back in the morning, the fluttering will sometimes get really strong, like it's pressing against me, & then you can feel a hard place on my stomach about the size of my palm in that location. I love that a few minutes later, the hard spot won't be there anymore & it will pop up 5 inches from where it was.
I just love all of it.
So much.


I warned you it was going to get mushy.

This is the coolest thing ever

I'm home.
I'm 16 weeks.
& I'm feeling the baby ALL the time.
I love it.

It's so squirmy.
It usually starts in the afternoon around 2pm.
Squirming & kicking, it actually tickles sometimes.

Another cool thing is that when I wake up in the morning, & sometimes when I'm laying down I can kind of press on my belly down low, and I can feel where it is. It will be soft on one side, & hard on the other.
My husband is eating all of this up, he LOVES it. He says that one day he actually felt the kicking that I was feeling. I wondered if that was even possible but my Dr. said yesterday that it definitely was, especially if the baby was pressed up against the front of my stomach.

How far along?: 16 weeks
* Total weight gain: 2 lbs. woo hoo
* How big is baby?: The size of an avacado. About 4 & 3/4 inches
* Sex: We don't know yet, but our BIG u/s is on Jan 13th!
* Maternity clothes?: I'm starting really love the maternity jeans, even a couple tops. Not that I need those yet, I'm just barely showing a bump.
* Stretch marks?: Nope, & I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
* Sleep?: it's much better lately
* Best moment this week? Hearing the heartbeat & scheduling the big u/s!
* Movement?: Yep, not every day but it's pretty frequent.
* Food cravings?: Not really, I'm feeling better, but I get full really quickly. The baby really doesn't like chicken, but loves steak. lol
* Labor signs?: N/A
* Belly button in or out?: In
* What I miss: Eating chicken....& sushi....mmmm
* What I'm looking forward to: The big ultrasound next month & CHRISTMAS!
* Words of Wisdom: Don't ride all the way to Texas in the back seat of the truck while hauling any empty trailer. The road in Arkansas sucks. It will bounce you to death.
* Milestone: We are almost halfway there!

George Strait asked it best...

"Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?"



Well. the answer for Mr. & Mrs. Pippy is "YES!"
Every year in December.

We'll be gone until Monday, but I may sneak a blog post in sometime.
Have a good weekend everyone!

15 Weeks!

We're moving right along.
I'm fairly certain that I am feeling the baby every once and a while. It's so cool
My "What to Expect" iPhone app says that by now the baby is able to hear my voice too.
There's just all kinds of cool stuff going on in there.
Exciting, huh?

Silly Husband...

I seriously LOL'd at the store today.
Our anniversary is on Sunday.
I really feel sorry for the poor guy. Our Anniversary is on Dec 6th, Christmas is Dec 25th, & His birthday is January 10th.
He grew up getting those Christmas/Birthday presents.
He is also REALLY hard to buy for. He's one of those people that doesn't need much & when he does need something he goes & buys it.
So I have to get creative.
A few weeks ago, we were watching T.V. & a commercial came on for this...

Somehow this Nerf gun hooks up to the Wii & it has a game that goes with it?
Anyways, as soon as he saw it, he looked at me & said "Did you see that? I Want one!!!!" I didn't think much more about it after that.

Then today as I was walking through the store, frustrated & trying to figure out what to get him, I wandered past the videogames & what do I see right there on the shelf?
Nerf N-Strike Elite

Will I get wife of the year?
Obviously.
I'm the only wife he has had this year, I win by default.
I'm so glad we're not polygamists.

Allow me to introduce...(A Giveaway)

Prepperoni!
She is relatively new to the blogging world, but is doing a fantastic job.
To help spread the word about her cool new blog, she is hosting a giveaway!
Yummy bath products anyone?


I thought so.
Click here to head on over & get entered in this fantastic giveaway!
Tell her Pippy sent you!

College food anyone?

Anybody remember these?



I have come up with several recipes using these.
I mean, just the chicken flavoring gets old after a while.

For an easy yummy snack, try adding half of a slice of cheese. Mix it in as soon as you put it in your bowl.
It's really yummy.

Or if you have a little more time, you can cook chicken breast on the stove while you are boiling the noodles.
Mix in a can of cream of herb soup with the chicken, then just add the noodles!
Super easy but really good.

My husband loves it, & he doesn't even like chicken that much.

Enjoy reliving the "old" days.

14 weeks!!

Woo Hoo!!!!

We have officially made it to 2nd Tri!

Because we weren't crazy enough...

Own your own Business: Check
Have a Baby: Check in Progress
Attempt to refinish an old farmhouse in time for a June baby: "I can't believe we're checking this one...but check?!?!?!

Ladies & Gentleman, we may be on our way out of the mule barn!


(This isn't the house, but it looks similar, minus the picket fence.)

It needs work.
Lots of work.
BUT, it's incredibly affordable & after calculating the costs to finish the inside, It's an AMAZING deal.
I'm excited (& maybe out of my mind) but I totally think we can do it.
So you may get weekly house updates for awhile.

Loony Bin here we come...

**As of today, we have not yet signed the contract. However I couldn't wait any longer to share this exciting news. Since we haven't signed the contract officially, this could all change, but it is something that we are 99% sure that we will be doing.**

I have an exciting post....

but you have to wait a few more days for it.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our family to yours.
May we all remember all of the things we have to be thankful for,
not only today, but everyday of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving from Mr, Mrs. & Baby Pippy.

Not as planned.

We were supposed to go home for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
I was really excited about it, but it didn't work out.

You see last week, one of our horses got stuck between a gate & a welded pipe fence.
She rubbed a hole in her head & ripped her eyelid.
No I'm not kidding about the hole.
You can see her skull in 2 places.
For real.

So she needs daily doctoring.
Which means no thanksgiving with Pippy's family.
We will be at my IL's tomorrow.
Not so bad, but not the same.
Oh well, maybe next year.

13 weeks!!!

One more week & I am out of the First Trimester!!!
It seems pretty hard to believe that we have made it this far already.
Maybe because the past 9 weeks have been the same day after day. Pippy trying to eat & ending up leaning over the trash can.
Seriously, that stuff gets old....

However, now the nausea seems to be subsiding. (knock on wood) It really is getting better, I just hope I don't jinx myself by saying that.
Unfortunately, I think it told some of it's friends what a fantastic party we were having, & they are just now showing up.
::enter heartburn stage left::
Nausea needs to get some new friends.

In more exciting news, I think I might be feeling the baby sometimes, but especially one time in particular. It seems like it might be too early, but I had rolled over fairly quickly & felt a definite "thump".
All the books say it's just gas bubbles, but Gas has been at the party for awhile now, & while he is definitely getting louder & more unruly the longer he's here, I still recognize him. This was something entirely different.
I have also felt a "rubbing" sensation at times. I don't know if that makes any sense or not.
Oh well.

In honor of thanksgiving & week 13, I have 13 things I am thankful for.

1. I am thankful for my husband. I have no idea how some people go through pregnancy without a supportive rock to lean on. He has been amazing.

2. I am thankful for my family. I know without a doubt if there is anything I need, they will do everything they can do to help.

3. I am thankful for my friends. They are so awesome & bring so much laughter & support into our lives.

4. I am thankful for this baby. Words cannot even describe how I feel about this.

5. I am thankful for my dog. He has been my constant companion through morning sickness, always knowing when mom doesn't feel quite right. Right there beside me with his head on my lap letting me know that he wants me to feel better.

6. I am thankful for my Dr. He is such a sweet, soft spoken, compassionate person. No question is ever silly, or takes too long. He's always available for the latest irrational fear.

7. I am thankful that he found the heartbeat last week. That was a truly amazing experience.

8. I am thankful for my past & for our future.

9. I am thankful for our country & the thousands of men and women that have sacrificed so much for us to be & continue to live free.

10. I am thankful for my Christianity, & the sacrifice that Jesus made for us to be free in the one way that truly matters.

11. I am thankful for my church. They are a great body of believers that truly demonstrate God's love in everything they do. From the way everyone is friendly on Sunday morning, to delivering Turkey's to needy families.

12. I am thankful for my 5 senses. Sometimes we overlook how awesome it is to be able to see, touch, taste, hear & smell.

13. I am thankful. For everything, & everyone in my life. Including you.

RIP Uga VII

Uga VII
"Loran's Best"
Official mascot of the Georgia Bulldogs, August 08 - November 09
Sadly passed away Thursday morning at the age of 4 due to heart related issues.


Hanging out with Quarterback Joe Cox before last week's victory over Auburn.


This coming Saturday will be the first time since 1956 that there will not be a mascot roaming the sidelines in Athens.
Instead there will be a wreath hanging on his dog house.

He will be laid to rest in the Uga Memorial in Sanford Stadium, with all of the previous "Uga's". The ceremony could be as early as Saturday morning.

Now all of Bulldog Nation will wait with anticipation for the the crowning of Uga VIII.

Rest in peace, Uga VII, You will be sadly missed.

I lied to my Doctor...

Don't judge.
You don't even know what I said yet.

We went for our 12 week appointment on Tuesday.
I've only gained 2lbs so far, so that's pretty good for 12 weeks.

We talked for a while & then it seemed like the appointment was over.
Then I thought, "Wait just a minute, I was thinking I would get to hear the heartbeat today. "
So I asked, & He said " You're almost a little too early to hear it, but if you promise not to worry if we can't find it, I'll look. Do you promise?"

"Yep"

That was a lie.
I knew as soon as it came out of my mouth.
Me? Not worry if you cant find my child's heartbeat? Right, I can go a whole month without worrying that there is something wrong.

Luckily...
It doesn't matter that I told a little white lie, cause he found it & it is the sweetest sound in the whole world.

I am a giant child...

I have an addiction to fruit snacks.
Fruit Rollups, Fruit by the Foot, & everything of the like.
Well except Gushers, I'm not a fan of those. I don't like how the juice squirts out, that's just weird.
Anyways.
I bought a box of Fruit Rollups today.
I pulled one out of the box & on the packaging it says "Wacky Fortunes on every roll!"
I bet you're dying to know what my fortune was, right?
Well here you go:
"You will wrestle with a pig. The pig will win"


LOL
It's sad that I found that funny.

I'm back!

My laptop decided to pass on last week.
It was a sad day for me & my husband's farmtown crops.
However I am back in business now & missed all of you like crazy!
I can't wait to lurk & catch up on all I missed.

Week 11

A Lime!
Much cuter than a prune don't you think?
However I don't feel like doing the weekly questions.
Slacker. I know.
But I didn't get home till 2 am so you maybe you can cut me some slack this week?
Thanks.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

We're still in Georgia!
My husband is in the car business & goes to dealer auto auctions.
That's where we were on Friday when we had to stay at the train hotel.
We stayed with my grandparents at the lake this weekend & the yesterday came back to Atlanta for another auction.

Last night we stayed at the Hampton Inn! (take that! train conductor Beavis!)
We are close to the airport though, so you can constantly hear planes in the sky, but it's not disruptive. I slept right through it. No crazy dreams, nothing. It was great.
It probably helps that the bed is AMAZING. It's like being curled up in a cloud.

We are really going to have to buy a new mattress...It was really sad how excited I was last night when I plopped down on this thing.


Now excuse me while I go snuggle myself back into all of that!

Pippy's take on pregnancy dreams!

I made it!
It really wasn't too bad, there were a few moments that I wondered if this car trip was a good idea but for the most part it was okay.
Thanks to my new best friends, The Sour Patch Kids.

Honestly, I have no idea what it is about this candy that works, but it does! This skeptic is now a believer.
I also went to sleep about half way on Thursday night, I'm sure that helped too.

I woke up once & there was a sad song playing on the radio. *cue irrational crying*
LOL now that will get your hubby's attention. One minute I'm sleeping, the next I'm sobbing & he has nooo idea why. Unfortunately I didn't either. Gotta love those hormones. They will make you feel like a crazy person.

Anyways, we got to where we would be staying for the night & drove around trying to find a hotel. We finally found one that looked pretty good. Looked good, but the outside smelled like rotten eggs. I guess there was a paper factory around there or something but o.m.g. it was awful. I made James promise that the room didn't smell like that before I got out of the truck.
We were actually feeling pretty proud of ourselves. The room was pretty inexpensive, it looked like a pretty nice hotel & we got 2 free breakfasts! Score right?

Wrong.
We soon found out why the room was so suprisingly affordable. You see, carefully hidden under the cloak of night, a small forest of trees, & down a hill is a train intersection. At train intersections, they are required to start blowing their horn when they are getting close. I swear there were at least 12 trains that went by.

Now I don't know if you know this but pregnant chicks already don't sleep very good anyways. We don't get into that deep sleep anymore, just that light "you can vividly remember all your insane dreams" sleep. It makes for interesting conversation but not for getting effective rest.
Needless to say, I was dreaming of trains. The conductor looked alot like Beavis & Butthead and they kept driving back & forth by the hotel blowing their horn as much as possible. Making their own soundtrack with the train horns.


I woke up so mad at Beavis the train conductor. I was like "WHY DOES HE KEEP COMING BACK????"
My husband gently & laughingly reminded me that trains do not go back & forth, they lack the ability to make u-turns, so it was not just 1 bored train conductor that thought it was funny to blow his horn repeatedly behind our hotel.
Yeah, I knew that.

Going Home!

and let me just say, I am STOKED about it.

I love going home. So much so that I haven't even given my morning sickness induced car nausea a second thought. Well maybe that's not entirely accurate, but you get the idea. It will be totally worth it.

My sister is performing in the annual fall ballet that her studio puts on, & with this being her senior year, I'm so glad that we get to go see it. She will only have a few more performances before she graduates, so it's kind of a big deal.

So if you happen to be thinking of me later, just send prayers & warm thoughts that I can make the 8 hour trip without having too big of a problem. I made it an hour in the car last week, & it wasn't fun. I do have some medicine if I absolutely need it, but I'm hoping to not have to use it.

Wish me luck!

Ornament Exchange!

I have an exciting announcement for you guys!
Through blogging, I have had the opportunity to get to know some fabulous ladies.
It just so happens that 2 of them are going in together to host an ornament exchange!


The hosts are Mrs. Southern Belle & Deals, Steals & Heels
If you don't follow their blogs, you really should!
Mrs Southern Belle is always doing cute crafty things. She is incredibly talented! I'm in awe all the time! Deals, Steals, & Heels has a great shopping blog! She is always willing to show the great deals she has found & all of her fantastic purchases!

Anyways, they have decided to host an ornament exchange. I think this is a fabulous idea & can't wait to join in the fun.
They are offering 2 categories. If you are a crafty person, you can make an ornament. Or if you're more of a shopper, you can buy one!
So everyone is covered!

Head on over to enter! You can even get a cute button for your blog!
Tell them Pippy sent you!

10 Weeks!

Normally I use "The Bump" for my weekly images.
However for Week 10, they compared the baby to a Prune. yuck.
I didn't really like that mental image, so I decided to use this one instead.


Isn't that much cuter than a prune?
Yeah I thought so too.

* How far along?: 10 weeks!
* Total weight gain: Nope, I had to go to the Dr.'s on Wednesday & I was actually down 1/2 lb from pre-pregnancy.
* How big is baby?: The size of a Kumquat? (Or prune I guess...)
* Sex: don't know yet.
* Maternity clothes?: The bloat is making my other jeans uncomfortable, but I don't need them.
* Stretch marks?: Nope, & I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
* Sleep?: It's not too bad. Some nights are worse than others.
* Best moment this week? Winning the pumpkin carving contest, & I get to go see my family this weekend!
* Movement?: "They" say it's wiggling around in there! Yay!
* Food cravings?: Still very little appetite but I've had a few cravings.
* Labor signs?: N/A
* Belly button in or out?: In
* What I miss: Feeling normal. : )
* What I'm looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat.
* Words of Wisdom: Go eat your favorite foods before you get pregnant... It will be a while before you get to enjoy them again.
* Milestone: We are 1/4 of the way there!

::Does Happy Dance!::

I won the pumpkin carving contest!



However, I think my husband did a FANTASTIC job on his.
He did "The Joker". Isn't it great? I mean it's not great enough to beat Mario but....

Actually, if you want to know the truth, I actually voted for his, but more of our facebook friends liked Mario.

We had a lot of fun carving them & reading all of the responses & comments they got.
We may make this a new tradition at our house!

Happy Halloween!

Last weekend, the hubby & I went and bought 2 pumpkins. One for each of us. We had planned on carving them this week, but he is really busy during the week and we never got around to it.
So this morning we decided that we would have a pumpkin carving contest between the 2 of us.
I think I'm going to win. :snickers:
For one thing, I have finished carving mine. His...is still on the front porch.
I really would like for him to carve his though so I can win fair & square and not just by default.
Would you like to see my pumpkin?
I figured you would.

Mario!
Isn't he cute?

Still on the case of the missing boots.

A few days ago I posted about having some trouble locating some boots on the DSW website.
(Full story here)
Some of you recommended that I should let customer service know about my displeasure.
So I enlisted the help of a fellow blogger & someone I consider a great blog friend, Chelsea from Roots & Rings.
(She's fantastic. If you're not reading her blog, you're seriously missing out.)
She helped me construct an e-mail to send to customer service.

I heard back from them today. The customer service rep sent me an item number.
Fail.
She sent the item number for the boots that were directly below the boots I was interested in.

However, I do appreciate the effort. I e-mailed her back, hoping that I can get the correct item number this time.

I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The Naughty Spot

First off let me start by saying that I'm not a big "Supernanny" viewer. Not for any particular reason, I've just never watched the show very much. However, this morning in the midst of my morning sickness I found myself watching Supernanny for one of the first times.

Oh. My. God.

These kids (more like...spawn of..yeah...) were 3 & 5.
They were hitting their parents, screaming, chasing cars (I wish I was kidding), talking back, the list really goes on.
What do the parents do?

"Now little Jimmy, that's not nice."

::insert my blank stare here::

Not nice? Your kid is a little devil, we are way past "not nice" at this point.
Supernanny introduces "The Naughty Spot" (please forgive me for giggling at this)

These kids + Naughty Spot = Ginormous FAIL

They hopped right up, scooted around on there butt, rolled on their stomachs & used many other methods for showing dad what they thought about the Naughty Spot.
All while screaming like a Banshee.

It was more like a workout for dad, he would go pick them up, carry them kicking and screaming & place them back on the naughty spot.

Right. That's effective.

All in all, at the end, several methods later, the kids were a little better. The parents were trying a little harder & maybe they made some progress.

I hope so.
I'll be having nightmares for a week.

DSW Why must you make life so difficult???

I've been looking for some boots. So naturally I surfed my way over to DSW.com.
Below you will see the fantastic ad from the front page.

Do you see the very cute brown boots right underneath the $75 & arrow?
Yes, I wanted to look at those. I really like those.
Unfortunately when you click to go to that section, those boots are not on any of the 11 pages of boots in the under $75 section.
They are also not in any of the other sections.
So where are they?
That's a very good question.
I asked myself that same question over and over and over again last night.
::cries::
I just want some cute brown boots.

9 Weeks!

* How far along?: 9 weeks!
* Total weight gain: I don't know, I don't have a scale but I'm not noticing anything different.
* How big is baby?: the size of a olive!
* Sex: don't know yet.
* Maternity clothes?: Did I mention how comfortable the jeans are?
* Stretch marks?: Nope, & I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
* Sleep?: It's not too bad.
* Best moment this week? Picking out pumpkins with DH on Saturday.
* Movement?: I'm sure there is, I can't wait till I can feel it.
* Food cravings?: Still very little appetite but I've had a few cravings. Like Lucky Charms lol
* Labor signs?: N/A
* Belly button in or out?: In
* What I miss: Not being nauseated all the time & "feeling" normal. Physically & emotionally.
* What I'm looking forward to: Morning sickness going away. I've been a bad blogger because of it, lol.
* Words of Wisdom: I'm not feeling very wise today, sorry :)
* Milestone: I'm thinking 9 weeks is a pretty great milestone.

Because I rushed through it the first time...

This weekend I started re-reading this...



in preparation for this.



However, moments into it, I clearly remembered why New Moon was my least favorite of all of these.



Why you ask?
Cause there is nowhere near enough of him...


:swoons:

I feel Bella's pain.
I miss him too.

The first time I read it, I could not wait to get to the end of New Moon. I kept telling myself, there are 2 more books. He HAS to come back.

My crazy friends & I went to the midnight showing of Twilight when it came out, & are planning on doing the same for New Moon because we are dorks like that

I can't wait.

Hills Are For Climbing

A friend of mine's Grandmother wrote this poem. I have some friends going through some tough times right now & honestly, We could all take these words to heart. Everybody has "those days".

Hills Are For Climbing
I never learned a lesson from the valleys of my days
Where all was peace and drowsiness and safety from the frays
But, oh, the hills I had to climb
To make my dreams come true
Refined my spirit, gave it wings, and taught it patience too.
For God who knows us each the best
Has also perfect timing
For my own good, He gave me hills
And strength to do the climbing.

Musical Due Dates!

We started at June 3rd, then June 2nd. Today my Dr. changed it yet again, to June 1st.
We are literally & figuratively getting closer every week.


Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

* How far along?: 8 weeks!
* Total weight gain: none so far : )
* How big is baby?: the size of a raspberry!
* Sex: don't know yet, I can't wait to find out though!
* Maternity clothes?: umm I don't need them but I did buy a pair of jeans cause they were on sale...p.s. They are comfy!
* Stretch marks?: Nope, but I did but some of the new Victoria's Secret Cocoa Butter! It's Awesome!!!
* Sleep?: Same as last time. On this mattress? yeah right...I'm sleeping okay, not great but I'm only waking up once or twice.
* Best moment this week? Seeing the ultrasound & heartbeat last Tuesday.
* Movement?: Not that I can feel, but it should be moving a little: )
* Food cravings?: Mostly I'm not hungry at all & nothing sounds good, but every once in a while I'll have a craving for something in particular.
* Labor signs?: N/A
* Belly button in or out?: In
* What I miss: Not being nauseated all the time & "feeling" normal. Physically & emotionally.
* What I'm looking forward to: Morning sickness going away. I've been a bad blogger, lol.
* Words of Wisdom: If you need to drink something with caffine, it's OK. Everything in moderation. : )
* Milestone: We have a heartbeat & pictures of our little miracle!!

Poor DH

He had to have a tooth pulled today.
The poor dear isn't feeling well tonight at all.
I fixed him soup & have been snuggling with him on the couch.
I hope all of you had a great weekend!

For the record...

If my child ever ever hides in a box in the attic, while I am calling for him...for hours & I have to involve the police, army, CNN & their "Balloon experts." He will be in so soooo much trouble it won't even be funny.
His brother would also be in major trouble for co-conspiracy. Telling his mother that he saw his brother get into the balloon? Really? He would be grounded till college...or later.
Oh man.
Talk about 2 little boys that would be in serious trouble.

I know what some of you might be thinking. At least he's safe.
Yes, he's safe & there would have been a window of opportunity for a free pass when I wouldn't have been mad.
Maybe for like 5 minutes. For instance,

Boy 1: "Mom, boy 2 floated away in the weather balloon"
Me:" WHAT????"
Boy 1: "Just kidding, he's hiding in the attic cause he's afraid you''ll be mad he let the balloon go."

See no harm done.

When it comes to this:



There is harm done.
When the police have to be involved, that free pass floats right out the window, flying as high & fast as a weather balloon.

Houston...we have...

A HEARTBEAT!!!!!!!


& A BABY!!!!
Measuring 6 weeks 6 days with a heart rate of 120 bpm.
Wow, just wow.
What an awesome experience.

Anticipation...

First off, let me say how much I loved all of your comments on my "progress" post. I'm so excited to have all of you behind me on all of this.

Secondly, I had a pretty good weekend. My amazingly sweet husband brought roses home on Friday. They are the hot pink ones! Sooo pretty. We went to dinner & a movie with some friends on Saturday night. We saw Couples Retreat! We loved it, it was really funny! On Sunday we went to church, & then afterwards I started making my first quilt!

All of this pales in comparison to the fact that we have our very first ultra sound tomorrow morning! While I haven't figured out how I'm going to drink 32oz of anything, manage to keep it down or not wet my pants yet, I'm so excited. We are going to see our baby for the very first time!

So if you happen to think about us tonight or tomorrow, just send out a little prayer for calm hearts & minds, I so desperately want everything to be okay.
Thank you!

6 weeks (a little late)

Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and chin. Those little hands and feet- still webbed like paddles- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating, and blood is starting to circulate.

* How far along?: 6 weeks 2 days!
* Total weight gain: I don't think so, maybe a pound or two of bloat, lol
* How big is baby?: the size of a sweet pea!
* Sex: don't know yet, I can't wait to find out though!
* Maternity clothes?: umm I don't need them but I did buy a pair of jeans cause they were on sale...p.s. They are comfy!
* Stretch marks?: Nope, & I'm stocked up on Belly Butter
* Sleep?: On this mattress? yeah right...I'm sleeping okay, not great but I'm only waking up once or twice.
* Best moment this week? Holding MC & Tiny's new baby girl on Sunday night. cuddled p on the couch, I could smell that new baby smell & my nausea completely went away. It was the best I have felt all week.
* Movement?: Not that I can feel, but it might be wiggling around in there soon! : )
* Food cravings?: I had my first one today (that's what prompted this) Papa Johns Breadsticks! It was the first thing that has tasted good in a few days.
* Labor signs?: N/A
* Belly button in or out?: In
* What I miss: Not feeling like I'm going to throw up all.day.long. Seriously, the term morning sickness is waaay too specific. It's more like all day sickness.
* What I'm looking forward to: Our first ultrasound on Tuesday!
* Words of Wisdom: Keep saltines by the bed, & drink water.
* Milestone: We've made it 6 weeks, I wasn't entirely optimistic in the beginning, but we are still going strong!

The case of the missing phone charger.

iPhones are awesome. I absolutely love mine.
One of the cool things about an iPhone is that they have the ability to charge when you connect them to your computer via a little cable.
That is also how how you get pictures of the oh so cute onesies you painted & gave to your family member to announce your pregnancy, pictures that you promised to share with your faithful blog friends. Those kinds of pictures.
That incredibly nifty little cable...gone.
No clue where it went. Thus I still have no pictures to show you.
Sad day.

Swine Flu Paranoia

LOL.
Happy weekend everyone!

Sorry I made you wait....

So I went to the Dr. on Tuesday for a repeat beta.
If you remember, my first beta last Tuesday was only 47.
Well this week, my beta has skyrocketed to 1880!!!
That's a great number. We are most definitely pregnant!
Our first ultrasound is in 2 weeks, Oct 13.
I am so excited!

Home Sweet Home...sort of

I say sort of only because it was really hard to leave that comfortable king sized bed at my grandparents.
We absolutely have to get a new mattress.
For starters, the one we have us awful & it's only a full size. ::gasp:: I know.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some snuggle time with the hubs, but a girl needs some leg room, & then he knocks me off the edge sometimes.
You know that dream, where you feel like you're falling? It's something like that, only I actually feel it when I hit the ground
It's just not a whole lot of fun.
The only comfortable spot is in the middle, so by the time he roots his way to the middle ("he says that it's in his sleep & completely unintentional"), he's knocked me off the side.

In baby news:
I go for my 2nd Beta in the morning. My nasesousness has gotten a little worse and the spotting completely stopped over the weekend! I'm taking that as a major blessing. I pray my numbers have been doubling as they are supposed to!
My husband has been absolutely precious, kissing my belly & talking to the baby. It's made me cry a few times, it's just so sweet. The new ticker I added in the top right corner of my blog says something new about what is happening with the baby everyday, he LOVES that thing! Everyday he asks what the baby is doing today. Anyways we told my family this weekend, pictures & story to come this week!

Thank you all for your kind words & thinking of us. I really appreciate each and every one of you!

It's 2 am....

And I can't sleep. I've tossed and turned all night. Literally trying to visulize sheep jumping over a fence, with those cute number bubbles above them. No luck yet. It seems that my morning sickness is actually more like middle of the night sickness, but hey I'll take it! I can sleep in the car on the way to Georgia tomorrow, well I guess it's today actually. Anyways, I realized last night that after all this time of trying & testing, I never actually got to "see" my BFP. Sad huh? Luckily I had one lonely digital hpt under the sink, begging to be used. So at 1:30 am, I figured if I couldn't sleep at least I could have a little fun! It's still positive & wow, what an amazing feeling seeing that one little word pop up on that screen! We made it to day 15! Woohoo! It really put my mind at ease about the spotting, which seems to be getting lighter by the way. Sorry if that's tmi!
I promise to post the test for you guys later, if I actually got up to upload It now, my husband would think I had lost it for sure! I don't know how much blogging time I will have over the weekend, my great uncle passed away on Wednesday. It is very sad, but we know that he is in a better place & not hurting anymore. He had been in and out of the hospital for the past year, and was really ready to be with Jesus. I can't help but feel a little relieved to know that he is no longer in pain. The funeral is later today & the burial is Saturday morning. It was lucky that we had tickets for the Georgia game this weekend and we already planning on coming home for the weekend. I had pretty much decided that we would not go to the game, but my grandmother told me that we most certainly were. I quote " your uncle Paul was a dawgs fan, & I know he would think it was reduculous to have tickets and not go!" it's funny how everything worked out really. We found out we were pregnant the day that he was put in the ICU. It's almost like God gave us a new little life, when he was taking one home to be with him. I hate that I wasn't there to say goodbye, but I know he knew how much I loved him. I'm thankful for that.

Always hug your loved ones & tell them that you love them, you never know how much time is left.

So I have an exciting announcement to make!

My husband & I went to the Dr. yesterday to discuss some testing & when we got there, they made me pee in a little cup.
I hate peeing in cups, but miraculously yesterday I actually had to go.
Don't you just hate it when they make you do that & you don't have to go?
You know that they are just standing out there thinking "Geez what is taking so long?"
Thankfully, it wasn't one of those experiences.
Except for the fact that when I came out the nurse & my husband were gone. I had no idea where they went. So now I'm standing in the hallway with a pee cup & don't know what to do with it. Talk about embarrassing. Nothing like wandering around lost with your own...yeah well you get the idea.

Anyways, We go in & talk to the Dr. about our concerns with TTC. He listened & then said, "All of these things are good things to think about & possibly keep in mind but your test today was actually positive..."
Wait...what? No, I've been spotting since Sunday....we came to talk to you about our next steps!
We ran a beta & it was positive too.

So as of yesterday: My number one favorite thing about the first day of fall is that I found out that I am pregnant!

However, my Dr. is concerned about the spotting, he said that this really could go either way.
It might be nothing & it might be the beginning of the end. I will go in for more blood work on Tuesday, to make sure things are progressing as they should.

I really went back & forth yesterday, I was excited, nervous, scared, apprehensive, sad, not wanting to be excited, It was just a a roller coaster of emotions to take in. In the end though, I decided to be excited. We are so happy and if it doesn't work out, it just wasn't meant to be. I can accept that & we can try again.

But for today & until I'm told differently:
We Are Having A Baby!!!!
Due Date June 3rd, 2010

Things I have yet to understand.....

There are very few reasons in this world, that make me feel happy that summer is coming to an close. It's a sad time for me.
Because other than Summer & then Fall thru Christmas, I simply have no use the rest of the years weather. I'm very cold natured & hate being cold more than anything else.
For me, the perfect year would be something like this:
Summer Fall Christmas Spring
If the flowers would start blooming again the week after Christmas, that would be fine with me.
Unfortunately for me, that won't be happening this year because of this little guy:

This my dear readers, is a Woollyworm. Or so I'm told.
Apparently up here in Ken-tucky, that's how we tell what the winter's gunna be like 'round these parts.
Black - BAD *should read: Pippy will be very unhappy*
Brown - Mild *much more acceptable to Pippy*
So the above woolyworm is predicting that winter will be bad in the beginning, mild in the middle & then get worse again.
Unfortunately this is not the woolyworm that I found crawling across my porch the other night.
Oh no, that little sucker was solid, pitch, black.
::cries::

But I digress, there are a few things that I am actually glad about.
For one, I love fall, the sights, smells & fall decor. I also love football season.
This summer however, I have a new reason that I'm happy summer is coming to a close.....

Gah.
Hopefully after a good freeze, these things will go back where they came from.

Cambria Cove Giveaway @ Her Southern Charm

Anybody want a $100 Gift Certificate to Cambria Cove?



Head on over to Her Southern Charm to enter!
Tell her Pippy sent you!
Good Luck!

The balloons of Uga's revenge...

This is the view from the back door, as you can see the front of the car was quite full.
I imagine he wasn't pleased when he opened the drivers side door.
Serves him right.

Practical jokes. Operation: Uga's Revenge

I love practical jokes & I especially love playing them on other people. I have a long list of practical joke ideas ready, for when the opportunity come along.
An opportunity came along today.
My very best friend MC, is married to Tiny. Tiny loves to rag on my Georgia Bulldogs. His most recent target has been "Uga" the very cute Georgia mascot and well, that just cannot be tolerated.
I give you Operation: Uga's Revenge!
Below you will see Tiny's car the same way he saw it when he got done at work today.
The inside of Tiny's car was filled with about 135 red, black & white balloons, ready to spill out as soon as he opened the door.

I wrote all over the windows...

There were pipe cleaners everywhere, on the antenna, spoiler, wheels, mirrors, windshield wipers...



Yeah, I loved every minute of it.
I'll post pics of the balloons later, MC has those on her Camera.

Do you have any great practical joke ideas or stories? I would love to hear about them!

*Slaps own wrist*

I have been an awful blogger this week. I hope all of you can forgive my lack of interesting things to write about.
I promise I will find a way to make it up to you.

In other news: My friend MC's contractions started last night & we thought for awhile that the baby was coming, but they sent her home from the hospital at about 4:30 am.
Her contractions were 10 minutes apart last night, but they may have stopped by now, I haven't talked to her yet this morning, I'm sure she is trying to get some sleep after being up so late.
I'm so excited that the baby will probably be coming soon!

It's here!

We Are.....


Bulldog Nation!

Oh come on...

Who gets a cold in August/September?
This is insane! Practically everyone in my whole town has one, & the hubs has a sinus infection.
Of course, now I'm catching it too. Even with daily Vitamin C, huge vitamins & POM juice.
I was really hoping I would get lucky this time, but this stuffy nose is proving otherwise...

Can you say Shopping Spree?

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