can't touch this

low and behold, i do believe in miracles! and if this one is correct, then we might have a baby on the way soon. the 'nesting stage,' as they call it has finally arrived in all it's magnificent glory!

"Many women also experience a certain nesting instinct as labor approaches. If you find yourself with a sudden burst of energy and the need to clean and scrub your house spotless, baby may be on the way! " ~thebump.com

tuesday night was by far the roughest night i have had. i tossed and turn in bed wide awake trying to count how many contractions I was having until 2 am and finally got up because i couldn't take it anymore. after pacing the floor until 5 am, i made my way slowly back up stairs in hopes of falling a sleep. no such luck. the last time i looked at the clock was when the sun was coming up and it read 6:45am. lets just say that 9 am came way too soon. on my way out the door for work, i had to stop abruptly due to the immense pain...the utter shock and absence of breath is comparable to being doused with ice water in the shower. breathing slowly it let up and i made my way to the car. walking up the the door once i arrived 10 minutes later, it hit me again.

after an hour passed and they continued on, i finally took the plunge and called the doctor. mind you, i have only called the doctor twice my entire pregnancy1.) when i couldn't walk for days due to back pain and 2.) for a prescription for pepcid because my throat was constantly on fire from heartburn and indigestion (supposedly brayden is going to arrive with a head full of hair...as the old wives tale goes)...i just haven't wanted to be 'that lady.'

on the phone, the nurse said to make my way to the birthing center. i knew they were just going to monitor my contractions and the baby's and then send me right back home. which is basically what they did....however, i was having 6-8 contractions every hour...but it wasn't time. they gave me a horse pill to stop the contractions...which didn't help and told me to call if i was having more than 6 every hour.

here's my beef with the whole counting thing....if i sat and counted my contractions every hour, i wouldn't be checking into the family birth center, rather i'm be making a beeline straight for the loony house! i would go crazy!

the contractions have continued on since and are only more painful now. regardless, they have not stopping my recent obsession with cleaning and organizing. i have officially confused my dogs and worn them out immensely as i run up and down the stairs. they have no idea what to think! i haven't done one single thing around this house in the past 9 months. you might think i'm exaggerating, but jared will gladly testify! now, i'm unstoppable! i've done everything from 9 loads of laundry (those loads to include baby clothes, blankets, etc.), organizing the pantry and cabinets, to scrubbing the baseboards! jared's biggest surprise...i finally hung up all my clothes that have been in our room since my family was in town. he was running out of bribery options and was about to just give up.

so here i wait. cleaning frantically. i guess i better start counting.

ice ice baby

the only thing that seems to be constant in my life these days is change....and my craving for fla-vor-ice popsicles. call it silly, childlike, what ever you wish, but i'm addicted. so addicted that one at a time just will not do. maybe my mind is trying to prepare my body for the fact that during labor this is all i get. and at this rate, that is fine by me!! give me one of these (any flavor), along with bags of ice for my hands and feet and i am one happy little lady!

the other child

much to my surprise, i am not expecting my first child, but my second. over the past month, our puppy lulu has mysterously transformed into a human.

• animal planet is her favorite channel...as long as there are animals on the screen, she is captivated.
• her dog bed does not meet her standards....she must sleep on the same Egyptian Cotton sheets like the rest of us and her head must be rested on a pillow.
• after realizing that the pool is not a giant bathtub, she enjoys the outdoor pool life.
• she has separation anxiety when her mommy and daddy leave.

i'm hoping these animal behavior shows have a positive influence and helps her separation anxiety. Who needs the dog whisperer to come to the house when your dog will just watch him on tv?! please notice her rubber chicken. she loves her rubber chicken and brings it to bed with her....my bed mind you. poor callie finally caught on to lulu's high maintenance and expects to sleep in our bed as well. i'm about to set up camp on the couch! i thought callie, lulu, and at times jared, were supposed to be the ones in the dog house? something is seriously wrong with this picture and yet awfully cute at the same time!

mother nature needs to chill out!

i think it is time mother nature and i had a come to jesus meeting. this heat thing is out of control and seriously cannot be good for this whole global warming ordeal. last night i kindly demanded that the thermostat remain at 73.....and that was only me being nice. i'm pretty sure 68 would be more ideal and conducive to my condition. however at this rate, i'm officially emptying out jared's wallet as rapid speeds. tacking on another $100 to the electric bill would probably cause him to strongly consider slapping a "return to sender" stamp on me and ship me home!

it's not that i have not enjoyed being pregnant, but seriously...those women in hollywood who make comments like "i have never felt sexier" and "i have enjoyed every minute" is full of you know what!!! being pregnant has been exciting, but my days of excitement are quickly coming to an end. I'm ready for the next phase.

In addition to being hot all the time, I feel kind of gross. I get out of breath just walking across a parking lot. And my back hurts. My feet hurt. My ankles are swollen and my toes look like cocktail wieners. My engagement ring barely fits on my ring finger and I'm thinking I should stop forcing it on each morning. and the leg cramps - good lord almighty, the leg cramps have arrived with a dreadful vengeance!! i wake up in tears and loud hollers. poor jared and lulu wake up thinking an axe murderer has enter into the room. when brayden moves around, it feels like he's just got no room left in there. my doctor continuously reminds me that there is room and my stomach will continue to grow. thus far she had not proven to be misleading. it seems, from my perspective, that brayden can't find a position he likes, but he's going to keep trying no matter how much it might feel like he is stretching the very limits of my uterine walls. so i imagine we -- me and my sweet boy -- are equally uncomfortable, as we count down these remaining six weeks of gestation. people keep telling me that i should enjoy these last few weeks of peace and quiet, before there's a crying baby keeping me up all hours of the night. i assume these people have no recollection of what it is like to have leg cramps keep them up all hours of the night. at least babies, even crying ones, have a cute factor to them. nobody keeps photo albums of their leg cramps. at least i hope not. but then again there are very strange people out there...

forgive me as i sign off to go massage my sore and swollen calve muscles with bengay.

baby brayden briefing

jared and i had a doctors appointment this afternoon. brayden is doing well and growing fast. he is already 5 1/2 lbs. at first i was worried but my doctor quickly comforted me saying he should be between 71/2-8 1/2 lbs. i'm happy with that.....as long as i'm not popping out any 10 pound baby!! according to the dorctor's words, everything is "perfect."

47 more days!

political brain washing?

today has been yet another lazy day for jared and i...mainly consisting of naps. at this rate 6 weeks seems like an eternity away! I find myself singing "i will survive, hey, hey!" every now any then....here in the knetzer household, jared and i have spent the past 2 weeks immersed in the political realm. as an american citizen i feel that is my civic responsibility to be well educated about american government and politics. the beginning of these past 2 weeks consisted of watching the democratic national convention. my political views are conservative however, i feel that it is important to know what goes on across the board...otherwise i'm making uninformed, uneducated and ignorant decisions. so, i spend that entire week listening to each speech...michelle obama, hilary, bill, biden and obama. hardly impressed to say the least. i'm always intrigued by obama's capability to captivate his audience. i've known people like him before. he's the kind of person who after listening to them speak about the sky being purple will walk away from the conversation seriously considering whether or not the sky really is purple! i'll give it to him, he's a very charismatic and captivating person. but i'm affraid that's as deep as it gets.

i'm pretty sure every american agrees that we are in need of serious change. however, i truly believe former mayor rudy giuliani said it best,

change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy (website)

jared and i listen to talk radio every now and then. one of the radio hosts conducted a survey in manhattan and interviewed individuals who were registered voters. all of them were obama supporters. what was most shocking about this interview was the fact that they do not know why they were voting for him other than for the reason of:

• getting the troops out of iraq(even if it is at the cost of loosing the war and our troops dying in vain)

• tired of paying $5/gallon for gas (even though not one of them knows what obama's energy plan consists of)

• they believe he is going to bring about change (even though obama doesn't have a political record nor has he ever actually brought about change....unless you consider helping people move out of asbestos infested homes as a community organizer...as one of his spokesmen informed us).

when asked if they could name 3 successful things obama has done as a senator, not one person could name even one successful accomplishment. are these really the people that are going to be putting our next president in office?
with the announcement of sarah palin being on the mccain ticket as VP, there has been much excitement as well as controversy. funny how the questions she is interrogated with in the first week of her announcement, are questions not one person has asked obama in his 19 months of running for president. i don't have an issue with anyone questioning her political record and what her accomplishments have been, but is it really necessary to drag her 17 year old daughter through the mud or the fact that her husband had a dui 22 years ago. what about obama's admitted heavy drug use around the same time or his affiliation with criminals and communist fascists? i find it ironic that the party who supposedly is for the middle class and minorities, is berating one who is just that. perhaps their justification is due to the fact that she is a conservative and actually had her child even after finding out he had down syndrome.

after her speech at the rnc, she had the media in a tizzy as they stated her speech was full of pithy, hateful attacks on the obama/biden ticket. i'm sorry, but obviously they have a hard time accepting the truthful facts. last time i checked, sarah palin has more executive experience than obama and biden together and actually has a voting record that doesn't just say "present."

personally i'm quite sick of all the ignorant political rhetoric and democratic propaganda that has flooded all forms of media. for example, i watched the first 20 minutes of the vma's this evening and was repulsed. who is russell brand anyways?? i don't know about you, but he looks like he's been on a coke binge and needs to be in a nut house! and does does he really think we care what his political views are?! he's british and cannot even vote in america. his comments, which no one laughed at, about palin's pregnant daughter were comments that disgusted me. i'm sure if they were remarks about obama's daughter, he would be beaten and burned for years to come. ironic? of course not. go back to britian....

being a soon-to-be first time mother myself, i have never felt the need to be well informed as i have in this election. i've realized you have to be very careful however.....it's quite obvious who the media is rooting for. political brain washing. when it comes down to it, there is a huge difference in someone claiming to do great things and someone who has done great things. i want a president who is capable of bringing about change, not someone who has a hard time making a decision. voting 'present' as commander in chief won't do the trick. promising words are great, but it's time to really look at the facts.

under pressure

thankfully this past weekend, hurricane gustav missed panama city beach. now my attention is at the plethora of hurricanes that are lurking out in the atlantic. even though gustav didn't make landfall here, i definitely felt it's affects. i had heard from multiple people that with the drop in barometric pressure, women are more likely to go into labor. i asked my doctor if this was true, and being someone who is quick to discredit old wives tales, i figured she would say it was false. to my surprise she laughed and nodded her head 'yes.' gustav may not have sent me into labor, but i certainly felt like it could be a possibility. i spent all day yesterday on the couch with my swollen feet propped up, wedding rings off, and my stomach feeling an immense amount of pressure. quite uncomfortable to say the least.

if these hurricanes doesn't calm down, these next 6-8 weeks may turn into much less!

an eventful upcoming year

this past weekend, jared and i ventured through tropical storm fay to visit my sister, afton, is ft. lauderdale. after 2 hours of torrential downpour, we made it through the rain and enjoyed a pleasant drive to south florida. prior to this trip, i didn't realize ft. lauderdale was only 40 min. from miami. typically i don't find myself being geographically challenged...i leave that responsibility to my sisters...however 9 hours in a car when you are 32 weeks pregnant is ONE LONG TRIP! I also learned that heat, sodium, constant sitting, and pregnancy leads to ridiculous swelling! i officially have kankles. that's all i will say.

on saturday, we all ventured into miami (praying we wouldn't get off the wrong exit and end up in the back of a drug lord's trunk) to spend the afternoon in south beach. since all of us watch tlc and have dabbled in a little ink, we went in search of the miami ink tatoo shop...which we were not disappointed. i was probably the least excited of the bunch but still thought it was really neat. jared thought it would be cool to get a tattoo at miami ink of brayden's name...until he found out that it would cost $350. at this point, that $350 can be used in much more useful means!

seeing afton was a breath of fresh air! even though we are complete opposites, her sweet spirit and infectious laugh always makes my heart happy! i also finally had the opportunity to meet her new fiance. yes you read correctly....Afton is engaged and is planning a wedding for next october (which gives me just enough time to loose the baby weight)! meeting dan for the first time was a pleasant surprise....his genuine attention and love for afton was encouraging. i'm so proud of afton and her accomplishments over the past year! I'm excited for the future that is in store for her and dan!

"a dull moment" is a term that seems to be void amongst the Moffatt family! in 6-8 weeks there is going to be a new little one to add to the family clan. in a year, there will be another new member. it's going to be an exciting year! being in the inner circle with weddings, i know my year will be filled with afton's wedding and a new baby. thank goodness i'm getting all my ducks in a row now!

the simplicity of hidden treasures

it's saturday and it's raining outside. supposedly tropical storm fay could be headed our way. Still in my sweatpants and hoodie, I'm quite comfortable. sitting on my couch, lulu asleep by my side, i have my laptop as i design new material for work and a bowl of lucky charms while saturday morning cartoons play in the background. i feel like i woke up and and am partially reliving my childhood - perhaps it's in the simplicity of the things i have grown to love. i love rainy summer days. i love being bundled up beneath blankets and curled up on the couch and who doesn't love having their puppy sound asleep beside them (the fact that she is heavily sedated from being fixed, is besides the point)? forgetting what i have been missing all these years, i have rekindled an old friendship with lucky charms. i've always been a sucker for the marshmallows...or maybe it was a suppressed liking of lucky's irish accent when he said "i love me lucky charms"!

remember the days when cereal actually had toys hidden amongst all those sugary cereal bits in the box? what happened to the toys?! pouring my lucky charms this morning, i suddenly remembered how excited i used to be when i found my hidden surprise....even if it was just a power ranger sticker! the worst surprises were when you bought cereal you didn't even really like, but you bought it because it came with a really cool toy (even if it did end up in the garbage after a day)...and then come to find out you had to mail in the proof of purchases to actually get the toy. what a disappointment to a small child!

Anyways, after pouring my cereal, i realized that the box was just about empty and in i looked to see what toy i might find. absolutely nothing. in all honesty, i was rather disheartened. not that i really wanted the toy, but i think what i was really looking for was a part of my childhood past. i felt robbed!

that's it, i think i'm going to the store to buy a box of cereal that i probably can't stand in search for that toy!

missing person alert!

please be on the lookout for a woman who fits the following description:

Height: 5'7"...tends to hunch over a bit these days
Weight: 30 weeks pregnant....that's all you need to know
Eye Color: Blue/Green...and probably tired looking with dark circles under the eyes
Hair Color: Blonde Highlights with 2 inch dark blonde roots
Other distinguishing characteristics: has a very distinct waddle
Responds to the name: Wesleyann

if anyone has seen her or finds her, please return her to her rightful owner! Her husband would be most grateful!


ok, so you may laugh at that, but seriously, where did I go?! For the past week or so, i feel as though i'm having an out of body experience...or that the movies groundhog day and freaky friday have actually become a living reality for me! poor jared would like for the woman he married to return as well! This morning i woke up to 30 minutes of the most excruciating pain i have ever felt on my right side under my ribs. i seriously thought i was going to be rush to the hospital. no, not a life or death matter - just my 3 pound, 30 week old child digging his foot into my rib cage. my nights now consist of absolutely zero sleep and constant visits to the bathroom. i suppose lack of sleep contributes to the ridiculous mood swings and constant flood of tears. i used to not be one who cried often....yesterday i cried while watching tori and dean, and the olympics (the olympics is understandable being that hearing the national anthem gets me every time!)...and then i cried because i didn't know why i was crying! forget wearing the majority of clothes in my closet...those days are long long! i'm not a very large pregnant woman, but one would probably beg to differ by the way i waddle around due to having such bad back pain. i managed to keep my wedding band on since we never had it sized, but had to say so long, farewell to my engagement ring....unless i would like to have it cut off due to the immense swelling in my hands. i refuse to have people think i'm just another young, unwed knock-up woman...and we all know that living in the Bible belt, that is every one's first thought when they see a pregnant woman and no ring!

seriously, who stole my body?! i demand you return it asap!

i keep reminding myself that in 8-10 weeks it will all have been worth it...i'm banking on that God given gift of pregnancy amnesia!

fall is in the air

if you were to ask me what my favorite season is, as tough as such a decision may be, i'm pretty sure i would have to say fall. living in florida makes it a little difficult to experience fall in all its glory, but that doesn't change my love for the season. the cool crisp air, football, apple pie, pumpkin picking, pumpkin spice burning candles, hot apple cider, and vibrant falling leaves....only a few of my favorite things!

last night i went to dinner with a group of girls....i'm continuously taught to never underestimate what may happen when a group of women are in the presence of each other! amongst our many conversations, one of my good friends, genya (vue photography), mentioned that if you're really still and wait for it, you can smell the faintest hint of fall in the air. hearing her say that made me smile as i envisioned her standing outside trying her best to search for the smell of fall...keep in mind we live in florida and it is still 95 outside! once the rain subsides, i might step out side in search of the fall air as well!
another reason to love fall even more - brayden is going to be a fall baby! being that brayden is due October 25th, that means he will be here (hopefully...and i'm not playing around ...he better be here!) to dress him up for his very first halloween. when i mentioned this to jared, he laughed. i think he thought i was just kidding....obviously he hasn't caught on just yet! growing up, halloween wasn't a celebrated holiday but we still participated in costume at church carnivals. i have no idea what we will do this year, but if he is here, i absolutely intend to take full advantage of the situation and dress him up like any first time mother would do!

going bald

now that i have attempted to join the blogosphere, i have stumbled across a few blogs that i have made a daily habit of checking in on. CF Husband, is one that i have found to be truly inspiring as I read about his wife who has cystic fibrosis and their little baby girl who was born at only 24 weeks (if I had brayden at 24 weeks, i would have had him 5 weeks ago....that's how early his little girl arrived!!!!).

for that past few weeks he has been raising money in support of his wife and CF by going bald. now you may question what going bald has to do with any of this. due to his wife having to go through chemo and having lost her hair, he decided he wouldn't let her be bald alone. i'm not an expert on love, but i have to say when i read that, my heart melted. in each of his posts, his love for his bride and precious baby girl is undeniable.

I encourage you to take the time to read his page. i really believe your heart will truly be touched and inspired!

going on week 29...8 more weeks and i will be full term (37 weeks....40 weeks puts me at my due date 10/25). See, i told you time has flown by.....and you thought i was over exaggerating!

ending on a good note

my first week working with Kimberly was such a change of pace...and i loved every minute! still working on weddings, but on a much less stressful scale is a breath of fresh air. i think i am going to enjoy my job now so much more!

i'm starting to wonder if there is such a thing as a sense of normalcy in my life. it really is never a dull moment! friday morning i went to the doctor's only to find out that my bank card wasn't working. of course everyone's first thought is, "great she has no money but is going to swear that she does and demand i keep swiping her card as if money is going to miraculously appear." as soon as i was told my card wasn't working, i knew immediately what was wrong and my views on what a crappy bank we use was confirmed!! because jared had to get a new card and our bank issues identical card numbers to joint accounts, my card no longer worked. having this problem before, jared made sure to ask and we were told we would not have any problems with my card. WRONG! i am really beginning to question the qualifications these bank tellers must require, because at this rate they didn't even pass kindergarten in simple arithmetic. minor details of course. after making not one but TWO trips up to the bank after an unsuccessful attempt to get gas, i waddled my pregnant, irritated little self up the the desk and demand they better fix this situation! thankfully the 2nd time was a charm. I'm sure me telling them exactly what i thought about their not so innovative bank and that if they didn't correct the problem i was pulling all our money out right then and there, helped a bit.

arriving home, i unlocked the door only to be graced with yet another unwelcoming surprise. thinking lulu was the culprit, i was quickly proven wrong as she was still securely locked in her cage. it was callie. because callie is very picky about the ground beneath her precious paws when doing her business, her business became a little backed up due to 4 days of rain. being stopped up finally decided to run it's course all over my living room white carpet. if this situation doesn't stop, in 3 months i'm going to start feeling like dean when he said "i feel like i live in poo city!" from tori and dean home sweet hollywood. and quite frankly i don't think i will be able to handle that very well!

so after an eventful afternoon, jared and i headed over to our good friends brett and ginger's house for ginger's birthday. spending time with close friends always accounts for a good time...not to mention the plethora of fruit in which i consumed!!!the birthday girl and meshe was trying to get a closer look

someone please give me a glass of wine!

i'm pretty sure my stress level over the past 2 months was off the charts! Thankfully my daily routine is starting to slow down. Eventhough my days are a little less stressful, my nights have turned in to sleepless ones. Dr. Graham said that a glass of wine a night is absolutely fine....i have avoided all drinks thus far, but I am now strongly considering my options!!

This past Friday was my last day working at Bay Point Marriott as I have moved on to a new stage in my life and career. Being 7 months pregnant and the only wedding coordinator to dozens and dozens of brides, it began to take a toll on me physically, mentally and finally emotionally. It always amazes me how God opens door when you least expect it! Knowing what I love to do but also knowing where my priorities are, I was given the wonderful opportunity to join forces with Kimberly Bartoli who owns Elegant Beginnings Weddings and Events. Not only am I still able to do what I love, by I'm able to work from home. Nothing beats working in your slippers! Not only am I able to be at home and take care of myself self and Brayden, but I am able to do what I love. I don't think I could have asked for anything better!

After years of searching, God finally led Jared and I to our new church home. For the past few months we have been attending Northstar Church and absolutely love it! Small group sign up is coming up and we're excited to get plugged-in! I've missed being apart of a church that I know it is where God truly wants me to be. After not being involved in a church for quite some time, I realized how hungry I really was for that close fellowship. Not only do we love the church but we have met such wonderful people! I'm excited for what God has instore!

well, we are now less than 90 days away from the big day! i know that i continue to say how I can't believe time has gone by so fast, but i really am not kidding! Everyone keeps saying how i don't even look like I'm that far along....I'm sure all those comments are going to catch up to me soon! If the past 2 weeks are any indication of what the next 2 1/2-3 months are going to be like, I'm in for a long, hot, sleepless and uncomfortable 3rd trimester and Jared is in for one expensive electric bill! Of course I had to be pregnant during the summer and in the the hottest and most humid state! in preparation for the little bundle that will change life as we know it, Jared and I have been getting everything organized. Today, my long awaited baby bag arrived. After much debate and many reviews, i finally ordered the Rowdy bag and am in love! I couldn't be more happy with my selection! Jared refused to care around a huge baby bag that looks like a purse so i bought him his very own. While my mom was here, she bought us the baby stroller and car seat we had registered.

take my advise: READ ALL REVIEWS BEFORE MAKING ANY BABY ITEM PURCHASE!

the travel system we registered for was one we soon found out was not very easy to handle nor was it conducive to any situation involving a screaming baby! So after finding out all this information, Jared and I returned the one we had for a different one. this time I made sure to read up on my reviews!

well now that i am home more often, i have relieved Jared of his mr. mom duties. it's now back to being the "good wife" i once was and have dinner ready for when Jared gets home.

Tasks for the rest of the evening:

• laundry
• vaccuuming
• watching Project Runway and drinking a glass of Cabernet
• (hopefully) a good nights rest!

trapped within the bump

can you believe I am almost finished with my 2nd trimester! AHHH! last night jared and I were watching tv and there was a couple talking about how they could have a little one in 3 years or so. I looked at jared and was like, "isn't it crazy that we are going to have a baby in just 3 months!!!"

time is flying by, but i couldn't be more excited!!

now that i am 26 weeks, brayden is moving about as if he is doing everything he can to escape. no matter what time of the day it is, you will find him busily doing his thing. as exciting as it is to see him moving and know that he's ok, it's a little odd seeing your stomach move is such strange ways. yesterday i was home sick so lulu, callie and i were on the couch most of the day. i had lu laying her head on my stomach and she was quite disturbed when brayden decided to wake and woke her up as well. she didn't know what to think. every time she layed her head on my stomach, she received a good kick in the nose. i couldn't help but laugh!! with all the movement my attention was diverted from the tv to the bump. no lie....it looked like he was trying to push his way out as i was being kicked and punch punched all over the place. the feeling is quite unexplainable. it feels as though your on a roller coaster and dropped 200 ft. it's a very exhilarating feeling. my sister gets a kick out of it but after watching for a bit she gets a little freaked out over the whole thing.

with all his moving about, i think the funniest and most impressive part is how he will be sound asleep and once he hears music he goes nuts....especially when we are in church and the worship band starts playing. jared and i are convinced he is going to be a little rock star. i told jared i would love for him to be a musician but only under certain circumstances:
1. he must shower on a regular basis...none of this greasy business!
2. he is a boy....i will not be buying him jeans from the girls section. i refuse to have my son wearing tighter jeans than his mother (not that i wear tight jeans...but you get the picture)
3. not that it matters what he does, as long as he does it with great passion!!!

oh, the joys that await us! I can't wait!


at this rate, if this little boy has his way he will be breaking free before October 25th!

what did you just ask me?!

now that i am 21 weeks, it is evident that there is a growing baby inside and not just pounds of fat from excess eating. i have learned that along with the noticeable baby bump also comes imposing questions and unwelcoming touches.

today before coming to work, i stopped at pier park for my weekly fix of panera and then headed to target to buy a couple of comfortable knit dresses for work. there is no way i am wearing anything else in this muggy, miserable 90+ degree weather! if i have to be on my feet for endless hours in this heat while carrying a little one inside, you better believe that comfort is my number one priority! anyways, after finding 3 cute, comfortable and yet stylish dresses, i made my way to the checkout line. the girl checking me out made a comment that the dresses were very cute and perfect for summer. i responded "and perfect for a pregnant lady!" out of no where this older woman standing behind me in line, who you could tell was a chain smoker by her voice and the stench that surrounded her, says, "do you plan on breastfeeding?"

WHAT??? WHAT DID YOU JUST ASK ME? excuse me ma'am, but last time i checked, that is a personal and private question which quite frankly is none of your business!!! especially coming from someone who for all i know could be some kind of sicko!

being the polite person i am, i turned around and gave her the most possibly awkward face i could muster and kindly responded, "well, i'm not quite sure just yet." WRONG ANSWER! feeling it was her place to tell me the importance and the benefits of breastfeeding, she proceeded. feeling incredibly awkward, i tried to divert the conversation from further interrogation. i'm sorry but i don't care nor do i need to know that your daughter still uses the pump to feed her 1 year old daughter and even has a special room! SICK! didn't your mother ever teach you that there are certain things you keep to yourself....especially when it involves STRANGERS!

speaking of strangers and crossing the line, what is it about people thinking that just because a lady is pregnant they have been given the right to intrude one's personal space and touch the bump??? unless you are invited, do not touch! i didn't like people touching my stomach uninvited pre-pregnancy and the same still stands....unless we are on a very close first name, bff basis! i think my next maternity investment will be this shirt!

blame it on the hormones

we're halfway through june and i have almost survived through it all. there have been numerous moments where i had my doubts! i just keep telling myself..."just make it through june!" i have 2 weddings this weekend and thank goodness it is my last weekend of double weddings. i may be coming out of all this beaten and battered, but atleast i'm coming out alive!

so i think it is official to say that the psycho, crazy inner beast is beginning to creep out. i don't know what my deal is! i'm just very irritable! jared is out right now with his friend seeing the happening and you would have thought by my attitude he was leaving for a long weekend with the boys in vegas! i've always been someone who loves to snuggle and cuddle, but i've never been very "needy!" however lately, it's as if i can't be left alone....i just want jared to be with me 24/7. it's like i'm a five year old who can't leave their parent's side.

i think i'm also starting to feel that "home sick" feeling again. i miss not having my family here. they will be here next weekend, but it still feels like an eternity away! they are never here long enough. i miss my mom....or what i tend to call her, "mama." i'm grown, married and having a baby and i still call my mom at least 3 times a day. thank the lord for verizon and their "in" network!! whenever i'm home, i will still curl up on the couch next to her. i don't think i'll ever grow out of that....even if i do have my own baby to hold. soon, brayden and i will both curl up on the couch with her!

it is officially now time for me to call it a night. baby and mama need rest! oh and someone please assure me that this heartburn thing is only temporary! hopefully it is just the tacos they served at work today!

blue light special

today was the big day. i headed to ft. walton this morning to go see my chiropractor in need of desperate help. after falling onto the dj at the wedding i was doing sunday, i knew that was the final straw...it was time to go see the doctor again. i swear...i looked like an 80 year old woman hobbling around this weekend! after my physical revival, i got in my car to head home. first off let me explain that the drive between destin and panama city is a straight shot with ridiculously fluctuating speed limits! so there i am driving along with my sunroof open and singing my little heart out to songs on the radio. out of no where, came these flashing blue lights flying across the median leaving dirt clouds in his tracks. i knew right then he was coming after me....i didn't realize i was speeding, but since i was the only car in sight, i knew it had to be me and there was no way of escaping this one! so having watched more COP shows than i would like to admit, i kindly pulled over before he even pulled up behind me. being that this was my first time, i always wondered if i would try and come up with some reason as to why i was speeding. nope, there i sat with my license and registration in had waiting. and waiting. you know, i think they make you sit there just to intimidate you! when he got to my window i held out what i knew he was going to need before he even asked. goodness at the way i was just "giving in," it probably looked as though this was a common thing! I looked at him unsure if i gave him the correct registration papers and said, "i think those are the most current, but I'm not sure." "well ma'am, yes these are your most current but your tag expired on your husbands birthday, may 25th." way to go jared!!

so there i sat and waited. and waited. my uncle who is an officer said that usually is they are going to let you go, they make you wait a long time just to suffer. so in my suffering, i was hoping that maybe he was going to let me off the hook. i didn't think i would be able to play the pregnancy card since the dress i had on didn't make my belly noticeable. wondering what i might have in my favor i waited a little longer.

"well ma'am, i'm only going to give you a warning for your tag since it is really your husbands fault." smart man....that's exactly what i was thinking! "and i lowered your speed to the lowest possible speed of only going 9 over." what the heck, how fast was i going? the speed limit was at least 55!? "so you only have to pay $82 and if you take the class online you won't have the points go on your record." "office, being that this is the first time i've ever been pulled over, how to i take care of the fine?" i wanted him to know that usually i am a law abiding citizen! "what exactly was the speed limit, becuase last i knew it was 65?" i asked. "well, yes, it was but then it dropped to 45 and i clocked you going 65."

as i took my punishment and he began walking away he turns around and say, "so, when is your due date?" a bit confused, i responded. "congratulations," he replied. "oh yeah right, thanks a lot!!!" i knew i should have played the pregnancy card!!!

so i pulled back on to 98 and no more than 100 feet ahead read a speed limit sign "SPEED LIMIT 65".

service and servanthood

being that i am working all weekend and all next week, jared demanded i go into work late today....especially since i can barely walk! last night after putting brayden's crib together, i started down the stairs so that jared and i could watch a movie. more than half way down, my hip gave out and before i fell, i was able to catch myself. i've had my fair share of bumps and bruses, especially with being invloved in sports growing up, but i'm not kidding when i say, i have never been in so much pain that i couldn't even function! jared tried to help and carry me, but i was in too much pain nor did i want him even attempting to pick me up....i knew all too well that we would then both be laid out flat on the floor! i made my way to the kitchen very slowly....and burst into tears. looking into jared's face i felt even worse because he knew he couldn't do anything to help the pain and it killed him.

so taking this morning off, off i went to get a massage and pedicure....both which were much needed!

there really is nothing like getting a pedicure! it wasn't until a few years ago that i had one for the first time and became an avid believer! if i could afford them bi-weekly, my happy rear would be plopped in one of those big, comfy massage chairs on a regular basis! and after today, i would make sure boby was the man taking care of me. out of all the jobs out there, i think nail/pedicure techs truly have a heart of gold! i don't think there is enough money in the world that could bring my to my knees daily and scrub nasty feet. sitting there in boby's care, i felt like royalty! i'm always very candid with the ones who have been handed that fatal card of caring for my feet. since i have wear high heels daily and am always on my feet, my feet are nothing short of hideous...and so i always warn them and apologize before hand...and make sure i tip them well! after lots of scrubbing, snipping, shaving, and rubbing, my feet feel amazing. so today i tip my hat to boby for a job well done and making a pregnant lady feel like a million dollars!! he truly had the heart of a servant!

on a side note: the man next to me doing another ladies feet was talking about how he has 2 kids; one boy and one girl. he said his daughter is an angel and his boy is a little terror. he has had to paint his entire house twice in the past 18 months because this son likes to take permanent marker and crayons and make his mark on their walls. no more than 2 minutes later, that comcast commercial where the little boy sticks the vacuum hose in a fish tank and it breaks and causes the curtains to catch on fire came on. i told that man he wasn't helping my situation very much. and then i began to pray really hard for a well behaved and manured son!

halfway mark

i officially have made it to the halfway mark! 20 weeks! the next 20 should be interesting...especially now that we have entered into summer and the heat index is about 100 degrees. people think i'm kidding when i say that flip flops, mumus, and a personal fan will become apart of my daily attire....i may joke around at times but not when it comes to serious matters!

today when i arrived home from work, i had a special package waiting for me on the door step. brayden's bedding finally arrived! after dinner, jared and i ventured upstairs to put everything together, including the crib. correction: jared put together; i instructed. ok, maybe i'm exaggerating a bit. had i instructed and been paying attention, i probably would have noticed that jared put the back part of the crib on backwards. i feel as though i have not a very helpful sidekick to jared lately. luckily we were able to solve the minor detail. after much hard work, the crib was finally completed!

i feel as though i have officially entered into the "nesting" stage. i don't have it too bad just yet, but i'm such it is just around the corner. jared probably wishes it would arrive asap...so that i start keeping the house cleaner! "in due time," i tell him. i have to say, i have a pretty amazing husband! he does everything from having dinner waiting for me when i come home from work, washing the dishes, doing laundry, vacuuming, to even grocery shopping. the past 2 months, i have been having bad back/hip problems so he even called and made an appointment to have a massage and pedicure! sorry ladies...i know you're jealous, but you cannot have him!

so after all jared's hard work, we put on the last finishing touches.