Guess What!?!

Elizabeth went back to the Eastbrook Flea Market in Montgomery for me and found the Vintage Tole Chandelier!!!!  I am so excited that it was still there!   Thank you so much Elizabeth!!

Since the last time I was at the flea market, I had searched Ebay for Vintage Tole Chandeliers.  The cheapest one I found was listed for $165 and they went up all the way to $1,200!!  When I first saw the chandelier, it was listed for $95.  The booth owner offered me $80 that day.  When Elizabeth went back today, she offered $65 and the owner took it!!!!!  I feel like I got such a good deal!!  

Here is a photoshoped picture of the chandelier painted all white.  I definitely plan to paint it, but I'm not sure exactly how it will end up!  I can't wait to see it hanging in the nursery!

19 Weeks

Here is my belly at 19 weeks! 

I've had another good week and my cold seems to be mostly gone!  My only small complaint at this point is sleep.  My hips have been hurting since I have to sleep all night on either side.  I am normally a side sleeper so that's not a problem, but I think my body is just changing which makes my hips very sore during the night and in the morning.  I need one of the body pillows to sleep with and I think that will help a lot!

I also made my first clothing purchase for Baby O!  I have been going to the Spring consignment sales in town and found this beautiful, smocked bubble for this time next year!  It looks so tiny but it is 12 months.  I can't wait to see it on her!

Project Paint

This past weekend, we began "Project Paint."  It's a big project and we still have a long way to go but at least we are underway. 

The Oser's generously offered to buy shutters for our upstairs bedroom windows.  Thank you!!  There are 11 windows.  I decided that I do not like our creamy / off white / yellow trim with any wall color except the Barcelona Beige that we have on most of the walls downstairs.  With any color, such as blue, green, or pink for the nursery, the creamy trim ends up looking yellow.  So, it was with great hesitation that we  decided to re-paint all of our creamy trim bright white.

We started Saturday by purchasing the paint and other necessary supplies.  With Emily's awesome help, we were able to get the first coat on 8 out of the 11 windows.  Yes, I said first coat.

On Sunday, we continued and put the second coat on the same 8 windows and the first coat on the other 3!  Thank you Emily and family for your help this weekend!  We could not have done it without you!!!

Brad and I finished up the second coat on the remaining 3 windows tonight!  Now, we just need to scrape all the windows before next Tuesday when the shutters arrive!

Then, all we have left is 2 coats on all the baseboards in all 4 rooms plus the bathroom as well as 10 doors.  Oh, and crown molding if we decide to add that in any rooms! 

Think we will ever finish?!?  Wish us luck!

Jemison Trail

Today, Emily and I met at Jemison Trail for a walk after work!  It was such a gorgeous day!!  I am so thankful for this unexpected Spring weather in February!  I feel like we are "stealing" time from spring in replacement for the dreary winter and I can't get enough!

Brad and I have had the windows open in our house all week too!  This morning I woke up to the birds chirping and the sun pouring in!  I knew it was going to be a good day :)

*photos from Google

Squash Casserole

Recently, I made squash casserole for something different!  It was delicious!  

Here's what you will need and how to do it.

Ingredients:

6 squash

Onion

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Ritz Crackers

Butter

Milk

Eggs

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

First, wash and slice the squash into thin slices.

Chop the onion.

Combine squash and onion into a pot full of water.  Bring to a boil and cook until squash is tender.

Drain. Get all of the water out so that the casserole is not watery. 

Chop squash into small pieces.  Place into round casserole dish.

Add:

 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup of milk

2 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper

Add caption

Cover casserole with Ritz crackers and a little melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

18 Weeks

Here is my belly at 18 weeks! 

It is hard to tell because my shirt is loose but my stomach has grown so much this week! I think it gets bigger everyday!  It is a tiny baby bump although I don't think any strangers will be asking me if I am pregnant just yet!

My jeggings, the last pair of jeans to fit, are too tight now too!  I have noticed this week that if I have them buttoned that baby girl starts kicking right on the waistline of the jeans!  It's like she saying, "these are too tight! Get them off of me!"  Haha!

It has been another good week!  I have had a horrible cold that has made me very congested and much more tired, but I haven't had any other symptoms! I ♥ the second trimester :)

It's a.....

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


We are so excited!!! She looks perfectly healthy and was moving around a ton during the ultrasound!  She even waved good-bye right before we finished the ultrasound :)


Here she is!  Her face is looking directly at the screen.   Her head is to the right and belly to the left.  She is waving with her right arm up by her face!!!

We had a great day getting to tell everyone the big news!!

Emily texted both Brad and me before the ultrasound this morning with the following picture and poem:

"Tic, Tac, Toe
Who is Baby O?"

She made these delicious blue and white and pink and white striped cookies!!  How cute are they!?!?  And they are delicious!!!

Then Tom and Joanne stopped by the store and delivered this beautiful cookie bouquet and gift from Once Upon A Time!

Now we are working on a name and thinking about the nursery!!  It feels so much more real knowing that she is a girl and picturing her and the nursery.

Thank you God for this sweet and perfect gift!!!

Boy or Girl

So, Wednesday is the big day when we will find out if Baby O is a BOY or a GIRL!!! 

Brad has said very emphatically that the baby is a girl since the day we found out we were expecting!  I have not had such a strong instinct either way.  I keep going back and forth between boy and girl.

But, who knows!  Here are a few old wives tales that we analyzed to see what they predict.  

String Test

This one is from the Hungarian culture.  You put the wedding band on a string and hold it still over the belly.  If it moves in a strong, circular motion it's a girl.  If it swings in a pendulum motion it's a boy.  

For us, this was very inconclusive.  We honestly could not tell which direction the string was moving in.  It was not clear at all!  But, if we have to draw a conclusion, we think this one predicts GIRL!

Carrying High or Low

One of the oldest wives' tales says if you're carrying the baby low, it's a boy, and if you're carrying it high, it's a girl.  Also, if you put weight on all over its a girl and if you are "all baby" then its a boy.

This one is also inconclusive because I am just barely showing.

Chinese Lunar Calendar

I went back and tested this for my Mom and Brad's Mom.  The test was right EVERY time!!

For me, I was 27 and got pregnant in October so this predicts BOY!

This calendar takes the age and month when you get pregnant into consideration. From these dates, it can predict if you will have a boy or girl.  This chart was created over 700 years ago and has been taken from a Royal tomb near Peking, China.  The accuracy of the chart has been proved by thousands of people and is believed to be 99 percent accurate.

Heart Rate

If the baby's heart rate is under 140 beats per minute, its a boy.  If the heart rate is faster than 140, its a girl!

Both times we have had an ultrasound the heart rate was over 140 so this says GIRL! 

Food Cravings
If you crave salty foods, then you are having a boy.  If you crave sweets, then you are having girl. 


Normally, I can't get enough sweets - especially chocolate!  But, now, I could almost care less about sweets of any kind.  I don't know that I am really craving salty foods because I have not had any cravings, but I guess I am by default.  So, this one predicts BOY!

Hunger
In my What To Expect When Expecting book, its says that if you are "bellying up to the refrigerator like a teenage boy, then you may be expecting one.  Research shows that moms-to-be carrying boys tend to eat more than moms expecting girls." 


I was unbelievably hungry during the first trimester.  I woke up at 5:00 am tons of times to eat and then go back to sleep. I would sometimes have to eat a midnight snack too.  But, now that I am in my second trimester, my hunger is back to normal.  So, this one is a bit inconclusive too but might point to BOY!

Morning Sickness
If you have bad morning sickness, then you are having a girl, but if you are not very sick, then you are having a boy.

I have definitely experienced morning sickness so this one predicts GIRL!

Based on these wives's tales, there are 3 conclusions for a girl and 3 for a boy.  I guess that means we are right back to the 50 / 50 percent chance of it being a girl or a boy that we were before all of these tests!

So, what's your guess?!?  
Either use your instincts or these old wives's tales and leave a comment below to let us know what you are thinking!  No more secret readers allowed!  :)

Just for the record, here are the family votes:

Jones Family
Dad: Girl
Mom: Boy
Emily: Girl
Elizabeth: Boy
Jeffrey: Boy
Alex: Girl

Oser Family
Tom: Boy
Joanne: Boy
Nicole: Boy
Taylor: Boy


Results will be posted Wednesday!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!! 

Remember my first sewing project ever?  I pulled these out this month in honor of Valentine's Day!! 
Please excuse the stains on the pot holder - it has been put to good use :)

And this Valentine's Heart Garland too!  It was actually my very first sewing project, but it hardly counts as sewing! 

17 Weeks

Here is my belly at 17 weeks!

This week has been another good week with the exception of Monday morning and today.  Monday, I threw up my cereal.  I don't really know the cause but my only guess is that the dried strawberries in my cereal must have caused heartburn and made me throw up?!?! 

Today, I am feeling sick.  Stuffy head and nose and a sore throat.  Let's hope I am just tired since I am still not sleeping well these days.  I feel so bad for myself and Brad since neither one of us is getting any rest.  I just toss and turn all.night.long. 

The best part of this week is that I felt the baby move a lot more!  It is still sproradic and random, but I love feeling those sweet kicks!!

Did you have this much fun in the snow?!?

Layla loves the snow!!  It makes her go "crazy dog" where she sprints around and around the backyard over and over again!  

"On your Mark, Get Set, Go!"

Whew! That was fun!!

Just a few of our house!  This was some of the prettiest snow I have ever seen!

Got Yours?

Did you get your Girl Scout Cookies yet??  We did today!!!

What are your favorites?

Happy Birthday to Us

Friday was our 28th birthday!!  I love birthdays, but I wasn't very excited about turning 28.  It sounds a little too old and definitely too close to 30.

The week started off with dinner with my in-laws at J. Alexander's!  Taylor, my brother-in-law turned 28 on the 2nd so we always celebrate together!  The Oser's gave me some money and an iTunes gift card! Nicole came by the Swanky Stork and bought me a gift certificate!  Yay!  Thank you very much!!

Brad came by the Swanky Stork on Friday and ate lunch with me and also brought Baby Bites for dessert!!  It was so sweet and delicious!  Thank you hubs!

Later that day, Mom came by and delivered a Happy Birthday balloon, Gerber daisies, and a card with money!  She and Dad also gave me another lens for my camera!  Thank you!

Emily and Elizabeth bought me this beautiful ring from At Home that I have had my eye on for a long time!

 Emily and I invited friends to celebrate with us at Cocina Superior on Friday night!  16 wonderful friends joined us and celebrated with us!  It was a great night and meant so much to both of us to have so many people there for us!  

Here are some shots from the night!

Wow, we are pale!  Can't wait for the Spring!

Alison & Tim

Holly & James

Jessica & Reid

Ashley & Jason

Sarah & Andy

Sabrina, Wes, & Lynlee

Saturday, Brad drove me back to the Eastbrook Flea Market in Montgomery so that we could buy the pastoral painting I wanted!!  Thank you Brad for spending the afternoon with me and buying the painting for me!  I love it!

Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate and thought of us on our birthday!