The Chronicles of Ruthie Hart

Nursery is coming along

2013-05-24T08:12:00.001-05:00

Good morning and happy Friday friends. I know I said from the beginning I'd share the nursery progress with you and I am excited to announce that we are really close to being done! We've been putting off hanging a few items but hope we can get that done soon. Below are just a few Instagram pictures I posted last week.

My favorite part of his room is the gallery wall over the white dresser/changing table. I've loved collecting things and crafting and am still on the hunt for a few more items!

Rhino head- Z Gallerie

Whale- TJ Maxx

Printables- LivyLove Designs

Ernie canvas- made with this tutorial

I made the curtains myself (fabric here) and hope to bring you a tutorial on the chicken wire frames soon. There are actually 2 of them hanging on the wall but I need some stuff to clip on them.

Pinterest inspired rain gutter shelves ready to be filled with books! The baby room has a Jack and Jill bathroom with another room so there is the perfect corner leading into the bathroom for a reading nook. Thanks to Mimi for the books! (many of them are mine from growing up)

The picture in the frame is Jon and his parents when he is only a few months old. It is a really special picture because his parents got divorced before he was 1 year old and this is the only picture we have of the 3 of them together (Jon's dad passed away 4 years ago so we love having his picture up).

Lamp- HomeGoods Whale- TJ Maxx Frame- Target

I ordered this rug from Target and it should be delivered today. Not sure if it will be the right size or color but I wanted to add some more yellow to the room and since it's a large room, the middle of it looked really empty. I highly recommend getting the Target credit card because you get 5% all purchases and free shipping online! There are so many products they offer online that aren't sold in stores.

Next week I am picking up a pouf/ottoman handmade by Caroline (she made us 2 for our family room and we love them!) and the rest of his bedding and pillows should be done soon. My baby shower is in 2 weeks and I can hardly wait! I am still in utter surprise and shock that my office threw me a surprise baby shower yesterday afternoon. And I am never surprised! Baby Hart cleaned up, I am so humbled by how many people love our son already. One of the gifts I got was our infant carseat so we can officially bring him home. They also gave us our video monitor, pack and play, and TONS of other gifts!! I can't wait to start setting things up!

This weekend Jon and I have our hospital tour, finishing some stuff up in the baby room (we want to make something with reclaimed wood for over the crib similar to our headboard), and then we are heading to San Antonio for a getaway.

Hope you have an awesome and restful holiday weekend!

Breakfast Enchiladas

2013-05-23T07:56:00.000-05:00

Jon and I are huge fans of Mexican food and have a standing tradition of making big, yummy breakfasts on the weekend since we are kind of rushed with work during the week. I came across this recipe for breakfast enchiladas and now Jon wants me to make it every week! They are DELICIOUS! You can even prep the enchiladas the night before so in the morning all you have to do is pop them in the oven. These will definitely be a weekend staple on our menu.
Ingredients 8 tortillas (I used corn but flour would be just as delicious) 9 large eggs 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp milk 2 tsp taco seasoning 1/2 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp canned green chilies 3 green onions, diced Salt and pepper to taste 1- 1.5 cup shredded Monterrey Jack or Colby Jack Cheese 1 can red enchilada sauce 1 cup diced tomatoes 1 avocado, sliced
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, taco seasoning, green chilies, onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper. 2. Melt the butter into a large skillet pan and cook the egg mixture. When eggs are almost done, add 1/2 cup cheese and stir to melt 3. Fill tortillas with egg mixture, roll up, and place fold down in a greased baking dish. 4. Once tortillas are filled, top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese (I did not use the entire can of enchilada sauce... your choice). 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. 6. Top with tomatoes and avocado (and any other toppings of your choice) and enjoy!

Summer is upon us

2013-05-22T07:46:00.002-05:00

Summer is just around the corner and around this time, I always ask myself, "why weren't you a teacher?!". And then I am brought back to reality when I realize how much work and patience teachers put in the other 9 months of the year and they definitely deserve 3 months off! Hats off to you educators because I sure as heck couldn't do it. Even though I haven't had a summer break since college, summer is just a little bit more enjoyable. People are laid back because being tan just makes you happier and vacations are on the horizon. The smells of BBQs on the back porch and seeing nightly lemonade stands in the cove behind us just makes me happier. I feel more productive in the evenings because it stays lighter later and although the heat can be unbearable at times, the sunshine is awesome.

We have a big vacation coming up in a few weeks, weddings to attend later in the summer, baby showers, maternity pictures, and backyard bbqs but the thing I am looking forward to the most is of course... the birth of our baby boy! I can't help but to think how cute and fun he will be next summer, on the cusp of 1 year old, waddling, toddling, talking, swimming. I really can't wait for every season with this little guy! By the end of the summer (usually around August when vacations are over and kids head back to school), I am ready for a change and God is giving me the biggest, most precious change of my life in August.

I asked this month's sponsors what they are looking forward to this summer and I'd love to know what is on your list!

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29 weeks

2013-05-21T08:10:00.003-05:00

Thoughts: last night we spent some time praying for our friends who were induced yesterday and waiting on their baby girl and got very emotional knowing that in just a few weeks, we'd be praying through our son's birth. For some reason I am so anxious to hit 30 weeks, not that I want him to come, but each week he stays inside of me, I feel so much more confident. Jon said I was glowing this week and that gets me so excited to meet my little boy.
Baby: baby should be about 3lbs and 17 inches now... that is big! His bones are hardening and soaking up a lot of my calcium. Hopefully he'll take after his daddy and love milk!
Symptoms: 8 days Zofran free!! Yay! Friday night I started experiencing pretty bad pain on the left side of my pubic bone area. Of course we did research and it says don't sit down too long, don't stand up too long, don't carry things over 5lbs, etc, etc, etc. The pain comes and goes but it is really intense at times. Heart flutters/palpitations and still having a hard time catching my breath at times (I realized I can no longer sing worship at church because my heartrate would speed up and I'd feel exhausted lol!). TMI but I do want to remember this for my future pregnancies, I started leaking a little colostrum...lovely.
Movement: yes, all the time. Some mornings he wakes me up with kicks and jabs and sometimes he sleeps in. One thing I know I will miss about pregnancy is feeling these precious kicks! He loves the music at church too.
Cravings/aversions/eating: after failing a portion of my glucose test last week, it's been interesting (and hard) to tame my chocolate/dessert/sweets cravings. I have been eating TONS of fruit and eating sugar free pudding cups and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.
Workouts: this week has been the most drastic change in my energy levels. I tried to go to the gym last Friday and was just so incredibly exhausted. Walks here and there and I am going to try to do some light weights this week.
Sleep: really inconsistent lately... womp womp. One night I was up 5-6 times going to the bathroom and tossing and turning and the next night I slept a solid 8 hours.
Clothes: finally getting to wear lots of sundresses! Lots of my pre pregnancy ones fit me but are a little short up front but it's nice to have more options than just the maternity clothes I've bought. At night I have to wear Jon's boxers to bed because everything else is so tight
Random: I am a registered donor for Be The Match and knew right away that I wanted to donate our baby's cord blood since we decided against banking. Now that we are late enough in our pregnancy, we've been filling out forms to prep for the collection. Please pray with me that our son's blood would save lives!
I finally got in the pool on Sunday!!! I have been looking forward to that since I got pregnant and it felt amazing. I mostly laid on a float, and walked around the shallow end, it was so relaxing! And yes I am rocking a bikini as long as I don't get stretch marks, maternity suits are $$$ so I am using what I have (bought this suit for $5 at Old Navy last fall... score).
28w6d

Did you watch my video review of the new Bumped by BLANQI maternity cami?

28w1d

To the moms

2013-05-20T08:17:00.001-05:00

We are going to pretend that today isn't Monday and go back to bed, k?

I saw this note posted on Facebook by a few friends/pages and absolutely loved it! As I prepare to meet my son and become a mother in a few weeks, I've learned that sometimes you just have to shut your mouth and smile when someone gives you unsolicited advice about pregnancy, labor, and parenting. I haven't run into too much crazy advice but we all know people can be very one sided when something worked (or didn't work) for them as a parent. The note below praises all forms of parenting and applauds moms for being so hardworking and great, despite how they choose to feed, diaper, sleep their child. With as much bullying that goes around the internet (and sadly it doesn't end in high school), I think it is important to embrace the differences we share. Success in motherhood is defined a million different ways. I am so lucky to have so many examples of wonderful mothers (who all do things a little bit differently) in my life!
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To the mom who's breastfeeding: Way to go! It really is an amazing gift to give your baby, for any amount of time that you can manage! You're a good mom.

To the mom who's formula feeding: Isn't science amazing? To think there was a time when a baby with a mother who couldn't produce enough would suffer, but now? Better living through chemistry! You're a good mom.

To the cloth diapering mom: Fluffy bums are the cutest, and so friendly on the bank account. You're a good mom.

To the disposable diapering mom: Damn those things hold a lot, and it's excellent to not worry about leakage and laundry! You're a good mom.

To the mom who stays home: I can imagine it isn't easy doing what you do, but to spend those precious years with your babies must be amazing. You're a good mom.

To the mom who works: It's wonderful that you're sticking to your career, you're a positive role model for your children in so many ways, it's fantastic. You're a good mom.

To the mom who had to feed her kids from the drive thru all week because you're too worn out to cook or go grocery shopping: You're feeding your kids, and hey, I bet they aren't complaining! Sometimes sanity can indeed be found in a red box with a big yellow M on it. You're a good mom.

To the mom who gave her kids a homecooked breakfast lunch and dinner for the past week: Excellent! Good nutrition is important, and they're learning to enjoy healthy foods at an early age, a boon for the rest of their lives. You're a good mom.

To the mom with the kids who are sitting quietly and using their manners in the fancy restaurant: Kudos, it takes a lot to maintain order with children in a place where they can't run around. You're a good mom.

To the mom with the toddler having a meltdown in the cereal aisle: they always seem to pick the most embarrassing places to lose their minds don't they? We've all been through it. You're a good mom.

To the moms who judge other moms for ANY of the above? Glass houses, friend. Glass houses.

Wholehearted Prayer

2013-05-17T08:18:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago in church, a sermon on wholehearted prayer rocked my world. Prayer is something that is important in my life and pretty darn important in my marriage yet when I pull apart the pieces of my prayer life, I see so much slack and brokenness. There are few things that are more essential to knowing God than prayer. Prayer is such a sweet blessing given to us by God through Jesus Christ on the cross and allows our interaction with him to be more than just facts but a 2 way relationship.
But we struggle with it.
With struggle with having passion, zeal, consistency with prayer. Our prayers seem supernatural, uncomfortable, and unattainable. There are many nights where I lay in bed waiting to drift off to sleep and remember a few things I wanted to pray about so I give God 30 seconds and I'm out of words. It's easy for us to think that is enough for Him but do we half ass our conversations with our spouses? Do we check the boxes in our heads of things we want to share when talking with our closest friends and family? How quick and efficiently can I get this over with? That is what prayer is like to most, if not all, of us believers.
Tyler, who spoke at The Stone, really opened my eyes when he said often ties we feel like we need (and deserve) a next step rather than bended knee. Jon and I were talking about this very thing last night. We want God to provide the good yet when there is pain in our lives, we demand immediate answers and satisfaction and blame Him for not providing that. Our will becomes more important than His. Tyler also spent a good chunk of time talking about the amazing miracles God performs through people who lack theology or the bible, but have wholehearted prayer. Wholehearted prayer moves God to do the impossible.
Through studying the gospel of Mark (specifically Mark 11:22-25), we uncovered 3 ways we must submit to wholehearted prayer.
1. Our prayers must be to God- there is no power in positive thinking or mantras unless you are praying to God. I know there are whole books and lifestyles about how positive thinking can change lives and I am not saying that is wrong, but God wants you to stop relying on yourself and cry out to Him for help. Unfortunately there are even famous pastors who preach positive thinking being the key to success in life. We are missing out on the power of God. Everyday I fall victim to thinking about my prayers than avidly participating in a conversation with God. Someone on Twitter asks for prayer and I respond I will pray for them, yet am I taking the time to beg for mercy on their lives and in their hearts? Is my heart in the prayer?

via
2. Our prayers are through Jesus- because of the cross of Christ, we have full access to God. So when we pray, it's as if Jesus is praying to the Father. What a precious gift that we don't deserve!
3. Our prayers must have faith- our prayers move God to act when we actually believe He can. The thing about our God is He is omniscient...sometimes that's easy for us to forget when we continue to sin and try to hide things from Him. God wants our hearts to be in it!
"You desire but do not have because you did not ask God" -James 4:2
The fact that sat with me the most, and continues to weigh on my heart is that halfhearted prayers do not honor God. I give me all to my job, my friendships, my marriage, yet I can't give it all to the one who gave me everlasting life and freedom? One of the most amazing thing about our God is that through His sovereignty, He allows our prayers to play an active role in His will. He will be done, but He isn't the puppeteer of your life. Prayers are the means to the end, which is His will. The hard thing to remember and accept is He does say no to prayers. Even Jesus, who lived 33 years without sin, heard no from God (Mark 14:35-36 Jesus knows of the horrific death he is about to die and asks if it is God's will, for it to pass him). And because God told Jesus no, you and I are made blameless before the throne. Now that is some powerful stuff. Think back to the times you've heard no from God and connect the dots to the doors He's opened. He is good, His providence is incredible, and He has the power to do the impossible.
This sermon was a lot for me to take in and just because I heard it doesn't mean my prayer life has ultimately changed and I do not struggle. This sermon opened my eyes to the areas that need improving, helping foster such a deeper relationship with The Lord in just 2 weeks. I find myself using the following phrase so much more, knowing that 2,000 years ago, Jesus said these very words. "Not what I will Lord, but what You will". I know I will never take the selfishness out of my life and my prayer but truly trusting that His will is greater, more powerful, more thought out, more precious, than mine, is a start.
Jesus is better than any answered prayer, amen?
Wholehearted Prayer Tyler David, The Austin Stone May 5th, 2013

Bumped by BLANQI + Target Giveaway

2013-05-16T08:29:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to share this product with you mamas and mamas to be! I was thrilled to be asked by the ladies behind BLANQI to review their new maternity support cami line for Target. I wish I would have had this cami since the beginning of my pregnancy because it makes me feel fantastic! The nylon fabric is meant to support the added weight your bump brings and help smooth lines.

I filmed a short video review to let you take a peek at the cami. You also have the chance to win your own maternity or postpartum cami AND a $25 Target giftcard below!

Bumped by BLANQI Review from Ruthie Hart on Vimeo.

Sorry for the over use of "um" and random babbling. Pregnancy brain much? I'm not gonna lie, I was out of breath after standing and talking for 5 minutes hehe!

A few of my favorite things about the maternity support cami:

1. The material! It is super breathable, reminds me of workout tops that help hold in sweat.

2. The "girls" are easily accessible for nursing when baby comes

3. It is made to fit a bump and clothes cling to the cami so I don't look like a giant house in maternity clothes

4. It is pretty long so no tummy shows and it covers your skin when shirts get a little too short

And remember there is a postpartum cami as well!

BUMPED by BLANQI Postpartum Nursing Cami- Black or Ivory $34.99

BUMPED by BLANQI Maternity Support Cami - Black or Ivory $34.99

Find BLANQI...

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1 Bumped by Blanqi Cami of your choice (postpartum or maternity)

AND

$25 Target Giftcard

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Adding Color to My Life & $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway!

2013-05-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Since becoming pregnant, I've been a little more conscious of what I put into my body and how I treat my body. Let's face it, pregnancy is tough and sometimes a nap on the couch with a bag of salty pretzels sounds way better than a workout and a protein shake. But I try! I knew pregnancy would alter my energy levels but I am committed to visiting the gym or keeping active a couple times a week, knowing it will be easier to bounce back after my baby arrives.
During the first few months of pregnancy I was able to wear my pre baby bump workout gear, but I've gotten to the point where my tank tops have become crop tops! I've never really been someone to wear cute or fancy workout gear and have been wearing the same workout clothes since college- wannabe Nike shorts bought at a campus tent sale and $3 Forever 21 tank tops (that are starting to show crusty sweat stains in the arm pits).
Folks, this was a couple of weeks ago! I think my whole belly button would show if I attempted this outfit again. If you look closely you may be able to see some paint stains, guess that's what happens when you wear 6 year old shorts all.the.time.!

I was so excited to get the opportunity to work with Crystal Light and their new line of Crystal Light Liquids. Easy to use liquid (instead of messy powders), delicious new flavors, and did I mention the fun colors?! I've always been a fan of Crystal Light because I can enjoy yummy drinks without the guilt of empty calories and sugar. Thinking a few months ahead and knowing how hot and miserable I will be 8 and 9 months pregnant in the blazing hot weather, I can count on Crystal Light Liquid to keep me hydrated and refreshed!

I am totally embracing the belly and now connecting with my daring and vibrant side by adding some fun color to my workout gear! The need/want for color was totally fueled by the new fun colors of Crystal Light Liquid. Major changes to my body and frame meant new clothes and I made a promise to myself to stay away from dark colors. Color just makes me happy!

I can't tell you how these brightly colored tops that actually fit me make me feel! I've been buying myself lots of maternity clothing lately but I am thinking that I deserve some new, fun pieces to add to my wardrobe after the baby is born. Everyone deserves a 'push gift' right?!
How do you add color to your life?
To enter into a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, just leave an answer below in the comments setion!
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/14 - 6/4.
Be sure to visit the Crystal Light page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

28 weeks

2013-05-14T07:55:00.002-05:00

Thoughts: 28 weeks down, 12 to go! Seems like just yesterday we were at our 12 week appointment, anxiously awaiting to announce that we were expecting. I am still pretty comfortable in pregnancy and despite the extra weight and slowing down, loving it so much. My belly button is out and proud, full on outie from here on out. I wonder if it will go back in postpartum?
Baby: we went to the doctor yesterday and our little champ is growing and looking great! They can't get an accurate measurement of how long he is but they estimate between 16-17in. Based on a few measurements, his estimated weight is 2lb 11oz and they estimate he will be a solid 8lb baby. His head measurement was 2 weeks ahead so we have a big ole brain on our hands. His femur measurement was ahead which means he may be tall! The nurses and doctors kept saying he was so cute and had big cheeks and lips.
Symptoms: womp womp... back on Zofran. I was sickness/med free for 12 days and got sick 3 times last week. I am mostly taking it on demand because it is so fast acting but thought I was in the clear. I started experiencing heart flutters last week and discovered that heart palpitations are common in pregnancy, especially the 3rd trimester. The severity ranges throughout the day but it is the weirdest feeling. It feels like I've just run a 5k and can't catch my breath yet I am laying perfectly still on the couch taking deep breaths. I still get a few bloody noses a week too. I swear, if it is a bad symptom of pregnancy, I have it!! As much as the symptoms suck, they are totally worth it.
Weight: 20lbs total
Movement: lots of kicks, punches, booty bumps, and flips. I can tell when he is flipping around because his butt sticks out by my belly button and my tummy is lopsided. I think I have felt a few Braxton Hicks contractions but not 100% sure yet. They feel like quick tightenings and aren't painful but definitely out of the normal.
Cravings/aversions/eating: fruit, sweets, plain buttered pasta. I thanked Jon on Mother's Day for allowing me to eat plain pasta without protein for dinner (he is usually the protein police!). Drinking TONS of water too. I've eaten a few salads but they have to be covered in toppings (I know this defeats the healthy purpose)
Thank you Chuy's!

Workouts: last week I went to the gym twice but took a few days off trying to control my heart palpitations. I've heard that doing light workouts can actually help them but I've enjoyed relaxing and being off my feet. I am gonna try to get a few weights workouts in later this week.
Sleep: believe it or not, there have been multiple nights in the past week where I have slept 8 hours straight without getting up to go to the bathroom. This is great news considering I went through periods of time where I would go every hour. I am pretty content and comfortable on my left side and have to have a pillow between my knees at night.
Clothes: Sunday night we were looking at my belly and it's crazy to see that I have grown so much below my belly button, so there is really no way I can wear non maternity pants. I wish I would have measured the circumference of my waist pre pregnancy but we did this weekend (with a belt, not a measuring tape so I don't know how many inches) and I am officially rounder than my husband haha. And I don't feel bad about it at all!
Doctors appointments: like I said above, we went to the doctor yesterday and unfortunately I failed a portion of my glucose test. I fasted in the morning and passed the fasting test (which is the one you want to pass) and then they pump you full of sugar, wait an hour, and test your blood sugar again which I barely failed. Much to my surprise, this test has NOTHING to do with my diet and shows that my placenta is hyper active. The good news is I don't have gestational diabetes and don't have to do the 3 hour glucose test but the bad news is they want me to cut out refined sugar and sweets (womp womp). I've talked to lots of women who had the same thing happen to them so it's not a big deal, it was just hard looking at the jar of Nutella and Reese's PB cups in our pantry last night. They will test again in 3 weeks so hopefully I pass! Everything else looked good. My weight gain is a little lower than average but on target for my height and my placenta/cervix/fluids look great... they don't see any reasons why I'd go early.
Random: we schedule the rest of my appointments from now until delivery which was so surreal! We will go at 31, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 weeks and most likely get ultrasounds at all of them :). We are so excited!
Baby Hart was super active during our ultrasound. It's crazy to think we used to be able to see his whole body in the sono but now he's so big we can only get portions at a time. He had his hands up by his face and was playing with his umbilical cord... SO CUTE! We even got to see him move his little eyes around. The picture isn't the best but how cute are his little cheeks, it looks like he's storing up acorns for the winter.

27w3d and loving maternity shorts

Baby Hart is ready for metal shows with his daddy (major joking)!

Little moments

2013-05-13T08:11:00.001-05:00

I had been hinting to Jon for a few weeks of gift ideas for Mother's Day and never did I think I'd get treated so special on my first Mother's-To-Be-Day. My late sleeper was up before 7am making breakfast, picking out flowers, and letting this tired mama sleep.
I don't think I have eaten a donut in about 10 years yet have been thinking about them non stop during this pregnancy. Jon is hypogylcemic and is really good about sugar so he just laughs when I ask for them. Well he brought home these on Sunday morning and I can honestly say I can go another 10 years without another one. They were good but I'd much rather indulge in other things :).

In the past, Jon would wish me happy Mother's Day from Ernie or tell me what a great mother I would be someday but yesterday was different. Feeling my son kick all day was just one little reminder of the wonderful privilege blessing, and job I will soon have as his mother. Yesterday I thought a lot about little moments. Jon talking to my tummy saying, "Little man, wake up!", having the song "no woman no cry" stuck in our heads for about an hour so making up our own rendition, and getting Ernie all fired up with belly rubs and kisses. This life, which is nothing extraordinary, is more than I could have ever dreamed of. Going to sleep at 8pm on a Saturday night is not desirable to most mid twenties but it is the perfect night for me. I remember meeting Jon when I was 20, he was 26 and thinking okay I need to be really fun for him. Yes we've had crazy nights, late nights, and nights we will never forget...but nothing tops the nights we choose now.
Last night we played an intense game of marbles (I told you how game obsessed we are...we play at least once a day haha) and pulled up live Louis Armstrong performances on the iPad to pretend like we were at a concert. I thought to myself, this is exactly where my life is supposed to be right now. I am to the point in my pregnancy where I am not uncomfortable (yet) but I am so anxious to meet this baby boy. I think of my sweet niece or see moms at church with newborns swaddled in their arms and my heart yearns for that right now. But it's the little moments that makes the wait worth while.
I really do think life will become so much sweeter when our baby is born but I know it will be a lot different. Last night there was a point where we were in bed and had tears coming down our cheeks and barely could catch our breath laughing about something I can't even remember. And I remember thinking... can we do this when we are parents? Will we still have our dumb inside jokes and laugh like kids together? I pray the answer is yes... that we will continue that bond with each other and our children.

Scenes from Mother's Day
We spent the beautiful morning at church with my parents and then an outdoor brunch at Blackfinn. So many cute kiddos running around the Domain (outdoor shopping center) and all dressed alike.

Mom and 3 of her 6 kids

And 2 of my 3 boys!

Thank you all for your sweet comments on IG about my belly... hard to believe he has 12 more weeks of growing to do, I think we have a big boy on our hands!

Jon surprised me with a weekend away just to San Antonio before the baby comes. Our trip to Mexico in a few weeks is acting as our baby moon but this will be a great way for us to purely relax and not too far from home. He even made me a powerpoint of the hotel amenities, activities we will do, restaurants, etc (if you remember one of our trips last year, he is good at power points!).

Changing your skin's destiny

2013-05-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am having the most difficult time writing this post. I keep going to Ruthie's blog so I can make sure my guest post jives with the feel of her blog and continually get sucked into reading more and more. What a great lady! These things jump out to me that we have in common: We both love Jesus. She likes to make delicious looking food, and I like to eat delicious looking food. We both like to spend time at the lake. We could be friends. And I'm so excited for her and Jon about their soon-to-arrive baby. How exciting!

Let me introduce myself: Aloha. My name is Bonnie Cribbs, and I blog over at Beach Money CEO, tweet at @boatingBonnieC and I am addicted to the sun. OK, so "addicted" may be a very strong word, but I sure do love all things summer & sunny. I spend much of my summer at the lake having fun on my boat and I absolutely love the ocean and sitting by the pool....and I drive a convertible. I'm overweight and balding, so having a good tan has been rather important to me - at least I can have a good tan going for me, right? And for a living, I sell skin care products. It almost sounds like a conflict of interest, doesn't it? Let's go back several years to put what I do into some perspective. "Bonnie, you are 23, you are way too young to have skin cancer. This concerns me." As if those words were not scary enough to hear, at last five additional times I heard the doctor say "He's way too young for this..." sounding incredibly concerned each time he muttered it. That was 22 years ago. As summer is approaching, I want to talk about taking care of our skin this summer. It will be a Hodge-podge of how-to-protect-your-skin tips. Katie Rodan, one of the infamous doctors who created Proactive Solutions and most recently founded Rodan + Fields Dermatologist said "Genetics are only responsible for 20 percent of how your skin will age. 80 percent is in your control and that’s great news. It is never too late to change your skin’s destiny." The sun is the culprit for most of that 80%. So that's great, we know what to protect ourselves from. Now we just have to know how....and actually do it.

10 Minute Rule

In the time it takes you to have your morning cup of coffee, or wait in line at the Starbucks Drive Thru, the sun is working it's magic on your skin. Before leaving the house, always use sunscreen. Sunscreen is not just for a day at the pool or for a few hours at the park. If you are going to be out in the sun any at all, wear sunscreen. In my car I keep a bottle of sunscreen and a hat. I love having the top down, but I always want to protect myself from the harmful and dangerous rays.

Reapply Every Two Hours

"I'm not burnt, I don't need more sunscreen." That is really bad logic. There is a deeper purpose than simply preventing being burnt, your skin needs to stay protected from the sun. In addition to applying sunscreen before leaving the house in the morning, reapply every two hours...and yes, especially when you'll be out in the sun. But don't be fooled, UVA damage can also occur in the house.

A little Dab A Do Ya

That's such a misconception. When applying sunscreen, most people do not apply enough, so make sure you follow the bottles direction and apply liberally.

How Old??

That's not just the question people will be asking you when you tell them you are only 30 when your skin looks 40 (or visa-versa if sunscreen is used), but it's also the question you need to ask about the bottle of sunscreen you are applying. Sunscreen loses its effectiveness over time, so always be sure to you check the expire date before you buy or before you apply.

It's So Cloudy Today!

As I mentioned earlier, I have a boat and spend much of the summer out on the lake. Those cloudy days when the suns rays are not directly beaming down on us are always the days people get sunburned the most. And then they wonder why. Don't be fooled by the cloudy day, the sun is still getting to you. If you see light outside, the sun can do damage to your skin.

Avoid Tanning Beds

I was in college in the late 80's. This was before the time that everyone knew that tanning beds were bad for you time limits were on the beds. In the Spring I went to the tanning bed a few times a week and stayed in for 45 minutes each. Yes, I had an incredible tan and remember well that my time in the tanning bed was definitely some of the best naps I had in college (while listening to the cassette tape of Dirty Dancing), but, well, did I mention skin cancer at age 23? Avoid tanning beds. They're not worth it.

Is There A Pill For that?

I have two points to make here. Yes, there is a pill to take to get your Vitamin D. So don't use "I need my Vitamin D" as an excuse. The other point is this: If you are on medication, be sure to know how it affects your skin's sensitivity to the sun. There are a lot of medications out there which increases your skin's sensitivity toward the sun so don't be caught by surprise and burn at even a faster rate.

I See Spots

If you have new bumps, hard spots, new growths or changes to existing moles, freckles, birthmarks...be sure to ask your doctor about them. It's always best to catch it early. Catching them early is a very good thing - it allows you to have the spots removed before they spread. Again, check with your doctor.

The Speedo Rule

If you are a guy and have a desire to wear a Speedo, resist that urge. Just don't do it. OK, so this has nothing to do with sun protection and should just be considered a public service announcement. At Rodan + Fields, all of our skin care regimens have sun protection at their core, including sunscreen in our cremes. We also have sunscreen, lip shield, etc. We have you covered from head to toe.

You can visit my shop to find out which products are right for you. As I mentioned earlier, I blog at Beach Money CEO. Most of my post are related to helping your business succeed, business tips, motivational pieces, some skin care tips and the occasional post about something personal. Please feel free to stop by and visit me there!

Moms

2013-05-10T08:51:00.002-05:00

I hope this isn't your first reminder that Mother's Day is this weekend :-) (cough cough listen up Jon). My first one as a mama to be and I have even got a few cards in the mail this week! This one from my sweet niece and God daughter is off the cuteness charts...

Lately my mind has been so focused and curious on what my son will be like and just getting incredibly excited to meet him. In the very instant he is born, my identity will be forever changed. I presume life will be a little sweeter, a lot messier, and filled with so much more love.
To all you moms, mamas to be, fur mommies, mommies in waiting, moms in the future... I hope you get showered with love this weekend and feel extra special for the incredible job you do as a mother! And in the mean time, a few funny links for ya...
Pregnant Husband Tumblr: What to Expect When Your Wife Is Pregnant (seriously I was dry heaving from laughing so hard)

25 Texts That Will Make You Appreciate Your Mom

The 13 Creepiest Things a Child has Ever Said to a Parent

My mom and her girls... she will be the best Mimi to baby Hart!

(This was Thanksgiving 2012 and 2 days later, I found out I was pregnant!!! I love thinking about that)
Happy Friday, Happy Weekend, Happy Mother's Day!

Cloth Diapering

2013-05-09T08:12:00.000-05:00

Before we even started trying for a baby, I knew I wanted to try cloth diapering and Jon was on board with it. It's not as important of a decision as core parenting values and types of discipline but I wasn't about to move forward on my research without the full support of my husband, who will definitely be involved in diaper duty. He is just as psyched as I am. Now before I get more in depth, I fully respect each person's choice on how to diaper their kiddos. Honestly I couldn't care less what other people do but some people are so opinionated so if you think it's nasty and want to leave a comment about how gross we are, just skip this post :-).
I can honestly say that John and Sherry over at YoungHouseLove got me really excited to cloth diaper with these two posts (1 and 2). My husband and I can afford disposable diapers (and we still plan on using them from time to time) but the cost savings is nuts with CDs! I feel like what is drawing me to it the most is the challenge. And really, it doesn't seem like a challenge to me. I have changed tons of diapers in my lifetime as a nanny, babysitter, big sister, and aunt but I have never had a baby of my own that requires multiple changes a day. It is our first baby and we won't know any different.
What We Bought After lots of research (and basically just doing what YHL did), we bought 24 BumGenius 4.0 One Size Snap Pocket diapers from Diapers.com. Yes the initial investment may be frightening but we plan on using them for our flock of children to come. We chose all gender neutral colors too. These diapers are adjustable to fit babies weighing 7lb-35+lbs so you can use them up through potty training. Each diaper comes with 2 inserts, a smaller newborn one and a larger, thicker one for when baby starts eating more. The nice thing is babies tend to leak/blowout WAY less in cloth diapers because you can add more liners. The liners are similar to burp cloths.

Though you can manage without one, we also bought a BumGenius diaper sprayer for when baby starts solid foods and #2 gets messier.

For when we are out and about, we bought this Itzy Ritzy wet bag. It is cute, really big, and well insulated so nothing will stink.

In lieu of a diaper genie, I bought this 4 gallon tin trashcan from Ikea (ours is yellow) and 2 Kissaluvs antibacterial pail liners so we can throw diapers in there when we are upstairs. It is basically the same thing you'd do with disposable diapers and the smell is locked in the pail. I will probably bring dirties down every other day or when I wash the diapers.

How does it work?
Jon and I are new to diapering all together so we will be learning as we go. We plan on using disposable diapers for the first few weeks of baby's life just to make it easier when he pees through 4 diapers in one changing haha. We also won't be asking anyone else to cloth diaper our baby meaning that when we have baby sitters, drop him with family, or even on vacation, we will use disposable. Sometimes it's just easier to throw them away.
The process doesn't seem hard at all. God willing, we plan on exclusively breast feeding which will be good for cloth diapering because we won't have to dump out the contents of soiled diapers. Breast fed babies stools are liquid enough that they don't need to be sprayed either. This will change when we introduce solids though. So wet or dirty diaper, we simply take it off his booty, crumple it up like you'd do a disposable and toss it into the diaper pail. I've heard of people getting away with owning 12 cloth diapers and washing more often but we decided to buy 24 so we didn't have to wash every day. We should be able to get away with washing every 3 days when baby is on a good eating/sleeping/bathroom schedule.
When the pail is full (or I feel like washing), I will wash with natural detergent (which we already use) on cold, using an extra rinse cycle at the beginning. We have a high efficiency washer and dryer that can sense the size of the load and control how much water is used based on size. We have a drying rack and I hear it is best to dry the diapers outside in the sun to avoid stains so even though some may argue the added laundry expense, this will cut costs. When diapers are dry, we re stuff with the liner and they are ready to go!
Something I've learned about cloth diapering that is really important is you can't use all types if diaper rash cream with them. The good news is cloth diapered babies get less rashes but you do have to buy different creams. I found out coconut oil works great for rashes and is completely safe with cloth diapers. The creams that work with CDs are all organic and natural so probably better than most.
I was excited to see how many people responded positively to the picture of our cute little diapers on Instagram and I'm excited to join the CD community! Please leave me any tips or recommendations you've learned along the way.

May Group Giveaway!

2013-05-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

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27 weeks

2013-05-07T08:17:00.003-05:00

(taken yesterday, 5/6/13)
Thoughts: I am officially in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy! What seems like the impossible also seems like it's been a long time coming.Things are getting more real, or "surreal" really. We spent lots of the weekend watching my belly move and talking about what our son will be like. Kicks used to just be a fun little jolt but now I think about my baby boy in there, picturing his face, his little lips and head of hair.
Baby: he is 16 inches long and more than 2lbs! Yesterday the app said cucumber and today it says head of cauliflower... weird. We go in next week for an ultrasound so hopefully they can give us an estimated weight. He can dream now which is cool and his hearing is fully developed.
Symptoms: Zofran free for 11 days! Haven't really felt nausea in the past week but the bloody nose has come back. I've also had a really drippy nose (no other allergy symptoms) which is a pregnancy thing. I've noticed how easily I get winded the past week. Wow! I feel like a Biggest Loser contestant on week 1 and I am sure it will only get harder haha. La linea negra has started to show thanks to me being so pale. It is not too dark but it's funny because my belly button is off centered and the line is right down the center of my tummy so they don't exactly line up.
Movement: all the time! Like the books say, I can now recognize his sleep patterns and know when he is awake (because he kicks me non stop). I got one kick on camera but he is shy when I try to record! We also shined the iPhone flashlight by his head (books say he is sensitive to light) and he kicked me hard. Stubborn boy.

Cravings/aversions/eating: pretty much eating anything and everything... lots of fruit and chocolate, and drinking TONS of water.
Workouts: slowly getting back into them. Light weights and walking are my favorites and I hope I can do some swimming soon.
Sleep: good! Sunday night I didn't wake up to go to the bathroom at all... score! I've found myself sleeping on my leftside pretty much the whole night, which is recommended.
Clothes: this blog is all about being real so today you get to see the bump in a swimsuit! I sat by the pool with girlfriends over the weekend and surprisingly the suit fit good, despite being a little more busty than I like. I had Jon snap this pic when I got home because I felt like baby was hanging SO LOW. The water was way too cold to swim but I am hoping it warms up in a few weeks. 26w5d

And no I don't have a cartoon elephant tattoo...it is hiding a tattoo though ;-)
Random: we started hanging stuff on the walls of the nursery, washed diapers, and bought the supplies to make rain gutter book shelves we've seen on Pinterest. My hope is to have most of the baby room set up in the next month since my baby shower is in June! Sneak peek into his room...
26w4d

Doctor appointments: next Monday I go in for my glucose testing and we get to see our little guy via sonogram. My appointment is at 12:15p and I was told I can eat breakfast as long as I fast for 4 hours. I am not trying to cheat the system but any recommendations on what to eat the day of? I normally have cereal but want to do something with less sugar.
Find other pregnancy related posts and weekly updates here!

Linking up with Kristin for Baby Talk Tuesdays!

Saving Money at the Pump & $100 Shell Gift Card Giveaway!

2013-05-06T07:46:00.002-05:00

I think we can all agree that any time our dreaded fuel light appears on the dash, we cringe knowing how much it will cost to fill up our tanks. I remember filling up for the first time on my own in 2004 and paying less than $2 a gallon! Now we are lucky to have a steady price of $3.50-$4.00 a gallon. Like food and shelter, gas is a product I consume that is non-negotiable, meaning regardless of how much I make, where I am, what season, etc... I have to purchase it. With the increase in gas prices, I can't say that I drive less because living in the suburbs means having to drive a little farther to work, restaurants, events, and even some friends of ours. But this doesn't mean I don't try to save money where I can when I visit the pump!
Sad but true, huh?

source
The Fuel Rewards Network™ program offers multiple ways to earn rewards through everyday purchases of things like food, clothing and household goods, which can be redeemed for fuel savings at participating Shell stations. So you can save money on gas while buying things other than gas! There are over 700 online merchants, as well as over 10,000 restaurants and grocery stores, that have teamed up with Shell to save you money. Imagine spending the $50 you normally spend on dinner for date night and receiving $.05 off per gallon next time at the pump. Worth it, right?
Full tank=Happy Ruthie

And signing up is free and easy! You can pick up a Fuel Rewards Network Card at participating Shell locations or sign up online at www.fuelrewards.com. It's not surprising that there is an app for both the iPhone and Android that makes it even easier for you to rack up points and savings! Since its launch in 2012, the Fuel Rewards Network has helped consumers save approximately $68 million at Shell gas stations with an average of $.31 off per gallon (according to fuelrewards.com on 5/6/13)!
I've always been a fan of the high quality fuel and cleanliness of Shell, so you don't have to ask me twice. There happens to be a Shell gas station inside our master planned community so it couldn't get any easier for me to fill up on my way home from work. It has always been my gas station of choice and I am excited to start saving money! Be sure to visit the Fuel Rewards Network program website or Facebook page for more information.
Ways to save (note these vary by market)

Shop Online: Access nearly 700 brand name online merchants offering at least 5¢/gal for every $50 you spend. Some may offer 2x, 5x, 10x rewards or more to multiply your savings!
Dine Out: Link a payment card to the Dining program and earn 10¢/gal for every $50 you spend at 10,000+ participating restaurants nationwide.
Buy Groceries: Depending on your location, you can link your local participating grocery store’s rewards card to your FRN Account and earn rewards on your grocery store purchases.
Get eCoupons: Select eCoupons at fuelrewards.com and earn Fuel Rewards^® savings when the eCoupons items are subsequently purchased at participating grocery and drug stores.
Shop at Shell: Depending on your location, you can purchase specially marked products inside the convenience store as well as car washes or auto services at participating Shell stations to earn Fuel Rewards savings through the Shell^® Fuel Rewards^® program.

How would you benefit from the Fuel Rewards Network program?

Enter to win a $100 Shell Gift Card.

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
Tweet (public message) about this promotion, including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry" and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/6/2013-6/2/2013.

Be sure to visit the Fuel Rewards Network program page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Miss O Sews Giveaway!

2013-05-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, Ladies! First let me say how appreciative I am to Ruthie for the opportunity to be a part of a give away on her blog!

My name is Leah Winkelmann; I am the owner and seamstress behind Miss O Sews, a newly minted company that makes fully customizable bags and quilted creations. I am an Army wife, currently residing in Austin while my husband, Jason, is being sent to graduate school at UT by the Army.

My business got started last October when I requested a personalized tote bag made from an Army uniform (an ACU) as my wedding gift from my soon-to-be husband. When it arrived in the mail, I was extremely underwhelmed. As I looked at it, I started thinking, "I can do this...way better (and cheaper)!" How cool would it be to make a bag out of one of Jason's ACUs that he had worn in Afghanistan and Iraq? I drew up a pattern, and with Jason's permission, started cutting up one of his old uniforms; I was pleasantly surprised to see it take form as a real, viable bag!

The notion to start making them for profit came as I was taking my bag to and from the gym where I was a fitness instructor (my real job). Women were complimenting the bag, and started requesting that I make them one from their husbands' retired ACUs. When we moved away from that Army post, I knew I was going to have to branch out into non-military (civilian) fabrics. With that, Miss OSews was born.

One of my favorite parts of making customized bags is making something personal and unique to the customer. I like to text pictures of fabrics to the buyer as I go through the fabric store. As I send images, I can get immediate feedback, moving towards fabrics that are exactly what the purchaser has been envisioning. People really seem to enjoy the sense of involvement and having a say in exactly what the bag looks like. It’s so much more exciting that going to a store and buying a pre-made bag.

Mommy Cross Body Bag

Large Mod Print Tote Bag

Large Tribal Print Tote Bag

Pleated Cross Body Bag

My absolute favorite part of making bags, however, is when I get to and over the finished product. I love to see how excited people get to have a unique bag that was made just for them!

Products made by Miss O Sews can be purchased on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/missosews, and my Facebook page is www.facebook.com/miss.o.sews. Please remember that the size, fabric, or detail can be modified on any bag. Simply send me an Etsy conversation message or email me at miss.o.sews@gmail.com, and we can create your perfect bag!

Giveaway

Today I am offering one $15 credit towards any bag in my Etsy shop. Goodluck!

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Friday Randoms

2013-05-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

Having Jon home this week has been such a treat. Even though I am feeling 100% fine (promise!), he has taken wonderful care of me. There's been lots of relaxation in our house but also lots of friend time which has been great. Nothing like planning a seated dinner for 26 in your home. That's gospel community folks! It's getting harder and harder for me to go to the office for a full 9 hours during the day so working from home has been a saving grace. I am so glad we got big, padded, cloth chairs for our dining room because I can set up shop and still be comfortable. There's nothing like working in your pj's all day either.

No evening is complete with games so before bed we played few rounds of Family Feud... don't judge. I was setting my alarm and the world clock was pulled up and a new game was born. I'd say a state/country listed and Jon would guess the time. Haha it sounds lame but it was actually fun (and funny). Makes for good bedside conversation too!

On weekdays I wake up about an hour before Jon to head to work and Ernie will get up with me to have breakfast, go out, then get back in bed. This morning he did not want to get up and I looked over and he was looking incredibly normal...

This week's Hart family chronicles..

Christian Girl Swag for $5 at XXI. I have been wearing the white ones non stop

Bridal shower for my sweet friend! And belly button alert

Miss Embry is 7 months old and saying hello to all her fans

We've had this little baby bunny living in our bushes for about 2-3 weeks. Jon won't let me feed him but we've named him Bernie and Ernie likes to chase him

Ernie had a sleepover at his Mimi and Papa's last weekend and came home with this piggy bank for his little brother. Hilarious! The resemblance is striking. And as weird as this sounds, one of my favorite parts of Ernie is his little chicken leg hind quarters

This weekend will hopefully include lots of naps, Netflix watching, and hanging stuff on the nursery walls. I've been lucky enough not to get any stretch marks yet but let's just say I am busting out of all of my swim suits... tomorrow at the pool should be interesting!

Oh and Sunday is the 5th...meaning exactly 3 months until our due date. WHAT?! How am I 7 months pregnant people?

3 envelope pot roast sliders

2013-05-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

I am a huge fan of roast in the crockpot but often times it's hard to get a great flavor. We ate leftovers of this delicious meal for days because it was THAT good! I don't think I will ever use another roast recipe. And the meat doesn't have to be used for only sliders, you can throw in carrots and potatoes to make a traditional roast meal.
Ingredients 1 3-4lb beef roast 2 cups water 1.5 cups salsa 1 envelope onion soup mix 1 envelope Italian dressing mix 1 envelope Au Jus Mix Slider fixings- Kings Hawaiian rolls, deli cheese (Jon liked blue cheese and I chose Muenster)
1. Whisk together the water, salsa, and envelopes in a small bowl 2. Place roast in the crockpot and pour the water/salsa over top 3. Cook for 4-6 hours depending on your crockpot and stir/shred throughout the cooktime 4. Serve up as sliders and enjoy!

26 weeks

2013-05-01T08:54:00.002-05:00

I have to start off by giving my sincere thanks for yesterday's comments. Jon and I are so humbled when we see how many people are praying for our family and our son. It is times like this when I am so grateful for this blog and the support the blog world gives. I got a lot of sweet comments I can't reply to because no email addresses were attached to the comment or profile, but wanted to let you know I read every single one! If you want to add your email address to your profile, check out this post.

(He always sits on my right side so the front shot looks lopsided!)
Thoughts: Yesterday I shared the scare we had this past weekend with baby. We are so grateful to be home, healthy, and feeling good! It was (and is) very surreal knowing I could really deliver baby at any time and babies born at 26 weeks are completely viable. Please pray that baby Hart stays in for 14 more weeks (or 12-13 if you are optimistic!).
Baby: he is already about 14 inches long! Seems crazy because full term babies are 19-21 inches so he is just really long and skinny right now. He can recognize mine and Jon's voices so I have been talking to him lately (which can get awkward because you are just talking to yourself haha).
Symptoms: I am nervous even typing this but as of today, I am 5 days Zofran and vomit free!! I spent last week testing my body and taking my meds when needed and I am feeling good. The first few days I battled some nausea but never to the point where I needed to pop a pill. After 4 months of relying on medication, it feels awesome to be feeling 'normal'. I hear that sickness starts up at the end of the 3rd trimester so we'll see how long this lasts. TMI but I am using meds to prevent a yeast infection from forming since they found some yeast in my urine on Saturday. Gotta remember the good, the bad, and ugly right? I also think I had my first Braxton Hicks contractions last night... can anyone explain to me what they felt like for you?
Movement: yes! Since Saturday I feel like he moves non stop. Jon read that because he is getting so much bigger, I should be able to feel him 6-10 times an hour except when he is sleeping. It's crazy because I can really feel him all the time, even if he is not kicking. Sometimes I look down and see his booty sticking out of my tummy. Jon feels him all the time and other people have gotten to feel/see him move too. It is so cool!
Cravings/aversions/eating: I've noticed that depending on the day, I will either crave sweet foods or savory foods. For example, Saturday I ate sausage, a burger, bacon dip... healthy huh? And then Sunday I ate 3 bowls of cereal, a pb&j, banana bread, and lots of fruit.
Workouts: not this week. Even though I feel 100% fine, I am letting my body rest. The backs of my eyelids have been getting a good workout!
Sleep: lots of it! Since we didn't get to bed until almost 4a on Saturday, I slept probably 20 hours out of the 24 the next day. Sleep is becoming one of my top priorities lately. And I've noticed myself getting hotter at night, normally I am an ice cube.
Clothes: I put on some non maternity pants on Saturday morning for a bridal shower and decided to wear them with a rubberband and a long shirt to cover... bad idea. I was so uncomfortable and Jon had to help me get them off afterward. The crazy cold weather has finally left us and I think I can start living in dresses. I am excited to wear some maternity shorts I have too.
Random: since our scare last weekend, I have been wanting to get more and more done to prep for baby. The nursery is pretty much complete, we just need to start putting stuff on the walls. My baby shower is in a month (so crazy!) and I am excited to get more of our baby gear. I have been thinking about starting a list of things to bring to the hospital, one of them including a cute birthing gown! I know lots of ladies who buy them and I was up in the air but after wearing the itchy, ugly tent they gave me on Saturday, I am sold. I am doing some research now and some women have told me just to get cute nightgowns from Kohls or Target!
Question: When did you mamas pack your bags?
Jon's aunt sent us a huge box of pictures and I was excited to find some newborn ones of Jon. I have a few of him as baby and toddler but none from the first few weeks. We also found out he was 7lb 8oz at birth (no one could remember). I was 8lb 1oz so hopefully baby Hart is somewhere in that ballpark. This picture just makes my heart swell. Jon is holding onto his dad's finger so tight. I think our baby will definitely have a head of dark hair! And big ol lips. Jon was 4 days old.

Find other pregnancy related posts and weekly updates here!

A baby scare

2013-04-30T07:48:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Baby Hart gave us quite a scare. I felt like I needed to share because the experience was very humbling for us and as weird as it sounds, I am proud of the way we reacted. I was 25w5d on Saturday and like I've said in previous prego updates, loving this portion of my pregnancy! I spent the morning at a bridal shower and we had a bbq/game night with friends. The night was extra special because our friends who had never felt a baby move, got to feel little man kicking away in my belly. I even commented that he was super active that day. Anyway, we got home about midnight and since we'd been gone most of the day, decided to throw the ball for Ernie to tire him out in our family room. I changed into jammies (I don't know if you can even call your husbands boxers jammies) and sat on the couch while Jon laid on the floor. All of the sudden I felt a gush of liquid and was about to get up to go to the bathroom and felt another. I asked Jon to go get me a paper towel and headed to the bathroom thinking nothing of it. Once I got into the bathroom, I realized I had a huge wet spot on the back of my boxers and I was seeping. I took a deep breathe and instantly started crying and told Jon to come in here. It wasn't like what you see in the movies when women's waters break but it was NOT normal. Jon did some googling (thank God for google!) and we immediately ruled out urine. I texted my mom to see if she was up since it was now about 12:30p and luckily she was. I had Jon talk to her because at this point I was just standing up in the bathroom crying, waiting to see if anything else would happen. We called the on call doctor who said to come in right away to test to see if it was indeed amniotic fluid or if my membranes were thinning.
Those 5 minutes we were at our house changing, getting our things together to go to the hospital were so surreal. I remember thinking I don't have a bag packed, I don't even have a carseat or diapers. The baby room wasn't done, I haven't had a baby shower, and we have a fun vacation coming up. Yes I thought about material things but my mind and heart were just in shock. We hopped in the car and drove in pitch black to the hospital we haven't even toured. At one point, I lost it and couldn't get my crying under control and I knew Jon was holding it together for me. It's amazing what a hand squeeze from your husband can do to calm you down. And I prayed. Between sobs I told Jon that I wasn't pleading with God, that I knew His will be done and He would continue to protect me and this baby like He has done throughout this entire pregnancy. And I felt calm. In so many situations, Christians and non Christians lean on God in a time of need and beg and plead for deliverance, redemption, success, etc. The last thing I wanted to do was deliver my baby 14 weeks early or experience complications but at that moment, I was okay with whatever the Lord had planned for us. From the beginning of my pregnancy, I have known and accepted that parenthood and the act of being pregnant is a gift, not a right, and that through imperfections, God is glorified and I was going to do everything I could to use this pregnancy to glorify Him.
My dad met us at the hospital to pick up Ernie and you know how it is with your parents... you have it together and then see them and boom! You lose it. The nice thing about going to the ER in the middle of the night is that there is parking and not too many people in line. We really had no idea where to go since we hadn't taken a tour but I was immediately rushed to the women's wing (they said that women with bellies always take precedence which is nice) and we were immediately checked in and placed in a room. As worked up as I had been the past hour, I was so calm when we were there. We passed the nursery and saw brand new life being bathed and swaddled. We saw a proud dad with his 1 hour old baby and a camera being taken to the nursery and when he passed us he said "Goodluck!" with the biggest smile on his face. In that moment I prayed for joy for him and his family and prayed that I wouldn't be seeing my baby wheeled away tonight.
Right away they hooked me up to a fetal monitor, contraction tracker, and blood pressure monitor, and took a urine sample. The night nurses were fantastic and I really hope I get some of them when baby actually comes! They asked me a list of questions which initially scared me but they assured me it was just protocol. Do you want him circumcised Are you banking his cord blood? Do you have a carseat?
Baby did NOT like the fetal monitors... he was kicking so hard right where it was strapped to my belly and the machine was really loud... we were getting a 'kick' out of it

The sweet doctor on call whom I had never met was also a huge part in calming me down. I think you are born with a gift if you are in medicine. They had to run some tests to check my cervix and if any amniotic fluid was released and I can say it was the most painful thing I have experienced thus far in my years visiting any kind of doctor. I squeezed Jon's hands HARD and he said he couldn't bare to see me in pain, but it was over quickly. She immediately told me my cervix was closed which was wonderful! When you are in labor your cervix will dilate to 10cm and mine was completely shut. And the aminotic fluid test took 10 minutes but was sitting right on the counter next to us. 5 minutes passed and the nurse told us she was optimistic because the results so far showed negative and that earlier in the night she was sure my water had broken. In those 5 remaining minutes, I think I asked more questions than I've ever asked my doctor. Turns out that even if my water had broken, I wouldn't have had to deliver my son that night. They would have kept me in the hospital until he was born but on antibiotics to fight infections. She said there was a whole separate wing of women in that situation and that it was fun over there and they had parties all the time (sounds fun but I would rather spend the next 3 months at home!). Praise God that the waters test came back negative! TMI but they did find some yeast in my urine (not an infection and we are treating it). Could have been the cause of the leak but we won't really ever know why or what it was. The thing about pregnancy is that anything can happen and sometimes what seems out of the ordinary, is just ordinary.
The crazy thing is how GOOD I have been feeling! No bleeding/spotting the entire pregnancy, I wasn't in pain, no contractions. We had just had such a fun night too. They discharged us about 3:15am and squinty eyed and exhausted, headed home. Sunday I slept more than I was awake and the only thing I've experienced is extreme thirst which is normal in pregnancy. Yesterday I had a normal day at work and even went to the grocery store alone for a few things. I am so grateful Jon was able to cancel a business trip to stay home with us this week, even though I am 100% confident I would have been fine, I am more emotional than anything and love having him home.
I know that was a long winded story but I wanted to share this experience because I am learning to embrace the unknown of pregnancy. In the past few weeks we've had friends lose full term pregnancies, friends give birth months early, friends continue not to be able to conceive, and friends welcoming beautiful babies into this world. So yes, it was a scary, sad, and surreal weekend for us but I just find myself thanking God that His will was for baby Hart to continue to grow inside of me. The closer I get to delivery, the more I think about my body being the safest place for this little boy to be. There are times where my heart just aches with excitement for the moment I hold my son, but I am not ready yet. There was a moment on the way home where tears were shed as we talked about the next time we head to the hospital in a rush, it would be a happier time and that we'd would hopefully be meeting our son very soon.
God is good, even through pain and struggles. I know He has a plan for this pregnancy and this birth and I look forward to watching His plans unflold!
Thank you for your continuous prayers...
Jon, Ruthie, & baby Hart

Daytime TV just got a little better & Hulu giveaway!!

2013-04-29T07:49:00.001-05:00

Stay at home moms, hard working business executives, 15 year old teeny boppers, and even 95 year old hard of hearing grandmothers can appreciate the new announcement Hulu.com has made! Starting weekdays on April 29th, One Life to Live & All My Children, two of the most beloved soap operas in history are back with brand new episodes daily!
For all you soap opera fans, you'll be excited to learn that the original casts of both series will be returning, along with a hot new group of cast members, which will help to appeal to the "new" generation who watch soap operas.
One Life To Live...who do you recognize?

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All My Children

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I remember my mom watching All My Children when I was younger and thinking "I can't wait to watch soaps when I grow up!". Funny how as children we associate the dramatic dialogue and music (and kissing of course) with being an adult. During my high school years I started getting into the All My Children story line, but prior to being able to record shows or catch them on online sites such as Hulu.com, I missed out on a lot. But alas! Fans will be able to watch the latest 30 minute episodes for free via Hulu.com. I am excited to have the opportunity to catch these soaps at my own convenience, on my own time since life will look a lot different for me in a couple of months! I've been told by other mommies to have some TV shows ready to watch on your iPad for those late nights of nursing your new baby or early mornings where you need more than coffee to keep you awake. I tend to indulge in high drama, romantic shows so I can't wait to get back into All My Children!
Even if you've never watched a soap opera in your life, you're not going to want to miss these. Now that they will be available for free on Hulu at your convenience, there is no excuse! The synopsis' below can catch you up on the shows past, but I promise you won't fall behind and you'll definitely enjoy!

One Life to Live: Follows the complicated lives of three main families: the wealthy Lords, the powerful Buchanans and the strong-willed Cramers. The quiet simplicity of small town living is often interrupted by the drama between them yet despite the struggles, strong family bonds keep them united.
All My Children: Revolves around the lives of the residents of fictional Pine Valley. For nearly forty years, this town has seen the trials and tribulations of its dynamic families. Now your favorite stories are back, and more dramatic than ever!
Ways to watch on Hulu There are two ways you can watch your favorite soap operas on Hulu.com the first being the free Hulu site that allows you to view episodes on your computer. The other way is through the subscription of Hulu Plus. For $7.99 a month you will have access to a plethora of additional series/episodes/etc. with the ability to watch on other devices such as smart phones, tablets, and gaming consoles. With Hulu.com and Hulu Plus you will be able to watch your favorite episodes of All My Children & One Life to Live anytime, anywhere.
Giveaway Today, one of my lucky readers will win a yearlong subscription to Hulu. Please answer the following question for your chance to win! One grand prize winner will also receive a Roku Streaming Device.

Who do you want to see fall in love?

Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b:Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c: Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d: For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/29/2013-5/26/2013

Be sure to visit the sponsor's brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers reviews and find more chances to win!

Pregnant, Adopting, & Origami Owl!

2013-04-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to introduce you guys to Marie this morning. Marie's sweet family of 4 is growing by 2! They are pregnant and adopting and Marie is selling Origami Owl to raise funds to bring their sweet baby home. She so graciously sent me this gorgeous living locket that I can't seem to take off :-). If you are looking for a true keepsake of a gift for someone (hint Mother's Day is coming up), you won't go wrong with Origami Owl!

Hello to all Ruthie's lovely readers! I'm Marie and I blog over at The Linc Between Us. I'm so excited to share a little bit about myself and why I've decided to be an Origami Owl Independent Designer. My family currently consists of my husband and I and our two rambunctious little boys (and a little one on the way!) :)

But before we found out we were pregnant, actually for years, we have felt led to adopt. So we have started the process for an international adoption! If you know anything about adoption in general, you know it's expensive. So as a way to help raise money to bring home our sweet kiddo, I've started selling Origami Owl! Every penny I make goes straight into our adoption fund.

If you are sitting there thinking, "oh that's great, but what is the world is Origami Owl?!" Don't worry you are not alone. It's a very new company and it has nothing to do with Origami or Owls really :) It's all about creating necklaces to tell your unique story. Living Lockets are their most popular types of necklaces. You add charms that best describe you and your family to personalize it. Everything is a la carte. You pick your chain, locket, charms, dangles, tags etc. and build it! Here are a couple examples of what you could make...

or these awesome "Tag" necklaces

I love what this company stands for and am so excited to join them. So how can you help? Check out this awesome jewelry at my website: HERE. Buy pretty things and help us bring our next child home! You can order directly from there or if you want to host a party that would be super helpful as well. That's not just limited to those who live close to us, if you want to host a party and live far away I'm more than happy to do a catalog/online party! And remember Mother's Day is just around the corner, and these lockets are perfect gifts for the mom's in our lives! If you are interested in hosting a party or have a question about an order, email me at thelincbetweenus @ gmail . com.

And just because you all are so awesome, I'm offering a Mother's Day special JUST for Ruthie's readers! Spend $50 and get a charm for free! If you want to take part in this special you will need to order directly through me instead of through my website. Email me with your order, I'll total it for you and then request payment through paypal and your order will be shipped directly to you!

Again I thank you for your support!

Bullet Points

2013-04-26T10:05:00.001-05:00

Well... I have zero pictures to share with you today because as of yesterday, my iPhone was wiped. I was attempting to gain more storage and decided to do the iOs 6 update and bam... everything was gone. Tear. I have heard this happening to lots of people doing the update so be careful! I even backed up to iCloud before...
Along with the iPhone catastrophe, we had a minor pregnancy related, my-belly-is-too-big, emergency. I was trying to cut my toenails, snipped my toe and it gushed for about 30 minutes. Not a trickle y'all... to the point I was considering taking Zofran because it made me feel sick looking at it. Looks like Jon will become my new pedicurist! I also have to sit down to put any shoes/socks on and that is a chore in itself
I started the dishwasher before I left for work on Tuesday and a few hours later Jon texted me saying we are getting a new one. We've dealt with a mediocre, LOUD dishwasher for over a year and finally got fed up. Having to hand scrub 75% of your dishes after a cycle ain't cool. Jon was asking me all these questions about my preferences and when we got to Best Buy to look, I saw a big QUIET sticker on the one he liked and I was sold. Now we have 2 dishwashers... our awesome new one in the kitchen and our old junker in the foyer...must get rid of this weekend!
I loved the feedback on yesterday's post about connecting with your spouse. Tonight we are having my parents over for games and then going to a game afternoon/night tomorrow... told you we were a little game obsessed
I am making these for dinner tonight
The baby room is coming along and I can't wait to show you pictures. Target gave us 2 newborn diapers when we registered and we got them out this week... man they are tiny! I got chills holding one up. And Jon practiced by putting it on one of baby Hart's stuffed animals haha.
Last night we volunteered at a health night for the most impoverish middle school in Austin, which happens to be in the neighborhood our church was planted it. It was wonderful and humbling. We talked about how despite living in the bubble of suburbia, we plan to raise our children with servant hearts and show them everyday struggles that people in our very own city face.
I don't think I've mentioned it before but we are going to cloth diaper baby Hart and really excited about it! I was telling someone it was John and Sherry from YoungHouseLove that got me amped up about it long before I was pregnant. More deets to come on the diaps/products we chose but thought I'd share that.
Speaking of babies, I got to hold our neighbors precious 4 day old baby girl and baby Hart kicked the whole time. I seriously cannot wait to hold my son in 3 months!!!!!!

Sorry for the black and white post, have a great weekend!

How do you connect with your spouse?

2013-04-25T08:44:00.000-05:00

Lately I feel like we've been juggling a circus over here. Between work, blog, church, friends, baby prep, house stuff.. it's been busier than normal yet I feel so much more at peace. I've gone through stages in this pregnancy of falling asleep at 8pm to having much more energy and staying awake, I swear it changes by the week. But the past week has been full yet at ease and I can pinpoint exactly why.... Jon and I have not watched TV. Last weekend we watched a few movies on Netflix during the day but in the evenings got the urge to just hang out. We've been taking Ernie on longer (and much slower walks for this waddling mama) walks, staying at our dining room table even after we finish eating, and playing lots of games. If you know us in real life, you'd know we are game people. We love outdoor games, board games, pretty much all games with the exception of video games (except for the Wii). In the past week we've played multiple rounds of cards, marbles (a hand made Sorry type game that usually requires 4 people but we improvised), every single game on Wii sports resort, Family Feud, the Price is Right. It has been seriously the most fun we've had on weeknights in a while. I am so behind on all my shows and we haven't watched a Breaking Bad episode in about a month but we are having a blast. Last year I talked about how we didn't get a TV in our room until we moved into this house so the first year of marriage we remained TV-less in our bedroom which was good for us, yet we would sometimes fall asleep watching movies on the couch so that defeats the purpose. We definitely go through seasons where we are really into a show and get excited to cuddle up in bed and watch it until we doze off but I love the sans-TV season we are in now. It could and most likely will change next week but I have just been thinking a lot this week about what a distraction TV can have on a relationship.
We've always had a rule that we eat dinner at the table without the TV on and we switch off choosing a Pandora station to listen to. I hate calling it a rule because it's not something we dread. We will continue this when we have children too. I think about the last week and instantly recognize a deeper connection between me and my husband, the more fun the conversation, longer the laughs, and sweeter the physical touch. All because we turned off the TV!
Some of these moments are bittersweet knowing that in just a few months, the physical demands of our son will get in the way of nights focusing on each other...but I know those times will be just as sweet. I savor the long walks we've been taking knowing that the weather is about to become unbearable, but I get so excited thinking of the walks we will take with our baby boy.
The seasons of marriage are ever changing and I'd love to know how you and your spouse connect during those sweet seasons. Or how you 'get back on track' after a distracting season of marriage.
And just for fun...I saw this on Facebook...I'm not a mama yet but can see myself saying this!

P.S. not joking, I am writing this blog post from our gameroom upstairs and Jon just IM'ed me and said "Come to my office, I want to play you in marbles" haha