And Then There Were Four...

24 Weeks

2012-08-05T20:32:00.000-04:00

How far along? 24 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: Gained 1/2lb at my last appointment... and I'm pretty sure that was oatmeal in my belly, ha!

Maternity clothes? All maternity... except for my awesome pj's of course, lmbo.

Stretch marks? Mhmm.

Sleep: I toss and turn all night... and I have had to start getting up to pee EVERY 2 hours at least. UGH!

Best moment this week: Had my appointment with Dolly and Bubby is PERFECT! AND we took Boogie to the zoo today.... what fun!

Movement: Feeling him pretty constantly at night, super low in my abdomen... and then randomly throughout the day.

Food cravings: French fries, frozen lemonade, spicy foods

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Just wearing my wedding band right now

What I miss: Caffeine! Anytime, anywhere I want.

What am I looking forward too: Finally holding Bubby... although this pregnancy has been super easy compared to my pregnancy with Boogie, it's definitely harder getting bigger while caring for a toddler!

Weekly Wisdom: Take everything in stride... there will be meltdowns (whether it YOU or your kids).

Milestones: Started feeling him more consistently, at least at night!

Summer Blog Challenge, Days 57-66

2012-08-05T20:27:00.000-04:00

Day 57: Write up something about an alternative energy source.

Ummm... don't have much knowledge about this type of thing... but I'd love to get solar panels on our future home!

Day 58: When was the last time you "roughed it"?

Ha! Probably in high school when we had this massive storm from the after effects of a hurricane off the coast (we are in the mountains). The storms caused massive flooding and the reservoir where our drinking water comes from was contaminated.... so that meant no showering for well over a week unless you boiled the water first. (It was not only unsafe to drink but we were under a water restriction as well). I'd like to NEVER do that again!

Day 59: How does your life measure up to the vision you had when you were younger?

I think it's much better. As a child/teenager I thought I'd be working as a youth pastor or a teacher, married, with a house of my own, and one or two kids at this point. I have the husband of my dreams, one child and another on the way... and I get to do the best job in the world! Stay home with my kids! So it may not be exactly what I dreamed about way back when... and I'd love to have a house of my own right now, but everything is just the way it should be.

Day 60: Are you an artist?? Show some artwork or doodling you've done. Don't do art, share something you like then.

LMBO! Right... I like anything by Van Gogh... he's awesome.

Day 61: Post a black and white photo you've taken.

I did NOT take this picture, our wonderful photographer did.... but it is by far my FAVORITE!!!!

Day 62: hare an idea for a handmade gift to give to someone else.

For Christmas, I am going to make Justin's grandmother a family tree. Basically I'm painting a tree (just the trunk and branches) on a canvas and putting two love birds at the top to represent her and her husband. Then we will have all the family put their thumbprints on the branches for leaves. :)

Day 63: What's one feature you would have to have in your dream home?

There are so many things I'd love to have.... but a must have this point in our life is a PLAY ROOM of some sort. A basement to play in, an additional bedroom. SOMEWHERE to keep all these toys!

Day 64: What helps you get through meltdowns?

Depends on the day. Some days meltdowns don't bother me and I just get through it and love her anyways. Other days I eat chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

Day 65: What is your favorite article of clothing?

When I'm not pregnant I love my boyfriend jeans from Old Navy. When I AM pregnant I'm loving my full belly panel shorts from Old Navy.

Day 66: What's your dream job?

Stay at home mom.... and I've got that job ;-)

Update

2012-07-27T07:35:00.000-04:00

I've been hesitant to blog about this particular topic since I had hoped (in the back of my mind) that it was just a fluke. About a month ago Boogie turned 18 months old, at that time she had, by then, started sleeping in her toddler bed, sleeping through the night.... and the big event? She stopped asking for milk. I say milk as in breast milk. I had high hopes that despite my pregnancy that my milk supply would stay up and that she'd continue until she was at least two, but in those last few weeks of nursing she'd nurse less and less and less! So eventually my supply just completely dried up. Part of me is completely relieved that because of Boogie's big girl decision to stop nursing, Bubby will be able to nurse without having to fight his big sister for "mommy milk", lol! The other part of me is devastated that she weaned so early. YOU may not think it's early, but I do.

Despite all that, once Bubby is here and he becomes a pro at nursing and my supply is well established I will start pumping and offering it to Boogie in her cup. The benefits of breast milk are never ending so she will reap the benefits for as long as I can possibly share milk with her (and her brother).

Other than that huge milestone, Boogie is just growing up before our eyes. In these past few months she has started talking in almost complete sentences, she never ceases to shock us... "come on, want walk!" "movie mommy? watch movie?" "outside? play outside?" "c'mon maggie, sit down!" etc etc etc.... I could make a book of the phrases she is saying now! It's incredible! She also has a new little "playground" at Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house... we were given some Little Tike's play toys from my cousin who's son has outgrown them. She has a big slide, a small jungle gym with a small slide, a sand box, and a playhouse thing (it's like a boat really). The first day she needed help on the slide and climbing.... now she can do it alllllll by herself! She has a blast!

As for Bubby, he's moving more and more although I am only able to feel him very low down. I'm getting a little frustrated with this because I feel like my placenta isn't moving up like it did with Boogie (I had an anterior placenta with her as well). I'm going to ask my midwife about it next week, I'm not WORRIED about it, just frustrated that I'm not able to feel him as often as Boogie at this stage. Other than that we are pretty much ready for him to be here. It stinks that we don't have a 3rd bedroom to decorate for him (even though either way he'd be in our room in the beginning), but we hope to change that come spring. His crib, changing table and everything are set up in our room, his newborn clothing is put away, his newborn dipes are prepped and put away... everything is ready. There are a few small things here and there we need to get, but if I was 40 weeks pregnant today and he came... I'd have no worries :)

Last, but not least.... we are officially a two-car family again! Hallelujah! We've been discussing this FOREVER. Really, since Boogie was a few months old, we just were too afraid to go to the bank and start the process (with school loans and our car payment.... we never thought they'd approve another loan, even though we can afford it!). I would prefer not to have two car payments, but in all honesty we were pretty desperate for another vehicle. With J's hours, Boogie and I were stranded at home relying on Mawmaw and Nana to pick us up or waiting on J to bring the car to us so we could make it to appointments and such. With Bubby on his way, and the thought of how cramped we would all be in our one car... we decided to jump. We found a 2004 Dodge Caravan at the dealership we purchased our Kia and everything just fell into place. I'm so thankful... so relieved... and THRILLED to have my freedom back. Our van is so roomy and so comfortable. Now we just need to install Bubby's car seat and we're set! (this pic is of the type of van we bought.... same color but this is not our van lol)

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 53-56

2012-07-26T18:33:00.003-04:00

Day 53: How do you beat the summer heat?

Air conditioning... lmbo. We try to play outside in the morning or evenings (at mom's... I don't venture to the park without J right now because Elah wears me out!), stay inside on the hottest of hot days, and try to find indoor activities.

Day 54: What's a band that you've been listening to and liking lately?

I'm hooked on Jamie Grace and Jason Gray right now... particularly Jamie Grace's "Hold Me" and Jason Gray's "Remind Me Who I Am"

Day 55: Give us 3 easy healthy meals or snacks for young kids & toddlers.

These are our go to snacks/meals for Elah... it's what she likes best and we do when we don't have leftovers or other things set aside:
3 Go to Snacks for Toddlers:

Sliced grapes and graham crackers
Sliced strawberries and veggie chips w/hummus
Blueberries and cheerios

3 Go to Meals for Toddlers

Lunch/Dinner: Ravioli (I get frozen ravioli), something green (broccoli, green beans, etc), a fruit, and if it's lunch time she gets a few cookies or a yogurt pop.
Breakfast: Pancakes (when daddy is home!), fruit, and scrambled eggs
Lunch/Dinner: Taco Meat w/Corn, sliced bananas or avocado, tortilla chips, and some kind of other veggie if she's still hungry.

Day 56: If you could have a super power, what would it be?

That's a hard one... maybe to be super fast so I can clean the entire house in less than a minute. That would rock!

22 weeks

2012-07-22T16:52:00.001-04:00

How far along? 22 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: Consistently losing and gaining 3lbs.... I go back and forth every other appointment, although I think I've gained a bit more in the past few weeks since my last appointment. I've been able to eat more hearty meals, so ugh... that means although Asher is getting stronger, momma's getting fatter!

Maternity clothes? All maternity... except for my awesome pj's of course, lmbo.

Stretch marks? Mhmm.

Sleep: I had been consistently sleeping like the dead, however in the past week I've been waking up about every 2 hours needing to flip over. My hips are starting to get sore and my belly is getting bigger and bigger so it's more difficult to roll. Ay yi yi!

Best moment this week: Completely done with Asher's diaper stash (newborn stash at least) and all of his newborn clothing is washed, folded, and put away! (And we have far more than we need)

Movement: More and more, but he stays SO low. I feel like my placenta is much lower than it was with Boogie because I felt her much more than I have this little one.

Food cravings: Peanut butter graham crackers, slushies/frozen lemonade, peaches

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: Just soreness in the belly area

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Just wearing my wedding band right now

What I miss: Sleeping... I learned while pregnant with Elah that during this time our body starts "teaching" us how to wake up for nightly feedings.... so not ready for that just yet! LOL!

What am I looking forward too: I am very much looking forward to wearing this little one... I am still able to wear Boogie in a double hammock carry in one of my wovens on my back, but she is so independent that she much prefers to walk herself. I miss those sweet snuggles... so I can't wait to wrap Bubby on my chest and snuggle with him!

Weekly Wisdom: The earlier you start, the faster things get done, and the more time you have to spend with the wee ones. Boogie gets up about 6 now, sometimes later if I'm lucky and we've started a new cleaning routine that's really working for us! We make beds, wipe down counters, vacuum, and do a load or two of laundry every morning. Then each day of the week we have a specific chore to accomplish (like today we are washing bed linens and yesterday was catching up on any other laundry that needed to be done).

Milestones: This isn't really a milestone for Bubby, but Boogie is consistently telling Bubby she loves him. She says "luh you bubby", "luh you baby", "bubby? ere are you?" lol!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 47-52

2012-07-22T11:29:00.001-04:00

Day 47: A random act of kindness.

This is a hard one, because with Boogie and I pretty much stuck in the house most days there aren't many chances to do a random act of kindness. I will say that the few times Elah and I have gone out I am always at the ready to help another mom in need... you know when you're alone with your kid(s) and you're pushing a cart or stroller and need to open the door at the same time? It drives me crazy when people walk right on by, go in, and don't even offer to hold the door for you! So I do that every chance I get... I help pick up items that are dropped when a mom needs an extra hand... anything like that! I know it's something I would appreciate in that moment!

Day 48: 5 things to do if the power goes out.

Well this could be 5 things you NEED to do, or 5 things to do to stay busy... so I'll do both.

5 Things you need: Flashlights, batteries, non-perishables to eat/snack on, water, and blankets (especially in cooler months)

5 Things to do with TODDLERS (since that's what I have, lol): Color with crayons and paper/coloring books, read books, count/stack/identify colors with Melissa & Doug Ring Stacker (one of Boogie's favorites), identify shapes/colors and sort into slots with Melissa & Dough Shape Sorter (another favorite), and puzzles!

Day 49: If you were president or prime minister for a day, what's one law you would change?

Maternity AND Paternity laws. I think mothers should be allowed to stay home with their infants for one FULL year with at least 75% pay, this would encourage breastfeeding and more bonding moments for families. I also think fathers should be allowed 6 months at 75-100% pay so that they can also bond and help at home for those first few months. Even 3 months at full pay would be amazing!

Day 50: What would you do with the $ if you won the lottery?

Pay off our car and college debt, fix mom's car, buy a 2nd vehicle and purchase a home of our own. The rest would go into savings for later (and college) and maybe a vacation for our little family next year.

Day 51: Talk about a free activity to do with children.

Sing sing sing... one of our favorite free activities to do is sing silly songs. Sure, I could say go to the park or whatever, but what about rainy days? Elah loves "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and I can entertain her for HOURS just singing songs and playing guitar.

Day 52: What's your best gardening tip?

I don't really have any, though I will say that if you have never had a vegetable garden then you should try it! We've had an abundance of zucchini this year... and we're even growing a few pumpkins!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 41-46

2012-07-16T18:10:00.000-04:00

Day 41: Share 5 or 10 of your favorite blogs or websites.

The Pioneer Woman: She is AWESOME! Lots of fabulous recipes, tips and outside bloggers write about homeschooling, photography, etc.
Life Happens During Naptime: This is a friend of mine who has two (soon to be three!) little boys... she's a fellow babywearer and I love to read her blog entries. She's not blogging right now, but I promise if you go back through you'll thoroughly enjoy reading!
Chunky and Monkey, MD: This is another friend of mine who is training to be a doctor, she's currently a resident and has lately been working with NICU at the hospital she's with right now. She rights lots of informational blog entries and her husband has been doing a lot of posts on their boys and some fantastic giveaways!
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!: This is a blogger who has two girls, one is just a few weeks younger than Boogie. I love reading her blogs about her kids, it's neat seeing someone else's toddler grow and develop!
Homemade by Jill: This blogger has a ton of tutorials for various crafts and she has three of the CUTEST kids I have ever seen!
Motherhood and Miscellany: Yes, another friend of mine, lol! She has three beautiful girls and I love reading about their adventures visiting family and the fun things her girls get into playing at home!

Day 42: Talk about a favorite vacation you have taken.

I'll share two... because really, vacation is SO much more fun when you take your kids with you! The first would have to be mine and J's honeymoon. We went to Okaloosa Island (which is between Okaloosa Island and Destin), Florida. It was SO beautiful! We have since gone back one time, but not with Boogie. We hope to take Boogie and Bubby sometime in 2014 when they are both old enough to enjoy it!

Second would be our family trip with the Flint Monsters to Pigeon Forge, TN last year when Boogie was about 3 months old. We went on all kinds of adventures and it was a BLAST!

Day 43: Then & now photos of you.

This is me in 2005, a year before I graduated (and started dating my hubby!)

And this was in May of this year, I was 10 weeks pregnant with Bubby

Day 44: One piece of advice you want to give to your child

There are so many things I want to teach my children, but one of the BIGGEST things is to stand up for what you believe in. As my mother would assure you, I have never had a problem doing that. I fought to show the people in my church that casual dress (jeans, t-shirts, sneakers) were just as acceptable for Sunday morning service as dressy clothes. I co-started a devotional group in high school to bring more people to Christ, and I could go on... I want my children to hold strong in their beliefs and to know that in every way possible they should stand up for those beliefs.

Day 45: Got any good makeup tips/routines?

LMBO! Right... you do not want or need any makeup tips or routines from me! I rarely wear makeup, it's just not something I'm into. I do wear for church and dates occasionally... and I MIGHT put on mascara for pictures! HA!

Day 46: Favorite room in your house.

Boogie's Room... how could you not love a room full of puzzles, baby dolls, toys, etc? It's a room of GREAT FUN!

18 Months

2012-07-10T18:22:00.000-04:00

Today was (finally) Boogie's 18 month well visit, overall she's doing fantastic! She did NOT handle the appointment well this time however, she KNEW what was coming and was NOT happy about that. Ay yi yi! Anyways, her pediatrician (who I adore by the way... she's totally supportive of ALL of our parenting decisions, which I appreciate) said while she is a pee-wee, she is growing very well for an active toddler who eats ALL OF THE TIME. Seriously, this kid can down some oatmeal or pancakes for breakfast!

Boogie weighed 21.4lbs WITH her clothes and shoes on (that includes a cloth diaper), so it was probably just under 21 nudey. She was also 31.25" tall, so she's grown about 3/4" since her 15 month well visit. She is in 24/2T clothing, and a 4 or 4.5 shoe... now if she would just grow into a 5 it would be easier to find her some darn shoes! In a normal pocket diaper (like a Go Green or Kawaii) she is still in the smallest snap setting, but for Happy Heinys and some of the Go Green Champs she is in the largest setting... how funny is that? Her ped. complimented on how well she talks and communicates and gave us lots of tips to help with some of her temper tantrum habits and how to handle the new changes coming our way!

Here are some recent photos of our girl!


Boogie in the garden with my parent's neighbor


Boogie and her "Minnie Bear" from Build-A-Bear

4th of July!

Her "Mom! No more cheese! pictures!

So much for NOT napping! LMBO!

Boogie, Daddy, and the giant mutant zucchini!

Bedhead!

Bubbles!

Our new favorite bath activity... shaving cream paint!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 38-40

2012-07-10T18:06:00.000-04:00

Getting behind again... I KNOW!

Day 38: Song lyrics that you find some meaning in.

"Remind Me Who I Am" by Jason Gray

Day 39: What are some of your biggest pet peeves?

Babywearing incorrectly or unsafely and not properly installing or using your car seats correctly. The "recommendations" should be RULES and REGULATIONS. Do your research people!

Day 40: What is the hardest challenge you have been faced with?

It's both the hardest and the BEST challenge... becoming a mother. There are SO many ups and downs, especially now that we have entered toddlerhood! It's overwhelming! It'll be interesting adding a newborn to the mix in November!

20 Weeks!

2012-07-08T18:52:00.000-04:00

How far along? 20 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: Consistently losing and gaining 3lbs.... I go back and forth every other appointment

Maternity clothes? All maternity... except for my awesome pj's of course, lmbo.

Stretch marks? Mhmm.

Sleep: I sleep like the dead. Which is crazy, because normally I have a hard time falling asleep! I love it!

Best moment this week: Finished buying Bubby's newborn diaper stash! EEK!

Movement: Yes, but still not constant. Anatomy ultrasound confirmed what I thought... I yet again have an anterior placenta. Ugh!

Food cravings: Fruit, smoothies, ice, asian food.

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: None... WAY to early for that!

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Just wearing my wedding band right now

What I miss: Being able to cuddle Boogie without Bubby getting in the way lol!

What am I looking forward too: Spending these last 20 or so weeks with my ONLY child at the moment and enjoying what little time we have left as a family of 3! It'll never be the same again!

Weekly Wisdom: Cry. And then cry some more. My emotions are on a frenzy right now, I cry over every little thing but I'm realizing that letting those tears go REALLY DO help!

Milestones: At our ultrasound Bubby's feet were 1" long!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 37

2012-07-07T10:20:00.000-04:00

Day 37: Something you would attempt if you knew you couldn't fail.

This is a hard one. I think I would attempt to follow my dream and open a store in our hometown that carries all natural, organic, and green products for pregnancy, new mommas, babies, and children. We have something similar about 25 minutes away, but it would be nice to be able to provide that closer to home. I'd sell cloth diapers, cloth wipes, wipe solution, diaper creams, wet bags, baby carriers that are SAFE, wooden toys, etc etc... how fun would that be?!?!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 36

2012-07-06T07:37:00.000-04:00

Day 36: What is a holiday tradition you have in your family?

We put up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving every year... I'm hoping Bubby will stay in until his due date so we can do that again this year! LOL!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 35

2012-07-06T07:36:00.000-04:00

Day 35: Talk about a fear you have.

An irrational fear or a real fear? I have an irrational fear for spiders. I hate those nasty things. A real fear is that I will fail my children as a mother or something will happen to me and I won't be there for them.

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 34

2012-07-06T07:33:00.003-04:00

Day 34: To celebrate Independence Day, you are "free" to post whatever you want.

Well... I'm not really sure what to post about. I could vent about the stupid facebook yard sale groups for the area we live in, I could vent about my lower back KILLING me this pregnancy, I could talk about how Boogie just turned 18 months old (but I'd rather save that for after her 18 month check up)... or I could share a pic of Bubby's first diapers!!!

They are ADORABLE... itty itty itty bitty little newborn diapers for his stash :)

Bic Soleil Savvy Razor Review and Giveaway

2012-07-03T11:08:00.000-04:00

I was not only given the opportunity to review the Keurig K-Cups in my previous blog post by BzzAgent, but I was also sent this new disposable razor from Bic! I was pretty excited about trying this because during this pregnancy my leg and underarm hair has become courser and harder to shave... it grow back faster, and it's just a pain. I mean really, it's hard enough shaving with this growing belly, I don't want to have to do that EVERY day! This razor is one of the best I've used, it leaves my legs shiny and smooth for THREE days before I have to shave again, I no longer have to go back over to catch leg hairs that my old razors would miss, and the razor stays sharp longer. My only complaint is that because this razor is sharper I've cut myself several times... BUT that's because I'm so used to using crappy disposable razors and not this "high tech" disposable razor. Ha!

Just the Facts

Each BIC Soleil Savvy package contains one disposable handle and four refillable cartridges
The razor's handle includes a rubber grip for added control
Triple-blade heads feature flexible blade technology and lubricating strips with Vitamin E
Pivoting heads are made to follow a woman's contours and provide a super-close shave
Available at grocery stores, drug stores and mass retailers (like Walmart) for a suggested retail price of $7.49

Savvy Ladies say NO to pricey refills! BIC Soleil Savvy cartridges are not sold separately. Simply buy a new package (complete with handle and cartridges) at the same low price when you're finished with your current one. Need some tips to keep those legs shiny and smooth? Shave at night! Shaving removes dead skin cells and the superficial layer of skin. While this process is healthy, it reduces your skin's defenses for a couple of hours. Shaving at night gives your skin time to recover its strength and suppleness to resist irritation. Also remember to always use shaving cream or gel, shave with CLEAN skin, and use a sharp blade! (Facts and tips provided by Bic Soleil BzzGuide).

Want to win a $3 coupon!? I have EIGHT to giveaway! Just fill in the Rafflecopter after 12:01am tomorrow (July 4th) for your chance to win one (or more) coupons!

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Keurig Iced Coffee and Tea Review AND GIVEAWAY!

2012-07-03T10:29:00.002-04:00

As a BzzAgent I get opportunities to review products of various sorts... this however was my FAVORITE product by far! We purchased a Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewer in February after having tried it at my mom's house, we loved that we could make single cup servings of coffee, teas, or hot chocolates without wasting an entire pot (we don't drink a LOT of hot drinks, but we do drink 1-2 a day each, and a regular sized coffee pot is way too much for us!). We've tried lots of different flavors and brands of coffees, I've enjoyed some different hot teas, and I love love love the various hot chocolate flavors as well! What do we love more than hot drinks? ICED coffee. At least, that's MY favorite. My husband's favorite is iced tea... and he hates making gallons of tea at a time, so we were very excited when I was invited to review some of Keurig's new Iced coffee and tea flavors!

In my box, I received a Keurig Tumbler, 3 boxes of 4 k-cups (each box has the same flavors: Celestial Seasonings Half and Half, Celestial Seasonings Southern Sweet, Green Mountain Coffee - Hazelnut Iced Coffee, and Green Mountain Coffee - Nantucket Blend Iced Coffee), and some coupons (which I've already shared with a few friends!)

J was very excited to try the Southern Sweet Tea so that was the first one we tried. I let him be the taste tester for the teas, I'm just not a fan of sweet tea!

He LOVED it. He loved the convenience, the taste, everything!

The second we tried was the Green Mountain Hazelnut Iced Coffee, because we didn't receive any decaf, and being pregnant I avoid caffeine if i can I only took a few sips and Justin finished it off... but OH MAN. This stuff is AMAZING. The Tumbler wasn't quite large enough for the amount of ice and creamer we wanted to add, but this drink is so good! Justin has since tried the half and half tea (black tea with lemon), he wasn't a fan and I didn't try that particular one, but he said if you're a fan of black tea then you'd probably like this one. The last flavor is the Nantucket Blend from Green Mountain, and although I haven't tried this one yet, I have tried the hot version and it's delicious!

Thanks to my official BzzGuide I have some facts to share with you...

Just the Facts

Specially blended to brew directly over ice using the 6oz or 8oz setting on any Keurig K-Cup brewer
Available in nine expertly blended iced coffee and iced tea flavors
Green Mountain Coffee varieties include Nantucket Blend, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut
Celestial Seasonings Perfect Iced Tea varieties include Southern Sweet, Half and Half, Sweet Raspberry, Sweet Lemon, Sweet Peach, and Unsweetened Black. Personalize the iced coffees any way you want, and enjoy the already-sweetened iced teas on their own
Sold online at Keurig, Green Mountain Coffee, and in select mass, grocery, and specialty retail stores, such as Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Bed Bath & Beyond

For more information about Brew Over Ice head on over to their website HERE!

Are you hooked yet? Would you like to dry a sample pack of your own? Well... lucky for you I am giving away one of my three sample packs! All you have to do is complete the tasks in the Rafflecopter below and YOU could be trying these yummy flavors!

GIVEAWAY STARTS JULY 4, 2012 AT 12:01 AM, WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 4, 2012 AND I WILL ANNOUNCE ON THIS BLOG POST AND A NEW BLOG POST. WINNER MUST CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL WITHIN 48 HOURS OR A NEW WINNER WILL BE SELECTED.

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Summer Blog Challenge, Day 29-33 AND Why I've Been MIA

2012-07-03T09:28:00.000-04:00

I'm WAY WAY WAY behind on this... To explain a little, Justin and I had a long discussion about if we were done having babies after Bubby is here. For the time being, at least until Bubby is 4 or older (Boogie would be about 6 or older) we have decided that we want to settle as a family of four and then re-evaluate. This will give us a chance to enjoy the two we have and focus on them while they're little, take them on a few vacations without toting a newborn around, and then if we feel like our family is incomplete we will go from there. So, since Bubby is very VERY much a boy I have completely de-stashed all of her clothing, at least... I've almost de-stashed all of her old clothing. It's been incredibly frustrating really. I thought it was a brilliant idea to try and sell them on local yard sale pages on facebook, but it's just been very stressful and annoying. People backing out at the last minute for various reasons, people getting mad because they "claimed" something before someone else (at least they THOUGHT so, however they were wrong!). So... I'm meeting a very nice momma today who is expecting in November as well, and another momma later this week for the newborn clothing, and one more next weekend and hopefully she'll take the last of my loot! All of these funds are going towards newborn cloth diapers for Bubby. Woo! It's been a LONG LONG weekend! Anyways... I'm just going to do one long post for the days I missed on the Summer Blog Challenge, so if you're still reading... bear with me!

Day 29: Write a "How to" Post...

Oh geez... lol... How about I share a how to post I wrote a while back on how to make homemade baby legs? It's very easy, even if you're a complete novice at sewing (which I am!). You can find it HERE.

Day 30: Post a photo of an outfit that either is your style or you wish was your style.

Oh Pinterest, how I love you! So this outfit minus the jewelry and add short sleeves to the shirt.

Day 31: Talk about something eco friendly that you already do.

We cloth diaper! I love love love it, even though I'm having a hard time keeping up with regular laundry lately, let alone diaper laundry! I'm really excited to get newborn dipes for Bubby so that we have diapers he will actually fit in from day one! Boogie didn't fit into her stash of one size diapers until almost 10 weeks! That was a long 10 weeks of yucky sposies :(

Day 32: Share a poem you've written or just one you like.

My favorite poetry is from the book of Psalms... nothing is more beautiful then poetry for Christ!

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand —
    when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!  
    Away from me,   you who are bloodthirsty!  
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries   misuse your name.  
21 Do I not hate those   who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor   those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.  
23 Search me,   God, and know my heart;  
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way   in me,
    and lead me   in the way everlasting.





Day 33: Travel & plans you have for the summer.

Nada. We MIGHT spend a day in Gatlinburg... but other than that we are staying put. In October, if the midwives say it's ok, we'll all be going to Raleigh for 3 days when Justin goes to take his certifying exam. So... that's our mini vaca for the year!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 28

2012-06-28T21:11:00.001-04:00

Day 28: How Do You Do Your Laundry? Share Your Tricks.

I am the last person to give laundry advice... let's just say that vinegar, Charlie's Soap, and Shout! are my best friends!

Bubby or Sissy?

2012-06-27T17:33:00.002-04:00

Today was the day! We went in at 1:30pm (EST) to have our anatomy ultrasound, obviously the most important thing was to insure that our little one was growing well and healthy! Second to that, we got to find out if Bubby or Sissy is growing in my belly! I knew before the ultrasound that my placenta was anterior (AGAIN) because just like with Boogie I only have felt slight movements here and there. A student asked permission to look at the baby before the main sonographer came in so that she could practice a bit. She mainly looked at the baby's head and belly, and once the sonographer came in she helped her identify parts of our baby's brain and such. Once she finished the sonographer went ahead and finished measurements on the head and said, "Let's see what you're having". And seriously, no kidding... all she did was hover over the genitals and BAM! It was so blatantly obvious who it was... this kid is NOT shy. She didn't have to take any additional pictures to be sure.

So...

We will be welcoming Bubby into our family at the end of November! He is strong and healthy and is growing GREAT!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 27

2012-06-27T17:29:00.001-04:00

Day 27: What's the Best Gift You've Ever Received?

From God? My daughter... and soon our new little one! From a person? My guitar... my first baby.

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 26

2012-06-26T20:35:00.002-04:00

Day 26: What Does Your Significant Other Do That Makes Your Heart Melt?

Oh man... watching him snuggle and love on Boogie makes my heart melt more than anything. She adores her daddy, it's absolutely precious. Other than that, watching him take care of chores for me or taking care of something that I just don't want to do at the moment makes my heart melt... really. I picked a good one ladies!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 25

2012-06-26T20:32:00.000-04:00

Day 25: Ideal Day of "Me Time"

I honestly wouldn't want a WHOLE day of "me time". I enjoy spending time with Boogie and I will thoroughly enjoy some newborn baby cuddles in November! But, if I got a couple of hours to myself it would involve a hot hot hot bubble bath (which also isn't happening until after November), some scented candles, an iced coffee, and a good book. After that I would I get dressed, cuddle up under a warm blanket on the couch and watch a good movie.... then I would be bombarded by hugs and kisses from my Boogie!!! Sounds like a plan to me!

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 24

2012-06-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

Day 24: Favorite eco-friendly thing to do

Walk. All over town, to the library, to the lake, to my parents... etc etc etc. Although with the heat and being almost halfway through my pregnancy I have to make an effort to get up and get going in the morning or in the evening so it's not so hot! It's also more difficult due to the neighbor's scary dog. Ugh. But yea, especially on days when J is off, it's nice to just walk around town and leave the car at home!

18 Weeks

2012-06-24T15:31:00.000-04:00

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Find out on Wednesday

Maternity clothes? All maternity... except for my awesome pj's of course, lmbo.

Stretch marks? Mhmm.

Sleep: I sleep like the dead. Which is crazy, because normally I have a hard time falling asleep! I love it!

Best moment this week: Realizing that we're getting closer to finding out whether this baby is Bubby or Sissy!

Movement: Yes, it's not constant, but every now and then I feel a little thump :)

Food cravings: Wings, cheese fries, fruit, water water water.

Gender: To be determined on June 27.... which is this Wednesday!

Labor signs: None... WAY to early for that!

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Both rings fit this week

What I miss: Being able to pick up Boogie or lay her down for naps/bedtime without feeling sore or my back aching.

What am I looking forward too: Finding out if this baby is Bubby or Sissy!

Weekly Wisdom: Luh you. That's what Boogie tells me, nothing is more encouraging, uplifting, or adorable then when she tells me she loves me. I LOVE YOU sweet girl!

Milestones: Baby is roughly 5 1/2 inches long and probably about 7 ounces

Rough Week

2012-06-23T15:55:00.002-04:00

I really haven't had a great week. One thing I hate about being pregnant is how emotional it makes me, all my feelings and emotions become overpowering sometimes and this week has been the worst week I've had in quite a while. Boogie is very much like me, she is stubborn, headstrong, and all of that on top of being a toddler who struggles to communicate what she wants (despite having a huge vocabulary) equals a little girl who is absolutely miserable most days. She fights me to take naps (and while some have given me the advice to NOT fight her on this, I have to disagree... if I don't fight her she doesn't sleep, if she doesn't sleep she is grumpy all day, this in turn ends in a frustrating fight to get her to sleep at night. If I don't fight her to sleep at night she stays up ALL night, NO joke.), she is at an age where she is trying to hold her own and test me... slowly she is learning that when mommy says "NO." it means no, but it's a struggle. Time-outs are a frequent commodity in our household... but I'm determined that spanking is not going to happen in our family and that peaceful parenting is the way to go. What scares me is how violent she is with herself when she gets frustrated. She bangs her head against walls and on the floor, she scratches, smacks, and pinches herself... all in frustration. I have been good about remaining calm, comforting her and talking to her... but it's hard.

Beyond that however, Boogie is a good girl... really. She's so smart, she learns so much just in one day and is just getting to be such a big girl. But as much as I love her, I will say that even though I enjoy being with her and having her company all the time... I need more adult interaction. We are a one car family right now, it's not really a choice, it's just the way it has to be right now. On top of that in an apartment in another building beside us a new family moved in with a pit bull. Now, before I go on... I don't believe all pit bull's are bad or mean or dangerous. This dog however has been let outside without a restraint multiple times and has attacked people and a CHILD in our neighborhood and NOBODY has called the cops on them. I have called but according to them, unless I witness an incident first hand then there's nothing I can do. So, therefore I am terrified to take my child on a walk, take her outside to play, or even just a walk down to our mailbox to check the mail. Combine that with Justin taking the car to work (because he gets up VERY early) and you have a mommy and daughter who are stuck in an apartment and MISERABLE. It's taking a toll on me, and it's obviously taking a toll on my little girl. I don't know what to do anymore... we're just stuck. I'm hoping and praying that when our lease is up in March (which is TOO long from now) that we will be able to find a house with 3 bedrooms to rent... I need a yard for Boogie to run in and an oasis that I feel free to walk outside in. I'm over all this... I'm SO ready to have this baby, get through the holidays and be done with this neighborhood and done with being stuck in the apartment ALL the time.

Please pray for me and please pray for my daughter... I hope that she can start communicating a little better and get rid of some of the frustrations she feels.