Thankful

I'm part of a woman's book club right now (which I'll blog more about later) & the latest chapter we read included a little bit of a project... We were asked to list five qualities that our husband holds & to then write a letter to our spouse describing those qualities that we appreciate.



When life gets hectic we sometimes forget to remind the people we love that they are appreciated. There are so many things I love & appreciate about Mike but the five that I listed were: Loyal, loving, funny, supportive & caring. I am so blessed to have met such an amazing husband & Daddy for my kids. It's not often that the first person you ever date ends up being your spouse! I'm so grateful that Mike loves me for EXACTLY who I am. I never have to keep my guard up or walk on eggshells around him. Even when I'm sick or crabby or not exactly in prime form, he still loves me unconditionally (though cringing on the inside, I'm sure!)

Here we are at prom in 1997


Our wedding day, May 24, 2002

He's also the funniest guy that I know & can lighten any mood & make just about anyone feel at ease. I could be in the midst of bawling my eyes out & he'll say something to instantly crack me up. He's also an awesome friend to my girlfriends which I adore. And my family would probably choose him as their own child over me if they had to!! Ha!

So Mike, thank you for always being there for me no matter what even when I'm acting like a cranky brat. Thank you for all the things you do for me, both big & small. You're always so willing to hop out of bed to grab me whatever it is that my pain in the butt self my be requesting. Especially now with pregnancy... Mike, I need Tums. Gee, some milk would really hit the spot right now. Could you grab me my contact case? Oh & my glasses... There are many times I really wish I could be as patient & level-headed as you! Thank goodness I didn't end up with an equally high-strung, nutty person like myself! So just know that you are so loved & appreciated, even when I forget to tell you!

24 Week Update

I'm 24 weeks along & lil Reese has gained about 4 ounces since last week & now weighs just over one pound. She's about as long as an ear of corn & almost a foot long. And in case you were curious, my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball!!



How am I feeling? This week has sort of kicked my butt... At times the week has seemed to fly & at other times drag. There have been a couple of mornings where my alarm went off & I thought it was Friday when it wasn't even really close. That's always a bummer! Work has been super crazy busy & it's worn me out. I've also been pretty hormonal & emotional at times. Last night Cam asked that Daddy put him to bed instead of me & I felt like a knife had stabbed me in the chest. Normally it probably wouldn't have bothered me as much if my emotions weren't a mess but instead I came out to the living room & started to cry. I pulled it together by the time Mike joined me but as soon as he started talking to me, I burst into tears & ended up bawling my eyes out. I guess I just needed a good cry.



Any new changes this week? Besides feeling like an exhausted psycho at times, I just seem to be getting bigger by the day. Oh & my ankles swelled a little after walking outside in the heat for a bit tonight so that was awesome. But not really! I'm not exactly looking forward to having "elephantitis" of the ankles & feet again like I did with Cam!



Weight gain? 6 pounds. Yep, 2 pounds up since last week!

Children's Museum

We've been meaning to check out the Glazer's Children's Museum since they opened last September & we finally made the trip yesterday.



We decided to go with the yearly pass which just made more sense money-wise. It'll be a good place to go when it's too hot to be outside (which is basically anytime in Florida during the summer). It's in a super pretty area in downtown Tampa right by the Hillsborough River & the University of Tampa & the outdoor area around the museum has a splash fountain & places for shaded picnics.





Cam & I took a moment to catch a couple of fish!



Cam wasn't exactly confident while climbing this contraption so he played it safe & stayed near us!





Captain Cameron!



We kept ourselves occupied with all the different exhibits until I was starving & we had to take a lunch break. After lunch we headed outside & Cam took an impromptu romp through the splash fountains. Next time I'll be sure to pack some swim trunks for him since he ended up going in his shorts & undies (luckily I keep a change of clothes in the car at all times).



We ended up having a really nice morning/afternoon & feel thankful for another place we can take Cam on a low-key weekend! When Reese is born the weather will be gorgeous so we'll head down to the museum for a bit & spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the area outdoors.

23 Week Update

I'm now 23 weeks pregnant & according to Baby Center, Reese weighs just over one pound & is 11 inches long at the size of a mango. Coincidentally it just so happens that I've been on a major mango kick this week & eating one nearly every night, thanks to Mike!



How am I feeling? This has been a bit of a tough week. My sinuses have felt like crap for some reason, I haven't been sleeping well & I'm starting to feel quite large. I've been feeling a lot of pressure on my stomach this week so I can definitely tell that Reese is growing (which is wonderful)! After taking a couple of bites of my meal, I feel pretty full. I know I still have a major ways to go so I'll stop my complaining now!

Any new changes this week? I had my monthly OB check-up on Monday which thankfully went well & was uneventful. Besides Reese getting more & more active with her gymnastics in my belly, things are pretty standard this week. Feeling my little one move & squirm is absolutely amazing & I'll never get tired of it! I put her ultrasound pictures up at my desk at work so when I feel her move & kick, I look over at her little profile & can't help but smile!

Weight gain? 4 pounds.

Weekend Happenings

Friday evening we kicked off our weekend with a date night which is usually rare for us. We're so lucky that Cam's daycare has started a once a month Parent's Night Out that gives parents like us who really have no babysitter a chance to get out on the town. It was so nice to have a quiet, tasty dinner to sit & talk with no interruptions. Dining with a two year old isn't exactly relaxing! After dinner we got some ice cream & then headed to get Cam. His daycare keeps them up until midnight for $25; they're fed dinner & then they play like crazy. When we got there, a big group of them were playing duck duck goose but our guy was playing with cars & trains. He had an absolute blast & ended up sleeping until nearly 8:30 Saturday morning.



We've had an empty fish tank for a while now so Saturday afternoon we decided to take Cam to the pet store to pick his very own fish. He went in with a plan in mind, knowing that he wanted a red fish! Not only did he pick this little guy but he also chose the name entirely on his own. So, I'd like to introduce you to Cam's new fish, Pen!



After heading up the children's ministry at church this morning, I had absolutely zero energy this afternoon. I seriously felt like all of the life had been zapped out of my body. Perhaps Reese is going through a growth spurt??



Luckily Matt & Kelly text & invited us to a picnic dinner in the park or I'd have never left the recliner. After I finally got my lazy butt up, I felt much better.



We headed to a really neat park that's near a big lake with huge trees & nature paths. The rain stopped just as we got there so we thought we were in the clear for the rest of the evening...



Well, we surely thought wrong! After heading down a wooden boardwalk to a covered picnic table on the water, we distractedly ate & hung out. The kids loved looking at the ducks & listening to the frogs so we didn't even realize just how dark it was getting until we saw a huge flash of lightning & nearly jumped out of our seats after hearing the massive thunder clap. So our picnic came to a screeching halt as we quickly packed up & dashed to the safety of our cars!

And here I sit on Sunday night, knowing I should absolutely get my prego butt to bed since I have to get to work super early to compensate for my 8am doctor's appointment tomorrow. I want to get a good jump on my sleep so the early start & hectic morning doesn't get my week off on the wrong foot. Anyway, hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!

Goldfish & Particle Man

Before Cam goes to bed we always hang out in his room, snuggle & sing him songs. Months ago, Mike came up with this goldfish song & we've been singing it every single night since. The other song that we sing each night is Particle Man by They Might Be Giants. Cam absolutely loves it & so do we! Mike's been a They Might be Giants Fan since he discovered them on Tiny Toons singing this very song when he was a wee boy!

22 Week Update

I'm 22 weeks along & Reese weighs nearly one pound & is 11 inches long -- about the length of a spaghetti squash!



How am I feeling? Pretty darn good although I sometimes stay up too late & pay for it the next day when I'm dragging at work! Otherwise, everything is great!

Any new changes this week? I finally had my ultrasound today with the high risk doctor for the clotting disorder I have. Everything looked perfect & Reese thankfully had a clean bill of health! I cannot tell you just how thankful we were to hear the doctor say that everything looks perfect. Since I had a healthy pregnancy with Cam, the doctor sees no reason to continue seeing me!! Yay! Praying that my pregnancy continues on a healthy path!!

Since we had to go down to St. Pete for our appointment, we decided to take half days at work & meet for lunch beforehand. Mike picked a restaurant & refused to tell me where he was taking me so that I would be surprised. He ended up choosing The Moon Under Water which is a British restaurant that we've always wanted to try. It was very delicious & a wonderful way to break up the week & celebrate our baby girl!

Weight gain? 3 pounds.

21 Week Update

I'm now 21 weeks pregnant & Reese weighs three-quarters of a pound & is about 10.5 inches long or the length of a carrot. She's much cuter than a carrot though!



How am I feeling? I've been feeling really good this week with plenty of energy. Good thing because work has been utterly nuts this week & I've been moving non-stop other than my 30 minute lunch break when I force myself to sit down & eat. I've worked over ten hours both yesterday & today so unfortunately I haven't made it to the gym yet this week & things aren't looking good for tomorrow or Friday either. Boo!

Any new changes this week? Reese's movements have gotten a lot stronger & I'm feeling tons of kicks rather than just squirms. Mike's been able to feel her too which is always fun. I've been anxiously awaiting my U/S this coming Monday & I cringed when they called me today & told me they needed to reschedule it until Wednesday. Two days may not seem like much but since I've been waiting for weeks, the extra time seems like a lifetime. I was in such a bad mood after I hung up the phone with the office! They also said they wouldn't give me a disk of pictures even if I brought a blank CD since it's a diagnostic U/S. Um, what other kind of U/S does a doctor order?!

Weight gain? After celebrating the fourth all weekend, I'm now up two pounds total.

Happy Independance Day!

We had a wonderful holiday weekend celebrating the 4th & loving our extra day off from work yesterday!



Sunday morning we whipped up a patriotic berry trifle to take to Jill & Josh's party & Cam enjoyed the heck out of licking the whipped cream off the beaters!







Kelly just found out that she's having a girl! I still cannot believe that we're only one week apart in our pregnancies... how crazy is that?! And Lauren just celebrated Taylor's 9th week on Sunday!



Monday we headed to Lauren & Josh's pool with the whole gang to celebrate the 4th.



Cam had a blast playing with his fellow two-year old friends! We feel so lucky to have wonderful friends with kids that are Cam's age. It's perfect for both the parents & the kiddos!



It was a fantastic way to celebrate our country & our freedom! We love you, America!!