Boy or Girl??

So, the big question as we prepare for Baby H.2 to be here in 6 DAYS (?!) is….

Boy or Girl?

Just for kicks, I thought it'd be fun to create a poll and see what you think.  If you have time, either use the poll above, or write in the comment section.  

Guess we'll know soon!

Baby H.2

We're excited to tell you that Hammond's going to be a BIG brother!

Little brother or sister Hargather is due April 14, 2014 (or 4.14.14...lots of 4's!).  

And we won't know whether it's a boy or girl until April, so I guess we're calling this one Baby H.2?  

pregnant ramblings

I realize that my blog is getting overtaken by all things dog + baby, but since it happens to be what's going on in my life right now, forgive me as I continue with a few random ramblings about pregnancy.  

1 - We're 5 weeks away.  Did you hear me?  Only 5 MORE WEEKS?!  See below for the most recent belly photo...

35 weeks...and HUGE

2 - Given that fact, I'm right where I imagined I'd be.  Having procrastinated for the first few months, I now find myself in mild panic mode.  Woke up super early yesterday morning, running through the list of things that we still have left to do.  And it ain't a short list!  

3 - I'm having continuous dreams about all things baby.  The nursery, crying babies, etc.  Last night I dreamed I went into labor while I was in jail.  Not sure why I was in jail, but it was obviously not for anything too serious, considering they let me out to go have the baby.  I even dreamed I was timing contractions.  

4 - If I've changed my mind about one thing on the nursery, I've changed my mind about a million things!  I like to think that I have a decent eye for design, but I just cannot make decisions for the life of me.  And I have trouble envisioning things before they are actually in place.  So, on Saturday, I tediously drew out something I had planned for on the nursery wall...spending a good 45 minutes on it...only to realize that it wasn't going to work, which led me to repainting over my pencil marks and moving on to Plan B.  Thank goodness for my sisters and friends who are opinionated and good at this kind of stuff! :)  If we ever finish it, I'll be sure to post pictures galore!

5 - I'm really tired of wearing the same clothes over and over again.  As I mentioned before, maternity clothes shopping is not very fun.  Anyone ever feel good looking as they pull an outfit on over their overly large belly, while trying to make a normal outfit look as normal as possible...unable to do so considering the elephant in the room (or in your belly...ha...that's when you feel like an elephant!)?  We have my younger sister's engagement party this Saturday, and I found a dress.  Feeling really good about it, I got home to try it on with shoes, jewelry, etc.  Only to realize that it's just impossible to look or feel hott with this big ole' thing in the way!  Sweet?  Precious?  Adorable?  Sure.  But, not hott.

6 - Everything is really crammed in there.  At our childbirth education class on Saturday, our instructor showed us a picture of what our organs look like w/out a baby in there, then what they look like w/ a baby.  No wonder I feel like this kid is all the way up in my rib cage.  Actually, I think it's the organs, but they gotta go somewhere!  And everything's getting a little uncomfortable...can't cross my legs well, bending over is not fun (getting back up is even worse), and my back and feet are squealing at the end of a big day.

7 - For some reason, giving birth doesn't scare me.  I mean, people do it all the time, and tho I hear it's really painful, it's just temporary.  It ends eventually.  It's what happens after we have the baby, like the fact that a sweet little person is going to be totally dependent on us, is what scares me pretty good.  Been praying about that for a while.  

8 - It is totally worth it.  I know I sound like I'm complaining, but the truth is, I just think it's all hilarious.  And I really don't mind being pregnant.  It wouldn't matter anyway, because even though we haven't even met our sweet baby...I'm in love.  To feel him/her move around inside of me, to know that we get the privilege of raising it to know Jesus, and to grow closer to my husband all at the same time.  It's amazing.  Just funny, all at the same time!

big brother

Between the new shock collar (have I told y'all about this?  we now have a collar w/ a remote so that we can shock him when we need to...from far away...like when he's digging in the yard and we're inside or trying to eat something he shouldn't...sounds awful but it works wonders!  anyhow, between that) and the fact that there's been lots going on in the soon-to-be nursery, I'm afraid our little Scout is having quite a bit of anxiety.

Since we've been doing lots of work in the nursery, and then we brought home lots of new things from the shower this weekend and laid them out in there, Scout has been acting so weird.  He'll walk into the room and smell everything (which is better than him trying to eat it all!), and then walk out and plop down outside the door.  This is not a normal spot for him to land, so it's been kind of funny.  Example below...

this was him last night...nursery is on the right 

and later on in the night, I found him here...halfway in,

halfway out....just staring

(oh, and here's a glimpse of the nursery!  once we get a few

more things completed, i'll do a post on it...soon!)

Really makes me wonder if he knows that something's up.  And how in the world he's going to respond when one day we leave the house and come home with a baby!!  

Or maybe he knows that he's turning 1 YEAR OLD tomorrow?!  He'll be joining me at work, and we may or may not have a little birthday party planned.  

Either way, I do love this little guy.  And am still convinced he's going to be a great big brother!  

traveling across GA

These past few days have been a whirlwind.  An awesome, exciting, full of family whirlwind.  

As I mentioned in the previous posts, last Thursday the non-Augustans traveled to Augusta to support our dad as he received his award.  We headed back early Friday morning just in time for work and school!

On Saturday, all the non-Carrolltonians traveled to C'ton to attend the 7th (maybe?!) annual Blue Jean Ball, which supports West GA Habitat for Humanity.  I'm proud to say that my sister, Jennifer, is all the creative brains behind this event.  She's so talented, and the BBB is not only a fun affair (with an amazingly decorated barn, outdoor bonfire, yummy Low Country BBQ, fun bands, and dancing!), but it's also their biggest fundraiser.  

And yesterday we had our first baby shower!!  Gma Sue-Sue hosted the event at her house, along with Aunt Kelly, my friend (and honorary Aunt) Jessica, and one of our Augusta family friends, Marilee.  I could go on and on, and believe me I will as soon as I have some pictures to accompany my words, but it was amazing.  And really made this feel like the real thing (as if my ever-expanding belly hadn't done the trick!).  More to come...

Speaking of baby showers, my sweet friend and co-worker, Dawn, crafted these AMAZING invitations for a work shower coming up at the end of February.  

Are they not the most adorable invitations that you've ever seen?!  

She used baby clothes (sleepers, to be accurate), sewn to make an envelope that you had to unbutton to get to the adorable invite, which was backed with gingham fabric and topped off with a sweet bow.  My iPhone photos don't do it any justice, so you should go to her blog to see her photos and to get a better idea of how she created them.  She's one of the most talented, creative people I know, so this is one shower I am so anxious for...just to see the decor!!  

celebrating

In my family, we have a tendency to celebrate birthdays (and all other fun, exciting milestones) for at least a week.  Jamie doesn't feel quite the same way about his own day, but he is always so good to recognize that it's just what we do. :)  That being said, he did a pretty amazing job at making sure 30 was one birthday I'll never forget. 

it's been on my wish list for so many years...the Nespresso Citiz

amazing, husband...really, amazing!

SURPRISE!  husband and i made a lunch date, and when i showed up, it wasn't

husband at all!  it was some of my favorite people at one of my favorite lunch spots!

[sidenote: Unfortunately, I'm almost impossible to surprise.  But he pulled it off!] 

Scout forgot to give me a gift on my actual bday, so Thursday morning

he found and tore apart our new phone book!  and i got to pick up all the little pieces! 

We were back and forth on how to celebrate 3-0 (mind you, I'm 7 months pregnant,

and not much for a blowout event right now :), but he threw together a pretty

great get-together with some of our closest friends.  It was a blast, and the perfect

way to ring in 30.  Big thanks to some of the women who helped him pull off this spread! 

 so much yummy food!

 we also got to use the fire pit that J's mom got him for Christmas!

it was cold outside, but this was perfect (and that's the only pic I got of it).

 4 of my absolute favorite people came to celebrate, too!

I love it when my sister comes to visit, for so many reasons, but in part 

because she will sweep through my house and help me change things

around, rearrange, and just revamp.  30 minutes before the party, she did

just that!  she's so talented!

 party planner extraordinaire, with his really pregnant wife.  

thank you, Jamie, for making this such

a great birthday.  i know you're glad it's over. :)

and just because i love him so, check out scout hanging out in the

middle of all that was going on.  he had such a big night (the twins wore

him out pretty good beforehand).  he just sat and took it all in until

he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer!

Thanks to everyone for making it such a great birthday!  I know I've said it over and over, but I am confident that 30 is going to be our best year yet!  Grateful to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family.

projects

The month of December was a busy one for us, for all the obvious reasons and for the list of projects that we had to tackle.  

The first was a fun, random commission project.  A co-worker of mine had a friend who was looking to gift a custom-made corn hole set to her husband.  My co-worker knew that Jamie and I had made a set last year for my sister, and asked if we were up for it.  We figured a little extra cash was always a good thing, so we took it on!  That being said, I'm not sure we'll ever do it again. :)  It was a lot of work!!  And I made the mistake of letting her request whatever design she'd like on the front.  Oh well...at least it was a fun, time-consuming project! 

If you know me well, you know how meticulous I can be when it comes to 

free-hand projects.  So, this AU was a pain in my rear!!  Especially given that I

needed to make two of them.  But, it all worked out...after way too much time!

the final result

(we'll probably end up doing another one next year :)

Between Christmas and New Years I set out to tackle a large to do list.  Most of that list was organizing and cleaning...two things that don't make a huge impression to the outside world, but make such a difference in our home!  

But two projects that I have visuals for are below.  The first was redoing our countertop in the guest bathroom.  The top layer is some type of varnish or clear coat that had begun chipping long before we bought the house.  It has bothered me so much over the past two years that it was time to finally do something about it!  

With little to no knowledge on this kind of stuff (Kristen Davis, where is your full tutorial? :)  What, you can't give all your secrets away?!), I did my fair share of google research, and came up with a plan of action.  

see the spots

here's why i tried to use sandpaper and elbow grease after we moved in

I wish I'd gotten a picture of the sanding process.  Thanks to Gavin and Lindsay, we had an electric sander.  But, because the piece was attached to the wall, I had to sand inside.  Talk about a huge mess!  Oh well, gave me a good excuse to thoroughly clean the bathroom, I guess!  

starting the priming process...pregnant ppl have to wear masks

after the first coat of paint

and we're done!

it is by no means perfect, but it is so much better to me...

and that's what counts :)

The other big project was getting started in the nursery.

furniture moved: check

walls patched up and painted: check

cleaning out the closet: check

installing closet door: check

husband was such a good sport...he was put to work!
and of course, scout was a good sport too...wondering
what the heck was going on!

Now I'm working to fill the nursery with all that we need!  I'll keep you posted as we make progress!

fun facts

This week, I am 30 weeks pregnant.

Next week, I'll be 30 years old.

Totally intriguing I know.  But, hey...kind of cool. :)

a week off

Christmas was so wonderful...last one without a little one, which made for a very grown up holiday.  But we enjoyed being with my family, sleeping in, trying to keep Scout tame for my mom, and envisioning what next year will be like.  So grateful for family, and time with them.

I am also so, so incredibly grateful to have the week off from work this week.  I can't stress that enough.  But, I feel like this picture below depicts how I'm feeling.  

 Ah...baby's coming really soon!  We've got to get a move on!

So, this week we are spending all of our time purging, organizing, rearranging, painting, re-doing furniture, registering (well, it's happening at some point!), cleaning, and the list goes on.  There's a part of me that secretly loves all of this, so no need for a pity party.  It's tiring work, but so gratifying in the end...baby or no baby on the way.  I'm just so glad that I have a full week to focus on the arrival of our babe.  And it's amazing how in the midst of all of this, I've managed to realize the things we need to get done on our house, too!  It's as though I forget we'll still have a life after the little one arrives. :)

And this guy is so confused, trying to figure out what in the heck is going on...

Little does poor Scout realize that his world is about to be rocked as well.  I am confident (or else just trying to convince myself so that I won't go crazy) that this pup will be a great big brother!  

3D

I know this blog has turned into all photos, but I can't help but post a few of these next ones.  We got to see Baby H in 3D this afternoon!!  Our sweet family friend, Barry, let about 6 of us cram into his office to ooh and ah...and laugh at our baby's sense of humor (seriously, it already has one).  

It was crazy, and to be honest, little babe was a little funny looking. :)  But, it was so neat.  Cannot wait to meet him or her in just a few short months!  

 baby is flexible!

 What a crazy little miracle!  

An Update on the Babe

I know blogging hasn't necessarily been my strong suit lately, but I've got some updates coming.  However, now that we finally have our own laptop, I have to remember to update when I'm on the computer that my photos live on!  Coming up: a Thanksgiving update, and a post on our past weekend (arguably one of the best we've had in a while...thanks to some good friends!).  

Up today on the blogroll: Top Six Random Pregnancy Thoughts

1 - The belly is gettin' big, y'all.  For your entertainment, I've included a photo of the most recent profile shot.  Of course, I know that a growing belly means a growing baby, so I am super grateful for it.  However, it is really weird having your body grow and change in ways that you've never experienced.  Just when I can't imagine it getting any bigger, it does.  And we still have 3 months left to go!  

2 - Speaking of that belly, it sure does make it interesting when I'm trying to bend over to put on my shoes, squat down, or get out of a deep-seated chair or sofa.  I feel like a senior citizen, huffing and puffing, and grabbing onto something to pull myself back up!  Oh, and I don't even want to talk about trying to pull off my boots at the end of the day!  Ha.  Let's just say that job has fallen to a sweet husband that I happen to know.   

3 - Shopping for maternity clothes ain't even half as fun as shopping for regular clothes.  Oh my goodness...I'm totally serious.  I've tried really hard to extend the life of all of my tunics and non-form-fitting clothes to accommodate the aforementioned growing belly.  But, at about 20 weeks, there was some necessary maternity shopping that needed to be done.  I'm so incredibly grateful for my friend Kathryn, who had baby Caroline in June.  She's loaned me a ton of clothes.  But I've done some of my own shopping.  A few thoughts on that coming up soon.    

4 - Cravings.  Thankfully my first few months were not spent with my head in the toilet.  Don't get me wrong, I had a constant feeling of nausea, but only got sick a few times.  And the exhaustion...well, that's a whole 'nother topic in itself.  But, the biggest difference is how frequently I get hungry.  And I mean...hungry.  Of course, small, healthy snacks are the best options, so I try really hard to be prepared.  But when I'm not, watch out!  Because all I want is FRENCH FRIES!  Yes, french fries.  Probably my biggest craving.  But, other weaknesses include pizza, frozen yogurt, and anything sweet.  For a short season, I had an aversion to vegetables (which I have always loved!), but my aversion to chicken has stuck around (unless it's fried and in the form of a CFA nugget).  

5 - If I thought having a dog was a great way to meet random people, having a belly bump and a dog...pretty sure I've met more people in the past 3 months (that I've really been showing) than I have in all my life. And I'm a people person, folks.  All kidding aside, some of the people who have started conversations with me....grocery store workers, delivery guys, neighbors (which has been a huge plus!), and more random people than I could even begin to tell you about.  What's it going to be like when I have this cute lil' kid attached to my waist?!  Who am I kidding...I'm lovin' it!  

6 - Finally, the most amazing thing so far has been feeling the baby move.  It really is one of the coolest things I've EVER experienced.  It was hard to discern at first, but once that baby got moving, it happens much more frequently and much more noticeably.  Even more crazy than feeling it, is seeing it!  Ha...when the baby kicks, my stomach pops out.  I know it will get even more pronounced in these next few months, but it's so cool. And so far Jamie, Sue (MIL), and my mom have all felt it move as well.    

All in all, I'm so grateful and so in wonder of the gift we get, as mama's, to carry our baby's for 9 (really 10) months.  What a crazy, unique experience.  Somedays it just blows me away that this is how we have children, but it makes me even more in awe of the God we serve who made it this way.  That God, He's a smart one. :)

Telling the Family

Since this is our first baby-to-be, we really wanted to tell our families in person.  Much easier for J's family who is right down the road, but it was quite tricky to find the opportunity to tell mine.  Schedules were crazy and distance was a factor, but we really wanted to tell them all within a small timeframe (my mom + sisters + I are terrible at keeping secrets from each other!).  With a Labor Day deadline in mind (so that we could finally tell everyone!), we just got creative. See below for how we ended up working it all out!  

Honey + Daddy Big

My parents had been traveling to Madagascar to visit my brother in late August.  Knowing we wouldn't be seeing them before Labor Day, I had to figure out a way to meet them at the airport as they returned thru Atlanta (without causing suspicion).  Somehow I convinced them that it was completely normal for us to want to drive to the airport at 7am on a Monday morning for a quick visit. What a great daughter I seemed to be, huh?!  

Instead of just blurting out, "hey, we're pregnant!"  I decided to a go with a slightly more subtle approach.  We brought them breakfast bread (figured they'd be hungry), and a whipped cream "# 5" on top (this will be my parents 5th grand baby).  

They definitely took us up on the breakfast, but it took them a little while to figure out what # 5 meant.  So, I spelled it out for them on a t-shirt I had hidden under my jacket.

That picture is of us in the security line at the airport!  Ha. We had to deal with the circumstances we were given!  

Sue-Sue + Aunt Kelly

Once Jamie and I found out we were pregnant, I had somewhat been avoiding people.  Between the way I was feeling and the fact that it was SO hard to keep it a secret, I just preferred laying low.  So, we were way overdue for a dinner with Jamie's mom and sister.   We finally got one set for a Thursday night at Flip (one of our favorite restaurants).  

Jamie and I were leaving for Jackson, MS the next day to visit sweet Caroline and her parents.  And, I just happened to have a little goodie basket I was taking to her.  I figured she wouldn't mind if I borrowed the little baby booties for our Hargather reveal.  

When we arrived, I asked the hostess if she wouldn't mind getting our server to bring out the booties (with a sign saying "Baby H, 3.12.12 attached) after we'd ordered.  Well, the folks at Flip went over and beyond.  Besides beautifully "plating" the booties, they also included a little liquid nitrogen for the smokey/dry ice effect.  

It was hilarious.  Kelly and Sue had NO idea what was going on.  "What is that?" - Kelly "Do we eat it?" - Sue "Are they hand towels?" - Kelly  (Keep in mind there was lots of liquid N2  smoking all around it.)  Once it dawned on them what was going on, tears were shed.  But, it was so much fun to share with them!  

Aunt Diddy

Robin Anne (aka "Aunt Diddy") and soon-to-be Uncle Bob came in town Labor Day weekend for the UGA/Boise State game.  Somehow I do not have any documentation of our time with them, but I went one more creative route with her.  I made about a dozen of my favorite iced sugar cookies (that I make every year for our Unbou cookie swap).  And on a few of them I wrote in icing, "Baby H, 3.12.12."  Well, I offered RA a cookie that Friday night, and made her read the text before eating it up!  Was so fun to have them there to talk through baby plans.  

I also used those cookies to tell some friends and other family.  

On our way to Carrollton that Monday (up next), we got to Skype with Uncle Andy and Aunt Betsy to tell them the news.  Unfortunately, it was really hard to get creative over the phone, but was just as exciting to share with them!  

Aunt Jen, Uncle Tee, and the kiddos

Our final trip was to Carrollton on Labor Day to share with the Green family.  I know I came up with all sorts of different ways to tell people, but I thought making a puzzle for the kids would be fun.  Well, let's just say it was much easier to make than it was to put together!  

I gave it to them pretty quickly upon arrival, thinking they could put it together, then come ask me what exactly was going on.  Turns out, I had to sit on the floor and help them put it together, while Sue and Jennifer visited.  It was really hard!  Finally, we figured it out, and the kids were slightly perplexed.  Eventually, Hadley asked if I was pregnant, and I told her to ask her mom.  The kids were so enthralled with the fact that there was a baby in my belly...it was hilarious.  

I showed them the picture from Baby Center's pregnancy app that I had just downloaded on my phone.  At the time, we were 13 weeks, and the baby was still looking a little like an alien in a sak, with a big head, large eyes, and a smaller body.  Hutton thought it was funny, and decided to draw a picture of it on their chalkboard. :)

On the way home from Carrollton, we started calling close friends and getting the word out.  Not only was it fun to share the news with everyone, but it was SO NICE to finally have the word out.  No more secrets!!  

happy halloweeeen!

from me + baby 8 ball (magic or non-magic...your call)

the first of many homemade costumes to come for our little peanut