December Party's (so far)

Christmas Party #1: Our friends, The Hartz, hosted a fun party the first weekend in December. Unfortunately we don't have pictures from this party to show for.

Christmas Party #2: We do Bryant Christmas (my mom's side of the family) the Saturday before Christmas. So, last weekend we traveled to spend time with family, eat delicious food, and play dirty Santa. As always, we had a blast, and this year Brody got spoiled with gifts from his great aunts!

Christmas Party #3: The Mitchell's hosted another fabulous party this year.

I had the BEST 26th birthday, and somehow I got to celebrate all week. Monday night we celebrated with the Swann family. Tuesday I got to celebrate with my mom and Am in Fayetteville. Wednesday, the 22nd, was my actual birthday and J had a prenatal massage scheduled for me - WONDERFUL. Last night we were treated to dinner by my parents at our favorite restaurant with the company of my brothers. AND today J and I had breakfast at Stoby's with our great friends, The Blanchettes, then my dear friend Jill took me to birthday lunch. Needless to say, Brody and I have been eating well!! We're on a sugar overload and I'm afraid its only going to get worse with Christmas coming up.

Now we're gearing up for more Christmas, so....TO BE CONTINUED....

33 weeks

Stats: According to WTEWE, because he is 4.5 pounds (plus), my amniotic fluid is maxed out. Which explains why his pokes and kicks are sometimes extremely uncomfortable: There's less fluid to cushion the blows.

Movement: Oh yes! It is what I will miss most about being pregnant.

Feeling: Most days I feel GREAT; however, I'm starting to feel bit uncomfortable at times. For example, when I put on my socks and shoes/boots... I laugh at myself because I HAVE to sit down, and I find that it is so hard to do and takes quite a bit of maneuvering.

Food: I'm confused...they say that by this point I should be having less of an appetite because he is taking up so much space in my belly...this isn't the case for me. :)



Favorite moment of the week: Getting our last "big" piece of furniture set up in B's nursery. I have to brag on my husband because the dresser was delivered WITHOUT instructions and he managed to put the thing together in a couple hours! Now we just have to finalize the accessories/details of his room.

Coming soon: Recent Christmas Party's!

You can find me....

IN THE KITCHEN, Today!

After J went to work I did an early morning Walmart run (drive - to clarify) and came home to bake for the remainder of the day! Whew, I am pooped!

I made 4 pumpkin rolls; one for J to take to his office Christmas party, one for Bryant Christmas (mom's side of the fam.), one for Swann Christmas, and one for McConnell Christmas.

[photo taken from deepwarriors.com]
Pumpkin Roll:

Beat 3 eggs, add 1 cup of sugar, 2/3 cup pumpkin

In small bowl mix 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well and blend into the first mixture. Beat well.

Pour batter in long cookie sheet or a cake pan that holds two cakes. Grease and flour pan or spray with Pam. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if you choose. 1/2 cup. Bake 325 for 15 min.

While cake is cooking take a dish towel and sprinkle with powder sugar. When cake is done, dump on towel and let sit for 10-15 min. Next roll it up. Let cool about 1 hour. When cake is cool unroll and fill with filling remove towel and roll back up and place in frig.

Filling: 8 oz pkg. of cream cheese, 1 cup powder sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla.

** One regular can of pumpkin makes 2 rolls be sure you use a large pan. You want the cake to be thin so it will roll good. Be sure the towel is dusted with powder sugar so that it won't stick.

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Also prepared in my kitchen was a breakfast casserole. There are several variations to this simple and delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage (substitute- turkey sausage)
8 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury crescent roll dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

UNROLL dough in 13x9-inch baking dish; press to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing perforations and seams together to seal. In a skillet, brown and crumble sausage; drain and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, salt and pepper. Scramble eggs. Pour sausage and eggs into baking dish. Add cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

The kitchen is clean, Christmas lights are shining, and I'm going to go curl up with a book and hot apple cider!

32 weeks

Please bear with me as this is a wordy post!

Stats: Brody is weighing in at almost 4 pounds now and about 18 inches long. According to WTEWE, these last few weeks its all about practice, practice, practice as he hones the skills needed to survive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking.

Movement: Absolutely, and he is starting to be MOST active just before mommy lays her head down for a good nights sleep. :)

Because he is growing, thus my belly is growing, we are able to see my tummy ripple more as he pokes around in there.

Feeling: GREAT!

Food: I mentioned the chocolate last week....I need to stop! I use to be a huge dark chocolate fan - it was my favorite, but lately I tend to favor milk chocolate. I sit here drinking my MIL's homemade hot CHOCOLATE! :)

Favorite moment of the week: Our check-up last Thursday! I ended up having an unscheduled ultrasound and got to check on my little guy!

Here's what happened... I went in for a quick, routine two week check-up - weight, urine, blood pressure, she measured my belly, and we listened to his heartbeat. Well, normally she will comment like "oh he/you are measuring right on track" (meaning that my belly measures the week we are at), but this time she skipped over all that and just acknowledged his heartbeat being "great." I had this urge to mention to her my concern, so when she asked if I had any questions I voiced it. I asked her if she thought I was growing as I should be (my belly) because I cannot go anywhere without someone telling me my tummy is not big enough. **it is very frustrating because to me it is like they are telling me something is wrong, or I'm not doing what I should be doing. I want to tell people that I'm doing my absolute best to be as healthy as I can for my little guy and I'm eating like a CHAMP! My doc then told me that I was measuring at 30 weeks (when I should have been closer to 32 weeks). So, to easy my concern, my wonderful doctor did a quick ultrasound to make sure everything was okay with B. All is good with our little boy. The ultrasound confirmed that he is healthy and his head measured to be 31 1/2 weeks.

On another note, I also got to see that his little booty is still where his little head should be for delivery. I covet all prayers! Please pray for B to turn. I learned some tricks to do, so you can bet I will try my hardest to get him to make a move! I also want to stay calm because I know he is breech for a reason.

A close second this week would be our childbirth class. We went all day Saturday, and I soaked up as much information as humanly possible. Believe it or not, Justin also found it to be informative and he was glad that we went. Fortunately for me, J learned several massage techniques that he will practice on me until B arrives!! I'm afraid I was the girl in the class that would not stop asking questions, but like I tell my students, "you have to ask the questions to find the answers." I like to quote Mr. Einstein, "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." We also had a very interesting class experience, one of the girls in the group started having contractions and went into labor. Now I am familiar with labor contractions and what to look for because we witnessed it firsthand.

Brody's Buddy Emmett

Any day now Brody's buddy Emmett will be born! Obviously B isn't here yet, but these two are destined to have play dates and become fast friends! I neglected to post pictures after his Momma's shower (about a month ago) because I was so busy at the time. The hostesses did a fabulous job decorating and bringing in the elements of Emmett's nursery. As you will see, there was a "bird" theme. The cake was adorable, as well!

Sarah

The beautiful Curry girls

Please join us in praying for Sarah and Emmett. We're praying for health for mom and baby, smooth labor and delivery, and that joy will fill all hearts involved.

31 weeks

31 weeks

Stats: B is weighing in at 3-plus pounds this week and about 18 inches long, according to WTEWYE. Supposedly he is quickly approaching his birth length.

Movement: Throughout the day! The hiccups are pretty funny.

Feeling: GREAT!

Food: Still no cravings. Unless you count chocolate, which has always been a craving. :)
I most definitely took advantage of the "eating for two" last week during Thanksgiving!

Favorite moment of the week: Monday, J and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Our last anniversary with just the two of us. Once again, J out did himself. He made reservations at one of my favorite restaurants, surprised me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and gave me another special surprise - a beautiful necklace. The charm on the necklace has two tiny baby feet in gold. Once B is here Justin will go back and get his name and birth date engraved on the back of the charm. I absolutely LOVE it! It was the most perfect and thoughtful gift. As for my stellar husband, he got a recliner. Yes, I said RECLINER. He has been wanting one ever since we found out about our little prince. Although I never thought I would agree to a recliner in the living room, I must admit the thing is SO comfy!

[In addition this week - because it's too good not to....]

Favorite comments recently:

One of the teachers in the lounge during lunch: [she walks in complaining about being in between sizes.] She then looks over at me and says, " Girl, get ready because your body will never be the same after you have him. This is what you have to look forward to."

My thought: Are you kidding me. How do I get brought into every weight or size conversation now? I was just minding my own business enjoying my left-over poppy seed chicken!

My reaction: Hummm....well my mom looked her best after having 3 kids, so hopefully by eating healthy and exercising I can get back in shape.

***I'm by no means saying it will be easy to get back to my pre-baby body, but come on try to stay positive. Not to mention, my body is not the same as hers. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!

------------------------

A lady out shopping: "Honey you're just glowing!" and she proceeds to make sweet comments.

My thought: Okay am I really 'glowing' or is it this basketball belly I have out in front of me?

My response: "Thank you!"

I could go on and on with all the comments I've received thus far....

If only more people (women) focused on the positive - even if it's not what they are really thinking. I say keep your mouth closed if you have something negative to say!

Vegas [I forgot]

Opps! I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I would post pictures from J's business trip to Vegas. Better late than never.

Before he left I forced the camera on him and told him to take lots of pictures!! :) He gladly accepted.
The company put them up at the The Venetian. J had his own suite. He called the night they got there and said I would love it because the bathroom had a huge jacuzzi with a flat screen.

Taking a picture of the bathroom for me

Inside the hotel. The shops outline the "Italian themed waterway."

the gorgeous ceiling

J wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show, but the group decided on seeing Phantom of the Opera instead. Phantom is my favorite play so I was ecstatic for him!

Las Vegas isn't one of my top places to travel to, but if I do go one day I would love to see the Cirque Du Soleil show "O." I've heard it is nothing short of AMAZING!

2 incredible years

Today handsome and I celebrate 2 years of marriage! I am humbled to have the blessing of my husband in my life and praise God for him daily.

[please excuse the picture of a picture - we did not get the rights to our wedding images]

I am so excited to see what God has in store for us this next year and the years to follow.

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!"

29 Weeks

Stats: Head-to-toe he could be as tall as 17 inches now and can weigh nearly 3 pounds. We'll find out soon because we have a doctor's appointment Wednesday.

Movement: Throughout the day! Due to the fact that he is plumping up, the room in my womb is starting to feel a little cramped, making it less likely that I feel hard kicks. I feel jabs and pokes from elbows and knees constantly.

Feeling: Pretty good. I'm tired of acquiring everything my students bring in - this week I've had a sore, scratchy throat and head congestion. Two weeks ago I got the stomach virus. So much for "an apple a day will keep the doctor away" and "make sure you get your vitamin C." I eat an apple and an orange EVERY DAY!!

Food: Potato soup has been my go-to food lately.

Favorite moment of the week: Yesterday! A long-overdue lunch date at Trio's with my best friends, and then picking up J from the airport! We missed him SO much! He had to travel to Las Vegas this past week for business.

29 weeks

Stay tuned..an update on hubby's trip will be coming soon...

Until then here is a sneak peak....

this is what daddy got Brody.

Too cute!!

Productive Weekend

Well I was baby productive this weekend and it feels good to have some stuff checked off my to-do-before-Brody-comes-list!

[today is a list kind of day]

• Early Saturday morning mom picked me up and we updated our registry at Target. Originally, I think I had only registered for 4 items.
• Next, we made our way to T J Max and More where my sweet mom bought Brody 3 super cute onesies and another baby polo shirt.
• We ran into a couple other stores and then grabbed lunch at Oak Street Bistro - a fabulous little spot in our town. I'm hooked on potato soup right now!
• After lunch we headed down town to register at a couple other stores. Having my mom along side me was so much fun and she was such a big help!
• Today I registered us for our child-birth class. Yes, we will do a class because I want to know as much as possible before he arrives. J isn't to thrilled about the class; however, I did sign us up for the 9-4 Saturday class verses the class that meets 4 times a month. We'll knock it out in one day!
• I also ordered the glider for his nursery today, as well as a rug and other accessories. Have I mentioned my LOVE for Serena and Lily! :)

No "preg Meg" update today...we didn't get a picture and I'm currently fixing dinner and baking, so there is no time. I will leave you on a fabulous note....I'm welcoming my third trimester today! Yippee!

Have a grand week!

What's in a name?

William

William is Justin's first name and I love it. I think it is a classic, strong name. Not to mention I hope he is just like his daddy; friendly and personable, confident, determined, handsome, adventurous, laid-back, God-fearing, and the list could go on. If we hadn't decided on Brody we probably would have ended up with 'Will.'

Origin of William: From the Old Norman French Willaume, which is derived from the Old High German Willehelm, a compound name composed from the elements willeo (will, determination) and helm (protection, helmet): hence, "resolute protector."

So, we've had his first name picked out since we knew we were having a boy; however, it took us about 7 months to finally decide on his middle name- the name he will go by.

Brody

One of the first boy names I mentioned to Justin was Brody. My girlfriends know I've liked that name for awhile. J dismissed that idea at first. A couple weeks ago he came in from work and vocalized his love of the name Brody. I was so thrown off because the last time I mentioned it (6 months ago) he didn't care for the name. It was like I had never mentioned it to him and he had just thought of the idea for the first time. I stared at him in confusion, and proceeded to tell him that I had already let go of that name since he dismissed it a while back. He told me he started to think about names he would want to be called and that he really liked Brody. The rest is history. It didn't take much convincing for me to picture our little boy (and one day big boy) as a Brody.

Brody is Irish, and my maiden name is Irish so we thought that was a cool connection as well.

"You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

Psalm 139:16

Introducing....

{his name}

William Brody Swann

'Brody'

Weighing in at 2 lbs 1 oz. We are SO happy he is doing great! Our doctor said he is on the small side of normal, and she thinks everything is progressing as it should. Oh, and to appease my husband our doctor confirmed that he is still, indeed, a boy!

27 weeks


Stats: Head-to-toe he is a full 15 inches (more than a foot long)!!

Movement: Throughout the day!

Feeling: GREAT!

Food: Still no cravings. He is bound to like apples, oranges, and whole wheat bread because I eat those foods everyday!

Favorite moment of the week: This afternoon...getting to see our little prince charming again on the screen and hearing his heartbeat! Also, having my mom there with us was an added joy.

Unfortunately we didn't get a good picture this time because he is breach at the moment, so we're praying that he moves positions before he gets too big. Like most women I would like a natural delivery.

I can't believe we start our two week visits now. Time sure has flown by! This time next week I'll be welcoming my third trimester!

Double Digits!

We've hit the double digits, friends! 98 days to go!

26 weeks

Stats: Our baby is growing and I definitely felt that this past week. He now weighs a full 2 pounds and measures in at 9-plus inches long. [We will find out for sure what his stats are a week from Monday!] A momentous development this week: his eyes are beginning to open.

Movement: On my way to work every morning 'we' listen to praise and worship music (yes, I sing) and it's one of his most active times of day! I love it! [I've introduced him to a plethora of music types hoping that he will be musically inclined!]

Last night, for the first time, I woke up to his movement and to be honest I'm not going to get upset if he continues to wake me up in the middle of the night with movement...I love knowing he is having himself a big time in there! :)

Feeling: Pretty good. I've had some back issues but other than that I'm great!

Food: Still no cravings. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to eat and other times I cannot decide. Italian and Chinese food never sound good to me.

Favorite moment of the week: Putting our little loves crib together and sprucing it up with his bedding! The nursery is starting to have the exact 'feel' I was hoping for!

We started his polo collection this week, thanks to TJ Max and More!

Regular price =$50-$55

TJ price= $15

Justin loves white polo's, so we had to get the 2T white polo for him to match his daddy!

I've got to leave you with a picture of the cutest bubble bee I've ever seen!! :)

[I know I'm biased, but come on how adorable is she!!]

Enjoy this beautiful Sunday!!

Request

At the request of Mrs. Marietta and Mrs. Amber....

....because he is now ready to show himself and my belly is growing, they think it's best for me to do weekly photos/posts again. I will TRY. No promises! :)

105 days to go!

25 weeks along

Stats: Our baby is growing by leaps and bounds, this week reaching 9 inches in length and more than 1 1/2 in weight. His vocal cords are functioning now, leading to occasional hiccups (which I will certainly be feeling).

Movement: All throughout the day!


Feeling: Great! I have loved being pregnant this second trimester! I started sleeping with a full body pillow because I was having lower back issues earlier this week and the pillow has helped.


Food: I'm loving fruit and vegetables, carbs, salads, sweets and chi tea lattes. Nothing too unusual.


Favorite moment of the week: Preface: The last two class periods each day I help two fifth grade teachers teach and work one on one with students who struggle with literacy. I've yet to tell the classes that I am pregnant. Well, two of my sweet boys came up to me this week [probably because it's now obvious that I am with child] and said "Mrs. Swann, we know it's not proper to ask a girl about weight... are you pregnant?" I then reply with a laugh and "I sure am!" Then the one boy that asked me hit the other boy and said "see Noah I told you she was!"



However, as it is written:"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
I Corinthians 2:9

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. We're off to church!