Weekend, Birthdays, & Back-to-School!

Whew! I haven't posted in a few days because we have been so busy!

Thursday night was open house at Savannah's school.  She wasn't really thrilled but she was excited to find out that her best friend, Haley, is in her class again this year.  We only stayed at open house for about 30 minutes.  It was very crowded and we were lucky to get in and out.  She did get to meet her teacher, which was one of those strange-but-cool moments because when I was her age, I had the same teacher, and the year I was in her class is the year Savannah was born.

After open house we came home to visit with my cousin, Ross, before we headed over to grandma and grandpa's for grandma's birthday get together.  He had just arrived in town for the weekend from his job in SC.  He took the whole weekend off to celebrate turning 21.  It was nice just to sit and chat with him for a little bit, and he said he would come back by before he went back to work.

When Ross left, we went to grandma's.  Jordan stayed home because he wasn't feeling well, so it was just mom and Savannah and I, and my little bean. ;)

We were a couple minutes late, but when we got there we had cake and ice cream with grandma and grandpa and with my aunt and uncle and their boys.  After cake, grandma opened her presents and we all sat around and talked for awhile.  The kids played some computer games and talked about the new school year getting ready to start and it was overall a pretty nice night.



On Friday mom and I took Savannah back-to-school shopping.  Jordan had to be at work at 10 and got off at 3, so we spent the whole time at the mall.  We discovered that my baby sister has grown completely out of the kids' department.  She got women's size 6 1/2 shoes, and moved up to the juniors in jeans and shirts. It was a successful shopping trip with minimal complaints, which is kind of shocking because my sister despises shopping, especially when she has to try things on.

When we left the mall we picked Jordan up and came home to wait for dad.  I took a nap for almost four hours.  I have been so tired so far with this pregnancy.  I am hoping that my sleepiness will wear off when I hit the second trimester, which is now only 2 weeks away!

Ross came by Friday night and brought some beer and he and dad had one together in celebration of his 21st birthday, but he left pretty soon after that to meet up with his friends and the rest of us went to dinner as a family.  We went to our favorite place, Applebee's.  We ran into my mom's Aunt Barbara and Uncle Ronnie and their daughter, Jenna.  It was good to see them, and we asked to sit with them, but the wait staff said adding extra chairs was a fire hazard and there wasn't a big enough table nearby.  We didn't let that mess up our night, though.  We had a nice dinner and talked and joked and it was really a great time.  Sometimes all you need is your own little family.

Late Friday night my uncle Ron came in from his job in Charlotte.  I was already in bed, but Jordan let him in and everybody went right to sleep.




Saturday I slept in, and when I woke up someone had already taken Jordan to work.  I took a shower and then mom and I ran to the store to grab a couple of things she needed for dinner.  When we got home, she and I made dad a birthday cake and she made her famous homemade wings.  Dad and Ron worked in the yard and on the cars until it was time for the race, and then it was like Bristol was literally in our living room.   Ross came by at some point and visited with his dad, but he didn't stay for dinner because his buddy's were throwing him a birthday bonfire. We ate wings and watched racing and sang happy birthday to dad, Jordan got off early, and not long after that I went to bed.




Yesterday was dad's birthday.  We had planned on going to Beth's wardrobe showing/send off party for Miss America, but we didn't make it to that.  I was a little disappointed, but I wasn't feeling my best and I told Beth I was sorry we couldn't make it and I hope to see her soon.  Mom made homemade pizza for dinner and we watched some of the VMAs, but we tried to turn in early so we could all get up to see Savannah off to her first day of fifth grade.




Today went pretty smoothly, except I really felt nauseous for the first time. I haven't had morning sickness at all, but today I felt so sick! And the worst part was that I was starving all day, despite the nausea, and I couldn't even get comfortable to take a good nap! All of that aside, though, it was a good day.  I went with mom to take Savannah to school and then we came home and caught up on our favorite shows together and soon it was time to pick Savannah up.  She said she had a great first day, and she even got in the car smiling! I'm hoping this year she can get more excited about school and maybe I can help make learning fun for her.

After school we stopped at Willie's and got some hot dogs and then went over to grandma's and ate our snack and Savannah talked about her day and we just spent some time together, just us girls.  Grandma got me a really nice maternity shirt and I can't wait to wear it!

When we left grandma's we had to stop at Food Lion to pick up some stuff for dinner, but I wasn't feeling well so mom and Savannah went in while I waited in the car.  When we got home I took a shower and Savannah and I read to each other and then we all just kind of did our own thing until dinner time.


Now here we are, all caught up, and I am finally feeling better after feeling awful today.  Jordan is playing his video game and I think Rachel and I are going to bed!

Dalmatians, Fire Trucks, & Celebrity News!

The past couple of days have been really nice.

Savannah and I got our hair cut yesterday.  Hers was her back-to-school haircut and mine was just because! She really cut a lot off and she says it feels great! Mine is layered now and it does feel a lot better and lighter.

It is hard to believe my baby sister is going into her last year of elementary school this year, and by the end of the school year she will be an aunt.  Savannah is really excited, and for the first time since she started school she will have one of my teachers! I have been waiting for this since she was in Kindergarten, but most of my elementary teachers retired or moved schools before Savannah could get to them.  Tomorrow is her open house, so for us that means summer vacation is officially over.

After we got our haircuts yesterday, we went out to lunch.  Hwy 55 was Jordan's pick and it was pretty good.  After lunch we took Jordan to work and we spent the evening with grandma and grandpa at their house.  We arrived in time to watch The Young & The Restless, and of course we had to talk about it like the people are real and we know them!

While the story was on, grandpa sneaked to the back of the house and came back with presents for Savannah and I.  She got a fashion design book, and I got the most adorable little onesies, bibs, and a blanket for the baby.  Everything matches and it is the cutest little set with dalmatians and fire engines on everything.  This is a special gift since grandpa was a fireman and we have always connected through our love of dalmatians.  They have always been my favorite breed and are well known as fire station dogs. Don't tell my Rachel, but beagle/sheltie mixes are my second favorite. :)


Today, in celebrity news, Jill (Duggar) Dillard and her new husband, Derek, announced their pregnancy! That means that the first Duggar daughter to have a baby will have her baby the same month we welcome our little baby! I thought this news was really neat.

Weekend Happenings and Such...

Our weekend went pretty well.  We had my little cousin Ashlynn stay with us Friday and Saturday nights and we cooked out all weekend.

Friday night we had burgers and my childhood friend, Taylor, came to visit.  It was great catching up with her and just hanging out.

On Saturday night we had some kind of pork that was a little spicy.  I ended up eating a bowl of cereal.

Sunday was race day and so it was very loud at our house, but I still managed to get a nap in! Sunday night we had chicken on the grill, which was delicious, and then Jordan and Savannah and I watched the lion king movies until I fell asleep.


Today has been a really lazy day for all of us.  My mom isn't feeling well, and actually, we all took a nap and just got up not too long ago.  It's already almost 3pm and I am supposed to have a mommy class today, but I'm just not really feeling it.  I think I will skip out on it today.

Mom and I are going to take Jordan to cash his check and pick up a few things from the store, but I think that will be all for our energy today.

Mommy Class!

Today was my third "mommy class" at WPCC.  Thursdays are mostly for moms who have already had their babies, but pregnant women are allowed to attend as well, so this being my first week I decided to check it out.

Today's class was about carseat safety.  We watched a video on carseat installation and when to change your carseat based on your child's age, height, and weight.  There was also a handout that went along with the video, which, of course, I kept.

It was a nice surprise to see an old friend in class today.  My friend Joquita that I went to middle school with was there with her 7 week old son, Zi'Rione! He was a little bundle of adorable! It was good to see her and also a little weird because it really made me realize how many of my friends from school are moms now and that I really am next!  My very best friend from school, Marieke, actually has TWO kids now! Her sweet girls, Anna and Maggie, are 2 years old and 4-5 months old! I'm hoping to see them soon and, when I do, I will get some pictures to put on this blog.


I felt pretty good today aside from a headache that is still bothering me a little bit, but I'm blaming that on the fact that I skipped out on my daily nap.  That being said, I am going to turn in a little earlier than I usually would tonight.  I've been having strange dreams lately so I'm hoping to sleep soundly.

Mommy Class!

Today was my second class at the local pregnancy center.  We watched a video on how babies learn and develop skills from birth to two years old.  It was very interesting and educational and I learned some things I didn't know about babies.  After the video we were given some handouts.  I put them in the folder with the ones from my first class.  I am trying really hard to keep up with all of the things that I collect during my pregnancy and throughout our baby's first year so that he/she will have it to look back at someday.  Our kid isn't just going to have a baby book, it will end up being a whole box!

After class I went "shopping" in the little store they have set up at the pregnancy center.  So far I had earned seven baby bucks and today I only spent two.  I was able to get some maternity clothes for me (I am already starting to show!) and I got five onesies and five outfits for the baby.  The program is really great for expecting parents, especially for those of us that are doing all of this for the first time.  I have another class tomorrow and I am really excited to learn more and meet other women who are pregnant in our area.  Our kids might be good friends someday.  We just never know how things may go!

Sad Celebrity News...

So something happened earlier this week that I want to take note of and discuss a little bit because it really stuck out to me and bothered me, and also because I want my child to know about this and why it mattered to me so much.  A lot of celebrity news and world news and news in general is going to happen while I'm pregnant and when our baby is a baby, and I want to make sure our child knows about things that were happening in our world while he/she was still to small to understand.  I can't keep up with everything, but this week's celebrity news hit me pretty hard, so I want to make sure I write about it...


This week Robin Williams died.  I am devastated on so many levels.  Robin Williams was not only a phenomenal actor and comedian, but an asset to so many people and organizations everywhere.  He was and will always be one of my very favorite celebrities.  Robin starred in some of my favorite movies like "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Jumanji", "Flubber", "Patch Adams", and also voiced and portrayed great characters like Genie from "Aladdin" and even Peter Pan in the live action adaptation, "Hook".  His inspiring ability to light up a room that he wasn't even actually in has always inspired me.  I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but every time he was on our television, I was glued.

Robin Williams grew to mean even more to me as I grew up because I began to notice all of the amazing things he did outside of his career.  What stands out to me the most are Robin's apparent love for animals and children, specifically his involvement in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  Robin knew that children are our future, and he sincerely wanted to help them.

The reports say that Robin Williams committed suicide and was found deceased on Monday afternoon in his home.  Some say he suffocated, others that he hanged himself.  I will never know exactly what happened or why, but I do know that I refuse to judge him negatively in his death.  Robin Williams was an amazing life to have in our world.  I am sad that my child will grow up in a world that he is no longer in.  I will make sure that our little one knows about Robin and who he was and that we continue to watch his movies and allow his spirit to survive in our family.

Heartbeat!

Today we heard our sweet baby's heartbeat for the very first time.  It was definitely the highlight of my three hour appointment today at the health department.

Jordan and mom teared up a little bit, and they recorded it, so hopefully we will have that forever and ever. I'm trying to keep up with everything so that our child can look back at all of this stuff later.

I was so excited today when the nurse was able to find our baby's heartbeat.  They had told me at the beginning of my appointment that sometimes they can't detect the heartbeat before 12 weeks.  I am 10 weeks and 5 days today, but our little one's heart was loud and clear.

The rest of the appointment went pretty well.  It was a long one, but it was the first big one, so the time was understandable.  They went ahead and tested me for gestational diabetes and that came back negative, which I am happy about, and all of my results from last week's labs were good too.

Everything seems to be going really well so far.  I'm not having many symptoms, just feeling tired a lot and having some heartburn.  Oh, and I'm pretty moody I must admit, but no nausea! (Knock on wood!!!)

We are all so excited about this baby and this new chapter in life.  It's going to be a long pregnancy waiting to see his or her sweet face.  For now we are happy to have a heartbeat.  It's the sweetest sound I've ever heard.