high 5 for insta-friday

its friday!!!  which means i'm linking up with lauren, jeanette, rachel and lindsey to acknowledge all the little things that made this past week super great! 

ONE:  we had a baptism service this past sunday and it was great.  i missed the first one we had there on site.  it was crazy to see these people taking their next step in faith at the lincoln theater.  it just goes to show you that God shows up everywhere!  people might not think its appropriate to set up a church in a place the serves alcohol to sinners until we hours of the morning.  only a few hours before we arrive to set up there could have been mosh pits and head bangers or *gasp* rap music.  i have seen some of the most mature, old school christains come thru those doors and love it ... i have also seen some people attend that would have never walked thru the doors of a traditional church because they feel judged or have been spiritually abused.  yes, we held a baptism service in a bar ... we hold church there every sunday ... and its kinda awesome!!! 

TWO:  lazy sunday afternoons with the pups are my favorites.  

THREE:  my friend lacie gave me a gift this week.  its so cute!  i cannot wait to take a picture of mister with this paci :)  

FOUR:  husband and i have had a hard time growing much in our yard besides weeds and a few peppers.  a few months ago he planted some seed for me but not much has become of them.  BUT this flower was waiting for me outside on monday morning and i just knew it was going to be a great week!  

FIVE:  i went to the airport with my family on wednesday night to meet my aunt coming in from london.  her and a good friend just finished traveling the way of st. james, also known as El Camino de Santiago.  they have been gone just over a month so it was good to see her home!!!  im looking forward to spending some time on saturday catching up and hearing all the stories from her adventure. 

extra credit favs:  my favorite moments from this guys 2nd birthday party. 

you can see more here.

happy weekend!!!!

reminder!!!

hurry

you have less than 48 hours left to get your 15% discount at the funky dot.  
use the coupon code "bestday15" at checkout.

since the giveaway i had earlier in the month, courtney has added some cool new items to her shop.  check it out!!!  {the flasks are my favorite}

i took advantage of the deal and bought my sister a birthday gift.  she LOVES it!  

29 weeks pregnancy update

update:

• 29 weeks = 7.25 months
• 15 to 17 inches long and about 2.5 to 3 lbs ... basically the size of a butternut squash (see below).
• mister movement:  lots!  usually around 11am and 9:30 or 10pm is when he is the most active.  i havent felt any hiccups yet and im hoping he doesnt take after his father with those.  husband tends to get the hiccups for days at a time.  
• food cravings:  i have been craving fruit mostly.  finally located some figs at my local whole foods so i have been snacking on them and fresh strawberries a lot.  
• sleeping:  still only getting up once, around 6am, to use the bathroom.  
• my movement:  the sofa in the basement stays pulled out into a bed most of the time for optimum lounging ... i have to do a little rocking motion when getting up.  also, my left foot falls asleep often so i end up walking funny until it wakes up. 
• comfort:  my biggest issue has been finding a bra that fits well, that is supportive and even mildly comfortable.  i wont go into too much detail but i have taken one back to the maternity store and plan on taking back the one i just exchanged and they keep getting more expensive.  needless to say, if this is my only complaint, i am very well aware that i am one lucky girl.  
• heartburn:  gone for now ... hip hip hurray!!!
• mood/emotions:  pretty normal as far as i can tell.
• energy level:  i am noticing a difference here and find myself getting tired more easily.  
• nursery:  no updates here.  still the same as last week (see above)
• belly button:  still in ... although it is getting very shallow :) 
• stretchmarks:  none yet
• what to wear:  i feel like i have had a growth spurt in the past week.  things that fit fine just 7 days ago, no longer seem conformable.  luckily this opens me up to 2 pairs of work pants that have been a little big but now im down a couple of tops.  no worries though, thinking about stopping by some thrift stores to see if i can find a few things to get me through this last stretch (pun intended). 
• looking forward to:  baby showers!  i am so looking forward to celebrating with our friends and family over the next month or so.  also, we havent really purchased anything for mister yet.  i have been holding out and saving our funds for anything that we will need before and just after he gets here.  i haven't even bought one outfit, although we have been given a few really cute ones. 

its hard to believe i will be 30 weeks pregnant tomorrow.

wise wednesday

source

dear mister,

i have really enjoyed these past 28 week of carrying you around with me everywhere i go ... you're the best accessory i have :)  as uncomfortable as i know im about to get, im already sad we might only have 10 more weeks this way.  

even though i cant see you, you have been really giving me some kicks and nudges to let me know you are safe and warm.  also, i get to hear your heartbeat whenever i like thanks to some good friends that let us borrow their doppler thingy.  daddy and i listen almost every night before we go to sleep.  its the most beautiful sound in the world.    

ever since we found out you are a mister, i have been letting my imagination run wild ... what will you look like and who will you turn out to be.  will you have your dad's blue eyes (even though the odds are against it) and be a laid back guy with a servants heart?  or will you get my brown eyes, passion and lack of an inside voice?  

we have been slowly getting your room together.  i know you wont really care what it looks like.  i try to keep this in mind, but as you grow up and start to understand your surroundings more, i hope you like my choices.  i think i have found a great placement for your crib so daddy and i can sneak in and look at you without waking you up.

your daddy and i have also been thinking a lot about the guest room.  this is important because your grandparents, uncles and aunts will want to come visit you a lot.  it will also be where your cousin vincent sleeps when he comes to play with you ... did you know he prays for you?  yup, there are a lot of people that are praying for you and i cant wait for you to meet them all.  its amazing how many people love you that you dont even know yet.  

i hope you are making the most of your time inside me.  although, im sure it can get a little boring.  not much to do but grow eye lashes and listen closely to whats going on in the outside world.  do you hear mailey barking a lot?  if so, try and get used to it so it doesnt startle you awake once you get here.   omar stays pretty quite but i know he knows you're there and is excited about meeting you ... we all are.  
so stay safe little guy and ill see you soon! 

love,
your mom

breakfast for dinner

one of our favorite meals is breakfast for dinner ... no matter what shape it comes in. 

i found this recipe on pinterest, where all good things go to be lusted over and not properly sited.  i have the original source here if you want to take a looksy.  that lady's breakfast wheel was a lot prettier than mine, but i guarantee i used more cheese than she did so mine was most likely yummier :) 

high 5 for insta-friday

today, i am linking up with lauren, jeanette, rachel and lindsey to acknowledge all the little things from this past week that makes my heart smile. 

ONE:  as you may have guessed from this post, my nephew, vincent, is obsessed with pirates right now.  although he still has love for thomas and friends, i think he has moved on.  the thomas thing was a bit out of control.  the show is annoying and the toys are heavy ... you know this if you have ever had a toddler launch a thomas or percy at your head.  but now, he has moved on to pirates and its so freaking cute!  my sister took him to the pirate invasion in beaufort nc a couple of weeks ago and he is having a pirate themed birthday party in december.  that means, i get to dress my one month old mister up like a little pirate.  CUTE!!!  

brother and vincent at the pirate invasion

TWO:  after an exciting weekend, omar was pooped.  

he slept like this almost all the way home. 

THREE:  my mother-in-law brought us over some yummy cheese. 

i have been melting it on toast and hot dogs all week long. 

... and i have been eating a lot of eggs to get my iron up.

.

... and i finally found some figs.  

i ate most of them within 4 hours of the purchase

FOUR:  after almost 4 years without air condition in the jeep, we finally had it fixed. 

and this little "piece of car" was the culprit.  

FIVE:  my belly is getting huge!  

{yeah, thats my head up there}

just a constant reminder that i get to meet mister soon :)

28 weeks pregnancy update

update:

• 28 weeks = 7 months
• mister could weight between 1.5 to 2.5 lbs and could be almost 15 inches long.
• a couple of weeks ago, i misspoke and said i was in my 3rd trimester.  turns out i am NOW in my 3rd trimester at 28 weeks ... with only 2 more months to go.  i guess its because the 36 weeks vs 40 weeks thing.  either way, im 6.5 weeks away from my due date and thats only comes to 35 weeks ... see how it can get confusing.  
• a kind friend has loaned husband and i their heartbeat monitor doppler thingy.  i was able to share misters heartbeat with my whole family and i get to hear him every night before bed.  isnt technology fun! 
• things to look forward to:  i hear/read that i could start leaking (as in lactating) any day now ... fun!  and so far i have not experienced any braxton hicks contractions but these could also be right around the corner. 
• food cravings:  still nothing too exciting.  i did manage to get some black California figs at whole foods but still none of the green ones.  
• sleeping:  just fine for the most part.  i wake up around 5 or 6 to use the bathroom and then back to bed with me.  the other night i didnt sleep well because of horrible dreams but other than that, its been pretty normal. 
• mood/emotions:  i feel in control of my emotions still, although, husband might would tell you differently. 
• nursery:  last week, my mother-in-law brought over a rocking chair for us to use.  im excited to add something to the room from husband's side of the family.  he said he remembers the chair being at his grandmothers house for as long as he can think back.  i just need to recover the cushions and it will be a perfect spot to rock mister to sleep.

wise wednesday

via

currently ...

missing ... husband's beard.  i wonder if his new job will mind if he grows it out. 

loving ... these last few weeks of summer.  its cooling down a bit a night which is really nice. 

thinking about ... what mister will be like *sigh*

listening to ... damien rice pandora station

drinking ... my one cup of coffee for the day, then water ... lots of water. 

reading ... Jesus, my father, the cia and me:  a memoir ... of sorts

dreading ... shorter days that come with the cooler months.  i hate getting home at 5:30 and its already dark. 

addicted to ... cheese toast and tootsie rolls

watching ... a lot of dirty jobs episodes on netflix 

dreaming of ... figs!  still unable to find some yummy figs around these parts and i want some :)

anticipating ... a trip to the beach for our five year anniversary.  i think we might even get to take the pups.  fun!

and the winner is ...

dont forget that everyone can receive a 15% discount at the funky dot for the rest of august.  

just enter the coupon code "bestday15" at checkout. 

... shannon!!!!

congratulations!  

i will forward your email address so expect to hear from courtney at the funky dot soon to discuss what you want on your cup/tumbler.

high 5 for inst-friday

today, i am linking up with lauren, jeanette, rachel and lindsey to acknowledge all the little things that made this past week awesome.

ONE:  last saturday was the best.day.ever.  

• i began my morning with the love wins crew downtown.  it was a beautiful morning surrounded by beautiful people.  
• next, i hung out with some of the ladies from church packing backpacks full of school supplies for neighbor to neighbor.  
• then, i headed to get my hair did and spend some time with lacie.  not only does she always do a great job on my hair, she is a joy to be around.  
• afterwards, my friend christina and i met up to spend the afternoon together.  we ate lunch, made a pit stop by some thrift shops and then had headed downtown for the best cold brew in town.  we walked around for a while sipping on our yummy coffee.  it was so great to spend some time with her just catching up and encouraging one another. 

the entire day was such a reminder how much i love my city and the people in it.  husband and i are so blessed!  

me and christina on my wedding day.
{original photo taken by christine hall}

TWO:  i finally finished painting the crib.  woo hoo!  

 

... and i am very much looking forward to tackling the changing table next. 

THREE:  headed to my hometown on tuesday evening to take the jeep to get the air condition fixed and an impromptu visit with the family :) 

my bro escorting mom and i while we walk home from dinner.  

FOUR:  husband and i completed our financial peace university class this week.  it was a really great class that taught us a lot about being and staying debt free and supporting our growing family.  next steps:  pay off our last little bit of debt and then start baby step #3: build our emergency fund.  

  

FIVE:  i was gifted this awesome personalized tumbler from this months sponsor, the funky dot.  today is the last day to enter this giveaway. CLICK HERE to enter and read more about the discount she is offering. 

happy friday!!!!