dear brother

have i told you lately how awesome you are?  

you, my dear brother, know how to push my buttons and make me mad enough to spit.  you also know how to make me laugh until my cheeks hurt and i almost pee my pants.  you play the role of this tough guy with your guns, trucks, hunting and harley but i know better.  i know you have a gentle heart, that you are kind and go out of your way for people.  i also know that God has such big plans for you ... He tells me so when i worry and pray for you.  He tells me that you are making a difference in people's lives, that your humor and tender heart touches people much deeper than they let on.  

i am so excited that mister will have you as an uncle.  im sure you will teach him lots of things that piss me off ... but you will also teach him things like how to find the best deer stand and how you can be a man and cry at the same time.  you will teach him that its ok to sit at the lunch room table with the kid that everyone picks on, be an athlete, love Jesus and be the life of the party {if you could skip the being naked part, i would appreciate it}.  i know you will teach him to be passionate and take life by the horns but also ways to be calm and reflect on what God has put in front of him.    

you are an incredible brother and role model for my son.  i cannot wait for him to meet you!

happy birthday brother!!!

photo taken by christine hall

block party

sunday evening, our small group hosted a block party.  i will admit that these last few weeks of pregnancy has been putting a strain on me physically and mentally, so i mostly sat back and took it all in. it was great to see the kids start a football game and the adults getting to know one another.  

so go ahead, its the perfect weather to grab some hot dogs, pumpkin brews and a cornhole set and meet your neighbors.  

wise wednesday

currently ...

missing ... summer, beer, a tan, a good nights rest and the energy it provides.    

loving ... husband, his patience with me and his general awesomeness. 

thinking about ... pretty much everything under the sun.  my mind races constantly with all the things i need to get done in the next few weeks.

listening to ... mumford & sons pandora station 

drinking ... a sprite

thankful for ... being only 4 days away from reaching full term (27 weeks). 

dreading ... the famous after pregnancy hair loss that most women experience.  

addicted to ... pumpkin ice cream from trader joes

watching ... dvds for our birthing class.  also, husband and i just finished watching season 2 of the walking dead on netflix. 

dreaming of ... pain free child birth :)  and getting to meet our son!   

excited about ... having more than 5 items of clothing/shoes that fit comfortably, being able to easily paint my own toenails and getting out of bed without grunting :) 

high 5 for insta-friday

today im linking up with lauren, jeanette, and rachel to share the little things from this past week that makes my heart smile.

ONE:  
i love to remind husband how he says he "doesnt have a sweet tooth" when i find him like this :)

TWO: 
after our last baby shower, its now time to buckle down and find a place for everything we have received.  we are so blessed ... we wont have to buy diapers or clothes for a while!

THREE:  
twice this week husband has been able to meet me for lunch.  after 5 years of marriage, he still opens my car door for me.  i seriously heart this dude!   

FOUR:
i was able to meet up with kristin from the art of being silly on wednesday night for coffee.  it was fun getting to know another local blogger in real life :)  

also, we met right around the corner from a.c. moore, so i slipped in to grab a few art supplies for a nursery project im working on.  

FIVE:
its official!  i have made it thru 35 weeks of pregnancy.  i only have 4 more weeks until my due date and im getting very anxious to meet mister!!! 

have a great weekend!!!!

35 week pregnancy update

update:

• 35 weeks = 8.75 months
• 29 days until my due date ... as of tomorrow, i only have 4 weeks left.  what the what!  
• mister should be about the size of a honeydew melon, measuring up to 18 inches long and weighing in over 5 lbs.  however, i look like i have something much larger then a honeydew in my belly. 
• mister movement: things are getting a little crowded in the ole' uterus so the movements havent been as large as they were, but just as often. 
• my movement: in a word "elegant" or maybe even "graceful" LOL!  ok, i just pulling your leg that feel asleep.  whats that?  your legs arent falling asleep every 30 minutes ... maybe its just me.  HA!  lets just say that i have felt quite large and awkward these past few days.  and yes, i know, its only going to get worse. 
• sleep:  waking a few more times during the night this week and finding it a little harder to get back to sleep.
• comfort: well, i finally went bra shopping.  i was able to find a nursing bra that seems to fit pretty well.  if anyone else is having a hard time, i decided to go with the brovado brand (thanks for the suggestion kristi).  
• energy level:  about the same as last week. 
• belly button:  in
• stretch marks:  none
• birthing class:  i signed up last friday and went by to pay and pick up any materials needed for the class.  since we will be doing the 1 day class, we have several videos to watch before we go.  i have only gotten through the first two and have learned a lot and i think husband is getting a lot out of them as well.  so, the videos alone have been worth the effort and cost of the birthing class.  im not sure i would have put this much effort into it if i had not heard such great things from my readers.  thanks ladies!  
• nursery:  i finally have my area rug and i started putting together the collage wall.  i plan on organizing a lot this weekend and find a proper place for things instead of shoving it up on the closet shelves.  i think i will wait to do a nursery reveal post instead of showing any more random pictures ... so stay tuned!
• other: i had a doctor's appointment this morning and everything seems to be right on track.  from here on out, i will see them once a week. 
• also:  we had our final baby shower last saturday afternoon.  my aunts hosted it at my mom's house.  it was really great to have a bunch of family friends i havent seen in a while.  i know i have mentioned it on here before, but we have just been overwhelmed with generosity, love and support from everyone.  

here are a few photos from the shower on saturday. 

wise wednesday