Etsy

I've never really looked around Etsy's website until I found out I was pregnant.  I always heard about it, or read about it on one of the 100 blogs I read, but never checked it out.  Since Duane has a new addiction to Survivor (LAME), I had some time to browse through Etsy's website tonight...and I'm officially in love with the stuff!  Some of it's a little pricy..but I encourage you to check out the website!  Here are some of the cute things I found. It will narrow my search down so much when we find out what Baby G is in a few short weeks!

If Baby G is a girl she will wear LOTS of these adorable hats...

Find it here!

Don't think I left out the boy version of Baby G...

Find it here!

Love these little shoes...

Find it here!

Love this little onsie for a boy...

FInd it here!

I think tutus are SO cute especially in pictures!

FInd it here!

Etsy also has lots of cute home decor..but I have a one track mind at the moment and only like to look at stuff for Baby G.  Make sure you check out their website here!

Hope you're having a fabulous week.  Look for a 16 week update this weekend! :)

Unknown

It's been said many times that I am a worrier.  I worry about every little detail of my life.  It seems like a good majority of my time is spent worrying about what the next day will bring.  Worrying about my health, husband, job, dog, family...you name it, I've most likely worried about it at some point in my life.  Pathetic, yes, but sometimes the truth is just plain pathetic.  This is something about myself that I would really love to change.  I envy those whom walk through life care free and don't seem to ever have an ounce of stress on their mind.  Oh, how I envy them.  Whether it be their trust in God that contributes to their attitude, or just not caring, I'm not sure.  But I envy them.  That's why I know God gave me Duane, for the most part, he's a pretty care-free guy which is such a blessing because if he was a ball of stress like me, well we'd be a wreck!

It's strange, because you would think that finding out I was pregnant would cause a heart attack in the heart of a worrier.  For some reason, this didn't happen to me.  Now, that's not to say that there have not been worried thoughts in my mind in the past 10 weeks.  There have been many.  The second that pregnancy test showed me a clear, blue plus sign, my world was turned upside down.  My poor husband practically had to hold me up due to my emotions.  I felt like my life was happening in front of me, and I was frozen in time, not believing that what was happening was reality.  I cried because being pregnant wasn't part of our plan.  Not at this point anyway.  I cried because I knew my time alone with Duane would soon be ending.  I cried because I have no idea how to be a mama to an infant, 2, 10 or 18 year old.  I cried for lots of reasons.  Completely selfish, absolutely...and even harder to admit.  The biggest reason I cried and am still coming to terms with, is the unknown.  The worry and fear of the unknown.

I have absolutely no idea what this baby will bring in the next year of our life.  For that matter, the next 20+ years of our life.  Nor do I have any control.  Yikes.  Fearful words for this worrier.  However, believe it or not after the initial shock of finding out that I was going to be a mama of a sweet, precious baby, my worry has strangely, disappeared.  I have felt oddly at peace with the way things are.  Do I worry about this baby growing inside of me, of course.  I worry about the babies development and health.  Even at the size of 4 inches and 2 1/2 ounces, I love this baby more than words can describe so of course I worry about him or her.  That being said, I feel very at peace with my life and especially Baby G.  Coincidence?  I think not.  

One of the reasons I hate worrying is because I know that God knows the plans for my life.  He knows that I am going to do long before I do it.  Knowing this, it's hard for me to understand why I worry so much.   The maker of the universe loves me and knows the plans for my babies life and my life, yet I worry.  Sounds completely and utterly crazy to me.  But putting all my faith in his hands is easier said than done.  That's the one of the reasons God has formed this baby inside of me, to put my so called faith to practice.

  The girls in my small group are reading a book called Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.  In the book Shane talks about a time that God "wrecked his life completely".  I can think of a couple of times that God has done this in my life.  When he has said to me "What in the world are you doing?" and caused me to take a look at my life as a lover of Jesus, and revaluate the way I am living.  However, over the past couple of months, I would say this pregnancy has "wrecked my life".  Now before you blow up and say, "How can you say that about Baby G?!", let me explain.  

I certainly do not mean that Baby G is recking my life.  He or she already is a blessing beyond words and I am fully aware that this small apple sized person was put into my life for a big reason.  I think God looked at my life, my worrying and distrust in him and said to me "What are you doing?  How can you worry when I am in complete control?"  How can I stand to worry so much about my life when God says to me..."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11)?  This is a bible verse I have always held close due to my constant state of panic, but let me tell you something, I have CLUNG to this verse in the last few months.  I have absolutely no control over this babies health or development at this point.  God knows that, and I think that's part of the reason he decided now is the right time for me to become a mama.  He gave me something that is slowly forcing me to stop being so selfish and worrying about myself.  He gave me something that has showed me that I simply must put ALL of my faith in him throughout the next 9 months 100 years.  This is how God is wrecking my life right now.  He is helping me understand that I need to completely give up control, and follow him.  Once again, much easier said than done.

My faith in God is the reason I am at peace.  It is the reason I can sleep at night even though the next year of my life seems blurry and mysterious.  If it wasn't for him, these next 9 months would send my into the insane asylum for sure.  He is the one that is caring for this tiny baby living inside of me.  He is forming this little guy or girl just the way he wants them.  I don't know how people that don't know God go through things like pregnancy.  It baffles me.  Prayer for this baby is what brings me peace and gets me through the day.  I am so glad that God has given me Baby G.  Even though this sweet baby is still inside of me, he or she is slowly changing my heart, mind, and life.  A much better way to put it than "wrecking my life." :)

“And He took the children in his arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:16

Is Someone Following me?

As you know by now, this is Kaia...

Whom should have been named shadow, because that's what she is.

My 90 pound shadow.  

Every time I turn around, she's there.  Ever time I leave the room, she follows.  Every time I sit on the couch, she sits right next to me.  Every time I leave the house she jumps up on the door to watch me walk to my car.

I can't help but wonder if this shadow is going to need some therapy come March.  You know, when she's no longer the center of my attention all the time.  One thing is for sure though...

She will be SO glad I have someone new to take pictures of!  And in about a year...

Kaia will have a new little brother or sister to follow around!  And they will love her just as much as I do.

Happy Thursday..it's almost the weekend! :)

14 Weeks!

Yesterday marked the 14 weeks. Only 4 more weeks until we can find out if we are having a boy or girl! Wahoo! Baby G is about the size of a lemon and is most likely starting to suck his or her thumb. Pretty crazy that this little person is moving around inside of me and I can't even feel it. I can't wait until I can feel Baby G kick and move around inside of me!

Now that I've made it to trimester 2 I am starting to feel a little better. I'm still really tired, but I think the lack of energy is more from teaching than pregnancy. I've been sick a couple of times recently which is most likely due to my prenatal vitamins, so hopefully my doctor can get that figured out before too long. My nose has been stuffed up since I was about 10 weeks, so I'm pretty sure that's here to stay! Oh well, all of this will be totally worth it in the end!

My belly is starting to get a little bigger. I am still fitting into my regular clothes, which is nice! My mom said she wasn't in maternity clothes when she was pregnant with me until about 5 months..so hopefully I have a little more time in my cute normal clothes! I'm not sure if people in public think that I am pregnant or that I have started drinking a six pack on a regular basis. I look a little chubby but not really big enough that people can look at me and say, wow, she's huge!

Here are some 14 week pictures...

There is definitely a little baby bump there! I did break down this weekend and finally purchase one of these silly looking things. . .

I resisted for a while, but I figure one of these days in the future I will probably start to feel uncomfortable in my jeans, so I should probably have a back up plan just in case! I LOVE shopping. It's like a hobby to me. However, I don't think I will love shopping for maternity clothes. They are so expensive and I just can't see buying a whole new wardrobe for just 9 months. I'm going to try these bella bands for as long as possible but I know eventually I'll have to break down and buy maternity pants!

This weekend I had my first Build a Bear experience. My mom, sister and I took our friend McKenna to Build a Bear. I of course had to make a bear (or in my case, puppy) for Baby G. I figured Duane would just roll his eyes when I got home and showed him..but I think the puppy's shirt made him change his mind!

Pretty cute huh? Jill and McKenna made bears too...

What a cute place! I can't wait to take Baby G there someday! Gradma H also just had to buy the baby a couple of things while we were out. I have resisted buying anything until I find out the sex (for the record Duane bought Baby G something before I did, who would have thought!?) but this stuff was pretty cute! I can't wait until we know what Baby G is so we can go shopping! :)

If you're pregnant and need a good laugh..check out the book Belly Laughs bu Jenny McCarthy. It's pretty humorous (and slightly inappropriate) and gives expecting mama's a good laugh! If you're looking for a funny, blunt pregnancy book..this is it! :)

Thanks for listening to my pregnancy ramblings! I promise there are many more to come. Hope your weekend was great! :)

I Love. . .

I love. . .

Anthropologie:

It is probably the coolest store I've ever been in. Affordable? Not really, but it's always fun to look! We were at Keystone this weekend so we stopped in and looked around. I got this butter dish and cooking mitt. By my purchases it might look like I'm domestic, but if you know me at all you know that is far from the truth!

Check out their website if you get a chance. The furniture is SO neat. I love the rustic, antique look and hope to decorate my next house with pieces of furniture like these items...

(http://www.anthropologie.com/)

(http://www.anthropologie.com/)

Fall Candles:

I'm a sucker for any fall candle, but I have a couple of favorites. The one that is taking over my house right now, is Fall Leaves. It's from Yankee Candle and I love, love, love it! I can't decide if it's the smell I love of that the smell reminds me of the season I love. I also really like Autumn Wreath. Mmm, Mmm...they smell so good!

Petunie Pickle Bottom:

Interesting name, I know. I was in Norstrom the other day looking for Bella Bands (which by the way, they do not sell in the stores and are also all out of size ones, so they can't even order them. I'm not at all bitter though.) Anyways, I of course had to look at all of the baby stuff. Even though the $120 Burberry onsie was a little bit out of my price range, I did find a diaper bag the I absolutely fell in love with! I haven't heard of this company before, but then again I've never been pregnant. After seeing the diaper bag at Nordstrom I also saw it at Pottery Barn and Baby Gap. I guess they must be popular! I have so much to learn! I found one that I loved and will probably end of getting in the next couple of months. The prices are a little high but they seem to be pretty durable. I wanted a Vera Bradley bag for my diaper bag and I think they are similar in price. Here is my favorite. . .

(http://www.petuniapicklebottom.com/)

Isn't that cute?! They have lots of different styles and patterns. They also have bedding, slings, and carriers. Something tells me Baby G is going to cost us lots of money! You should check out their website especially if your a mom or mom-to-be.

iPad:

Duane purchased a new iPad this weekend and he loves it (and I guess I do too)! I guess having an iPhone and MacBrook Pro wasn't enough, he just had to have this latest Mac product. His excuse was that he "needed" it for grad school. All I know is, he can now use the iPad for all of his ridiculous fantasy football leagues and I can have the laptop all to myself. I guess this all works out! :) It is pretty cool, and I might actually try to sneak some iPad time every once and a while!

Just wanted to share those things with you. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Go Colts!!!! :)

Labor Day Weekend

I love three day weekends. That means a four day school (work) week which seems so much shorter than five days! Labor day weekend was busy, but fun! I was ready to get back to school after the long weekend. After this short week, there are only about three weeks left until our two week fall break. I am really looking forward to that break!

Here's a look at our weekend. . .

On Saturday we had the second annual kickball game. Duane organized it and we had about 19 people show up. Pretty good! I decided to be the official photographer so that I didn't risk getting hit with the kickball! It was great to see some people that we don't see on a regular basis. Duane is already excited for next years game! Can't wait to see what he comes up with! Here are some pictures from the day...

Of course Kaia came to watch the big game!

The whole group!

Sunday we didn't do a whole lot. Duane had his second fantasy football draft so I had lots of couch time with Kaia. Just what this pregnant girl needs! On Labor Day, we decided to go to Brown County with our good friends Steve and Lauren. We started off the day with a hike in the park and finished up the day with lunch and shopping in Nashville. It was a beautiful day and even though it was a little warm and crowed, we enjoyed out time! Of course I took pictures...

Lauren and I before our looong hike!

Steve defacing public property! :)

We saw a huge spider and snake on our hike! Two things that I am NOT a fan of!

Don't worry, I did NOT get that close to this snake. My camera has a fixed lens, so I made Duane get close to get a picture!

Steve and Lauren

Duane and I

And finally..I wanted to show you some of the cute things I bought while in Brown County. If you've never been there, they have lots of cute little stores full of neat home decor. Here are some of my purchases!

A wreath stand! I have been wanting one of these since last fall, and I finally got one. I love it! :)

I thought this soap container was so cool. I love the antique look it has. It looks great in our kitchen!

Duane surprised me on the way home with these. Our first purchase for Baby G! Of course the pacifiers had to be Purdue. GO Boilers! :)

That was our labor day! Glad I was able to blog about it before another weekend passes!

In baby news, I went to the doctor today and Baby G is just fine. Heart rate was 170...which leads me to believe Baby G might just be a baby girl. We will find out at the end of October! Can't wait!!

Have a great rest of the week! :)

Q&A with Momma G!

You heard right, I am pregnant! This 100 lb. frame is slowly getting larger! It killed me to wait until I got to 12 weeks to post our exciting news, but it was something I felt strongly about so I stuck to my plan! A lot of people knew already so it probably wasn't a huge shock to most. Anyways..I thought I'd give a little more information about our news...in case you care! :) If not...you can just scroll down to the bottom if you want to see the first picture of Baby G or my little baby bump. I feel like I answer the same questions 5 times a day so it will be easy to type them all out! I refer to the baby as Baby G, and I'm Momma G. I can thank our friends for those nicknames! :)

Here we go!

Q: When is Baby G due?

A: I am due March 19, 2011. I've known I was pregnant since I was 5 weeks. I took a test after we got back from South Carolina because I wasn't feeling quite right. Duane was quite convinced it would be negative but my intuition told me I was pregnant. We figured the due date before I went to the doctor, but my doctor ended up sticking with out due date. Pretty crazy how much significance Baby G's due date holds. Baby G is due 3-19, which is our address and as you know the title of my blog. It is also the day that my grandpa passed away on when I was in sixth grade. I miss my grandpa a lot, so it would be really cool if this baby could make March 19 a more happy day. Obviously, babies usually aren't born on their due date, but hey, a girl can dream right?!

Q: Was this a planned thing?? (I get this question A LOT!!)

A: I really dislike this question because I don't know how to answer it. I think I get the asked this lot simply because I'm only 23 and Duane and I have only been married 1 year. Were we trying, no. We were on a two or three year plan. We wanted to wait a little while before we started trying to get pregnant. However, sometimes I think God laughs at my so called plans. We were quite shocked when the pregnancy tests (yes I said tests, plural! I took 3 because I was so surprised) came up positive. However, there is no way we could EVER be upset about this little one that is growing inside of me. As far as I'm convinced, if God planned for this baby to be here, then I planned for it to be here, I just didn't know it! Duane and I are married, and both have steady jobs, so really the timing is perfect.

Q: How have I felt?

A: If you would have asked me this question about 3 weeks ago, I would have said HORRIBLE! I was really sick to my stomach every night for about 3 weeks. Kind of weird because I always figured I'd be sick in the morning, not at night. This was quite a blessing especially since my classroom is quite a distance from the nearest bathroom. I'm glad I never had to dart to the bathroom to throw up during the school day. Other than being sick, I was really, really tired all the time. Starting school didn't help, but I had no idea how much a tiny baby could wear on my body. However, now that I'm slowly approaching trimester 2, I'm starting to feel much better. I've even felt a little more energetic the last few days. Wahoo for energy! I have also started doing prenatal yoga. Sounds a little crazy, but it really helps me gain more energy. I have also tried taking Kaia on a long walk almost everyday. I am going to try really hard to stay in shape throughout this pregnancy not only for the baby's health, but for my health as well. Eating for two might sounds great right now, but once I have the baby and want to get the weight off, I know I'll regret my poor eating habits!

Q: Will I find out if Baby G is a boy or girl?

A: YES!!! I am a planner and I need for Baby G's room to be girly or boyish (are those words?). None of this gender neutral stuff for this girl! Although I do think it would be a crazy surprise, I just really need to know in advanced! We're planning a gender reveal (or sex party as Duane refers to it) so that we can share the baby's gender with our closest friends and family. We will hopefully find out what Baby G is at the end of October. Believe it or not, I am really pulling for a boy. I would be completely fine with a girl but for some reason I want a baby boy. My poor dad had to live in a house full of girls so I would love for him to have a grandson to teach manly things to. I know that Duane will be happy with either gender, but I can tell her really wants a boy. Besides those reasons, I don't really know why I want a boy. I guess I am just a little bit intrigued by boys since I have only known growing up with girls. I guess we'll find out in a couple of months!

Q: Are you at all nervous?

A: Oh yes! I feel so old and so young all at the same time. I feel old because being a mom sounds like something a grown up does. I feel young because I feel like I am totally unprepared to be a momma! I can't wait for this baby to get here but at the same time, I feel like I have SO MUCH to learn. I have been reading lots of pregnancy books and talking to lots of moms. This has helped my confidence a little bit, but man, I'm nervous. Aside from these nerves, I'm really excited. I always heard pregnant moms say that they felt an instant connection with their baby when they found out they were pregnant. After experiencing this, that is so true. I feel so much love for this little person that is growing inside of me that it's almost overwhelming. The first time we heard Baby G's heartbeat and saw he or she, it was by far one of the coolest moments in my life. I am tearing up right now just thinking about it.

We pray for this baby so many times throughout the day. We pray for health for Baby G and myself. We pray that God forms this baby just the way he wants (and we know he will). We pray for ourselves as parents and ask God to help us raise a child that loves Jesus. We pray for this little person SO MUCH!

I'm sure that was way too much information for you, but It felt good typing it all out. This blog is kind of therapeutic to me, and that was definitely therapy! Thanks for listening.

If you think of it, say a prayer for Baby G (and his or her momma and dad!).

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you…” – Jeremiah 1:5

Baby G's first picture! I promise he or she is not a baby monkey! :)