look who's got the holiday spirit!....

Well sort of.

His shirt says:

"IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!"

While his face says:
"seriously? get that stinking camera out of my face"

The Christmas decor is up in our little bungalow.

Almost all the gifts have been purchased.

Now I need to find a wee bit more holiday cheer in order to start the gift wrapping process....

perhaps this year we can have everyone close their eyes and we will gently place their unwrapped gift in their eager hands?????

'1. 2. 3. OPEN YOUR EYES!!!!!!!!!!'

Question of the Day.....

Why, in fleece pants, size 0-3 months, are there pockets?

Is it for the change, car keys and wallet Henry needs to carry around?

Just curious......

Silly...but it's how I felt

Stone and I had our first night out and about on Saturday.....without Mr. Henry....he stayed at Mimi and Grandpa's house (my parents).

(note: both of us have been away from the wee one separately, but never together)

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at one of our most favorite local restaurants, then we stopped by a friends 30th birthday party.

Since Mr. Henry has arrived I have had a silly secret fear.

I'm afraid that Stone will get bored with me and our life together since we can't just get up and go do fun things at a moments notice like we used to. I'm afraid that he will sort of 'blame' me for the loss of spontaneity since technically I brought the wee one into this world....even though it took the both of us to make him.

I know it is absurd, but in my post-baby state of mind this is what I was feeling.....

On the way home from our date night Stone turned to me and said:

"I had a really nice time tonight at dinner just the two of us and seeing our friends....but I have as much fun (if not more) just sitting at home with you and Henry."

Silly me.

My post-baby state of mind forgot what a wonderful person I married.

PS: I just found this picture of Mr. Henry moments after he was born.....and I fell in love all over again.

The Truth Is.....

bringing Mr. Henry into this world is the best thing I ever did

(I guess Stone had something to do with it too....)

delayed reaction.....

I didn't cry when Henry was born.

Stone did. Mi Madre did. My sister did. Katie Jean did. But I didn't.

Don't get the wrong idea....I was over the moon when I saw that sweet boys face, but I think I was in shock.

Yup, shock.

1) I just pushed a baby out of my body.....in 18 minutes to boot!

2) Throughout the entire pregnancy when someone would ask me what I thought I was having I would say 'boy'. But really in the back of my mind I just figured the baby would be a girl....I'm a girly girl, so I always pictured myself having a girl. SOOOO, when the baby came out and I saw (forgive my frankness) balls...I.WAS.SHOCKED.

3) I just pushed a baby out of my body....

Fast forward to 2 weeks and 3 days post-birth.

I'm sitting on the couch holding a sleeping Henry, just staring at his face, and it hit me......

Stone and I made him. This tiny little person is made up of pieces (hopefully the best pieces) of the two of us.

....and I cried

(photos taken by the talented Heather....who just so happens to be my sister)

Look What I Did

Henry Michael

born

October 23rd

weight

6lbs 14.5oz

length

21in

He is a dream......

prizes and such

Today was a good day

Full of prizes and surprises

Thank you SB (soon to be SC...but she will always be SB to me) for making all of my boot and cupcake dreams come true

(boots from here...took me 1.5hrs ((not kidding)) of wiggling my foot to get these bad boys on, this baby bump is all up in my way)

(it was peanut butter heaven.....yes, peanut butter heaven)

must.have.now

Size 7.5?

Yes please!!!!!!!!!!!!

(found here...but not in my size and I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket!)

I've been showered.....

A few Sundays ago my darling sister threw me a sweet baby shower luncheon.

A week or so pre-shower I had a slight mental break down and said to mi madre, "Mom....I literally have nothing for this baby."

Let's just say there is no need for me to worry. This baby is set! JEEZ!...it looks like Babies-R-Us puked in our living room. We got EVERYTHING we need! I'm so lucky to have such awesome friends and family.

(note: I have a medium to mild hatred for the name Babies-R-Us. It makes me think they are loading babies into those t-shirt launchers they have at sporting events, and shooting them out to the customers...I'm just sayin)

Here are a few shots from the day:
(taken of course by our resident photographer...my sister)

Heather put together an all yellow candy bar....

Not only was it absolutely delicious and adorable, it was also the favor for the guests.

Check out the delicious spread!....and just because I can't booze doesn't mean I should punish my friends and family. We had wine, Sangria and Sweet Tea Vodka for those looking to get truly saucy....

Mi Madre made the cupcakes, but Heather had these awesome cookies and sweet little cake made....on top of the cake was a question mark (since we don't know what we are having), a bottle and a little onezie on a hanger. How flipping cute!

My favorite gift wrapping job of the day....well done Erin you crafty minx!

I would like you to take notice of the cute little boots I have on in this picture of me and Mi Madre.....It took my sister and niece Laney 10-12 minutes to get these boots on me. Not because my feet are swollen...on the contrary they are still quite slim and polished to perfection (most days). The problem was the ol baby bump....it really got in the way!

And last....me and my sister. She thought of every little detail and made the day so incredible special. I can't imagine my life without her and am so lucky to have such an inspiring lady to look up to.

PS: The Colts had their first game of the season during the shower. They lost.....Stone, Les (by brother-in-law) and my Dad were a sad site when they came over after the baby festivities.......

maternity 'photo shoot'

My mom asked if Stone was going to be in any of the maternity photos my sister was taking of me. I told her, "Yes, but only if he promises to be shirtless in all of them."

Stone declined the offer so alas the photos are only of me and the bump.

Here are a few shots from our afternoon.....

I'm so lucky to have such an amazing sister who not only takes time out to do sweet things for me, but who is also actually really awesome at taking photos!

SCORE!

a letter.....

Dear Honeybees living where our roof meets our wall,

I'm sorry we had to evict you.

From what I can tell, you are perfectly friendly bees...not of the killer persuasion.

It's just that well, humans and bees can't share living spaces.

There's the language barrier. I speak English while you speak Bzzzzzzz.

You fly up to say hello. I wave my arms in response, misunderstanding your Bzzzz "hello!" for Bzzzz "I'm going to sting you!". Before I can correct my social faux pas you are on the defensive like a heat seeking missile narrowing down the spot you see best to plant your stinger.

Even if we were someday able to understand your dances and Bzzzz's, there is the one tiny itty bitty little problem of the sweet babe growing in my belly.

When we first bring the baby home we won't even understand it. The baby speaks in screams, cries and grunts that, at first, will be completely foreign to us. Your Bzzzz 'hello!' will be impossible for the little one to understand...and me being the new momma, I know I will for sure misinterpret it for 'I can't wait to tell my friends about this chubby little addition to the family. It will be a fight to see who will be the first to sting it!'

You can call me selfish till the pollen comes home, but I think the eviction will truly be the best thing for everyone involved.

Hoping your honey is sweet this year,
Court

PS: I'm also sorry about your fallen comrades. It didn't have to end that way for them. The eviction notice went up (aka: your nest was sprayed) and they ignored it. We can't have squatters buzzing around inside our house day and night doing who knows what out of revenge.

look who got all jazzed up.....

Not too shabby for a pregnant lady and a man dressed in black on a 97 degree day.

The wedding was a grand time....

until Stone headbutted me on the dance floor (on accident)

Is there a bonfire in your house?.....

....No, that would be my hair.

We had southern style smoked bbq for dinner tonight. It seems that not only did my belly get full with the meal, but my hair drank up as much of the bbq flavor (read: stench) as it could.

M
o
v
i
n
g on to more important things.....

Stone and I had a serious conversation the other night.

"If you could brush only two teeth in your mouth every day, and it had to be the same two every day, which two would you pick?" Was the question at hand.

Stone went for the jack-o-lantern look. One on top and one on bottom...right in the front.

I decided I would pick a molar on the top and the corresponding molar on the bottom. That way when all the teeth in my head fell out I would still be able to somewhat chomp down.

Very serious stuff.

Things I love to love even if it makes me red in the face to admit it....

*The song "After All" by Cher and Peter Cetera (theme song from the movie Chances Are)

It's terrible but I get a little weepy every time my iPod picks it when I shuffle my tunes....I kinda love the move Chances Are too

*The movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

I mean come on.....Maid Marian. Need I say more? I wanted to be her when I was a kid. Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham...nuff said. Don't even get me started on my sweet Morgan Freeman. I think my love for Morgan and his regal face started when I saw this movie. Funny thing, this movie has been on my top 10 list for years and years, but I never owned it until recently. My sweet little husband surprised me with it when I got home from work one day last week......in attempt to talk me out of repainting the nursery late Tuesday night. (attempt failed, but I was still super pumped to get my hands on that movie!)

*When people rub my belly

I mean obviously not strangers and definitely not when I am not pregnant....that would be just plain awkward. Well let's be honest, it's a little awkward even when I am pregnant. "Excuse me. Would you mind rubbing my belly for a minute?" How does one go about requesting a belly rub?...without sounding slightly like a puppy.

Bump Watch 2010

Here is the baby bump at the tail end of 25 weeks....

The bump is getting big.

My hair is getting big.

My boobs are getting big.

My appetite is getting big.

Basically everything is expanding in my world....

and I kind of love it.

keeping you abreast....

(other than the fact that my nephew is a nursing baby, and therefore loves boobs, this photo has nothing to do with this post....he's just too darn cute not to share a photo!!!)

Mid-way through high school I came to terms with the fact that my 'lovely lady lumps' were never going to be, well....'lovely lady lumps'.

I grieved, as any teenage girl would. But over time I came to love the fact that I wasn't sporting two cantaloupes atop my chest (or even peaches for that matter!) and had been blessed with a rather 'perky' demeanor. I embraced my itty bitty self and flipped a giant metaphorical bird to one Victoria and her sultry Secret. To get right down to it...I burned my bras.

Well ok, I didn't actually set fire to anything...but I kicked my bra wearing days to the curb and have been living a rather carefree life ever since.

(note: I do always wear and undertank as to not be inappropriate. Not to worry dears, I'm not putting the girls too far out there)

Now imagine my surprise (and horror) when a couple of weeks ago, during a visit from my sweet madre, she uttered the following statement to me:

"You do realize that at some point you are going to have to put those things in a bra."

Or when hanging out pool side I walked up to my Aunt Nancy to greet her with a warm hello and she states:

"Well look at that!...she's got boobs!"

And lastly when my sister (who got the boob gene that skipped me) told me she loved my new swimsuit but:

"There is no way that top is making it through the summer."

I'm just gonna put it out there. I'm freaked out.

I was prepared for stretch marks. I was prepared for raging hormones. I was prepared for prego brain. I was prepared for a lot, but I was not prepared to have to strap the girls in for the next 5 months (and quite possible the rest of my life!)

As it stands.....I haven't turned my back on my cozy cotton undertanks. I can't! They are too darn cozy. The thought of straps and clasps and synthetic fibers in this heat are about enough to bring this perky girl to tears!

Signed,

Desperately Seeking Vickie (so I can slap her and her sultry secret)

long time no....see?

I have been....

falling in love with summer

reading

painting the nursery the wrong color (ugh...I'm irrational)

chasing down the ice cream truck

gathering

growing (seriously...)

attending a Portillo's hot dog party

planning a weekend getaway

walking the dog to the dog bakery

falling out of love with summer

craving Cinnabon

using new serving dishes

purchasing a crib

getting charlie horses in my calves

wondering what this baby of mine will look like

watering my garden (tomatoes and peppers are here!)

I've missed you.

no YOU are!

Stone is puttering around outside in our backyard/garage doing who knows what....without his shirt on.

I'm sitting in the upstairs guest bedroom (future nursery) catching up on blog reading.

Then I hear Stone yell to me through the window,

"This parking job is one of your all time worst."

(let it be known I do not claim to be the best driver nor garage parker)

So I yell back the only appropriate response,

"You walking around outside sans shirt on is one of your all time worst."

Oh how I love it when I revert to my 3rd grade self!

Not to worry dears, I am no longer pantless!

Oh, you didn't know I had been walking around for the past 18-ish weeks without pants on???

Well I have been.

If it couldn't be paired with leggins, it was left in the closet.

(and by closet I mean on top of the guest bed that until recently had been my own personal walk in closet/lounge...do you think the Nugget will know the sacrifices I made for him/her???)

So anyways, back to the pants of the matter. I am pantless no more!!!!!

A big round of applause needs to be given to my sweet sister. Whilst at the mall on Monday, she said what I am sure other's have been wanting to say....."Hey, let's go look at Gap Maternity. It's seriously time you get some pants."

Indeed. It was time.

Stone snapped this 'lovely photo' last night after a quick trip to McDonalds for a vanilla cone.

See the cone in my hand? He made me laugh (as you can see) by asking what I was doing with the cone. "You're just gonna have it in the picture? Are you gonna take a bite? What exactly are you doing?" SNAP! he takes the photo, looks at the photo then says (with a disturbed look on his face) "oh no!...let's take another"

Well this sent my giggle fit into over drive (as you can see above) and Stone was sweet enough to snap a picture right after I screamed "I'm gonna pee my new pants!"

Oh Stone...you are such a gentleman.

And this is my bump at the end of 18 weeks

All in all, it feels good to be back in pants.

playing in the dirt

Look what I did!

(tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, cantaloupe and a blueberry bush)

OK. Stone did it, but that's neither here nor there.

I can only do so many things at once and Monday afternoon I was very busy reading Harry Potter (again) and growing a baby in my belly. How was I possible expected to till the land?

PS: I wonder how many more times I can use "I can't, I'm growing a baby" before Stone snaps...

Quiz:

(Pre-quiz info)
-I woke up this morning with the sneaking suspicion a teeny tiny elf crawled down my throat in the night, then proceeded to scrape the back of my throat with a wire brush.....good times.



Whilst kissing my love good bye this morning I had a coughing fit so intense it caused me to:

A) pee my pants

B) start gagging (thus bringing up my Cookie Crisp)

C) look at Stone for help only to have him stare back with a look of horror etched across his face

D) all of the above


If you answered 'D' you get an A+ for the day!....good times.

PS: Sorry if this was TMI, but it was actually quite funny. (after the fact)

to show the bump or to not show the bump....that is the question

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

Summer is upon us and the age old task of purchasing new swimsuits is upon me.

This year being the year that it is, (the year I have a growing baby in my belly all summer) I have been chewing on whether or not to bare it all this summer.

Well I won't be 'baring' everything...jeez!

I've decided to embrace the bump and show it off...sometimes

Probably not if/when I am at a beach or a pool party, but when hanging with the family by the pool....

THE.BUMP.WILL.BE.OUT.AND.ABOUT.

In 6-10 businesses days I will be rockin this swimsuit top:

With these bottoms:

(both in 'grape'...the color of the top)

PS: It's a definite possibility that said swimsuit will arrive, be tried on and promptly sent back to where it came from.

reason #364 why I love Stone

Because after a long day of work

I came home only to have to leave again for the evening.

Whilst getting ready to walk back out the door he says,

"In the words of Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds.....when will I see you again???"

Oh Stone, if I had a nickel for every time you made me laugh....

POP!

So here it is

'the bump'

(almost 15 weeks)

Confession:

I've started accepting food from strangers.

It might be a problem....

A client walked into work the other day (in my defense she is a 'regular') and asked if any of us were hungry. I had just eaten lunch, but before I could stop myself "whatcha got?" came flying out of my mouth!

I accepted a hard taco from a stranger.

Not even a hard taco supreme...just a regular old hard taco!

I think I need help.....

potatoes + cheese = YES PLEASE! (REVISED)

Cheesy Potatoes

ingredients-

1 bag of shredded potatoes (you know...like for hashbrowns)
1 16oz container of sour cream (you will you 3/4 of it)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 bag of shredded cheddar (save some to sprinkle on top)

salt and pepper to taste

ALSO....a bit of onion...dried or fresh it doesn't matter (sorry I forgot this on the original post)

to do-

in a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together

scrape them into a baking dish (I used 13x9, but you can use whatever)

bake at 350 for one hour

ENJOY!

PS: don't expect there to be leftovers

PPS: not having a camera is really cramping my style...you will just have to take my word for it that this not only looks delicious, it actually is delicious...plus the dish I used to bake this cheesy goodness in was missing a handle and didn't look so cute.

PPPS: thank you dear sister for the recipe!

crying over spilled milk (shake)

(My mom calls Chick-Fil-A "The Chick")

Chick-Fil-A has a Peach Milkshake on their menu for the summer.

Stone bought me one for dessert, after we dinned on "The Chick" tonight.

It was good.

It smelled good. It had bits of peach in it. And the whipped creme on top was top notch.

It stopped being good however, when Stone knocked the half full/melted milkshake inside my purse.

Not only did he rouse me from my after dinner nap (I take those now).

But now my purse (and most all the items in it) smells like old milkshake.

Stone's take on it:

"On the bright side. I think the peach flavor is really going to help cover up the rotten milk smell"

I guess there is always a positive........

UPDATE:

Stone requested I update you all with the fact that although yes, he did do the spilling....he also did ALL of the cleaning. The little bits of peach floating at the bottom of my bag looked a little bit too much like throw up for me to handle.

the stats.....

12 weeks along

due November 3rd

stuffing my face with almost anything and everything

(note: I have been unable to try Yoplait's new gift to the world...Red Velvet Yogurt....the very thought of red velvet in the form of yogurt sets my mouth a watering (not in a good way) and gives me the shivers. Seriously...it's bad news bears)

my jeans still fit....and by 'fit' I mean I can wear them, not buttoned, and be uncomfortable all day

my already thick tresses have become an almost uncontrollable mass with it's own plan for world domination

Stone calls the wee babe in my belly 'Nugget'...pronounced 'new-get' with a slight English accent

And that's about it!....Honestly, I have felt really great. I feel lazy and a little bit cranky sometimes (more on that later) other than that.....top notch!

Thank you for your sweet comments!

the jig is up.....

What it boils down to

is that I've been busy keeping a secret

A secret I have loved having tucked under my wing

safe and snuggled and warm

A secret that is really starting to show itself.

The secret is.....

I'm going to be a Momma

I wonder what sort of amazing little person we will have with us come this fall.

PS: If the baby takes anything after this guy.....

(Stone with a stuffed pig in Italy)

he/she is destined to be awesome.

the plan is to have no plan at all.....

Today I want nothing more than to go to the grocery store.....without a list.

I want to wander up and down the aisles tossing in whatever suits my fancy.

No plan what so ever.

I don't want items that will make a nice meal or things that are on sale.

I want good stuff....perhaps I will venture so far as to say junk.

Well perhaps not all junk, sometimes those clear glass jars of grapefruits slices do look extra tempting.

OK.

To execute this plan-less plan, I need to get going and plan my outfit. But after that, the plan is to have no plan.

Or at least that's what I'm planning on.

You know you have a problem if.....

Whilst walking through the grocery store for your weekly stock up of food stuffs,

you place a call to the tasty Chinese restaurant down the street for a carry-out order.

Even worse, if you whisper your order for fear the other shoppers will hear you

and your absurdity, then point and laugh.

Not that I know anything about this.

I'm just sayin, you might have a problem if these scene is familiar......

ps: couldn't the leftovers technically be catagorized as 'groceries'??????

Look Who's Here!

It's my new nephew Emmett!

(or Easy E, as some peeps in the family like to call him)

He was born at 4:34am on March 13th (his due date) weighing in at 7lbs exactly and 20in long.

He is sweet as can be.

We are all in love.

The Woman I Want To Be (in regards to my pantry)

I want to be organized
I want to be creative
I want to be prepared for birthdays (aka: ingredients for cupcakes on hand)
I want to be coupon savvy
I want to be gourmet
I want to be fresh from the garden
I want to be international

But mostly I want to be the woman who when faced with 3-5 unexpected dinner guests doesn't suggests Chinese take-out....instead she whips up a kick ass meal from things she already has on hand.

Mi Madre is like this. My sister is like this. I fear the hostess with the mostess gene might have taken a hop skip and a jump, missing me entirely.

At least I have a super friendly telephone voice when ordering the take out......

bump in the night

'whaump'

That's the sound my forehead makes when it meets Stone's elbow in the middle of the night.

Nothing like being roused from dreamland with an elbow to the face.

At least Stone woke up too and told me how sorry he was....

....the last time I woke Stone up with my elbow to his face, I let the dog take the blame.

Oh the joys of two 'tosser and turners' sharing a bed.

a very scientific discovery....

This morning Stone and I stumbled across a ground breaking discovery....in regards to yawning

thought only to be contagious from human to human

it is in fact contagious between the species!

(canine and human that is)

Anytime Stone or I would yawn (even a fake yawn) Matilda would let a BIG yawn out.

We even stopped the experiment watched a bit of a movie and tried it again 30 minutes later with the same results!

Astounding I tell you! Truly astounding!

friendly stranger

A couple of weeks ago, a client at work (an older gentle-woman) gave me what could be the best compliment I have ever received in my life.

"You shine from within" she said.

I didn't know what to say....so I blushed and said thank you.

She made my day.

.....and that's what I call a good day

a morning walk (through the winter wonderland that is our village) to my sweet bean Katie Jean's house.

a few hours babysitting a sweet faced boy named Eli

an afternoon walk back to my house, along with Katie Jean

Phyto oil treatments on our hair

a viewing of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

(the second and third movies are to be viewed next Monday and the Monday after that)

and a tasty pizza for dinner

oh how I love my lazy Mondays

If it weren't so annoy, it would be funny.

"tink....tink....tink...."

That is the sound of my car not starting.

The problem isn't just with my car. It's a problem with a boat load of the make and model of my car. A problem that occurs most often when it is cold and wet outside. A problem that is not cause for a factory recall because it is not deemed a 'safety issue'.

Call me Crazy Cathy from down the street, but I'm pretty sure being stranded in the cold wet weather is a bit of a 'safety issue' for this lady.

To adequately express to you how annoying this 'non-safety issue' is, I shall share with you my Friday morning.

-wake up and get ready for brunch with Ang

-10 minutes before leaving I grab the keys and head to the car....all the while sending positive thoughts it's way

-I sit in the car, put my foot on the break and spit on the key (Stone found a couple of people online who said that the key being wet sometimes helps the 'non-safety issue' to not get tripped)

-it starts (hallelujah!)

-finish getting ready and head to brunch

-pull into the restaurant parking lot and seriously debate leaving the car running while eating

-walk out to the car and ask Ang to hang out for a minute just in case the car doesn't start

-I sit in the car, put my foot on the break and spit on the key

-it starts (hallelujah!)

-I check the clock and realize I have a full hour and a half before I need to be at work.

-what can I do for an hour and a half that doesn't require me to turn my car off? I'm near my sister's house, but she is on a plane headed for sunny Florida. My mom is in a car on her way back from dropping said sister (and husband) off at the airport. Katie O is mid walk to the grocery and then dining with her boy toy.

-I get off the interstate and see the place I hate most, but happens to have a drive thru

-pull into the Starbucks drive-thru and order a Skinny Vanilla Latte

-curse myself for purchasing anything from Starbucks

-decide to run 'drive-thru errands'

-pull into the bank and complete my transaction

-realize there are no clothing boutiques in my neighborhood with drive-thru windows (are there any in your neighborhood?...cause if there are I might need to relocate)

-drive around aimlessly for another 25-27 minutes

-decide driving around aimlessly, in near blizzard conditions, is more of a 'safety issue' than the 'non-safety issue'

-go to work early

And that is what my life has become.

Confession:

If I tell you a secret do you promise not to judge me?

I fell in love with a 1940's wardrobe the other day.

But that's not the secret. (obviously, cause that wardrobe is a.ma.zing)

The secret is.....

I fell in love with said wardrobe whilst watching the Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation of "The Magic of Ordinary Days"

Hi. My name is Courtney. I love cheesy made for TV movies.

PS: I kind of had a wee little crush on Skeet Ulrich in this movie

PPS: feel free to judge me for that one

In case you were wondering.....

*This guy makes my day.

We had a good old fashioned date night on Saturday.

dinner at La Piedad

movie browsing at Blockbuster

(we rented Extract and Four Christmases)

a stop at the store for a six pack of our favorite beers

and last (but most certainly not least) a quick trip to Steak-N-Shake for a tasty strawberry treat

I'm kind of in love with him.....just a little bit.

....and these are the next best thing to Fancy Cakes.

Thank you dear sister, for buying me such a sweet surprise!

(literally...I can feel the cavities forming while I'm eating them)