Bathroom remodel

Our second upstairs bathroom rarely gets used - for now.  I didn't put much thought into the decor for that room when we moved into our house.  The only people who use it are my parents when they come to stay, and us every once in a blue moon.  When we found out we were having a boy, I knew I wanted to make that bathroom a little more kid friendly - I just didn't know in exactly what ways.

I left the idea go for awhile.  And then Matt painted Hudson's bedroom.  And I fell in love with the color we chose even more.  That day I decided the bathroom remodel would include a paint job (even though it has only been painted for a year.. haha) to match the little guy's bedroom.  Then I started the search for a shower curtain (specifically the pattern) and accessories.

It didn't take me long to find something I think is perfect!  It is kid (especially boy) friendly, but not too childish for people to use when they visit.

Here are a couple of before pictures.  Plain, brown.. and just not what I wanted.

And the after!

I love nautical themed things, so I thought the whale pattern was a good mix between that and kid-friendly.  Notice the gray walls!  Love, love, love!  We also added a few shelves above the toilet for storage.. this bathroom has a very small vanity and is lacking in storage space.

 Obviously the matching towel set was a necessity.

Loving the tissue box cover, ocean breeze candle, and shelf holding the little, itty bitty wash clothes.

That toothbrush holder.  Oh my! 

My mom decided that we needed a bath toy holder to match the ensemble.  It is so stinking cute!

And this is how we know that Rooney had recently been exploring this bathroom.  He leaves his mark in every single bathroom by taking a chunk out of the toilet paper.  He doesn't just grab the end and chew or run.. he takes a chunk out.  Tasty snack, I suppose!  This is literally what every role of toilet paper in our house currently looks like.  At least he is back to being his normal self!

**All items are available at Target, though some were purchased on Amazon.com.**

Hudson 3D

We had our elective 3D/4D ultrasound this past Saturday.  For the last two weeks, I have been telling Matt that I really hope Hudson cooperates more than he has for our other ultrasounds so that we could get some good shots of him.  We have yet to get a full body profile of the little guy because he won't hold still long enough and he is constantly grabbing and holding his toes with at least one, if not both, of his hands.

We arrived at Womb With A View right on time for our 9:00 am appointment.  We were the first appointment of the day, so no waiting around!  My mom and sister met us so they could see him as well.  

The first words out of the ultrasound tech's mouth (once we had gotten started) were, "His cord is right at his face and he is holding it".  Ahh!  We had an 30 minute appointment, and for most of that time our stubborn little boy held on to the cord that was located right above his head!  His other hand was busy holding on to his toes :)

We were able to get 87 good still pictures and about five videos as well as a video of the entire appointment.  It was so awesome to see his little face!  He has chubby cheeks and hair on his head.  We think the chubby cheeks come from me and I think he has my nose as well.  The rest is up in the air.  My mom and friend Megan both say he looks like me!  I am working on finding some baby pictures of Matt and I to do some comparisons.

I have way more pictures on this post than you probably want to see, but each one catches a different facial expression.  He started out the appointment with a cute little smile, and ended with a wrinkled forehead and annoyed look on his face.  My favorite shot of the entire day is when he puckered his lips :)  We also got to catch a yawn as well as a few blinks of the eyes!

I am so in love with our little boy!

Happy Hump Day and almost-3-day-Easter-weekend!

Surprise!

Let me start this post by saying I'm not always one for surprises.  I have always been a snooper - and always will be.  I like to be in the know :)

On Saturday, Matt and I got up and traveled about an hour for our elective 3D/4D ultrasound (separate post on that to come).  Matt had told me a week or two ago that he made plans to have lunch with some friends of ours at 1:30 that afternoon.  I had a few places I wanted to stop on the way home from our ultrasound, so I knew time was tight.

Our ultrasound was pretty awesome.  From there, we had breakfast with my mom and sister, picked up the one thing we needed from Babies-R-Us, and then made a stop at Old Navy to return something.  And of course, buy a new dress.  I just can't help myself.  By this time it was about 12:45 and we had approximately 25 minutes left in our trip.  Matt asked if I had anywhere else I wanted to stop.  I said that I didn't and that we could just get to lunch early.  He didn't respond.  We got back in town around 1:10 and he decided to stop at our house saying we should just go and let the dogs out in case lunch lasts longer than we intend.  Ok, sure.. whatever.

We finally arrived at our friends' house around 1:30.  Their daughter (one of my lacrosse players) opened the door.  I started to walk in.. got as far as the kitchen.. and 20 of my lacrosse players jumped out from behind furniture, walls, etc. and yelled SURPRISE!  These girls (along with the help of some awesome moms) had been planning a surprise shower for us for week!  I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation.  This group of girls is too much!  AND they were able to keep a secret and pull off the surprise.. which is pretty good for a bunch of teenage girls that see their coach for multiple hours each day!

There was a ton of food, decorations, and the girls even got Hudson some gifts!  It was nice to sit around and enjoy their company off of the practice/game field and chat.  We spent a few hours just talking and hanging out.. and opening the gifts they were so excited about.

I have a bunch of pictures to share.  Some of them are not so flattering, but they capture the true emotion I was feeling at the time!

The girls got Hudson a bassinet for our bedroom!  We have been going back and forth with what we wanted to use the first few weeks/month and these girls solved our problem!  I know, I know.. I need to iron the skirt!

A big thank you to Callie and Debby for a wonderful afternoon celebrating our little boy.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives!


It was also a beautiful spring day!  We were able to enjoy some outside time relaxing with the dogs.  They are totally eating up this weather!  **Before the storms, cold temperatures, rain and possibility of snow/sleet hit us tomorrow.

Week 28

Hello, third trimester!  It is so surreal to think about the fact that we are 2/3 of the way through this pregnancy and only have a few short months until we meet our little boy.  We have hoped and prayed for this for so long and we are soaking in every single second of the journey.

How far along: 28 weeks (as of 5.05.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of an eggplant.. about 14.8 inches long and about 1.5-2.5 pounds.

Weight gain: 25 pounds as of last week's OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: Without a doubt.

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: In.. for now.

Sleep: Sleep is starting to become restless.  I can't remember the last time I slept through the night, but it is all worth it!

Best moment this week: Just being able to soak in every part of this pregnancy.  I love feeling him move and squirm around.  Also, realizing that we have made it to the third trimester and that we will get to meet our little boy in a few short months.

Movement: He is very active most days.  I love being able to watch him poke and prod from the outside.  Pretty amazing to see.

Cravings: Carrots and veggie dip, ice cream, and steak.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: So many exciting things in the next month or so!  We have his nursery almost completely finished.  I am looking forward to getting his bedding put into place and then doing our official nursery tour!  Also, looking forward to spending Easter with family.

I am old?

I don't really want to admit it, but I have a pretty big birthday coming up at the end of the month.  I will no longer have the ability to label myself as a "twenty-something" (gasp!), and in a way.. that scares the crap out of me.

In no way do I think that 30 is old.  If you ask my students, however, they will tell you differently.  I will magically cross the line and be old in their minds at the end of the month.  They will start telling me I am old to my face.  Ahh, the joys of teaching honest, high school aged kids.  But hey, I am ok with that.  I can't wait for the first kid to ask how old I am and then very loudly say "YOU ARE 30?  THAT IS OLD!".

Age is just a number.  I firmly believe that your "age" is more how you act than anything else.  However, when I think about it, in some ways I am getting "old".  But in my mind, it is a good old.

For example:

My mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  I told her a new vacuum cleaner.  Yes.  I went there.  I asked for a new vacuum for my birthday.  And I am excited about it!  It is amazing what excites you when you are "older".  A clean car.  A new appliance.  (One of the most exciting things about building our house was picking out my kitchen appliances.  I was so pumped for my stove/oven to be delivered!)  A night out.  (And by night, I mean dinner and a movie and probably in bed by 10pm).  Something for your house.  A pedicure/manicure/massage.  Food.. who doesn't like food?  The list could go on and on.  I am thoroughly excited about a new vacuum that will suck up the dog hair much better than the one we have now.  After all, there will be a baby crawling around on that floor sooner than later.

Shopping for clothes.  I feel like my age is such an "in between age" when it comes to buying clothes.  I had an Instagram conversation about this with my friends Megan and Rachel this week.  Seriously.. where do "girls" our age shop?  I'm obviously too old for booty shorts and crop tops.  And trust me, they are not things I want to be sporting around in public.  But I am also too young for holiday jumpers and slacks.  Or shorts that go down to my knees.. unless they are the cute, stylish bermuda type.  The word slacks always bothered me.  No idea why, it just does.  Every once in a while I can find something cute at American Eagle.. but it better be on the mega sale rack because I refuse to pay full price for their stuff.  And it's probably a good size or two larger than I normally buy because I'm not all about the tight, bologna skin look. If you have to peel it off with a putty knife, it didn't belong on in the first place.

Lately, I have found the most appealing things at online boutiques, Gap/Old Navy, and JCrew Outlet (let's face it.. I'm too cheap to buy from the real store).  But again, these stores are always hit or miss.  I feel like every time I walk in the JCrew outlet, I am bombarded by the table right inside the door that houses the sparkle stuff.  And by sparkle, I mean the ENTIRE article of clothing is completely decked out in sequins or something of that nature.  I like a little bit of shine in my life, but I am not about to bedazzle the crap out of myself.  That stuff is itchy, too!  Other than that, they are pretty on key and I don't feel like an old lady perusing their racks and shelves.

And shoes.  Don't even get me started on shoes.  I used to wear 3" stilettos to work on a daily basis.  I wore them on the weekends.  I wore them everywhere.  Now, those countless, pretty, bright colored pairs of shoes just sit in my closet.  Sorry, pink (blue, green, yellow, black, white, nude, etc.) ladies.  I just cannot do it anymore!  But just because I don't want to wear those 3" stilettos to work on a daily basis, does not mean I want to sport penny loafers, either.  What is the comfortable in between?  I do a lot of boots in the winter.  Riding boots, boots with heals, flat boots, Ugg boots.  I love me some boots.  I also love cute flats.  I am IN LOVE with my Toms flats and wear them to work almost daily.  I am in love with Toms period.  I have way more pairs than one person needs, but you never know when that cheetah pair might come in handy.  And hey, they do the one-for-one thing, which I love.  In the summer, I'm all about cute sandals and flip flops.. and the occasional pair of wedges.  I know this paragraph might make me sound very old.. but I am so over heels at this point!

How about swimming suits.  Am I too old to lounge on the beach in my bikini?  Am I graduating to the tankini or one piece age?  Who knows what the "right" answer is.  I can tell you that I will never see 99% of the people from the beach again, so I am sticking to my twenty-something year old bikinis.  At least for a few more years.

My idea of a fun Saturday night has DRASTICALLY changed.  I went through my "party girl" phase.  We went out to the local clubs (not the dancing type clubs you picture in the city.. I live in the country, remember?) and sports bars, and karaoke places and enjoyed ourselves.  It was normal for me to be rolling in at 3:30 am after stuffing my face full of toast at Denny's that followed the night's previous hours of fun.  (Denny's also provided entertainment on Saturday nights.  There is a cop stationed there and always arrests AT LEAST one poor soul that passes out on the bathroom floor.) And I'd sleep until 11 the next morning.  If not later.  

My idea of a fun Saturday night now?  Sitting on my couch, in my sweatpants or pajamas, drinking a class of Roscato and watching a movie or some sort of trashy reality tv show with my dogs sprawled out across my lap and my husband by my side.  I am in bed by 10 and wide awake at 6:30 am (thank you internal alarm clock).  And I like it.  Now don't get my wrong.  I still enjoy a Saturday night dinner outing, maybe a movie, maybe even a stop at a sports bar.  But not to the extent that I did in my early 20's.  Right now, I just enjoy relaxing and getting a lot of rest.  It makes me smile.

Getting carded.  I used to hate getting carded when I bought alcohol.  (Totally not an alcoholic over here.. just a normal girl in her 20s!)  Especially one time when all I wanted was a bottle of wine as part of a house warming gift and the "nice" gentleman at the liquor store (because we can't just go buy it anywhere here in PA) would not sell it to me because I did not have my license on me.  I walked out of the store empty handed only to find a former student (who graduated high school THAT YEAR at the age of 18) walking out of the same door with a bag full of liquor.  His fake ID worked, and I couldn't even get a lousy bottle of wine!  (Please note I also saw same kid later that summer at a local chili cook-off sporting a wrist band for the beer truck.  Grr) Insert expletives here.  Now, I love getting carded!  Oh, you don't think I'm 21?  Sure.. Id' be glad to show you my ID!  Yay!  But, it very rarely happens anymore.. except at those places where they post signs saying "we card anyone who could be under the age of 40".  Sigh.

I am too lazy to do my hair and put on makeup unless I am going to work.  And some days, I only get as far as makeup.  I used to love doing my hair in all different ways.  Putting in my extensions gave me even more options!  I loved spending forever putting on makeup.  Now?  Hell no!  I'd much rather pull my hair back, MAYBE put on some concealer or foundation, and walk out of the house.  I am at the "who cares" phase, I suppose.  Because seriously.. who does?  Sometimes I'm even too lazy to put in my contacts.  Woah.

I like to read.  A lot.  I used to hate reading and would only do it late at night if I couldn't fall asleep.  Now?  I love a good book and have been known to finish a book in the day if the time is right!  My beach bag is always loaded with books and my Kindle.  It relaxes me and I love it.

I make my bed.  Every day.  And my house is clean and organized.  My blinds are all identical and window (if opened) are all at the same level.  I may be a bit on the OCD side.  I'm sure this one surprises my mom just a bit.  When I lived at home, I HATED putting away laundry.  It was much better when I could see all of it sprawled across my floor.  It made picking out an outfit much easier!  I hated cleaning.. HATED.  And I despised making my bed.  I was just going to sleep in it the next night anyway.  Now, I hate when there is something on the floor.. even a tiny little sock.  I hate when our bed isn't made.  I hate when there are dirty dishes in the sink, or muddy paw prints on the hardwood, or the vacuum lines no longer show on the carpet (OCD, remember?), or when I can see dust on anything, or when laundry isn't put away as soon as it comes out of the dryer.  I know some of these things are about to change, and I am perfectly fine with that.  But let's be honest.  I'm still going to be an OCD neat freak.  You're welcome, Mom! 

I know, I know.. just a few examples.  Feel free to chime in if you think of any more!

I think back to my early twenties - and even earlier - and think about everything I wanted to accomplish by the time I turned thirty.  I have accomplished a decent amount of these things, but have some that still remain on the "to-do" list.  I have a full time job doing what I love.  I got my Master's Degree.. and half of a second.  I coach a great group of girls every year.  I am married to my best friend.  We live in our forever home.  I have two awesome, love-able, playful Labrador Retrievers.  I have traveled most of the East Coast.  I have been to the Kentucky Derby.  I have been to California.  I have traveled to Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Monaco.  I have traveled to various parts of the Caribbean.  I got married in the Outer Banks.  I own my own car.  I am pregnant with our first child.  (This one is in the middle of the see-saw.  I wanted to have at least one child BY the time I turned 30.  Sweet Hudson will arrive two short months after this milestone.)  I am lucky.  Very, very lucky.  I just have a few more things to add to my "Do by the time I turn 40" bucket list!  Feel free to give me suggestions on that bucket list!

Moving on to more serious things.  There is one main reason that I am not exactly looking forward to my birthday this year.  For the past 29 years I have shared my birthday with one of the most special people in my life - my Grandma.  If you have followed my blog since the beginning, you know that she passed away last May as a result of pancreatic cancer.  I think back to all of the birthdays we shared and all of the fun, memorable things we were able to do together.  This will be the first year that I will not even get to call her and wish her a happy birthday.  And quite frankly, I am having a hard time with that.  (Enough so that I sit here with tears in my eyes as I type this.)  I do hold and treasure those 29 years of memories in my heart and mind, but it still makes me sad.  This year, I will be wishing her a very special happy birthday in Heaven.

I decided a couple of months ago that there was something special I wanted to do this year rather than celebrate myself.  Instead, I, along with some family and friends, will be celebrating someone else that is very special in my life.  More on that to come - but I know that it will be a great, memorable celebration and that my Grandma will be joining us in spirit and smiling down from Heaven.

Here's to crossing the line from twenty-something to just plain, "old"!

**Disclaimer - I obviously do not think 30 is old.  :)

Week 27

How far along: 27 weeks (as of 3.29.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of an eggplant.. about 14.8 inches long and about 1.5-2.5 pounds.

Weight gain: 25 pounds as of this week's OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: All day, every day.  If I could live in leggings, I would.

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: In.

Sleep: I feel like I can't get enough!  I go to bed as early as possible each night, but still feel tired 99% of the time.  Lacrosse is really taking it out of me this season!

Best moment this week: Finding out that I passed my glucose test, Hudson is measuring back on target, and that my weight gain is a-ok!  I saw a different doctor this week (we are in a practice) and she is not at all concerned with my weight gain and said that everything looks great!

Movement: He is very active most days.  Of course, he always wants to sleep when Matt tries to feel him!  I am starting to get the feeling where I am being "stiff-armed" from inside.  Maybe a knee?  Or an elbow?

Cravings: Carrots and veggie dip, ice cream, and peanut butter eggs.  Perfect for the season!

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: So many exciting things in the next month or so!  Maternity photos, our elective ultrasound, the birth of some very special babies, and a three day weekend for Easter!  I have a pretty "big" birthday coming up this month as well.. even though it is a bit depressing to think about!

This week was a little crazy.  Rooney started getting sick Sunday afternoon.  I called our vet on Tuesday.  They told me to monitor him and feed him rice and call back in a couple of days.  I followed instructions and waited those couple of days.  He was no better (vomiting daily and nightly AND he hadn't pooped for two days), so I called back.  Of course, our vet was closed.  What vet is closed on a Thursday?!  Ugh.. As a result, I had to call around town looking for someone who could get him in to be seen that day.  We ended up getting in to a place pretty close to our house.  When I got there to drop him off, I immediately recognized the doctor - she used to be in with our vet and had seen Sophie a few times.  Instantly made me feel better.

They kept Rooney all day Thursday and did a ton of testing on him.  He had x-rays of anything and everything including some shots with dye to see if things were flowing through.  He had blood work and was given a couple of bags of IV fluids since he was dehydrated and had lost over ten pounds in the week.  The x-rays didn't show anything other than an inflamed belly.  They sent him home with an anti-nausea medication and prescription bland food.  If he continued to vomit, we were to call the next morning.

At ten o'clock Thursday night we heard the every familiar sound of Rooney puking in the bathroom.  Hey, at least he stays off the carpet.  So, we called the vet as soon as they opened Friday morning.  We were instructed to bring him in immediately for expiatory surgery to find what was blocking him - since all symptoms lead to a blockage at this point.  When we got there, the doctor decided to take a few more x-rays and run a few more labs before opening him up.. which made me feel better.

A few hours later they called to tell us that he did NOT need surgery!  Best news of the day!  The x-rays showed that his stomach had gone back to normal and that the dye had traveled through his system and was sitting in his colon waiting to be passed.  His blood work however, is where we found the real answers.  The poor guy's white blood cells and liver enzymes were extremely elevated which pointed to a liver infection.  Upon father discussion, we determined that his infection came from Rooney eating bulbs/flower stems at my parents last weekend.  Who knows that flowers could cause such harm?!?!  The poor guy has quite a pharmacy right now.  He gets 8 pills a day - all antibiotics - and is still on the bland food diet.. which he refuses to eat.  We have had one successful night sans sickness and we are hoping that continues!  We need to fatten the poor guy back up!

Needless to say, after I called our vet and they were not at all concerned about Rooney or the fact that he was having these issues, we immediately switched both dogs over as patients with the new vet.  Her customer service is awesome - called us Saturday to check on him AND gave us her cell number if we needed her today - and she personally makes every single phone call.  I was just overly impressed and am very happy to continue working with her.

Sunday morning snuggles and sunshine!  Sophie really is in there. 

They were nice enough to send him home with a cute baseball scarf!

We had a few additional dinner guests this week.  Yay for Spring!

Week 26

How far along: 26 weeks (as of 3.22.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of a head of lettuce.. about 14.8 inches long and about 1.5-2.5 pounds.

Weight gain: 21 pounds as of my last OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: All day, every day.  If I could live in leggings, I would.

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: In.

Sleep: I still fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.  However, I wake up at some point between 12 and 2 and cannot fall back asleep for at least an hour or two.  I am feeling completely exhausted.  I really didn't know that lacrosse would make me as tired as it has been.  The long days are really starting to get to me.  

Best moment this week: My best moment this week isn't exactly baby or pregnancy related.  I had 3 games this week and two 2.5 hour practices.  When I got home from school and practice on Thursday, I found that Matt had cleaned the ENTIRE house from top to bottom.  He has also been cooking every night and doing laundry.  This is a HUGE help and I can't thank him enough.

I also loved washing baby clothes over the weekend and hanging them in his closet/organizing them in his drawers.  His room is really starting to come together!

Movement: He is very active most days.  However, he does have a day here and there where he is just extra sleepy and does not move near as much.  I am also on the move a lot more than what I was used to, so I am sure that has an impact as well.

Cravings: Spice is out as it now gives me major, major heartburn!  I have been loving carrots and ranch veggie dip this week.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: So many exciting things in the next month or so!  Maternity photos, our elective ultrasound, the birth of some very special babies, and a three day weekend for Easter!

These two want to be in his room constantly.. smelling everything!  Trying to get them to sit for a picture is pretty much impossible!