Friday, September 28, 2012

Baby Shower #3: Owen Girls


Simply writing the title "Baby Shower #3" has me completely overwhelmed and blessed, and there's still one more shower on the way! Brooke Grayson, YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED! Praise the Lord for all the many influential people  in our lives who love and support us as family and friends.  Well, this delightful event was last Saturday in my old neck of the woods (close to where I grew up and where I went to college). 

Well, I was big into Campus Crusade for Christ or Cru  in college and had the blessing of serving as a Bible Study leader for some sweet girls younger than me. I was placed with one of the most precious women I know and cannot begin to tell you all of the many trials, struggles, and joys that came out of this "Owen Girls" group.  Heather and I prayed, before the group even formed that this wouldn't just be a fleeting friendship that lasts in college, no, we wanted God to take control of their lives and unite them for a life time.  GOD IS SO GOOD! Everytime we see each other for cupcakes, sleepover, or baby shower, we pick back up just like it was yesterday.  We are all older and wiser, some working, some married, but all still devoted to each other and our relationship with the Lord.  I love these ladies and wish we could see each other more often.  They are truly Godly women and I pray nothing but the best for all of their lives!

 The invitations were sweet and pink and girly and I chose red, black and white to wear because I was going to an NCSU football game that evening... so when I arrived and saw the theme "Welcome to the Pack" it was perfect! haha

mMm... Breakfast casserole, yogurt parfaits, coffee cake, punch, cupcakes AND cake!


mMm beautiful and delicious!
AMAZING Block S ice cubes for the punch!
Chattin' with the ladies, we had so much to catch up on!
Some of the sweet Owen girls, gahlee they're beautiful inside and out!

Catching up!

Most of the gals! 2 of the ladies had other commitments, praise the Lord for these women and their support and love in my life!


As if their presence wasn't enough... they brought PRESENTS too! 
An adorable, soft elephant with Miss Brooke's monogram!
Officially an "Owen Girl"!!!
One of the many handmade gifts from my dear Heather Myers!
My co-leader... LOVE HER!
Adorable guest favors :) 
 
Sweet sign to welcome our little one to the Wolfpack family!

Yeah, I look HUGE compared to tall skinny "Friddle" haha
SO VERY BLESSED by these sweet sweet ladies!

The sweet hostesses!
haha yep, there's a baby in there! 

 


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Pregnancy update: 34 weeks

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Same day... Brooke surfaced (me cold with hair 1/2 up) and Brooke relaxed (after a 2 mile walk at lunch)

 
How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Yep, Brooke had a growth spurt ... I'm now at +17.4lbs! Great 34 weeks Dr.'s appointment earlier today :)

Maternity clothes? I finally got a pair of black dress pants and a cute pair of gray maternity pants (like a gray khaki/chino) at a consignment store this past weekend.  Oh yes, and I wear comfy shoes only... crocs, these little mary janes, yeah having sore feet isn't even worth it anymore. 

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: So good! I wish I had time to take naps during the day too :)

Best moment this week: The AMAZING baby shower my Owen Girls threw for me and little Brooke this past Saturday, WHAT A BLESSING! (Girls Bible Study I co-lead with this gal in college)

Miss Anything? Coming home and doing nothing... haha no, seriously, and I know I'll never get that back! With moving to a new house and getting ready for a baby, there's ALWAYS something to do!  Her clothes are washed and put away,  diapers are organized, crib is made... we're gettin' there!

Movement: Yes, indeed! haha as you see this is what I call "surfacing"... see the huge high lump, yep that's Brooke's butt/back (yeahhhh she'll probably have a tush like her Momma). haha when I drink cold water or move around a lot she "surfaces" to the top of my stomach.  It's this hard, protruding lump that stays for a few minutes then floats back down.  Glad I could capture it for y'all to see!

Food cravings: No, still nothing!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not at all

Have you started to show yet:YES

Gender: Sugar and spice and everything nice… sweet little Brooke Grayson!

Labor Signs: No and they better stay away until 38 weeks or so.  haha the only "cramps" I get are in the morning after I eat breakfast and my stomach and uhhhh intestines are full. Once I relieve myself, the cramping is gone.  TMI... I know :)

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but very, VERY flat!

Wedding rings on or off? On, I normally only wear the fake ring on hot/humid days or days I know I will be moving around a lot.  Since it's fall now, I may be able to finish up the pregnancy with my rings on! Yay! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy! I wish we could get our old house rented and sell our house we flipped, but other than that, we’re patiently awaiting our little girl and ready for the many blessings she is sure to bring to our lives!

Size of Baby:Well baby center says about 5 lbs and 18 inches long, I doubt she’s that big though…

Looking forward to: Being a mom!  Pouring my heart and soul into the Lord, and having that love overflow to my AMAZING husband and then having our love given to our daughter :) We can't wait to see how our marriage changes and grows with our new addition! Praying God is in control and will show us his grace and mercy through Brooke's life.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Baby Shower #2: The Barrett Family

We are so very blessed to have loving family and friends who are throwing us 4 different baby showers!!! The first, was the local church gals/friends, this one was my hubby's side of the family in his hometown, next is the girls from the bible study I lead in college, and finally we've got my side of the family in my hometown :) 

We love seeing all of the extended family!  So many people with so much love to share with us and our soon-to-be daughter... and not to mention... DELICIOUS FOOD! Okay, this post is pretty picture heavy, sorry, it's the easiest way to document things :)

Charles, Brooke and I at the first home NCSU football game!

Yes, HE PICKED OUT HIS OWN SHIRT! haha Sweet dad :)

The presents... this was before the shower even started!

Sweet diaper cake from my sister-in-law!

Cute lil... BIG cake!

Lots of clothes, bibs and other baby items on the clothes line.

I asked Charles to take some pictures... so you'll see his photog in the upcoming shots... :)








I was lookin' a little rough... yes this was after leading 4 songs of praise and worship at church with tons of dance moves!

Presents!

A precious Vera Bradley diaper bag!

Car mirrors

Video Monitor

Video monitor

Extra camera for the monitor

An AMAZING Breast Pump! Thank you Greg and Victoria!!!

I'm pretty excited, if you can't tell!

Sleep sack.

Uncle Brad's presents!

A sweet picture frame from "Aunt" Delane.



Our stroller!

And a big ole box of diapers!


I can't believe I forgot to get a picture of the food and the games!  Oops, too busy talking, and eating I'm sure :)  We had chicken salad and pimento cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, yummy cookies, sausage balls, a delicious cheese ball, and lemonade!  Thank you so much Barrett family for the amazing baby shower! We love you so very much and can't wait to add Miss Brooke Grayson to the family!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Pregnancy Update: 33 Weeks



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How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: hanging at 16 lbs (yes, this was from my 32 week appointment, I don’t weigh myself at home because our scale isn’t accurate) Guessing I’ve gained a bit more, I’ve eaten a lot this week :)

Maternity clothes? Not really :) I have a pair of stretchy waist black pants (see picture above) yeah, they’re getting too tight, notice the lil bulge, guess I need to find some maternity dress black pants!

Stretch marks? Not that I've seen so far! PRAISE THE LORD! STAY AWAY!

Sleep: So good! The body pillow and the dark curtains have made a huge difference!

Best moment this week: The sweet baby shower my husband’s family threw for us in his home town! We are so very loved and blessed!

Miss Anything? Haha being able to do anything (lift a chair, climb on the counter top, lift a box) without getting yelled at (I mean strongly urged to stop) haha I really forget I’m pregnant sometimes because I’m still fully functioning and capable of doing everything I did pre-preggers!

Movement:  Yes, indeed!

Food cravings: No, still nothing! Gahlee… come on Brooke… Pickles and ice cream, pizza and cookies… anything?

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not at all

Have you started to show yet: hahaha so all of the women say “you’re so tiny” and all of the men I see say “whoa, you’re about to pop!” haha too funny!  

Gender: Sugar and spice and everything nice… sweet little Brooke Grayson!

Labor Signs: No and they better stay away until 38 weeks or so

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but very, VERY flat!

Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting tighter! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy! I wish we could get our old house rented and sell our house we flipped, but other than that, we’re patiently awaiting our little girl and ready for the many blessings she is sure to bring to our lives!

Size of Baby:Well baby center says about 4 lbs and 17 inches long,  I doubt she’s that big though…

Looking forward to: Brooke’s 3rd baby shower this weekend and the reunion with my NCSU Bible Study girls!!! Wow, do they bless my heart or what!?  Gotta brag for a second… this girl (and her hubby) have sorted/put away all of the presents from our 2 baby showers, wrote and mailed thank you notes, and put together the stroller and car seat! Yep, we’re pretty proud of ourselves! Hahaha just  trying to keep the new house organized the best we can!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Baby Shower #1: Church Gals

(I'll add pictures later...)

Once again, Charles and I are so very blessed to have such amazing friends and a true church family in the sweet little town of New Bern!  We adore this place and it has been amazing moving to a town, where we knew no one and making it home.

Our church recently (okay within the last 2 ish years) switched to Life Groups instead of Sunday morning BFG's (Bible Study Fellowship Groups) because they needed the space for preschool class rooms and our expanding church membership.  So, we created a little group out of some friends in our neighborhood and other close couples near by.  These people have been AMAZING!!! What a blessing to have fellowship in their homes studying the word of God!

So the first shower was at the "Living Room" at our church.  It was GORGEOUSLY decorated with precious tissue paper puffs and everything was just perfect!  There was music playing, nice dim lights, and tons of friends to share the blessed event with.  It was seriously right out of Pinterest perfect! haha

Here's the hosts... LOVE THESE LADIES!

It was a Saturday 10-12 (haha or til 1:30) shower so we had a delicious brunch menu.  mMm breakfast casserole, mini bagles and cream cheese, fresh fruit, monkey bread, mini strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing, coffee, and a really delicious punch! I think I went back for 3rds and spent most of my time after opening presents chatting in front of the food table... haha oops!

They had adorable invitations (pink, gray, white and aqua), a precious banner that we hope to hang in our home/on the front porch and get a picture when we come home from the hospital with our little lady!

Needless to say, these ladies went above and beyond the call of duty (AS THEY ALWAYS DO). I am sincerely thankful for each of these ladies role in my life.

Megan is a mom of 1 adorable little guy (who Charles and I seriously want to steal and call our own... too bad he looks EXACTLY like his dad, so we couldn't really pull that one off) haha.  She's expecting twin boys and just such a great encourager!  We use to go on walks together around the neighborhood all of the time and she's a fantastic host that welcomes us into her home for our weekly life group meetings.  I can't wait to call her and ask her random newborn questions :) Pray for her and the next few weeks and life with 3 boys!!! I'm super jealous! Oh yes, and she'll be giving up her job as a teacher this year to stay at home and take care of her crew, she use to be an elementary school teacher and is one of the story tellers in the kids ministry so I also have the blessing of serving with her and her hubby!

Next, we've got a classy and super creative beautiful girl, Melissa, who I've grown to love! haha it was one of those, "ehhhh I don't know if I'm going to like her" when I first met her because she was bubbly and personable, like me, but she was way skinnier and prettier than me (cough cough, stupid girl i.e. me being jealous, always...).  We have found SO many things we have in common (SYTYCD, being crafty and creative, and just enjoying time together!) Our hubby's also have become pretty good buds and like to play sports/work on manly house projects together sometimes).  They are moving soon ... :( and it is going to be so sad to see them go.  She is an Art teacher and has an amazing gift at making beautiful jewelry!!! Little Miss Brooke will only get a little bit of time with Melissa before she leaves, but we're praying it sparks a fire for them to start a family :) haha

And last, but not least is a sweet sweet friend, Candice, who I've actually known since high school.  Okay, knew of her but didn't  know her.   Haha we both grew up in the same home town and our husband's were great buds growing up (they later were college roommates and then roommates in New Bern because they both found employment there after college, CRAZY).  So we always find it hilarious how similar our stories are (and the ridiculous amount of inside jokes our hubbies share).  Anyways, she is so stinkin' amazing! Literally, always a spotless house, makes the YUMMIEST food (introduced me to ooey gooey bars, thaaank you!).  She is always super busy but makes it look easy! Yes, another school teacher, who is in grad school, who is always making something or her home or for someone else, an AMAZING example of a Godly woman!  Not to mention THEY HAVE A DANG FARM IN THEIR BACK YARD! haha okay, chickens, pigs, and dogs... but still, they are so sweet and it's a blessing to be her friend!

So there ya go!  Shower #1 was full of laughs, yummy food, amazing presents, and wonderful Godly women who I have been so grateful for, in so many ways since we've joined Temple Baptist/lived in New Bern.  There are some of these ladies who have grown kids, others who are new moms, and some who are just starting out their married lives.  I hope and pray that these relationships will flourish and grow in new and exciting ways as we all gracefully navigate our way through our unique and exciting lives.

I love y'all to pieces!!! Thank you again to Candice for the pictures!  She was snapping them during the event and I had no idea, so stealth! haha She and her hubby actually hid in the dunes at Emerald Isle and photographed/video taped our engagement. She also took our engagement pictures and hopefully we'll find some time to do some maternity pics soon! haha once again, so blessed!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Pregnancy Update: 32 Weeks

 
How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: hanging at 16 lbs (I lost 6 oz!)  Trying my best to stay active with zumba/walks at lunch and in the evenings around the new neighborhood!

Maternity clothes? Nope, I still live in my clothes with a faux belly band and cute empire waist dresses and tops, maternity clothes make me look fat :)

Stretch marks? Not that I've seen so far! PRAISE THE LORD! STAY AWAY!

Sleep: So good! The body pillow and the dark curtains have made a huge difference!

Best moment this week: God is so good! A great check up, a good week at work, enjoying our new home, an amazing first baby shower given by sweet friends from church... we are SO BLESSED!

Miss Anything? Not really, this week I've been pretty content :)

Movement: Oh-my-gracious YES... sometime she's in the ROA postion (look it up) and holy cow do I feel, and look lopsided,  squish her back in (but Charles doesn't like me doing that)

Food cravings: Not-a-one... we almost stopped at Krispy Kreme after our appointment today, but we were good and resisted the HOT sign!  I may need a Pumpkin Spice Latte soon though :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not at all

Have you started to show yet:Yes, indeed

Gender: Sugar and spice and everything nice!

Labor Signs: No and they better stay away until 38 weeks or so

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting much flatter

Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting tighter! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy! Wow, I'm living the dream! I have the best husband EVER and he truly is my best friend and support! Thank you Lord for the amazing man I get to spend the rest of my life with and raise a family with!!!

Size of Baby:Well baby center says about 3.75 lbs, but the midwife guessed about 3 lbs... go figure, a petite lil thing! She better get some height genes from her dad :)

Looking forward to: An awesome weekend! Brunch with my parents, Greek Festival, first NCSU home football game (yep, Brooke's first time at Carter Finley) haha, and the Barrett baby shower (on Sunday)!!!