Baby girl Lela

We are enjoying getting to know our sweet baby girl. She is doing well. I'm learning about breastfeeding and and hope to have a lactation consultant come out on Monday to help me. Also she has her nites/days confused - which make for long nites. But during the day she's content and sleeps soundly. We enjoy just watching her and admiring her. What a blessing! We've been thankful for help from Melanie and Tom's mom over the past few days. I'll look forward to having my mom here next week as well! Also girls from the office are bringing meals starting next week. I really appreciate everyone's willingness to help!

Baby Shower at Melanie's

I enjoyed the afternoon at Melanie's and her mom's as they threw a baby shower for me. It was fun seeing friends (some of which i haven't seen since the wedding 3 yrs ago) and having family there. They gave me good advice and each wrote on a card well wishes for our baby girl. I got so many nice things once again! It was a fun time!

Nursery Complete

Tom and I worked on finishing the nursery this weekend since it's about 3 wks till baby girl arrives. The Dr. is planning on inducing early (baby is getting big) - so she may be here around the beginning of November. I've been stocking up on diapers and trying to organize all the nice gifts people have given us. I still have some organizing to do but for the most part we are ready.

Baby Shower at the Office and Back Splash

The girls at work put on such a nice shower for me today. Take a look at the cute cake (with farm animals to go with my theme) and food and opening of presents. I got so many cute outfits and things from my registry. It makes me excited to get everything set up in the nursery - hopefully by this weekend. Also we continue to make progress with the kitchen. The backsplash project was started today. It's looking really good.

Work in Progress

This past week we had our under cabinet lighting put in as well as lighting above the sink. Also the painting on the cabinets is done. (the doors/drawers are still in progress. )Also Tom worked hard on painting the trim in the nursery. He's working on getting new doors for the room as well. He also put together the crib and we got cushions for our glider. It's coming together!

Baby Update

I found out last week i have gestational diabetes. I had to attend a class where they taught me how to keep my blood sugar low and how to prick my finger. I usually have to lay down in the Dr.'s office when they prick my finger - i get light headed - so i wasn't looking forward to this. It wasn't so bad though - not near as bad as in the Dr's office. Now I'm having to really watch my carbs and add in more protein to not get hungry and I'm pricking my finger 4 times a day. I'm motivated though because i don't want to have to take insulin nor do i want my baby to grow too large and have complications from that.

I went in for my 31 wk appt on Friday. The Dr. told me all looked good. He told me that she was breech and not to worry about it - they usually turn around. Also I've been struggling with back pain this past week and tiredness and generally not feeling as well.

I will look forward to our kitchen project and nursery project being done so i can clean up while i still have the energy.

Nursery Work

Tom and my friend Melanie painted the nursery this weekend. (it's yellow) I am pleased with the color and progress. Tom is in the middle of painting the baseboards and trim a white color. We're making headway in getting the nursery completed. Our goal is to have it all done by end of September.

Kitchen getting closer

Progress has been made on the kitchen. We now have new granite countertops and undermount sink and the cabinets have been primed.

Babymoon in North Carolina

We enjoyed our final getaway before our baby girl arrives. We spent a few days in Lake Santeetlah, NC just 3 hours north of Atlanta. We enjoyed a 2 mile hike, site seeing, paddle boating (and fishing for bass/bluegill in the lake), trout fishing and checking out Robbinsville - the closest town to us. It was interesting trout fishing - walking upstream in the rain with no waders and no waterproof boots. The only dry part of me was my belly. My calves were sore the next day from trudging through the waters. Tom caught some small trout - but no keepers. He's got the itch though for trout fishing. We were able to catch a few bluegill and one bass. It was a relaxing getaway.

Dahlonega, GA

Tom and I are trying to make the most of our final weeks (less than 13) before baby girl Shivers arrives. Today we drove a couple of counties north to Dahlonega, GA where it's known for gold mining in the 1830's. We toured a gold mining museum and enjoyed a scoop of ice cream while walking around the quaint town where many of the old buildings still stand.

Open drawer/door policy

We are in the process of giving the kitchen a facelift. We will have the cabinets repainted along with new hardware, new countertops with undermount sink, new microwave installed above stove, new backsplash, under cabinet lighting and a new light above the kitchen sink. This is the beginning of the kitchen upgrade with all the drawers/doors missing and the backsplash torn off. Will be exciting to see the final product.

A day in Madison, GA

Tom and I enjoyed touring historic Madison, GA. It's only an hour away from our house. The beautiful homes were built in the early-mid 1800's. We took a walking and car tour. Then we enjoyed a nice dinner at one of the local restaurants.

25 weeks prego

All continues to go well with the pregnancy thankfully. Started to have some swelling in hands/feet and ankles but still feeling well. We are trying to get things ready for the nursery - will be yellow with a farm yard theme. Fifteen weeks seems like a short amount of time before our baby girl arrives. We're excited!

Fishing in AL

Tom and I enjoyed being with my family over the 4th of July. We went fishing at my parent's pond and had fun catching some bass. The biggest catch of the day was this grass carp that i snagged in the nose. His mate stayed near him the whole time. I didn't get an actual picture of the one I caught but here's a picture of what it looked like. It's a very strange and ugly fish. We guess he weighed around 15 lbs. He got away as i had him at the edge of the pond - the line broke. It was fun though hauling in such a big fish. We didn't know what type of monster was on the end of that line.

Memorial Day Weekend

Tom and I took a trip to N. Georgia to do some trout fishing. We ended up at a trout farm where they provide the poles, net, bucket, and bait. Within seconds we both were able to pull in a 2 pound trout. Then on Memorial Day we went to a local pond and Tom caught a catfish and i caught a small turtle.

November 11

We are thrilled to be expecting our first baby November 11. I am 12 wks now and can't complain at all about my symptoms - very little nausea, etc. We are looking forward to the adventure ahead with pregnancy and also to seeing our new little one and beginning the parenting process.

Hemlock Falls Trail in North Georgia

We enjoyed a nice 3 mile hike to see the Hemlock falls just a couple of hours north of our house.

Easter with the family

We enjoyed time with my family in AL over Easter weekend. My nephew Will was very excited about the 2 fish he and his dad caught.

Tennessee Vacation

We enjoyed a weekend in Knoxville. We had a nice visit with my Aunt and Uncle. We also drove through Gatlinburg and Cades Cove. Cades Cove, in the Smokey Mountain National Forest, was 11 miles of beautiful landscape and wildlife (turkey and deer). There were also lots of old houses and churches to see as well. Tom is standing on the porch of a log cabin dating back to the 1820's. We later enjoyed a dinner and show in Pigeon Forge. It was a fun getaway.