25 weeks pregnant

Tomorrow marks the 25 week mark! Not too much has changed, the belly is getting bigger and I have had to utilize my maternity clothes more and I have some trouble breathing if I slouch so I have to sit up straight and not slouch on the couch which is no fun. Im still wearing my high heels to work and I hope that my feet don' t swell so much that I have to go buy new dress shoes. I also changed insurance carriers this week which kind of stinks because I don't think the doctors office I have been going to is in network anymore. Not that it is a huge deal because I never see the same doctor when I have my appointments anyway but the hospital at UNC seemed really nice and I didn't really want to switch doctors in the middle of my pregnancy. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Awesomely easy fruit salad

Okay, so I'm not a huge fan of canned fruit cocktail and making home made fruit salad takes a lot of cutting, peeling, and coring. So, taking some hints from fruit salads my mom has made in the past here is a super easy fruit salad that tastes amazing and.....it all comes out of cans!

1 can mandarin oranges(drained)
1 can pineapple in its own juice (undrained)
1/4-1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 small jar maraschino cherries and a few spoons of the juice

Mix this all together in a bowl and let sit for awhile in the fridge so all the juices and flavors get mingled together and it gets nice and cold and there you have it! Super easy, super fast, and super yummy.

A day out

The weather has cooled down enough to get outside and really enjoy being active without getting so hot that you feel horrible. Yesterday we took advantage of the nice weather and took a walk around Duke Gardens. As always, it was beautiful and we had a great time. We walked for an hour which left me a little too tired but we will make up for it by relaxing on the beach Monday :).

Six months pregnant!

I can't really complain too much about my pregnancy. I know there are a lot of women out there that have tons of complications and sickness so God has really blessed me in that area. But, I am getting tired of all of the aches and pains. My hips hurt every time I lay down or walk too much and my back is just achy and gets sore in the same spot every night when I sleep. My last year of college I moved a ton of stuff into my dorm room and lifted one too many heavy boxes which left me out in my back and on the couch for two days. Ever since then when I lift too many things or bend the wrong way I get crazy bad pain in the lowest part of my left back...and guess what? Thats the spot that hurts every single time I lay down at night or sit on the couch for more than ten minutes. Oh well, only three and a half months to go! Hooray! In the mean time I am trying to make things better, especially since my doctor told me last week that I should only gain ten more pounds and I was gaining weight too fast. So, I switched to oatmeal every morning for breakfast, I walk with the hubby and the dog, do pre-natal pilates, and swim. The exercising part hasn't been that hard, but the eating right part is really hard to do when I am craving things like rocky road ice cream instead of the grapes and apples I make myself eat. But, I really don't want to end up with a huge baby or a huge amount of weight to lose after the baby or gestational diabetes. So, the oatmeal and exercise will continue until December...or until I give in to the ice cream in the freezer.

a new look

well, after keeping my hair a light color and pretty long for about a year and a half I was ready for a change! I got out the scissors and started cutting until I was happy, then I dyed my hair using a semi permanent, ammonia free dye. I never use semi permanent hair color, but the doctor said while dying hair is fine, the ammonia fumes are not super healthy while pregnant. So, I went with the ammonia free which happens to all be semi permanent. I decided after looking at old pictures that I really like the darker brownish red colors I have done in the past so this is what I aimed for. I think I may have gotten my hair a little uneven in the back when I cut it, but once the hubby get home from his trip he can trim it up for me :). Here is a before and after picture. The before one is better because i have make up on and am not dressed in my pajamas. :)

Happy 25th

I would just like to say a happy 25th birthday to my hubby-dad to be Jake. I thought it would be fun to dig up some pictures of his great personality , which is one of the many things I love about him. HAPPY B-day :)

family weekend #2

Last weekend I was able to spend some time with my family and this weekend we spent time with Jakes. On Thursday night his mom came over for dinner and to see the nursery, we had a good time looking through the baby clothes I got last weekend and adding to our diaper and clothes collection (I think this is going to be a spoiled grand baby). I am not complaining though, the less diapers I have to buy the better! Friday I still had to go to work so Jake and I got a late start driving down to South Carolina to see his dad and Lorri. We stopped at Travis and Sara's on the way to drop off a forgotten french press (surprised Trav made it through the week without it!). We met their new cat Riley who is a sweet cat with huge paws!! We finally made it to Mauldin and enjoyed a weekend of shopping, too much food, and some good games of rummikub. I am so thankful to have a family that loves us and takes care of us. My family and Jakes family combined has done more for us than they will ever realize, and being first time parents in this economy we certainly appreciate it. It is just another example of how God cares for his children through many venues such as family.