house update

I am way behind on these updates.  They are finishing the sheet rock this week and then it's on to flooring and cabinets.  I am really hoping we can get in in February before I go back to work.  Fingers crossed!

 

 

foundation

 

from the front right corner, garage in foreground

 

same angle, framing

 

same angle, roofing is being started

 

view from the back

 

this is our favorite.  we will have to bring in more dirt to complete the back yard and pool

 

siding (will be white) is almost done now

 

view as you are driving in

 

due to elevation issues, our front yard is small but back yard will be where we hang out

we are very isolated and have ten acres to ourselves

 

and the crown jewel - the back porch

 

it runs almost the length of the house and is 14 feet deep

we have one sitting area with bolts for a swing, dining will be in the space above

past that is the outdoor kitchen complete with bar

there is a pool room and full bath past that

outdoor fireplace with more seating as well

the steps to the pool will be located in that corner

 

when i get overwhelmed with all we have going on, i picture being out here with an adult beverage and a happy baby after the craziness of masters is over.  it'll be here before we know it!

 

building a house is insane.  we plan to be here forever so i wouldn't want to have anyone else make the decisions but it is never-ending.  thank goodness brad and i are pretty much on the same page with everything.  we have tried to stay in front of most of the decisions so as not to hold up progress, especially since the next few weeks will be crazy.

 

we are so happy with the progress so far and cannot wait to get in!!



lately...

Aside from work, baby-preparing and house-building, here are some other things we have had going on.  :)

 

 

Banjo celebrated her 11th birthday in November.  She'll always be my first daughter.  Sweet, sweet girl.

 

 

Brad, Dad and Levi went quail hunting last week.  They didn't have any luck but had loads of fun.  Tired Levi and Loki.

 

Last weekend, we attended a boot-scootin' Christmas party hosted by the Trotters, Dunstans and Rigsbys.  I went for a little while but Brad had the most fun and rode the mechanical bull a lot.  I can't get the video to upload but will work on that.

 

My last few Garden & Gun food packages.  These are caramels from Shotwell Candy Co (in Memphis I think).  The flavors were salted, beer and pretzels, espresso and bourbon.

 

 

Callie's cheese crisps and bloody mary mix.

 

I also got some coffee but gave that to Dad for Christmas.

 

Per tradition, we decorated sugar cookies with the Shinglers on Christmas Day.  Here is Mary Van in her monogrammed onesie.  :)

 

We had smaller Christmas celebrations this year due to my condition.  We spent Christmas Eve day in Thomson with my family and had Christmas day dinner with the Filipovics.  Bill and Debbie were out of town unfortunately.  However, we enjoyed all the time with family and are so thankful for the season and generosity of them all.

 

At the boot-scootin' Christmas party

 

I hate to miss a chance to dress up.  :)

 

My coworkers threw me a shower a few weeks ago.  It was wonderful!  From the back, you can't even tell I'm preggo.  That's one good thing I can say!

 

MV got lots of goodies for Christmas!  Clothes especially, thank goodness.  Megan and Adi got our family matching shoes.  Brad got some Cole Haans and MV and I got mocs.  So cute.

 

We have already purchased nursery furniture!  I went ahead and got a full suite so that it will grow with her - hopefully.  The store is keeping it until we move.  She has the convertible crib, double dresser with hutch, nightstand and single dresser.  Yay!

 

Work shower food.  Yummy!

 

Work shower gifts.  She racked up on the big items - jumperoo, pack n play and plenty of other essentials.  I will miss my work family but know I will be out there to visit before I return to work in March.

 

Christmas party hosted by the Bowens, Lawrences and two other couples.  This is one of my favorite dresses and it worked great for the cocktail party.

 

We did very few Christmas decorations this year (tree, wreath, candles and cards only) due to the wild pup, arriving baby and putting the house on the market.  Plus lack of time and energy.  Ha.  Brad did the lights by himself and definitely had a Clark Griswald moment.  He got them figured out after the third time.  Ha.



pregnancy at 39 weeks

Well. she is almost here!!  Today makes 39 weeks.  Hard to believe.  We are ready for her to be here but not sure we are ready for everything else.  But, if you waited until you were ready, that time would never come huh?  We are so excited!

 

I seem to have missed a few weeks here and there but here is my best guess as to when these were taken...

 

 

Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen at 25 weeks.

 

26 weeks

 

27 weeks

 

28 weeks

 

29 weeks

 

(third trimester and one of the few photos taken before work when i actually look decent.)

 

32 weeks

 

I am guessing on this one but I know I missed the 31 weeks photo.  I had a stomach bug.  Let me tell ya, that was rough while being pregnant.  I threw up for 24 hours straight and was comatose for the next 24.  I think this was after that because I guarantee you I lost weight and I don't look much bigger here.  Or it could be 30 weeks.

 

(these next few are guesses.  i didn't realize i missed so many photos.  crap.)

 

33 weeks

35 weeks

 



 

36 weeks

 

38 weeks

 

39 weeks (taken yesterday)

 

Overall, I started feeling better around 26 weeks.  Still not good, mind you, but better.  I still get sick occasionally and have no long-term energy.  I was able to lower my nausea medicine doseage a few months ago.  Heartburn (and other GI issues) and sleeplessness have gotten so much worse lately.  I get up to go to the bathroom at night a lot.  That's fine but then I lay awake for hours thinking of things I need to do.  I got horrible headaches every morning for about a month and a half but those have lessened a little.  Of course, Mary Van is getting so big she is causing me lots of pain too.  My ligaments are super sore and I get shooting pains sometimes.  She's on my sciatic nerve a lot too.  And my ribs.  Oh Lord, my ribs.  They are bruised she has been on them so much lately. 

 

I have only bought maternity jeans (which I love) and leggings (which I hate because they won't stay up most of the time).  I went to Ross and bought some cheap sweater dresses that I didn't mind if they got stretched out.  I just refused to buy other things I wouldn't wear that much.  If these dresses survive fitting over the bump, then great.  If not, not much money lost!  I really haven't had any cravings.  I will see things that sound good and that I think my stomach can handle but nothing weird or out of the ordinary. 

 

People ask me if I have been nesting.  Well, I don't think of it as nesting.  I think of it as getting s$@t done.  Getting ready for a baby is pretty involved!  Now I know (after our childbirth classes) that true nesting is a short-term burst of energy right before you go into labor.  Haven't had that yet!

 

We are hoping she makes her appearance soon.  The pseudo-nursery is ready and our bags are packed.  We go back to the doctor on Monday for a check-up.  There is a chance he will be out of town for the next week which makes me nervous.  At 35 weeks, she weighed 5.5 lbs which puts her right around 7.5-8 lbs at birth.  All her other measurements were right at 35-36 weeks except for her stomach.  That was 33 weeks so she will probably be a little on the lean side. 

 

Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers!!



sully update

These are going to be all out of order but here are some updated pictures of our growing pup.

 

A few weeks ago, she got spayed and a 'short toe' that she had removed.  Not a fan of the cone at all!

 

Scar from the toe removal.  It looks gnarly but has healed nicely. 

 

Just a little pup.  Banjo was like 'what the hell?'

 

So little!

 

She loved to get under the furniture.

 

Furball

 

Apparently Brad took some selfies with her.  Too sweet...

 

Out at our land.  She loves getting dirty.

 

See?

 

This past week in Thomson.  Brad is trying to get her trained to be a duck dog.  We'll see.

 

The cone once it was removed.  She was hard on that thing.  So dirty and beat up!

 

Brad and Sully duffnering

 

She decided to join me for a nap

 

Sweet little girl.  Man, don't I look really sick in this picture?  Early on in the pregnancy...

 

Loves the river!  This is the common lot next to our new lot/homesite.

 

Her 'short toe.'  I just knew it would get ripped off at the most inconvenient time so we had it removed when she was under for the spaying.  Only $20!  It didn't touch the ground anyway but that caused the nail to get really long.

 

Sully loves the dawgs too.  Believe it or not, we didn't pose her for this pic. 

 

With big sis Banjo!  They have gotten good about playing together now.  Banjo gets tired after a while and retires to our room but they love to play. When Sully had the cone, though, Banjo stayed far away.  Ha.

 

Brad has taught her to high-five.  Let's work on some useful instruction ok babe?

 

Just yesterday.  So sweet...

 

Well, that's what she wants us to think. 

 

 

A rare sight.  Calm without being asleep.

 

I will say, I think Sully is more calm and better at obeying than Banjo at this age.  I have always heard chocolates are more hyper.  Might be true.  Or, it might be I raised Banjo by myself in an apartment.  Ha.  Now, let's see how these girls react when Mary Van arrives.  I see Banjo as her protector and Sully as her playmate.