15 weeks....this is FLYING by!

15 WEEKS

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 15 weeks......seriously, I feel like I'll be full time in NO time!!!
Size of baby: 4 inches, 2 1/2 ounces and the size of a orange.

Gender:  I was keeping the date of our gender determination appointment a secret because I wanted to plan a little surprise gender reveal party when we got to the mountain house on Wednesday but I decided since this is probably going to be the last grandbaby for my parents, my Mom and Dad need to be at the appointment.  My Mom LOVES going with me to my doctor's appointment so she can see the little baby so I thought this is such a special appointment that they are coming.  So.......our appointment is at the Prenatal Experience tomorrow night at 7pm!!! EEEEKKKK....I'm so excited.  I just hope this bambino cooperates.

Name.  For those that noticed, this is a new one this week.  Not sure why, but I forgot to add this one in.  We do have a name for either a boy or a girl but I will reveal it once we know the gender.

Maternity Clothes: I went shopping Saturday.  Ugh.....I hate maternity clothes.  I found quite a few shirts but NO actual maternity pants.  I did find some UBER comfy pull on "lounge pants" (I have no idea what you call them....) so I grabbed the black and grey pair.  It's those type of pants you wear with tennis shoes and a cute tshirt. 
Belly Button: Still an innie but I don't think it will be an innie the whole pregnancy like it was last time.

Movement:  There's no more second guessing now.  I was at my Mom & Dad's Friday night and oh man, little bambino was moving all around.  It was so cute.  It's funny how I made a huge deal of everything during my last pregnancy and now I'm like, "oh, bambino is moving".  LOL
Sleep:  It's getting a little better.  Although, I woke up several times last night because I was on my stomach and my boobs were KILLING ME!!!!
Symptoms:  I haven't been swelling nearly as much as I have been.  Woo hoo!!! But holy mother of guacamole, my boobs have been on FIRE.  I mean, to the point of my hand or something random just barely grazing them and it almost puts me in tears.  Lovely, right???
What I miss: Nothing at all! I am so thankful and blessed to be pregnant again.

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the gender tomorrow night and leaving Wednesday morning for the mountains!!!
Cravings: OH. MY. GOSH.  Seriously, I could have whipped my coworker's behind the other day.  We started talking about food and she talked about Cinnabons, Golden Corral's yeast rolls with honey butter and I think I started drooling.  I'm still wanting a dang yeast roll! LOL
Best moment this week:  Having Preslei go with me to my doctor's appointment.  I was SO proud of her for being on her best behavior.  Dana, Dr. Morales' nurse, couldn't get over how big she is and of course, her curls.  Then Hope, the office manager, came back and said she just had to see Preslei because she remembers the baby pictures Dana put up around the office with her "big bows".  Apparently, Dana refuses to take them down or cover them up with someone else's baby's picture.  Preslei has 3 pictures in their office.  LOL....wonder who the favorite little office kid is??? ;o)  I told my Mom that it means SO much to me that I always feel special when I go in there and how they haven't forgotten me.  I mean, this is a very busy Tallahassee ob/gyn and they remember everything about me and especially when Hope, who I haven't really gotten to know, remembers Preslei and stops what she's doing to come see her.  I can't say enough how much I absolutely love my doctor and nurse. 

If....

This is going around the blog world :)




Fill in the blanks....



If I were to get pregnant again...I am pregnant again!



If I could have any job in the world...I would be a stay at home Mom. 


If I had a day to myself... I would want to take Preslei and do anything she wanted.  Seeing her happy makes me happy!


If I could get married all over again...I would LOVE to redo our wedding.  We had a beautiful wedding but my taste has changed so it'd be fun to redecorate and have a new dress!


If I could live anywhere in the US... Somewhere where it doesn't get so hot!!!


If my girl would have been boy they would have been named... Cohen.  We have different names picked now :)


If I could have any talent in the world...just to be crafty!


If you met me in real life... You would say, "you talk exactly like you type things on your blog".  I've been told that I type exactly how I talk.


If I could go back to school and get a different degree... Well, I'd actually get a degree this time around instead of being a college dropout.  Biggest regret in life......but, I'd actually be the attorney instead of the paralegal :)


If money was no object... I would have 10 kids, a huge house, travel A LOT and help friends and family.


If I could meet one celebrity, it would be... Kyle Richards from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  I love her!


If I could shop at only one store the rest of my life...hmmm....Target?? LOL



If we were to get another pet it would be... NO more pets at our house!!! 3 dogs and a cat are ENOUGH! (Anyone want a dog?? LOL)


If I could go on a trip right now... Well, we are going to the mountains ONE week from today!


If I had to choose between a house cleaner and a personal chef... Keith is the chef in our house so I'd say a house cleaner!



If I had the option of plastic surgery.. YES!!!!!

It's one of those days

While I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE being pregnant, I don't love the fact that I have been getting SOOOOOO easily irritated with people.  I want my niceness back.  It's like the littlest thing just sets me off.  I've always (for the most part, unless I don't like you) been really nice, easy going and laid back but holy crap, if I said what I was thinking, I'd be in trouble.   Too bad you can't take mood pills when you are pregnant, HA!

14 weeks

14 WEEKS

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 14 weeks (Now I'm offically in my second trimester)


Size of baby: 3 1/2 inches and the size of a lemon.


Gender:   We have a date to find out if we are having a boy or girl but we aren't revealing the date.  ;o)  It is soon though...YAY!  I'm just ready to start calling the baby by his/her name. 

Maternity Clothes:   Still haven't gone shopping yet.  I'm really trying to hold out as long as possible!

Weight gain:   I think I'm going to delete this category next week because I don't care to know how much weight I've gained and I'm not going to weigh myself so you won't see it next week!

Belly Button: Still an innie but I don't think it will be an innie the whole pregnancy like it was last time. 


Movement:  I've still been feeling some "somethings" going on in there.  It's VERY sporadic though.

Sleep:   Note to self:  Invest in a pregnancy pillow.  I am not sleeping that well and I can't find a comfortable position and I wake up at all hours of the night.

Symptoms:  My feet and fingers are still swelling but not as bad as last week.  I've been really trying to drink a TON of water and getting up at work more often.

What I miss: Nothing at all! I am so thankful and blessed to be pregnant again.


What I'm looking forward to:  My regular OB check up on Wednesday.  Preslei is going with me and she is SOOOOOOO excited!

Cravings:  Still nothing really.  It's been funny at some of things that just gross me out now.  For instance, scrambled eggs.  Blah.  The thought of me touching and preparing raw meat makes me get queasy if I try to eat it.  If I see the meat before it is cooked, I can't eat it.  *gag*

Best moment this week:  We went to the lake this past weekend for our annual Kines family reunion.  We always have SUCH a good time! 

SUYL-Couponing Sites

I started the couponing thing earlier this year and man, I was SO confused.  I just didn't "get it".  I had heard about this local woman from Thomasville, GA named Kim Weckwert, that actually taught coupon classes so I signed up.  Let me just say, this is one of the most sweetest women I have ever met.  She is the true definition of a southern Christian woman.  She isn't one of those women that wants to make money off you, she genuinely wants to teach you to save money.  I took her class when she first started teaching the classes and from there, her classes took off.  She was offered a segment on our local news station (WCTV in Tallahassee) called "Couponing 101" and has became a hit.  She started a very helpful website and I couldn't be more proud!  I love Southern Savers but what Kim offers is geared more towards local stores and even has other stores we don't have here for other site visitors. 

Here is Kim's website.  She is now known as "The Every Day Coupon Queen"! :o)  Here is her Facebook page as well.

Since learning how to coupon, I can save on average 60-65% off my grocery bills. 

Thank you SO much Kim!!

13 weeks!

13 WEEKS

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 13 weeks



Size of baby: 2.9 inches and the size of a peach.



Gender:   If I want to, I can find out in 2 weeks.  How crazy is that?!?! I'm still undecided of when I want to find out.  My frugal self is telling me to just wait until Nov. 28th (my 20 week appt. with Dr. Willis...he's the maternal/fetal medicine doctor that I've seen a few times since the blighted ovum scare) because I don't have to pay $94 to have someone tell me 4 weeks earlier.  BUT.....I also think it would be fun to do a whole "gender reveal" party when we go to the mountains on Nov. 2nd.  I can find out on Nov. 1st so I think it'd be fun to keep it a secret until we went to the mountains and then did some cute little party at the cabin without telling my family.


Maternity Clothes:  Ugh....I'm TRYING to wait until we go to the mountains to get some maternity clothes.  There is an outlet mall in Commerce, GA (which is about 2 hours from Blue Ridge) that has a Motherhood outlet and hopefully, I can convince Keith to let's go there one day. 


Weight gain:  Oh dear Lord, I feel like I've gained 100lbs this week.  I just feel like poo.  I'm going to start walking in the afternoons when I get home to see if it will make me feel less bloated and have more energy.  I have to admit, this week has gotten me worried/terrified of how I will feel later in my pregnancy.  I wasn't that much "skinnier" during my 1st pregnancy and I seriously had the best and perfect pregnancy.  I felt great when I got big and never complained until about the last 2 weeks when I was getting "miserable" so maybe this is just the first trimester "funk".  Speaking of first trimester, apparently, I was wrong last week in the fact 12 weeks starts the 2nd trimester.  I could have sworn that was when it started but, nope, it starts at 14 weeks.  Oh well.  :o)



Belly Button: Still an innie.



Movement:  I felt "something" last night that definitely wasn't gas.  I think it was a little flutter.  Nothing definite but it was still something :o)  It was funny though b/c I held my breath to see if I could feel it again and I felt it again but it after I started breathing again. 



Sleep:  Some nights are great but other nights it takes an act of Congress to actually go to sleep and stay asleep.  Preslei and I fell asleep in the living room Friday night and woke up at 2am and after I got in the bed, it was like 4am before I fell back asleep. 



Symptoms:  Swelling.  I have GOT to get up and walk around more at work.  My feet look as big as my head by the end of the day.  I seriously only get up to pee at work or grab stuff off the printer because I stay so busy and I'm just glued to the computer.  I need to try to remember to get up at least every 30 minutes and walk around.  I did buy some compression socks at WalMart this weekend and they felt like Heaven when I put them on Friday night. 



What I miss: Nothing at all! I am so thankful and blessed to be pregnant again.



What I'm looking forward to:  Being in the mountains in TWO WEEKS!!!! Hopefully my family won't want to take pictures at the same spot we did last year because good grief, this preggo is NOT going to be hiking again this year. 



Cravings:  Honestly, nothing sounds good to me.  I think it's the whole "I feel 100lbs heavier already" thing because the thought of any type of food makes me wanna puke. 



Best moment this week:  Feeling the little "flutter" last night in my tummy!  

 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

For starters, I'm just thankful for life in general.  I feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by an amazing family and wonderful friends. 

What I'm thankful for today is.........I got a new car!!! :o) Yay me! I'm officially the owner of a soccer mom van! We got a Honda Odyssey.  I've always been a pratical person and while, I LOVE a yukon or suburban, I don't love that they are gas guzzlers.  A van just seemed to make the most sense.  They are VERY spacious, get excellent gas mileage (18-24mpg) and drive like a car.  What makes me even more happy is that car insurance is cheaper for my van than it is on my Trailblazer! Yay for saving money!! I was worried that Keith would HATE it since it's so "Mom" like but he and I both test drove it and he really likes it.  He is SO impressed with all the storage.  Preslei told me this morning that she "had fun riding in that new car yesterday" so I'm glad we have her seal of approval.  I was just getting so worried about the space in my Trailblazer when Baby #2 gets here because I'm 5'10 and Keith is 6'1 and it isn't very comfortable when all 3 of us ride in my car now so I was just dreading adding an infant carrier. 

Sooo....YAY!

I'm totally going to rock that swagger wagon ;o)

(and....if anyone is looking for a good used Trailblazer, let me know!!! HA!)

12 weeks! Hello 2nd trimester :)

12 WEEKS

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 weeks

Size of baby: 2 inches and the size of a lime.

Gender:  Okay, okay....I caved.  LOL...I know everyone who said "Oh Amanda....there is NO way you could NOT find out!" are laughing and saying, "I told you so" right now.   I guess I'm just too much of a planner.  Plus, if this kidlet is a boy then I have to find something to do with those 8 rubber maid totes full of Preslei's old baby clothes because our house does not have enough storage room! So......I can't decide if I want to find out at 16 weeks and pay to have one of those gender ultrasounds or do I wait until November 28th to find out at Dr. Willis' office when he does the 20 week scan to make sure the baby is healthy.  Decisions decisions.  IF I do find out early, I may wait until after the 20 week scan to be 100%, ya know?!

Maternity Clothes:  I think there will be a shopping trip in the next few weeks.  I can still wear 95% of my non-maternity clothes but I just don't feel as comfortable in them as I do the 2 maternity shirts I wear.  I'm hoping I can get by with my regular "pull on" type black pants I have that I wear to work now without having to buy too many maternity pants.  My problem is I can't find plus size and tall length maternity pants.  Grrr..... When I buy the average length pants, they usually shrink up after I wash them so they all end up looking like high waters.  Gotta love being 5'10!

Weight gain:  I still have no idea.  As long as I don't gain like 50-70lbs, I'll be okay.  Obviously, I'm not one of those girls that are obsessed with weight.  ;o)  Thankfully, I have my lapband because after this baby is born, I'm getting it filled and I'm going to drop this weight. 

Belly Button: Still an innie.

Movement:  No and I'm SOOOOO ready to feel this baby move!

Sleep:  Ahhh yes...sleep.  It's a wonderful thing.  Now, if only I could stop getting up in the middle of night to go pee, it'd be perfect.  I'm trying not to sleep on my stomach even though Dr. Google says it is okay but I always wake up on my stomach.  I'm sure the bigger I get, the harder it will be to be a tummy sleeper. 

Symptoms:  Mondays are the worst because I have all weekend to just relax and then BAM! Mondays hit and the work week begins.  Keith knows not to expect me to do anything on Mondays because I am just beat.  Thankfully, he doesn't work on Mondays so 9 times out of 10, dinner is ready when I get home.  :o)

What I miss: Nothing at all! I am so thankful and blessed to be pregnant again.

What I'm looking forward to:  My next appointment so I can see how big the baby is getting.  I'm going to take Preslei with me this time because every appointment she begs to go and because the baby is/was so tiny, she'd get confused.  She is so excited about going!

Cravings:  Sandwiches and Mexican food.  I've never been a BIG fan of sandwiches but oh man, they are SOOOO good. 

Best moment this week:  Finally reaching the end of my first trimester!!!  

Just a bit of bragging

Everyone is entitled to brag a little, right? Some of you that have followed my blog for a while may remember this post about one of my best friends, Brian.  He is SOOOO talented! He is not only an amazing dancer but he sings, choreographs and acts.  Brian has appeared in several TV commercials, an episode of the Vampire Diaries and Drop Dead Diva.  He also landed a role as a principal dancer in the remake of "Footloose" and now, he just landed a role in the new movie "Pitch Perfect".  "Pitch Perfect" is sort of like a "Glee" type movie.  Brian said that there are two acapella groups that consist of 8 people in each group that are competing against one another and he is going to be one of the 8 people!!!

I am just SO proud of him.  Brian has worked his rear off and has never given up on his dreams.  What I also love and admire about him is he "always knows where home is". 

I love you to the moon and back B and I feel so blessed to have you in my life!

Tales of a hunter's wife

When I say Keith and I are polar opposites, I'm totally not kidding.  He's country and I'm not-so country.  I wouldn't consider myself a total "city girl" but I'm far from a country girl.  The only thing I remotely enjoy is fishing, although, I refuse to take my fish off the hook.  It scares me to death.  I used to not be as grossed out by outdoorsy things.  When Keith and I first started dating, I loved riding 4-wheelers and sitting with him in a deer stand, etc.  Poor Keith.  I do feel bad that I've changed as I've gotten older but (go ahead you little redneck girls that may happen to read my blog and get mad...lol) girls aren't supposed to get dirty and all that.  It's just way too "manly" for me. 

I used to get really annoyed when hunting season came in.  I feel like a single woman.  Seriously, every single chance he got, he was hunting.  Now, I'm like, "Hey, as long as it is putting meat in the freezer!".  (We only process deer meat and of course, the fish although Keith likes quail, I don't eat it)  Keith's biggest things he likes to hunt is #1, deer and then duck, quail and turkey.  He absolutely loves to fish, especially salt water fishing.  Keith lived in Hawaii for a few years while he was growing up and his Dad had a boat and would fish commercially.  I've always said that one day, I want to send Keith to Costa Rica on a fishing trip as a surprise.  But, the past few years, he's been selected by the State to receive a gator tag.  Basically, it's a lottery type system.  You enter your name and people are randomly selected to receive (1) tag.  Keith has "won" the past 2 or 3 years. 

Saturday was a BUSY day for me and Preslei.  We had a baby shower to go to for a friend of mine from high school and then she had a birthday party.  I decided we would do a drop in at the shower and then go to the bday party.  After the birthday party was over (1pm), I got back in the car and checked my phone.  Keith had sent me a picture.  They finally caught a gator.  Keith insisted that I drive to his friend, Robert, house to see the gator.  I wasn't thrilled because we made lunch plans with my sister in law and nephew but since it was important to him, we went. 

HOLY. CRAP. 

This gator was huge.  It was 11 ft. 1 in. and weighed an estimated 600-650lbs.  I felt the inner redneck coming out b/c I was snapping pics left and right.  If I wasn't wearing a cute outfit and had all my teeth in my mouth, I felt like we would have been a perfect fit on "Swamp People".  LOL.

Here are the pics......

 Taylor, Robert's son (l), Robert (c) and Keith (r)

Scary!!!

 Bahahaha, I can't help but just laugh at this picture. 

RAWR!!!!! ;o)

On Sunday, they caught another one.  It was much smaller (8ft something) so I didn't take any pictures.  But, if I can get my hands on the video that was taken, it's totally going on Youtube.  I don't think I've laughed that hard in a LONG time.  Long story short, the didn't kill the gator in the water.  They just taped his mouth and put him in the back of the truck.  Keith wanted Preslei to see a live gator.  Well, when they pulled him out of the back of the truck, his back legs got untied so.....Keith was trying to jump on it and he was getting scared.  It was the funniest thing ever. 

I must say though, as opposite as Keith and I are and as much as I'm SO not a country girl, I'm glad he has a hobby that he enjoys.  And...I must say, my little hunter cleans up very nice when he's not wearing all that camo and hunting stuff!

11 weeks!

11 WEEKS

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 11 weeks

Size of baby: A little over 1 1/2 inches and the size of a fig.

Gender: No idea yet!!! We can't decide if we want to let it be a surprise or find out.  Keith is adament he wants to know and I'm leaning more towards a surprise.  We'll see!

Maternity Clothes: I have 2 maternity shirts I wear but they don't look maternity! I feel kinda dumb that I'm already wearing them but hey, I like them! ;o) 

Weight gain: No idea.  Hopefully this pregnancy will be like Preslei's and I'll only gain 30lbs and drop 25lbs by my 6 weeks post pregnancy appointment!

Belly Button: Still an innie. 

Movement:  Not yet.  Although I swore I felt something Thursday night but I know it is WAY too early!  It was probably gas or something, HA!

Sleep:  I sleep comfortably (maybe it's because I am still able to sleep on my stomach.....and yes, it's safe...) but it's hard for me to actually fall asleep and stay asleep all night. 

Symptoms:  Just extreme fatigue and sore boobs! I'm ready for my energy to return!!!

What I miss:  Nothing at all! I am so thankful and blessed to be pregnant again.

What I'm looking forward to:  Feeling the baby kick and move all around.  That is the best feeling in the entire world. 

Cravings:  I think this child will come out speaking spanish.  I could eat Mexican every day!!!

Best moment this week:  Hearing the heartbeat for the first time and seeing the baby again :) 

(Random....I don't think I've realized how much I use "!".  It is driving me nuts but my sentences don't look right without them! LOL)