Happy Birthday, Kyns!

This weekend had a relaxing start - pre-natal massage!!!! (Thank you, Jessica, Nicole, Brittany, and Katherine!) It was heavenly!

Then, I waited for Jeffie to come home from work so we could start our secret trek to Savannah. He was hungry, though, so we had to stop off at The Boardwalk for some burgers (comparable to Five Guys, but I think they are actually better - the fries are WAY better to me at least. Oh and they have funnel cake fries! YUM!).

After our tums were satisfied we got on the freakishly trafficless road to go surprise Kynslie for her birthday! Earlier in the week I told her we couldn't come because of our multiple commitments for the weekend. I called to wish her a happy birthday "since we couldn't come" to throw her off. Oh and to just wish her a happy birthday, too. April was told the plan days earlier and decided that she should tell Taylor the day of. This was scary because he is notorious for his HUGE MOUTH!!! (Sidenote: Never tell Taylor Giddens something you don't want repeated!).

Surprisingly, he was able to keep it to himself all day!! When we were getting closer I texted to tell him and he inconspicuously unlocked the door (really he just looked like a weirdo "checking" the mail at almost midnight). At 11:50pm we pulled up, snuck up the driveway, and busted through the door shouting, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!"

The cute donut cake we missed!

This should have been such an amazing moment that Kynslie cried with tears of joy. Unfortunately, they live in the ghetto. Like a neighbor has been killed and there are drug deals ghetto, so Kynslie immediately jumped back into the fetal position and teared up because she thought they were going to be murdered! But then she realized it was us and she was pumped!

After she dried up the tears

While we were there we went to the beach at Tybee Island, ate way too much deliciousness, strolled around Isle of Hope, battled it out to Kinect Just Dance, watched some movies, and walked down River Street. All in all, it was a nice relaxing weekend (especially being able to sleep in a king sized bed with this uncomfortable bod! Thanks April!) Oh and did I mention we bought a bed on Friday, too? It's been an exciting weekend.

Just a dream home. You know. Nothing special.

Isle of Hope stroll - we obviously showered and did our hair....

Who doesn't want to live on W Bluff Dr, Savannah, GA?

Our next adventure is to head to California to visit the Nefs! We can't wait to see everyone and meet our precious new nephew, Joshua!! 

Rrrarrr

I'm not sure how old I am in these pictures, but that is my niece, Kendall a.ka. Kenny, at about 15 months in the middle picture. Man I loved that bathing suit. I can't believe we still have it! Paisley will have to be in it next summer. Maybe we'll take the shoulders up for less gipple exposure (Sidenote: gipples are girl nipples). 

Oh, Mother!

Recently, I was given the best compliment of my life on two separate occasions by two little kids. The first one was a little girl I had spent most of the day with. We were riding in the car together when out of nowhere she said, "You're baby is so lucky to have you as a momma." My hormonal pregnant self immediately teared up as I thought about how lucky and humbled I am to be able to be her "momma."

Being pregnant has really gotten me thinking about the mom I have been so lucky to have been blessed with. When I was younger I had a teacher once ask if anyone knew what the word dote meant. Everyone else was shaking their heads, so I raised my hand and said it's how my mom treats me - she dotes on me. Even though there were six of us, she was always there to dote on each of us. I'm not sure who my siblings would consider the most spoiled (probably me!), but I think she has spoiled each of us in different ways. She has always been very conscious of our individuality and our specific needs.

I can still remember laying on the floor with her learning the alphabet and how to write my name. I remember reading in her lap and playing with her hair. I remember painting fingernails and watching her put my hair in buns. I remember art projects and baby dolls and endless shopping trips. I remember her teaching Joy School (homeschool Pre-K). I remember her going back to school for her Master's and learning about X and Y chromosomes and listening to tape recordings of her professors' lectures just so I could sit with her while she studied. I remember her never turning me away from her bed and how she would often fall asleep during prayers. I remember wanting to be a teacher because she was one, but most of all wanting to be a mommy just like her. And all of that had to have been before I was even in first grade.

Now as I am becoming a mother myself I am so grateful for the mother I have had. I am relaxed and excited about all the change that is coming with the birth of our little girl. I keep thinking about how prepared I feel and how it is all because of my mother. She taught me how to hold a baby, how to feed them, how to burp them, how to change a diaper, how to read to them, how to talk to them, how to soothe them, and how to get them to sleep. She taught me how to pray, how to love, how to teach, how to discipline, how to forgive, how to serve, and how to understand. I feel like I've been in a life-long apprenticeship with a master teacher. Her children love her and and her grandchildren are obsessed with her. Now it's my turn to be a little bit of the amazing mother she has been for me.

I love you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day (and birthday!)

Baby, Baby, Baby, Oooooooo

Remember that time I wanted to see what Jeff and I would look like melded together into a baby? If you've forgotten, here's a little reminder. I mean look at that 5-head! Huge! And whose complexion is that?

Luckily, this is what we actually look like:

We went for a 3D/4D ultrasound today. I'm not sure I would recommend them. Jeff says we should just wait a few weeks and see the real thing for free... I think I would have to agree. I wanted to do it at least once though, so here she is! Now who does she look like? I think it looks just like the sample pictures I've seen of other 3D ultrasounds, but she is pretty dang cute!

Every time I've tried to have an ultrasound this little babe hides her face. She completely had her back turned to us today and when we could finally see her face she covered it with her hands! I guess she's camera shy... She definitely did not get that from me!

I had to jump and dance around for a while so she would move, and Jeff tried talking to her. He's convinced that she loves to be around him and starts kicking when I get home from work because she missed him all day. (She really does move the most when it's just the two of us at home...)

When we finally saw her face she looked a bit like Voldemort. Then, they showed us her hair and those flared nostrils... So, I'm basically going to have a hairy, big-nosed, Voldemort baby! But we still love her and of course we think she's just perfect!

Oh and she smiled! That precious smile! I just love it!

Baby Voldemort

Smiling!

HAIR!


I hope this video works. It's her smiling!