introducing...

Yes internet, that is now officially our baby girl's name!! After hours pouring over baby name books with one of us shouting out a name and the other one distastefully wrinkling up their nose and muttering, "That's...interesting..." we finally picked one! We have been calling her Lila around the house now for a couple of weeks and hoping that we will know if it feels right.

This last weekend, I asked Brian if there were any other names that he liked as much as Lila (there were not). Then I asked him when he thought we were ready to make a decision and say its officially her name. Brian looked at me and said, "Well I don't know. I've never named a baby before." I love that man :-)

Any child can tell you
that the sole purpose of a middle name
is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
~Dennis Frakes

time out

What a bad, bad blogger! Over a week since the last post! I think I shall punish myself by making me eat this whole cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese. And no getting up till its finished!!

We have had a very busy week at work, as it was Homecoming for the college I work for. Which meant lots of extra hours and craziness. And apparently Miss Baby Girl did not like all that activity! On Monday, I started having some pressure and pain so it was off to the doctor's office for us. Thank goodness it was not pre-term labor, but just my body being exhausted and telling me to slow down. Or as my sister Katelyn told me, the baby was just complaining that I was not giving her enough attention!

So yesterday was spent on the couch resting my body. And today I am back at work, holding court in my office from a big overstuffed chair with my feet propped up. Ahhh, what a sad, deprived life I lead. You can come by my desk anytime and schedule an audience :-)

We also want to give a shout out to Patti, Brian's mom, on her birthday last week. Happy Birthday Patti! Next year you will be a grandma on your birthday!

I like to write my name with a pen that has a plume.
That's a fancy way of saying feather.
And I can't wait to learn French
because everything in French sounds fancy.
~"Fancy Nancy" by Jane O'Connor

sniff sniff

Poor Brian has a cold! He has been fighting it all week and it seems to be going downhill. Prayers are appreciated that he start feeling better soon. Luckily, we had a lot of down time this weekend to watch movies and do some work cleaning out unwanted junk that was being stored in the nursery.

Best movie of the weekend: "Couples Retreat"
Best moment of the weekend: Having people pay us for all our junk we posted on Craigslist

We are super excited about finishing up our registry and getting all of little girl's stuff picked out. We have decided to go with The Bob stroller and picked out our car seats! That might not seem like a success of any kind, but you apparently have not been sucked into the black hole of Babies R Us for over 2 hours before.

Now we can't wait for all of the baby showers coming up. Brian's mom and friends are having a shower down in Gastonia on November 21, which will be our very first shower and chance to celebrate! Then, my sister Katelyn is throwing us a shower the weekend of Thanksgiving and we just got the invitation in the mail. How cute are these?!

The only way to keep your health
is to eat what you don't want,
drink what you don't like,
and do what you'd druther not.
~Mark Twain

pumpkin patch kids

Why is it so cold??? And the leaves are all changing!! And my belly is getting really big!!! Holy overuse of punctuation Batman!

I love fall. Everything changing, people bundling up in new clothes, trying to squeeze in as much outdoor activity as possible before the cold kicks us to the fireplace. This year, we have even more change to celebrate :-) Brian and I have spent this last week of temperature change cleaning out closets of summer clothes, eating chili and watching movies, and baking. Or rather, I baked and Brian taste tested.

One of my favorite ingredients to use in the fall is pumpkin. I am actually not a fan of pumpkin pie, so I have to get my fix elsewhere. I have the best pumpkin muffin recipe from my friend Dori that I pull out every year about this time. This year, they served as Boss's Day gifts for Brian and I. And for those of you with blank looks on your face, yes Boss's Day was today, yes you missed it, and yes you now have to get an even bigger card and gift to slink into the office with on Monday. Enjoy!

Dori's Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Wet

1 C vegetable oil

2/3 C water

4 eggs

2 C canned pumpkin

Dry

1 t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

3 C sugar

3 1/4 C flour

1/2 t salt

2 t baking soda

-Mix wet ingredients together with mixer. Then add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till inserted toothpick comes out clean.

back to school, back to school

Lets talk about Miss Wiggles. This is by far the coolest feeling of my entire life. We are still in the flutter stage, so right now it just feels like something is rustling around under a blanket. I can't feel any defined kicks or rolls yet, but we know from the ultrasound that she is definitely practicing her gymnastics. Not to get too anatomy lesson on you, but the reason we can't feel a lot of movement yet is because her placenta is attached to the abdomen side of my uterus and she is behind it. So basically she has to get big enough to kick through the placenta for me to feel it. Brian is patiently waiting for another growth spurt so he can feel her too!

This week has been a little crazy as my brother Jonny ended up in the emergency room at college for an emergency appendectomy. He is recovering well, but I feel bad for the poor guy. This was following up on my sister having swine flu last week and my mom having pneumonia. What a mess!

And on Thursday, I am finally back to work! I am looking forward to having a little more activity and stimulation in my day. And getting to talk to real people! Yay! So lots of prayers please for me and my little mango that we stay safe and are able to ease back into our busy schedule.

Holidays are enticing only for the first week or so.

After that, it is no longer such a novelty

to rise late and have little to do.

~Margaret Laurence

sweet potato pie

So many blog posts, so little time! I wanted to catch up on all the wonderful things that happened this week. Starting with last weekend when my sister flew into town to surprise me! It was just a normal Saturday morning and all of a sudden, Katelyn is walking into my kitchen! After I almost numchucked her, we spent the weekend laughing, shopping, and playing together. It was so great to spend time with my sis :-)

Now that we know that its a sweet baby girl, we have also gotten the chance to buy some fun new things. Like her adorable bed linens! Yes, I did go back to Marshalls and get them the day after we had our ultrasound. I cannot believe what a great deal this is and it matches the green walls of the nursery perfectly.

We also ordered an adorable diaper bag off Ebay that is so cute. I do love a good damask print. This one is handmade and has lots of pockets inside and out. I am thinking of having her first name or initials monogrammed on the outside (once we decide on a name that is). Does anyone have any feedback about monograms on diaper bags?

When women are depressed,

they eat or go shopping.

Men invade another country.

Its a whole different way of thinking.

~Elayne Boosler

sugar and spice

Sorry it has taken me two extra days to post...but we found out on Wednesday we are having a girl! Now the reason for my lack of posting has not been because I was out buying lots of dresses, but rather an attack from bronchitis. The not fun thing about being pregnant - if you really are sick, they will hardly give you any medicine. While I appreciate the concern, my lungs are not too happy about the situation.

But back to our baby girl...what an amazing moment to see how much she has grown! It was surreal to have them show us her arm bones, leg bones, kidneys, bladder, nose, toes, and fingers. We even got to watch a special movement ultrasound showing blood flow between the chambers of her heart!

Brian had the whole day off work for Baby Baby Day. After our amazing ultrasound that morning, we spent a beautiful lunch outside in the sun, talking about all the fabulous fun times ahead filled with twirling, talent shows in the living room, princess dresses, and giggles.

Then it was onward to Babies R Us for some pink ruffly shopping and then to get ready for our special dinner. We had scheduled dinner with my parents and Brian's parents and brother to tell them our fun news. That's right, we kept it a secret all day! After arriving in Greensboro, we sat everyone down, placed a cupcake in front of them, and told them to dig in.

And hidden inside, pink icing! I am not sure we will every be allowed back in that restaurant again after all that commotion.

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I want to be
In my daughter's eyes
~"In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride

it is well

Sometimes in life you are not sure the direction God is taking you. Brian and I are so blessed to be expecting our baby and cannot wait till he/she arrives, healthy and happy. We know God has taken us this far and will carry us through all of the unrest of the next couple of months. Often I just find it overwhelming to look at all that we still have left to walk through and thinking about how long it will be till I get to hold my baby. And in those times, I just have to let go and give that to God.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say

It is well, it is well, with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come

Let this blest assurance control

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin, not in part but the whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live

If Jordan above me shall roll

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper thy peace to my soul

But Lord, tis for thee, for thy coming we wait

The sky, not the grave, is our goal

Oh trump of the angel, oh voice of the Lord

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend

Even so, it is well with my soul

~"It Is Well with My Soul" by Horatio G. Spafford