Gender Reveal!!

  Im late of course posting this one & most of you know by now that we are having a girl, but with the holidays Ive been busy & I couldnt announce it on my blog.

So, on Dec 2nd we had an appointment for an ultrasound & the results... GIRL!! 

If you've read my past posts y'all know that I took one of those "Intelligender" over the counter tests, well it was wrong ( unless the ultrasound tech is wrong, we'll see.) But as I said when I took that test. Im not holding my breath on the results, I honestly shouldn't have wasted my money, but my curiosity got the best of me. My advice for the future, dont waste the money...

Anyway...back to the ultrasound... 

This was our baby at 17 weeks... 

The funny thing is I was dying to know with this one what we were having... Deep down I really thought it was a girl, but since I took that silly test & it said boy I was all confused! So when she said girl, I wasnt at all shocked or surprised, I was like "what!?!" I knew I was right!! Silly test!

Its still a little early to tell, but I think she already looks like Reese :) 

 

The plan was we were going to put the gender reveal in our Christmas cards, but we told our families & friends they had to wait until Christmas to find out what we were having. I was dying to tell & it was SO hard not to slip!! But we did it! We pulled it off & it was a great surprise... Especially because most thought it was a boy! 

So here's what our Christmas cards looked like...

http://www.shutterfly.com/creationpath/views/projects/320b6276-4f33-11e3-bbed-27831d33bf48

And then we had to make some fun for Reese with it. So this is how we told her... 

She had fun playing with the balloons, even though she doesnt know what they mean :)

Now... Let the name battle begin!! 

Kelly :)

Fast & Easy Turtles

  I wanted to share a quick little treat that we made for the staff at the daycare for Christmas. We dipped the pretzels & the crackers & peanut butter in white chocolate, made some mini- brownie cups & these turtles.... They are so fast & easy & YUMMY!! 

Oops, I didnt take an after picture :( 

So all you do is preheat the oven to 250, layer some pretzels on a cookie sheet & put a Rolo on top. Put in the oven for about 3-4 min- you dont want the Rolo to melt, just to be soft, then take out of the oven & top with a pecan. 

The biggest pain about these is unwrapping the Rolo's! Luckily I had a little helper who loved to unwrap them! 

 

Put them all together in a pretty Christmas tin & you have a simple, yummy gift :) 

Spaghetti Squash

   Hi All!! Ok so I know Im WAY behind, so Im hopefully going to post a few things in the next couple days to get caught up- yikes! 

   So I am now just over 21 weeks & I have officially popped! Too much Christmas food maybe!?! Haha! 

So, the baby this week is the size of a spaghetti squash (weighing a pound now & about 8 inches in length) 

Im FINALLY feeling movements & my husband got to feel it a couple times too. I was very nervous last week because I hadnt really felt any movement yet, I kept thinking come on, any day now, you should be moving!! I thought I felt something here & there, but I never knew if it was gas, or baby- lol! So yes, I officially have felt movements now & Im very happy!! 

I go back to the dr next week for another sono & they'll measure all the baby's organs, so Im excited I'll get to see her again :) And yes, by the way its a girl! I havent did my gender reveal post yet :-/

Toe Dilemma

   Ok so this is kinda gross what Im going to show ya (as a parent not so much, Ive seen worse) but Im writing this as a warning & it was really kinda scary! 

This is my 2 year olds toe the other day...

This picture was at the doctor on monday. She was curling her toes around because she thought I was going to touch it! 

So, lets back up a sec & Ill tell ya all about it. 

I noticed on Sunday her toe was a little red on the outside edge, I thought Oh no, she's probably getting an ingrown toenail. 

Monday morning when I was getting her dressed it was still red & there was pus, GREAT! 

So my anxiety instantly kicks in... I have 6 houses to clean in 3 days, its the week before Christmas, I need to get this taken care of before we leave to go back home, Call the doctors office, of course they cant see her today...take her to urgent care, Is it just an ingrown toenail, everybodys making me doubt myself , I feel stupid, I feel stupid canceling one of my houses for an ingrown toenail, its gotta hurt, she doesnt act like it hurts & 100 other thoughts that raced through my head!! 

So I did cancel one of my houses, & headed up to urgent care. 

By the time I had picked her up from daycare (just before 1:00) her toe was purple! Ok, now I dont feel so stupid just taking her for an ingrown toenail (cuz thats how they make ya feel ya know!) 

When we got to urgent care, I filled out about 30 minutes worth of paper work... Then they tell me its a 3 hour wait!! (Guess I shouldve asked first, live & learn)

And you know they are looking at me thinking, really, its an ingrown toenail, go home & soak it in some epsom salt... Also, let me add, she has a Christmas program at 5:15 & I really didnt want to miss it!

 So long story short... I left, found another urgent care that didnt have as long of wait, got her toe looked at. The doctor was wonderful, he said you absolutely needed to get her in here immediately, those infections spread like wildfire, especially on toes. He gave her 2 kinds of antibiotics, swabbed it for a culture & said it looked like either a staph or strep infection- YIKES!! 

How in the heck did she get that?!? He said we have those bacterias all over our body, she could've jammed in on something & that could cause the bacteria to move in. 

I felt stupid taking her to "urgent" care for a silly little ingrown toenail (so I thought) but in a 24 hour time span when her toe went from normal to purple, I knew something wasnt right. What wouldve happened if I had waited?!? Always trust your gut mamas & daddys out there!! 

I had a bad experience when Reese was 7 months old, she had a UTI, I will write about that someday, its a long story, that was very scary & I still have regrets about how I handled that. 

I knew something wasn't right, but sometimes others out there make you feel stupid or doubt yourself (Especially as a first time mom!) I try & tell myself that, but easier said than done!! 

Oh & we did make it back in time for her program... I flew home & changed her in the parking lot, but we made it! Ill post pics of that soon :) 

**UPDATE** we got the culture back & it was in fact a staph infection... Luckily the antibiotics cleared it up almost immediately**

Some Fun Ornaments

  Hope you're all doing well & getting ready for Christmas! I just love the way my house looks at Christmas, I really wish my house could feel as cozy & warm all year long with all the lights & the candles & all the decor! For some reason Christmas lights & all the cozy things dont go over so well when its 100 degress outside & all you want to do is stay cool. 

  This year I've had a little "elf" helping me all along the way, she even wants to help wrap presents & thats always interesting to see what she comes up with! 

               (My little elf) 

 I swear she is the best kid ever! She has never (not even last year when she was one either) touched the tree, unless I told her to help, she did help me put on some of the bottom ornaments. She has not touched one single wrapped present under the tree! I have to admit I was a little nervous putting wrapped presents under the tree so early (my tree has been up since mid nov.) I thought for sure she would be trying to unwrap or at least carry around the presents, nope! Not at all! Now this #2 that comes along, I'm sure it'll be a whole different story!! 

Anyway, so this year she helped me make her Christmas list ornament. Last year I did it in red ... 

I just took a glue pen & wrote the year & some polka dots, sprinkled with glitter & put her list inside. I had a pad of aged looking paper so I like to use that to give it a vintage look. 

This year Reese wanted to put the glitter on...she picked green :) Lets just say there will be glitter in the playroom for the rest of my life! 

She also wanted to help make her list, so I let her draw & we put that in her ornament too. It'll be cute to look back at her scribbles someday :) 

Tie it up with some red raffia & done!  

Last year I made a salt dough ornament with her handprint. I saw the picture on Pinterest, ours turned out pretty good considering when I tried to make her handprint she wanted to squish her hand all around! 

Im sure you've all seen these around... This year instead of doing the salt dough ornaments I bought a plaster ornament & Im going to modge podge her picture on it (Ill show that later.) We're taking her to see Santa today, so if that picture turns out good Ill use that one! 

Kelly :)

Christmas!!

  Now that Ive got all my shopping & wrapping done, (yes done! I have never been done this early- ever!!) I can concentrate on sharing my decor & fun projects Ive been doing. Here's some pictures of my "mantel." 

That little wire wreath that I hung on the mirror is for my Christmas card display. 

I love that thing! It is the greatest for displaying cards! 

Our stockings with each of our letters on them... The "B" at the end is for baby... 

Its kind of ironic I bought that "B" stocking last year after Christmas for my stepdad (Bill) and I was going to try & find one of my mom with a "T" on it. I did find one with a "G" on it though (for grama) or Grohler. They always stayed at our house & we did Christmas Eve there. Mom always just brings all the stockings with her when they visit, so I was in the process of buying stockings for everyone, then we moved & I obviously wont be having Christmas at my house! Anyway, so this year I have two extra stockings.... a "B" (for Baby, or Boy) & a "G" (for girl) funny how that worked out! So for now I just have the "B" hanging for baby, because ya know we still arent telling the gender ;) 

I have been on the hunt for new stockings too, Either mine needs to be a different color, or Reese's... hers looks funny being the only cream one. I found some in a magazine I LOVED and they were personalized, but yikes- $35 a piece!! I may make some, not that I'll have anytime to do that in the near future! 

And remember my cute little dresser I got (yes its been about 3 months ago now)

That is going under my mantel if I ever get it finished! Its about halfway done now, but it got cold & I dont like to paint in the garage when its too cold. So Im probably going to have to bring it in the house & paint it...Maybe after Christmas!!

More projects to share later today!!! 

Kelly :) 

Almost 18 weeks!

How are y'all? Im a little behind, but Im almost to 18 weeks now. We found out last monday what the gender was but we arent telling yet!! I know, dont hate me! Im DYING to tell, but we know how we want to reveal it, so not too much longer & I'll share! And hopefully I dont slip along the way! So, here's my latest bump pics...

I really hate "selfies" but its about all I got right now... 

My husband did take this one... 

So, at 18 weeks the baby is the size of a mango (6" & weighs about 1/2lb) 

The heartbeat at my last appt was 143.

My cravings have been Monicals (and of course we dont have them down here) so watch out Monicals when I get back to IL!! Your going to have one hungry pregnant girl ready to eat!! And POP! Oh my what I wouldnt do for a big fat coke! Or cherry coke! I havent & wont have any though- I dont know why, Im just a freak about it I guess. I never had any caffeine with Reese & she's a pretty good, laid back kid, & I just know if I have it with this one it'll be all hyper & spazzy! Haha! The things I worry about! 

Ive gained about 6-7 pounds so far (thats according to my scale) 

I will post pics of our ultrasound as soon as I can! We got so many pictures from this last ultrasound & they are the 3D/4D, they are really great!! 

Its hard to believe Im almost halfway done already! 

Gosh I guess that is all I got for now! 

Thanks for reading... 

Kelly :)