Seasons Greetings

We finally decorated for the holidays over the weekend.  I say finally because November 19 is late for us!  Usually, I'm ready to put the tree up shortly after Halloween!  Here it is!

And I made this really fun wreath...another great DIY find on Pinterest.  It was so easy!  Here's how: take a wire clothes hanger and bend it into a circle.  Untwist the hanger, then string ornaments on one at a time.  When full, twist hanger back together.  That's all!

The only problem--it's too thick to fit between our two doors.  So now I have this wreath and I'm not sure what to do with it! :(

7 Weeks: Morning Sickness Emerges

How Far Along: 7 weeks

Size of Baby:
A blueberry (~1/2 inch)

What's Happening:
Baby Sides is developing about 100 new brain cells each minute!  Kidneys are forming, as are arm and leg joints.

Symptoms:
I'm finally feeling a few signs.  My boobs hurt (TMI?), I have a weird taste in my mouth (I've read it's normal), and I've felt nauseous off and on (at first I couldn't tell if it was morning sickness or due to the awful subway rides in NYC)...nothing a little food in my belly can't fix though, so I consider myself lucky so far!

Cravings:
Nope, none yet.

Gender:
I still think girl, Craig thinks boy.  Though, I've been caught referring to it as 'he' a few times.  Hmmm.....

What I Miss:
Beer, champagne, wine...the long list of drinks you'd order at an open-bar wedding!  Drinking water all night is NOT fun.  And makes getting out on the dance floor pretty darn difficult!

Best Moment This Week:
Buying my mom's Christmas gift onesie.  I can't wait to give it to her!!!

Looking Forward To...
Our first appointment (with sonogram) tomorrow!  Also, my friend Jamie is taking some Christmas card/pregnancy announcement photos this weekend!  :)

My Little Squirrel

For the second year in a row, Kinnick was a squirrel for Halloween.  He dressed up and helped me greet all the little trick or treaters while the hubs watched the Chiefs game!  Poor guy would barely even move after I put on his costume.  Clearly, he was embarassed.  Or maybe just upset he had to wear the same costume again this year.  (Sorry buddy, Daddy would have killed me if I spent another $15 on a new costume for you...maybe next year!) 

I think he's definitely the cutest squirrel I've ever seen!

DIY Coasters

By now, you've probably checked out Pinterest. If not, where have you been?  All the cool people are doing it!  Anyway, it's amazing.  I've gotten so many great ideas from it, from fashion to DIY projects to recipes.  It's awesome.  Here's my first DIY project: coasters!  So easy and so cheap!

Here's how:
1) Buy pieces of tile (4x4) from Lowes.  The kind I bought were 19 cents a piece. 
2) Cut scrapbook paper in 4x4 squares and use Modge Podge to glue it on.
3) Spray with clear spray paint or protectant.  The stuff I bought was some sort of scrapbook preserver.
4) Stick felt to the bottom and you're done!

Like I said, easy, cheap, and SUPER CUTE!  Way better than any I've bought from the store!

For our living room

For our bedroom

For Craig's mom

For my mom

I've got another cute DIY project to share, but it will have to wait, as it's a baby shower gift that has not been given yet!

Recent Fall Weekends

A few weeks ago (okay more like a month ago) Craig ran the KC Half Marathon.  It was his second marathon this year and also my second "attempt" to watch.  I say attempt, because yet again, I missed him cross the finish line.  Not only that, but I went to catch him on the Plaza and, of course, missed that, too.  I wasn't in the best mood because I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, and genius me thought it was a good idea to take our dog.  Schnauzers do not like random people.  So all morning I had to fight Kinnick to shut up!  I'm sure people on the plaza were getting so annoyed.  I was like the mom in the grocery store with the baby that would not stop screaming.  Only it was a 15 pound dog and his annoying bark.  Anyway, since I missed the opportunity to snap a photo of Craig, I took one of these bananas.  Because that's normal.  Bananas running a marathon.

He did really well and beat his time from last spring.  He's signed up for Rock the Parkway again next April.  Maybe third time's a charm and I'll actually witness him running?  Here's a pic of him after finishing.

Later that day, we went to the Lenexa Chili Cookoff.  What a beautiful day for it!  And a super cheap way to grab lunch.  You pay $2 and can sample all the chili you want.  Not only chili, but salsa and wings, too!  And, of course, there is beer for purchase and a band for entertainment.  It was our first trip, but definitely something we'll try and do every year!

A couple weekends ago, I had two (yes, two!) baby showers to attend in one weekend!  The first was a friend from high school who also lives down here.  It was fun seeing her and her family.  The second was a co-worker (well, sort of) and the ex cheer coach.  Between all the cheer and dance events, we got to know each other pretty well.  I didn't get a pic at her baby shower, but here's a pic of me and mom-to-be Lindsay from Fairfield!

6 Weeks: Feeling Good Still!

How Far Along: 6 weeks

Size of Baby: A sweet pea

What's Happening:
Baby Sides is starting to sprout eyes, ears, cheeks, a nose, and a chin.  It's hands and feel (though web-like paddles) might wiggle by week's end!  Baby also has a heartbeat and is circulating blood.  It will double in size again over the next week!

Symptoms:
Nope!

Cravings:
None of those yet, either.

Gender:
Of course, it'll still be awhile before we find out.  I think it's a girl, Craig thinks boy.  I guess both are just wishful thinking! 

What I Miss:
My morning coffee.  Despite the studies that say caffeine is okay, other studies suggest it may lead to a higher rate of miscarriage....so I'm trying to give it up.  I tried decaf but it doesn't take very good and half-calf still makes me nervous.  However, I learned that Starbucks makes all their fun drinks with decaf espresso and I'm happy to report that they taste pretty good.  Glad I don't have to give up my Friday treat!  I also miss a bottle of nice, cold beer!  And Craig likes to taunt me with this, too!

Best Moment This Week:
Getting our first appointment moved up 10 days, so now it's only a week away!  I can't wait!

5 Weeks: Still No Symptoms

It's been a week since I found out that I'm pregnant.  I must say, though I'm bursting with excitement inside, life doesn't feel much different on the outside.  I've learned that pregnancy is all about being patient.  It's very much a "waiting game".  You wait two weeks to find out if you're pregnant.  Then you wait before telling anyone.  And then you wait to the doctor.  Ugh!  It's awful!  I want to tell everyone I pass on the street that I'm pregnant!  I want my co-workers to know so badly.  And my students!  And my mom, for heaven's sake!  I want to actually feel pregnant so I know the baby's still there!  (Multiple follow up pregnancy tests have confirmed that it, in fact, is!:) )  I'm sure it will all come soon enough.  We're planning to tell our families at Christmas...I've got some pretty great ideas up my sleeve.  So, until then, I'll (try to) wait patiently and continue blogging about it.

How Far Along: 5 weeks

Size of Baby: An appleseed

What's Happening:
The embryo doesn't look like much more than a tadpole right now, but at five weeks, it's already starting to form major organs (heart, stomach, liver, kidney) and systems (digestive, circulatory, nervous).  In the next week, it will also nearly double in size!

Symptoms: Still none!  I've been a little extra tired, but that could be due to the darker, drearier days more than anything.

Cravings:
None of those yet, either.

Best Moment This Week:
Buying the book What to Expect When You're Expecting!  It definitely made it more "real"!  And telling a few of my very close friends!  It's like a tiny weight off my shoulder with each person I tell!