BABY BRAIN DRAIN

Well- should I blame it on baby brain drain or an Arkansas education? As much as I like to write, my grammar isn't top notch and certainly not my spelling! And I don't like to go back and read what I typed which leaves a lot of room for errors. BUT apparently I have spelled dining room wrong several times... I was putting two "n's" and it's only one. Who knew? Well, Clay did and he made fun of me so I am here to say that it's one of those baby brain drain things! lol! When I taught, the newer thing was not to correct spelling when they were writing because you wanted the kids to focus on writing more than spelling, but I always had mixed emotions about this. If no one told them "there" was spelled t-h-e-r-e and they kept spelling it t-h-e-r then it becomes habit. I get why not to correct the kids but there seems to be a lot of reasons to help them learn to spell too! That is when it's important to know your kids/students because some children it would be appropriate and wanted on their behalf to help them correct it and some it would hold back their writing if they were being corrected on spelling.

I apparently was not corrected... but no worries... my husband doesn't have a problem telling me. :)

A MUST HAVE:

Okay- Have I talked about my Flip? It's a tiny video recorder that I can't live without now! Clay's parents got us this little gadget for Christmas so we could catch all of Lola's precious little moments! We liked it because it was small, super easy to work, and hooked straight to the computer so I could immediately upload to my blog! It's even better than I imagined and I love taking it places! It fits in my tiny little purse. They come in a lot of colors and designs now, although we like the black one. They also make these little things in HD. It doesn't come with any software or cords! It just connects straight to the computer and you can edit your videos as well! I think it's a must have for under $200 some as low as $125! Any video that is on my blog is from the Flip.

Garage Sale Success

This week has been all about rest. I had the pleasure of keeping Kebby for a week while my parents attended the annual CFA Seminar. But last weekend we all did our part to pull off a great garage sale! I was going to wait till March to have one, but since my work ended sooner that I would have liked, I thought I would go ahead and have it. I tried to collect more items in the hopes of making more money! It worked! Despite not having any "big" items to sale, we were proud of what we made and it was worth all the prep of pricing each item, getting tables, signs, etc... My grandmother helped me mark a lot of it which was great! My dad and Clay's dad helped get some tables to us. We definitely needed those. And Ginni gave me her signs for me to recycle and use! 6:30 a.m. came too early for Clay and me and we didn't say much for the first couple of hours while we woke up... yet it was nice to have him involved. Once we woke up we had a lot of fun together and took turns getting breakfast. We found out through customers that a Mesquite Code Enforcer was ripping down our signs we put out so Clay took off on his bicycle to catch her. We had to have signs!! He came back like a wounded little puppy... he wrecked his cute vintage style bike, but the important thing was he had the signs!!! AND he was okay! Kept me tickled for an hour thinking about him wrecking that bicycle. LOL

Well after putting all my energy into painting the dinning room and foyer then getting ready for the garage sale and having it... I needed some rest! I wanted to keep Kebby entertained, but still manage to rest here and there. Tuesday I checked out of the world. I woke up early and cleaned some, then showered and went back to bed by 11 a.m. Didn't budge until American Idol then went right back to bed after a disappointing show. It felt so nice. By Wednesday morning I felt great!

FYI: Next week will be great layout weather! I'm super excited about this!

Okay- my passion for scrapbooking is back! I really enjoyed scraping our wedding book and now I can't wait to scrap about Lola. Lola got me a Hobby Lobby gift card for Valentine's Day, which I have already used, and can't wait to start scrapping! (I'll explain how Lola did this!) I'm hoping that HL has their paper on sale next week, so I can get a few more things! I could have so easily blown all of the garage sale money on scrapbook embellishments, tools, and papers! BUT for the record, I didn't. I snuck $20 though so I could get a few more stickers!

Clay isn't a fan of Valentine's day but he sure pulled off a sweet one this year. Did I write about this already?? Baby brain drain... I don't think I did.... hmmm... let me go check! I don't think I did.

Okay, well for V Day Clay got me my favorite cupcakes from Lakeview Bakery in Rowlett. They are so delicious and I love them! He bought me a dozen, and a dozen cupcakes beats a dozen roses any day of the week. It was such a sweet and unique V Day gift. I thought it was awfully romantic. But that's not all... when he got home from work that night, in Lola's room was a card... hmmm? I opened it and it was a sweet V Day card "from" Lola. She thanked me for carrying her for ten months and gave me a Hobby Lobby GC so I could start scrapbooking all the memories! I cried. Yep, I did. It was so sweet of Clay. I was impressed and emotional. LOL. Clay loved my reaction and was super sweet to me and Lola.

Hobby Lobby's website, craftsetc.com, has a sweepstakes every week for a $100 shopping spree. I have been entering it every week... I wonder how many enter in each week? Surely I'll win... I'm pregnant! LOL

I have found these new scrapbook albums I may get. If I do, I'll have to start posting pictures of what I create! I finally got my office put together and cleaned up! It's organized and ready for scrapbooking! My friend Stacy is now getting into it and she is pretty good! I've been impressed because she has never shown much interest in it, but lately she is starting to blossom in her scrapbooking talents. I hope she keeps it up so we can be dorky moms together and have scraping parties! LOL. Did I seriously just write that? (my sister doesn't like to scrapbook...sad)

Well, I am probably rambling, but I feel like I have more to talk about.

Just one more thing... a little pregnancy update! I am in my 32nd week and definitely am counting down till she gets here! I haven't been sleeping well and am waking up much earlier than I ever thought I would. I read that she is sleeping most of the time now, but that doesn't seem to be the case right now. Her wiggles really stand out and become quite uncomfortable, especially around 7 a.m. I feel like she already weighs so much!!! I can't believe she is somewhere around 3 1/2 lb range right now. Kebby enjoyed making fun of my maternity shorts! She said they were "mommy"" shorts, but I am about to be one! They weren't that bad for the record and I was glad to be out of my jeans! I have loved my maternity jeans through the pregnancy but they just are getting too tight now. I went to buy a new pair and couldn't manage to cough up $85 for jeans that would last 2 months max. That's all that is left and maybe only 5 weeks! Agghhhhh!!!! So I am wearing my maternity mommy shorts a lot! It's weird because my belly can sit on my legs some now. It's such a weird feeling and too be honest, I look forward to loosing this baby weight. I'm trying to enjoy it now and love my body so to speak, but when Lola is born, I hope to slim down and tone up. I'm sure Clay will help encourage me. He's been real supportive (except a few comments I let slide) with the whole new "voluptuous" baby body. It's so weird because when I was four months pregnant or so I had some maternity clothes that I thought I would never get big enough to wear. They were so baggy then, but now they are too small! Embarrassing!

Well, my hubby is about to be home, so I'll write more later. I'll have to keep posting belly pics since I am growing so fast, well really Lola is, and pics of my clean office and Kebby's/guest room which I recently moved my sewing station to!

Shout out to Joi... she is a silent reader and I have a feeling she is still tuning in! I wish I got to see you more! I just adore you!

-Nat
P.S.- I'm watching HGTV and the chandelier they just showed is the same one in my dinning room! I couldn't believe it! It's not the most common chandelier... refer back to my older post for dinning room pictures!

P.S. Happy Birthday Bubba'

Hmmm... a 26 year old uncle... you are sooo old! But Lola and I still love ya!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!

Third and Final-

Well Clay and I both agree that the third trimester has been the hardest. The main thing is the backaches. I constantly feel like I have been beaten in the back with a baseball bat. I have energy, lots, some days, and others I seem to just check out. My nights are becoming more sleepless and lots of tossing and turning along with several bathroom trips. I still feel real blessed though because it's been a great pregnancy. I am just now really starting to countdown till her arrival!

Poor Clay- he's been such a trooper with my "little-bitty" mood swings! Thanks Clayton- Lola and I love you!!!


Could this be me someday????


HA!

COACH LITTLE PROVES BIG AS COACH

Coach Little didn't disappoint, despite a bittersweet lost last Thursday night against University of Texas at Dallas, UTD. A close game until the end with a tie of 72-72 leading into overtime. As a former player for UTD, Coach Little enjoys returning to Dallas, despite one big change. She's on the sidelines coaching instead of being coached. Coach Little was an outstanding player for UTD and now she is setting the bar high for her coaching skills at the the University of Texas at Tyler, UTT.

LOL!! Well- my sis and I had the pleasure of going to see my great friend, Miss Cassi Little coach last Thursday. It was a great game to watch and even went into overtime!

I always knew she would make a great coach, yet I was still so surprised to see her coaching on the sidelines. She looked so "coach-like." She had on a pant suit, stilettos (which probably make her well over 6 feet tall!), and had a clipboard. LOL! She would holler and stand up and encourage and high five. It was quite fun and comical. It was weird though because I went to UTT then went to UTD and graduated from there with Cassi, but now she is coaching for UTT, so it took me most of the game to figure out who I was cheering for. I kept thinking go UTT (for Cassi's sake) but I would catch myself cheering for UTD. It was sooo weird!





I can't believe it's been three years since we were sitting in our education classes being quite the brats. We found the classes lacked any challenge therefore we easily could find ourselves in trouble. We typically sat in the back with our laptops chatting to friends, e-mailing, and checking out the web. We were quite bold back then, although I don't think we have changed much. We typically tried to go the semester without using the required books, so we kept them wrapped. That away when we returned them, we got a lot more money back. I'll never forget, we returned our books before finals because we thought we would get more for them that away and when we showed up to class, EVERYONE was studying out of their books like maniacs! They asked us if we were going to study too and we had to tell them we already returned our wrapped books! So if I recall correctly, we sat in our normal back row with powdered donuts and talked until test time! We did have a great "studying" system that didn't seem to fail us and despite not caring more about our classes, we could be a little competitive when it came to grades! It was entertaining and UTD would have been a bore without Cassi. I miss those days. And to think, I wanted to be done so bad. How easy and great was that! Now she is coaching and I am expecting my first child with my husband! We both could have predicted this! And we love it! The funny thing is, I almost wasn't her friend because she is soooo tall. Tall women scare me. They make me feel 3 feet tall, like a little mouse.

A great classic story is when Cassi showed up at my parents house so we could knock out a project and Kebby answered the door. Cassi was in one of her warm-up suits that happen to be red, white, and blue. My sister answered the door and told her to hold on... she thought she was an Olympic basketball player coming to collect money. HAHAHAHAHA. It was great and we all couldn't stop laughing! My family just isn't use to seeing taller people. We all fall in the five foot range!


Cassi is one of my silent readers and is a dear friend. She is super excited about Lola's arrival! It was really my pleasure being able to watch her coach. I'm very proud of her and know she is making a positive difference daily to each girl. CASSI- KEEP UP THE HARD WORK (and I'll stress hard). Did I mention she is getting her Masters while coaching?? She's one smart girl!

Are you Jesus?

I read something that I can't seem to get out of my mind, which there is probably a good reason for. I was reading about Mother Teresa and she said the reason she could be so loving and giving to everyone she met was simple... because they were Jesus. So everything she did in her life, for the thousands she helped, for her selflessness, it was all for Jesus. There are people who do a lot of amazing things throughout their entire life, but they may not be doing it for Jesus. You don't have to love Jesus to be a good person... but Mother Teresa did love Jesus and she saw everyone as Jesus... therefore everything she did, she did for the love of Jesus. I really adore her heart for this.

If you saw everyone as Jesus, how would your love change? I think the biggest difference would be you would simply love more, therefore feel more love in your life. Who doesn't need that?

I don't want my train of thought to be along the same lines as "WWJD?" because that's not what I am saying. I just think if you saw everyone as Jesus, or how Jesus may see everyone, then wouldn't you certainly love someone before judging? Wouldn't you certainly find more good in the world? I think you would find a life filled with love.

I'm certainly not one to see everyone as Jesus, but like I said, after reading this isn't hasn't left me- so I think it's something I will continue to actively embrace.

I wonder how wives and husbands would differ if they saw their spouse as Jesus?

This whole thought process can seem to go for days- and days- and days-

Design on a Dime

Well- I have been trying hard to get my home in order so when Lola comes it doesn't feel cluttered or dirty. I did all my spring cleaning over the last month. All my closets and cabinets are cleaned out and have been reorganized. I am having a garage sale this Friday and Saturday and am selling a lot of clothes, decor items, and some electronics. Most of the rooms in the house are pretty cleaned and decorated enough where I can be content... EXCEPT the dinning room. It was holding all of the garage sale items, hadn't been painted yet, the furniture didn't fit the room... really just a mess. Well Friday night I guess you could say I was having one of those pregnancy hormonal nights while Clay was working. Lucky for him. I decided I would feel a lot better about life if I painted my dining room. I knew I had a gallon and a half of some paint that would work well for the room. I had all the supplies, so it wouldn't cost me a penny. SOOOO... Friday I pull out the paint and test it on the wall around the windows. It was pretty swell so I decided I would at least cut in around the windows, doors, baseboards, and ceilings and have Clay roll the room later. So after a couple of hours went by I had cut in. I thought it would only take an hour or so to roll the walls so I decided to do that too. I was pretty tired and a little crampy so I took a short break to grab some sweet tea from CFA. I came back and got busy painting... I decided it looked so good that the foyer needed to match so I went back and cut in the foyer then rolled it. I really liked it... well at 8:45 I thought I was close to being done and realized I had curtains I wasn't using, that would look good in the dinning room... BUT NO curtain rod. So I took a little cash out of my rat hole and ran to Ross... just in time before it closed... found a rod for $12 (pretty nice rod too) and got home to finish the paint. Around 11 p.m. I finished... I cleaned and moped and had it ready to show Clay by the time he got home at 12. The next day I put some finishing touches on it and I do feel better about life. I will post some pictures, but I don't have before pictures which really stinks... because it looked so bad... It is still pretty simple, but I like it. I am trying to talk my Maw-Maw in giving up a long skinny table she has so I can put it under the mirror. :) We will see if she gives in!



This is the picture of the mirror that I want a table to go under it... I told Maw-Maw I am praying the Lord convicts her for not handing over her table (she isn't really using it) since I am giving her, her first great grandchild and naming her after her! LOL- no conviction yet! I'm only teasing her!



This chair was outside and I decided it was a waste to put it outside. I washed it really good and put some pillows I had stored away on it! That lamp I have had in the garage for months now. And the picture on the wall is a garage sale buy and I have had it awhile too.



The chandelier I had bought at the Habitat placed and really liked it. Paw-Paw put it up when we moved in. I only paid a little bit for it. I think it's cool looking!



I like it when tables are set, even if you're not having a party that night- the room felt too empty without it. That's not expensive to do either, especially if you have a Ross near by. Their plates and place mats are really inexpensive.

I think more than feeling like the room is somewhat decorated now, I just feel like it's clean. I mopped it really good and paint always makes something feel so much cleaner!!

A few nursery pictures-

A few pictures: (Sorry in advance for the pictures being placed so odd... I forgot when I was loading them to change the setting and I don't feel like going back and doing it! :( I'm in a lazy mood!)



I made Lola a little onesie to match her room... This floral fabric was one of my favorites for some reason so I made an over sized L with stitching and little bows around it-

















This is the chandelier I got for a deal. Mom painted it and I put some shades on it (shades my mom had that were extra)... the shades were too big so instead of hanging beads off of them which would have made them look even bigger I glued little purple flowers around the shades to bring your eye up versus pulling the shades down even more with something hanging of of them. Those little flowers are expensive and I had to glue them individually but with some coupons and patience I thought it was well worth 10 dollars and a little time.








This may not be completely done yet. I haven't decided if I want to hang it differently or add something else to it. It's really pretty though especially after a little paint and glaze... thanks to mom again! I got it for $30!







This is a bear I just had to have in Lola's room. A girl made it out of an old quilt and I love it.














This was fabric I didn't use so I made a weird bear (I guess) and ended up liking it. Clay really loves it so now I am looking for bear patterns so I can make one more like the first one I showed.



















This is a little table next to the rocker. I liked the old mirror with my grandmother's plates hanging above it. I built in another shelf so I could hide the clock and a couple of books. The lavender doll was mine!

30th Week-

I can't believe only 7-10 more weeks until Little Lola Lou arrives... Clay and I are now more ready than ever and just can't wait! I definitely feel bigger but I don't think my stomach looks much bigger than it did two weeks ago. It's shape is different and it keeps getting much harder!!! Clay and I went to my doctor appointment yesterday and even though it was pretty low-key, I think it's important for him to go. Rather he realizes it or not, I think it always makes him feel a little more part of the pregnancy and Lola's life... you know? It makes it more real. I did have to get a shot to help my body not fight off Lola's in case she has a positive blood type, since mine is negative. I do not like shots!

Well here is the latest bump picture... At 30 weeks. (If my belly looks shiny in pictures its because Italians rub olive oil on their bellies and since I am Italian, I rub, rub a lot of olive oil on my belly... it feels so good!) The doctor says she is growing nicely and seems to be a great size (not too big!). She is still head down and I imagine she'll stay that away now. Lately I have been feeling these areas of my stomach where she has pushed a body part up against my belly. It is real obvious especially to the touch and even sometimes just looking. The doctor thought it could be her knees because it's an awfully strong push and seems a tad bigger than her feet might be, but I think it could be both. Clay finally got to feel the craziness of this last night. He was touching my belly and felt her knee/foot and couldn't believe it. He laughed and ohhed and awed and pushed around on her knee then she kicked real hard and then moved positions... it was terribly funny. Clay's reaction was priceless. It's so weird to connect with her like that without seeing her. I'm sure he did, but I know I do- I feel much closer to her after hitting silly milestones like that during the pregnancy. It makes me feel like I know her better, love her more, and gives me such a sense of pride of being her mother already! I dreamed last night that she had six toes... I also dreamed that I starred in the TV Series Mad Men, because Clay and I have been watching that show from the first episode. We like it. These dreams are crazy. I absolutely can't sleep without my body pillow at this point. Some nights I wake up on my belly still which seems incredibly impossible but I guess it isn't. Once I wake up I realize that I am uncomfortable but I don't know how long I actually sleep on my belly. Although I don't sleep as well and I am making bathroom trips all night long... I still enjoy my sleep a lot because I am sooo tired. Physically tired. I have been checking out for the day around 7 or 8 lately. Poor Clay. That is the time of day he really wakes up. I guess that is why we are picking out some TV Series to watch. HPB has a lot of them and we can check them out to watch. It's great and free! Really if you find a good show to like, it's better than watching a movie and last much longer. Right now we are going though Mad Men, then we have Six Feet Under and Deadwood.

Well I need to go to the grocery store to get a few things. Then I am going to make a pie for my hubby to let him know I love him. I actually don't have to work today and tomorrow is my last day.

I can't wait to see when Lola gets here! Don't get here too early Lola, but don't get here too late either! We can't wait!

Love Nat

TV Night-

Yes, we are being couch potatoes! Wednesday night is the big Lost night and Thursday nights are loaded with shows I really enjoy watching... (no laughing)

1. Wheel of Fortune
2. Kath and Kim
3. The Office
4. Grey's Anatomy (Although this show seems to be going downhill and has been I still have to watch...)
5. Private Practice (I like this one!)

During the day on Thursdays I gotta' make sure I am productive so I can feel good about being a TV bum that night! So today I got up and got CFA breakfast for Clay and I, did several loads of laundry and put them up! I washed the sheets on the bed, painted a table, redecorated a few areas of the house, went to eat lunch with my grandparents, worked in the afternoon, and few other things here and there! Oh and I dusted! Does anyone actually like to dust? I like how much cleaner things feel, but I just don't like dusting!

Okay- gotta go watch my shows ;)

Nat

Intriguing

Well a while back ago a book by Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz was "popular" and on the best seller list. I knew of several people who were reading it and remembering hearing a lot about it. I typically don't like a "Christiany" book. They all seem so cliche or if you do these five things, follow these guidelines, think this... so I figured it was just one of those types of books and I didn't bother checking it out.

Clay and I decided to read a book together, and not necessarily one that was designed for a couple to read. We just wanted a book to discuss and possibly challenge us individually. Clay picked this one and brought us each a copy home from HPB.

I am about half way through it and I have to say I have really found it refreshing. I like hearing such different points of view on Jesus and what it means to have a relationship with Him. Although I may not agree with everything he writes or at times I really relate to what he feels, it's nice to hear and experience a different perspective. Many of the Christians I know seem to be very similar in their thinking and ways, so to speak. I'll never forget telling my dad I wanted a tattoo at the age of 16 or so. He told me that if I really wanted one when I was 24 then I could go for it because you figure out who you are around then. (Some people a little earlier and some much, much later...) But it is true... when you realize that you are an adult, when you completely make your own decisions, and when you realize you have to find your place in this world, you really do become you. You want to think and believe in something and you want to know why, you want to have passion and purpose. I like reading books or talking to people who challenge your thinking or think differently than what's "normal" to you. I think this is one reason I used to tend to have friends that were very different from me. They didn't always have a big, positive impact on others, but they tend to be people who thought for themselves, had passion (didn't mean it was a passion for something good), and normally were smart individuals. Now that I feel I am definitely defining me, learning to be an adult (lol), trying to use my strengths in a way that affects people and working through my weaknesses, I really like the book. I think it would be a very interesting book to read if I didn't know Jesus. It would definitely intrigue me. Rather someone liked it or not, they couldn't argue that it made you think. I like that. I think it's a cool book and would be interested in knowing what some people thought of it. I think my mom read part of it and isn't quite a fan of it... I think my sister might read it. I will pass it on to her when I am done.

Blessings Counted...

Clay and I could blame it on the economy, but point is life definitely presents its challenges. Through these harder times (yet exciting times!) Clay and I have grown incredibly closer and learned to rely on each other in more intimate ways. It has been nice... so despite the hangups and stresses we both feel blessed and think it is important to appreciate our blessings...

So considered them counted...
1. I am glad that through trials God can push you as a person and as a spouse to levels you otherwise couldn't have reached.
2. I am thankful for what the Lord has provided financially so far... He has proved to be faithful.
3. It is nice to know we have parents that support and encourage us and that wouldn't allow us to become homeless. A little relief... :)
4. I count my little sister as a blessing. She is such a good friend and I can't wait to see her spread joy to Lola as well.
5. I am blessed to have a husband that isn't like me or otherwise we would always be in a tizzy.
6. I am thankful for the creative touch Clay and I have and that we enjoy having it.
7. I am thankful to be pregnant with an easy baby so far. It's such a joy and fun process. It allows me to already put my focus on her rather than worries and worldly ideas.
8. I am thankful for Watermark. Clay and I are enjoying the church and look forward to going to Grouplink next Sunday.
9. I am thankful for everything else I am thankful for... there's actually a lot to be thankful for and I feel I could go on and on...

Through the scripture Clay and I have been reading, we realize the importance of trusting God, doing our part, and being thankful.

Tonight is a Lost night and I am sure Clay is thankful for that. It's tradition for us to watch it and is actually a great date night with a little homecooking. But the question is-- what shall I fix?? Last night we had chicken and dumplings! My favorite is fettuccine Alfredo- homemade!!! It is so good, but really fattening... Kebby's favorite!

I'll post pictures soon (at 30 wks) and maybe some more nursery photos!

-Love Little Momma'