Spanish Olive

Jonathan is a handy husband who loves to learn and tackle home projects (one of the great qualities I love about him). Last June or July, we decided to tear out the master shower and tile it. It was a cultured marble surround shower and those tend to have issues with draining and in the long run, don't hold up well. When we would use the shower, it had an awful smell because the water was sitting beneath the floor and not draining...let me just tell you, it was a rancid smell and we understood why after he ripped it out! See the nasty picture below...

Yuck!

Long story short, we have two baths so we used the guest bath in the meantime with no pressure to complete the project by a certain time. We took a while to pick out tile and finally made a decision after 200 trips to Home Depot, visiting online sites, returning samples etc. Jonathan did all of the front end work and was eager to tile it himself but with the baby coming soon, no experience cutting/tiling, we decided to hire someone to complete the job. So thankful we did and we still saved a nice chunk of change by doing the demolition and rebuild ourselves.

The new shower

We love it

We have our master shower back and it looks great and smells even better! The shower was completed two weeks ago and we were thinking about paint colors and I found the perfect color I had been looking for on houzz.com...Benjamin Moore's Spanish olive. Perfection. We purchased the paint yesterday and painted most of the afternoon and will finish it today. Our bathroom is small so we are using the color in the bedroom and bath which is easy peasy.

This brings me to share that I am in full nesting mode, deep cleaning window seals, blinds, baseboards and more...with a TOOTHBRUSH. It needed it anyway but it just feels so fresh to have a new coat of paint on the walls and know that everything is clean. I'll be honest, I had high hopes to complete my nesting to-do's but I haven't felt like doing much these past few weeks. I don't feel bad but it's exhausting to bend over or stand on my feet for more than 30 minutes at a time so I'm happy to have a burst of energy and we can wrap it up before Denson is here. I know we are going to sleep like angels with that soothing Spanish olive color on the walls...including Denson...I know, I have high hopes :)

Picturescourtesy of Houzz.com (not our room or bath)

Contemporary Bedroom design by San Francisco Architect Sutro Architects

Traditional Bathroom design by Philadelphia General Contractor Hanson General Contracting, Inc.

In other news, I will be 39 weeks on Monday and we go for our appointment Tuesday to see what is happening and talk about possible plans for delivery. I feel great and Denson seems quite comfy in his little spot. His feet frequently kick the right side of my belly and he was very active last night when we were at Allison and Adam's house; although I think his movement had something to do with the 3 HUGE cookies I consumed from Icing on the Cookie. They have the best cookies around! These last weeks have been surreal because we know our lives are about to change forever and it's exciting. I feel time is slowing down and it's God's way of blessing us with focus and conversation, blessing our marriage and treasured time together as two. My cup is overflowing and Jonathan and I are truly humbled by the daily blessings in our lives. Denson will be our biggest blessing but we don't hesitate to remember the blessings that seem so small in everyday life and I pray we always remember to thank Him for those too.

36 weeks and counting

The holidays came and went very quickly and here I am at 36 weeks! Time seemed to pick up as soon as we had Thanksgiving and it hasn't slowed down yet. We also celebrated both of our birthdays in December...last birthdays before we're mom and dad! Jonathan and I enjoyed visiting with both families and overindulging in some delicious food :) We were so thankful to make one last quick trip to Florida to see Grammy and Popa Tom. Grammy fell right before Thanksgiving which really scared me and I knew she probably wouldn't be able to make it to Birmingham until after Denson is born. The trip was relaxing and we had a good time with mom & Don too. My pregnancy has been pretty moderate but I need to give more credit to Jonathan for being so supportive and truly making everything more comfortable. He has been rubbing my back and feet even before they were really uncomfortable (and even before I was pregnant :)). He's been so calm and excited and I have such joy to anticipate the incredible father he is going to be. Love him so much and can't wait to meet our little man!

Symptoms:
-Sleeping has been more challenging just because it's difficult to get comfortable and I am up using the bathroom at least five times throughout the night

-Slight contractions have started which don't really hurt but are just uncomfortable

-Pressure in the pelvic area and sometimes painful walking or getting up

-Swelling a little bit in legs and hands; I can no longer wear my wedding rings which makes me sad

-Cravings have been cereal, milk, ice cream...I craved pears over the holidays which was great; we made pears with goat cheese and pecans- delish!

I am so ready to meet Denson, to hold him and have him here! My big appointment went well and he looks and sounds great. He is head down and seems to be dropping. I have not started progressing yet which is normal for first babies but that doesn't mean things can't happen at any moment so we are ready. Car seats are installed, hospital bag is halfway packed and everything else is pretty close to ready. My baby shower is this weekend which I'm really anxious to have because I am getting so close to the due date. I am so thankful for my sister and friends who have worked hard to put it together...I know it will be beautiful and Denson is already blessed with so much love from all these sweet people.

My to-do list for the next weeks:
-deep clean the house (windows, baseboards)
-organize his dresser, wash his clothes
-get baskets for his changing table
-hang the rest of the pictures in nursery
-put bedding on the crib and cradle
-finish packing our hospital bag
-update his baby book
-read my books
-prepare frozen casseroles with mom

It's a new year, a new phase of life for us and we are so thankful for each day. I am humbled that God has chosen Jonathan and I to be parents and bring a sweet baby boy into this world. At small group last night, we discussed New Years resolutions and the paths we are headed on. This is a verse we shared that is the theme for our growing family this year.

Romans 12:2
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know to learn God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Thanksgiving and praise

There have been moments where I sit down to blog but something comes up...a prioritized nesting to-do, sleep, or some random distraction. I will say among all of those things, Jonathan and I have been spending such sweet, quality time together. Whether we are cooking or working on a house project, we have shared lots of laughs and precious time together. It's hard to believe in a few short months, our baby boy will be here and we will be a family of three. It's important to us that we put God first, each other second and our baby boy third...so many wonderful people have shared their wisdom and experience with us and we both know how much our first child will mean to us once he's here. We know we will have to work to spend time together as a couple, not just mom and dad and conversations of "how dirty the diaper was". During the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas we are more aware of just how many blessings we have and are continuously prayerful. We pray that God will prepare us to raise a son who follows The Lord and comes to learn what faith grace, love and forgiveness mean. We pray for patience (especially me). And most importantly, we thank God for his gift of marriage and choosing us to be parents to Denson. My heart is full of appreciation for the wonderful family and friends who support us and have already shown so much love for Denson. It means more to us than you know.

Healthy 20 week appt!

We went for our 20 week ultra sound on Tuesday and baby Nevins is healthy as can be! I am thankful to know he is doing well and just pray that he continues to grow strong and develop through the next 19 weeks. He will be here before we know it!

I can't believe September is almost over and the Holidays are fast approaching. It's going to a busy fall/winter with my best friend's wedding, friends' baby showers, our birthdays and baby Nevins' arrival.

I am so excited that this weekend we are going to visit the Jones in Atlanta!! Jonathan gets back from Houston today and we will be getting ready to hit the road. Can't wait to go to the Falcons-Panthers game on Sunday...go Cam!

Pregnancy: Week 20

About two weeks ago my morning sickness finally subsided, praise the Lord! Things I am now able to do without getting sick:
-brush my teeth
-swallow vitamins
-cook dinner
-wake up
-go 15 minutes without a snack

I can laugh at these things now but I was beginning to think I was going to experience MS throughout the entire pregnancy. The relief through all of this is that Jonathan and I are so thankful for baby Denson, the blessing he will be to our marriage, to our family and our friends. This past week, I have been extremely moody and I have to thank Jonathan for being supportive and putting up with me. Whether I'm irritable or extremely emotional (lots of tears), he takes the brunt of it and I've had to apologize a lot this past week.
:( He is incredible and I've always seen his understanding and patience, that is what attracted me to him years ago. But part of that was knowing those are the characteristics that would support our marriage (and me) so much during pregnancy, raising children together and living life...so I'm not shocked by his reaction to any of this, just grateful each and every day that he is my husband and the father of our precious child.

Gender Reveal!!

Friday I had a doctor's appointment and over the past 4 weeks, we have been anticipating the gender reveal ultrasound. Family and close friends, as well as Jonathan and I, were anxiously awaiting the news...we had a quick appointment, everything is going well thank the Lord and then my doctor proceeds to tell me, "So your next appointment is the big one where you find out the sex of the baby!!" Jonathan and I locked eyes and mouthed "WHAT?!" We were thinking it was today. It's common for them to be able to tell you the gender at 16 weeks but they typically don't schedule that until your 20 week appointment, as they review the baby's anatomy and size to make sure he/she is healthy and growing. She realized we were really bummed and told us of course we can have an ultrasound today at an extra cost if we want to go ahead and find out. Well you better believe we did! Although I am a big fan of blogs/pinterest/surprises and parties, when it comes to the precious babe, I just want to know the baby is healthy and happy. Rather than planning a gender reveal party we made a million phonecalls with the fantastic news. IT'S A BOY!!!!

My mother-in-law did the needle test about a month ago and it indicated we were having a boy. I felt it was a boy from the moment we got a positive pregnancy test. Jonathan and I are preparing our hearts for a baby but now knowing it's a baby boy makes everything real. We are so thankful for this precious gift and continue to pray that baby Nevins is healthy as he develops each day. I am most excited to know that our baby boy is going to resemble my husband who is such a great example of Christ's love.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Psalm 127:3"

Summertime

So we moved in our new house back at the end of April...what a sweet treat after we closed back in November, to finally be in our own home. Thankfully, it was pretty much move in ready and we haven't had to do much...the things we plan to do are just added touches to our preference; nothing that just has to be done which is a big blessing.

The next milestone was our 2nd anniversary on May 15th...I am more in love with Jonathan and it's his incredible dedication, compassion and understanding that keeps me humble and thankful for our marriage every day...what a blessing our marriage is and how God has meticulously planned out each detail of our life. For our anniversary we planned a trip to Blackberry Farms in Tennessee, and it was amazing! They are known for their culinary experience as well as the relaxation of first class service, incredible views and activities. It was the most relaxing trip and you can't imagine how many delicious calories we had but it was well worth it. We went fly fishing which is our newest hobby thanks to my mom and stepdad who fly fish almost every weekend. One of the rainy days we went to the spa and I just can't tell you how rejuvenating it is to be in such a peaceful place. So needless to say, we had an extraordinary time. One for the books!

So the rest of summer has included a couple of beach trips, a trip to Dallas for my cousin's graduation, working in the yard and just enjoying our home. Our last beach trip we went to Destin with our best friends and had such a great time just being together. Allison and Adam are getting married in December and we are so happy to be there to share in their special day.

Not that anyone reads this (and those that do probably already know this news) but we have some exciting news that we have shared with our closest family and friends (and a few strangers here and there) but we are expecting our first little one!! After our trip to Texas, we found out I was pregnant and celebrated in secrecy for about a week. Jonathan's dad's birthday is June 1 and we had dinner reservations and Jonathan called ahead to order me a mocktail so when we did our traditional toast, no one would be suspicious. :) My sis was the first person to find out and she was thrilled...it was difficult for us to keep it quiet. I told my dad and father-in-law on Father's Day and my mom with a thank you card for an anniversary gift she gave us. She didn't catch on to the card at first and went off discussing what she would like to be called when she is a grandmom. Finally, I said "mom, you ARE going to be a grandmom...next year!!" It was perfect.

Friday is our doctor's appointment and we will hopefully findout if it's a boy or girl. I feel like it's Christmas Eve! It's been incredible to experience pregnancy, knowing one of God's precious children is growing inside. It's not all been roses, at times i've been sick sick sick and I am still early along in the pregnancy, but knowing we will have a precious child that we will be able to hold, teach, love and comfort is indescribable. God knows what he is doing with months of preparation, prayer and learning...Jonathan and I couldn't be more excited about having a baby and him/her growing up in a family overflowing with love.