23 Weeks

I know I still have to get weeks 21 & 22 up on the family tab...

slacker, slacker, slacker.

How far along: 23 weeks today! (only 17 more to go!)
Weight gain/loss:  +4 lbs
Maternity clothes:  I am still wearing besties hand.me.downs. and purchased some second hand things online this week. Mostly some long sleeve shirts and a couple other tops.

Stretch marks: None yet.
Sleep:  Love it! getting used to sleeping on my side.
Best moment this week:  Feeling Bear move a lot more, and my belly totally popping out!
Food cravings: I'm still on the dirty Chinese food... don't get me started. yumm!!
Gender:  Baby Boy!!
Belly button in or out?  in.
Movement:  Yep! He is very active in the morning...might be the lucky charms momma is eating! oops!
What I miss:  maybe my energy, but it is slowly starting to come back.
What I'm looking forward to:  working on the nursery and getting things in for his room!
Milestones:  a total stranger asked when I was due this week... totally makes me feel more pregnant than fat! :)

My belly has REALLY popped out this week!

I'm a slacker...

but only in the blog world...

been busy around these parts the past few days...

I've been working (and had inventory)

got caught up on some projects

quality time with the hubs

our fence is finally up

dr.s appointment went well today

and I have some photo challenge pictures to share...

tomorrow is another day...

maybe I'll get you caught up then!

lovies

August

Thank you God for August...

well, I have a lot of things to thank Him for...

but cooler (hopefully) weather, kids back in school, 

and being one month closer to having an outside baby top the list today.

a few random things...

1. I've decided to participate in a photo challenge over at Oh So Lovely

Sherry, who is also due with a boy a few days after us, is hosting this fun little challenge for the month of August... participate if/when you can, I would love to see your photos!

2. I painted a few more paint samples on the wall in bears room... sigh. I started thinking that since we are going with dark brown furniture that the gray/blue was not going to work... that's where 5 came in. It's less pink in person, but we decided not to go the tan route. 

Thanks for the feedback the other day... I plan on getting his room cleaned out and painted, and crib and dresser purchased and put together this month. That's a big job! ::cough, cough, mom:: But, since we are planning on going out of town on my weekend off (babymoon) in September, I want to get rolling before work starts picking up for falliday! (ya know, that season right before Holiday!?!) Any additional votes?? I numbered them this time for easy identification. :)

3. We are fencing in our back yard! They actually started on Friday, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be done this week. HOW EXCITING! For those of you that already have a fenced in back yard... go out there and hug that fence. Even if it's untreated, rotting, falling down wood, give it a big hug and be thankful. Fences are expensive.And although I was NOT excited about spending so much money on it, I will be happy for Cole to have a huge space to run and play. Cole will be excited too... he just does not know it yet. haha

s'more cookies

In this house the belly gets what the belly wants.

and this belly wanted s'mores.

hello. it's 100' here in Atlanta.

not really ideal weather for cranking up the firepit.

While browsing pinterest this weekend, I saw the next best thing. 

S'more cookies!

Ingredients
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
for the top:
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
4 graham crackers, chopped

Directions
In a medium bowl cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Pour into creamed mixture, and stir together until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. I used my large cookie scoop, and put rounded scoopfulls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven, and decorate tops with marshmallows, and chopped graham crackers. Turn your oven on broil. Place cookies back in the oven. WATCH CAREFULLY - don't walk away. get a chair if you have to... Broil until marshmallows are light brown. (in my oven this is about 1 minute to 1 minutes and 15 seconds) Cool cookies on cookie rack. then drizzle with melted chocolate. optional: eat half the cookies you made and blame it on baby bear. :)

Office progress... we're getting there.

Sorry I have not updated you on anything in a while.

things are good.

busy, but good.

I worked in the office this afternoon (after a wonderful breakfast with my parents, and garage sale hopping with ra). I had to get down to business. We are still not finished, but there are really only 2 more things we are going to do. 

1. Get the map up on the canvas that is currently hanging between the windows.

2. build a frame from molding to go around the map hanging on the side wall. 

that is it. 

There is tons of other stuff we could do... like buy new desks, put in hardwood floors, buy a pull out sofa or day bed so that this room will also serve as a guest room. But the reality is... we've got a baby on the way (what? you haven't heard?) and I really need want to get to working on baby bears room.

So here is the current progress... minus the 2 things I listed above, we are pretty happy with how everything came out. What I didn't tell you in our original office post here is that we planned on only spending about $200, and I'm happy to report that we spent just that. Even with the new shelf in the closet, lots and lots of paint, a new office chair for the hubs, maps, canvas, and picture ledge we came in right on budget.

here are a couple of before and afters 

(I'm a sucker for these) 

and some big pictures too.

Just painting all that brown trim white made the BIGGEST difference.
We could have stopped there! haha

I should have used my tripod since it's so cloudy here... 

but I'm fat and lazy... so use your imagination with the pictures! :)

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and now... 

I can focus on baby bear. whoot whoot!

These are the paint samples I have painted in his room...

thoughts?