Mary Kate

Ahoy it's a Boy!

2011-11-30T00:39:00.002-06:00

Can't believe last year I was revealing my baby girl's new nursery and now I am revealing our future baby boy's new nursery! If you recall from previous decorating posts, I am a beach bum and my house is decorated in a coastal cottage style. I veered from that with Mary Harper's nursery (http://marykateanderson.blogspot.com/2010/09/nesting-mania-nursery-master-bedroom.html) and did an elegant light pink, beige, browns room for her but after Anderson's gender reveal (http://marykateanderson.blogspot.com/2011/07/bahamas-gender-reveal-and-more.html) I figured why not carry on the nautical theme in Anderson's nursery?!

I knew I did not want to do the traditional red and navy nautical theme and found 2 photos I wanted to use as inspiration that I shared with Lindsay at LDS Designs.

Here is what the nursery looked like before decorating began..

And here is what it looked like after!

Whale artwork from Etsy.com.

Oar from TJ Maxx

Outfit and hat from a consignment sale!

Dresser and crib from a friend selling them on Facebook! Got both for just $350!

Old trunk of Josh's great aunt

Loved this Volkswagon car I got from Ross

We had this rocking chair in the bonus room from when Mary Harper was born but didn't use it much so decided to use it in Anderson's nursery instead of buying him a new one.

Found this bumper pad from Cocalo at a consignment sale (never used) and found coordinating pieces on Ebay.

Lamp, small stool and piggy bank: TJ Maxx Buoys: Hobby Lobby Table: Steinmart

My mom made these curtains for me. They are supposed to look like material used in sails.

Such a creative way to hang!

Rope tie backs

From Anderson's gender reveal!

Porthole mirror and basket from TJ Maxx

I just love how his room turned out! But I am in no hurry to do a third nursery! :)

Best. Day. Ever.

2011-11-18T00:21:00.003-06:00

Back in September, Josh and I had the opportunity to meet my hero, George W. Bush. It really was a surreal moment for me. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a "bit" obsessed with GW. I really want us to be friends. :) But for now, we have at least had our first introduction. ha!

When it was our turn to get our picture made with him, I feel like I was literally running towards him. Luckily, I was visibly pregnant so the Secret Service was probably afraid to tackle me. But as soon as he saw me he said, "Congratulations, when are you due?" And so I told him my due date and then proceeded to tell him that I wanted to name my son after him and he asked W? I said "YES! But my husband made me name him after him instead!" He got a big laugh out of that and hugged me and gave me a kiss!
Note: I was pushing for Anderson Walker Brown...but Josh is making me go with Anderson Joshua Brown - go figure.

He really did spend more time with us talking than he did with others and I told Josh it was because he could sense that I loved him. :) Josh then talked to him about meeting him once before with Governor Sundquist and he told us to tell "Sunny" hello. And then we had to move along. Which made me sad.

Later we got to listen to him speak and then there was even a more casual setting where he sat and answered some questions. He was so funny and had the audience laughing all night. We got to listen to him talk for over an hour and I could have sat there all night.

So that was my special moment with President Bush. And I will remember it forever! I'm still waiting to get invited to his ranch in Crawford so we can sit around and hang out like pals. But until then, at least I have this picture.

Catch Up! 12 months!

2011-11-04T00:13:00.000-05:00

So I've been a bit busy with campaign work as of late - I have NO idea how I managed to make myself busier than ever right before giving birth...but I did! Anyway, so I never made Mary Harper's picture in her 12 month sticker but here are some of our professional 12 months shots and her 12 month stats.

Weight: 24 lbs (95%)
Length: 30 inches (80%)
Head: 17.99 (72%)

She now has 4 teeth on top and 2 on bottom - I think, will have to check and make sure that is right. A few weeks after her 1st birthday we took away her bottles for good and she's done very well so far! I was afraid the night time bottle would be hard for her to give up but it really hasn't been an issue. I just hope she doesn't start wanting one again once she sees little brother with one!

She's getting a lot more steady now walking so it's not quite so stressful watching her walk around anymore. Her vocabulary is just growing and growing. She can basically repeat back anything we try to get her to say now. When we say Mary Harper Brown, she says NAME. It's too cute.

One of her new favorite toys is her baby dolls. But she's started shortening the word BABY to just BAY...no BEE. So Anderson is now being called, Bay. Yes, that would be Bay Brown. ha! Josh and I had MANY discussions that I wanted him called Anderson not AJ and here Mary Harper comes along and gives him her own nickname. Bay. I guess it could be worse.

She still sleeps from 7 am til 730 am and still taking two naps a day. Sometimes she'll take 2 long naps but she's getting to where she only does one really long one and then just a 45 minute nap for #2. She now will give us kisses when she's in the mood. :)

Here are more pictures from our 12 month photo shoot.

And here's what "Bay" looked like when Mary Harper was 12 months!

Mary Harper's 1st Birthday - We Had a Ball!

2011-09-24T03:36:00.011-05:00

Still can't believe how quickly this first year has flown by! Seems just like yesterday we were bringing our sweet baby home from the hospital. And yet we just celebrated her 1st birthday! Since I knew I was going to be pretty pregnant at her 1st birthday party, I started planning about 3 months in advance so I could pace myself. I started searching for cute ideas online and found this wonderful blog detailing a "Classic Red Ball" party and knew that was going to be my theme! Note: the funny thing is that I always thought it was silly to throw first birthday parties since the child won't remember it. But after a surviving a year of parenthood (and Mary Harper surviving us), I wanted to celebrate!!

I knew I needed help to even come close to duplicating the party I saw online so went directly to the source and had party planner Jessica help me with a few items. Jessica has a fabulous Etsy site (Pen and Paper Flowers) and she helped me with items like water bottle and food labels. (If you click on the smaller collages, the picture gets bigger).

I had my sister design the invitation based off of Jessica's cute design and then was referred to another great Etsy site (LePoppyDesign) from a friend who did my banners, napkin bundles, favor tags and other cute paper decorations.

On the water labels we just used one sticker that had her name on it and another that said: Turning ONE is a BALL! The favors were red M&M's and big red gumballs with a tag that read: I hope you had a BALL! Love, Mary Harper. The napkin bundles had an assortment of tags (Mary Harper, the number 1, Happy Birthday Mary Harper, etc...).

I ordered the M&M's (really knock off M&M's), cherry gumballs, lollipops and chocolate covered sunflowers seeds all in red from Candy Warehouse.

Brooke O'Dell of Ice This Cakes not only did our cute smash cake, but she also made delicious (and perfectly themed) Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a sour cherry ball on top!

She also made mini cheese truffles in goat cheese with parsley and cheddar jack with pecans, marinated mini caprese bites on a skewer and yummy mini stuffed red potatoes with bacon and chives. If you can't tell, all of the food had either a red or ball theme! :)

In addition to cupcakes and our other sweets, I HAD to order cookies from one of my favorite vendors, Phoebe's Cookies! Her cookies are not only ADORABLE but are DELICIOUS! Seriously, how cute are these?!

In the front yard, in addition to red balloons, I place one huge red ball (exercise ball) at the mailbox and two smaller red balls near the front door.

In the back yard, I purchased lots of red beach balls from Oriental Trading to place in the pool. I also placed three more large red balls in the landscaping near the pool, had three round tables with red tablecloths, red tubs to hold beverages and other red accents.

For Mary Harper's outfit, I went to my friend Melia of Cherry Tree 123 who makes lots of her custom outfits. She did such a great job capturing the theme in a really cute outfit! Mary Harper wasn't a big fan of the hat so I had to work to get that photo!

For her 1st birthday gift from her mommy and daddy, we got her a wooden red piano that she LOVES! Guests brought unwrapped toys for a local charity.

One of my favorite pictures of the day is the one below. That picture just screams pure joy...and what better emotion can you wish for your child! She really had such a fun day at her party which made me very happy (even though I know she won't even remember it)! I know it was a lot of work for a 1st birthday party but I enjoy planning events and this one was extra special.

And of course we had to have an outfit change after the cake!

The party took a lot of planning and lots of work but all in all, I think it was a successful first birthday. Mary Harper truly had a BALL and I hope our guests did as well!

Happy first birthday to our sweet baby girl!
We love you!
Mom & Dad

11 month post...before her FIRST birthday this Thursday!!!!

2011-09-19T00:14:00.001-05:00

Late once again to post Mary Harper's 11 month update! No stats this month since we haven't had her 12 month checkup yet but this month Mary Harper got her 2 top teeth so she has 4 now. She still eats baby food, loves her organic "puffs" and still has about 3 bottles of formula a day but she is eating more "people" food too.

Always on the go!

She LOVES to walk although we try to keep her from walking much anywhere downstairs due to the hardwood floors - she never seems to fall on the carpet but anytime we let her loose downstairs she seems to fall...on her face! She LOVES bending down and picking up different things to hold while she walks. For some reason she likes to have something in both of her hands when she walks around. She is really good at keeping her balance when she bends over to pick up something off the floor.

One of the cutest things she does now is ANYTIME my phone makes a noise, she says "hello"! Except it sounds much cuter than "hello"...it comes out more like "heyyo" (y sound instead of l). Adorable and hilarious. She still loves Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba and some music band group that plays a lot before those shows. She gets so excited when they come on...maybe the Fresh Beat Band?? Thanks to Dora, "backpack" is now another word in her vocabulary and she likes to see pictures of herself and she'll say "baby".

She is starting to get a bit more attached to "mom" - sometimes she'll call me momma...other times she is too cool for momma and just calls me "mom". ha! She still sleeps 7 to 7 and is still pretty good at her 2 naps each day. One is usually shorter than the other though.

Still can't believe how fast this past year has gone by...I really think the days go by faster once you become a parent.

One of my favorite things!

2011-09-03T01:43:00.003-05:00

Oprah does it so why can't I? Want to know one of my favorite things? Caspari acrylic stemware!

I know summer is almost over but I have been meaning to share this AWESOME item and just forgot. But if you or someone you know enjoys wine, these acrylic wine "glasses" are PERFECT for the patio and just great for entertaining period. In fact, we use them a lot inside too when we have large groups over or sometimes when it's just the two of us and we don't want to mess up the "nice" glasses. They really are the nicest plastic wine stemware I've bought and they are VERY reasonably priced.

They actually look like real wine glasses and are dishwasher safe so very easy to wash up! Even my wine connoisseur husband who has an ENTIRE cabinet full of Riedel stemware will use these from time to time.

Anyway, I finally came across the website where you can purchase these directly from the company instead of in a retail store so had to share with others! They really are the perfect addition to your kitchen and a great gift idea!

http://www.casparionline.com/e/Acrylic-Stemware/?catexp=883

Red Wine Glass - $7.50

Large Wine/Water Glass - $7.50

White Wine Glass - $6.00
(NOTE: In my experience, these don't wash in the dishwasher as well as the others. Not sure if it's because of the smaller size or what but mine have gotten a few lines that form in them after putting them in the dishwasher...but not enough where I wouldn't recommend).

Champagne Flute - $6.00

Just wanted to share in case you could use something like these in your home!

CHEERS!

10 Months...Before it Gets Too Late!

2011-08-23T01:52:00.002-05:00

So I always seem to be behind on Mary Harper's updates but I blame it on pregnancy brain!

On the Move!

Not sure exactly what her stats are right now since we haven't gone to the doctor this month. But she has grown so much from 9 to 10 months and has lots of new "tricks"! She now crawls and walks - still not really steady all the time when she walks but she's still walking! She is EVERYWHERE now and is ALWAYS on the go. NEVER a moments peace with her anymore now that she's on the move and can reach more things! I feel like we're always just following her around trying to keep her from hurting herself or breaking something!

She has also started pulling up in her crib and standing up. NOT a trick that we love! Seems like now that she has all these new tricks, her nap times are suffering! Some days we have to leave her in her crib for over an hour before she'll lay down and sleep! Luckily she's not really crying when she's awake but it's still frustrating! Thank goodness she is still sleeping good at night! She sleeps from 7 to 7 still so can't complain about that at all!

She will now blow kisses and her vocabulary is really growing. She'll try to repeat words we say often and we actually just figured out one of the sounds she's been making for while now but never knew what she was doing. For a while, she's been making this noise like "Ow Ow Ow". We finally figured out she is barking and mimicking Scarlett! Anytime she hears Scarlett bark, she will start saying "Ow Ow Ow". Too cute. She also tries to say Scarlett's name but it comes out more like Squar-kinda sounds more like squirrel but we know what she means! She has a new game she (and Scarlett) loves and that is throwing her food down for Scarlett to eat. :)

She will go to the window and say "pool", can say apple (sounds more like bapple which is adorable) and her favorite word I think is "bottle" and she'll start saying that sometimes when she's getting sleepy (we still give her a bottle before naptime generally). She also says "Yo Gabbba Gabba" her FAVORITE show. It is so funny when she gets excited about her show and starts babbling yo gabba!

She still says bye and waves but now always blows kisses too. She says "mwah" when she blows kisses - too cute!

Just love her face!

Each month with Mary Harper our love for her grows and grows. I REALLY hope she does well when her new brother comes because right now she is the center of our world!

Show Me the Money!

2011-07-23T14:04:00.007-05:00

So I had so much success recently with selling Mary Harper's clothing I had to pass along a few great tips in case others have some kid's clothes they'd like to sell. First, I will admit I went a TEENY bit overboard on buying clothes for Mary Harper the second I found out it was a girl. I am sure I am not the only first time mom to make this mistake! :) So not only did I buy too many, but I also bought her clothes for the season I thought she would be in based on how many months she would be during the summer, fall, etc...And she ended up always being about twice the size I had planned on! So this summer when according to her age she should have been in 9 months, she was wearing 12-18 months. So lots of cute 9 month summer outfits went unworn. Another mistake I made early on was washing EVERYTHING. I soon realized that there were many outfits she'd never wear and I should have left the tags on them for resell or even possible return. I never knew how many outfits she'd wear only once...if at all - but those outfits became prime candidates for resell!

So I learned a few lessons learned the hard way! For our new baby that is on the way, I am only washing items he'll wear no matter what the season/age/etc... (sleepers, gowns, etc) And I will wash the other stuff once I know he's going to be able to wear it. I'm also holding off buying as many outfits until he gets here and I have a better idea how big he's going to be!

So, here are some things I have been doing that I think have helped in making my reselling of Mary Harper's clothes a success:

1) Buy quality clothing.

Of course I have drawers full of Circo from Target, Carter's, etc...that she sleeps in or plays in but for most any other outfits, I try to buy quality brands that wash well and resell well. I try to explain to Josh I can buy a $15 outfit at Target and when she grows out of it, I may or may not be able to resell it and if I do, it would just be for a couple of dollars. And generally if she has worn it and it has been washed, it's not an outfit I would even want to resell. OR I can buy a higher quality brand and resell it for $25. It's just like cars...some brands have higher resell values so I try to stick to those. Even if I paid $50 for the outfit, if I can resell it for $25, than the outfit only ended up costing me $25. Which ends up being just $10 more than the Target brand that isn't as cute, doesn't wash as well and doesn't resell as well. Yes, perhaps this is just my way of justifying paying more for cuter outfits but after my first sale, Josh hasn't argued about the amount of money I was able to make. :)

By the way, I have similar justification methods for my own clothing and accessories. One example, CPW. This stands for Cost Per Wear. So for instance, if I spend $100 on a pair of sunglasses, but wear them pretty much the entire summer, I divide $100 by the number of days I wear them. So if I wear them in just June, July and August (90 days) they've only cost me $1.11 a day! :) Us shoppers know how to get creative. :)

2) Keep track of how much you pay for items and how many times (approximately they have been worn...if ever).

I've even started saving the tags off of her outfits and receipts and have stored them in coupon organizers. If you are really organized, you can even go back and include what age your child was when they wore the items. Sometimes that helps people know how the items runs...larger than normal, true to size, etc...

Those pieces of information come in handy when it's time to resell the items. Sometimes it doesn't matter because no matter how much you paid for an item, you won't be able to get most of that money back. But I think it does help when you can state: Kelly's Kids day gown, Size 0-3, worn once, $10 (Paid $35)

First, people like to know they are getting a good deal. Second, they really like to get a good deal on something that is virtually brand new.

3) Get creative on how you sell your items!

I know lots of people sell items at consignment sales (insert shameless plug for my sister's sale here http://www.ottercreeksale.com/Home.html). And those are great - they give you a huge audience of potential buyers and some (like the Otter Creek sale) go for great charities! But don't limit yourself to sales others are doing.

I made a lot of money recently by taking pictures and posting them on Facebook. I actually had numerous people I didn't know want to add me as a friend just to shop so I'm thinking about starting my own Mary Harper's Closet page just so people who aren't friends can shop there too.

Best part about a Facebook sale is I didn't have to pay a registration fee or give someone else 25-30% of my profits! Nor did I have to spend hours tagging, finding hangers or waiting in a drop off line! If you still want to donate to a consignment's sale charity, take a portion of the money you made selling the items yourself and just write them a check! But at least YOU decide how much of your profits you give away!

I would take a picture of the item (sometimes more than one picture to show certain details or the fronts and backs of the outfits) then would describe the item in the caption: Castles and Crowns stocking bloomer, Size small, Never worn, $5 (Paid $15)...or something similar.

Then I had each person, write SOLD and their email address if they wanted me to invoice them via Paypal. I also accepted checks but I was selling to friends so didn't have to worry about not getting the check in the mail! Shipping for children's clothing wasn't too expensive either since most of the items are pretty small. I shipped quite a few items and I think I only had to pay $20 total. I bought plain brown envelopes from the dollar store and just shipped the items regular first class. (Try not to use the flat rate boxes or the post office supplies because they can sometimes be more expensive).

Be mindful of how your pictures look. Presentation matters! Don't have any other items in the picture (TV in the background, a bowl cereal, a favorite pet, etc) that take away from the outfit. Retake the picture if it is too dark or doesn't show the true colors well. If you have any cute pictures of your own child wearing the outfit, post that too! What better model to sell your outfit! :)

For other creative ways to sell your items, think about having a mini consignment sale at your own home. Have friends who have children's clothes to sell come over and set up in different rooms of your house. Then invite others over to shop each other's stash! Have each consigner bring a potluck dish or bottle of wine and you can turn selling your children's clothing into a fun night! And your husbands can stay at home and babysit! :)

So those are just a few pieces of advice I wanted to pass along in case others were thinking about ways to make money off your kid's closets! And let me know if you have any other great ideas!

Mary Harper at 9 Months!

2011-07-21T01:32:00.003-05:00

So I'm late on posting and taking her 9 month shot because she turns 10 months this Friday! But I will have to say that 9 months has been my favorite stage so far (I think I say that each month)! She is really starting to turn into a tiny person and it is adorable!

Her stats form her 9 month check up:
Weight: 21.56 (85th percentile)
Length: 29 inches (87th percentile)
Head: 17.52 inches (60th percentile)

She dropped 11 percentile points in weight but stayed the same in height. Which means her weight is leveling off a bit so her fat rolls aren't quite as rolly anymore! :( I hope she still keeps some for a while because I LOVE squeezing those little legs!

So a little about Miss Mary Harper at 9 months...she sleeps great! We usually put her in bed between 7 and 8 pm and she stays down til 630 or 7 a.m. (Today she slept until 8:30 am)!! She eats breakfast when she wakes up, plays a bit and will go down for a nap around 10ish. Then up for lunch, plays a bit and will go down for nap #2. Sometimes she sleeps for just 1 hour...sometimes 2 or longer.

She's starting to eat more people food (gave her macaroni and cheese tonight and she LOVED it)! She still just has her two little teeth on the bottom which are so cute in pictures!

She still doesn't crawl but that doesn't mean she's immobile! She will either roll or squirm her way to wherever she wants to go. She can stand alone now too for short periods. Her favorite toy is her baby walker and she goes all over the house in it! We've finally had to "baby proof" the house because she kept opening every drawer and cabinet in the kitchen she could reach. I am NOT a fan of the baby proofed kitchen and I forget to unlatch it before I open a drawer every time!

Her vocabulary is growing quite a bit now. She will say "dada", "mama" - I think that's her new favorite word :), bye bye (and she waves - so cute), ball and while on vacation she said "Pa Bob" (my dad). She tries to repeat anything you say and you can tell she studies your mouth to know how to do it. So so sweet.

Her first airplane ride was at 7 months and she had her 2nd at 9 months when we went to the beach for a week. We stayed in Seagrove (just a few minutes outside of Seaside off 30A). She had a great time in her pool while on the beach and didn't mind the sand at all! She however obviously did NOT get the memo that you are supposed to SLEEP IN on vacations. :)

And here are some proofs from her 9 month photo shoot!

Still can't believe how my heart grows larger and larger for this little girl every single day. Tonight she was just sitting in her highchair while Josh fed her and I thought to myself it can't get any better than this. I was just standing in my kitchen watching Mary Harper and Josh interact with each other and I knew there was no where else on earth I'd rather be at that moment. Sooo soo blessed.

Gender Reveal...Bahamas Style!

2011-07-17T23:03:00.002-05:00

So I am way past due in posting this but back in June, Josh and I went to the Bahamas for an adult getaway! We both missed Mary Harper but had a WONDERFUL time at one of the nicest places we have stayed! Despite mine and Josh's penny pinching ways, one thing we both love is gambling so we always try to pick a fun spot where we can gamble. We looked at Aruba but settled on the Bahamas since it was closer...and since friends recommended a hotel I fell in love with as soon as I looked at their website!

We stayed at the One and Only Ocean Club Bahamas and it was FABULOUS! They only have 105 guest rooms and 24 hour Butler service! Need I say more? They bring you fresh fruit daily, champagne and strawberries each afternoon, beach tote, Ocean Club hats, unpacking/packing luggage service...the list just goes on an on! You literally didn't have to carry anything to the beach. They had towels, sunscreen, chairs, water, magazines, books, rafts....anything you needed! Walking to a private beach without having tote the kitchen sink was FABULOUS!! (NOTE: I didn't realize just HOW fabulous until a few weeks later when we took Mary Harper to the beach for the first time). Anyway, Josh and I probably didn't take full advantage of the butler service because who even knows what you're supposed to do with a butler?! But I told Josh if we ever go back I'm going to be a diva. ha!

We did visit the Atlantis a few nights but were reassured that we made the right decision to stay at the One and Only because the Atlantis was CRAZY busy and filled with lots of kids. And I will be honest, if my child isn't with me...I'm not really looking to be around a lot of other people's kids! :) It was cool eating right next to their awesome aquarium and I want to go back when I am not pregnant and can go down the big slide and swim with dolphins!

So now on to the GENDER REVEAL!

Right before we left, Josh was in DC so I took it upon myself to go have the 3D imaging scan to find out what Baby Brown #2 would be. If you recall, we had quite a big gender reveal for Mary Harper. See that post here http://marykateanderson.blogspot.com/2010/04/celebrate.html.

So I wanted to do something fun for Baby #2 too! So I was told the gender (without Josh knowing) the day before we left and so the following day, I gave him this note on the beach!

It read:
We're creating beautiful memories here in the Bahamas,
Now a surprise for you planned by your baby mama!
When you see a big "X" you know that marks the spot,
And you'll see a chest full of treasure that can't be bought.
You'll find a message in a bottle that reveals quite a surprise,
Will Baby Brown II be a girl or a guy?!

And that led him to this! A treasure chest with a message in a bottle!

And the message in the bottle read....................

So we will soon be welcoming Anderson (my maiden name) Joshua (Josh's name) Brown!

Message from Mary Harper

2011-07-05T00:40:00.003-05:00

Poor Neglected Baby II

2011-06-13T01:49:00.003-05:00

So I kept up with my weekly reports so well while we were awaiting Mary Harper's arrival...but it's been a while since I've posted an update about precious Baby Brown II! It's so easy to be totally consumed when awaiting your first baby...but now I have Mary Harper taking up lots of my time, energy and thoughts. So it's tough to stay on top things like I did the first go round.

In a way, it's kinda nice because I will be at 15 weeks this week and even though I was not feeling 100% the entire first trimester, it seems to have gone by a lot faster this time. Probably because I'm not able to obsess about it like I did with Mary Harper. :) I am a bit afraid once I get "very" pregnant, it will be a lot harder this time because not only will I have to lug my big butt around but I'll be lugging Mary Harper around too! I do think the transition may be easier on MH since she will still be so young when Baby Brown II arrives...at least that's what I'm hoping!

We will soon find out the gender...and I CAN. NOT. WAIT! I really have no preference at all one way or another other than healthy...although I do think having two little girls close in age would be so sweet! Plus, I think it would save us a lot of money since we have so much girl stuff! (although Josh says it will only save us money in the short run...I bet he's already thinking about having to pay for 2 weddings if it is another little girl)! But if it is a little boy, I am sure it will be fun getting to buy blue this time! And it may be easier to do a nursery for a boy since I just finished one for a girl!

So here's some info about Baby II (better late than never)!

Our growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces...the size of an orange. My baby's ears have migrated to the sides of its head and their eyes are moving to the front of the face. They can now wiggle their fingers and toes and is making breathing movements in preparation for life outside the womb.

There you go Baby II! Hopefully I will do a better job about updating about you in the future!

Franklin Theatre

2011-06-02T03:23:00.001-05:00

We had such a fun time getting a behind the scenes look at the Franklin Theatre which has its grand opening this weekend. I'm so glad we brought Mary Harper to the reception because they are opening a time capsule in 75 years and I think it will be so neat if she can be at there one day to see her name as an attendee!

I am so excited about the opening - downtown Franklin is just such a unique place. The theatre will play movies of course ($5 at first and they hope to keep offering them for just $5)! And they will also have plays such as Guys and Dolls and musical events. Already confirmed to play the "Little Ryman" is Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Alison Krause, Michael W. Smith and the Judds!

Here are some pictures of us exploring the beautiful new theatre!

8 months...and 7 months too! Oops!

2011-05-31T21:44:00.002-05:00

So I can't believe I forgot to do a 7 month update and picture!!! I think the whole finding out we were pregnant again took me off guard and then the 1st trimester hit and all I could think about was how tired I was! So I TOTALLY forgot to take her 7 month picture with the 7 month sticker OR give an update. :( Sorry Mary Harper!!!

But here are some pictures of her at 7 months! The one of her outside is actually the day she turned 7 months.

Watching the Royal Wedding!

She started saying Dada at 7 months and got her 1st tooth! She also started rolling! Still no crawling but she will roll all over the room!

She has recently started saying Mama...but I only get a Mama once in a blue moon! She has 2 bottom teeth now and has started eating a few non soft baby foods like the MumMum teething crackers, yogurt puffs and other items that easily and quickly dissolves in her mouth!

I think her first "belly" laugh came when she heard Scarlett sneeze. So now everytime anyone sneezes she laughs. She really loves watching Scarlett and when we ask her where Scarlett is she'll look around on the floor to find her. She also is very good at knowing her name. When you say Mary Harper she whips her head around to see what you want. :)

Right before she turned 8 months old we had our first accident!! I was so tired but knew she wasn't ready for a nap so thought maybe I could at least lie down for a bit in my bed and let her "talk" and watch the ceiling fan. Well the minute my head hit the pillow I guess I fell asleep and woke up to the sound of my sweet baby's head hitting the hardwood floor. :( It was so traumatic for me but she seemed fine a few minutes later. We of course called the pediatrician who said how common it was and not to freak out. We kept her awake for 2 hours and made sure she acted normal before we let her take a nap. I think I was more upset and affected than she was.

She sleeps from 7 p.m. every night until 5 or 6 a.m. each morning. Josh normally gets up with her early in the morning, gives her a bottle and she'll go back to sleep for an hour or two. Then she'll take 2-3 more naps during the day before bedtime!

Her new "trick" is clapping. So cute. We got her in the pool for the 1st time today and she was confusing 'clapping' with 'kicking'. Anytime I'd tell her to kick she'd start clapping. ha!

She loves her Jenny Jump Up and loves to jump - in fact, she'll jump and jump even when you hold her. She no longer sits still very well anymore and is always wanting down when you hold her in your lap even though she still can't walk or crawl!

Each new month is such a treat for us and we fall more in love with our beautiful baby each day!

Baby Brown II - 10 Weeks: We're 25% of the way there!

2011-05-10T01:09:00.002-05:00

I just knew my loyal blog readers were missing the food/pregnancy/baby updates I did with Mary Harper so decided I'd just go ahead and get pregnant again - HA! (by the way, new images this go round to keep you on your toes)!

So yes, Baby Brown II was not planned but Josh and I know it will end up being another blessing for our family. I was a bit overwhelmed at first with the news but I think we are slowly but surely coming to terms with the fact we will soon welcome another baby into our home! :)

I will admit it is a bit strange to even think about another baby since I have been so focused (obsessed) with Mary Harper for so long. But prior to becoming a parent, I never thought I could love another creature as much as I loved my dog Scarlett!! Once Mary Harper arrived, of course I figured out I could! So I guess I will soon know what it is like to become a mommy of two - and will soon learn that yes, there IS enough love to go around! :) I am a bit perplexed as to what in the world we will do for nursery II. I feel like I just got done decorating nursery I! And that one was exactly what I had in mind so I am drawing a blank when I start thinking about designing another nursery. And I can't move MH our of her room - I planned that room for her and I just couldn't move her out so soon! So who knows what we'll end up with!

I think it is also kinda neat that Mary Harper will never have any memories that don't include her new sibling and she will never remember when her sibling was not part of her life. And hopefully, Baby II and MH will be the best of friends since they will be so close in age (about 14 1/2 months apart). Of course our priority #1 is for a healthy baby but I'm pretty sure Josh is pulling for a boy...and I am pulling for another girl! I think two little girls that close in age would be so cute...and of course being able to re-use all of MH's clothes, etc...is a strong plus too! I told Josh another baby girl would be cheaper since we already have so much girl stuff but he said it's only cheaper in the short run...of course he is already thinking about paying for two weddings!

So back to Baby II...

Baby II is the size of a prune (1.2 inches, .14 oz.). Baby II has now completed the most critical portion of its development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in the body rapidly grow and mature. Vital organs — including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver are in place and starting to function.

As for mommy, I am TIRED, TIRED, TIRED, TIRED, TIRED. I feel like my body wasn't fully recovered from pregnancy #1 so perhaps that is the reason I'm extra tired. I mean I was tired with Mary Harper too at first but this is a whole new level of being tired. I feel like I could sleep all day long. I wake up after sleeping 8-9 hours and still feel like I haven't slept long enough. That is the worst part so far and I'm hoping in a few weeks that may go away...but I'm afraid my body may just be tired for another 30 weeks. And then after that I'll be the mommy of 2 babies in diapers...so I may actually just be tired for another few YEARS! :)

Mary Harper's 1st Trip!

2011-04-21T02:07:00.002-05:00

Josh and I took my parents to DC recently as a thank you for them pretty much living with us for a few months after Mary Harper was born. My sister Amy, brother in law Scott and their kiddos also came too!

The flight down Mary Harper was an ANGEL. Literally she didn't make a peep the whole flight. She was a real trooper the entire trip (sleeping in her stroller as we carried her up escalators, through crowded subways, noisy traffic, etc) but the interruption to her sleep/naps eventually caught up to her the night before we left. (details to follow)

The first full day we went to the Smithsonian to check out the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc... Then went to visit our friend Marsha Blackburn. We had a special tour of the Capitol and then got to visit with Marsha in her office and MH event got to sit at her desk and make some big decisions for the country. :)

Since my parent's Congressman is Stephen Fincher, Josh also scheduled a meeting for us all to see Stephen. Our final "meeting" we had to stop and visit our friend Diane Black who was just recently elected to Congress. I think Mary Harper will fit in just fine one day when she becomes President.

That night, we let my parents keep all the kiddos and Josh and I joined my sister and brother in law at Old Ebbitt Grill. OBG is a hot spot in DC thanks to it's proximity to the White House but is such a reasonably priced place and the food is great. After dinner, we went to the W Hotel for one of the best views in DC.

Friday we hit the Air and Space Museum, Holocaust and Natural History Museum. Then we headed down to see the Cherry Blossoms!! I think that was one of the best parts of the trip - they were beautiful. It was a bit cold while we were there but the sun was out and the sky was blue and beautiful.

That night is the night Mary Harper had finally had enough. We had booked a trolley twilight tour and after an error of comedies, we FINALLY were all on the trolley but MH had not napped well and I could tell it was not going to be a peaceful tour for me! The tour started at 7:30 pm which is already after her bed time. By the end of the tour, she was crying and crying so Josh and I had them drop us off so we could grab a taxi home. She fell asleep as soon as we got her in the cab and she didn't wake up until the next morning!

Josh took my mom and dad to Arlington Saturday morning and MH and I stayed at the hotel. She did pretty well on the flight back home but you could tell she was ready to be back home in her own routine. After the twilight tour, I'm not sure Josh will be very receptive to bringing MH on anymore vacays until she gets a bit older...we'll see. :)

6 Months Update...A Bit Behind!

2011-04-21T01:27:00.000-05:00

It's almost time for her 7 month update so have to get this in before her 7 month birthday on Friday!

She is really starting to "talk" and make lots and lots of noise! She has now added 'dada' to her "vocabulary" and so now we here lots of "byes" and "dadas". I keep trying to work on 'mama' but she just laughs when I try to get her to repeat me. She is now on stage 2 foods. She can sit up by herself but wobbles...no crawling yet either...which I'm kinda thankful about. :)

She laughs and laughs at her daddy when he's being silly and is just such a joy to be around! She has started to get upset when strangers come up and talk to her. She just really likes her personal space I guess! She has really started paying attention to Scarlett and loves watching her walk around and be a dog. ha!

At her 6 month visit, Mary Harper weighed 19.63 lbs (96 percentile!), length 27 in (87 percentile) and her head circumference was 17.13 in (77 percentile). Such a big girl although she SEEMS to be slowing down. She has been wearing 6-9 month clothes now since she was about 5 months old and is still wearing 6-9 months! So she is actually wearing the right size for once...although she can also wear some 12 months too.

MH went to her Mimi and Pops land (not too far from our house) and helped them stock their pond with fish. They are building a new house so MH will spend lots of time running around on this land.

Oh! She also had her first airplane ride at 6 months (we went to DC with my family)! Will have to do another post about her first trip!

Chicago, Shopping, Girlfriends...What more can you ask for?

2011-03-25T01:24:00.001-05:00

Been pretty busy and forgot to post anything about my fabulous girls' trip to Chicago earlier in March! I had such a great time...how can you not with so much good shopping with friends?! I felt like I hadn't bought much in a long time that didn't involve Mary Harper in some way so I was excited to shop for ME for a change! Plus, I didn't have to pay taxes on most of my purchases I shipped home so I was super excited about the savings!

Didn't get to buy many clothes yet since I'm still trying to lose that baby weight but I am looking forward to a big shopping celebration if I ever lose all the weight I'm trying to lose! I never knew how little I was until I tried to fit back into some of my old clothes! It was so depressing I decided I wanted all of my old clothes out of my closet so my closet is pretty bare at the moment. Maybe it won't be long before I can start refilling it with some more small sizes! :)

Even more exciting than the great shopping getaway was the great group of girls that went. I went to college with most of these girls and lots of them have little ones now so it is so nice being with other people that don't mind if you talk about your baby too much! :)

Can't wait 'til next years trip!

Amazing Love

2011-03-12T02:09:00.001-06:00

I know that Easter is later this year (April 24) but I'm ready for Spring and excited for another first holiday for Mary Harper! So I have ordered her cute spring and Easter outfits, ordered her an Easter basket and tonight started searching for age appropriate Easter goodies! While I was searching through some cool developmental toys online, I heard Mary Harper stirring on the video baby monitor. I looked up and noticed she had kicked off her blanket so went upstairs to cover her back up. When I got up there and saw my sweet baby sleeping, I couldn't resist! I picked her up and rocked her in my arms while she slept. As I was staring at her, I was overcome with just how much I love her...and thought how she will never understand just how much she is loved.

Then it hit me how God's love for me is beyond my comprehension. Staring at my baby, I can't fathom EVER sacrificing her for anything! And that is just what God did for me...he sent His Son to die for ME. Wow. The thoughts I had just been having about Easter (goodies for baskets, egg hunts, chocolate bunnies and spring outfits) are so off base from what Easter truly is. We often think of Valentine's Day as the holiday for love. I have changed my mind about that tonight as I stared at my daughter sleeping overcome with love...and while trying to fathom how much God loves me. Easter is the holiday of love. God's unconditional love for me and mankind.

Of course I will still fill Mary Harper's basket with fun goodies for the first time this year...but hope she always realizes the real reason we celebrate and just how much she is loved.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

The Undomestic Goddess

2011-03-03T01:59:00.019-06:00

When Josh and I first started looking for a house, our real estate agent started taking us through the backdoor first because he knew my top priority was a nice backyard for my dog and a pool for me. In fact, when we walked into what is now our house for the first time, my first comment was, "the kitchen is too big". Our agent said that was the first time he had ever heard anyone say that!

It's not that I can't cook, I just have always hated going to the grocery and never really loved taking the time to cook. So since Josh doesn't cook either, we have spent very little time in the kitchen!

I know for most people making their own baby food is not a big deal...but the fact that I now go to the grocery to pick out veggies and fruits to make homemade baby food is pretty shocking to me...and anyone else that knows me! I know it is not really saving a whole lot of money to make the food myself but it's a lot more fresh and healthy for my little one so it makes the extra effort well worth it.

I'm even in the market for a garden tiller now so I can start growing her food and want to take sewing lessons so I can make her clothes! I keep waiting for Josh to ask me who I am and what have I done with his wife!

Even Mary Harper is visibly shocked!

If you would like to stop being an undomestic goddess yourself, here are some of my favorite items:

I love these 2 oz. containers I found on Amazon to freeze her food in-they are stackable and fit easily in our freezer's shelves. http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Freeze-Reusable-Containers-12-Pack/dp/B002YQQQJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299139320&sr=8-1

Here are the cookbooks I've been using:

http://www.amazon.com/Top-100-Baby-Purees-Healthy/dp/0743289579/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299139498&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.amazon.com/Blender-Baby-Food-Recipes-Homemade/dp/0778801187/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299139588&sr=8-3-catcorr

Would love to know how having a baby has changed you!

Cinco!

2011-03-01T01:50:00.001-06:00

I can't believe how much Mary Harper has changed! She still isn't sitting up by herself yet without help but I know she'll soon conquor that! As I already posted earlier on the blog, she now says "Bye" OR "Buy" :) lots. She has no idea what it means but she says it a lot and is very proud of herself when she does. :) When she's not saying bye, she is just making LOTS of racket. I guess she is experimenting with different sounds. It is cute whatever it is!

She LOVES her Sophie giraffe and I think that is definitely her favorite toy. Unfortunately, it is also Scarlett's favorite toy so we are always on Sophie patrol!

I have started making her baby food and feel like Martha Stewart and mom of the year for doing it! ha! It really is so easy and fun to make it and it feels great to know what I am making for her is healthy and nutritious! She loves peaches, apples, sweet potatos, bananas, etc...must have a sweet tooth like her mom! She eats peas and green beans but not sure she is a HUGE fan of either...once again just like her mom!

She loves to "stand" and now even will stand next to me on the couch and do squats, up and down up and down. She may have a complex of me always commenting on her fat rolls so perhaps it is her way of exercising. ha!

I am guessing she is probably 17 lbs now (haven't been to the pediatrician this month) and 25 inches long.

She was sleeping from 8:30 pm to around 6 am but she went through a phase where she started waking up once in the night again. Ugh. However last night she slept from 730-730 so hopefully we are starting a new habit. If she is still tired when she wakes up, she will cry but if she has slept for a while or is well rested, she will just lay in bed and talk to herself and slam her feet down!

I am still horrible at leaving the house with her and I get really frazzled and stressed out when I have to take her out alone. The car seat is sooooo heavy and I think I carry too much stuff "just in case". (Always be prepared!) By the time I get out the door I am ready to come back home! Hopefully this will get easier the more practice I get! Luckily, she has always been a great car rider and rarely cries in the carseat.

She's gone to two political events this month and the poor thing has no idea how many more she has to "look forward" to over the years. I like to think of it as training for when she becomes the 1st female President of the United States. :)

Every day brings more fun things to experience with MH. Can't believe how quickly she has changed since we first brought her home. We are very blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby girl and fall in love with her more and more each day.

Babies and Blackberries

2011-02-21T01:55:00.012-06:00

I never realized how easily blessings can become distractions until I had Mary Harper. I always said I didn't want to become one of those moms whose life only revolves around their child. And I felt like I was doing an OK job with that until I started to think about how much she now occupies my thoughts. As I write this, she is asleep and part of me wishes she would wake up so I could hold her! It is crazy how my beloved dog Miss Scarlett and even Josh have now suddenly fallen a few notches down on my priority list!

While I don't think this is abnormal for a new mom, I now realize that blessings such as a new baby can easily become viewed as an "acceptable" distraction...yet it still interferes with my relationship with God. And I don't think God intended to bless me with Mary Harper just to watch me lose focus on Him. I hate to admit I stopped "seeking Ye first" the second I was blessed with Mary Harper!

I also became consumed with fear after having Mary Harper. I literally didn't put her down for over 24 hours when we first brought her home because I was afraid she would stop breathing! I know that probably sounds insane but it's true! If my mom had not come to stay with us, she may still be sleeping in my arms at night! And I would say the biggest adjustment for me becoming a parent is the realization I will now worry about her for the rest of my life! And I think if my focus was on God, those types of irrational fears would subside...some. :)

In addition to Mary Harper, there are just soooo many other distractions in my world now - the time I spend updating this blog, my Blackberry...and I don't even want to think about the hours I have wasted on Facebook!! Luckily, I do not have an iPhone! This all reminds me of the poor woman who fell into the fountain while texting inside the mall. I was just thankful it happened to her and not me!

Peter was able to walk on water until he took his eyes off Jesus. And right now I feel like I have taken my eyes off Jesus and I'm lying in the mall water fountain, Blackberry in hand! If I were to stop and think how many hours I have my Blackberry in hand compared to the Bible, I would be ashamed to admit the findings.

I guess the good news is after nearly 5 months of being wrapped up in my new baby, I have FINALLY realized and at least acknowledged that my relationship with God is suffering. I need to remember that even though I am now a mommy, I am still a wife and follower of Christ. And I will be a BETTER mom if I keep my focus on God.

I would appreciate your prayers as I try to refocus my life post-baby and post-Blackberry!

BYE!

2011-02-15T03:40:00.000-06:00

Mary Harper has started to try and mimic everything we say. She watches the shape of my mouth when I say a word and then tries to form the same shape. Here is me trying to get her to say "BYE" and I actually caught it on camera! It's so much fun to see her learn new things everyday!

Lights, Camera, Action!

2011-02-04T00:28:00.006-06:00

The new marquee on the Franklin Theatre is up and lit! Franklin residents have been waiting for this day for quite some time. Thousands showed up in historic downtown Franklin to witness the lighting of the marquee! I can't wait until it actually opens in June.

The new marquee is a replica from 1937 and is such a great addition to Main Street.
Here is what it used to look like based on some black and white pictures from the city's archives:

Here is what the theatre looked like prior to its renovation:

And here is the new marquee! I think they did a great job replicating what it used to look like.

I'm so thankful to everyone who helped make this renovation possible. Josh and I did our very small part by purchasing a "seat" at the new theatre but I wish Mary Harper had been around when we purchased it so we could have had her name put on there with ours. But hopefully one day in about 30 years or so, she'll go back with her own children and try to find the little plaque with our names on it and point it out to them. And the next time it needs renovating, I hope that Mary Harper (and others in her generation) will step up and lead the charge because of the fond memories they will some day have of the Franklin Theatre. But for Josh's sake (and hers), I hope she does not have a first kiss there for a LONG time!

4 Month Stats

2011-01-24T00:32:00.004-06:00

So I haven't been good about this and want to start so I have it documented somewhere!

At four months, Mary Harper is 15 lbs, 5 oz!! She is one big baby!

She is 25 inches long. She's in the 90th percentile in weight and 78th percentile in height. She is already wearing 6-9 month clothes, mainly because she is too long for her 3-6 months clothes.

She loves her hands and likes to put everything we hand her in her mouth. I love it when she touches my face while I'm feeding her. She's getting good at taking her paci out and putting it back in. She loves her Jenny Jump Up even though she doesn't really "jump" yet. She can move herself around and looks like she's trying to walk in it!

She laughs and talks ALL the time now and it is so cute. Sometimes when she wakes up in the morning she just lays in her crib and talks and slams her feet down. It would be much cuter if I didn't want to keep sleeping. :) She now goes to bed around 8:30 p.m. and is starting to sleep until 7 a.m. She will usually get up once to eat but she's started to sleep all the way through now on some nights.
She LOVES watching sports when she sees them on TV which her daddy loves. Josh was watching the end of Rudy this weekend and had her in her bouncy chair in front of the TV and she was glued to the movie. When the movie ended, Josh changed the channel and he said she started BAWLING and tears were coming down her cheeks! HA! Not sure what she sees when she "watches" TV but whatever it is she likes!

She seems to get bored with her play mat now...she used to lay there for 30 minutes or longer cooing and kicking but she won't do it for that long anymore. She also seems to be getting bored with her swings and bouncy seats unless I am there talking to her. She loves her Sophie giraffe and a little plastic book that lights up.
She is still just on formula but at our last visit we were told we can start introducing rice cereal and baby food. While she rarely cries, sometimes when someone new walks up and says hi to her, her bottom lip quivers and she starts crying! Not sure why she does this but I think she may be a little shy. Who knew?!

Wine Country or Whine Country...They are both beautiful!

2011-01-22T01:40:00.004-06:00

What a wonderful time Josh and I had in Napa last week. I can't believe I almost backed out of going at the last minute and so thankful I didn't. I was hesitant to go for a number of reasons. I was NOT wanting to leave Mary Harper again because I felt like I had just got back home to her from when I was away over New Year's. Before she was born, we thought we would bring her to Napa with us but Josh thought the long plane ride out west and then drive over to Napa would be too much for her and she'd be more comfortable here. So I was going to have to leave her again and I also wasn't ready for the long travel days ahead of us.

But I decided to go and soooo happy I did. We had the most perfect time in Napa. The weather was perfect and I was thrilled to be away from the cold and snow for a few days. We stayed at what is now my favorite place to stay...EVER. The name of the place is Calistoga Ranch http://www.calistogaranch.com/. Everyone has their own private lodge so you felt like you were in your own little house. Each one also has these awesome private outdoor garden showers which I LOVED! It was so cool! The service there was INCREDIBLE. Everything in the mini bar was free (well as Josh put it, it's not really free but still...), they had an entire fleet of brand new Mercedes available for guests to drive and even my OCD self was impressed with how incredibly clean everything was. Best part was the setting was BEAUTIFUL and the lodges were built to blend in with the environment. It was absolutely incredible and we already have plans to go back later this year and I hope to stay there again. If you are ever in Napa, I highly recommend this place. It is truly a treat. I still would have had a blast just staying on location and not leaving the lodge!

But of course we visited lots of wineries and had wonderful food and fun with friends! My favorite wine tour was Schramsberg http://www.schramsberg.com/. They make incredible sparkling wine that competes with the Champagne region of France. Their wines are often served at the White House and other state events and I loved hearing the history of this winery. Josh of course is the wine snob of the family so he was in heaven. Josh rarely spends money on himself so I was happy to see him excited and buying cases of some of the wines he liked best (and happy that it is now legal for us to ship them to Tennessee)!

It was just the best trip and as much as I miss Mary Harper when I'm not with her, I think it is really good for me and Josh to get away just the two of us. It really made me see how important it is for us not to forget about us now that Mary Harper is here. I also realized this trip that being away from her for even just a short while really makes me appreciate all the times I have with her when I get back. I normally am not too thrilled about waking up and feeding her at 4:30 a.m. but when I was away from her and couldn't feed her myself, I missed it! The tears didn't bother me when I got home and neither did the dirty diapers! It really was a nice break and a reminder to appreciate EVERY moment with MH...even if they aren't always pleasant!

This was also my last trip before I return back to work. I am scheduled to start back next week and I'm very anxious to see how this works out. Josh left it up to me whether I went back to work or not but I really have a great job, work with great people and I'm just not ready to give it up yet. I am not usually in an office or at a desk, can do a lot from my own home and spend most of my time networking which I enjoy. And of course the extra money will be nice. Of course the worst part will be I can't see MH whenever I want once I go back to work. And just returning to work after 4 months of being off will be an adjustment itself. I guess the days of wearing my pajamas all day are about to be over!

Happy New Year and Anniversary!

2011-01-09T03:29:00.001-06:00

The past three New Year's Eves have been pretty incredible. The key to having a wonderful New Year's Eve is to spend them with the best of friends whether it's in a city with millions of others or just on the couch in front of your TV.

2010
Las Vegas with Lori!

2009
New York with Josh!

2008
Scarritt Bennett Chapel & Hermitage Hotel - My Wedding & Reception!

Wishing you a 2011 filled with best friends!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-12-30T01:40:00.005-06:00

I can't believe I used to post a weekly pregnancy update! Now that Mary Harper has arrived I find it a lot harder to get on my computer at all. And if I do have spare time, I usually have other stuff I need to get done. So it's been easy to neglect Blogworld.

Mary Harper is now three months old and is getting more fun each day! She smiles and laughs and has started "talking" nonstop. (Hmmmm...wonder where she could get that?) Her coos and baby talk are so sweet.

She visited Paris for the first time over Thanksgiving and had lots of fun with her cousins. We also celebrated my new niece Naomi's first birthday since being adopted. It was her very first birthday cake and she was so excited about all her gifts!

In early December, Josh and I spent a long weekend in New York. We spent New Year's Eve there last December and I fell in love with New York during Christmas. It was tough for me to be away from MH for the first time but it was nice to spend some quality time with Josh AND have a few nights of uninterrupted sleep!

Christmas this year was the best ever! I know it will only get better each year as MH gets older but it was nice to not have to buy her any gifts this year and she had no clue! Josh went out of his way to make sure my first Christmas with MH was a memorable one and the best gift of all was celebrating this special holiday as a family of three!

Josh and I got married two years ago this coming New Year's Eve! I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful husband who is now also the best daddy ever! We celebrated while in NYC because I will not be in town the night of our anniversary this year.

My best friend Lori lives in Japan so I rarely get to spend time with her so Josh being awesome and is sending me to Vegas over New Year's Eve this year with her!! Last time I was in Vegas it was 115 degrees and I was 7 months pregnant so I'm thinking this trip will be a bit more enjoyable! It was probably 7 or 8 years ago since the last time Lori and I went to Vegas together and I am absolutely THRILLED to spend a few days with her before she returns back to Japan. ):

So there's my much delayed update! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and for those of you who blog, I can't wait to catch up with what's been going on in your world.

I will leave you with some more pictures of my baby girl!

Just to see you smile

2010-11-23T01:28:00.018-06:00

Happy 2 Months Mary Harper!

So it's not that I didn't like Mary Harper when she was a newborn of course...but I LOVE LOVE LOVE her at this new stage. I mean, let's be honest. Newborns aren't exactly the most entertaining creatures. And it's not like she's juggling or putting on short plays for me now either. But lately she's starting to smile more and more and that smile just makes me melt!

I would say being a mommy has either become easier or more bearable - not sure which. Ha! I guess I was a bit naive about becoming a mom. I mean, I knew sleep would be limited but I just always thought that newborns sleep all the time and I would just sleep when she did. Oh how perfect that plan sounds...yet it doesn't seem to work out that way once your new ~~alarm clock~~ bundle of joy arrives.

Let's just say an ounce of sleep deprivation, a cup of raging hormones and a pinch of non-stop crying is a great recipe for INSANITY! Throw in a tough physical recovery from the labor/delivery and it gets even worse. But of course babies are routinely called "a bundle of joy". So when I wasn't exactly feeling the joy in not showering for three days, I felt kind of guilty. When Josh went back to work, could actually leave the house and even still meet a friend for lunch if he wanted; I felt jealous and even resentful that his life wasn't altered near as much as mine by our new arrival. And I'm sure Josh wasn't exactly humming "Joy to the World" as he watched his wife cry, his dog hide under the bed and his baby girl screaming bloody murder due to a tummy ache one night.

I know that there are women out there that arrived at the hospital to deliver their baby, they coughed and out came the most perfect baby that never cries and sleeps through the night on their first night home. And to twist the knife even more, they are back in their "skinny" jeans when they leave the hospital. But that was not me. Yet I still feel so blessed everyday to have my little girl and love her just as much as those that got the hang of this parenting thing a bit faster than I did. And perhaps even those moms that look like everything is perfect on the outside are having some of the same struggles and feelings I do too-but are just afraid to admit it.

I really feel that if we all are a bit more candid and honest with each other about how hard the adjustment to mommyhood can be, it will make us all better friends, mentors, teachers and moms in the future.

This experience has given me a whole new appreciation for single moms and those that don't have the support of two wonderful families and friends. I can't imagine how much harder it would be without that network of support.

So this post is for all my friends who are expecting or new moms like me. It's tough and you are not alone. But while motherhood may be the hardest job in the world, it is also the most rewarding. And boy, are those smiles worth it.

I'm alive...and a mommy!

2010-10-24T23:03:00.007-05:00

So it's been a while since my last entry so not sure where to start! I guess I'll start on September 22...the day our lives as we know it changed. :)

To make a long story short, I had a VERY rough labor and delivery. 19 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing. Finally my doctor decided I needed to get off the epidural so I could "feel the pain" to know when to push better. INSERT A FEW CHOICE WORDS HERE. ;) After she FINALLY arrived, he then had quite a bit of work to do on me. And remember I no longer had the epidural. Fun times. I think it's safe to say we were all a bit surprised by Mary Harper's size. :)

But I did finally have some awesome moments in the delivery room with my new little one! When she 1st came out since I was still being worked on I couldn't hold her. So I called out to her when she was crying and as soon as she heard my voice, she stopped crying. It was crazy. Then when I was finally able to hold her, she was crying again and as soon as I started talking to her she stopped and looked at me with the most alert eyes. I could see in her eyes that she knew I was her mommy! It was amazing.

We were able to leave the hospital three days later but I was still in INTENSE pain and was told I had about 3 months of recovery time ahead of me. I was on pain meds round the clock and also developed post pregnancy pre eclampsia. My poor husband had to take care of both me and a newborn baby because I could barely get out of bed. Then throw in sleep deprivation. Luckily, my parents came and stayed with us to help out. It was the worst of times and best of times all at the same time. I was thrilled to finally have my little girl. But I felt like Mary Harper was bonding more with Josh and my parents because I was so sick to hold her or take care of her. It was really a rough time for me physically and mentally. But thank goodness, we are blessed with wonderful family and friends that helped us through it.

So that is why I was MIA for a bit. But I'm now feeling a lot better and finally starting to feel more like myself. Even throughout my ordeal, every time I had to go to the doctor, I felt so blessed that I was the one with the problems and not Mary Harper. She is beautiful, healthy and perfect in every way! And here are some pictures to prove it. :)

Yes, she's already one month!

41 Weeks: We're 102.5% of the way there! Sigh...

2010-09-20T01:36:00.000-05:00

Well the website I have been using for these updates stops at 40 weeks so I had to find my own picture of how big Mary Harper is becoming. :) Of course she is not quite THAT big but some days it feels like it! I go back on Tuesday to check my progress and if she's still enjoying her stay at Hotel Uterus, I will be induced sometime next week. Apparently there is a full moon on Thursday so maybe that will be the night if she doesn't decide to come sooner!

I have been trying to be very patient but I am really becoming amazed at how many symptoms can come with pregnancy! And can't believe I ever talked back or disrespected my own mom! :) I always knew she "had brought me into this world and could take me out" but I never realized how much it took to get me here until now! The past few weeks I have had a sharp pain in my thigh and butt and it makes my leg feel really weak like it's about to give out. Apparently this fun new symptom is called sciatica. (The sciatic nerve is a long nerve that runs from the lower back to the back of the legs and feet and the weight of the baby can cause it to become inflamed).

But I am so grateful to be pregnant and so excited to become Mary Harper's mommy that when I get too uncomfortable I just try to remind myself that it will all be worth it once I finally have Mary Harper in my arms...WHICH SHOULD BE THIS WEEK!! :)

40 Weeks: We're 100% of the way there...so where is she?!

2010-09-13T01:32:00.004-05:00

So we of course can't tell for sure how big Mary Harper will be but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (the size of a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long.

My actual due date is THIS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15!! My doctor has told me that if she hasn't arrived by my due date, he would let me decide if I want to induce or if I want to wait it out. He did advise that we only wait one week past my due date. Part of me really likes the sound of having a set day and time to go in, being able to get ready and not having to make a mad rush to the hospital. But there are pros and cons to both I guess. So right now it's just a waiting game! At my appointment today, my doctor today said he wants to see me again on Friday this week to see how I have progressed. Depending on that visit, he said we could go ahead and induce this weekend if I wanted.

Monday and Tuesday are officially my last two days at work until nearly February. Josh even gets 6 weeks of PAID PATERNITY LEAVE (doesn't even count against vacation days or anything!)...crazy huh? I doubt he'll actually take off all 6 weeks but I am very grateful we will be able to have so much quality time together as a new family.

As far as my nesting, I am pleased with the progress we made and actually feel "nested out"...which is a good thing because Josh has me on a spending freeze. :) Our master bedroom and nursery turned out exactly the way I had envisioned them and I am content to take some time off before we start back on other rooms.

My "to do list" is very small now and no big priority items remain. It feels so great to have accomplished so much over the past few weeks/months to prepare for her arrival. It feels really weird to look at our upcoming calendar and not have something planned for every day of the week. The only thing we have scheduled is family time with our new baby girl! It may be a great opportunity for us to slow down a bit...we'll see how long that lasts before I go stir crazy!

I can't believe this may be my last post before Mary Harper makes her debut! Josh and I have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received over the past 40 weeks. This has been such a special time for us and you have made it even better.

And once again, your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated as we await her arrival!

Possible Blog/Privacy Setting Changes

2010-09-10T01:43:00.002-05:00

So with our little one's impending arrival, I am thinking about making this blog private. I'm not even sure if there's anyone in blogland that actually reads my blog and I really use it more to document "life" for my own benefit. But if you do actually read it and would still like to able to keep up with the Brown family from time to time, please either comment on this post, shoot me an email or message me on facebook with your email address.

facebook.com/marykatebrown

I believe your email address is the only information I need to give you access to it. Anyway, still not sure if that is the route I am going to go...maybe I'm just being paranoid. I know other friends post pictures of your kiddos on your blogs so it may not be a big deal. But I wanted to at least start gathering the information in case I do make it private once Mary Harper arrives.

Would love to hear other parent's thoughts on public vs. private blogs too if you have an opinion one way or another. It's just something I've never really thought about before becoming a mommy!

For those of you that do read it, I hope you will continue to do so even if it's no longer public. I can't wait to finally introduce you to Mary Harper!

39 Weeks: We're 97.5% of the way there!

2010-09-08T00:58:00.001-05:00

Mary Harper is just ONE week away from her due date!! It's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. My biggest achievement each day now is actually getting out of bed in the morning! There have been times I thought I was going to have to call a towing company. I now look at my feet and feel like I'm looking at someone else's body parts...it's so weird. But I keep telling myself in just a little while I can start trying to get back to normal.

I haven't really started worrying about the actual birth other than worrying that MH arrives safely and healthy. Of course that may change when I actually start feeling REAL labor contractions for the first time!

Here are a few more maternity pictures from Katie Mosley Photography. Is she not great?! I never really thought I would want to capture this big ol' belly for all eternity but think she did a great job of capturing such a special moment for us.

The picture below may be one of my favorites. For those that know me well, they know that Miss Scarlett has been my dog-child for over 11 years now so she naturally will be Mary Harper's big sis! She normally looks away and hates getting her picture made so I love how she is looking at the camera and even looks like she is smiling!

I can't believe I just have one more random veggie/fruit post of Mary Harper's size to make! I'm starting to get a bit ~~freaked out~~ excited about her arrival and would really appreciate your prayers this last week as we prepare to bring our precious baby girl into the world.

Nesting-mania! Decorating Reveal Pics!

2010-09-01T00:47:00.012-05:00

I can't believe we have already been in our home for a year now! When we first moved in, our goal was to decorate/renovate/etc...within a year. A year later, I now realize that was ~~a crazy~~ an ambitious goal! But it didn't take me long to step up the pace once I found out I was pregnant. Nesting is an odd phenomenon. So I don't know if we should call what we've been doing decorating or nesting but regardless, we finally have progress!

First, for the outside, we took out lots of trees in the back so we have more sun and less leaves around the pool (sorry, forgot to take back yard pictures). We also had the outside of the house cleaned up landscaping wise. I usually like to plant flowers but just didn't feel like it with the heat and inability to bend down well pregnant! So I hope to have more color next year.

I believe I first met with Lindsay of LDS Designs in May. Our top priorities at the time were our bedroom, living room, kitchen and nursery. Now we are only focusing on completing our bedroom and nursery and will start back on living room and kitchen after MH arrives. (Other rooms in the house to come later but I think the bonus room and sitting/wine room will be next in line!)

Ever since moving into our home, I started saving pictures of how I wanted each room to look and then shared those with Lindsay so she could grasp the look I was trying to achieve. I think you'll agree we were successful!

So for my first blog REVEAL, I will start with our bedroom!

Here is what our bedroom looked like when we moved in:

Here are some items I liked and "inspiration" pictures of what I wanted our bedroom to look like:

AND HERE IS OUR BEDROOM NOW!

Here are some details of how we acheived our look.

*Canopy Bed & Sisal Rug: Pottery Barn

*Bedding: Restoration Hardware, Ross

*Window panels & panels on canopy bed: West Elm

*Mirrored bed side tables: Z Gallerie

*Chifarobe: 1st piece of furniture my parents bought when they got married 44 years ago!

*Bed side lamps & bench at end of bed & curtain rod: Marshall's

*Letter "B": Ross

*Mirrored star burst: Hobby Lobby

*Cool linen chair: Scarlett Scales Antiques in Franklin

*Dresser: MISSING - Still searching for the perfect one! :)

When I first found out I was pregant with a little girl, I decided I wanted the nursery to be more like part of the rest of the house and not use pepto pink everywhere. You may recall this entry of what I was thinking for her nursery 3 months ago: http://marykateanderson.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

I wanted more neutral colors with light pink accents. I also HATE "characters" like Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, etc...or things like butterflies, fairies, etc... So I knew what I didn't want. I found the picture below on a website called poshtots.com and couldn't afford anything on that site. But I still hung on to the picture and showed Lindsay at LDS Designs and we began to try and replicate for less!

My husband would say otherwise but we have really created her a beautiful nursery on a budget! We did have a few splurges like the new carpet but everything else we really tried to keep affordable. I would say 90% of the items came from TJ Maxx, Marshall's and Ross!

For instance, the monogram above cost $155!! And I found the one we used on etsy for $26. Anyway, I will post more details below on where we found what, but here are BEFORE pictures of the nursery:

AND HERE IS THE NURSERY NOW!

Here are some details of how we acheived our look.

*Crib: My dad made this crib in 1998 for my oldest niece Camille. Since then, all of my nieces and nephews (besides my new niece Naomi) used this crib. There are walnut inserts that came from The Hermitage in Nashville that dad was able to buy when the tornado came through and knocked down a lot of trees there.

*Monogram and tutu: Etsy

*Bedside lamp: Target (with added trim from the Fabric Store)

*Floor lamp: Tuesday Morning

*Crib bedding by Glenna Jean: Bed, Bath and Beyond (and 20% off)!

*Curtains: Fabric from the fabric store, my mom made them and they are beautiful!

*Curtain rods: Lowe's

*Nursery furniture and glider rocker: USA Baby

*Dress form: Pier One

*Baskets: TJ Maxx

*Chandelier: Overstock.com

*Magnetic pink crystal accents on chandelier: Hobby Lobby

Here is the one spot we are still waiting to fill. My dad made Mary Harper a bookcase and it will go here this week once he brings it down.

Here is a picture he sent me of the bookcase (and a special message for her on the back):

Here are also pictures of the adjoining bathroom:

Once again, most everything came from Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshall's except for the AWESOME bench I found at Nadeau Furniture in Green Hills.

And finally, one last accomplishment. Here is a before picture of the green runner on our staircase.

And here is the new staircase with updated carpet! It is brown on brown zebra print! Since it is all one color, it really is subtle but still fun! This was actually used in an entire room in this year's Westhaven St. Jude house.

So there are a few items I can now check off my to do list! It is amazing how much better a decorated house makes you feel. I can't wait to start on other rooms but I think I will slow down once Mary Harper arrives. And more importantly, until we can afford to start on any more rooms! Even on a budget, things add up and I think I've pressed the boundaries of what Josh is going to let me spend for a few months! But something tells me, I'm going to be too busy to care!

38 Weeks: We're 95% of the way there!

2010-08-31T00:05:00.000-05:00

Mary Harper is now as long as a leek (more than 19 1/2 inches, head to heel) and weighs nearly 7 pounds. 95% of the way there...WOW!! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Phew...what a relief and blessing to have made it this far with a healthy pregnancy. Now I just pray I have a safe delivery that results in a healthy baby girl!

This weekend we braved the heat to attend a reunion and BBQ for Governor Don Sundquist. Josh worked for Governor Sundquist and was excited to see so many old friends and former co-workers. I was excited about the dark chocolate ice cream that was served.

In other news, we are almost finished with Mary Harper's nursery! I will do one post on her nursery soon. We are also almost finished with the master bedroom so I may have to do a house update for my next post...if something else more exciting like, I don't know...giving birth doesn't happen first! :)

37 Weeks: We're 92.5% of the way there!

2010-08-25T22:12:00.001-05:00

Mary Harper is now considered "full term" even though my due date is still three weeks away. She now weighs over 6 pounds and is a bit over 19 inches (like a stalk of Swiss chard...I know, another random veggie)!

Here are some pictures from some recent showers:

Some of my co-workers threw a shower for me at Boxwood Bistro.

Lots of useful gifts at this shower!

Monty & Shalia Lankford, Glen & Jill Casada, Doug & Rose Grindstaff and Bob & Janie Yeager threw a couple's cocktail party/shower at the Lankford's for us Sunday night.

Wonderful hostesses!

Beautiful desserts that even matches my nursery! :)

The Cowan's

Future Congressman Mary Harper Brown with Congressman Marsha Blackburn :)

36 Weeks: We're 90% of the way there!

2010-08-17T01:23:00.005-05:00

Mary Harper now weighs 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon ???) and is 18 1/2 inches long. At the end of this week, she will be considered full-term! It is so hard to believe that at our 1st ultrasound she was only the size of a poppy seed. We couldn't even see her on the ultrasound and we actually weren't even sure she was there!

Let me tell you, she is CERTAINLY making her presence known now! She is soooo active right now and everyone around can see it just by looking at my belly move! I thought babies got less active in the last month but that is not the case with Miss Mary Harper. She is constantly moving now and it is kind of painful since there's not much room for her in my tummy anymore.

Apparently, she can now make her appearance at any time. EEK! Good news is we are VERY close to having her nursery completed. We are now just waiting on a nightstand that is on backorder until October and a bookcase my dad is building for her. Then we'll accessorize and be done! I'll post pictures soon of what has been accomplished so far. It is really rewarding to vision a room you want and then see it transform right before your eyes! I think her nursery has even exceeded the pictures we used for inspiration!

I can't wait to rock my new baby in her new room...after we fix the air conditioner upstairs that is. Apparently I'm not the only one having a hard time operating in this heat. And of course it breaks during one of the hottest summers on record! I hope for Josh's sake it just needs freon. For someone who doesn't like to spend money, he's been really great with sitting back and letting me "nest". But with all the additional house and baby expenditures, I think he may be the next thing to break down if we have have to replace the air conditioning unit upstairs!

UPDATE: Air conditioner guys came and the problem was just a breaker being off from one of the last storms. So once they flipped the breaker back on, it started working again! That's a relief in more ways than one! :)

35 Weeks: We're 87.5% of the way there!

2010-08-10T22:45:00.004-05:00

Mary Harper is now as hefty as a honey dew melon at 5 1/4 pounds and is over 18 inches long.

Speaking of "honey dews" - my list for Josh is growing quite long! And I have been busy too! I feel like I am squeezing in so much right now because who knows if she'll wait 5 more weeks to arrive. We should find out soon if she's going to take after me (and arrive late) or Josh (and arrive early or on time).

Lindsay (of LDS Designs) and I have been working hard to finish up the nursery and other rooms of the house! We have however decided to scale back our plans a bit and instead of trying to decorate the entire house before MH arrives, we have settled on finishing up four of my "priority" rooms (bedroom, living room, kitchen and nursery). Then we'll start back up with the rest of the house after MH arrives and we all get settled. We are having the upstairs and bonus room recarpeted on Thursday (with the softest carpet of course for Mary Harper's little knees) and we are waiting on furniture deliveries for my bedroom, living room and nursery. So hopefully we'll have some completed rooms soon and I can post some nursery pics! (Oh yeah, we also finished the landscaping last week too)! Nothing like having a baby to knock off a few items on a to do list!

34 Weeks: We're 85% of the way there!

2010-08-03T01:55:00.004-05:00

Mary Harper now weighs 4 3/4 - 5 1/2 pounds (weight of an average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. She is practicing breathing and her taking in amniotic liquid leads to bouts of hiccups from time to time - she actually had them today at my doctor's appointment! What a feeling!

We also had our doctor do another ultrasound today because we never really had an actual MD tell us we were having a girl...just a tech at 15 weeks and another tech at 20 weeks that said she was pretty sure she was a girl but that she was being shy! And so now Josh is paranoid it's a boy (that actually happened to one of my mother-in-law's friends...can you imagine?)! Anyway, since I am so late in the pregnancy, it was hard for the doc to make out anything because she's taking up so much space now. Of course we still think she's a girl but I would now like to thank Josh for making me paranoid!

The fatigue has set in! I had a baby shower over the weekend and couldn't even open all the presents myself because I got so out of breath (and the carpal tunnel didn't help)! And of course, I entered my 3rd trimester of pregnancy in one of the hottest summers on record. Our house could literally house penguins, Eskimos and Polar Bears - plus we no longer have to use the freezer on our refrigerator to house our frozen foods. :) Throw in a few restless nights, tossing/turning and frequent bathroom breaks and I think this must be God's way of preparing you for fatigue and lack of sleep once the baby arrives.

I am late in uploading pictures from some of my baby showers so below are some shower pictures. Our first one was back in May and I was barely showing! I had no idea what I would like 3 months later!

Our 1st shower was hosted by Robbie & Heather Beal. It was held at one of our favorite places, Boxwood Bistro.

Some of Josh's mom's friends hosted a "Grandmother & Mom-To Be" Shower so we both got presents! As you can tell from the photo, it sometimes is not always clear to me what certain objects are!

Some wonderful Republican Women hosted a shower for me at Cheekwood in Nashville. As you can imagine, I received lots of elephants!

My sister Nancy hosted a family shower at her house for us and we all enjoyed getting to spend more time with my new niece Naomi! She is really adjusting well!

My girlfriends hosted a shower for me at the Franklin home of dear friends Dr. Ken & Linda Moore.

Isn't this the cutest sign ever?!

Warning: Belly Shots!

2010-07-28T01:34:00.001-05:00

Never did I think I would A) allow a professional photographer to take pictures of my belly (pregnant or not) B) allow a professional photographer (or anyone with a camera for that matter) to take pictures of me in a bathing suit at 33 weeks pregnant C) post them for all the world to see.

However, I just love, love, love all these "sneak peek" shots and have to post! Thanks to K. Mosely Photography for coming to our home to take such sweet pictures. I can't wait to see the rest of them!

33 Weeks: We're 82.5% of the way there!

2010-07-27T00:39:00.004-05:00

Woo hoo! Not sure if I'm more excited that I'm now at 33 weeks or I actually know the fruit this week! Mary Harper now weighs as much as a pineapple (a little over 4 pounds) and is 17 - 19 inches long from head to heel. Random alert: In high school I took French and one of the few phrases I can remember is Je suis un ananas (which means I am a pineapple). And to think I never thought I would use French in real life.

One of the websites I read says that whereas before I was sashaying (ha! yes, because when I wasn't pregnant I was a huge fan of RuPaul), I may find myself waddling now. I never thought I'd see a day were I was waddling but it is here. Perhaps I should have learned how to say I am a duck in French as well.

32 Weeks: We're 80% of the way there!

2010-07-22T00:32:00.003-05:00

WOW!! 80% of the way there!! Is it just me or does that sound like it's almost over?! Mary Harper is now taking up more and more space and weighs as much as a large jicama (about 3 3/4 - 4 1/2 pounds) and is about 16 3/4 inches long, head to heel. Note: I have no idea what a jicama is.

I will have to be honest and say the past few days have NOT been pleasant. I think maybe I have pushed myself a little too much over the past few weeks with trips to Vegas and the beach. I flew home from the beach on Monday and my poor feet haven't been the same since. Not sure if it was the flight, the sun or what but they have really swelled up and I am REALLY out of breath doing the smallest things it seems.

The swelling has also caused me to have carpal tunnel syndrome in both of my hands. Didn't know this was a symptom of pregnancy? Me either. Apparently, swelling and fluid retention increases the pressure in your carpal tunnel and that affects the nerve that runs through it. And when I say my hands are numb, I think it sounds like it doesn't necessarily hurt. It does. So I now have to sleep in hand/wrist braces. Throw in my pregnancy pillow, my expanding tummy, my dog and my husband and our king size bed is starting to feel more like a twin size bed!

I will admit I may have had a few slight meltdowns over the past few days. I think being uncomfortable, not sleeping well at night, hormones, all the swelling etc...have all contributed. And probably being at the beach and seeing people who didn't have to order an extra 15 feet of fabric in order to make their bathing suits didn't help. But after all the pity parties I've thrown for myself over the past few days, I know I am soooo lucky to be experiencing all of this and wouldn't trade one minute of it for all the money in the world. I think it's all just come as a shock to my system because I practically went from zero symptoms to a lot all at once, and all of the sudden. But I know the second I am handed Mary Harper for the first time, this will all be a distant memory!

So here is an 8th month bump picture-extra fabric and all-from Mary Harper's first trip to Sandestin, FL!

One positive about having to drink virgin frozen drinks are that they are lots cheaper! :)

31 Weeks: We're 77.5% of the way there!

2010-07-14T02:22:00.003-05:00

This week Mary Harper measures over 16 inches long and weighs 3.3 - 4 pounds (the weight of 4 naval oranges) and she is heading into a growth spurt! She has REALLY started moving up a storm this week. I've started playing her music and she always starts moving around when she hears the music. I love feeling her move because I know that she's getting bigger, is active and well. Plus feeling her move so much and being able to tell how big she is getting makes it so much more real - I can't believe she'll be here in just a few more weeks! But I admit, it is still SOOO weird for me to feel actual parts of her body when I rub my tummy and is very crazy to see my tummy move in all sorts of directions!

I have even noticed that my dog-child Miss Scarlett seems to be more aware of my tummy. I know it sounds strange but it's like she's noticing all the movements too and seems to want to be near my tummy more! She is really loving my pregnancy pillow and is even fighting me for it at night or just wants to be REALLY close to me. She even laid up on top of my side last night and I'm not sure if she was trying to nudge me out of the way to be closer to the pillow or to be closer to me! (Here's a pic I took on my cell of Scarlett using my pillow). :)

I would love to hear any stories from others who have brought a new baby home to a very spoiled dog who has not yet been told she is a dog. I'm starting to worry how Scarlett is going to react to having a new baby in the house and just curious on how others have introduced their new baby to their old baby! :)

In other news, I leave for a girls trip to the beach this week! I am assuming this will be my last trip pre-baby and looking forward to spending time with a whole crew of fun girls. I know that this beach trip will be much different than years past. I usually stay outside from dusk til dawn playing in the sand, snorkeling and floating in the ocean. Not sure I'll be able to do quite as much this year but there are 10 of us going (11 if you count Mary Harper) so it is sure to be an adventure!

30 Weeks: We're 75% of the way there!

2010-07-06T23:19:00.005-05:00

Mary Harper is about 15.7 inches long now and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). From this week until week 37, she will gain an impressive half a pound a week! I am in the middle of the 3rd trimester (or in the 8th month of pregnancy) and so have only 9 or 10 more weeks to go before Mary Harper arrives. Yikes.

From my online and baby book reading, it appears this stage of pregnancy is not the most pleasant:

Both the mother and baby are continuing to grow steadily during the 30 weeks pregnant stage (Check!). You might start feeling uncomfortable due to the weight increase and expanded stomach (Check!). The tiredness and fatigue also increase considerably at this stage (Check!). You may not be getting enough comfortable sleep at night (Check!). The expectant mother might be experiencing strain on the lower back. This is because the body’s centre of gravity is changing (Check!). You have gained lot of weight and are gaining much more at the rate of about 1 pound per week (Check!). You may start feeling that you are becoming slow and clumsy (Check!).

As you are in the final stages of pregnancy, you will become very restless and start feeling that the wait seems endless (Check!). You are bound to feel quite worn out by the stage of 30 weeks pregnancy as you are uncomfortable due to moodiness, disrupted sleep, excessive weight, breathlessness and so on (Check!). At 30 weeks pregnant stage you might be feeling quite tired and exhausted, so rest and relaxation are of great importance now.

Now throw in some heat and humidity and we've got ourselves some really fun times ahead! :) Of course I know the next 10 weeks will be way worth it in the end when we are holding little Mary Harper in our arms!! Speaking of Miss Mary Harper, it appears as if she is already a trend setter! In the July 12th issue of US Weekly, guess what name was "Name of the Week"?! You guessed it! Harper! :)

IN OTHER NEWS: We recently got back from our last trip with just the two of us. We spent SEVEN, yes SEVEN nights in my favorite city of LAS VEGAS!! Sun, gambling and shopping...what more can you ask for out of a city?! Note: I will have to admit my shopping was a bit different this visit - 2 new diaper bags and flip flops were a few of my shopping highlights! My what a difference a baby on the way makes!

That long in Vegas could have gotten really ugly...fortunatley, Lady Luck was on my side (not Josh's so much). Maybe Mary Harper was my lucky charm! I did have to pull up a chair every now and then to the Craps table when I got a bit tired of standing and was constantly having to move or glare at someone lighting up a cigarette. But we enjoyed spending the 4th of July holiday in Vegas, watching the fireworks on the strip and spending time doing something Josh and I both enjoy.

And luckily, I noticed lots of little ones in Vegas so maybe it won't be too hard to go back one day with Mary Harper. I've been thinking maybe we can tell her Vegas is Disney World and she'll never know the difference. I think I can pass off Vegas' Excalibur Hotel as the Magic Kingdom. Now if I could just convince Josh to dress up as Cinderella.

Magic Kingdom

Excalibur

29 Weeks: We're 72.5% of the way there!

2010-06-29T00:06:00.003-05:00

Mary Harper is now as big as a butternut squash weight wise (3 pounds) and is a tad over 15 inches, head to heel. Over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double...or even come close to tripling her weight. I loved this symptom listed under 29 weeks: Forgetfulness: No wonder your brain feels especially foggy these days — hormones are wreaking havoc on your memory and your brain-cell volume actually decreases during the third trimester.

So I really DO have an excuse!

She can now hear better and can distinguish real sounds and voices from all the vibrations around her. Some experts say that the baby’s heart rhythm will increase on hearing the sound of the father or mother. So sweet! :)

The music we play now or a story read now will be recognized by her later and we may observe her stopping to listen for the same familiar sound later. We heard a Rolling Stones tribute band last night at Carnton Summer Concert Series and she did seem to be moving along to the music!

Today I had my glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes. Not fun. I thought drinking the actual sugar solution this morning within 5 minutes or having my blood drawn would be the worst part. But the worst part was actually the way all that sugar made me feel later. I felt kinda sick all day long and I don't think Mary Harper stopped moving all day today. Josh was able to feel a few of her bigger "kicks" tonight. Hopefully the blood work will come back normal and I won't have to follow up with the longer 3 hour test. Yuck.

In other news, today I got to meet Coach Johnny Majors. A while back I made my Vanderbilt fan husband bid on playing golf with Coach Majors and he won! So they played today and their team actually ended up tying for 2nd place!

Go Vols!

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice!

2010-06-26T18:35:00.012-05:00

I would have been thrilled to have had a little boy...in fact, I was CERTAIN it was a little boy until our gender reveal party! All we ever said we wanted was a healthy baby. But boy oh boy is having a girl too much fun!

I just had to share some of my latest gifts and purchases with everyone...especially with other moms and moms-to-be in case they "need" some of these items for their own little princesses. :)

Josh's mom found these hand-stitched bee shoes all the way from New York City at Vintage Baby in downtown Franklin. http://www.itsvintagebaby.com/

My friend Heather gave me this BEAUTIFUL silk Baby Biscotti dress...yes, I'm finally starting to learn some baby brands! This dress is also from Vintage Baby. I think I'm going to use this dress for her 6 or 9 month old baby pictures.

I didn't even really know that newborns wear hats in the hospital but once I found out they did, I just couldn't have the standard issued hats the hospital gives out! :) The lady that makes these hats makes them from her home in North Carolina and actually was inspired to make them after the birth of her daughter, Harper. :) http://www.tweetlebugboutique.com/Home_Page.html

How much cuter would my newborn picture below had been with the hat above? :)

Speaking of hospital apparel, I bought Mary Harper's coming home from hospital dress today! It's a classic light pink Feltman Brothers dress.

AND FINALLY, this last purchase is going to be used in pictures we are going to schedule shortly after her arrival home. I've seen the most adorable pictures of little girls in these fabulous tutus. (see examples below in case you don't know what I'm talking about).

I got Mary Harper the tutu below. http://www.oopsydaisybaby.com/press.html The top is just a onsie by Kissy Kissy so I can use the tutu by itself if I want.

Yes, I know at some point I need to start thinking diapers, baby wipes and items of clothing I don't mind if she throws up or poops on. But I never claimed "practical" was my middle name. And something tells me Mary Harper will follow in her mommy's ~~footsteps~~ heels. And believe it or not, baby heels DO exist...and no, Mary Harper does not have a pair...yet. http://heelarious.com/index.php

28 Weeks: We're 70% of the way there!

2010-06-22T00:36:00.001-05:00

7 months! I can't believe we only have 12 more weeks left before Mary Harper makes her grand entrance! She is now about 15 inches long and weighs around 2 -3 pounds (like a Chinese cabbage).

The websites I read have all mentioned now might be a good time to start looking into childbirth classes - but I am not sure I even want to go to one. Has anyone else skipped out on these classes? I think there are just some things I may NOT want to know about until I have to know so kind of just want to handle the delivery as it comes. But if they are really useful, I guess I'll go. Josh will probably make me regardless but we'll see.

In other news, my new niece Naomi arrived from Ethiopia last week! She is so sweet! (click the link below the picture for a video of her arrival - grab your tissues).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhJzMdVvhVk

Saturday, was Chukker's for Charity Polo match - this is one of my favorite events. It's not near as crowded as Steeplechase and is just a really top notch event...but VERY hot. I actually had my first experience with pregnant swollen feet after Chukker's this year due to the heat. But I figure our socializing days will soon be limited so trying to get in these fun events while we can...Shrek feet and all.

And of course Sunday was Father's Day. Josh and I are both so blessed to have the fathers we do...and Mary Harper will be just as blessed to have Josh as her father. So even though I am a Vols fan, I caved and gave Josh a very sweet hand smocked Vanderbilt dress for his first Father's Day.

27 Weeks: We're 67.5% of the way there!

2010-06-16T23:58:00.002-05:00

Our little Mary-Harper now weighs 2 pounds (the weight of a cauliflower) and is almost 15 inches long. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals (and she lets me know when she's awake)! While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning (with medical help) if she were born now. But let's pray we don't have to find that out!

She is definitely moving around more - I swear it feels like she pushes me back when I try to dislodge her foot from my rib cage. Perhaps I am experiencing our first mother/daughter struggle!

I can't believe this week marks the beginning of my 3rd trimester!! It seems just like yesterday I found out I was pregnant and can not believe next week I will be at the 7 month mark! I can tell my energy level has started to drop off which everyone warned me would happen in the 3rd trimester. Of course I think the hot, humid weather we've been having has also contributed to the loss of my energy.

I am definitely in the "nesting phase" of pregnancy. I read this paragraph below on one of my online resources website and it sure sounded familiar:

Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. For a pregnant woman nesting is an uncontrollable urge to clean and organize your house, while getting things ready for your baby. It can be as little as washing your baby’s clothes and bedding, to repainting your entire house because you all of a sudden don’t like the color theme you have. It is believed that the act of nesting helps a woman feel more like she is in control. You may become a homebody and want to retreat into the comfort of home and familiar company, like a brooding hen.

Not to be left out, I am nesting away! We had most of the downstairs area painted a few months ago and the painters are back finishing up the upstairs now. I had them start on the nursery first of course! Lindsay and I have stepped up our decorating pace and I think I've had some sort of FedEx or UPS package delivered every day for the past two weeks!

It's so funny how not having the house all decorated didn't bother me that much before but now I feel like EVERYTHING must be done before Mary Harper arrives. I feel like my whole life is about to be turned upside down in just a few months so at least want my house to be in order. Thankfully, I have a very understanding rooster...I mean husband who is just sitting back and letting me nest. And so far he's handling all the changes (and perhaps a little henpecking) in stride...or would that be in strut? :)

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

2010-06-12T23:23:00.021-05:00

So after being pregnant for nearly 7 months, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things for my fellow preggo friends (or those that may become preggo soon)! I was really afraid I wouldn't find any cute maternity clothes but they definitely have come a long way since these days:

My first maternity clothes purchases and some I have actually worn more than any others were made at Otter Creek's Consignment Sale! http://www.ottercreeksale.com/. I found some great bargains there and can't wait to go back and shop for Mary Harper at their next one in August! (I didn't know I was having a little girl at their last one in March)!

One of my "splurges" that I have definitely gotten my wear out of are Paige Maternity Boyfriend Jeans. These are a bit on the pricey side but they are great to wear with heels or flip-flops (as my feet start hurting more, flip-flops are beginning to be my shoe of choice)! http://www.zappos.com/paige-premium-denim-maternity-jimmy-westbourne-in-rebel-rebel

This side tie top by Jules and Jim works great with the boyfriend jeans. I also have the dress in the same floral material and didn't realize it was the same material until I got it home!

Another one of my favorite discounted finds was online at Old Navy. I recently ordered one of their navy bathing suit cover-ups and I soon as it arrived I knew it would actually work great as a dress! It has a turquoise thread running through it so it looks really cute with a chunky turquoise necklace. You can dress it up or down and it only cost $16.50! So I had to go back and order it in black too - which I wore with some cute black wedges tonight but will definitely work with yes, you guessed it...black flip-flops! http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=54277&vid=&pid=754118&scid=754118032

This long white dress I haven't even worn yet but thought it would be perfect for a hot summer day...or stroll on the beach! I got this one at Motherhood Maternity and is pretty reasonably priced at $49. http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=978950022&MasterCategory_Id=MC3

I've also gotten quite a few dresses from Pickles and Ice Cream but try to stay out of that store as much as possible as it is really too expensive - especially when you can find cute alternatives at different places. But it is worth a visit especially if you have a special occasion coming up. I did recently see they just got this dress in and love it! Since it comes in hot pink, I think it would be perfect for one of Mary Harper's baby showers so it just might show up in my closet soon!http://www.picklesandicecream.com/112500m.html

Another comfortable item I wear quite a bit is my Juicy Maternity Tracksuit - I literally throw on the pants as soon as I get home everyday! I haven't seen any in the terry cloth material so they are probably more of a fall/winter item but they're so comfortable I wear it at home year long. I will say that if you already have the regular pants, I would just order the hoodie because even the non-maternity pants I have work great. But you can tell a big difference in the regular vs. maternity hoodie. I'll be bringing this outfit to the hospital with me in September as I think it will be a comfortable outfit to wear home.

A favorite non-apparel items is Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream (thanks to my friend Natalie Dodd). It's not made specifically to stop stretch marks but so far so good for me! It's only $13 and I generally use it at night before bed and it keeps my skin feeling hydrated well into the next day. The directions say for more hydration to wet the area you are applying it to with water first...but I took it one step further and add Palmer's Moisturizing Body Oil first, then apply the Mary Kay cream. I guess we'll know in a few months if the stretch marks come or not but for now, it seems to be working! I may start using this in the winter time too when my skin is extra dry.

http://www.marykay.com/skincare/moisturization/10027910/10027910/default.aspx

I just recently started needing this next item but it has been a lifesaver! I didn't realize at first why I would need a body pillow to sleep but I found out at around 24 weeks! I got the Snoogle Original online at target.com for $49.99. There were some I found online that were more expensive and may be better but I went with the Snoogle because it was more reasonably priced and still had good reviews. The only thing I don't like is it didn't come with a pillow case but it does make sleeping lots easier with the added support! (I think you can order a case for $19.99). It is supposed to be helpful after pregnancy too with recovering from the actual delivery and also if you nurse in bed.

And my last favorite item during my pregnancy so far has been something I've always loved, but even more so now for some reason...COOKIE CRISP! I think I have eaten at least one bowl every day for the past 6 months! It may not be the healthiest cereal on the grocery shelf, but it certainly has helped satisfy my chocolate cravings!

One item I am thinking about getting for post pregnancy is something called Shrinkx Hips. It supposedly works thanks to the hormone Relaxin, which loosens pelvic joints and ligaments for childbirth. Relaxin then stays in your system up to 8 weeks before joints and ligaments harden in place. They claim wearing the belt during this time lets you permanently narrow your hips by providing constant, even pressure during the first 8 weeks after delivery. If you've used this or know anything about it, let me know if it's worth the money! By the way, something tells me the model in the picture did NOT just give birth 8 weeks ago.

http://www.upspringbaby.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=7.

So there are just a few items I have really liked so far - in addition of course to the all the wonderful moments that come along with being pregnant. Of course there are definitely moments of pregnancy that aren't always so fun, but I have found that if "I simply remember my favorite things" (and pour myself a bowl of Cookie Crisp) "then I don't feel so bad!"

Welcome Naomi...My New Niece!

2010-06-08T23:30:00.013-05:00

Josh and I are so excited to welcome our third niece, Naomi! I am so proud of my sister and brother-in-law and my niece and nephew. They are about to open their home and their hearts to a brand new child and new little sister!

I can't help but think of how drastically little Naomi's life has just changed. And now that I am pregnant, I can't help but think about how different our little Mary Harper will enter this world versus how Naomi entered this world.

Naomi was born into one of the most poverty stricken areas in the world, unwanted, abandoned by her parents and extremely malnourished. Our little Mary Harper will be born into one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, to overly protective parents who can't wait to meet her, a loving family and will never be wanting for anything. While in Naomi's home country of Ethiopia, the vast majority spend their meager incomes on the basic necessities of life.

Thousands of children die each day across the globe due to poverty. And while I wish that number was zero, I am so thankful that at least one little girl will no longer be one of those children. And despite how she entered this world, she will now be loved and have a world of opportunities at her finger tips. And lucky for Mary Harper, she will be one of her first cousins, her playmate and friend thanks to one family from Columbia, TN. It really makes me think more about what I can do to help. Josh and I have often talked about adopting...but lately Josh has said let's see how we do with one first! :) So for now, I will be content showering my new niece with lots of love...and I will probably be tempted to want to spoil her just a TINY bit too. :)

Please pray for safe travels for my sister's family as they go to Ethiopia to pick up my new niece and also for a smooth transition for all involved. (I am sure I will have more pictures to post once we meet them at the airport upon their return)!

Here are some thoughts from my brother-in-law David as they prepare to depart on their journey:

On the very day that I flew into Iraq -- into a war that I feared would take my life -- God was preparing the next phase of our family's journey. In a village in Africa, my second daughter and youngest child was born. I did not know at that time she was destined to be ours, but I did not need to know.

This week, Nancy, Camille, Austin, and I fly to Adis Ababba, Ethiopia, to finalize the adoption of little Konjit. We will name her Naomi Konjit French, to join her sister Camille Ruth French -- so that our Ruth will help bring our Naomi from a land of want to a land of plenty, where our people will be her people, and our God will be her God.

Please be patient in our blogging absence. Please pray for us that our journey will be safe, that Naomi will know that she is loved, and that we will have the grace and wisdom to be the parents she deserves.

26 Weeks: We're 65% of the way there!

2010-06-08T01:35:00.004-05:00

Mary Harper now weighs close to 2 pounds and measures 14 inches from head to heel (about the length of an English hothouse cucumber). Her little ears are more sensitive and developed than before so she may be able to hear more of our conversations now. Her eyes which have been closed for the past few months are beginning to open and she will start blinking her eyes.

I have started feeling more tired again but it hasn't gotten quite as bad as it was in the first trimester...yet. I think the baby's growth and development picks up again at week 26 so I assume that (and the extra pounds) are what's slowing me down again. I am starting to feel these stabbing sharp pains under my ribs when she moves around but I love feeling her move so can't complain too much. :) Oh and Josh can now feel and SEE her move around. I'll just be sitting on the couch and my belly will jump and move as she kicks me. CRAZY!

I haven't needed the "pregnancy pillow" I've heard so much about until now and I boy do I wish I had ordered it PRIOR to needing it - but it should arrive in the next few days! Apparently husbands DO NOT like the pregnancy pillow so we shall see how this addition is received. We do have a King size bed so surely me, my expanding belly, Scarlett and Josh can all fit comfortably. :)

I think the most surprising thing to me so far is my lack of heat tolerance. I usually LOVE being outside in the summer sun from sun up to sun down and I NEVER thought being pregnant would change that. It has.

But while things ARE getting a TINY bit more uncomfortable...I wouldn't change it for the world. I know each stage of pregnancy will fly by (it already has!) so I am trying to take it all in and enjoy everything that comes (good and bad) with each new week.

Deadlines and Due Dates = Progress!

2010-06-03T20:30:00.005-05:00

Wow! Lindsay and I have been on a roll this week! Nothing like a set deadline...or due date...to get a girl in gear!

We have paint and carpet picked out for the entire house, have picked out nursery furniture, picked out the glider for the nursery and the fabric for the chair and ottomon (we went with a very soft milky cream fabric with tiny polka dots). And I think we may have narrowed down our nursery bedding! Here are our ACTUAL choices so far (can you tell I'm excited?)!

Furniture: I actually already have a beautiful cradle and crib that my dad made. He used wood that he got from Andrew Jackson's Hermitage after the tornado went through there years ago. He made the crib for my oldest neice, Camille, and so far, every one of my neices and nephews have used it. Then he made a cradle I think when my nephew Luke was born (see pictures of the cradle below...we don't have the crib put together yet but it is just as beautiful).

So of course, Mary Harper will be the next grandchild to sleep in her Pa Bob's furniture!! But since I have the crib and cradle already, I only really needed a few other big furniture items. Oh and I think I'm going to have my dad do her a book case that matches the crib. Guess I need to place that order now too! :)

Here is the website for the furniture line we chose: http://www.bonavita-cribs.com/products/collections/product-collection/francais-collection.html#null.

I love it! We are just ordering the double dresser and nightstand and will use the dresser as her changing table too. The wood accents will go great with the dark wood crib we have...and hopefully matching bookcase.

Bedding:

Below are more up close pictures of her quilt, bumper pad, and other accessories that go with the line we chose - But I'm not sure I'm ordering all of the accessories. Lindsay says she thinks we can find our own fabric for much cheaper to make the pillows, window treaments, etc...woo hoo! We are also going to incorporate more light pink with our fabric choices. Guess I'll have an order or two to place with my mom too once we pick out fabric! But the items below are all items that go with the bedding we've chosen just to give you an idea of what the main features of the bedding will be.
Side note: If anyone needs any help with their house, you should really think about using Lindsay (AFTER I'M FINISHED WITH HER)! :) I told Josh she is really saving us money by knowing exactly the items we need to buy without getting additional items we don't really need AND since she works with this stuff everyday, she knows when things are overpriced and stops me from buying them!

So there's our latest nursery design update! Can't wait to get the room painted with the stripes, the new carpet and all of this put inside her room! I just hope we get it all done before she arrives!

25 Weeks: We're 62.5% of the way there!

2010-06-01T00:34:00.005-05:00

Mary Harper now weighs about 1 1/2 pounds (about the weight of a rutabaga - ha! Lori, I figured you'd enjoy the rutabega this week!). She is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders we played in elementary school music class.

She has fully formed fingers and toenails and her eyes should open at any time. Her lungs and nostrils are also growing at this stage of fetal development.

I'm starting to enjoy reading these online descriptions about each week. Here's my favorite for week 25:

At this point you're pretty much swollen all over. What started as just a "boob thing" seems to have spread from there, down your torso and out your limbs. This is definitely contagious. But even if sausage fingers and toes aren't your idea of womanly, remember that you are indeed a reproductive goddess.

Ha!! Reproductive goddess! I have been feeling more like a cow so I am thrilled with my new title! They are right on though...once I hit 6 months pregnant I could tell a huge difference in pregnancy. Prior to that, it was smooth sailing...I didn't even feel pregnant most of the time. Not too much weight gain, no major side effects, no sickness, etc... But after 6 months, my belly popped and I've been having really bad acid reflux so getting sick a lot after I eat now. But since I had such an easy time prior to hitting 6 months, I can't complain!!

This weekend, Mary Harper attended her first wedding as I was Matron of Honor in my friend Olivia's wedding. I was so happy to be a part of her special day but if you've ever been asked to be in a wedding while pregnant, you may relate to feeling of dread as you A) wait to see what kind of dress you will have to wear B) eventually try on the dress C) think about your pregnant self being a part of someone's memories for ages to come thanks to all the wedding pictures and D) make the long walk down the aisle as people you don't know speculate whether you are pregnant or not!

I did make it down the aisle, in heels, outside in the grass without falling so I was proud of myself. It was a beautiful wedding but I will admit it was a LONG day for me. I started the day early, went "off roading" in heels to have pictures made out in a field, danced to the chicken dance and even lasted to see the bride and groom off at 10 pm!

Josh was a supportive husband and came to the wedding after spending time at Tennessee Equine Hospital's Grand Prix event. I think he could tell I was a bit self conscious about being the pregnant member of the bridal party and told me after the ceremony that I was the prettiest girl at the wedding. I thought that was very sweet...and proof that love is indeed blind. :)

Mary Harper's Room

2010-05-29T19:24:00.001-05:00

So yes, we have now been in our house nearly 9 months and I have still yet to "deliver" a decorated home. :) I just do not have that decorating bone in my body...I know what I like, but just need help putting it all together. My friend Laura and I started on the process and we accomplished a lot. Paint colors, kitchen chairs, bed, couch, chairs, end table, rug, etc... But then I got sidetracked, could only buy so much at one time...AND then she moved away!

But I had my first consultation with Lindsay from LDS Designs last week and we have a follow up meeting next week (not sure if LDS has a website but Lindsay's blog is http://peacock-blu.blogspot.com/). Lindsay used to design houses in Westhaven and now has her own company. And she is going to help me get back on track with the nursery being one of our top priorities of course!

Here is what I am looking to do in the nursery. Instead of it looking like someone threw up pink pepto bismol everwhere, I am leaning towards more neutral colors (taupes, tans, creams, browns, white, etc.)..with accents of pale light pink. Here are some pictures of what we are trying to accomplish (we plan on doing the stripes like you see in the picture and the chocolate brown monogram too).

Here is another room that has the same kind of color scheme as I am wanting. I think I like a little less "baby" and more just another room of the house...well as much as you can make a room with a crib, changing table and dirty diapers look like just another room of the house. :)

Here are some of the key pieces I'd love to see in the nursery once it's all finished:

Fun chandelier and lamp

Girly acccessories

Monogrammed baby linens

Comfy glider and ottoman

Fun rug

Changing table and chest

Hopefully Lindsay can figure out the look I am going for based on these types of items and can help me find all of this to make a beautiful nursery for Mary Harper at a great price! Will post pictures as we progress! :)

There She Grows Again!

2010-05-26T21:51:00.005-05:00

Happy ~~Hump~~ Bump Day!
Can't believe I am now 6 months pregnant! Even though I have taken other bump shots along the way, this is the first one where I feel like I REALLY look pregnant so it's actually my favorite one so far! I can tell such a huge difference since my last bump picture which was just 2 weeks ago so she must really be growing!

24 Weeks: We're 60% of the way there!

2010-05-25T01:31:00.006-05:00

Mary Harper is about a foot long (picture an ear of corn) and weighs about 1.5 pounds. I love how my favorite websites are getting so truthful about what is to come: "The last three months will only involve putting on a lot of weight thus making you uncomfortable and not as mobile as before". Can't wait! :)

I feel her every single day and I love it! She doesn't have enough space anymore to do somersaults and cartwheels since she is getting bigger so I get these small kicks from time to time. It's so crazy watching my tummy move!

Her face is complete now with the features well developed and in the right place though her eyes are still shut. She is now just a thinner version of how she will look when born but she will start gaining more weight in the next three months (guess that makes two of us)!

I am having more trouble getting deep breaths - sometimes it is worse than others depending on how she is positioned. It is so weird getting out of breath so easily! And I can already tell the heat is going to affect me more than I ever thought it would since I normally LIVE for the hot months of summer.

I am also experiencing heartburn for the first time. I had to explain what I was feeling to Josh because I had never had it before! I hear that if you have heartburn, it means the baby will have a head full of hair...and if she takes after me and her daddy, she will have a head full of CURLY hair!

"A good name is more desirable than great riches."

2010-05-19T16:58:00.006-05:00

Josh and I have finally agreed on our baby girl’s name and the winner is…….

DRUM ROLL PLEASE……………

Mary-Harper Brown

Josh’s grandmother (his mom’s mom) was Mary Louise and my great-grandmother was Mary Etta. My aunt is Mary Sue and of course I am Mary Kate! :) So she will join a long line of Mary “Somethings”!

Harper is a name that Josh and I actually both liked (who knew that would be so difficult!) and is also the author of one of my favorite books, To Kill A Mockingbird (by Harper Lee). The acceptance, courage and compassion in this book is what made it a favorite of mine…and accepting, courageous and compassionate are definitely characteristics we hope describe our daughter one day.

We will either call her Mary Harper (a double name like me which I’m leaning towards!) or just Harper. But regardless, I can finally start monogramming! :)

23 Weeks: We're 57.5% of the way there!

2010-05-18T01:17:00.006-05:00

Our baby now weighs about as much as a large mango -- just over a pound -- and is more than 11 inches long. Boy (or should I say Girl!) has this past week been fun! Josh felt her move for the first time on Friday and I am feeling her move more and more regularly now. I can even see my stomach move sometimes when she is squirming around and I find myself anxiously waiting for her to start moving around again after she's been still for a while. Definitely one of the coolest weeks so far!

My "What to Expect When You're Expecting" email sent to me tonight started off with this: This week marks the beginning of some serious weight gain.

Excellent.

But her weight in the next four weeks alone should double so I guess I have no choice but to pack on more pounds. And her timing couldn't be better...just in time for bathing suit season. :)

Double excellent.

Another website I usually read said something that cracked me up after describing some of the not so pleasant symptoms that come at 23 weeks: The expectant mother must try and remain cheerful as this will help in having an enjoyable and safe pregnancy along with a healthy baby.

Not sure why that cracked me up but it did!

I think for the most part, I have been very blessed and have sailed through the first 23 weeks of pregnancy. I didn't even really feel pregnant for most of the 23 weeks but I definitely feel pregnant now! I really can't believe that next week I will be 6 months pregnant! It is starting to feel more "real" the closer I get to 40 weeks but luckily I'm not at the point where I'm getting scared about the actual birth yet!

So for now, I'm just going to try and soak in every wonderful moment of being pregnant...and take full advantage of not having to suck in my gut at the beach this summer!

22 Weeks: We're 55% of the way there!

2010-05-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

Baby Brown is now at 11 inches (the size of a spaghetti squash) and weighs almost a pound! She is starting to look like a miniature newborn - the only difference is that she is much thinner as there isn't much development of fat yet. (Can't say the same for mom).

She is growing at a steady pace, all organs in the baby's body are developing at a rapid rate and I am feeling her move around more and more. What an awesome feeling! :)

Happy Mother's Day...to ME?!

2010-05-09T16:49:00.002-05:00

So another busy weekend and a very special day today! Today I got to celebrate my very 1st Mother's Day! I received two gift cards to my favorite place to be pampered, Serendipity! It's hard to believe I am now 5 1/2 months pregnant and have just 3 1/2 months to go!

Friday, I spent the day handing out lunches and FEMA information to flood victims in Franklin. What an awesome experience. My favorite quote of the day was from a woman who had lost 75% of her belongings in the flood: This has been a God thing from the start. He is everywhere in this community & I am so filled with joy. We don't need the media; we have each other.

And then Saturday we made our annual appearance at Steeplechase! Back to back horse weekends for us! Unlike last Saturday, the weather was beautiful! :)

21 Weeks: We're 52.5% of the way there!

2010-05-05T15:30:00.006-05:00

Our baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long (the length of a carrot).

Her skin, organs and central nervous system continue to develop and mature. Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and her fingernails cover her fingertips. She will be more active at this stage, as she still has lots of room to move around. I am definitely out of breath more often; this is caused by my uterus pushing against my diaphragm, leaving less space for my lungs.

The three of us had a big week this past weekend in Louisville at the Kentucky Derby. It was one of the best events I have ever attended!

The weather for the Oaks race was beautiful but we had interior box seats so even on Saturday when it rained we were not uncomfortable at all.

We got to spend time on Millionaires Row and Turf Club, walk through the paddock, watch a few races "from the rail" and even attended the Governor's Derby Eve Gala at the Governor's mansion in Frankfort.

KY Governor Steve Beshear

I picked Super Saver as one of my winners and even hit an exacta box with first and second place picks!

Of course we had no idea what was happening back at home with all the rain (good thing too or I would have been worried sick)! We tried to come home on Sunday but the rain wasn't letting up and we kept hearing so many reports of interstate closings. So we headed across the river to Indiana and visited the Horseshoe Casino (where I gave back my winning horse bets)!

We finally got home on Monday and after seeing video our neighbor took of the flood waters around our house, we feel very lucky to have escaped with minimum damage to our house. We did get some water in the garage, in one of our cars that was outside (seen in the picture) and under the house but none inside thank goodness!

Our biggest problem is our pool which is now a mud bath and we're afraid the liner may have floated.

Other than that, our garage door is acting up, our landscaping was washed away and we still have some debris to clean up but we are feeling so lucky compared to what others are dealing with right now.

Please remember to keep all the flood victims across the state in your prayers. I am so proud of all of our communities as our residents are stepping up to help their neighbors and showing everyone why Tennessee is called the Volunteer State!

“I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” – Psalm 92:4

2010-04-29T00:12:00.001-05:00

Once again our baby girl was a little acrobat for our 20 week ultrasound.

She was being a little stubborn about letting us get a good look so we could confirm once again that she was a girl but the technician said she was still pretty sure it was a girl!

Here are tiny little feet!

The pic above is her looking straight on so we can see her skeleton.

She was curled up most of the visit with her little legs underneath her. You can really see her spinal cord in this shot.

20 Weeks: We're 50% of the way there!

2010-04-27T23:24:00.003-05:00

20 weeks down, 20 weeks to go! I can hardly believe I am already half way through my pregnancy! Our baby is now as big as a banana and is 10 inches long from head to heel. She is weighing in at about ten ounces. She has established sleep patterns similar to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. And if our daughter takes after her dad, she is probably already snoring! :)

I'm at the stage now where people who know me and know I'm pregnant can notice a bump but I haven't had a complete stranger come up to me and rub my belly yet...and can't say I'm looking forward to that! Growth typically starts to become more regular from this point on, so I should be noticing regular changes in my belly. Luckily, I have lots of new maternity clothes to wear! I have probably bought too many but I really want to have options and not just be forced to wear whatever fits - or the same thing every day! Plus with all the changes going on with my body (weight gain, etc...), I figure the least I can do to feel more normal is wear clothes I would wear in "real life". So bring on the bump!

Speaking of...here is my first new bump picture in a while. I told Josh we had to take another bump picture now that we are at 20 weeks (and because I haven't had once since I was just at 13 weeks).

This picture was made tonight on our way to a charity dinner in Nashville at the Hutton Hotel (cool place by the way)! Our dear friends Bob and Janie Yeager and family were honored for their hard work, support and committment to the Hope Clinic for Women. We were very happy to be included at this special event and be there to show our support for such a wonderful family. Thanks for hosting us!

Well now that I'm halfway through pregnancy, I hope to focus on my house and nursery and just start getting baby-ready! And I would LOVE to finally have a name picked out!! For some reason, Josh has not been ready to focus on baby names yet and it's driving me crazy. And my very convincing argument that I NEED to start monogramming baby outfits has not yet sparked in Josh the enthusiasm I had hoped. Men.

19 Weeks: We're 47.5% of the way there!

2010-04-21T22:04:00.000-05:00

Our baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom (about the size of an heirloom tomato).

(NOTE: For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against its torso, measurements are taken from the top of its head to its bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, measurements are from head to toe.)

Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. She is supposed to be sleeping a lot (around 20 hours a day). But if she's anything like me, I bet she's staying awake more and taking in as much of the action as she can!

Between now and the time I deliver her, she will increase in size by more than 15 times! The growth that occurs each week is truly remarkable. It is so neat to think how much she has grown over the past few months! She was just a small embryo at 4 weeks and only the size of a poppy seed. It's no wonder we weren't able to see her on the first ultrasound we had at 4 weeks. Just 10 weeks ago, she was still only the size of a grape!

“I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” – Psalm 92:4

I feel like my entire pregnancy shouts the existence of God and is such a great reminder of what a wonderful Creator He is! I already pray our baby girl will always know and love the Lord and will never forget that she was "fearfully and wonderfully made..." And oh what a blessing it is for me to be reminded of that same thing and especially to feel, witness and experience that wonderful creation first hand! (Sure I could do without feeling the heartburn and witnessing the butt expansion)! :)

I think pregnancy also makes me understand a bit more clearly the depth of love my own parents have for me. I have not even met my little girl yet but already love her so much. I have been praying for her health since my postive pregnancy test. Heck, I am already praying for her future husband!

Of course God knew our baby girl before He even formed her in my womb. How cool is that?! I can't wait to watch her grow up and discover the talents God has blessed her with, her unique personality develop and see God's special plan for her unfold.

18 Weeks: We're 45% of the way there!

2010-04-14T22:14:00.000-05:00

Our baby girl is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper), weighs almost 7 ounces and now has a human appearance (no more Blobby Brown or alien)! :)

She is becoming more sensitive to the outside world and will get used to familiar sounds, such as my heart beating, familiar voices and other routine sounds. She will even become startled if she hears a loud sound...I can only imagine what she was thinking as I walked down Bourbon Street last weekend!

I can't believe I'm almost halfway done with my pregnancy! It really is flying by...although I am afraid in August I may not be saying that so I'm enjoying the pregnancy "honeymoon" period while it lasts!