The Brannon Report

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-03T12:29:00.001-05:00

Sweet Stocking Christmas Card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Blog all about it!

2010-11-09T14:11:00.003-05:00

I'm a sucker for freebies, so if a freebie makes me blog after a long hiatus then so be it! Shutterfly.com is giving away 50 free Christmas Cards to anyone who blogs about this giveaway! I have used them before to do photo cards and they have always come out great. Sarah Beth's birth announcements were from Shutterfly, in fact!

Now to figure out what kind of card. Do I do a family picture or a single picture of SB? If I do a family picture, what will we wear? Why do I stress so much about these things?! I'll probably do a fun photo shoot with SB wearing her Christmas PJ's and her Santa hat. Stay tuned, I know you are just losing sleep over this like I am! :o)

Use Shutterfly to make your cards! They always offer great coupons and sales and their quality is great. Here are a few ideas:

Holiday photo cards http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

Christmas cards http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Holiday cards http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

If you are a blogger and want to get 50 FREE cards, go to this link: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Sarah Beth is 4 months old!!!

2010-08-30T13:03:00.002-04:00

As you all know, I'm no longer pregnant. It took me 4 months to update my blog. Needless to say, motherhood is great but demanding! Sarah Beth was born on April 27, 2010. She's a sweet and sassy little thing and Adam and I love her so much. Rather than going back and posting from birth to now, I'm just going to start with now. Maybe one day I'll be able to go back and catch up (yeah right!).

We just had her 4 month check up today. SB is 16 lbs 14 oz and 26 inches long! She's 95th percentile across the board. She got a few shots which did not make her very happy, but as soon as I picked her up the tears stopped. She is rolling over from her back to her tummy and has done tummy to back once. She has great hand/eye coordination and loves putting all of her toys into her mouth! She is a drooling machine - by the end of the day her shirt is usually soaked. She has slept through the night since about 6 weeks old. She's up to about 10-12 hours at a time. She's not really into napping a lot - she'll do one long nap a day if we are home plus a few cat naps. She's easy to take out. She loves being in the car and going to run errands with us.

I love being a stay at home mom. At first I was wondering what I had gotten myself into, but we have started a routine and are doing great. I've gotten involved with Moms Club and MOPS so that usually keeps us busy. We also go to Gymboree Gym every Wednesday for her class which is a lot of fun! The weeks are just flying by and she's growing up so fast. I want her to stay tiny forever, but at the same time I love watching her grow and discover new things. She's just like a little sponge soaking everything in.

Dr. Hutchins gave us the go ahead for solids, so I'm going to make her some brown rice cereal. I'm trying to do all organic homemade food for her. So far I've frozen some pureed SC peaches (yumm) and green beans. I can't wait to see her reaction to food - stay tuned for pictures!

Yes, I am still pregnant

2010-04-25T15:49:00.001-04:00

40 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Apparently Sarah Beth did not get the memo that pregnancy is a 40 week deal! I've had just about as much unsolicited advice that I can handle on how to start labor. My friends, I hate to tell you, but none of it works in my situation. The deal is, I have a narrow pelvis and she's just not fitting. I've pretty much mentally prepared myself for a c-section even though the doctors say a regular birth IS still possible. I go in tomorrow, April 26, for a non-stress test and ultrasound to check on Sarah Beth. Hopefully then they will give me an induction date. I'm growing more and more impatient. Oh yeah, and I'm sick. Horrible allergies and head cold. I can't taste or smell anymore, I can't breathe, and I have developed a smoker's cough.

The Nursery

2010-04-25T15:17:00.002-04:00

Well what can I say, the nursery is just about the cutest thing I think I've ever done. Actually Adam did all the work, so I must give him credit! I just provided all of the creative details. We finally finished around my 38th week of pregnancy. I probably drove him crazy with my sudden panic of "it'll never get done" moments! But alas, it got done and it is great. Here are some pictures in no particular order - blogger gives me a headache with photo uploading!

3D Ultrasound and Baby Showers!

2010-04-25T14:22:00.004-04:00

I hang my head in shame as I begin this blog post. Many of you have probably given up on me. For this is not the first time I’ve abandoned my blog. I just got behind and more behind, and then the thought of trying to update just seemed like such a task. I got overwhelmed and just threw in the towel. BUT I decided I must get back on the horse. Do it for your friends and family, I say to myself! I think I left off somewhere during the glorious second trimester of pregnancy. I will not bore you with a ton of details. Honestly there hasn’t been much going on. It’s been a very uneventful and healthy pregnancy. And yes, as I sit here and type I am FIVE days overdue! So yep, I’m still pregnant – but more on that later. There are a few highlights I’d like to touch on.

The first highlight is our 3D ultrasound we had done at Baby’s First Images in Alpharetta. We had the whole family with us and it was just the coolest thing ever! The ultrasound tech said that Sarah Beth’s ultrasound was one for the walls – she cooperated so well and we got some awesome images. One of my favorites is her kicking herself in the chin – that’s my girl! LOL She must be cramped in there!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The chin kick:

The second highlight is my first baby shower that was held in Kennesaw, GA. My college roommate Stacey and her mom Jan were my gracious hostesses and the shower was at Jan’s beautiful home. This was also the weekend that several of my “internet friends” came to visit! It was so fantastic having family, friends, and “internet friends” all meet each other. I put internet friends in quotes because we have known each other so long and been through so much together but we all met on the internet. Our friendship goes way beyond the worldwide web though! We all had a blast! We kept having to laugh at how everyone was always so fascinated by my internet pals, hehe. We were showered with gifts and it was a fantastic day!

Just a few gifts :o)

Jan and Stacey the hostesses

Lots of delicious food

Here’s all the internet girls!

This picture cracks me up – Casey and I in a very deep and serious conversation, lol

My mom and grandmother!

Sister-in-law and mother-in-law!

The cakes matched the invites!

Ok so that was the Georgia shower! Next shower was in Greenville, SC and was hosted by various friends and family. I am such a lucky girl. It was another fantastic day and Sarah Beth was spoiled once again! Two of my favorite things about the SC shower were the diaper raffle and the center pieces. Each guest brought a pack (or two) of diapers and got a raffle ticket for each pack they brought. At the end there was a raffle giveaway which was a Target gift card. Wouldn’t you know my mom won and turned around and gave the gift card to me! Aww! The center pieces were all sorts of baby and children’s books. The ladies sitting at the tables signed the inside covers of the books and wrote notes to Sarah Beth. That is something we will cherish forever!

The shower was in the Mad Hatter room at the Brick Street Café. This is a glimpse of part of the room and my silly SIL climbing the staircase to nowhere!

One of the tables with the book centerpieces

Two of my childhood best friends – Carly and Brooks

Some of the lovely Brannon ladies and Spartanburg friends

The lovely hostesses

All of the ladies (minus a few)!

Cousins, aunt and grandmother!

I love this picture of my mom and grandmother – you can tell how excited they are!

The cake was so cute and yummy!

Adam and I were also given showers by our coworkers! Unfortunately I don't really have pictures of those, but they were both great. We have been so touched by how generous and loving everyone has been. It's great to have so many friends and family share in the joy of such an exciting time!! Thanks to all of you for being there for us during such a special and exciting time of our lives!!!

Want to win a Britax Advocate CS Car Seat?

2010-02-14T13:13:00.003-05:00

Click here to enter!

http://www.dealectiblemommies.com/2010/02/britax-advocate-cs-car-seat-review.html#comment-form

27 Week "Bump" Pictures!

2010-01-23T16:55:00.003-05:00

People keep asking me how things are going. Lately I feel fine, but Sarah Beth is growing and consequently I am growing! I am feeling quite large and in charge these days. Oh well, all part of pregnancy, right!? Here "we" are at 27 weeks. Also you can see a sneak peak of our new pale pink bathroom! It's going to be Sarah Beth's bathroom. I have a fun plan in my head for a hand made shower curtain and some cute embellished towels. Stay tuned...

Ignore my silly faces :o)

Little Tiger "Must Have"

2010-01-19T20:46:00.002-05:00

Baby clothes....they sure are cute! I have tried to restrain myself from buying too much. I know clothes are the most fun thing to buy for babies so I'll probably get a good bit at my showers. However, it is still pretty irresistible! I found these shoes a few months ago and just about died. They are called Squeak Me Shoes. You've probably encountered these in a mall or somewhere out in public. You hear a little "squeak squeak squeak" and wonder who on earth has Fido's dog toy. But wait, it appears to be squeaking in a pattern! What on earth - it's a shoe! If you are easily annoyed by this type of thing, the squeaker CAN be removed so have no fear. I think these would come in handy with a little toddler out in public - just go ahead an put on the squeaker shoes and the kiddy harness and call it a day, lol.

Sarah Beth will look so stylish at Clemson games!

And perhaps her cousin Reese will have a pair of these!

Randomness

2010-01-10T21:12:00.003-05:00

This has been a restful but productive (sort of) weekend! Adam and I finished cleaning out the guest bedroom upstairs so it is now clean and clutter free, yeah! I went to JoAnn's Fabrics yesterday and picked up some super cute fabrics for some sewing projects. One of the projects I did this weekend was a nursing cover! I love how it turned out. I have enough extra fabric left so I can do a burp cloth (or two) and perhaps a bib as well!

I also found some CUTE curtains at Land of Nod for Sarah Beth's room. I just hope the pinks match! Of course they are back ordered until late March but it's ok - the room can function without curtains! They were also 50% off which made the deal that much sweeter!

Pregnancy - Week 25

2010-01-08T17:41:00.003-05:00

Here's a little look at how things are progressing! I feel great actually other than a little back pain here and there. I've had several bouts of insomnia but overall I'm sleeping ok - only waking a few times a night to either go to the bathroom or change positions because my arms, hands, or other extremities have fallen asleep. I have no idea how much weight I've gained but last time I asked at my 20 week appointment it was 11 lbs and my doctor said I have done a fantastic job...so I'll take that as good! Sarah Beth is moving a lot! She's pretty quiet during the day but she really gets going at night! I think she is doing flips because one minute I'll feel kicks high up and the next they are way down low. She also really gets moving when I lay down in bed, go figure! I guess she's preparing me for what's to come! Here's a couple of pics I snapped with my iPhone today and another of the view from up above :o)

Happy Birthday Callie-bear!

2010-01-06T18:42:00.002-05:00

Our little Callie turns 3 tomorrow, January 7! She came to live with us in March of 2008 and has brought much joy and laughter to our house since the day we met her! She has so much love to give - she loves to give kisses and gets REALLY excited when we get home (as seen in one of the videos below). She adores her big brother Calhoun and wishes he would chase her a little more often because she loves to be chased! Callie has had her fair share of health problems, mainly all with her eyes. She was diagnosed with juvenile cataracts and glaucoma and had surgery shortly after we got her. She has no vision in her left eye but the glaucoma is gone and you would never know she had any vision problems! She zooms all over the house and yard. If she's outside and we tell her she will get a treat if she comes in, she runs full speed ahead straight to the house! We have no doubt Callie will be a great big sister to Sarah Beth - she is playful and VERY tolerant (you should see the way my parents' puppy hangs on her ears with his teeth).

So Happy Birthday sweet girl, we love you!

Here are some videos I just took for your enjoyment...

Here she is with some tissue paper that came in a pair of shoes I ordered. She is in heaven with her paper! The bagpipes in the background are from the news that was on TV :o)

Here we are singing a song. Calhoun loves to "sing" but I don't think Callie likes it too much - she gets all worked up whenever we sing!

Here's one of the dogs getting SO excited when Adam got home. I love how her whole back half wiggles when she gets excited! Sorry for the poor lighting!

Nursery furniture - check!

2010-01-03T09:21:00.002-05:00

Our child officially has nicer furniture than we do, but that's how it's supposed to be right?! Adam and I took advantage of this long weekend and spent a good part of Friday and Saturday furniture shopping. Thanks to my trusty Baby Bargains book, I had a general idea of what brands to look for and which to stay away from. Friday we went to Georgia Baby and Kids - the grand mecca of all things baby furniture. They have everything from cribs, bedding, accessories, baby gear, and kids furniture. We didn't see any chairs we liked - mostly because none of them had a back tall enough for Adam to lay his head back on. Most of the chairs we saw stopped at his neck - not so comfy! We did find a crib we could both agree on! It's Essex by Munire in white. Since they had them in stock, Adam was ready to be done with the shopping and buy it...but I told him we needed to see at least one more store before we made a decision! So on Saturday we went to another baby mecca store closer to our house called New Baby Products. We didn't really see a crib we liked any better than the Essex but we did find an excellent nursery chair!! It's actually a recliner that glides and swivels! Several people had told me about this chair brand called Best Chair. The chair we picked is the Irvington. It is soooo comfy and cost about twice as much as the crib, but I know it'll be worth it because we can transition it into the rest of the house after we're done with it in the nursery. We picked a tan colored chenille fabric and got it pretreated for any stains, because we know those are bound to happen. After we purchased the chair, we drove back over to Georgia Baby and Kids and got the crib and conversion kit (it will convert to a full size bed).

Earlier this week I was beginning to panic that we hadn't gotten anything done for Sarah Beth's arrival yet, but after this weekend I'm feeling a lot better!

Blog Giveaway Alert!

2009-12-28T19:39:00.002-05:00

Head on over to Mada's Place Blog to enter a giveaway. My friend Steph has an adorable gift shop with all sorts of fabulous goodies!

http://tinyurl.com/ykphxhq

The last Christmas as we know it

2009-12-27T09:48:00.006-05:00

Christmas 2009. I can only wonder what Christmas 2010 will be like. For over 30 years, our family has been used to me, Temple and Amanda being the babies. And of course the Brannons have been used to Ann-Margaret, Adam, and their cousins being the babies! For 30 years!!! Yes, it took THAT long for us to decide to add on to our family and relinquish our titles as the babies of the family. As each month/week/day passes we get closer and closer to meeting three very special new additions. Adam's cousin Hannah is the first to add to the family with the arrival of her son Henry - due any day now!! Temple and Jonathan will be next to welcome their new baby boy - Reese. He is due February 1 and we can't wait to meet him. Soon after, our little Sarah Beth will come into the world sometime around April 20.

That brings me back to my original thought - Christmas will NEVER be the same again! Our family has traditions just like any other family. We spend Christmas morning with Adam's parents, sister, and brother-in-law. Christmas afternoon and evening are spent with my family - MaMa Miriam, my parents, Aunt Ann & Uncle Ricky, Temple, Amanda and their significant others. Next year there will be two little crawlers bringing much excitement and joy to our Christmas day. Sarah Beth will be around 8 months old and Reese will be around 10 months old! As I look into the future, I try to picture a scene in my mind as if I'm looking in from the outside. I see lots of giggles, tons of smiles, even more love than ever possible, and an all around renewed sense of joy and family.

So yes, this Christmas 2009 may be the last one "as we know it", but I can't say I'm sad. I simply can not wait to see what the future holds. Years and years to come we will have new babies and new traditions. Everyone in our families is so excited and ready to meet the new little ones. So Merry Christmas 2009 and HELLO 2010!!!

Nursery Inspiration

2009-12-12T12:03:00.003-05:00

Of course the nursery is something I've been planning since before I was even pregnant. I wanted to share a few ideas I've found while searching the Internet. I've already shared a picture of the bedding we're using. It's Bananafish Lily Bedding from Target. Of course it is back ordered which makes me nervous. Many reviews say they've been waiting for months and it still hasn't come. I'm giving it until February. If it's not here by then, I'm going to make my own. God help us all. Here's a picture of it:

The "theme" if you want to call it that, will be pink and green damask. I went over to one of my favorite overpriced baby sites, Rosenberry Rooms for some inspiration. If you have $900 to drop on a crib set, this is your place. I just go there to drool and find things that I love that I can recreate. Thankfully I have a very artsy friend named Beth (Beth of Unskinny Boppy blog) who has offered to recreate these two precious paintings for the nursery. I want to hang these over the crib, I think. I'll also do a pink or white distressed frame since the walls will be green.

I also love this little piece of art from Etsy to hang over the rocking chair area:

The last two little gems I found this morning on Rosenberry Rooms. They are each over $30 which is absolutely insane. If you have a glue gun and a little patience, you can do these yourself so easily!! I may not use the exact same fabrics because I don't want to go overboard on damask, but you get the idea. First is a night light and second is a little hair bow holder! Now the hair bow holder may be useless if we have a bald child, like both of us were, so maybe I'll wait til she's here to do that one!

OH and I almost forgot, I bought a couple of things at Hobby Lobby last night. They were 50% off so how could I resist? First is a switch plate cover and next is a decorative door knob thingy to hang on the wall. I will probably hang a cute dress or tu-tu from it on one of those cute little satin covered hangers.

She's on the move!

2009-12-10T18:25:00.003-05:00

Finally I have started to feel movement! I was beginning to worry, but the doctors kept saying it may be 25 weeks before I felt her. Still, I worried. Just a few days ago I started feeling her! I was sitting at my desk at work, and I got three strong little kicks in a row! She is way down low and I think she has taken up residence on top of my bladder. It's ok though, as long as she is happy in there I'm ok with more frequent potty breaks! Each day I feel her more and more and it's just the coolest thing ever! I can't wait for Adam to be able to feel her from the outside, but it'll probably be a few more weeks until that. Grow baby, grow!

Constant craving

2009-12-07T19:10:00.004-05:00

People keep asking me if I've had any weird cravings. The only thing that I really just can't get enough of is soup! LOVE me some soup. Adam and I went to the Rexall Drug Store Grill in historic Duluth, GA on Saturday. They have the best homemade vegetable beef soup and cornbread, along with other yummy treats. It's an old fashioned, literally like really old, drug store and you see lots of little old men "townies" in there hanging out along with people young and old of all backgrounds. If you live in the area, you need to check it out!

Anyway, back to my cravings. I have decided to try a soup each week. This week I am making a big pot of vegetable beef soup. Next week will be chicken stew. The following week will be baked potato soup. Then after that I'll do my favorite chicken tortilla soup (that picture on the recipe is mine!).

If you have a favorite soup recipe, please feel free to share!

Please vote for a good cause - takes just a second

2009-12-02T19:37:00.004-05:00

Please vote for my friend Erin's blog, Rare and Beautiful Treasures. She is a phenomenal writer and very inspirational lady. I really admire her faith in God. She got a guest spot on Divine Caroline (how cool!) and if she wins, she is going to donate the money to her friends who are missionaries in Ethiopia helping orphan children who are burn victims.

Click HERE to vote:

I really am turning into a scrooge

2009-12-02T19:26:00.003-05:00

I just received a comment on a post last December. I had forgotten about it, but apparently last year I decided not to decorate for Christmas. I can't remember what I did last week, so I surely didn't remember if I decorated last year or not. Well this year I've also decided to not decorate. Usually people are like "OMG WHY?!?!" as if I have done some horrible crime like scalping kittens. Well, why not? We don't have children (yet) and we travel for the holidays, so what's more depressing than being away for Christmas and coming home and having to undecorate everything? Next year I promise I'll decorate - I'll do it big. I may even do some inflatable lawn ornaments (ok I'm joking on that part). Should I feel so guilty? Why do I feel guilty about this? Grr, someone justify my actions please!

PS - I did decorate my cubicle at work so that helps, right?

We're having a baby girl!

2009-11-30T21:25:00.005-05:00

Well tomorrow, December 1, marks the half way point of my pregnancy. WOW I can't believe I'm half way to meeting my precious little baby. It has been a great few months and I hope the next few continue to be this way. We had our big ultrasound appointment this morning to make sure the little one was developing correctly and also to find out the gender. We got to see all of the baby's organs - even got a close up look at the chambers of the heart. It was absolutely amazing! The ultrasound tech printed out a ton of pictures and was taking measurements the whole time. I didn't catch this, but according to Adam with each measurement a due date would flash up. All measurements were right on target at an April 20 due date.

Of course she waited until the very end to tell us the gender. The little one was being modest and not wanting to open her legs so the tech had to do some mashing and pressing on my belly to make her move. The tech goes "I think it's a girl". You THINK? Ok lady, I need to know for sure here because you say girl and I will paint every square inch of everything she owns pink and buy a ton of girly clothes. If there's any doubt in your mind this is NOT a girl, speak now or forever hold your peace. She went into a little spiel saying how they can never be 100% correct but that it's over 90% sure. Hmm, well ok then lady. She didn't give me the warm fuzzies I was hoping for, but nothing was going to bring me down!

After the ultrasound we met with the doctor and he told us everything looked great with the baby. Everything with me is great too. He answered a few questions and sent us on the way. Next appointment is December 28.

Many people have been asking what we plan on naming her. We have decided on Sarah Elizabeth and we will call her Sarah Beth. I love double names for girls and I think this one is so beautiful! We both have Sarah and Elizabeth on both sides of our families so this will keep in the tradition of family names. If it was a boy, he would have been Foster Templeton. Maybe the next one will be a boy :o) Here are some pictures of little Sarah Beth.

Here's her entire body - so cute if I do say so myself!

Up close shot of her profile

Leg on the left - it's bent so the knee is at the top and her foot is on the left. Arms are on the right - they are bent at the elbow and are in front of her face. Little hands on the right side.

Foot on the left - will she have my huge feet? Hmm, I sorta hope not! Bottom shot on the right.

It's a girl!

My baby is a....mango?

2009-11-24T06:24:00.008-05:00

One particular website sends me a weekly update to tell me what's going on with me and the baby. I have really enjoyed seeing what fruit or vegetable they compare the baby's size to each week. You can view the entire list by clicking here. Last week we were a sweet potato. This week, a mango! Grow baby, grow!

Baby is also covered with a waxy "cheese" called Vernix that helps protect the skin from amniotic fluid. Mmm, cheese.

A Quilt Story: Part 1

2009-11-23T19:31:00.003-05:00

The one big project I want to do for our baby is a quilt. I've never made a quilt. I'm entering uncharted territory. Will I be getting in over my head? Am I crazy for trying this? I'm pretty much shutting down Peachy Keen Designs from here until further notice so I can focus on 1) relaxing and enjoying my pregnancy 2) making projects for our baby (clothes, quilt, curtains, pillows, you name it) 3) did I say enjoy my pregnancy? I will be taking a few orders here and there, but for the most part I'll be on an extended maternity leave.

I think quilts are so special. They are family heirlooms and tend to stick around for years and years. I am a huge fan of Amy Butler. Her fabrics are so bright and vibrant. They are also very high quality so hopefully this quilt will last forever and ever amen and will one day show up in a museum or something (a girl can dream, right?). The first big decision is picking a pattern. Since I know nothing about quilts, I really have no idea what I'm getting into. She has many FREE quilt patterns to download on her site. Here are a few that I like (ignore fabric choices, just pay attention to the design):

See what I mean? TOUGH decision! They are all so pretty in their own ways. Next is picking out fabric. I am not even going to try and post pics of fabrics I like, because I LOVE ALL OF THEM!! First we find out the gender - that will really help narrow down the options. Once gender is determined, then I will pick the fabrics.

So if you have ever made a quilt, please share words of wisdom. Tips, advice, etc are welcome. Also feel free to vote on which one above is your favorite!

Weeks 7 - 18

2009-11-22T15:28:00.012-05:00

Yeah, week 6 was where the weekly pregnancy documentation ended. I'm a horrible blogger, what can I say?! I actually have a lot of guilt for not documenting this pregnancy like I planned. I wanted to do weekly updates like my dear friend Dusty but alas, I did not.

I must say this has been a pretty easy pregnancy. I never got sick in my first trimester, thank goodness!!! I had some bouts of nausea but once I ate I felt better. I was just HUNGRY and TIRED for the most part! Here is a picture of our 8 week ultrasound. Little bean's heart was beating 156 BPM!

I sailed into the second trimester and things have been really great. I got another quick unofficial ultrasound at 12 weeks which was really great. We got to see the baby again and it actually looked like a baby this time! It even moved around for us. Here's that picture:

The 16 week appointment was great. We heard the heart beat with the doppler an scheduled the BIG ultrasound for November 30th! The date is fast approaching and we can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or girl! Most importantly we want to make sure the baby is healthy. We had the second trimester blood work screening done at the 16 week appointment. That tests for all major genetic abnormalities with the baby. Luckily it all came back fine.

To occupy my time I have been studying my pregnancy books such as Your Pregnancy Week by Week, What to Expect When You're Expecting, and Baby Bargains.

I've started creating baby registries at Babies R Us, Target, and Wal Mart. I'm trying to keep most of it gender neutral so we can use these items again with the next one. My favorite item, and my big splurge, is the Bob Stroller. After polling several friends that own these and doing lots of research online and through my Baby Bargains book, I decided that this is our best options. I can use it from the infancy through toddler years. It has an infant car seat attachment that allows us to snap the car seat into it until the baby is big enough to fit in the regular stroller seat. It is built with all metal but is really light weight - very durable! The front wheel rotates 360 and you can push the thing with one finger. I tried one out in a baby store and fell in love. It's the Cadillac of strollers, for sure.

Of course I'm also obsessed with baby bedding! I have it narrowed down to two choices. I originally had picked some rather expensive bedding from a boutique custom place, but I found this other bedding at Target and fell in love. It's affordable, adorable, and when the inevitable diaper blow out or throw up happens, I won't lose any sleep if I have to replace something. Here's the girl option. You can see that is is reversible as well.

Here is the boy option. Precious!

That is the rest of my pregnancy in a nutshell! I am absolutely dying to find out the gender of this little one! So far the majority of people guess GIRL. I'm not patient, so let's hope that November 30 gets here as quickly as possible!

Pregnancy - Week 6

2009-08-27T07:21:00.005-04:00

This week has been....interesting, to say the least. Things are definitely different now. I wouldn't say I'm fully nauseas, but I am feeling sort of puny. Indigestion is pretty bad. I also am TIRED. It is a challenge to stay awake at work. I just want to lay in bed. I'm also slightly more crampy this week. Week 6 starts the embryonic stage, so I'm guessing the little one is growing a lot in there. The heart beat starts this week and the eye buds form as well as arm and leg buds.

I've also noticed I'm starving all the time. Example: Wednesday morning I had a Jimmy Dean D-Lite breakfast bowl for breakfast. It had turkey sausage, potatoes, and eggs in it. I got to work and was starving again around 9:30. I ate a bowl of instant oatmeal. Then around 10:30 I was starving again!!

Pregnancy - Week 5

2009-08-27T07:18:00.007-04:00

Week 5 has been a glorious week because I was at the beach all week on vacation!! Adam and I spent the week at Pawley's Island at his Aunt Clarke and Uncle Bob's beach house. My pregnancy "symptoms" were fatigue (can't make it past 10 PM) and still some cramping. It was great to be at the beach and relax - it really took my mind off a lot of worrying that goes on in the first trimester. Aunt Clarke even made me a sweet little knitted baby hat!

On our way back home we stopped by our parents' homes to tell them. They are all ecstatic!!! I was so glad my dad was in town so I could tell him in person. With his travel schedule he misses out on a lot, so it was important for me to be able to tell him in person.

I was pretty much a beach bum the entire week. I read two books and ate a lot of good food. It was fabulous! The next week at work is going to be very hard :o(

I have a little news to share...

2009-08-12T07:27:00.010-04:00

Note: this post should have been posted weeks ago!! I wrote it back in August and have been slack about getting the blog back up and running. Enjoy!

Most of you already know this, but I'm pregnant!!! Adam and I could not be more excited. By the time I actually post this, I'll be safely in my 2nd Trimester. The due date is April 20. Today I am 4 Weeks, 1 Day pregnant. Here's the story of how I found out:

Monday, August 10:
Something was up. I just knew it. I spent all day wondering "is this really it or is mother nature pulling a really mean trick on me"? I spent all day at work pondering this and fretting over every little ache/pain/feeling that went on in my body that day. On the way home from work, I picked up a pack of First Response Early Response pregnancy tests. When I got home, I took the test and sat there staring at it with my heart racing 1,000,000 beats per minute. Finally I thought I was seeing a TINY faint pink line. Could it be? Was I hallucinating? Was it just the shadow of the darker test line? I brought it in the kitchen under brighter lights and if you held it just so, you could see a tiny line.

I got Adam to come look and he was very skeptical. He didn't think it was a line. I tried telling him "a line is a line" but he wasn't buying it. I also tried taking a picture (which I will post below) but it just didn't come out very clearly either. So I went to bed, heart still racing, not able to sleep a wink. I woke up around 4 AM feeling like it was Christmas morning. I went into the bathroom to take the other test and nothing showed up. My heart sank, I was so let down. Month after month seeing those negatives just does something to you. I tried not to be too sad - I figured "well I can at least drink some fruity drinks and have lots of seafood at the beach next week" (Adam and I had a vacation planned the following week to Pawley's Island). Here is the test with a line only a mother can see (hehe). Don't worry if you can't see it, nobody else could either!

I just couldn't shake the image of that faint line from the night before. I decided, to put my mind at ease, I'd buy a digital test on my way to work Tuesday morning. I got into work and immediately went to test. I sat there - heart racing again - just waiting. I had fully prepared myself for the words "Not Pregnant". I just needed to see it. After a couple of minutes the most glorious word popped up on the screen!!! I almost screamed! I am glad I didn't because I am sure I would have scared the lady in there! Here's a picture of the glorious positive test!

I walked outside to call Adam and tell him. No way could I go all day without telling him! He was so excited to hear the news. I was just overwhelmed, shocked, excited. What a roller coaster of emotions from the past two days!! I spent the whole day at work just trying to concentrate (which was so hard) and also to not fall asleep.

Tuesday night I slept like a baby. Went to bed around 9:45 and woke up at 7. I still feel like I could crawl into bed. I am a little achy all over, have a slight headache, and am slightly crampy. These are all normal signs, thank God. I'm trying to remain calm and just think positive right now. It's hard to get too excited after what we went through in Feb. 08, but I have a really good feeling about this one!

Until next week...

Help support a paws, I mean cause! :o)

2009-05-05T07:31:00.004-04:00

Introducing one of my newest collar/leash options - the breast cancer awareness fabric! These are great for using on your pets at the breast cancer walk/runs that are coming up. The best part - whenever you purchase one of these, 10% of your entire order is donated to Susan G Komen Foundation! They're beautiful and they support a great cause - need I say more?

Want a chance to win your own Peachy Keen Design?

2009-05-02T09:14:00.002-04:00

Hop on over to my friend Allison's blog to enter her give-away!! Allison is a dear friend of mine and one of the most beautiful people I know! She's kindly doing this to help me promote my business. So if you want to win a leash or a collar, go on over and enter.

Thanks for your support Allison! XOXO

Hey Purty Lady

2009-04-23T06:54:00.005-04:00

I wanted to introduce you all to one of my most favorite peeps - Natalie. She's my "ragin cajun" friend from New Orleans. Nat and I met online on theknot.com many years ago while planning our weddings and have been great friends ever since. I just recently saw her in Dallas (which I promise I'll blog about later!). She's married and has a beautiful daughter, Anna. She's incredibly funny and I have really ejoyed reading her blog. Check it out for yourself! http://oneporkchop.blogspot.com/ I suggest you start reading from her first post - so funny!

That's Natalie picking the bull's nose - I swear the girl never takes a normal picture, lol

I'm still alive

2009-04-18T18:53:00.003-04:00

in case you were wondering :o) I've been such a bad blogger. We have been so busy and I promise to write an update soon.

WOW

2009-03-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

It has been well over a month since I last posted. I'm the worst blogger EVER!!! We've been busy, but I'll get to that later. I had to post this fabulous blog entry from my friend Dusty. Her blog has like a million followers, partly because she's such a brilliant writer and also because she has some funny stuff happen to her. This is one of my favorite Dusty memories - Pillowgate 2006. Click the link to see her story...

http://allthingsgd.blogspot.com/2009/03/pillowgate-2006.html

Dog Collars for sale!

2009-02-04T17:39:00.003-05:00

I've now mastered the art of dog collar making! They're cute and ready to sell, so please contact me if you're interested! Calhoun loves his :o) I need to get some pink fabric for Callie's new collar. Pricing is as follows: XS & S - $9, M & L - $10, XL - $11. For sizing, just email me your dog or cat's neck measurement and I'll let you know which size you need. I have a variety of fabrics on hand but if I don't have something you like, I can buy something to suit your needs!

I'll also be starting a website soon - we're going to try and work on getting it established this weekend. More to come later...

Resolution Update

2009-01-22T13:37:00.002-05:00

In trying to hold myself accountable, I am going to periodically post updates on how I'm doing with my 2009 resolutions! I kept the resolutions pretty general - be healthier and craft more. So far I have lost 10 pounds, thanks to Good Measure Meals!!! I did cheat slightly last night and at Mexican last night, but I am not beating myself up over it! I also haven't had a single cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee yet this year, or any coffee for that matter - not even the crappy coffee at the office. I truly miss my Dunkin Donuts - I shed a little tear each day as I pass by the two DD shops on my way to work. I also have to make sure I'm in the left lane so I won't easily make that right hand turn into the parking lot. I'm also happy to report I haven't smoked a single cigarette in 2009 either!

As far as my crafting goes, you can see from the posts below that I have kept up that resolution as well! I've been ordering lots of fabrics and making things for friends. I am going to start my Etsy shop as soon as I get get some more things made. I'm calling my little business Peachy Keen Creations. I have business cards - be on the look out!

There are always improvements to be made, so I would like to address those as well. First and foremost I have got to start exercising. There's an adult dance studio down the street from me that a fellow Junior Leaguer owns, so I am going to try and start going to classes a few nights a week. They offer anything from yoga to belly dancing! I've had a hard time finding time for after work activities lately because I am seeing a Chiropractor for some back pain - thankfully nothing too serious that can't be fixed. Other improvements I need to focus more on are eating better on the weekends. It's amazing what a couple of bad meals can do to ya!

That's it for now..until next time. I will leave you with a picture of my beloved coffee. I miss you Dunkin Donuts!!!

Blog Award!

2009-01-15T18:24:00.005-05:00

My first ever blog award!! Thanks to Elizabeth at Coffee and Mocha I got my first award, so thanks girl!

The award states: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

Here are my 8 fabulous friends that are award-worthy!

All Things G&D

The Hamlett Daily Dose

Keeping Up With The Wilsons

The Dickinsons

Parker The Big Brother

R&B News

This Girl's Life

VAMH

Wine totes for sale!

2009-01-14T23:21:00.002-05:00

I've mastered another project - the wine tote! Feel fashionable and flirty when you arrive to your next party! This fully insulated wine tote and will keep your wine cool and safe. Hand crafted with designer fabrics and made to order! This also makes a great hostess gift! Wine not included - that's for all my wine-o friends out there :o)

I'm starting a little side business called Peachy Keen Creations. If you like anything you see here, feel free to email me at peachykeeninfo@gmail.com for pricing or questions.

Fun projects!

2009-01-11T20:22:00.003-05:00

I can think of at least six people who are pregnant or have just had babies, so I have got some presents to buy or make! One thing I know babies like are Taggie blankets. I found an easy tutorial online on how to make one, so I gave it a shot today. This one pictured was just my test round one so it won't be given away (it has some mistakes) but I am ready to get started on another one!

Front:

Back (it's light yellow):

Success!!

2009-01-10T17:23:00.003-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions (not mentioned in post below) was to craft more. A friend of mine sent me a ton of links to easy sewing projects. This one is the first I chose to tackle. I think it takes me longer to sew than most people. I'm just sort of in that beginner stage where I'm not sure of what all the terms mean, so half the time I'm googling terms such as "baste" and other various terms. It's a learning process and I just learn as I go.

Overall the tote turned out pretty well. I just figured out that I sewed in the lining inside out...oops! So I guess I won't be "reversing" this bag! That's OK though because overall I think it turned out pretty good!

New Year's Resolution

2009-01-01T14:26:00.003-05:00

Ahh, the ol' New Year's resolution. I always toy with the idea of even making one, because I always feel like I am just setting myself up for failure with setting unattainable goals. I was thinking about my resolution this year and thinking of things like: lose weight, drink less, work out more, etc. So instead of setting a definite goal, my resolution this year is to be healthier. I think that's an all encompassing and attainable goal! Adam and I , starting Monday, will be using Good Measure Meals. GMM is a meal service in Atlanta (created by a chef) where you pick your calorie level and they prepare fresh meals for you weekly. We are doing the three meals a day plan (no more cooking, yaay!). I'm starting at the 1700 calorie level and Adam is starting at 2100. Once I get adjusted to it, I'm going to try and drop down to 1400 calories a day. If you watch Ruby on the Style Network, she uses a meal service that is created by GMM but is in Savannah, GA. The meals are fresh, never frozen, and delivered or picked up twice a week. They are really good! Hopefully this fresh start will kick start our goal of living healthier. I'm also going to do other things such as take daily vitamins and drink more water.

What is your New Year's resolution? Feel free to leave a comment with yours! Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2009 is great for us all!

Merry {Late} Christmas!!

2008-12-28T15:10:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! Even though I never officially got in the Christmas spirit, I managed to have a great time anyway! It was an exhausting couple of days {Christmas Eve & Day} and I did get a little sick from the lack of sleep and constant "going", but isn't that what Christmas is all about? It was nice to have a few days off work, and I'm looking forward to 2009. This year has been ok, but it got off to a rocky start. First our dog Nanci passed away late last year. Also it was today, December 28, a year ago that I found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately I miscarried in February of this year. Crossing each milestone hasn't been easy, but as the year comes full circle I'm looking forward to hopefully starting off 2009 with another exciting announcement. Stay tuned...

In other news, here are some of my favorite Christmas gifts!

My favorite perfume - Romance by Ralph Lauren

A Garmin nuvi - I'm very directionally challenged so hopefully this will keep me going in the right direction! I've named him Edward - you Twilight fans will appeciate this - I picked the British accent male voice :o)

The Slanket in Green

Two tickets to Zoo Atlanta!

Pure Grace by Philosophy gift set

I also got a beautiful three stone diamond necklace from Adam, but I can't find a picture ot if online. It's beautiful and I was totally suprised!

Vote for Coach Ayers!

2008-12-18T23:28:00.003-05:00

Mike Ayers, Wofford football coach, has been nominated for coach of the year for Division 1AA. The link to vote for him is on the right. Please vote for him - he's such a great coach!!

A little less Scrooge-like now

2008-12-13T12:20:00.003-05:00

The Christmas spirit is creeping up on me. I've done a little shopping, and that always seems to kick start your Christmas Spirit. Here are some cute LOL Dogs and Cats for your viewing pleasure:

Bah Humbug

2008-12-07T13:15:00.003-05:00

I will not be decorating for Christmas this year ::::insert gasps here:::: I'm just so not into it this year at all. Christmas seems like it's coming at me at 90 mph and I barely have bought any gifts! I still have no idea what to get my parents and my husband (so if y'all read this, please send me ideas!). We always go to South Carolina for Christmas, so we won't even be home to enjoy the decor, and we're not having any parties this year either. So it's just us and the dogs. Call me Scrooge, I will not deny that I am exhibiting very Scrooge-like behavior. But I am not apologetic or sorry for this at all, in fact I'm rather happy about it. Maybe we'll decorate again next year :o)

Oh yeah, and no Christmas cards this year either. So don't be upset if you don't get your usual Brannon Christmas card.

Callie-isms

2008-12-03T08:23:00.006-05:00

Callie has been with us for nine months now, and she is just such a joy in our lives. Once we got her cataract surgery done this summer, a whole new Callie evolved! Here are some of the funny things that Miss Callie does - otherwise known as "Callieisms".

1. Terrorizes her brother, Calhoun - She is quite the spunky monkey and will go right up to him and grab a toy out of his mouth. He never fights back and usually lets her win unless he's up for a game of tug-of-war.

2. Chasing invisible things - I'm not sure what is going on with this one - either we have a ghost or Callie has an invisible friend. She will start looking around the room and literally chasing something that appears to be above her. She'll pounce from one spot to another, roll over on her back, run in circles, etc. It's hilariously cute to watch!

3. Eating her collar tags - Callie has never been a fan of the tags on her collar. I posted a video of her several months ago trying to attack her collar. She still does this - but we feel the tags are necessary if she ever were to get out. All of her little tags have tooth imprints on them!

4. Getting herself into predicaments - Our neighbor was dog sitting for us over Thanksgiving and said that one morning Callie greeted them with her round rope toy stuck around her waist! It was not harming her because it's much bigger than she is, but this is just a typical Callieism! She somehow managed to get the rope around her body! She also pulled a Nanci move two nights ago. I woke up Monday morning and Callie was out of her crate and the door was still shut! Nanci did this once too. We must not have latched the bottom of her crate door all the way and she squeezed her little butt out!

5. Loving Calhoun - Callie LOVES her big brother. He has a hot spot on his belly right now so he's wearing an e-collar and a sock on his foot to prevent scratching. Callie can sense he doesn't feel well and will lie down near him and whimper at him. She also tried to help him out by pulling him by the edge of his e-collar and also trying to pull his sock off. My theory is that they planned this, but the plan failed.

Here's our silly girl twisting around on her back on the sofa this morning while getting belly rubs from Adam:

Here she is in the car with Calhoun, she behaves so well in the car!

And here is poor pitiful Calhoun with his "party hat" on and a sock on his foot. He's NOT a happy campter!

Weekend Review

2008-12-01T21:07:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday we went to my aunt and uncle's house and had lunch with the whole fam damily. It was great to see how much the little ones have grown as well as catch up with cousins.

Amanda and I

Adam and I with the Bi Lo bull :o)

Friday I got up around 8:30 and went shopping just for a few hours. I found a few good deals but was so tired that I called it quits around noon. We got to repeat Thanksgiving at the Brannon's house on Friday night! Saturday was the Clemson vs. USC game which we ALL know how that turned out. It was a great day even though it was rainy and cold!!

Another exciting event - my parents got a new Shih Tzu puppy named Max. He is 3.5 lbs of lovin and so cute and cuddly! He's really going to keep my mom busy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T07:27:00.001-05:00

more animals

New word added to the English language!

2008-11-23T21:48:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite expressions (written and verbal) is "meh". Adam and I were listening to NPR yesterday and someone announced that it has been added to the dictionary! Score! Now maybe people will take my meh's seriously! Here's a blurb about it I found online:

'Meh'-the apathetic expression-enters dictionary
At least someone is excited about "meh." The expression of indifference or boredom has gained a place in the Collins English Dictionary after generating a surprising amount of enthusiasm among lexicographers.

Life after Twilight

2008-11-23T12:16:00.002-05:00

The Books:

Where do I begin? As of this morning I have read all four of the Twilight Series books. I was pleased with the ending but I refuse to give anything away. So if you want the details you'll just have to read for yourself. But I will say that these books are the most amazing, captivating, and truly enjoyable books I've ever read. In all my 28 years on this planet I've never had a problem reading a few chapters, waiting a week, reading a few more, etc. Not with these - these were impossible to put down. My husband and dogs are probably glad to have me back. They affected my work - couldn't concentrate - my sleep - dreamed about them constantly - and everything else in my life as well!!

In the three weeks I've spent with these books, I have feared this day. Would there be life after Twilight? I couldn't imagine parting with the characters, the thought made me very sad. I'm still sad it's over, but it's bittersweet. The author, Stephanie Meyer, closed all loose ends and left me with a very peaceful and happy feeling. What is next? I am going to dive into the online version of Stephanie's fifth book of the the series (which may or may not be published). I do plan on reading Twilight again and probably all the others as well, but maybe I'll be able to put them down this time.

The Movie:

The movie was total cheeseball, but I loved every minute of it. The part where Edward smelled Bella for the first time (when she was walking into science class) made me laugh so hard I could barely contain myself. Mainly because Adam asked me if Bella had just farted - the way Edward was holding his nose, lol. And then he proceeded to say how she looks like she smelled a fart throughout the whole movie. Edward was swoon worthy as usual, but I am not impressed with Kristen Stewart at all. I didn't have any expectations for the movie, so I guess you could say I wasn't let down. Overall I'll give it a B, and I plan on buying the DVD when it comes out!

Eeeee!!!

2008-11-21T18:36:00.001-05:00

Twilight came out today!! I couldn't convince Adam to see the midnight showing with me, so we're seeing it tonight at 9:15. I told him we MUST get there early in order to get good seats and I've even contemplated tailgating in the parking lot, lol. I can't wait!!

If you still need convincing...

2008-11-13T21:44:00.002-05:00

This is Robert Pattinson - the guy who plays Edward Cullen in Twilight. I don't think this picture needs words:

Computer Probs

2008-11-13T07:17:00.003-05:00

You're wondering where I've been, aren't you? Well there is a perfectly good explination - actually 2. My first excuse is that my power chord on my laptop is shot - therefore I have no battery power. I have tons of pictures to upload of our latest adventures. Three weeks ago Adam's cousin Hannah got married in Charleston. I was sadly not able to make it due to a stomach bug. The weekend after that, we spent at Pawley's Island at Adam's Aunt and Uncle's beach house for Adam's 30th b-day. This past weeked we were in Panama City with the Edens/Kown families for the Clemson/FSU game.

The second reason I haven't been on much is because I've been reading, A LOT. There is a book series out called the Twilight Series. It's a forbidden love story about vampires. Yes, I said vampires. You have to read it to understand. I read the first two books (close to 500 pages each) in less than a week. One might say I am obsessed. But if you have read them, you will understand. I am elated that the Twilight movie is coming into theatres on November 21 and I will be going to see it. I considered taking the day off work to go sit in the movie theatre all day, but I have to save my PTO time for Turkey Day. Here are the covers for each book of the series and also a picture of Edward Cullen and Bella - the two main characters. I'll also try to link the movie trailer here as well.

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ TWILIGHT AND PLAN TO READ IT, DON'T WATCH THE TRAILER. IT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. You have been warned.

Happy Birthday Adam!

2008-10-29T19:48:00.002-04:00

My hubby turned 30 today! We will be celebrating by spending a wonderful weekend at Pawley's Island!! I will make it a point to take pictures this weekend of US together because we seem to not have any of those!

Workin for a livin

2008-10-08T21:03:00.002-04:00

I'm happy to report that Adam has accepted a job with Bright Tree. He will be a Senior Application Engineer. Thankfully they are just down the road in Duluth, GA so he'll have a super easy commute. His first day will be November 3. He's really excited and I'm so happy that he found what he wanted!

Inspiration

2008-10-05T21:28:00.002-04:00

I'm totally ripping stuff off of my friend Allison's blog but this picture is just one of my favorites. I really want to try this in our bathroom over our garden tub. It may not be as drool worthy as a clawfoot tub, but ya gotta work with what ya got!

My other half

2008-10-04T12:40:00.011-04:00

My friend Allison over at The Adventures of VAMH gave me this idea to share some things that my other half, Adam enjoys. So here ya go:

His new iPhone we got him yesterday for his 30th birthday on 10/29. This thing is SO cool! He hasn't put it down since he got it. I must have one but I have to wait for my Verizon contract to expire first.

www.fark.com - It's Not News, It's Fark

Wofford College, his alma mater. Watch out for those Terriers, they'll bite your ankles! Sorry couldn't resist, lol.

Clemson Football - Go Tigers!

Our dogs - anyone who knows us understands that Adam is slightly obsessed!

Firefly - Sweet Tea Vodka

Edisto Island, SC - our favorite vacation spot!

Golf

Me, of course!

Climb that ladder!

2008-10-02T21:14:00.002-04:00

Well the time has come for Adam to make a career change. He has been in consulting for the past five years now. As in any career, you must make moves in order to climb the ladder. His company and his coworkers have been so good to him and this has been such a wonderful step in the right direction. Adam's last day will be October 31, just two days after his 30th birthday! He's been interviewing with several companies and has gotten one offer and is expecting more. I'm in awe of how easy it has been for him to get interviews and job offers. Recruiters have been calling him daily - one of them even tried to sell Adam's current job to him! Little did the guy know that ADAM was the guy who was leaving the job! If he was a good recruiter and had read his resume, he would have figured that out before he called him.

I'll update as soon as we know something!

Jewelry craze!!

2008-09-24T21:41:00.008-04:00

Some of you know that I have a fantastic group of girlfriends that I met online. Many of us met long ago while planning our weddings on theknot.com and then we've met others throughout the years through thenest.com. Things got crazy on the nest, so we formed our own private message board and have formed some great friendships! I acutally got to meet many of them last winter in New Orleans! We had a blast! One of the girls is named Diana and she's in the National Guard serving in Afghanastan right now. Diana is a true southern belle from TN with a fierce eye for fashion and style and it always amazes me that she can be such a hard ass and serve in the military! There's not much to do over there, so Diana has befriended a jewler named "Nick" and he is seriously hooking us up with jewelry!! He's also making some custom suits for some of the husbands for about $75 a piece! I am getting three rings - blue topaz, black onyx and deep purple amethyst (for less than $200 for ALL THREE). All three stones' weight combined is well over 10 carats...we told her we wanted "honkin huge" stones! The topaz was $8 a carat, onyx was $4 a carat, and I got the highest quality amethyst for $4 a carat instead of $6 because the stone I am getting had a microscopic nick which he was able to scratch out!

Here's a picture of my topaz stone on the left - it's 4.25 carats and will be set in a simple prong tiffany style setting:

This is a picture of Diana's Onyx ring, and I'm getting one almost just like this but with a square stone:

And this is a ring from Tiffany & Co but my amethyst ring should look similar to this - emerald cut, dark purple, same setting:

And for good measure, here's a pic of us at our first get together this January in NOLA. Natalie and her husband live there and graciously hosted all of us, we had a blast!

A quick hello!

2008-09-24T21:00:00.003-04:00

I've been so slack! We've been busy - for those of you close to us you know Fall is our "busy season" with football! We've been going on short weekend trips and enjoying this beautiful weather. Here is a link to a video I took of Callie begging Calhoun to play with her. As you see, he is NOT amused! He's gotten really good at ignoring her when she "acts a fool" as I like to say. She can be that annoying little sister sometimes, but you just gotta love her!

The look of the blog

2008-09-01T16:55:00.001-04:00

I'm going to be playing around a good bit in the next few days. I discovered a website called Scrapblog.com which allows you to make scrapbook pages online. Really cool! There are SO many options that I just began playing with them. You'll probably notice the look changing a good bit - I tend to change my mind a lot :o) Once I find a design I like, I'll try and stick with it!

I have started a cooking blog

2008-08-26T20:49:00.004-04:00

I had an idea for a really cute food blog name "My Pot Boileth Over" so I just had to create a food blog in order to use the name. Silly, I know! I will post recipes periodically, so check often for updates!

My Pot Boileth Over

Show me some love!

2008-08-25T21:50:00.001-04:00

I always wonder who reads this, so if you are stopping by, leave me a quick message. I'd love to see who is visiting :o)

I yearbooked Adam too

2008-08-20T22:55:00.002-04:00

I'm on a roll! It's so funny, I can't stop!!

1954

1958

1962 - LOL

1970 - I actually think this one looks pretty hot in a scholarly way!

1976 - that's a lot of hair!

1980

1984 - similar to my 82 style, haha

1990 - THE MULLET

1994 - looks like he belongs in a boy band

1996 - not bad!

1998 - lol

I Yearbooked Myself

2008-08-20T21:21:00.001-04:00

I am still laughing at these. If you go to www.yearbookyourself.com you can upload a picture and see what you would have looked like throughout the decades. Get ready to laugh, I sure did!!

1952

1954

1960

1966

1974

1978 (not my best year, lol)

1982

1984

1990

American Idols in Concert!

2008-08-20T20:56:00.002-04:00

It has become a yearly tradition for my mom and I to go to the American Idol concert. They came to the Gwinnett Center Monday night which just happens to be VERY close to my house! We had a great time at the show with thousands of squealing little girls and their moms/dads. There was a good mixture of age groups there so we didn't feel too out numbered! Here are some of my favorite pictures - I took over 200 but many of them didn't come out well since I was zooming in so much from high up in the stands!

Trip to Salt Lake City

2008-08-20T20:45:00.002-04:00

Adam and I went to SLC, UT over the weekend for Kristian and Bethany's wedding. SLC is a beautiful city surrounded by amazing mountains. Pictures just don't do it justice! The guys enjoyed golfing while Becca and I had a fun day of shopping and a yummy sushi lunch. It was a fun relaxing weekend! Here are a few pictures.

Adam and I at the Squatters Brewry

Becca and Remsen at Squatters

Kristian, Bethany, Adam, Remsen and Will

Cute custom M&Ms

An all time high score!

2008-08-11T20:49:00.001-04:00

88 words

Speed test

Beat that Stacey!!!

A post about nothing...

2008-08-08T22:41:00.002-04:00

Well, my dear friend Stacey told me I was being slack (although she doesn't even have a blog, so she can't really say much) so I figured I'd write something. I know you're reading this! lol

It has been a BUSY summer. We've had several weddings. A week long vacation in June to Edisto Island, SC. Various trips to SC to visit friends for b-day parties and other fun events. We will continue to stay busy as well, all the way through Christmas/New Years. Next weekend we're going to Salt Lake City, Utah for our friend "Goose's" wedding. The next weekend we're going to Aiken, SC for an engagement party for Adam's cousin Hannah. Then the next weekend is Clemson's first football game against Alabama at the Georgia Dome!! Followed by that are more football games, a wedding in Charleston, Adam's Govnah's School Reunion (like how I spell Govnah?), and other various things. OH and how could I forget, Adam's 30th birthday is October 29!

Other than that, life is good. I hope to be obtaining a nurse recruiting position with my company in the next few months. We also hope to get pregnant again soon, so say prayers for that please.

I have been a slack blogger this summer, but I promise to do better!!

XOXO to all!!

Kent

Calhoun is now an LOL Dog

2008-08-02T09:49:00.001-04:00

If you have never visited www.icanhascheezburger.com or www.ihasahotdog.com, you must. It is so funny! Calhoun finally made it on the website!

moar funny pictures

Lookin good!

2008-07-15T17:33:00.002-04:00

We had our first post-op checkup today and Callie was doing great! No causes for concern. What a relief! I'm an habitual worrier, so of course I am thinking that something has gone wrong, etc etc. But no, she's perfectly fine. We're going next Monday for another checkup. We still do the drops four times a day and rimadyl. She's almost out of her antibiodic, so we won't need any more than that. Just wanted to post a quick update!

OH and we're going to have a big first this weekend - the dogs are going to their first hotel! Watch out Holiday Inn Biltmore East, Asheville, lol! My good friends Meg and Will are getting married in Asheville on Saturday, so we're taking the dogs with us. We'll just be staying one night. It should be fun - road trip for the whole family!

A momentus occasion!

2008-07-13T18:34:00.002-04:00

Callie has never jumped up on furniture. Dogs on furniture in our household is allowed. It's not something we would actually teach them to do, but if they get on the sofa, we welcome them. So today she just went up to the love seat and jumped onto it! She's also been more inclined to stay on the bed if we put her in it (she used to jump right off). She used to just stand on her hind legs and attempt to jump onto the sofa/bed/etc, but never quite mastered it. She's just more cuddly all together really. She lets us hold her, loves hanging out on the bed, and now is a sofa sitter like her brother the couch potato!!!

Bark In The Park

2008-07-12T15:43:00.005-04:00

Downtown Duluth had a festival just for the doggies today! We took Calhoun and Callie and mama came with us too. My mom has been staying with me since Wednesday to take care of Callie while I was at work. She's been such a great help and I'm glad she got to go on our adventure to the park!! The dogs behaved wonderfully and met lots of other doggies and kids too! It was really hot, so we all ran around in the fountain for a bit to cool down, then we grabbed some lunch at Stevearenos pizza on the patio! Adam's office overlooks the park, so we went in to cool off and take a few pictures. The dogs were glad to get home and get some good air conditioning!!

The dogs are ready for work!!

Callie can see again!

2008-07-09T09:30:00.002-04:00

I'm so happy! She did great overnight and didn't get any pressure on her eyes (glaucoma). They are getting ready to dialate her eyes to get a better look at them, so I have to call back around noon for another update and to find out when I can get her home. The guy I spoke to said she has a lot of vision. I'll post another update at noon!

UPDATE! 2:30 WED:

Callie is doing GREAT! She wants to be her normal energetic self, but she doesn't understand that she has to be c-a-l-m and be s-t-i-l-l. Oy, it's going to be a long few weeks, lol. She doesn't seem to have any pain and she did great at the vet's! She ate some food as soon as we got home, and the vet said she never lost her appetite there either (that's my girl!). She was 17 lbs when we got her and now she's a healthy 25!! She'll catch up to Calhoun in no time, lol.

She will need drops four times a day and she has two oral pills - one antibiodic and another antiinflamitory pill. They didn't have her e-collar on her at the doctor, but I went ahead and put it on at home. There are just too many corners and things to run into. She has been attached to my heels since we got home! Calhoun was a little nervous and had his tail tucked (I think the e-collar scared him) so I have them both in their crates resting now. I will probably have to keep them seperated for a while until she can play and rough house again - that will be a challenge. We also will have to leash walk her for up to 6 weeks. We have such a woodsy yard, she can't be running into sticks and running the risk of getting poked in the eye. The good news is, she can go on walks. So I will make sure to walk her a few times a day to help get her energy out!

We have a follow up next week and will be seeing the doctor a good bit for the next year. Her eyes are a little red and puffy, but not too bad. You can see her sutures up under her lids, but they will disolve in about 2 weeks. Here are some pictures - I didn't want to use the flash in her face so they're dark. She also moves a lot and it is hard to get a head-on shot of her!

Proof that she still has the appetite!

Sort of a face shot, she moved as soon as I snapped it!

Here's a better face shot:

And for good measure, here's Calhoun!

Callie's Eye Surgery

2008-07-08T19:37:00.002-04:00

Callie had her cataract surgery today! According to the vet, she is doing well. She went to a Veterinary Opthamologist - wow there really is something for everything! We feel very confident with the doctor's abilities, according to "word on the street" she's been around forever and is the best in the area.

I got an update this afternoon. They removed the cataracts in both eyes and placed a lens in her right eye. They intended to place lenses in both eyes, but the left eye was not being very receptive. If they kept trying to force it in, it would have done more harm than good. According to the nurse, many dogs just have one lens and do just fine - it's not like she's going to be reading or driving any time soon :o) She also said that many doctors don't even do the lenses at all, but they like to give their patients the best shot at good vision.

Callie will spend the night at the doctor tonight. They are monitoring the pressure in her eyes really closely in order to make sure glaucoma doesn't set in. So we're not 100% out of the woods yet. Just pray that she has a good night tonight. I'll be calling tomorrow morning around 9:30 and hopefully will get to bring her home. They said she had been trying to rub her eyes, so they went ahead and put the e-collar on her.

I'll update again tomorrow!

6.5.04

2008-06-04T21:00:00.003-04:00

Thursday, June 5 is our four year wedding anniversary! We have both grown so much together and done so much in these four years. We've moved, changed jobs, lost pets, gained pets, celebrated pregnancy, cried together with pregnancy loss, and learned so much about us as a couple. The ups and downs have been there, and there have been happy times, sad times, angry times, and all other kinds of times! We're stronger and closer than ever, and it will only get better. I can't wait to see what the future holds. Love you Adam!

Pupdate!

2008-06-03T21:27:00.002-04:00

Callie got a GREAT hair cut at the Best Friends Pet Resort! It really brought out her beautiful markings. She feels pretty too, you can tell! Calhoun just got a bath because he doesn't quite need a hair cut yet. Callie's hair is still really fine and tangles easily - Calhoun's was like that when he was a puppy too. Hers may change in time, who knows. They are still BFF zooming all over the house. Callie LOVES to be chased, so she'll taunt Calhoun until he chases her around the house. They zoom all over the place at lightening speeds!! Here are some pictures!

Prince(ss)

2008-05-27T20:25:00.003-04:00

Cataract Surgery Scheduled for July 8!

2008-05-17T11:47:00.003-04:00

As you know, Callie has juvenile cataracts. We knew this when we adopted her, and we agreed to provide the surgery for her when the time was right. Our vet recommended Dr. Winston in Lawrenceville as our Opthamologist. The visit started with an eye exam. They dilated her eyes and then took her on a little obstacle course to judge her eyesight. Dr. Winston determined that Callie probably can't see well at all out of her left eye and the right eye is slightly better, but still pretty bad.

She explained that they will go in and break up the cataracts, then place lenses in her eyes to help her to see better. Obviously they can't determine the exact strength needed for the lenses, so she'll never have 20/20 vision, but it'll be much better than it is now! Callie apparently has small eyes for her size, which will slightly increase risk for problems. Also due to her breed, she is at a higher risk for developing glaucoma. They gave us a 25% chance of that developing. I figure the odds are in our favor with a 75% chance of no problems!

For now, we will be putting drops in her eyes two times a day, which will probably continue for a while even after the surgery. I'm just happy to give her a chance at a normal doggie life. Calhoun is currently her see and eye dog, but I don't think he realizes that!

Maybe I don't need a maid after all!

2008-04-30T20:48:00.003-04:00

I've been getting quotes for maids this week, but it looks like Callie has taken it upon herself to pitch in around here. She thinks the Swiffer Duster is a handy tool with keeping the house clean, teehee!

Pupdate!

2008-04-29T20:42:00.002-04:00

I know all you Calhoun and Callie fans are wondering why I am not posting pictures of the dogs! Well, we've been busy and the two barely slow down for a picture these days - especially Callie! Gosh that girl is impossible to photograph! Dogs are doing WONDERFUL together. Calhoun actually lets her win tug-of-war. She'll go up to him and just grab a toy out of his mouth, he has a look on his face sort of like, "meh, whatever". He's really taken a liking to her. The trainer, Sonja, is also helping us so much. Both dogs have mastered sit/stay, down/stay, and heel. Today we worked on "come" while on leash. Next week we'll work on an extended come - I have a hard time getting them to come in from the yard, especially Calhoun. Speaking of Mr. Calhoun, he's developed quite the digging problem. Trainer Sonja has instructed me to bury semi-fresh dog poop in his favorite hole; apparently it'll stop them. We'll see - I'll update you on that for sure, lol.

Another new thing I'm going to try is transferring the dogs to the kitchen during the day. We have two standard sized doorways into the kitchen, so I can easily put up baby gates to keep them in. We're going to test it while we're home and gradually break them in. We're trying to gradually work our way to them having full run of the house when we're not home, but Miss Callie has a ways to go! She is quite the little stinker. She LOVES to prance in the den carrying our flip flops - she always looks so proud. She's only destroyed one pair of shoes, and I didn't like them too much anyway, so it's ok! She also loves plastic hangers - I figured that out this weekend when I was cleaning out my closet and had hangers strewn all over the floor - she really went to town on one!

I've bored you with my words long enough. Here are a couple of pictures - I wish I could capture Callie's true beauty, but the little thing is never still! She has the funniest expressions! Thanks for reading!

We love to play together and chase all over the house!!

Calhoun with his muddy nose from digging holes!

Callie with one of her MANY toys!

I love to cook!

2008-04-29T20:34:00.002-04:00

Ok so many of you have probably figured out I love to cook. I also LOVE veggies! I like them in all shapes forms and varieties. The other day I made a zero point (I'm on Weight Watchers) salad consisting of steamed fresh asparagus with grape tomatoes tossed in a balsamic vinegar, garlic and OJ blend. It was yummy! It was also beautiful! When you cook asparagus just right, it gets the most vibrant green color - that mixed with the red tomatoes made for a purty picture, hehe.

Tonight I made up my own recipe. I tossed some vidalia onions, portobello mushrooms and zucchini in the skillet with some EVOO. Then I stacked them up along with some fresh tomatoes and topped them with some part skim mozzarella cheese and broiled it in the oven. I'll call them...."portobello stackers" - original, I know! :o) They were REALLY good too, I gobbled them up.

Another Yummy Recipe - Mexican Chicken Soup

2008-04-21T19:10:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had the soup from Mexican restaurants? It's delish! It is a wonderful twist on traditional chicken soup. It's full of flavor and I add extra lime and cilantro to give it a kick. Here's the recipe, enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (don't be shy!)
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup water
3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup cooked white rice
1 can diced tomatoes (with juices)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (again, don't be shy)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1 lime

DIRECTIONS
Put chicken breasts in a pot and add just enough water to cover. Sprinkle in about half a pack of Taco Seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes with the lid on. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes with lid on.

While the chicken is cooking, heat oil in a stockpot and cook the garlic and celery until soft. Stir in the water and chicken broth. Season with cumin, black pepper and remaining taco seasoning mix. Simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to mingle.

Once chicken is done, place on plate to cool. Once cool shred using two forks or just use your fingers - I use my fingers because it's faster. Using the same water from the chicken, place a boil-in-bag of white rice in the water and boil according to package directions.

Add the can of tomatoes, rice, cilantro and chicken, simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot topped with avocado, and a squirt of fresh lime.

California Dreamin

2008-04-13T16:42:00.003-04:00

I went to the National Occupational Therapy Conference in Long Beach, CA April 9-12. I've only been to San Francisco, so I've never been to Southern Cali. It is beautiful there. No pollen, no clouds, beautiful beaches, and beautiful homes. The nice areas of town are amazing and the bad areas are, well, bad. There's not much in between! I was amazed at the styles of architecture of the homes long the beach. They ranged from Spanish, to modern, to craftsman, to traditional, and all in between. The craftsman homes really took my breath away! I tried to snap pictures as we were driving down the road, but it was hard. We stayed right outside of Long Beach in Seal Beach. It's a quaint little beach town with multi million dollar homes (6 Million for a 4 BR/3 BA average looking home). I don't know what people out there do for a living, but whatever it is, they are making lots of money. I also noticed nobody ever seems to work. We were out and about all hours of the morning, day and night and people were always out walking their dogs, strolling their children down the beach, sipping coffee at a coffee shop, and just having fun. It's so relaxed out there and you will see all sorts of people. Gayla, my coworker, and I seemed to be the only one to notice all the strange types of people. Nobody there seems to notice it - pretty much anything goes! It was a great place to visit, I'd love to go back for vacation one day. I really enjoyed myself! Oh, and the conference was ok too :o)

I'll post a few pictures here, but CLICK HERE to see the whole album.

Cankleicious

2008-04-08T20:56:00.003-04:00

Let me preface this that Adam did consent to this post and yes, we will be going to get him a pedicure after all of this is over. Last night (Monday) Adam went to open gym night to play basketball at the church we've been visiting. He fell down and severely sprained his ankle. We were afraid it was broken, but thankfully the x-ray proved that it was just a bad sprain. He's had problems with this ankle all his life, so he'll probably need to wear a support band next time he plays any sports. It hurts really bad and has turned black and blue today. He's hobbling around all pitiful. I'm not sure what he's going to do while I'm gone to CA this week (I'll be there through Sunday for a conference). It is rather funny looking though, he definitely has a "cankle" now! LOL

A comparison: cankle vs. ankle

The black and blueness of it all

We'll miss you, Charlie

2008-03-31T19:58:00.002-04:00

Dan and Bessie's sweet Charlie girl passed away early this morning. Charlie and Nanci were roommates for about a year when Dan and Adam lived together. Nanci and Charlie loved playing with each other and were best buddies. Now they can meet up in doggie heaven and play for eternity. Charlie had been ill but was on her way to feeling better. We went to their house Saturday night for a cookout. We brought Callie with us and she and Charlie played and got along really well. Her condition worsened a good bit on Sunday and they took her to the e-vet Sunday night. They had to make the most difficult decision. Charlie's condition was almost identical to Nanci's. Charlie had a tumor on her spleen and Nanci's was on her liver. Both dogs were bleeding severely internally and the outlook for both was very grim. Bessie and Dan have been on my heart and mind today, I know they are devastated. They were saying on Saturday that they don't know what they'd do if anything ever happened to her. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

New 'Do!

2008-03-28T21:50:00.003-04:00

Miss Callie spent the day at the vets today getting groomed and checked out. Her health is great. Ear canals look really good for a cocker. Her eyes are the only problem, the vet has referred us to an opthomologist. One of the ladies that works in the office said she took her Schnauzer to the same doctor and he is doing the cataract surgery for her dog - she really likes him a lot. Callie look SO SKINNY with her new hair cut! She's as tall as Calhoun, but just MUCH more petite. I think now that the hair is out of her eyes she can actually see better too. She seems to be really happy with her new look. We're taking her to a t-ball game with us in the morning that Adam's friend's son is playing in. I think she'll enjoy herself. Calhoun isn't quite ready for a situation like that, lots of people make him nervous. He'll get there though, we'll be able to take both one day!!

Sillyness

2008-03-25T22:03:00.004-04:00

Hello! Whew, this has been a whirlwind week! Things are going good here. Dogs are fine with each other. Callie REALLY wants to play with Calhoun but he's not too sure still. He's coming around, every day he gets more tolerant and lets her do more than the day before. Our dog trainer came by last night to develop a program for us. She'll be coming to the house once a week for 8 weeks to go over obediance training with both dogs. We're really excited! We also get two years of monthly "Recap" group sessions at a local dog park!

Callie is really coming out of her shell. She's quite the puppy still! I caught her chewing the leather chair the other day, oops! She's also quite interested in the cuffs of my pants and our shoes. Nothing has been destroyed yet, but she's quite the little stinker, we have to keep a close eye on her. She's such a joy to have around. She's just the happiest little doggie ever! She LOVED chasing my 5 year old cousin Hampton at Easter - they chased and chased and chased all over the yard! He also loved on her and got some kisses, he really liked her and she loved him too. We got her a new collar tonight at PetCo and a new ID tag. Her old tag really didn't jingle but the new one does. She got into a little playing fit tonight trying to attack the jingles on her collar. It is HILARIOUS beyond words. Please take a look at the video. The creepy TV sounds in the background are Adam's new PlayStation game he was playing.

Callie is here!

2008-03-19T19:17:00.004-04:00

I can't type much because I have Callie in my lap! Things have gone great. Callie is really following him around and she realllly wants to play with him! He is responding well to her. She can't see to well so she'll bump into him every now and then, and he's fine with it! It was raining so hard when Ann dropped her off, but it stopped once Adam got home. We all went on a walk and that did a lot of good. Once we got in Callie settled down with Adam and Calhoun sat with me on the sofa. We ordered pizza for dinner so we put them in their crates while we ate. Then after that we fed them - supervised of course - and that went VERY well. I took their food bowls up as soon as they were done to avoid any issues :o)

A new addition!

2008-03-16T12:56:00.003-04:00

As you know our Nanci dog passed away on Dec. 1. At the beginning of February Adam and I decided to start looking for another dog. We really are a two dog family - and Calhoun is used to having a play mate. He just seemed lonely and we definitely felt a void with only having one dog around. We decided to look for a cocker spaniel that was with a rescue organization. My good friend Meg volunteers for a wonderful organization called Animal Compassion Network in Asheville, NC. I went to their website and found the most precious liver and white cocker spaniel named Callie. She turned a year old in January. She was dumped at a high kill shelter in Tennessee some time in January by her former owners. She has some eye problems so we are guessing they decided they couldn't afford her medical needs. Thankfully ACN found her and scooped her up! She was flea infested and had a severe eye infection. The vet cleared her up really fast and she lived with a foster mom from then on.

We had started the adoption process in February. This organization has a very through adoption process - and for a very good reason. They want to make sure they place their animals in the best possible homes. We had planned to go up to Asheville on March 1, but that was the weekend I had the miscarriage and ended up in the ER. Adam and I decided on Friday night (in our usual spur of the moment fashion) that we wanted to go to Asheville Saturday! We called ACN and they were so excited - they had the grand opening of their new store Pet Harmony this weekend so it worked out perfectly.

We went up to Asheville Saturday morning and instantly fell in love with Callie. She's the sweetest most gentle dog. She is absolutely perfect. We went ahead and filled out all of her adoption paperwork so she is ours!! Ann, the adoption coordinator, is going to bring her to our house on Wednesday. The final step in the adoption process is a home visit, so unfortunately Ann has to drive here from Asheville!

We are so excited that we finally got our little Callie. She is the perfect addition to our family. I have no doubt that she and Calhoun will get along wonderfully. He's never met another cocker, so it should be cute to see how he reacts to a dog that sorts looks like him, hehe!

Cute Overload

2008-03-12T21:35:00.002-04:00

A little something from one of my favorite websites. If you ever need a good laugh, go to www.icanhascheezburger.com. They take really cute animals (mostly cats) and put the funniest quotes with their pictures, it's hilarious!

New Favorite Recipe! Seviche-Style Shrimp and Avocado Tacos

2008-03-11T20:25:00.002-04:00

I made this for dinner last night. Let me just say that it is easy, involves NO cooking, and is delish!!! I love this type of food any time of year, but it would be perfect for a hot summer day or evening served with a yummy margarita or some sangria!

Look for cooked, peeled shrimp at the seafood counter; or quickly thaw frozen cooked, peeled shrimp in a colander under cold running water. Marinate shrimp in a nonreactive bowl, such as one that is glass or ceramic; an aluminum or copper bowl will react with the citrus juice to give the shrimp a metallic taste.

I used a can of drained Rotel because I hate chopping tomato and it's an easy short cut. I also used a pound of frozen cocktail shrimp - just thawed them under warm water and removed the tails. I served it with Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice.

Ingredients
3 limes
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1 cup diced peeled avocado (about 1 avocado)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound cooked peeled medium shrimp
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preparation
Finely grate rind from limes to measure 1 tablespoon; juice limes to measure 1/4 cup. Place rind and juice in a large bowl. Add tomato and remaining ingredients except tortillas; toss well to combine. Cover and chill for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/2 cup shrimp mixture down center of each tortilla; fold in half. Serve immediately.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 261(27% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 1.3g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 19.5g; CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 114mg; SODIUM 498mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.3g

In honor of daylight savings time...

2008-03-09T20:47:00.004-04:00

I'm struggling to find something to blog about. Today is my mom's birthday, so happy b-day mom! My parents came to hang out with us for a while today and it was great to see them. In honor of daylight savings time, I'll post a fun spring picture of Azaleas in Georgia. Spring is a time for new beginnings, new life and new growth. What a great time of year!! I must remember to keep my Claritin close by, my allergies go crazy this time of year - I'm already feeling the effects of all the beautiful blooms we are seeing around here.

When it rains, the roof leaks

2008-03-04T17:12:00.005-05:00

Weeellll, it has been a VERY rainy day around here. This morning I was watching the news and the keypad for our alarm system started beeping. Immediately after that, Brinks called. My heart was RACING, I wasn't sure what was going on - but of course my mind goes to the worst possible scenario and I had convinced myself in 30 seconds that we had a burglar who had cut the wires to our alarm system. Well that was not the case, it was just a low battery signal. But strangely after that, the whole system just went blank. That is NOT normal - the customer service people said something about a screwdriver and a transformer. That's when I said, "let me have my husband call you". Kent + screwdriver + electrical things = crispy fried Kent. When Adam got home he checked the coat closet that holds the Brinks control panel (i.e. expensive piece of equipment). He noticed that the closet was damp, so he kind of pushed on the ceiling and the whole damn thing fell in! So now we've got three companies coming out tomorrow to do estimates on the repair. Oh the joys of home ownership!

Here's the ceiling of the closet with a bowl set on the wire rack to catch any water

Here is the floor of the closet with the lovely mess

Fun with photography!

2008-03-03T20:55:00.004-05:00

I got a new camera for Christmas. It's a Canon PowerShot SD850 IS. It's a great little camera with all sorts of cool features. One feature I recently discovered was the Digital Macro setting. It allows you to take really up close detail shots. Flowers are a great subject for this setting. Since I got so many flowers over the past few days, I figured I'd give it a shot! OH and my parents also gave me a tripod, so that makes it really easy to take the shots - you have to hold the camera VERY still! Here are some extreme close ups that I took this evening.

Retail Therapy

2008-03-03T18:35:00.003-05:00

Today Adam took me to finally pick out my birthday present! He's heard me talk for months about wanting a new Coach purse. We went up the the Coach Outlet and I got the most beautiful leather Coach bag! I also got a wallet because they were having a great sale! He also hooked me up with a new pink bluetooth headset AND a thing that will allow me to play my iPod in the car. We had a great day enjoying the beautiful weather. Adam has done an incredible job taking care of me. He has done EVERYTHING around the house and not complained one time about it. He has taken time off work to be with me, and has been my rock during this time. I love my hubby!!

The end of our journey...

2008-03-02T21:06:00.004-05:00

My doctor scheduled me for a D&C procedure on Monday. Basically it's a procedure they do for women who miscarry babies at a certain stage of pregnancy. Despite the horrible news, I had a nice birthday. I took it easy all day then Adam and I went out to dinner at a great restaurant called The Watershed. Then around 2 AM on Saturday all hell broke lose. I woke up with excruciating cramping and pain in my abdomen. I called the on-call doctor and she told me to take one of my 800 mg Ibuprofen pills. Well that never really helped, I waited for it to kick in but it never did. Around 4 we called her again. I was barely able to talk at that point due to the pain, I was shaking uncontrollably, and I was starting to get really nauseated. She said come on to the ER, she'd let them know we were on the way.

Adam packed up all my pills (thank goodness we had them filled already) and the paperwork for the procedure. The hospital, DeKalb Medical Center, is only about 20 minutes away but it felt like hours. Adam did really well though, I told him to drive as safely and fast as possible! As soon as we got there I got in a wheelchair and things got a lot worse. I will spare you all of the details. They immediately got us into a room and the nurse started taking care of me. I got an IV with some Nubain and Phenagryn in it, which helped me to relax and sleep. They also took my blood for the pre-op blood work. Finally around 11:30 they wheeled me into the OR for the D&C procedure. I remember getting on the operating table and them putting the mask on my face, then I woke up and was in recovery.

We were on our way home around 2:30 that day. Now I can say I know what labor is like, and it's not fun. It hurts and drugs are definitely a good thing! It was a physically and emotionally painful end to this story, but we're glad it's all over. We are looking forward to a speedy recovery so we can hopefully get pregnant again late spring/early summer.

Thanks to ALL of you for the emails, phone calls, flowers, and cards. The outpouring of support from our friends and family has helped us so much. We love you all!!

With great sadness...

2008-02-28T14:45:00.002-05:00

The worst thing you want to hear when you are pregnant is "there is no heart beat". Well, that happened to us today. I had some concerns this morning and went into the doctor's office for an ultrasound. I knew by the look on the technician's face that something was wrong. We've both got a whole mixture of emotions going on now - shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, worry, anxiety. We found out we were pregnant on December 28, and in two short months we grew to love this little human more than anything in the world. I just have to tell myself that God did this for a reason. I can wonder and worry all I want, but the bottom line is that this was just not meant to be. Thankfully I know I am capable of getting pregnant, so hopefully in a few months we can begin trying again and the next time it'll stick. Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this time. It's a sad, helpless, and empty feeling. The love and support of our friends and family has already been overwhelming, so thank you all so much.

Speed Typer!

2008-02-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

83 words

Speed test">

A tribute to Nanci (the dog)

2008-02-16T10:20:00.007-05:00

I can't do a blog about our family without talking about Nanci. Even though she is gone, she will always be a part of us.

We lost our beloved girl Nanci on December 1, 2007. We were on a trip in Boston and our dog sitter called to tell us something was very wrong with her. When they got to our vet, we found out she had a tumor on her liver that was causing her to bleed severely internally. We had to make the decision to put her down. She was in such a dire condition that practically no surgery or treatment could save her at that point. It was a very sad day for us. Needless to say, that put a big damper on our Boston trip - we hated that we weren't there with her.

Nanci was a great dog, probably the best dog I've ever known (sshhh, don't tell Calhoun). She was sweet, loving, gentle, and happy. She only got in a hurry when she escaped from the yard - we chased her down the street many times! She was our little escape artist. If she wasn't escaping, she was lounging around in the sunny spots in the house catching some Z's. Every now and then she'd decide to play with a toy and it was the most hilarious thing you've ever seen. She wasn't the most coordinated dog and she'd be pouncing all over the den. I'd her these loud "boom, boom, boom" noises from another room and when I'd get in the living room I'd discover all 50 lbs of her bouncing all over the floor like a little puppy. It was very cute. Here's a picture of her from a professional photo shoot for Adam's birthday. She was a beautiful, loving, and wonderful dog. We will always miss her.

Introducing Ourselves

2008-02-15T20:52:00.002-05:00

Hello! This space is here for our friends and family to see what's going on in our lives. Adam and I were married on 6/5/04 and currently reside in a town outside of Atlanta. We are expecting our first baby, due September 6, 2008. We also have a cocker spaniel named Calhoun, who is in for quite the rude awakening when he finds out he's no longer the baby! That's us, at this point in our lives, in a nutshell.

Us

Calhoun

Baby Brannon