the lemon anniversary

To start off I have to acknowledge that, yes, I totally missed our actual anniversary for our anniversary post. I had an excuse though... I was eight months pregnant and we were driving back from a trip to Michigan and had stopped in Louisville, KY for a quickie anniversary celebration.

I guess you could say I was tired, and that whole following week I was even more tired and the idea of documenting our not-so-amazing anniversary trip sounded like hell. So I put it off until now because now that I have more energy I just cannot pass up the chance to say a couple of nice things about marriage, tell you our hilarious story from Louisville, and best of all, to post some fun photos of anniversary trips past where I happen to look a lot skinnier than I do now (which when you are growing a baby inside of you and gaining over a pound a week you need to look at skinny pictures of yourself to feel happy).

Anyhoo...

So July 11 was our second wedding anniversary and July as a month is the marker of us being together for five years. (See, I guess I'm not really technically late on this post after all!) For every single one of our "anniversaries", starting with our first year of dating, we have traveled to a new place to celebrate. Our first was in Denver, CO. in 2007.

Don't we look SO young there! Ahhh to be 22 again... Anyways our second anniversary we spent in Asheville, NC and this happened to be when Justin decided to propose! So sweet!

Our third anniversary/honeymoon was in Key West. We love that we got married in July, which was the same month we began dating, because we kind of just get to keep on counting the years. I guess technically is starts over here though... Anyways, Key West was AMAZEBALLS!

I love you Key West... We'll come visit soon I promise.

Ok moving on to our first official wedding anniversary. We decided to keep it a little light and just took a quick weekend trip to Atlanta where we had a nice romantic evening followed by a great day at Six Flags where we got to unleash our inner kid... well who am I kidding. We are just big kids every day!

Selecting only two photos from each of our anniversaries was pretty hard for me. There are so many fun memories we have captured with so many great pictures and looking through them all has me smiling from ear to ear. I'd like to think its pretty obvious we have a blast with each other; Justin is by far my all time favorite travel buddy for sure. So when I looked back through the pictures from our second anniversary trip/pit stop to Louisville, KY and found only one picture of the two of us I knew it was as bad as I remembered. And this one picture wasn't a cute dinner picture or anything... it's this crap-

Yup... our reflection in a freaking window. Awesome. Let me explain...

This anniversary trip was essentially a tack-on to our trip up to Michigan for some good friends' wedding. I guess this would mean it started on our way out of Michigan Sunday July 10th... the day before our actual anniversary. This day started out pretty rough, as any morning after a wedding does. Justin was a little hungover and I was dog tired from staying up way too late two nights in a row. I decided to drive however, to let Justin sleep off a little of his yuckiness. Within the first hour, we got the first sign that the rest of this trip was going to suck... We got a phone call that we had left all of our hang-up clothes back at the hotel in Brighton, MI. Greeeeeaaaaatt. An hour and a half later we start the trip again, with both of us being that much more cranky.

I have to say here that Justin has been the most amazing, supportive and perfect guy for this entire pregnancy, but today, well this was not his day. He was not in a "coddle-my-pregnant-wife" mood whatsoever and without boring you with the actual meat of the fight, I'll just tell you that it ended with me not talking to him for the remaining six hours of the trip. SIX HOURS. If you have met me even once, you know that me not talking for six hours is unthinkable, yet it happened. It really did.

So we pull up at our absolutely incredible, romantic hotel and Justin is trying his best to snap me out of the cold shoulder attitude from hell. He even asks for an upgrade to a room with a tub knowing that a bath would be the perfect thing for his tired and sore eight months pregnant wife. That was a no-go but usually the gesture would have been rewarded with some love from me, but not today buddy. I was like Stone Cold Steve Austin's evil twin. After getting up to the room we begin talking about dinner; well he is talking about dinner while I maintain a "I don't care where we eat" attitude. I know, real mature. Anyways, he gets it out of me that I'd like Italian, yet after finding out that pretty much every restaurant in good ole Louisville is closed on Sundays, we decide on Macaroni Grill.... because ya know, I didn't even care.

Pulling up to our anniversary dinner at a chain Italian restaurant we should have known... the parking lot was empty and I swear I saw a dust thingy roll by. But in we go, and there were surprisingly a few people in the restaurant. The hostess tries to seat us at a table, where I bitterly say I'd prefer a booth. Maybe she didn't like how I asked because I swear she sat us at the most uncomfortable booth on the planet. So as we sit really awkwardly in this booth from hell our server comes up and poor thing could already feel the tension. He asks for our drink orders as quickly as possible and runs off to get away from the really pissed off couple... well the really pissed off huge pregnant woman. He then brings us our waters, which are served in the sorriest little glasses I have ever seen (strike two) and while he is standing there I ask him where the Ravioli Formaggi is on the menu. "We don't have that on the menu anymore, mam". Oh. Hell. No. And this is where I crack... the last seven hours of me maintaining what I thought was a calm, collected but really super pissed off attitude then immediately turned into a pathetic, bawling mess of a pregnant woman. It was awkward.

I could go on for three more paragraphs about how terrible this meal was. Poor Justin, poor server and poor me. It was awful. We left after eating mere bites of our disgusting food and were driving back to the hotel when we decided to just quickly drive by and say hello to a friend who was also in town at the time. I mean its not like we were heading back to the hotel for nookie or anything so why not hang out with friends at a bar on your anniversary. We were on the road to the bar when the clouds parted a bit and God sent me a little angel.

As we were driving we spotted a sign that read Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen and I almost started crying again, but this time out of happiness. Justin, who was just happy to see me smiling for a change, immediately parked the car and we went in where I took approximately ten minutes to narrow my order to some homemade birthday cake ice cream, that had actual chunks of real yellow cake in it, and this little guy:

Note to anyone reading this: If you see a pregnant woman who is sad, give her a cookie monster just like this and all will be right in the world.

We ended up having a total blast with our friends that night, and when we came back to the hotel we were in love and happy again, which I guess is why we decided to pull out the camera and take the one picture we got of us from the entire trip. The next day was good too, well as far as "us" being good. As things continued to go wrong in the same fashion as the whole Macaroni Grill incident, we just laughed about it. We had planned to do some antiquing to find ourselves our usual anniversary gift (I forgot to mention that we always buy a gift for ourselves on each of our trips instead of buying individual gifts) but every single store in that damn city was closed. "Oh well", we said, "We'll just go to a cool restaurant to make up for a crappy dinner last night". Negatron. Every restaurant we wanted to try was closed. Still happy and in love though we decided to go to Texas Roadhouse as a kind of throw back to the place we met... sweet right. We head to the closest one which was in Indiana, believe it or not, got stuck in terrible traffic, decide to go to a different location in KY and when we roll up it was the freaking dust thingys again, yet this one was actually CLOSED! Seriously?! They didn't open until 4:00...

Things like this continued on all day but each time we only laughed a little harder and in a strange way it only made the whole day better. That's the thing with me and Justin, the world can be going to crap, but its all ok as long as we are "us", meaning that we aren't in a stand-off of crankiness. It was a lesson to try and take some things a little less seriously, because fights can be so dumb. I don't want to be quiet for that long ever again, because in those seven hours of me pouting, we probably missed out on some great things. I know fights will happen, but when they do, I want to try and resolve them quickly and move on to keep living this great little life. Love is so much more fun...

Looking back on how terrible this anniversary was I know that it was exactly what it was meant to be. As everything around us was going wrong, we could still look at each other and get that pit of your stomach raw feeling of happiness and just smile. To be more in love with every anniversary that passes, well, to me that is the greatest anniversary present of all.

I am so so lucky. Love you J.

proof that nesting is very real...

... and makes you very crazy.

This is our fridge. It may look normal from far away but what is that?! Is that a humungous list pinned up there?! Why yes, yes it is...

Remember that list I mentioned in a pregnancy update a week ago? Well this is it, displayed in full view of us everytime we walk past the refridgerator... and who am I kidding, with me being 8.5 months pregnant and Justin having intense sympathy hunger pains, well, we are around this little zone quite often. It must be working because in the week since its been up we seem to have crossed off a number of items! Although we keep adding them too... like for instance I just remembered we still have to buy the big mama-jama breast pump eventually. I'll go add that now before I forget...

Welcome to crazytown everyone...

Pregnancy Update - 36 Weeks

36 Weeks - 7.25.11

Wow look at my eyes... I guess stoner eyes can now also be called pregnant eyes. Whatever, I'm tired!

Onto the weekly update: 

How far along: 36 weeks 
Total weight gain/loss: I weighed myself this morning... I am now at 21 pounds gained! Ahhh... thats two pounds gained in one week! I hope this is ok and it's definitely going on my questions list for our OB appt. tomorrow... 
Maternity clothes: Dresses are becoming my best friend. 
Stretch marks: Still none but if I keep gaining at this rate I don't know if I'll make it the whole way! Ahh! 
Sleep: The latest and greatest night time fun has been night sweats. I get them almost every night around 3 am and I end up leaning into the freezer for about 5 minutes to cool off. I'm also hungry ALL THE TIME now so this usually ends up with me eating something while I'm standing in front of the freezer... Saturday night it was Oreos (because they were sitting right on the counter!... who leaves Oreos out on the counter with a 8.5 months pregnant woman in the house?!) and I guess I ate a lot because Justin had a heart attack when he saw the almost empty package. Aaand now the whole gaining two pounds last week is making a little more sense... 
Best moment this week: While at Wal-Mart yesterday, a complete stranger came up to tell me that I was one of the cutest pregnant people she had ever seen. I feel like this was a treat from God because at that moment I was feeling at my worst! I realized then that pregnant people need compliments from strangers because we feel so terrible that we honestly don't believe you if you are family or a friend trying to say something complimentary... you all have to be nice to us! 
Movement: I am much more used to his craziness now although when he tries to break out of my sides that still hurts like hell. 
Food cravings: I had a craving for cucumber water this week. We will probably be keeping this in the house for the rest of the summer. It's so refreshing!!! 
Food aversions: The textures of most meats are really grossing me out... Chicken, steak, pork... I can't eat any of it. 
Labor Signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks but nothing more. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in! 
What I miss: Laying on my stomach. 
What I am looking forward to: This weekend my parents and sister are coming in town to help us with some last minute stuff around the house and to also go to a shower being thrown by my BFFs in Clarksville. I am so so excited for the weekend to get here!!! 
Weekly Wisdom: Sunburns + Pregnancy = Misery... Wear a higher SPF!!! I went to the pool on Sat. for only two hours, and I even applied sunscreen twice! Still, I fried. I guess spf 15 doesn't stand a chance protecting a pasty girl like me... 
Milestones: Washing all of Tyson's clothes, sheets, etc! I have been DREADING this because I hate laundry more than anyone I have ever known... until now! With every little onesie it started to sink in more and more and I just had a blast looking through everything again. I even enjoyed matching up his socks! Who woulda thought!? It felt really good to get this part done and I feel like we are that much closer to being ready for our little man to get here!!!

Stay tuned for the big nursery reveal! We plan to get the last minute touches done this week and will get together a big post for yas then! It's coming together so well and we just love it!

trips to the park

One of our favorite things to do with our dogs, Boone & Rocky, is to take them to a local park just down the road from us. We would go to the dog park here but Rocky has some social issues (devil growls are kind of embarrassing in public) and Boone gets so distracted by the other dogs he doesn't get enough exercise to wear him out (if you have a lab or any other hyper dog you know that wearing them out is KEY to your personal sanity at home). The park is called Swan Lake Sports Complex and it is usually pretty empty aside from a random baseball practice or some informal tennis matches up at the courts area. There is SO much space for us to throw the ball to Boone and with it being pretty deserted usually, Rocky gets to run around off leash also and we don't have to watch him in fear of him provoking some other dog to kill him. Its the perfect set up and its always a fun time when we go here.

The whole routine starts with us filling up our water jug which is a tell tale sign to Boone that he is going to the park and he will immediately start running around the house freaking out with excitement of all the fun that he is about to have. Rocky also gets excited but he typically just runs downstairs and waits for us since he is the smarter of the two and just wants to make sure he doesn't get left behind because of said social issues. Once we all get downstairs, we get the leashes on the dogs, and make them wait by the door while we get the 4 Runner all opened up and ready for them. Once they're in, they poke their heads out the back window and we're off!

 The drive is just as much fun as the actual park time to them and one of my favorite things ever is seeing the drivers behind us smile at the sight of two dogs enjoying life so much. Once we get there and scope out the situation (how many people are around and if everyone would be cool with us turning this family sports park into our personal doggie playground) we let the pups out and start the fun.

The area we go to is a little benched sitting area around a memorial garden and we set up shop there with the water bowl and our huge water jug. The time is usually spent with Justin and I laughing at our dogs, talking about random things, and just enjoying the outdoors. Sometimes I'll walk around and say hi to a stray dog that lives there or I'll sit up on the hill and watch Justin try to get Boone to catch the ball in his mouth from a hundred feet away. We both will take turns throwing the ball to Boone with our much loved Chuckit and a few times we'll make sure to include Rocky and throw it to him too, although he is usually content with just rolling around in the grass and peeing on random bushes.

Boone is our tennis ball obsessed baby and his enthusiasm for this game is neverending. We usually cut him off at a very specific time that is expressed when his breathing starts to have a wheezing sound and he slows his pace when returning to us with the ball. Although there have been a few times that he cuts himself off and will walk straight to the car and lay down as if saying "allright Mom & Dad, I'm done", he typically would play with that dang ball for way longer than we can stand.

The trip home is much different than the ride there. Instead of hyper excited dogs shoving their heads out the back windows we have two dogs laid out in the back of our truck, drooling all over every surface. The time it takes them to get back into the house is almost quadrupled from the time it took them to get out to the car from the house. And the stairs from the basement... thats the best part! Boone will always stop at the bottom, look up, then look at us as if we would ever carry his 85 lb. butt, then back up at the stairs. He usually takes a good "come on Boone, let's go!" before starting his unbearable walk up to the kitchen and once upstairs he falls flat out on the wood floor by the front door. This is our biggest reward... seeing our pups so tuckered out we know the next 24 hours are going to be quiet and easy with calm cuddly dogs.

Its a fun little routine that I'm sure I told in WAY too much detail but its a really special thing for us. It's times like these that we cherish and love and we are so grateful for the freedom and time to make these memories together. I only hope that when Tyson gets here we will still be able to sit back and soak up life's simplest moments with as much gusto as we do now. Life is just way too short to do it any other way...

snack time

This is one of our favorite snacks these days... a bowl of strawberries, a jar of nutella and a glass of ice cold milk. Here is the process: Fork dipped into nutella, fork picks up strawberry, fork into mouth.... rinse with milk and repeat. Uh... YUM!

there is something scary in the backseat!

Yesterday when I got home from work, Justin told me he had something scary to show me. Anytime anyone says anything about something being scary my very first words are "is it a snake?!". Once they roll their eyes and say no I can start breathing again and so as Justin reassured me he was not about to show me a snake I followed him down to our driveway. This is where he proceeded to open the door to our 4Runner and show me our baby boy's car seat all attached and ready to go.

We both stood there a little bug eyed for a second then looked at each other with our classic "oh, shit" faces. After another second we both relaxed and began to smile at each other as we realized this is really happening... we are weeks away from having our little man in our arms.

Its a mix of happiness, terror, anxiousness and love and we are just trying to enjoy this crazy time in our lives before things are about to explode into a whole different reality. There are plenty of times, though, that this doesn't even feel real. I will completely forget that I am even pregnant at certain points throughout the day and when I see myself in the mirror I have to do a double take. Today though I have had plenty of reminders. Every time I turn around in the car and see this:

... Well it all comes rushing in and my eyes bug out and I may or may not even curse out loud in shock. It never fails, though, that those scared emotions ease off and it always ends with a smile. This is really happening and we absolutely cannot wait!

Pregnancy Update - 35 Weeks

Ok so I didn't get around to posting about our roadtrip last week and to be honest I might not ever get to it... The reason is because this last week I unleashed my inner crazy and made one HUGE to-do list of things I'd like to get done before Tyson arrives. Anyone who knows me won't be the least bit surprised to hear it was complete with broken down categories and plenty of extra lines for new additions as I think of them.

The best part of this slightly psychotic list issue of mine, is that I am married to a man who doesn't cringe or roll his eyes when I walk up to him with my printed out two page list of line items for us to do. He probably knows that many of the things on the list are ridiculous, like to fix a pipe out in the middle of our yard (what does this have to do with being ready for a baby?!) but instead of calling me out for it, he simply goes to one of the things he agrees with and says, "ok lets install this fan right now".

I am so so lucky to have such an amazing and supportive husband and I cannot wait to see this guy as a Dad...

Justin practicing putting the Pack N Play together - 7.16.11

Alright enough of the mushy stuff... onto the weekly update!

35 Weeks - 7.18.11

How far along: 35 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: over 19 lbs. gained! Yall I'm gaining about a pound a week! Yikes!

Maternity clothes: I am officially done with my pre-pregnancy pants. My bum and hips are expanding and there is no belly band strong enough to hold my pants in place anymore. This also means my undies are all becoming thongs as we speak... I feel like I am exploding!

Stretch marks: Justin spotted "the line" last night... you know that line that some women get from their belly button down... I happen to not notice it, although to be honest I can't even see below my belly button without using a mirror. So la la la.... ignorance is bliss!

Sleep: Although I just doted on my wonderful Justin above, I have to admit that our nightly routines are becoming more and more hostile with me wanting to literally kick him onto the floor. I'm sure we look like 3 yr. olds complaining: - me: "MOVE OVER!, STOP SNORING!" justin: "I'M ON MY SIDE, STOP ELBOWING ME!" Its a mess... We talked this morning about how we ever used to sleep comfortably before this and its 100% because I am the heaviest sleeper on the planet... that is when I don't have a football player inside me practicing drills and indigestion and acid reflux preventing me from breathing... oh yeah and leg cramps all night and peeing every hour.... aaaand can you tell I'm a sleep deprived cranky ass right now?!

Best moment this week: Putting together our stroller and pack n play. This had to be the funniest thing to ever witness and one of our good friends, Ann, happened to get to see it. I'm sure we both looked like monkeys playing with blocks as we wiggled and smacked buttons trying to release some portion of the contraption. I'd like to think we are both fairly smart people, but these things gave us a run for our money! Thank goodness for the illustrations in the directions and lots and lots of time! It took us about an hour for each item and we have to admit we used knives and other non kid-friendly tools to get things to do what we wanted. We'll keep practicing though!

Movement: Still going crazy!

Food cravings: Avocados sound so good to me now! Yum!

Food aversions: I usually love spicy stuff but its just not worth the pain of the indigestion anymore. I've taken them off the list! 

Labor Signs: None thank goodness :)

Belly Button in or out? We really don't think it's gonna make it till the end... when I laugh it almost comes half way out! Ugh its so weird!!!

What I miss: An ice cold brewskie on a hot summer day.

What I am looking forward to: Running/Working out... I can't wait to really get to push myself and get that energetic feeling after going to the gym.

Weekly Wisdom: "It is important to keep in mind that our bodies must work pretty well, or there wouldn't be so many humans on the planet." - Ina May Gaskin (Ina May's Guide to Childbirth) It sounds so simple but its so true. This book is really changing the way I think about pain and childbirth... it's pretty interesting!

Milestones:This isn't a milestone but Justin is in full on "It could happen any minute mode". Anytime I squeal or make a noise or anything he comes running. I love this as he has never been a very quick responder to anything. I, however, am not feeling any inkling of things happening anytime soon so I have been trying to tell him to relax and that we have quite a while left to go :) 5 more weeks! Ahhh!

We'll leave yall with some fun outtakes from todays bump photo session... we usually get a few laughs out of each other every time :)

Pregnancy Update - 34 Weeks

34 Weeks - 7.12.11
Boone decided to make an appearance in this one

I'm pretty sure everyone reading this is fully aware of the beyond ridiculous heat wave we are having right now, right?! Well I don't know about you but I am OVER IT! A 110 degree heat index + an 8 mo. pregnant woman = the worst combination EVER! My feet and ankles are swollen, I have been sweating in places I didn't know was possible, and my level of exhaustion has reached new heights. Lets just say I am a whiny annoying mess at the moment...

I do, however, have many fun things to tell you all about and hopefully I will get to it this week. We had a great long vacation this past weekend that included our road trip up to Michigan to celebrate the wedding of our good friends Amanda & Lee. We got to see great friends and had a blast and we were so so excited to see another wonderful couple join the married peeps club! We then stopped in Louisville, KY on the way home to dedicate some time celebrating our own marriage for our 2 yr. wedding anniversary that was yesterday. It was a hilarious series of unfortunate events and I can't wait to share with you our time there that we have dubbed our lemon anniversary.

So as soon as I quit whining about the heat long enough to sit down and write, I will be posting about all our fun on our weekend adventure on the road. It will be sure to bring some laughs... Until then here is the weekly pregnancy update!

34 Weeks - 7.12.11

How far along: 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: almost 18 lbs. gained I think... honestly I haven't even gotten on the scale this week but I'm sure I've gained something... I feel HUGE!

Maternity clothes: My maternity jeans are my best friends... I actually roll them up sometimes as capris and get a two for one special!

Stretch marks: Still nothing and still applying the Vit. E oil every night.

Sleep: The sleepless nights are starting to be caused more because of my need to pee so much... I have to wake up every hour or two to go to the bathroom. Its getting old already!

Best moment this week: Our very good friends had their baby this last Thursday and it was by far the best moment of our week! Steph and I have kind of been preggo buddies since we were only 3 weeks apart in our due dates (she had Tenley a bit early) so when she went into labor and had her sweet baby girl it definitely kicked things into a whole other level for us. It's scarier, but really its just more exciting than anything!

Movement: Tyson is a MESS! I am getting more and more used to being punched constantly from the inside out, though, and it is comforting to know he is ok and moving around a lot.

Food cravings: Water! In this heat all I want is water!

Food aversions: Anything warm makes me want to hurl... I'm just so hot all the time I need cool refreshing foods. 

Labor Signs: I had a fit of Braxton Hicks last Saturday at our friends wedding. It was uber hot outside and I had definitely over exerted myself and started to get the contractions back to back. It was a little scary for a minute since going into labor in freaking Michigan would have been TERRIBLE but after a few I knew they were just Braxton Hicks since they really weren't painful at all. After many many glasses of water and a little siesta on a couch (thanks Christine!) I was all better!

Belly Button in or out? Still in but its gettin close. Justin plugs it when I laugh because he says it looks like it is gonna pop out any second... its pretty hilarious which makes me laugh even more.

What I miss: I used to be a fairly level headed and chill person and now I am just a crazy mess. I cry over the stupidest things and sometimes I will flip out on people for no reason like some crazy person. I definitely miss my old personality... this crazy chick is no fun!

What I am looking forward to: I'm getting more and more anxious to just hold my little man. I've never wanted anything more...

Weekly Wisdom: This may be kind of gross but last week I took a breastfeeding class taught by the lactation consultant at our local hospital. For someone who knew very little about this I had been super nervous and confused by so much of what I had heard so far, but this class was amazing! I can't even try to pick out one specific piece of wisdom she gave us because there were so many, but I would recommend to anyone to take the classes offered by hospitals for things like this because at the end of the day, knowledge replaces fear. So yeah... that's my wisdom... :)

Milestones: I finally gave into my exhaustion... I am one of those people that never likes to miss any of the fun and so far I've pushed myself to stay awake and do everything I can to keep up with all my friends and Justin in their late nights and partying (well I wasn't drinking of course). This Sat., though, I had to back down and take a nap IN THE MIDDLE OF A WEDDING! I never thought I would ever do something like that but every ounce of my body was screaming at me to back off and rest and with the persuasion of a wise friend and super momma I went inside and laid down until I felt up to finishing the party... and by finishing the party I mean watching everyone dance while I sat with my feet up. I guess the point is that my priorities have officially shifted and my health and my baby are now number one above everything else. I guess this is me turning into a Momma!!! That's quite a milestone I think!

oh, burger!

This last weekend, Justin made an amazing burger for me... there is just nothing like a man that can grill up a tasty burger, right?! It was absolutely delicious and although no amount of Zantac and Tums could prevent my indigestion after eating it, it was still totally worth it. Let us know if you try it and like it!

The Mesa Grill Burger

  The Mesa Grill Burger with Double Cheddar Cheese,

Grilled Vidalia Onion and Horseradish Mustard

From "Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook" by Bobby Flay. Makes 4 burgers.

Ingredients
1/4     cup dijon mustard
1    tablespoon prepared horseradish, drained
1    large Vidalia onion, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
2    tablespoons canola oil
     Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2    pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean)
8    slices cheddar cheese (each 1/4-inch thick), preferably a mix of white and yellow
4    sesame seed hamburger buns
4    slices beefsteak tomato
4    lettuce leaves

Directions
- Whisk together the mustard and horseradish in a small bowl; set aside.
- Preheat a grill to high or a grill pan over high heat.
- Brush the onion slices with the oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onion slices for 3   to 4 minutes on each side, until lightly golden brown.
- While the onion is grilling, form the meat into 4 burgers. Season the burgers on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium. Add 2 slices of cheese to the top of each burger, cover the grill, and let melt, about 1 minute.
- Place the bugers on the buns sandwiched with onion, tomato, lettuce and a dollop of horseradish mustard.

Pregnancy Update - 33 Weeks

Ok so I know you can't really see my belly at all in these pictures but I was so tired and looking like poo so by the time we said screw it and I went down to my tank top to show the size of the bump, I looked terrible! This is why I have shoved that little picture down at the bottom... but beware... I look rough!
 
How far along: 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: almost 17 lbs. gained

Maternity clothes: I realized last night while packing for a wedding this weekend that maternity dresses are stupid. The one I bought for a wedding in May is still so huge on me that there is no way I would leave the house in it. All my other dresses work just fine... well the ones that cover up my chest, which actually does not fit into over half of my pre-pregnancy dresses. So I guess there is a balance... you just have to find dresses that fit your pregnant body but there is no need to get special maternity ones until you absolutely need them. Lesson learned.

Stretch marks: Still none, thank jeebus.

Sleep: Justin wakes up around 4 am for work and one morning he leaned over to feel my belly and Tyson was of course playing some version of Dance Dance Revolution so I was pretty awake. Justin was shocked and asked "How do you sleep with him doing this?!" Answer... "Uh, I don't... hence the tired all day long thing".

Best moment this week: Hanging up Tyson's little clothes. I definitely got a bit emotional... I just cannot wait to hold his little butt!

Movement: He is still going crazy in there... I think maybe he is running out of room and he is rebelling. He will get into these little corners of my sides and I'll contort and gasp like an idiot. Its pretty painful actually so I'm not as in love with these types of movements.

Food cravings: Dr. Pepper. I think it might have something to do with that I am so tired all the time now and just one lil ol Dr. Pepper seems to fix everything! I crave the caffeine I guess, which I know is bad for pregnant ladies, but one every day or so won't kill me... right?!

Food aversions: Chicken... I am so over chicken. Unless its fried chicken of course... 

Labor Signs: Still no more Braxton Hicks... I'm hoping this is ok and I'll be asking our doctor this Friday at our next appointment.

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss: Being active and running up and down stairs without feeling like I could pass out. I've always been one of those 'take your stairs two at a time' people but now I literally have to stop halfway sometimes. I hate this and cannot wait to have my physical energy back... 

What I am looking forward to: Sushi! I want tons of crazy raw sushi! With a crap ton of wasabi too because I know this indigestion is going to totally go away when I'm not pregnant right... ;) A girl can hope...

Weekly Wisdom: To sleep as much as I can. Everyone keeps saying this as one of their biggest lessons learned, and last Sunday, when Justin tried to give me a hard time for sleeping in, this is exactly what I may or may not have screamed at him. I think some other wisdom should be to try and be nice to your husbands even when you feel like a hormonal mess...

Milestones: Going through the huge mound of clothes, sheets, blankets and toys that were in Tyson's crib. We still have a lot to do to wash and put everything away but we threw out two huge bags of just packaging materials if that tells you anything about the scale of this project. We can see his crib mattress again!

33 Weeks - 7.5.11

the 4th in Clarksville

If you know Justin and I, you know that we tend to spend many of our holidays on the road visiting family and friends. To us a three day weekend equals the perfect opportunity to drive up to Chicago or to a lake in Alabama but when it comes to the 4th, there is absolutely no place we would rather be than Clarksville, TN. Why, you say? Well because we have this crazy, ridiculous lack of any laws preventing fireworks in the city. We don't know about most places, but our hometowns of Roanoke and Knoxville most definitely do not allow any sort of fireworks to be set off unless it is by professionals at a specific organized event. I do remember being really naughty one year and setting off roman candles from a friends house and to us that was seriously living on the edge. Here in Clarksville, though, roman candles are for sissies.

For the entire month of June, fireworks stands pop up on almost every street corner, where people stock up on hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of fun. Friday through Monday, yes that is four nights worth, the sounds of big box fireworks filled the air from dusk until ten or eleven at night. We happen to live in a pretty wooded area so its hard to see, but thank goodness my next door neighbor decided to set off a couple from his driveway. The other nights we drove to other friends houses with better views to simply sit back and watch the night sky with fireworks going off from all angles. I wish I had remembered to bring my camera but trust me... its amazing. These are HUGE fireworks and as long as you don't think about the skill levels of the people setting them off, you can just sit back and enjoy this lovely tradition that I have never experienced in any other place.

We have never in our lives enjoyed the fourth like we have these last years in Clarksville. The happiness, joy and pride you feel when you see a landscape scattered with hundreds of gorgeous fireworks is unparalleled. I don't know what it is... maybe its the fact that we are in a military town and that many of the people actually setting them off and having so much fun of their own are the people who have personally served overseas recently. Seeing our nation's soldiers and their families on a daily basis in Clarksville give us daily reminders of the sacrifices they make and of the gratitude we feel to have our freedom. These emotions are only heightened on the 4th of July and then the beautiful displays of all that excitement in the form of fireworks just plaster smiles on our faces permanently.

We both love this holiday weekend, and we love our country and all the amazing people serving and protecting our freedoms. Happy Birthday America!

weekend plans

Our big task this weekend is to get all of Tyson's things put away and organized in his room. I don't know if we have been putting this off because we are lazy or if things will get that much more real when we are sorting out socks and onesies...

the crib piled high with clothes and other goodies - 6.30.11

And just for fun here is a little sneak peek of the nursery I got when playing around with taking more pictures of the belly in the mirror.

 32w 3d - 6.30.11