Confessional Friday: {Link-Up}

Ready to do some confessing? I sure am. Let's go!

1. I confess that I'm less than thrilled for another three hour road trip this weekend. We're heading to Little Rock for one of Stephen's friend's wedding and it's at that point in the pregnancy where riding in a car for longer than an hour is super uncomfortable. #guh

2. I confess that sometimes it scares me how tight and stretch my stomach feels by the end of the day. We were laying in bed last night and I asked Stephen, "Do you think it's possible for someone's stomach to just rip right open?" He got quiet for a second, like he was really deep in thought. "Well, I don't think so,"he said, "but if you're worried, we can ask Dr. D in a couple of weeks." Then he proceeded to roll right back over and go to sleep. So matter of fact, that man of mine : )

3. I confess that I really, really want these shoes. I am positively obsessed with the Sam & Libby for Target line and have already purchased two different styles (and they're both SO comfy and cute!) But, I don't have these. And I want them badly.

4. I confess that I'm over-the-moon excited for the return of HBO's True Blood in a couple of weeks. Bring on the crazy plot lines and ridiculous characters!

5. I confess that my eyeglasses are in such bad shape, I've taken to wearing Stephen's ancient glasses from college. I really need to make an eye appointment, but I loathe going to the eye doctor. I just need to suck it up and do it already before I go completely blind.

6. I confess that I have an irrational fear of being struck by lightning.

7. I confess that I nearly died last weekend when Stephen and I took Ruby out to the bathroom at my parents' farm and almost stepped on a Copperhead snake! Ruby barked and all the sudden, we saw its coiled body, all slithery and vile. My heart stopped momentarily, I am quite positive.

What's on your minds, bunnies?

Bumpdate: {20 Weeks}

I am officially halfway through this pregnancy – woohoo! 

We took this photo about five minutes ago and I just realized Ruby was in it - ha! Dress from Savoir-Faire - post coming Monday.

Weight Loss/Gain?  I am back up to pre-pregnancy weight! It may have taken me 20 weeks to do it, but I did it. Morning sickness (i.e. all day sickness) is the worst and it really took a toll on my body. I am elated to be back to my normal weight and actually (albeit slowly) feeling the sensation of hunger again. 

Cravings:  I’ll take a cold salad over a hot plate of food any day of the week. I think this has more to do with the weather getting hotter than the baby, though. I’m eating a lot of fruit for snacks – mostly watermelon and strawberries. And I’m all about meat! Steak, chicken, whatever.

Favorite Moment this Week: Reaching the halfway point! We also know the (tentative) date that Caroline will be officially making her arrival, since I am having a C-section, (due to my heart history.) Pretty neat to be able to know her (maybe) official birthday this far in advance!

Funniest Moment this Week: Having a lady start doling out baby advice to me. I asked her how many kids she’d had, (I was tired of listening to her “pearls of wisdom” and thought I'd see just how "experienced" she really was.) She answered, “Oh, none yet. I just read a lot.”

Bless her heart.

Sleeping: I sleep pretty well until around 4:00 a.m. each morning, then I’m fully awake…and fully in pain. It’s the darn round ligament pain rearing its vicious head.  

Clothes: Regular clothes, but I love how they look a bit different on a pregnant body. I’m carrying a bit lower than at first, so it may take a little longer for the bump to really pop. I’m sure at that point I’ll invest in some maternity pants.

Most looking forward to: Buying lots more outfits like this sweet smocked dress and britches that Caroline’s Nanna and Poppa (my mom and dad) bought for her. In other news, her Nanna and Poppa are just a tad excited to welcome their first grandbaby : )

Stephen wanted me to let y'all know that HE bought that matching cardigan, though. 

Her Aunt Sarah also ordered her some bloomers and a bow. I got a sneak peek of the bow in a text pic yesterday. And subsequently, fainted from cuteness:

I think the good Lord knew that I needed a baby girl due to my love of shopping and clothing ; ) 
Stephen also thinks this is the reason the same good Lord gave him a promotion back in April, haha!

Happy Birthday Ari!

Handsome birthday boy

We have a very special guy turning six years old today! He’s big, he’s furry and he has a heart of gold. Yes, he may look intimidating, but let me tell you, this guy is one BIG 120 lb. teddy bear. And his name is Ari.

Enjoying his birthday boat trip

He has the sweetest temperament, too. Just last night, we watched him sniff of a toad on the back porch. Most dogs would chase it off, or bark, or growl, but not our tender hearted Ari. He just sniffed Mr.Toad and gently nudged him back into the yard.

Hanging out with his dad

He is our ever-present guard dog who, coincidentally, saved Stephen from being mauled by two Airedales one time. He took quite a beating from that mess and the police said Stephen would have been very badly hurt if our sweet boy hadn’t intervened.

He is also my constant jogging partner and, let me tell you, no one has ever stopped to mess with me when he’s around ; ) Of all the dogs I've known in my lifetime, this guy might be the sweetest and most well-behaved.

We are grateful for another year spent with our gentle giant - Ari. We love you very much big guy. 

P.S.- If anyone out there is looking for a great family dog, we would highly recommend the German Shepherd breed. They are AMAZING with our little niece and nephews and such gentle, loving dogs. Email me if you have any questions! We are major advocates for GS!

Caroline's Nursery Inspiration

I'll be honest, I haven't done a terribly large amount of work on the nursery yet. (Okay, so I've done absolutely nothing. And Caroline's nursery is currently still an office.) I'm feeling super inspired this week though, and I think it's time to get our rears in gear on our baby girl's special room.

I fell in love with the Baby Cache Chantal Convertible Crib in Linen with the matching Chantal dresser from Baby's 'R Us. I think we'll be ordering both this weekend!

As far as bedding, a Twitter/blog friend shared Serena and Lily's amazing site with me and I fell in love with the Tess Crib Collection. Those muted colors, that damask print...swoon.

I also LOVED the Blue and Taupe Paisley Crib Set from bedding.com. It is exactly what I feel like a sweet baby girl's nursery should be: sweet, subtle and chic.

As far as a color palette, I want lots of very muted colors: soft grays, creamy whites, burlap browns and the palest of pinks.

And yes, we'll be installing a chandelier. It was a must for a baby girl's room, which I said from the get-go.

A few nurseries I spotted on Pinterest that inspired the colors:

What inspired your children's nurseries? Or what is inspiring your future baby's nursery (if you're at that stage in life)?