Happy New Year

Only one hour left of 2007. Bryan and I are a low-key pair tonight. Bryan came down with a stomach virus this morning and has been in bed all day. Me being pregnant, I am more than happy to join him in laying around. Bummer we had to cancel our get-together for this evening. We pretty much always have a New Year's Eve party so it is kinda weird sitting at home just the two of us. We are going to break out the sparkling cider here in a bit. This will by far be the cheapest New Year's we have had in a loooong time. We can put the small fortune we usually spend on booze and appetizers toward something grown up like a new dining room table or a crib for the baby boy. :)

This has been a good year for us. It certainly has had its high points here toward the end. Gosh, looking back it is hard to remember all that has happened. I started out the year wanting to change a major problem for me- my weight. It wasn't a New Year's resolution because I just don't believe in those things. Never seems to stick. This was more of something I needed to do. I'm proud to say I lost 39 pounds this year and am in the best shape of my life (well, pre-pregnancy).



Heather and I running our first 5k

Bryan and I have done a lot of traveling this year and have gotten some good beach-time. We love the beach. If we aren't at the beach when we are on vacation, then it just doesn't really feel like vacation. Two trips we took this summer were particularly fun- Panama City beach with our families and California with Bryan's family. Mmmm, gives me a sunshine hankering just thinking about it.



PCB Memorial Day Weekend



California on Bryan's Aunt and Uncle's awesome boat

Bryan's sister got married this summer to a really great guy. Their wedding was beautiful and a true expression of who they are. Beth was a gorgeous bride and her dress was perfect on her. We had a lot of fun going up to Athens for the weekend. They seem really happy which is so nice to see. I think since I love being married, it just makes me really happy to see other happily married couples. I don't know- I'm just a true romantic at heart. I like the happy endings.

When I think about the year in general, Bryan and I had a lot of fun. We knew that a baby was close in our future and I think we wanted to make the most of every moment just the two of us. We are so ready for this baby but we also love hanging out just us. Some of my favorite times this year were Saturday nights at La Fonda (a cuban restaurant that has tasty, cheap margaritas). We would head over there after I got off work and have dinner and drinks and just talk and talk. I love that.

The next year is sure to bring a ton of excitement and change for us and our family. It is hard for me to imagine what it will be like. I have seen so many friends and family go through this baby thing, but I think it is different when it is US going through it! :) I can't wait to see what this little guy looks like and to experience all that he will bring to our lives.

Hopefully, we will be starting off the new year with a last hurrah beach vacation in February. We aren't sure where yet- looking for suggestions. Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean? Somewhere beautiful and relaxing.

Well, Happy New Year to all. I'm so grateful for all of you- wonderful friends and family. May the New Year be a beautiful one.

And the sex is...

It's a BOY! I'm going to officially make this the first and last time I ever post my child's privates on the Internet. But, for proof, here's his little pee-pee.


This has been a most amazing day. I couldn't believe it was finally here when we woke up this morning to go to the doctor. Our appointment was at 9am and it was raining cats and dogs outside. We made it safely to the office, even a little early. Here's the proud parents in the waiting room.



We brought our friend Joy along with us- she's in town from Virginia. I wanted her to share our special day because she's usually so far away and she is way excited about this little guy. Makes me feel so loved. We were also joined by Mom, Bill and Cathy-Mom (Bryan's Mom). They will now be referred to as Granny, Pop, and Mimi. :) I like all of their Grandparent names. So cute. Anyway, Bryan and I went in the room first and got to see all of the imaging for the measurements (head, crown-to-rump, heart, spine, etc). We were so happy to see him there on the monitor. I don't know what it is about being newly pregnant, but sometimes it is hard to believe that there is actually a baby in there. It is just mind-boggling to see his little body growing right there inside of mine. So neat. He looked great and the technician was very complimentary. :) What a reassurance to know things are going well and he's growing like a champ. Hard to believe just 10 short weeks ago he was only the size of a peanut and now he looks like this.
I know it is a little hard to tell, but he's quite handsome. We got to take home a DVD of the entire session which is really great. At one point, we are seeing his profile and he is moving his jaw up and down while holding his hand in front of his face. He tries and tries and finally gets his little hand to his mouth. I loved it! It is amazing the detail you can see in an ultrasound. When all the measuring was complete, we were able to bring Granny and Mimi into the room. They were both so happy to see him and needless to say, a few tears were shed. Again, we feel so loved. I'm relishing the day and all of the special things that happened.
After we saw the doctor, we went to the waiting room to share the news with Pop and Joy. They were so happy to hear the news.
I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas and Birthday present than this holiday. We have had a lot of great family and friends time since Thanksgiving. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful group of people surrounding us and supporting us. I can't wait to introduce this boy to our loved ones.

PS- He's probably going to be named Cooper. But, we are keeping an open mind. :)

December

Wow, it is already December 5th! Goodness. We received our first Christmas card in the mail today. I love getting actual mail in the mailbox. The virtual kind is nice but the paper kind is so much nicer. I am in stage 1 of getting our cards out- get cards out of storage. Check. I always buy them 50% off the previous year so it is always a surprise to me what they look like when I pull them out. Kinda fun. We've been doing a photo card for the last couple of years, which is pretty fun. I don't always get around to writing much in the card so I feel that the photo in some way makes up for that. :) Right? At least people can see that we are relatively healthy- ie we still have our heads and teeth. Now, just gotta get dolled up and take that photo.

In baby news, we will be finding out the sex of our child (at least that's what I think is in there) on December 28th. The day before my 30th birthday. I can't think of a present any better than that. I'm pretty excited! I'm thinking that it might be a boy. The only indication being a dream that I had over Thanksgiving that I had a cute little 2 year old boy wearing a white turtleneck (would I really put him in a turtleneck?) and navy corduroy pants. In the dream, I put both of my hands on either side of his face and pulled him really close to mine- to try to see what/who he looked like. As dreams go, I of course could see nothing. Oh well, guess I will have to wait til he's born! Anyway, Bryan keeps calling it a he as well. So, we will be kinda shocked if it is actually a girl. I'm thrilled either way! Stay tuned for baby names.

I can't wait for vacation to start! I'm working until the 21st and then will have the rest of the year off! I like saying it that way because it makes it sound like a reallllly long time. I'm actually really looking forward to New Year's Eve. We are going to be low-key and stay home with just a few friends. I want to make some fun and yummy appetizers and just hang out and talk and watch the ball drop. I already bought beverages for myself- sparkling cider on super sale- grand total $3.40. New Year's hasn't been this cheap since 11th grade Boone's Farm buzz. Yee-haw.

Thanks to all my pals who have stopped by to read my blog. It makes it more fun to blog and keeps me motivated! Shout-out to all of my outta state or outta country readers! I love you guys! Can't wait to see you around the holidays if you are coming to Georgia. Here's one of my out-of-staters but I'm not sure she's a reader of mine yet. I just miss her.

Out with the Turkey in with the Tree

Turkey Day has come and gone. As is the case with any of my favorite moments, it has all gone by so quickly. We ate and we ate. And then we ate some more. All together we had 3 turkey dinners (not including leftover dinners) this year. The first was at our house last sunday. The 2nd was at my Dad and Stepmom's in Ohio (see photo of beautiful farm below). And the 3rd was at Bryan's Grandmother's home on the Tennessee River. All three were so fun and special- each in their own way.

Our turkey turned out yummy and on time. Two things that I most worry about for the turkey. Yay! I had a preggo-brain moment when I was purchasing the turkey and bought a bird that was actually twice the size we needed. Ooops. It was HUGE- 24lbs! I was thinking it was 2lbs per person when in reality it should be 1lb per person. My brain is not right. Everything turned out beautiful and it was a fun afternoon.



Dad's was also fun. We split the drive to Ohio this time and stayed in a hotel on the way there. That was nice. We had free breakfast at the hotel which I loved! You know, I gotta eat when I wake up these days and this place had SO much to choose from. I like variety. My stomach is tough to please currently so it is nice to have choices. It helps when those choices include make-it-yourself waffles! Yum! And all the OJ I could chug. Which is a lot. I'm in love with citrus right now. Wow, enough about the breakfast. It was wonderful to see the Ohio family. Grandma was doing great. I love seeing her. Linda made a feast for us. She is a great cook and such a warm, loving person. We are all so lucky to have her in the family. She takes care of Grandma like she is her own mother. And loves me like a daughter. :) Brett (stepbro) and his wife Gretchen were there also and it is always fun talking to them and getting to know them better. I'm not sure when I'll be back up to Ohio with this baby and all. It seems weird that some of my family will probably never see me when I am big and pregnant.



Bryan's family is always a hoot. He has so many aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. that there is never a dull moment. They love to play cards and games; so do I. We always play this card game called Maneuvers. It is a blast and is considered an initiation to the family if you can survive a game. Even better if you are any good at it. We also were able to tell the family in person about our babe. It was so fun! They were all sooo excited. They love family and are ready to welcome another Kelley into the world. I can't wait for them to meet him or her. We slept at Grandmother's house for the first time ever. We usually stay at an aunt and uncle's house. We must be grown up if we are staying in "the big house" now. Here's me butting in front of the buffet line since I'm pregnant. I think I was first in line at all turkey dinners this year. :)


Tuesday was the birth of my cousin's baby, Isabella Grace. Happy birthday, little girl. You are a cutie. Congratulations, Sara and Tommy!

We came back home sweet home today. Vacation was wonderful and relaxing this time but I was excited to come home! Especially since we went to pick out our Christmas tree today. Yippee! I LOVE LOVE x-mas and the tree. We went down to Fayetteville to the tree farm but ended up with a fir from out of state. They don't grow here so the farmers always import some for people like me and Bryan. We thought about cutting down a Leyland Cypress but were totally distracted by the beautiful firs. I made Bryan play the requisite Christmas tunes while we decorated it. Bryan is in charge of lights, me the ornaments. Up top is a picture of the beauty.

The day before early Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is early turkey day at our house. We are leaving Tuesday night to head up to Ohio and Tennessee for the holiday, so we are having dinner here tomorrow with the Georgia family. Last year was the first year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house. It was really fun. I love to cook and have people over so it is a blast for me to host it. I was sitting here o the couch thinking how I need to get up and make the brine for the turkey, so I thought I'd get on the computer and blog instead. :)

Tomorrow I am making only: turkey, mac-n-cheese (yummy Flying Biscuit recipe), and stuffing. I've asked the rest of the guests to pitch in and bring some sides. It is fun to make some stuff but not be overwhelmed with making everything. Plus, I get to taste new things that people bring and everyone gets to feel like they have contributed. I always feel better when I can show up to a party with something in my hand; but maybe that is just me and everyone else wishes they didn't have to cook!

I love the holidays. There are so many reasons why:
Family time- seeing loved ones near and far, sitting around relaxing and enjoying eachother
Food- cooking always seems so loving to me (thank you Grandma) and I love the warmth it conveys
Time- we all work so hard and it seems like it is the one time of year when we are all forgiven for working a little less and
being with friends and family more
Decorations- the remind me to enjoy the season, to just be happy
Generosity- we all can use an excuse to give to others, to think about somebody else's needs
Presents- let's be honest! presents are just fun!

The baby on the way seems to make this all even more lovely than usual. I'm thrilled to have our families and friends so excited and we get to talk about the baby during the holidays. I wonder what our holidays will be like next year with the baby here? I look forward to finding out!

Our Big News

Well, I'm still a crappy poster. Surprise. I've been reading all of my friends and family blogs and feel inspired to write something. I was especially inspired by my cousin, Sara, because her blog is so much fun for me to read. She's far away and having a baby any day now. I miss her and love feeling more connected to her through the blog. So, Sara, thanks for the inspiration.

Now to the title of this entry. Our big news...Bryan and I have a little babe on the way. I am 11 weeks and 1 day today. I can't believe it. We are so excited. I actually wrote an entry about the first week after we found out, but alas, I am a goof and deleted it on accident. I was typing it on my itty bitty iPhone and then poof! I deleted it.

We found out about our little babe on September 29th. Bryan and I were suppose to go out with Seth and Emily that night, so I took a pregnancy test because I wanted to be sure I could safely have a few drinks. I came home from work and took the test. And...it was sort of positive. Talk about ambiguous! Emily was certain there could be no false positive- only false negatives! Seth and Emily were so excited! It took taking a test 2 days later for me and Bryan to really believe it. Even still, it was weeks before it truly sank in.

The next couple of weeks we told our close friends and family. It has been so much fun telling everyone. It is really awesome to see everyone's reaction. I wanted to do something really special to tell our Mothers. So, I made them each a newborn onesie. My Mom's had a #6 on it and Bryan's Mom's had a #1 on it. The numbers represent what grandchild baby Kelley will be for them. As you can see, my Mother is a pro by now. She was still sooo excited. This is Bryan's Mom's first. The look on her face was awesome. She is thrilled about this little thing. I think she said she has nicknamed the baby Squirt. Well, okay, whatever floats your Grandma Boat. :) We are so lucky to have such a supportive family. I've said it before, but this baby is so lucky to have so many people who already love it so much. We are lucky, too.

There's so many new things going through my mind now that this little one is on the way. Life is good. A friend of mine that had a baby earlier this year was reminiscing about being pregnant when I told her about my pregnancy. She said she loved being pregnant and that she just felt content. I think that is a good description.

More to come...

Baby

I found my draft! It is not really finished but thought I'd post it anyway. I wrote this right when I found out I was pregnant and I thought I had accidently deleted it. It's about time I learned how to use this Blogger thing...

So, yes a baby. After many months of trying, it is finally here. There has been a series of emotions so far! Shock, excitement, denial, fear, and joy. There is so much to think about, so much curiosity. I can't wait to see what each day of my pregnancy brings! It is a journey I am thrilled to take. What will baby Kelley be like?

I came home from work on saturday to take the test. I had waited as long as possible but had to do it before a night on the town with Seth and Emimy! I was hopeful but tempered. To my surprise, I saw a faint pink positive line! Oh goodness. Bryan and I were hopeful but skeptical. Imagine that, us skeptical?!? The next few days were filled with thoughts of "what if?" I guess I didn't want to be disappointed so I tried not to be too excited. I'm still a little cautious.

Today, I took yet another test and got a screaming pink line. Yay! I decided to call the doctor and see when I should come in. Today! Yikes, there's nothing quite like having a pelvic exam sprung on ya! The apointment went fine. Bryan had to work but I think he would have liked to have been there. Tentative due date: June 3, 2008. My estimation: June 17, 2008. We'll see! I go back in 6 weeks for a Q&A with the midwife. I'll be about 8 weeks then.

I'm excited about telling family and friends. I know everyone will be happy. I made some cute onesies to give to B's Mom and my Mom to tell them the news. Here they are:

I wonder if any of my friends will be prego with me. I want some company!

oopsie, I'm a crappy poster

Not that anyone but me reads this, but I feel the need to add another post. And to continue to add posts. It seems like it might be kind of fun to go back and read it later.

So, it's been a while! Goodness, I've come a long way. And sort of stalled here and there. First, the weight-loss/exercise journey has been a long and interesting ride, er, run. I've been in bootcamp since January and I have lost 28 pounds. There is an amazing difference in my quality of life. Things I never even thought about when I decided to start exercising. I'm definitely a different person now. For instance, I went on a run today at 6pm when it was about 98 degrees outside and I had already worked a long day. Seriously, I would have had a laugh-riot over that thought a year ago. There's just no way I would have done it. Now, I pretty much can't imagine my life without exercise. It's just so good for me.

Of course, the image thing has been amazing for my self-confidence. It's so nice not to feel like my fat is always in the way, making me feel terrible and uncomfortable. I'm not really doing the pillow on the lap trick anymore when I'm sitting in front of people. I still feel the urge sometimes, but then I look down and realize it's ok. Dressing is so much more fun and I now don't "hate" everything in my closet and "have nothing to wear". I've pretty much had to buy a new wardrobe so I don't look like I need to be recommended for TLC's "What Not to Wear". I still would like to (and need to- for health reasons) lose about 15 more pounds to reach my goal weight. But, I'm thrilled with the progress I've made so far. Which brings me to my stalling. I'm on a 2 week bootcamp break right now because I've been feeling burned-out for the past month or two. I haven't lost any weight for several months and I'm feeling somewhat discouraged. Logically, I know it is because I haven't been watching what I eat very closely and I haven't been working out as much as before. The problem lies not with the why but the how to get motivated again. I've been thinking a lot about it and I decided I need a break from the fitness routine. Not to quit, but to do something else for a few weeks. I'm hoping to feel better after the break. So, we'll see. I'm staying positive. It isn't easy getting healthy! I'm fighting butter, brownies and wing sauce!!! Oh, my!

The summer has been a crazy-busy one for team Kelley. We started it off with a beach trip to PCB with the Valliant family, followed that with the marriage of Beth and Chad, ran out to Cali for a week, and chased that with a short jaunt to Ohio for Grandma's 90th birthday. Whew! Now we know why we haven't done much to the upstairs. We've spent a lot of sundays at Seth and Emily's pool. Gotta work the tan and the mojitos as much as possible. We've spent many a night downing margies at La Fonda. Our favorite. It's been a hot August and we are all ready to move on to fall after this display of scorching temps. I'm always surprised that I'm ready for summer to go. I love it so much but I guess I like the change, too.

The trip to Ohio was too short but also a lot of fun. The weather there was so gorgeous! I love Ohio summers. I can't believe Grandma's 90! She's amazing and it was really great to reminisce. There were about 60 people at her party and we all wrote letters to her telling her our favorite memories. One thing is for certain, she never let anyone or anything go hungry! She is a true foodie. I know that's partly why I am, too. She really helped raise me and I didn't realize just how much time we spent together (over summers, especially). She's an amazing woman for whom I am so thankful.

Well, it's a start. More tomorrow or the next day.

Can't Believe it is Week 6!!

Yeah, this is the last week of the exercise bootcamp! I can't believe it has gone by already. It has been a pretty amazing experience. I've made huge progress and I am really happy and amazed about that. I've lost a total of 13 pounds and I've really improved my scores on all of the fitness tests we do in class. Who knew I could run so much and not fall out? And, since I've also managed to go insane while exercising, I've signed up for round two of bootcamp. Yikes! I just feel like I should keep going while I'm on a roll. 6am is not my friend but oh well, I've got no choice about that. I'm really pleased with the results so far and I'm hoping to keep dropping those pounds. I'm really excited about feeling more comfortable in my skin. I had no idea that this would help me feel better mentally/emotionally, but it really has. Staves off the depression. Major bonus.

Knitting has been a fun learning experience while this has all been going on. I finished my first scarf and it is ok. A little short, but still cute. I guess the lady had no idea how long I like my scrarfs(?) when she said one skein will do. I've moved on to scarf #2 which is a hot little skinny, white thing made of the most rebellious boucle ever. It's a pain to knit with. But it's cute. Next I'll be making one for my Valentine, B.

Today we are tackling the upstairs remodeling project. The back-up forces are coming over to light a fire under our asses, so we should get a lot accomplished. Wallboard, funtimes. Not at all. But, I am sooo anxious to get this finished up there. I can't wait to have a huge closet, bedroom and big ol' bathroom! And yesterday, B finally agreed to a king-sized bed! Yippee! We'll be storing/sleeping/bathing in luxury. Wonderful.

Week 3

Well, today begins week 3 of my fitness bootcamp. Yipee! It's been a really great experience so far. The first week was really tough- on the body, the mind, the spirit. Exercising this hard is something I have never done in my life so it has been hard getting use to it and learning how I can get through each workout. The first 3 days were the hardest on the body. I was soooo sore! But that's better now.

Week 2 was good. I was able to push myself harder and I really felt good about that. I'm not the most coordinated person, so it was nice to feel like I was improving at things like jump rope. Yeah, I suck at jump rope! It's so hard! But, sticking in there and doing my best paid off. Hef and I both made "camper of the week" last Friday! We have been working really hard. It helps when your instructor just so happens to see you working out the 5th day on your own in the park! Go us! I couldn't be doing this without Heffie. It helps SO much to have a partner in exercise and the DIET!

Which brings me to my next thought: the food! The nutritional guidance has been really working for me. Keeping the food journal has made me stay on track with the exception of a few slips here and there. This is probably equally as hard as exercising for me. I love food and I love eating food. I threw somewhat of a tantrum the very first day of this eating thing and I told the hubby I didn't think (and I quote) "I could live like this"! Ha! I guess I'm just kind of laughing at myself because I was kinda being a baby about it! But, really it is hard just because I REALLY DO love food. I'm glad that I sucked it up and did it though. I've dropped 9 pounds so far and got major kudos from the coach on my food journal. Apparently I could be a weight-watchers meal planner. :) It's only for 6 weeks and it is teaching me better eating habits, believe it or not. I think the long-term benefits will be better portion control, not using food as a reward, and less bingeing. I never really thought about how many calories I was consuming before. Yikes!

Anyway, enough about that! I started knitting 2 weeks ago and I'm still working on my first scarf. Good golly I'm a slow knitter. The first 5 inches of the scarf has about ten-million dropped stitches, so it has plenty of character. I'm hoping to use my sewing skills to hide them when I'm done. I have to because, of course, I bought really expensive Alpaca to make my first piece!

B and I went car shopping this weekend. It was fun and annoying. Car salesmen are both hilarious and rediculous. "What do I have to do to get you in this Honda today? You're killing me here! I'm going to get fired for asking for this price!" Ha ha. B and I had material to last us all afternoon to make fun of these guys. It takes forever to even just find out the price of a car! We test-drove a Pilot and a Chrysler Pacifica. I liked both. Still looking, though. Next will be a Toyota 4Runner and Nissan Murano.

A little of both

Well, I thought I was going to die in the middle of 5 laps around the gym. What the hell? 5 laps for the newbie? I thought that was a little much. Clearly they had no idea how long it has actually been since I've moved that much. Yikes! I REALLY wanted to throw up but my pride would not allow it in front of 30 strangers. The excercising continued non-stop for the next hour, barely a moment to catch my breath. It was sooo tough but I feel like I did well and I'm proud that I completed the first day. Supposedly today is "the toughest day", but I'm pretty sure they are just saying that so I will show up tomorrow. Good thing I'm gullible.

PS- I never want to eat another cheeseburger ever again. Or any calories for that matter. Not if this is what it takes to make it go away!! ;) Yeah, right. I love food. It's worth the pain. :)

FitWit or DimWit?

Haay! I'm back! I'm getting ready to start a crazy 6 weeks. Hef and I decided to sign up for a fitness bootcamp called FitWit that starts tomorrow at 6am. Yes, 6am. Now you understand the title. We will be up bright and early 4 days a week to get our fitness on. Good times. This is the first time I have ever attempted any type of fitness program since I was forced to take PE in high school. Hopefully this will be less dramatic. Maybe I should still carry my gym gear to class in a Gap bag though? Gotta make sure everyone thinks I'm cool.

Christmas was a blast and I really enjoyed the time off from work. Ten whole days salon-free. Aahhh. We also got a lot of work done on our upstairs remodel. Next will be installing drywall and lighting. Yay. I can't wait until we have a master-suite! You know, for the masters of the house.

New Year's Eve was really fun, as well. It was a small crowd (we missed a few faces), but we had a great time. I guess as I 'get on in years' (said in an old, gruff voice) I really appreciate the time I get to spend with my friends. It was great to sit around and relax, chatting and a little bit of drinking, of course. I got to know a few people a little better that were just casual friends before. That was nice.

I'm looking forward to taking a trip to Tenn/Ohio later this month to visit family. We are also getting some fresh beef from my Dad's farm. Yum!

I might teach myself to knit tomorrow for fun. B got me a book for xmas.

PS- Just some good webshopping--check out thinkneves.com I got B a wallet there and it's really awesome. And for a good laugh and a few awwwws--check out cuteoverload.com I almost raced through the whole site but B gave me the good advice of "save some for a rainy day". Which I have often. :)