"Oh We're Half Way There"- 20 Weeks!

I can’t believe we are at the halfway point---WOW time flies!  The first trimester passed at snail’s pace, but the momentum is picking up & I can’t believe we are so close to meeting our precious Lily! 

Here we are at 20 Weeks :)

How Far Along? 20 weeks, 1 Day---7  inches (from head to rump) and 10 ounces
Size of the Baby? Large Banana
Maternity Clothes? Nope! Dresses, dresses, dresses J
Weight Gain: Holding steady--- around 8 lbs.
Stretch Marks? No, and I am crossing my fingers my routine continues to keep them far away!
Gender? All GIRL!!!!!
Movement? Kicks & flutters that Mommy can feel!  She is pretty active on and off, during the day, but tends to not move as much at night—I hope this schedule stays for the next 20 weeks J
Wedding Rings? On :)
Sleep? I aim to get between 7-9 hours every night.  However, I’ve been fighting a cold, so my sleep hasn’t been that great.  Waking up a couple times a night—usually one time is for my bladder.  Also, I started sleeping with a pillow between my legs, which has made the side sleeping much more tolerable.
Food Cravings? Nothing specific this week….however, I could still eat Mexican & Italian every meal!  And bring on the fruit J
What I Miss: Nothing this week- I'm enjoying being pregnant!
Symptoms? I have started experiencing sciatic nerve pain on my right side—oh joy L  Other than that, all other pregnancy symptoms are staying away!  No swelling or leg cramps…hope it stays this way! 
Belly Button? In :)
Best Moment of the Week? Getting a new car to bring Lily home in! J  We’ve been looking at getting a newer/bigger SUV for a couple of months now, so on Thursday, Mr. S went and pulled the trigger… he is already spoiling his baby girl J

Our Weekend

This past weekend, we headed to the coast of Georgia to surprise Mr. S's dad, Gerald, with all 4 of his kids + spouses & 6 of his grandkids

(plus Lily on the way)!  

SURPRISE!

I think the look says it all! 

Meeting sweet Brock for the 1st time :)

 Siblings

 The whole gang!

After the surprise, we headed to unpack and get settled.  Upon unloading the cars, Mr. S & Meg decided to do a little bike riding...

The rest of the evening consisted of a low-country boil, game playing & boat riding!  What better way to spend a Friday night?!??!

Saturday started with a little exercise for Mr. S & me.  We then joined the family for a yummy homemade breakfast, followed by an "intense" game of kickball!  Not sure who won, but I can say we had some serious competitors-ranging from ages 7 to 59! :)  Fun, fun times!

It was HOT over the weekend, so swimming was a must!  Everyone had a great time hanging and playing in the pool...not sure who had a better time...the kids or adults?!?

Sunday came too quickly...what's new???  Before heading to grab breakfast, we headed down to the dock to check the crap traps & to get one last family picture. 

Sweet kiddos

Blessed!

It isn't often that all 4 families can find an available weekend to all get together, so this time together was so special.  Life can get busy and overwhelming, but a weekend with family will always be a blessing--a great way to reconnect and grow our relationships.  A BIG thanks to Britt, Slade's brother, for coordinating the surprise---it was a wonderful weekend of celebration and time with family:)  

Nursery Ideas

Happy Thursday Y'all!  Today is my Friday, since I'm taking tomorrow off...woohoo :)  Gotta love 3 day weekends.  Anyway, I thought today I would share some ideas I have for Lily's nursery.  Mr. S and I have already purchased the Bratt Decor Venetian crib for our sweet girl.  I'm obsessed with the detailing and prettiness of this iron crib.

Along with the crib, we scored a fantastic refinished dresser and side table at Woodstock Market (highly recommend this place if you live in the Marietta/Kennesaw area).  For a glider, I will be using a very special/sentimental piece of furniture---my great-grandmothers old rocking chair.  It is something I have moved with me over and over again since college & I can't think of a better place to sit and rock our sweet girl once she arrives!  So, now that all the "big" pieces of the nursery are purchased, I now have the task of deciding on fabrics for the bedding & drapes, paint color, lighting & a rug...can we say overwhelmed! :)  Good thing I have Pinterest & my mom!  Here are some ideas I have found on Pinterest so far....

Love the soft pink

For all Lily's girly things :)

This dresser is similar to the one we purchased...love the way this is styled.

Love the mix of pink & green..also the chandelier!

Hopefully within the next month or so, I'll have majority of everything picked out & we will be on our way to getting it all made, painted & set up for sweet baby girl! 

Burpee's While Pregnant!?!??!

When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things I started researching was exercise while carry a baby.  For the past 5 years, daily exercise has been extremely important to me---it is something I have grown to love and appreciate.  There is something about giving myself an hour or so a day to focus solely on ME!  Call it selfish, but that time allows me to clear my head, de-stress and re-focus on what is truly important in life.   

11 Weeks Preggo! 

SO when I found out we were expecting our bundle of joy, I knew exercise was going to still be a part of my daily routine, however, I wasn’t sure how.  You see, my main exercise is running, Crossfit & yoga.  After running 4 half marathons, a full marathon & numerous shorter races, I couldn’t imagine not running for 9 months.  Lucky for me, running is a safe way to stay active while pregnant!  Really any activity is, as long as you were doing the activity prior to getting pregnant…music to my ears! J 

 Disney Half Marathon- 2011

 RNR New Orleans Full Marathon- 2012

CFM Endurance Team

Although I have had to modify some moves in Crossfit & during yoga, I’m still able to get in great workouts.  For example, if there are burpees in a WOD, I will set up a station with two 45# plates & an abmat so there is a little room for the growing bump!   Or sometimes I’ll scale down weight…all of which is ok (this was a mental struggle in itself to get over!). 

Crossfit Family

You see, in my opinion, pregnancy isn’t an excuse to let yourself go.  It is common to hear people say that “pregnancy is as excuse to eat anything you want” or “this is the only time you can gain weight and it is ok because you’re pregnant”, but I think it is best for both baby and mom to stay as healthy as possible during this incredible time.  Now don’t get me wrong, this mama is a sucker for pizza, cake & chips, but all in moderation.  Overall, my goal is to continue to stay active, 5 days a week, until we meet Lily in December...for myself and for our sweet baby girl! J

 *Note- I am not a doctor- these are my opinions, solely meant for entertainment purposes.  Consult a doctor before any exercise, as all people and pregnancies are different.*

19 Weeks & A Birthday

I'm a day late posting here, but...

 HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY to MR. S!!!! 

Slade- you will never know how much joy & happiness you bring to my life everyday!  You are the most loving, loyal, selfless & supportive husband- I could not have asked for anything more.  I hope this next year is even better than the last! Happy Birthday Babe!

How Far Along? 19 weeks, 1 Day---6.0 inches (from head to rump) and 8.5 ounces
Size of the Baby? Heirloom Tomato
Maternity Clothes? Not yet, but I have a feeling it is going to happen sooner than later.  Still wearing lots of dresses!
Weight Gain: 8 lbs--trying to workout 4-5 times a week & I think this is helping keep me at a healthy weight, while still feeling strong & fit 
Stretch Marks? None!  I am a little obsessed with applying oil & creams to prevent these at all costs! 
Gender? GIRL!!!!!  Sweet Lillian "Lily" Pace Sellers :)
Movement? She has been pretty tame this week- little movements here and there. 
Wedding Rings? On :)
Sleep? Sleep was on and off this week...too much excitement around finding out if Baby S was a he or she!
Food Cravings? Watermelon, Orange Juice & anything Tomato based
What I Miss: Fitting into my regular summer clothes- each morning I go through at least 2 outfits & have to toss things from the closet that no longer fit :(  Guess I'll see those items next summer!
Symptoms? Still feeling really good!  I'm not experiencing any bloating or swelling yet---thank goodness!
Belly Button? In :) 
Best Moment of the Week? The gender reveal party to share the news with family & friends that we are expecting a GIRL!  Best day ever (besides marrying Mr. S!) :)  Also, buying Lily's first little outfits & nursery furniture!

He or She??? Reveal Party

After our doctor appointment, we went out to do a little baby shopping, eat lunch & get ready for our big reveal party we had on Friday night for family & friends.  

We had a BBQ theme & Mr. S did a wonderful job preparing the delicious meat on his Big Green Egg!  We also served ranch potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans & watermelon...it was all delicious.  A BIG thank you to Sugar, Bebe & Mama Chelle for their help in cooking :)  For dessert, our friend/wonderful baker Whitney, whipped up an amazing cake that matched the invitations we sent out.  Here are some pictures of the decor & food set-up...

We asked everyone to come dressed in pink or blue, depending on what they thought Baby S would be :) 

Team Pink!

Team Blue!

Team Big Cousin!

Some of my girlfriends couldn't make it to the party, so my sister had them send pictures of themselves in either blue or pink...such a fun & thoughtful surprise! 

After we ate and visited for a while, it was time for the big reveal!  Since Mr. S & I knew the surprise, we decided to let our siblings (who could attend) open the box :) 

Neeley & Lindsey

Baby S is a GIRL!

Boss is excited to be welcoming another granddaughter :)

Lillian Pace received lots of sweet and special gifts on her reveal day as well.  Our sweet little girl is so loved already! 

Mr. S & I are so thankful for our family & friends who came to share in this exciting news with us. We had a wonderful night! It is truly a day that we will never forget :)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  

James 1:17

It's a....

GIRL!!!!

On Friday, July 20th, Mr. S & I, along w/ our mom's & my grandmother, went to find out if Baby S was a he or a she!  What a fun and exciting day for all of us.
 I could barely sleep the night before, so it was a good thing our appointment was at 9:15 in the morning :)  All 5 of us went back into the sonogram room pretty quickly after arriving.  I immediately laid down to have the BIG news revealed!  Before Delilah (our sonogram tech) told us the news, she showed us all of babies organs, limbs & spine---what an amazing sight! :)  To see & hear the heart beating was something that sent this mommy into tears!  After a slight emotional breakdown, we were asked "Are y'all ready to know?!??!" & of course our response was YES.  Then without hesitation, we were told....."It's a GIRL"!!!  Mr. S says he will never forget hearing those 3 words---so so sweet.  There were many tears of joy & lots of smiles.  

Can't wait to meet our sweet Lily!

Bebe

Sugar

What's In A Name?!?!?
Mr. S & I had decided on a boy & girl name prior to finding out Baby S's gender, so now that we know, we are happy to announce Baby S will be named...


Lillian "Lily" Pace Sellers


Several people have asked how we came up with her name- well, Lillian was my great-grandmothers name & Pace is a name that we both really liked.  I hope Lily will always know her name was thoughtfully chosen just for her with much love from both her mommy & daddy!

Mr. S & I are beyond excited about welcoming this sweet baby girl in December! :)

***Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the He or She??? Reveal Party***

Wordless Wednesday

18 Weeks & An Anniversary

First off, Happy 2nd Anniversary to my most favorite guy in the world!  What a blessing the past 2 years have been.  I could not ask for a better person to go thru the ups and downs of life with- Mr. S is truly the man of my dreams! 

It is amazing how fast time flies!  Seems like yesterday I was getting ready to walk down the aisle- by far the best day of my life :)

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage"

So onto Baby S...

How Far Along? 18 weeks, 1 Day
Size of the Baby? Large Mango
Maternity Clothes? Still wearing a lot of dresses!  I went to look at maternity clothes, but just can't bring myself to buy any yet.  Good thing it is summer!
Weight Gain: 8 lbs (Mama's been hungry this past week)
Stretch Marks? Not yet- praying those stay far away J  Mother's Friend lotion is awesome!
Gender? So so close to finding out what Baby S will be...Mommy & Daddy can't wait.
Movement? Little bit has been active the past few days.  I've had several kicks/punches that have literally stopped me in my tracks---so so amazing!  Still looking forward to Slade being able to feel our little one move too.
Wedding Rings? On
Sleep? Great!  Very blessed to be sleeping soundly most nights :)
Food Cravings? Still a really random variety- Mexican, pasta, pickles, olives, fruit, yogurt.
What I Miss: Nothing!  I really haven't missed one thing this week.  I'm really enjoying being preggers :)
Symptoms? Still feeling really good!
Best Moment of the Week? Preparing for Baby S's reveal party on Friday!  I love planning events and getting ready for our family & friends to come celebrate with us!

Countdown for finding out if Baby S is a HE or a SHE- 3 days!

Blessed!

Blessed w/ Mr. S, who surprises me at work with flowers!

What a great way to start the weekend!  Mr. S and I have some fun events planned for the next couple of days.  We will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary tonight---WOW time flies :)  Our anni isn't until Tuesday, the 17th, but with work and studying (for Mr. S), we decided to celebrate early.  I'm looking forward to a night out...just the 2 of us.  I'm also curious what other surprises/gifts he has up his sleeve ;)

I'm also looking forward to a day of all things party planning tomorrow.  Getting ready for our big reveal party next Friday!  Can't wait to share what Baby S will be w/ our friends and family.  Lucky for me, I have a super crafty sister, who has volunteered to help me with decor....I know we will have so much fun shopping and planning tomorrow!

A fun weekend indeed! 

Also, the countdown is on for finding out if Baby S is a HE or a SHE-1 week!

17 Weeks- Baby S's First Race

WOW it has been a hot summer so far!  Thank goodness for air conditioning & the pool.  Mr. S & I stayed in town for the 4th of July this year, which happened to fall on my 17th week of pregnancy.  It is an annual tradition that the Mr. & I run the Peachtree Road Race 10K on the 4th & this year was no different.  Although I haven't been running as much recently (mainly due to the hot weather), I decided that since we had an early start & have been staying pretty active, I would give it a go!  While it wasn't my fastest 10K time, I'm proud I finished in 1:05....it was also Baby S's first race too!  He/She did very good job at helping Mommy remember the race was just for fun & to take it easy :)  Here we are after the race-the sweaty look is good on us- right!??!?!

We had a great time running together & celebrating the 4th after w/ a day of grilling and pool time.  So thankful to the men & women who fight for our freedoms and serve our country!

As for this week of pregnancy, here is the bump shot :)

How far along? 17 weeks, 1 Day
Size of the baby? Onion
Maternity Clothes? Wearing a lot of dresses!
Weight Gain: 6 lbs
Stretch Marks? Not yet- praying those stay far away J
Gender? We are getting closer and closer to finding out- July 20th will be the big reveal!
Movement? Little butterfly feelings a couple of times a day.  Can't wait for Slade to be able to feel out little one move too. 
Sleep? Good, except for the need to use the restroom 2-3 times a night.
Food Cravings? Still a really random variety- Mexican, pasta, pickles, olives, fruit, yogurt.
What I Miss: Sushi---I really have wanted it a couple of times recently.

Symptoms? Still feeling really good!
Best Moment of the Week? Getting the butterfly feelings while at work- makes the day that much better :)

Hope everyone has a great week!

2 Becoming 3- 16 Weeks!

Hi!  I'm Jessica & the man in the picture above is Slade (the best husband in the world!) :)  We recently discovered some pretty exciting news & since I'm a "professional" blog reader, I thought now was the perfect time to start a blog of my own! 


We have made the announcement, to our family & friends, about our exciting addition & we are so thrilled to be welcoming Baby S in mid-December.  My goal is to use this blog to keep our friends and family updated on how Mom, Dad & Baby are doing while we all grow over the course of the pregnancy.  I'll be blogging with weekly updates, meals, workouts & anything else this adventure throws at us!  We look forward to sharing this journey with our closest family, friends & whoever else comes across our blog along the way :)

How far along? 16 weeks!
Size of the baby? Avocado
Maternity Clothes? Still normal! But pants are starting to fit pretty snug.
Weight Gain: 6 lbs 
Stretch Marks? Not yet- praying those stay far away J
Gender? Ready to know!  Still have a couple more weeks of waiting 
Movement? Not yet…cannot wait to feel those little kicks, though.
Sleep? Good, except for the need to use the restroom 2-3 times a night.
Food Cravings? Pasta, pickles, olives, fruit...a bunch of randomness!
What I Miss: Margaritas!  With this HOT weather, I've been craving one of these. 

Symptoms? Since entering the 2nd trimester, I'm feeling really good! 
Best Moment of the Week? Finding out Baby S will have a "girl" friend to play with--our friends Leslie & Marty are expecting a girl!