"Letter to a Person on Their First Day Here" and brief hopes for SG

Everyone loves a good pep talk and I happen to love this little guy, Kid President, who has a whole YouTube channel. This one is called, "Kid President's Letter to a Person on Their First Day Here."

I love when he says, "Amazing things will happen every day...you're going to do so much. It's not about what you do, it's about who you are.  You...you're awesome.  You are made that way...you are made from love... to be loved...to spread love.  Love is always louder...no matter what...even if hate has a bullhorn.  Love is louder so let your life be loud, let's shout to the world, 'Things can be better...it's okay about all the mess ups...Corn Dogs Rule!'  You are going to be important and you're going to do great...and you're going to smell good.  For now remember this, you're awake, you're awesome, live like it."

In addition to the words of wisdom from a 10 year-old, I thought that Kyle's brief comments on his hopes for SG this weekend were pretty hilarious:

I watch just about every reality TV show there is...and as Kyle, bless his heart, slaved away at his class work all day Sunday I got caught up on my DVR.  Kyle's only request is that I don't watch The Housewives of ATL or any ATL reality for that matter.  Vanderpump Rules was on and I couldn't help but giggle at his reaction to Stassi...

Stassi (in a skimpy two piece with all of her Sur counterparts in a pool):  "The best thing about working in the restaurant world is that we work at night so we get to play in the day. We are by the pool in our bikini's while everyone else is at their desk working. I mean, we get to spend our days chicken fighting.  We may not be rich with money...but we are rich with awesomeness."

Kyle:  Looks up from his computer..."I will be really disappoint in Suzanna Grace if she ever says anything like that or if we have a daughter named Stacy who pronounces it Stassi..." Head back down and continues working...

Me too, Kyle, me too. 

Week 31 Update

How Far Along? 

31 weeks!  Holy moly!

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

She's just a growin', growin'!  Rob likes to send me texts each week that refute what the app has to say about fruit and veggie comparisons.  I guess the fact that she is is still the size of a head of lettuce does help his case.  His text mentions that a head of lettuce usually weighs about a pound, thank you Chef Rob.  He also gave me a 18 inch comparison of a traffic cone.  I suggested that perhaps he start his own app. 

Maternity Clothes? Still mixing it up.  Jeans and pants are nearly strictly maternity.  Thank goodness I can wear jeans to work...every day.  

Weight Gain?  Went to the DR this week and had a physical for work and got two different weight gains.  I think the DR office was a little off because I had on all of my cold weather layers and boots...so we will go with a total gain of about 18-20 lbs, which again, is right on track!  Hooray!  I am still measuring about 2 weeks behind, which I have throughout the pregnancy, BUT after finding out that SG is breech and seeing her positioning, the DR assured me that me measuring small may be because of how she is laying and that I am not to worry.  :)  Oh how I love Dr. Heraty!  She did confirm that the sonogram last week revealed a healthy little girl who's stats are all right on target.  When I go back in 2 weeks she said that she would order another if I was still measuring behind which just means that we get to see her again!   

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  I can and do sleep, thank goodness, but there's a good bit of waking up throughout the night.  The pillow fort seems to have helped a good bit. 

Movement? Our Girl likes loves to move!  She is ALL over the place and I can see the jumps and bumps on my tummy.

Food Cravings? Anything and everything...I do not discriminate. 

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have 9 weeks (a little less) to go!     

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.

  

Wedding rings, on or off? On.  I will be really sad when/if the answer to this changes... thank goodness for freezing temps which equal less swelling.  

What I Miss? Nothing.  I am just so happy to be carrying this sweet girl that I cannot really complain about missing anything. 

Symptoms? My hips are a little sore and when I sit for too long my mid-section hurts.  Nothing that a little walking around and lots of water cannot cure though.       

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy. I love just sitting in her nursery and daydreaming.  How could you not be happy when you know that you are closer and closer to meeting your little one?!

Best Moment of the Week: 

This beautiful handmade quilt came in the mail this week from my sweet Aunt Linda.  It has patches from Ole Miss and Northwestern, plus she included a little picture of Kyle and me.  So precious and such a treasure for all of the future Moore little ones.

                                                                                                          

My sweet friend Michele, mother to THREE girls under 5, gave me gobs and gobs of clothes for SG.  Those, in addition to all that we received at the shower, have been  washed (newborn and a few 3 month only) and organized.  SG now officially has more clothes than Kyle and me combined.  Luck girl! 

 I posted this gem on IG but had to add it for the baby book too...My precious GanGan sent SG a note this week...love. 

-Oh and the carseat came yesterday!  Hooray!

  

Looking forward to... 

-Getting the rest of the essentials for SG's arrival, including: stroller, carrier, monitor, diaper bag, etc...and getting the  hospital bag for SG and me (surely Kyle can fend for himself...but I do plan on creating a little checklist of appropriate "outfits" and items for him to bring) planned for...I am thinking of beginning with a checklist and adding in things to a bag that I do not use everyday...that way if something happens and I cannot get back home to finish getting the little things in a suitcase Kyle (let's be realistic...it will probably come down to Ashlee or Renee...not Kyle) can come home and grab the things we need.  Yes, I am a planner.  

Sweet things and Life in General:  

Supper party out with sweet friends for our Clarkie's birthday!  Our table led the way in chants and excitement...but what's new?  Based on the 105 text messages that have flooded my phone this morning from our group text, the after party (that I missed out on...I mean no 8 month pregnant woman should be at a bar after 10 pm) was just as fun as supper.  Clarkie had no idea at 9 am yesterday morning that Toes and I would help him to plan his best birthday yet.  We love you Clarkie! 

                             

Thank the Lord for Sisters, Mommas,...and a Blood, Sweat, and Tears Mentality

I drafted this right after Christmas and just never got around to posting it...consider this Nursery Reveal I with II coming in a few days...


We we have officially completed the bedding for the nursery.  There was a LOT of sweat and just a little blood and tears along the way but we did it!  I must say, if the end product did not take us approximately 72 hours, Momma, MA, and I could go into the baby bedding business.  We successfully completed a crib dust ruffle, bumper pads, four gorgeous "Suzanna Grace pink" ribbons, a daybed cover, and beautiful silk curtains.  MA made no less than a mile of ruffles over the course of 2 days, we did lots of brain exercises checking and double checking our measurements and calculations for fabric, and made some of the best memories.  Timmy and Kyle both questioned why we wouldn't just go buy this stuff instead of spending so much time making it but that's part of the fun.  Suzanna Grace is going to be surrounded by the love of her SuSu, Aunt, and Momma simply through the things that we made especially for her.  I cannot wait for her to be old enough to read this and see how much time and thought went into her very first room. (Her Sissy is very much a part of the room too as she sent countless checking in and encouraging texts and took care of ole Kyle while we worked.)

Planning for this nursery began mid-July as soon as we found out about Baby MO and really picked up mid-October when MA made her first visit to Chicago.  Here's a little timeline/photo dump of all the fun that we have had. 

Y'all, this chick...she is amazing.  She was the first person that I told about Baby MO and she helped me to surprise Kyle and make plans for surprising our families.  I mean…she even drank the real contents of the wine bottle for me so that I could drink the grape juice before we told our parents.  Since finding out about the baby and especially since we found out that Baby MO would be a little GIRL, she has made endless amounts of monogrammed outfits and purchases from Baby Gap.  (My apologizes to her husband, Timmy.)

M.A. made her first baby planning trip back in October when Baby MO was a mere 16 weeks old.  From the second that I picked her up from the airport we were going 90-to-nothing moving furniture, picking out new furniture, and creating real life inspiration boards. 

Here's a little photo dump from our October weekend of planning...  

This seems like it was SO long ago!

I regret that I did not bother to take a picture of the room before we started moving stuff out, but I did remember to take a few throughout the process.  We moved the desk and two chairs out and ended up getting rid of the wood frame of the daybed too. 

           

Bless their hearts, Kyle and Geoff made the first of many moves for me.  We gave the desk and daybed frame to Geoff and Ashlee and luckily they just live down the street...so in true city livin' fashion, the boys just carried the furniture down the street.  Since then Geoff has done a lot more moving for me...Kyle owes him big time.

         

So we moved the furniture out and, in what we figured would make our Daddy very proud, we began drawing out the room and creating real life models of our furniture selections so that we could see whether items would fit.  We began researching the baby crib and MA found that it was about 12 inches long.  We actually measured this out...and could not believe that any baby would be that small...after further investigation I found that she had been looking at the dimensions for a baby DOLL bed.  Needless to say, we became much more specific in our Google searches. 

Here are our models for the crib and glider. 

Out of all of the saved MS magazines, Jackson VIPs and such that I have laying around the house why is it that I picked the one that had our engagement party featured?  HAHA...First comes love, then comes marriage...then comes BABY.  Right? 

Now fast forward to Christmas Break 

-Cheersing our hard work with banana popsicles.  

-Lots of measuring and cuts on the dining room table.

-Momma and MA told me that I could wait in the car when we went to Hancock Fabrics for the 10000 time around 9 at night...and after insisting that I join them, they followed me around the store giggling and taking pictures...Quite the patterned outfit...yikes. 

-Quick pregnancy nosebleed = standing behind the white silk fabric and just watching for a bit.

-Fabric OVERLOAD!!!

-Testing out our daybed cover.
-Karma...after laughing at my wardrobe we realized that ole SuSu was running around town with her clothes on inside out.  Hehe!

                                       
We had a minor catastrophe when the sewing machine stopped ruffling...and Lord knows thats sewing could NOT go on without the ruffler.  We attempted to just manually make the sewing machine ruffle and were mildly successful.   

-After lots of sweet talking and winking at the sewing machine repair man we were fixed and ready to begin again.  
-Thumbs up from the sewers as we begin another day with a properly working machine!  Hooray!!

-Only in the south...Chick-fil-A double window ordering and still backed up into the street.  Yes, please...and thank you.
-Bumper pad detail...

^^^^^Hodgepodge of sewing madness ^^^^^

"Suzanna Grace Pink" Ribbons made using a template from our GanGan.

Literally packed to the top with nursery stuff...heading back to Madison at 10 pm the night before Christmas Eve.

I guess we could still consider these "before" shots of the nursery seeing as the final result is still MUCH different than this...

Everything fit PERFECTLY!!!

And again, my rationale to Kyle for all of the sewing insanity was that the alternative was $1010...I think that what we created is the exact same...maybe even better and definitely more special because it was made with LOVE specifically for our girl. 

In conclusion...

I pray that Suzanna Grace will one day have a sister...and that I will become my Mother...(AND that I am the kind of "boy momma" that Mrs. Jeane is to Kyle when we do have sons and their future wives need me to take care of them so that they can plan for my future grandchild...wow...that's a lot of family planning and hoping...)

I think that this picture, now 25 years later, probably sums up the whole ordeal...

I have come up with the most elaborate plan for something...I have talked my whole family into helping...my Momma has made sure that all of the leg work has been done...I work poor MA to the bone which leads to (LOTS of) happy tears and maybe even a few from frustration... my Daddy is trying to just keep everyone happy...and then me...giggling and soaking it all in...and if you cannot tell from the picture, being oh so grateful for such blessings.

PS-Rob and Duff, not yet born for his picture, gladly helped with several pieces of the nursery too which we will share in the Nursery Reveal II.

                                     

Week 30 Update-Hooray for another Milestone!!

How Far Along? 30 weeks as of Friday!  O.M.G!

Nursery Sneak Peek!!!  More to come!

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

My app says that she'll start gaining nearly .5 lbs/week soon...that's wild.  I can definitely tell a change in my tummy size.   

Maternity Clothes? Still mixing it up.  I bought two new sweaters this weekend and just got a size up instead of maternity.  At this point I feel like I should be able to make it without any/many more purchases.  Anyways...it's all about Suzanna Grace's outfits now-who cares what I have on. ;)   

Weight Gain? I have a DR appointment on Thursday and I am sure that I am up to 20 lb. or more.  Grow, grow, grow Suzanna Grace!!    

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  The blue veins are out of control.  Is it just because my bod is so pale or is it because your skin is stretching and more transparent?  Who knows?  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  It was honestly a little rough this week.  Tossing and turning around 2 or 3 in the am...going back to sleep but then doing it again before original wake up time.  I started sleeping with a pillow support on my back and front though for the past two nights and it has really helped.   

Movement?  This week has been BUSY and when I am on the move SG's BIG movements are not as forthcoming (or maybe I just don't notice them as much) as they are when I am laying down/relaxing.  She really gets going when I am at school meeting with my small groups as I think she gets a little swished and needs to let me know it. #pregnantteacherproblems  
As I type she is moving her whole body around and doing some jumps.  Goodness, I do love her little movements. What a miracle.  

Food Cravings?  Nothing really, but when I am hungry...I need to eat...and eat a lot.  Oh and I eat between 3-5 oranges each day.  Yummy!   

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have 10 weeks (a little less) to go!  I can't tell if I have been getting BH or not...I've had about 2 days during the week when I had a few pains in my belly button and then moved around to the point that I told my kids that I just needed to take a minute to sit and not talk...luckily they were very understanding and many chimed in that their mother "says that all the time...she really will be fine in just a few minutes...don't talk to her..." HAHA.    

Belly button in or out?  Out.  I like to think that if it had a name it would be "Herb."  It kind of looks like a turtle and pokes out when I laugh.  It's just silly looking. 

  

Wedding rings, on or off? On.  I will be really sad when/if the answer to this changes... thank goodness for freezing temps which equal less swelling.  

What I Miss? Nothing.  I am just so happy to be carrying this sweet girl that I cannot really complain about missing anything. 

Symptoms? Nothing really.    

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  A little more emotional these past few weeks than ever before as I think about how close we are to SG's arrival.  I am sure that any mother will agree that when you become pregnant/have your baby you want everything (yourself, your spouse, the world) to be better for your child.  I feel like SG has already made us better people and just get so teary eyed dreaming about our lives with her.

Best Moment of the Week: 

-The nursery is COMPLETE!  AHHHH!!!  I am working on a post all its own!  It is just perfect!

-Suzanna Grace's baby shower this past Sunday...again another blog post in itself.  What a blessing to have such wonderful friends.  

Looking forward to... 

-Well, the nursery is complete...we have been showered with more gifts that we could imagine/ever deserve...and now we are just looking forward to meeting our girl.  Since I work best in "life event" timelines and 10 weeks seems like a year/tomorrow at times our next big event is a Babymoon to San Francisco at the end of February.  We will be right at the cusp of the "do not travel" period so fingers crossed that I get the go ahead closer to time.  

Sweet things and Life in General:  

If Kyle read my blog then he might see this and tell me not to take and post creepy pictures of him sleeping...but if he doesn't read then he won't know...He was worn slap-dab-out after two days of nursery design and set up and really enjoyed this new super soft pink blanket that I bought.

First of all, there is no doubt in my mind that ole Kyle Moore is going to be the best Daddy.  He has had one of the best role models for the past 29 years and has seen what it means to love, sacrifice, and support your child because his own Dad is his number one fan and greatest supporter.  My "sweet thing" for this week was the fact that he was able to again see and work along side of a wonderful example of a "girl Daddy" from my Daddy.  Just the way that he talks so sweet to MA and I, would not sit down until every single thing was complete for the nursery (and other little projects around our house), and gets such pleasure in the fact that we are so happy.  He kept telling me that my thank you to him for all of his hard work was that he gets a granddaughter.  Funny enough (and not that Kyle isn't always sweet to me) but I think his heart became a little more tender this weekend after so much of his blood, sweat, and tears went into putting together a nursery where he will bring home his little girl.  I have seen him walking back into her nursery over and over today and I just know he is so proud.  He was holding a little lamb that his momma sent for the shower and told me, "I can just see a little girl hold this...it's so much more real..."  

Be still my heart. 

Week 29 Update

I saw this Eudora Welty quote on a friends Instagram and had to copy it because it is just oh so true.  This blog in itself is a modern example of a good tale...or so I hope.  There is nothing that I love more than a sweet handwritten letter or visiting with with friends and/or family for hours as we put our"great talkers" skills to work.  The great thing about Chicago is that, contrary to Southerners' beliefs, it is not the north (nor are they/we Yankees) and Midwesterns are a lot like Southerners in terms of their endearing personalities and good ole folk spirits.  I hope that for as long as we stay here we are able to instill the best of both the south and the midwest in our little girl. (And Lord...please let her develop a southern accent...)  

How Far Along? 29 weeks!

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

AHHH!!!  Look at that beauty!  Our hospital does not offer 3D sonograms and when we saw her on Wednesday she was only willing to give us a face on shot...no profile.  I have to brag on her though for her Aunt Ashlee as she is a firm believer in profile and slightly head tilted photographs taken of women.  She says that very few women have mastered the straight on look and agrees that Suzanna Grace shouts confidence! ;) That's her little hand by her face too...perhaps she is practicing her "hand, hand, wrist, wrist, touch the pearls, blow a kiss..." and is, at the very least, giving us a wave. Get it girl!  

Maternity Clothes? 

Still mixing it up.  There are a few pairs of pants that still fit comfortably with the help of the belly band but I am in love with my ASOS black tights.  I have a pretty standard uniform of the black tights and some type of flowy top.  I bought this beautiful dress for the shower next weekend and am thinking of pairing it with my fur vest and tights:

                               again...ASOS should be paying me to shop there...

Weight Gain?  I went to the DR on Monday and am right on track-still gaining about a pound a week and having a total gain of between 14-16 pounds.  I was measuring small (I have been since they started doing the tummy measurements) so my doctor ordered an ultrasound to check on Baby Girl.  I was, of course, a little nervous and disappointed in myself since I have been making very conscious efforts when it comes to gaining weight and growing.  My DR assured me that women just carry their babies differently and that since Suzanna Grace is VERY active and had already kicked her twice during the appointment the ultrasound was more for my peace of mind.  Luckily there was a cancellation on Wednesday morning so I was able to get in pretty quickly for the ultrasound.  We loved being able to see Suzanna Grace again and could not get over how big she is!  Baby Girl had a great ultrasound and hit all of her measurements perfectly. Her length and weight (2 pounds 12 ounces) were right on track and there was plenty of amniotic fluid surrounding her.  We should get the final say from our DR Monday or Tuesday but the tech said that everything looked good.  I keep hearing the phrase, "some women 'hide' their babies" when they are pregnant.  I do not want to hide my baby.  I want to show her off and I think that over the past few weeks especially she's been showing out loud and proud.  Just happy to be healthy all around.     

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  I am getting plenty of sleep and rest.  I was basically on bedrest for about four days as I enjoyed the last of our Christmas break and then 2 snow days.  It was glorious. I wake up at least once during the night, usually around 3:30, to go to the bathroom but I always fall back asleep pretty easily.  

Movement? Oh yeah, ALL.THE.TIME.  Suzanna Grace doesn't just give a few little kicks and jabs...she rolls her whole body and, presumably, gets excited and tries to jump out.  I know from the ultrasound that her head is on my right side and her booty is down (breech) so it's fun to know that might be moving.

The other night I fell asleep while Kyle was still reading in bed and the next morning he told me that she was kicking him in the hip throughout the night.  He said at one point he had to get out of bed and laugh at the situation because he could not believe that he couldn't sleep because of her kicks as I was just a sleeping on through them.  I cannot get enough of her high-fives, body rolls, and twists. 

Food Cravings?  Nothing really.   

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have 11 weeks to go!  

Belly button in or out? Proud and out.  Kyle told me last night that he assumed that the tummy measurements (fundal height) were from my pelvic bone to my belly button at each doctor visit.  I laughed and laughed since he also assumed that my belly button would eventually move to be right under my sternum so that it would measure 40 cm.  Oh goodness. Bless him.  After explaining what the DR is looking for he did agree that it made much more sense.     

  

Wedding rings, on or off? On.  I will be really sad when/if the answer to this changes... thank goodness for freezing temps which equal less swelling.  

What I Miss? Nothing.  I am just so happy to be carrying this sweet girl that I cannot really complain about missing anything. 

Symptoms?  I think that as soon as I hit the 3rd trimester a signal went to my hips and told them to start aching.  My DR recommended that I try yoga which did help a little, but I am afraid that I have developed a slight waddle.     

Happy or Moody? Happy!  Do y'all have the "On the Night You Were Born" book?  If you don't you should buy it.  I sit in her room and read this book to her over and over.  All of Nany Tillman's book are precious and I think are essential to any child's library collection.  She even has a new one coming out called The Crown on Your Head  and I cannot wait to buy it too.

  

Best Moment of the Week: 

1. Seeing our sweet girl on Wednesday and having a healthy check up.  God is good. 

2.  Sweet time with friends this week.  Between being homebound because of the snow and the nerves that came with my Monday doctor's appointment, my precious friends again came through and helped me remember to count my blessings and reassured me everything would be okay.  From an hour long uplifting, just what I needed phone call from Mrs. Jeane, to an afternoon bus ride and movie with Renee, an unexpected Mommy card from Sarah, Baby Shower for Miss Bailey Templin, and then a girls night in with my oldest Chicago teacher friends, I end the week with a heart that could just burst.  Thank you friends.   

Kate (expecting Miss Bailey) is due one month before me.  At her shower we had a preggo vs. preggo/nursing mommy game of pong sans alcohol.  We're wild.      

3. The glider/recliner for the nursery came in!  Unfortunately we only made it into the den with it...and then we realized that it was comfortable so we didn't bother moving it any further.  Kyle and I have both enjoyed it...we'll get it in there before she comes.

4. Mass cooking with Kyle.  Last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were COLD!  As in you could not go outside without freezing to death.  The schools were even closed and folks were advised not to be outside for more than 15 minutes at a time.  Yikes.  I recruited Kyle though and we did some mass cooking and freezing so that we will have some meals now that he's in school 3 nights a week. 

Looking forward to... 

-Family and friends arriving this weekend for Suzanna Grace's Baby Shower.

-Painting the nursery and adding the final pieces of furniture and accents!  Hooray!

Have I mentioned how talented my family members are?  My Daddy and Momma have built an oversized shadow box frame, daybed headboard and window valance and baby sister Mary Agnes (plus Momma) has sewn every piece of bedding and curtains for the nursery.  How would I do this without them?  I FaceTimed with SuSu and Daddy B tonight to see the progress and could not get over the fact that my request for nail head required measuring and hand placing every single nail head.  Daddy's sure do love their little girls.  

Oh and "1 of 1", Daddy's business has been and will continue to make custom pieces for others too if you are interested.  Just wait until you see his final pieces and then I guarantee you'll be asking for his contact info.  I am amazed by his talent.  

Sweet things and Life in General:  

I am not sure how I came up with the time for this alarm but I love the email and phone reminders that I get each Friday reminding me that we are one week closer to meeting our baby girl.  Oh how I will miss these. 

How do you block Smocked Auctions and other smocked clothing stores from appearing on your FB newsfeed?  I have a very hard time talking myself out of a $25 smocked outfit...my rationalization is that play clothes outfits are probably at least $15-$20 anyways so I might as well just get the smocked.  I am pretty sure that this is what will cause my bank account balance to drop significantly. 

Just for documentation purposes: 

Kyle started the winter quarter this week with only 2 out of the 3 classes due to the cold weather on Monday.  Bless him, he has spent the whole day today preparing for next week's classes too.  Kyle has been at Kellogg working on his MBA in the part time program since Summer 2012 and is planning to take 3 classes, instead of 2, for the next two quarters so that he will be able to finish this summer (a whole quarter early might I add) before I have to go back to work.  I am constantly amazed at his work ethic and time management skills.  He's a smart fella and I am oh so proud.    

Well, I have once again managed to write a novel about all that occurred in just a weeks worth of time.  The blog is getting a facelift in the coming weeks so get excited!

XOXO