EXHAUSTED after 15 glorious days off

I love my job for so many reasons. One of them happens to be the ease at which we can take vacation time. I am completing 15 days off and only took one week (3 days) of vacation time. That's right. Ain't it great? Well, here's the thing. I was so excited about my two weeks off that I kept telling Wade, "Oh boy, I'm gonna spoil you rotten on all my days off!" I should have kept my mouth shut but a hard-headed girl, I am. I was determined to make his life bliss while I was off. He did have last week off for the beach but the surrounding days were all mine. Y'all, he had dinner (and lunch) cooked everyday, a spotless house, clean/dry cleaned clothes, errands run, etc. He ATE IT UP and I loved it. However, now I've realized I am exhausted and, that's right, I go back to work tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to working because then all household duties are all his again.

He jokes that when I have my 12 weeks off with the baby, he'll be pampered again but we know that I'll be plenty busy enough just caring for myself and the Rookie. Maybe I need to clarify the fact that he's JOKING about that???

Family Vacation and 27 weeks

Last week was our family vacation to Blue Mountain Beach, Florida. I can describe it as nothing less than 8 days of sun, laughing, games, loving, and food! We had a ball and it was really hard to return to the real world. While we were there, we welcomed week 27 with the Rookie. Rook is really moving alot now and you can just watch my stomach move all over. It's bizarre. I have no control over my torso anymore! The family got to see Rookie really kicking good and hear the heartbeat with the Doppler. Camille (will be 9 years old in December) has really started realizing that there will be a baby here and she is fired up about babysitting. She's forever giving my stomach some love and hoping/praying it's a girl because "Sara, boy's just cry all the time when they're little." Her experience happens to hail from her brother Reid, 2 1/2 years her junior, that had colic. Wade's been obsessed with Dr. Suess' Wocket in My Pocket lately. That's, bar none, his fave to read to us. He especially loves the Jertain in the Curtain. That cracks him up everytime. Here's some pics from our trip and my 27 week belly shot...

The last trip with just us as the Home Team

Giving that baldie some love


Most of the crew

27 week side shot

The girls (minus Grammy)

Next year, I guess there will be two little flip flops also!

After returning to the real world, we had our monthly OB appt. Everything checked out fine. I had to do my gestational diabetes screen. I should hear something soon about that but I've had no complications so far. My blood pressure was really good despite the fact that I've recently been waking with dull headaches every morning. Dr. Shiflett said we'd just follow that. I've now gained about 14 pounds and am suprised it's actually that low considering my eating habits in Florida! I read somewhere that if the baby's heartrate is below 140, it's probably a girl; if it's above 140, a boy. Guess what Rookie's heartrate was this appt??? 140. Guess we just gotta keep guessing! I shouldn't have to have anymore ultrasounds which relieves me because I'm always scared we're going to see a little anatomy down low that will give away what the sex is. My belly is measuring spot-on. Also, we now start every 2 week appts. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. I don't know if I've updated our names in a while but here they are: Girl- Riley Clairain and call her Riley Claire; Boy-Everitt Wade and call him Everitt. Hope everyone likes the names, but honestly, if you don't too bad... It's our baby, and we do! Ha!

Arts, crafts, and 26 weeks

So I have now reached 26 weeks. According to my books, the Rookie is about 10 inches long (crown to rump-rump is actually what they call it and I just think that's too funny) and over 2 pounds. I have started looking at ex-preemies that were discharged from the NICU and, soon after, admitted to my work and thought, "Oh my gosh. My baby is about that big now. It could actually survive without me albeit lots of issues!" I say keep growing because 2 pounds is no way to enter the world especially when the bearer of the child (read:ME) was 9 1/2 pounds. I would be okay if it was somewhere between the 2 and 9 pound mark.



I went to a breastfeeding class yesterday at UMC and loved it. It was so informative and gave us some confidence that it's actually might work. I must insert here a serious shout out to my unbelievable husband...he has not missed a single OB appt. and has attempted to stay as informed as myself. This includes reading my pregnancy books to me, reading Dr. Suess to Rookie, and dopplering my belly (with Mom's doppler) every chance he gets. However, yesterday he went so far above the call of duty for pending Fatherhood. He went to my breastfeeding class with me. Some might think this is weird and he was, indeed, the only man there. The instructor was so delighted he was there (as was I.) We were each asked what we'd heard about breastfeeding. This was Wade's statement, "I know it will benefit our baby. I know it's very important to Sara and if it's important to her, then it is a priority for me as well." Maybe it's the hormones, but I almost cried right there. Anyway, enough of that sappy stuff. After bf class, I was all geared up to do baby things so I headed to Michael's to try to find some DIY frames that I could work on for the nursery. I didn't find them but I was inspired to paint a little pic for Rookie. I ended up spending over $100 and came home with lots of little projects. I, then, worked for about 6 hours on them and had a ball. I didn't even work out at all! Anyway, I had fallen in love with this wall art a few weeks back that I found by blog stalking this incredible photographer lady in Alabama. It's on her son's nursery wall...



Okay, I'm not a big "themed nursery" person but I just fell in love with those little counting sheep. I was too scared to actually paint on the wall but I figured I'd try my hand at a little canvas that I could either throw away or easily paint over. So here's my rendition...

Not too shabby, eh? Now, I need a few more pieces for the wall but I'm too scared to push my luck. I feel like it was a fluke that this turned out pretty well!

Anyway, that's all that's going on in the Watts' home. We leave for 8 days at the beach Saturday so I will be sure to post pics. Until then, hope everyone has a great weekend!

Fear not.

A quote from my 5-year-old nephew, Reid, while cautiously checking out my baby bump:

"Don't worry, Sara, after you have the baby, you won't be so fat anymore."

Thanks, buddy. Wonder what he'll think of me after another 3 months of growing this child. I probably won't put that quote on the blog. Sorry.

25 weeks

I am now a tad over 25 weeks and, man, has the time flown. It's so hard to believe that in just over three months, we will have a baby in our house. We have both been pretty busy with work and traveling lately so the nursery has been somewhat neglected. However, I have to work this weekend so Wade plans on refinishing my old dresser into a changing table. Speaking of Homet, he turns a whopping 35 tomorrow! Happy Birthday, my favorite man! We aren't doing much since I have to work but maybe we'll have some cake in Florida next week for he and Jay's birthdays! Here's a few belly shots of the 25 week mark...



Sorry the pic was taken in scrubs but a girl's gotta work. Wade insists on taking our weekly shots the exact day of. This leaves many days where Wade has to stumble out of bed at 0600 to take the shot prior to me leaving for work. I refuse to let him take it after work since by 8pm, I look like a tornado hit me.


Okay, so I've been told my belly doesn't look so big but, folks, check out what I look down at everyday. You gotta admit that thing is large. Notice: I can still see my french fry toes!

Off to the country...

We are headed to Tallulah tonight to stay with Wade's parents. I think it's a little ridiculous how much I love to go to my in-laws. I get more excited than Wade. First off, they're wonderful and I love seeing them. Secondly, it's the country and, at night, you can see every single star in the sky. Also, they live "10 minutes from the nearest loaf of bread" (that's actually the description Wade gave me the first time I visited to prepare me) so even if you wanted to do something, you really can't. Your only options are to sit and visit while riding around the farm, sit and visit in the house, or sit and visit on the back porch. It's a beautiful thing. Oh, and don't get me started on their cooking! Both Wade's Mom and Dad are fab cooks and I think we leave there at least 5 lbs. heavier with each visit. Anyway, for those of you checking in on us this weekend, we're doing JUST FINE!
Rookie is doing good too and, Man, has Baby started moving. I just sit and watch my stomach move all over. I told Wade that Rook was moving so much when I was trying to nap yesterday that I'm pretty sure the bed was shaking. Maybe not, but that child would not simmer down. Supposedly, it's growing at the rate of 6 oz./week and the size of a legal envelope. Forget the fruit and veggie references now, it's outgrown all things on the produce aisle. I better head off. How sad is this??? I'm going to the gym but I have to go at the top of an hour because when I'm on the elliptical, I like to watch American Justice or Cold Case Files (which start at 0900 and 1000). Pitiful, huh? Keeps me going for an hour though!

Who needs custom??

Okay, for those who don't know us, Wade and I are pretty darn picky about our style. This is evidenced by very few pictures up in our house the simple reason being we can't find anything we really like. If I don't LOVE it, I'm not putting it up. Well, then along comes Baby. I want the child's nursery to be decorated and, I'm sorry, but 9 months is not enough time to find exactly what I want. Anyway, we have shopped in baby boutiques, tried online, etc. I just couldn't find the right thing. So we decide we'll just get some bed linens made. Now, mind you, my Mom has already made the main blanket for the crib from materials/pattern that I picked out. I was stuck trying to find the crib skirt and bumper pad. Wade and I found ourselves at a baby boutique looking at custom crib skirts. Basically, it's just a fancy way to say you pick it out the material, we make it standard crib size. No big deal, right? Y'all, when that girl pulled out the price list, I thought we were going to fall out of our chairs. Wade zoned out IMMEDIATELY (which he really never does). A crib skirt, bumper pad, and sheet (3-piece) set was anywhere from $600-800. Who keeps these people in business? We thanked the girl and ran out of that store so fast.

I called my Mom and we decided, "How hard can a crib skirt really be?" After this weekend, I say, "Who needs custom?" This took us one full day and $60. It had the works too. I'm talking homemade piping, People! Wade and I are pretty sure we could set up a sweat shop and really make some good side money doing this! Now, mind you, this was with alot of direction from our "Master", Mom, who sat on the couch and directed until the very end. I was too nervous to sew the last pieces together.

Here are two of my fave people sewing away...


Hey, Wade, less talk-ey, more sew-ey. Yeah, thanks.

Martha Stewart, table for three.

This is a close-up but I don't know why it's turned sideways.

Know what else I love about this little weekend project? That my husband actually helped...and when I say help, I mean he was elbow deep with me. Funny what they'll do when expensive things are threatened upon them!

Also, here's the 23 week bump. Up next week...the age of viability--24 weeks!