nursery art.

Now that we actually have a room to put the nursery (YAY), I have started brainstorming big time on what to do with the space. I want to make sure this room is perfect for baby boy, even though he may only get to use it for a month or so before we move...again.

I had fun putting together an art inspiration board for our little bundle of joy's pad. Check it out:

1.  2.  3.  4.  5.  6.  7. 

And don't worry, we have a vast collection of antlers to add to the mix thanks to the hubs. His handy self is actually working on a special project to display them. Stay tuned!

sore feet.

The move. The move.

The move into our new home went well, but wore.me.out. I cleaned the entire townhome and filled up the closets on Thursday. Friday, the movers, a.k.a. John and Hector, emptied our storage unit. Furniture was set in place and I started the tedious task of emptying boxes. By Saturday afternoon all boxes were emptied and everything was pretty much put into place. On Sunday, John started hanging pictures and mirrors, we made a trip to Target and Home Depot to pick up a few odds and ends, and stocked up our fridge. Whew. We are adjusting to our new home nicely and hopefully by the weekend we will be completely settled, except for the nursery, that is. I am making great strides, however. 

I would not recommend being on your feet from dawn til dusk if you are pregnant. My stubbornness and O.C.D. got the best of me and now my feet, hips, and lower back are suffering the consequences. I exaggerate not when I say that the soles of my feet and top of my toes are BRUISED. On Saturday I attempted to wear socks with an additional sock padding on the heel. Didn't help. My Uggs felt great for about 5 mintues before my feet started sweating. Come Sunday I was limping around in so much pain I had to grit my teeth with every step. I guess that's the price you pay when you move at 28 weeks pregnant with an extra 24 pounds slapped on.

Here are a few pics of the progress made on our new abode:

...getting there!

week 28.

Last Friday, I hit the week 28 mark. In the grand scheme of things, I am 12 weeks away from my due date and only 9 weeks away from being considered "full term." I am flooded with emotions as I really begin to process these numbers. I could potentially have only 9 more Mondays to wake up to my alarm clock and not the sound of a crying baby. I could potentially have only 9 more weeks to turn a blah guest bedroom into a nursery oasis. John and I could potentially have only 9 more weeks to spend together as a family of two (well, four, if you factor in our fur babies). 9 weeks is less than 10. 10 weeks is the start of a countdown. Before we know it: 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF...into parenthood. Am I ready? Is John ready? Are my feelings of inadequacy only going to get stronger as we near December 14?

My prayer is that the Lord continue to prepare us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually over the next 12, potentially 9, weeks. Please pray with me.

This morning I had my 28 week appointment. 5 hours later and I am still feeling a little woozy from the delicious beverage I had to chug down, the 3 vials of blood that I had drawn, the painful RhoGAM shot injected into my hiney, and the flu shot jabbed into my arm. On the bright side, my growth is right on track and, once again, I got to hear Baby Bryant's heartbeat. I will find out the results of the glucose test either this afternoon or tomorrow. With my mild addiction to sweets I am a tad bit nervous, but hopeful...

The bump at 28 weeks.

movin' on out.

We're movin' on up and movin' on out. Finally. 

Yesterday, John and I signed the lease to the place we will call home for the next 8 months and tomorrow we get the keys! YAY!

The timing could not have been more perfect. This weekend is the only weekend, of the next ten weekends, that we have free to move. And luckily, this unit is move-in-ready...music to my ears!

I am so excited to get settled into 1102 and make it feel like home. I cannot believe that this is where we will be bringing Baby Bryant home to. I am already getting nostalgic just thinking about the memories that will be made in our little rental. Here's to new beginnings...

do and see.

John headed down to Selma this weekend to finish getting the "Skinny Leg" ready for hunting season. For once, I had no objections because I actually had a busy weekend planned, myself. Friday night ended up being a doozie due to me suffering from a horrible headache, but Saturday was go-go-go. I started my day off with a photo shoot at the Botanical Gardens. You can check out a sneak peek here.

For the rest of the afternoon I frolicked around the Summit with my bestie, Sarah, who came into town for the weekend for her Bridal Tea. I also got to go to her final dress fitting with her. BEAUTIFUL. I know I've said it a million times, but I cannot wait for her wedding in November...she can't either.

Speaking of her Tea, it was lovely and so was she. All of the hostesses did such a wonderful job at making it special for her, down to the smallest details. I did my best at capturing this day for Sarah to hold on to forever and ever. Ol' Nikon and I were really tight this weekend. 

Overall, I spent the weekend doing things that I love and spending time with people that I love. This girl can't complain...

second to third.

Time is ticking. And ticking. And ticking. I cannot believe that I am officially 27 weeks and starting my third and last trimester. Before we know it, we will be meeting our sweet boy and I'll be missing the days of pregnancy (but, of course, loving the days of mommyhood).

Baby Bryant is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his little eyes, and sucking on his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, his brain is very active now. The lungs are still immature, but they would be capable of functioning--with a lot of medical help--if our little one were to be born now. Praise God.

I can chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements that I may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother baby boy.

As for me, gone are the days of "comfort" and ease. There have been times this week that Baby Bryant has kicked my bladder and, well, I'll leave the rest up to your imagination. I find it very difficult to put on my shoes in the morning and can no longer sit with my knees to my chest. My horrible case of indigestion at night has reached an all-time low..or high? Either way, it is bad and again, I will spare you the details.

And I'm pretty positive my walk has turned into a waddle...

However, with all that being said, I am LOVING being pregnant. It's the best thing since sliced bread. Really. I thank God every day for His gift of life and for choosing me to raise, nurture, and love His precious child. It is truly humbling.

Happy Friday!

temporary home.

I am grateful for a lot of things right now, one of them being a rent-free roof over my head. I am so thankful for the many ways that my in-laws have provided for me and John over the past 4 weeks, but I have never yearned for the feeling of home as much as I do right now. I long for John to feel like my husband again and not just my roommate. I long for a different routine. I long to not feel like an intruder. I long to touch, feel, and use our "things" that are tucked away in storage. Our home is currently in a unit down the street.

I have drawn incredibly close to the Lord during this time of transition in my life. I have been constantly reminded, during intimate time spent in His presence when my heart wells up with these longings, that earth, not just my in-laws' house, is my temporary home and that these "things" that my heart values and yearns for are of the world...not of the Spirit. I am reminded that joy does not come from what I deem "comfortable" or desirable, but is a result of a devoted relationship with God and discovering His power, sovereignty, and plan amidst the most difficult circumstances life throws at me.

I am so thankful for God's grace because I tend to struggle with these feelings daily. I'm thankful for His mercy because time and time again, He forgives my flesh and reminds me of His promises and the truth of and hope in His Word.

As cliché as it sounds: "home is where the heart is." If His home is in my heart, my home is in Him.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (NLT) Ephesians 3:17-19

one hundred.

100 days to go.

100 things left to do.

100 pounds gained. Er, not really.

The bump at 25 weeks.

final days of summer.

John, our friend Lucas, and I decided to take a last minute jaunt to the beach for the Labor Day holiday weekend. It was decided on Thursday and we were packed up and beach bound by Friday afternoon. When life gives you lemons...

This time around, we stayed at John's grandparents' condo at The Palms in Seagrove. Talk about being at the center of it all! The location was absolutely perfect and the weather wasn't too shabby either. Actually, it was beautiful and sunny all weekend, but HOT. We spent a lot of time cooling off in the ocean. The boys even enjoyed some salt water fishing.

It was a great trip to end our sweet summer (other than the fact that Auburn lost--War Eagle, anyway). I'll be heading down two more times before Baby Bryant gets here--with my girls at the end of the month to celebrate Sarah's final days as a bachelorette and then at the end of October for the wedding of my lovely friend Ann Wade and her hubby-to-be, Briggs. It's hard to believe that next summer we will be beachin' it with a baby! Bittersweet...