24 week bumpdate!

Weight: I'm up a total of  21  lbs! I can't believe it. Okay..maybe I can. :/ I've gained 7 lbs since last month...oops. I'm sort of nervous because I remember gaining 8 lbs in a week with Rylee and then the following week I was put on bedrest because of preeclampsia. I shouldn't think like this, but I'm so nervous this will happen again. I can't be put on bedrest with a toddler! I don't know what we would do if that happens.
Food: I'm a sweet lover so that's what I've been wanting to munch on. Pickled okra is delicious too!
Sleep: It's a hit or miss. I'm exhausted, but can't sleep- this part sucks! I didn't miss this. :(

I made it!

To say the least, the last 10 weeks have been so stressful. Being pregnant & having a toddler plus taking a full time credit course load within a very condensed summer session is HARD, but I did it. I made it. I survived. We survived. I managed to pull of a 4.0 this semester (do not ask me how!) I only have this next semester to go and I'm on my way to nursing school. =)


We are still working on the nursery like crazy! It's all coming together and I'm loving it. If you follow me on instagram, you have already seen a few sneak peaks of the nursery. This is the 'antique' armoire we bought from a girl I knew. It needed some work (new paint on the inside & a couple new shelves.) My awesome hubby finished it today! It was his idea to paint the back of it pink & I love it! We aren't getting a dresser for this baby since this thing is so big & has lots of storage.

I have so much to get caught up on- the massive amount of emails & reorganizing this computer of mine. I'll be back doing the weekly bumpdates...I'm already more than halfway through! I can't believe it.... but meanwhile here's a silly pic. =)

Shutterfly

It's no hidden secret that I'm in love with Shutterfly. I love their photobooks! I literally have 13 of them from the first year of Rylee. I'm still in the process of creating a bunch more from vacations. I'm obsessed. Rylee LOVES looking at them & I think we flip through the books 15 times a day.


Shutterfly's Long Live Summer Photo Contest on Facebook launched on Monday July 9th and it runs for 5 weeks. Trip to the bahamas or a $500 gift card. Hello, I'd use both of those.

My four one one.

 1. How long have you been blogging? 

I've been blogging since I was about 14? Give or take a few years. I started with LiveJournal and slowly stopped updating that.   And what got you started on blogging? I don't really know what got me started on blogging to begin with. I suppose being able to vent/share memories to other people got me hooked. I love being able to go back and read what happened.  Has your blog changed? I think my blog has changed with how my life has turned out. When I first started blogging, I was young & wrote about nonsense & boyfriend troubles. Now I'm married, with 1 baby and 1 on the way...so yeah...it has changed. 

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study? 

 I'm currently still in college....blah blah. I should be done. I'm turning 25 this year. I have taken the long way, but at least I'm getting it done. I'm studying Nursing & I go to a local community college. 

3. Where have you traveled? 

I've also been to the Bahamas, Costa Rica & St. Lucia (British Virgin Islands)

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?

A bigger house.

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?

Chewing with your mouth open (ew, ew, ew)

Smacking your gum/food

Yellow teeth 

 
6. What is your favorite movie?

I really don't know...I loved The Notebook.

 
7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?

I always, always drink water. On occasion I'll have sweat tea, but 99% of the time it's h20!

 
8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?

Me time is very rare these days. I love to get a pedicure or go shopping by myself!

 
9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?

Clothing store? Express

Furniture/house store? Ikea 

 

10. What day would you love to relive again?

I would love to relive our wedding again...or the birth of Rylee. Both of those days are so special & I can't choose between one of them.

 
11. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?

In high school, I worked at ABC Pizza (a local restaurant) & Olde Town Pizzeria (a local pizza joint.) I quit both of those places & got a job at Hooters for 4 months until I got a job at Coca-Cola in 2008 and I worked there for 3 years until I had Rylee. 

 
12. Show us a picture from high school or college.

This was in 2006 the year I graduated from high school:

 I'm on the right, of course.

 
13. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

I would choose Fiji! It's beautiful there & if anyone knows me, knows I love tropical islands.

 
14. Show us the most current picture of you or you and your family.

15. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?

5 years from now- I will be done with nursing school and in school for my bachelors. We will have a 7 year old and 5 year old! HOLY CRAP! I will hopefully work nights at a hospital so I can still be at home with my babies. We will have a beautiful house that is a lot bigger than our current one.

 

20 weeks...what?!

I really can't believe I'm halfway through this pregnancy!  

I had my 20 week anatomy scan today and everything was perfect!

She's measuring 11oz and is in the 44th percentile. 

She had 150 bpm & my due date is still the same as it was.

My b/p was 100/60 and let's hope it stays that way!

I have gained 10lbs to date! I feel like I've gained a lot more. ;P

I'm officially in preggo clothes. I can wear my non maternity shirts, but they aren't cute on so we will stick to the stretchy band shorts. Oh, and my boobs? That's a totally different story. They are GIGANTIC!

I had Rylee 17 weeks from now..ah!

 Already showing off her legs...oh boy.

We have painted the nursery & put new flooring in, but that's about it. I think I have the crib picked out & I think I'm going to get a dresser from IKEA and paint it myself. 

;)

This would never happen to me.

You always see crazy stories on Maury, Dr. Phil & Jerry Springer (okay..maybe not Jerry Springer.) The stories are usually who's my babies daddy, who's my father/mother, is she my sister?

Sunday afternoon I get a message from a stranger asking if my father was "bleep bleep bleep?" I immediately thought 'oh crap- something has happened'. If you know me, you know our relationship isn't that great & never really has been. He's been in & out of my life ever since I can remember. The last time I talked to him was almost a year ago. He's met Rylee 2-3 times and hasn't seen her since she was 12 months...she's now 20 months.

Anyways- I replied back and said "yes". Long story short- my our father is just that..OURS.

We aren't 100% of the true story because my our father has nothing to do with her or her family. She was adopted by her biological grandparents (on her mothers side) that she considers her parents when she was really young. They have since passed away & she has nothing to do with her mother. Her entire life growing up she was told what her fathers name was & that he wanted nothing to do with her. She remembers briefly meeting him once when she was about 4 years old.

Her family has always been 100% truthful with her & has never hid anything.

Our father on the other hand? Well..he has apparently hid a very dark secret for 27 years.

Her birthday is Feb 25th
The fathers is Feb 23rd.

Her name is Nicole.
My middle name is Nicole.

We were both born & raised in the same town, went to the same high school (at the same time), knew the same group of people. She grew up with some of my cousins (on my moms side.) We lived within a few blocks of each other.  My mom knows her mom & a lot of the same acquaintances.

Strange, right? How in the world did we not know each other before this? I was utterly & completely shocked when I found out. She's had 27 years to digest this information. She thought that I knew about her, but nope! NO ONE had any idea...except of course the father.

I'm still shocked. We've been talking non stop ever since she found me & I couldn't be happier. We are only 2.5 years apart. She's a nurse, married & has 2 kids. We have A LOT in common.

Not the best comparison, but some say they see similarities.

We met today & I still can't get over it.

 What do you think we have in common, if anything?

I know not all siblings look alike (my other sister and I look nothing alike!)

We have been talking about having a DNA test done just to be 100% positive, but I don't think there's much denying it. I keep asking myself if this wasn't true then why would this girl search for me? Why would she spend her time trying to find some part of her other family? 

Some have said to confront our father, but it's not worth it. He obviously doesn't care & she has no desire to meet him. I don't blame her. I told her today "you're not missing anything from his family." 

We plan to continue to get to know each other & our next meet up will be with the husbands. After all- they are brother in laws!

AHHHHHHHHH!!! :D

Here I am!

I love blogging. I'm happy it's not up high in my priority list anymore, but I'm starting to really miss it.

This semester has 6 weeks left & then I'm a free woman! It's been a tough/stressful few weeks, but I'm getting through it.

Other than that, things are so busy. If I'm not studying or doing homework, Rylee is awake & we're doing something since it's summer & not too incredibly hot at this point. I have a ton of pics to post, but those will have to wait when I have more time.

On another note..we have found out the sex of baby #2! We had a small gender reveal party this past weekend (update to come on that in a few weeks too)

 And it's a........

We are really excited! I was/am nervous about another girl, but it'll be great! Rylee will (hopefully) have a built in BFF for life since they'll be so close!

I'm 18 weeks now! Holy crap. Almost 1/2 way! I can't believe it!

I've received a few blog comments and I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to y'all! I have all the emails, but my email is a bit backed up....

I'll be back shortly!! :) I miss everyone!