Monday, January 28, 2013

CC & Hon

Dear ABJ-

I know I've said it before, but you are one lucky little girl. Let me just tell you again how lucky you are. I pray that you understand how loved you are by your Hon & CC. They are so very excited for your arrival & already working hard, shopping hard & praying hard for you

I pray that you get some of their very special genetic traits. CC is very creative & can imagine things that don't seem possible to me. This weekend she spent her Sunday out in our garage painting your changing table. Of course you are not going to have just any old table. This one will be decked out for a princess. She's still pretty protective of me, I wasn't allowed near the painting, but I took a sneak peak before bed. Pretty darn cute!

Now Hon she is the MASTER at organizing & cleaning. She gets excited to organize. She came over on Saturday & helped me get out house prepped for showing. She got excited when I said the fridge needed tackling. I would guarantee your closet is going to be organized to a "T". I'm imagining you will have color coordinated outfits hanging in a row.

I hope you know how lucky you are to have these women in your life. I have a Mema & Granny, they are my favorite women in the world. They made me the woman I am today. Lucky little girl, you better hurry up & meet them. They have kisses waiting.

Love you Baby,
Momma

It all counts

Prior to pregnancy I was one of those take the stairs & walk the escalator kind of people. That was just my additional exercise for the day.

Well, let me tell you about this version of me. I try to work out most mornings before work. I like 30 minutes of cardio a day. Normally I would say that started when you got on the elliptical. Now, I'm not so dedicated.

Here's my defense. I'm too cheap to pay for close parking at work so I use the tunnel system. This was another "bonus" exercise of my prepreg life. Now I add that in. By the time I make the quarter mile hike, up one flight of stairs, carrying my lunch, purse, gym bag & sometimes laptop...in the snow, no shoes (just kidding). I'm out of breathe & at times perspiring before I get to my workout. Of course I show up right on time so there's not a catch my breathe kind of moment in between the walk & elliptical. So I count it. That's 10 minutes of extra cardio.

I also use my time doing laundry as squat time. No I don't necessarily work on my legs, I just skip stairs to make my stride longer & take less clothes up at one time, making more loads.

Look let's be real....I really, really want to be a cute pregnant girl with small booty & cute little bump. I however am McCauley from the waist up & McLaughlin from the waist down. What's that mean, a booty that's what that means. So, I can try my best at getting cardio, stair squats during laundry & a few yoga stretches here & there. Honestly, I'd count the long walk into Cherry Berry if I parked far enough away.

It all counts when your belly grows & grows.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

This Little Preggie went to the Market

Dear AnnaBella Jane,

Let me just tell you about your CC & Aunt TT. First off, they are the sweetest women in the world & they have hearts bigger than Dallas. They also love to shop & I'm talking like 10 hours straight of shopping. They barely stop to eat. They pack things like crackers & granola bars to keep from stopping. They have been shopping very hard lately. Sorry princess it's not for you(well sometimes it is) its for their Boutique.

I'm so very proud of the hard work they have put into making their adorable boutique so perfect. So, this weekend Momma & Aunt Randi tagged along at the Dallas Market to help CC & Aunt TT shop. I should probably apologize to you for the high level of exhaustion. I literally walked the entire day.

After a day & a half of shopping for boutique goodies we drove home, your Daddy was kind enough to wait on me hand-and-foot that evening. I needed it!

At the market we got the best stuff. Courthouse Designs is going to look amazing. We also order some clothing items for Momma to sell. You should know Momma loves fashion. (You already have a closet full of clothes. )

I think I'm more excited that this will come before you. This waiting around for you to get here has be awful. Keeping my mind on fashion can help me not count the number of days until I see your sweet face.

See you soon Baby Girl,

Momma

Monday, January 21, 2013

One Job

"Whatta man, Whatta man, Whatta mighty good man"- Salt & Peppa

I have always felt a little spoiled & babied by Hibdon. He's pretty good at the "giving me what I want" thing. I'm the first to admit my level of brattiness. He has always been great at just going with the flow. His Momma raised him right and his Daddy is the best example.

Now that I'm pregnant he's taken it to a whole new level. He doesn't let me exert too much effort. Last night as we are laying in bed, I told him just how fat I felt & that I was afraid to be entering the not so cute part of pregnancy. Of course he's the type to tell me how pretty no matter the circumstances. Maybe he's looking through rose-colored glass or maybe he's fibbing. Ill take it though.

Anyway, as I'm pregnant girl complaining he tells me not to worry about any of it. I have one job & that is to be pregnant. Take care of me and his little princess. I just loved that feeling. Now I know I have my to-do list, I know I have an actual job, and Lord knows Hibdon is pretty helpless at times, but hearing that brought a sense of relief to me.

I just have this one very important job right now. Just being pregnant. Pretty exciting. Salt & Peppa could add this to their jam.

One Job

"Whatta man, Whatta man, Whatta mighty good man"- Salt & Peppa

I have always felt a little spoiled & babied by Hibdon. He's pretty good at the "giving me what I want" thing. I'm the first to admit my level of brattiness. He has always been great at just going with the flow. His Momma raised him right and his Daddy is the best example.

Now that I'm pregnant he's taken it to a whole new level. He doesn't let me exert too much effort. Last night as we are laying in bed, I told him just how fat I felt & that I was afraid to be entering the not so cute part of pregnancy. Of course he's the type to tell me how pretty no matter the circumstances. Maybe he's looking through rose-colored glass or maybe he's fibbing. Ill take it though.

Anyway, as I'm pregnant girl complaining he tells me not to worry about any of it. I have one job & that is to be pregnant. Take care of me and his little princess. I just loved that feeling. Now I know I have my to-do list, I know I have an actual job, and Lord knows Hibdon is pretty helpless at times, but hearing that brought a sense of relief to me.

I just have this one very important job right now. Just being pregnant. Pretty exciting. Salt & Peppa could add this to their jam.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Preggy Dreams

Well they have started. Pregnancy dreams/nightmares. I have heard about these. My friend Sta said she would have dreams in which she forgot to feed the baby or accidentally left the baby at home. Of course, she could not go back to sleep afterwards.

Thankfully, mine aren't very realistic. I've always been one to have crazy dreams, pretty can recreate the scary movie we just watched during my sleep cycle. So then I shoot straight up in bed panting & sometimes sweating. Early on Hibdon we jump to hold me & say "You're okay". Now it happens like clock work after a scary movie, he just holds out an arm for me to snuggle. I'm not sure he even opens his eyes, but reassures me that I'm okay.

Last night I dreamed that some bad man was after me & I had to get AnnaBella & Maddy out fast. While this was freaky there's a few satisfying things that I would like to look into about this dream.

1) I was holding AnnaBella in a bundled blanket as I saved her from the bad guy.
I think this shows my motherly instincts kicking in. Protecting my child from harm & still keeping her warm.
2) The blanket was pink.
Therefore the doctor is still right & she is a she, not a he.
3) Maddy dog was being rescued as well. I have this fear that Maddy's feelings are going to be hurt when AnnaBella is born. If your pup is like your child you would understand. From day 1, when speaking in Maddy terms I am Momma & Hibdon is Daddy. I know my heart will change things with AnnaBella, but right now this is what I have to compare it to.

I don't remember the outcome of the dream, if there was one. Instead of letting the scariness get to me, I'll focus on the positive. Baby & pup saved from the craziness. Chalk one up on motherhood instincts for me, Bob!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Healthy Wife, Healthy Life...errr Kind of

So I started this post last week, got busy & pregnancy brain set in. I have been meaning to finish it, but now I have to add my sinful behavior. It's way less impressive now.

I started out with the post below.....
I have heard if Momma Ain't Happy Ain't Nobdoy Happy & Happy Wife, Happy Life. Then I recently read a blog that said "Healthy Wife, Healthy Life". I thought I bet you can create a healthy dinner time & maybe even lunch for your husband, but you can't make is life healthier. We all have to decide that for ourselves. While I still agree with this mentality, I have an additional perspective. Our pastor talks often about a little decision in life that make a big change. I have been making little decisions for my pregnancy health & including Hibdon. Not by force, but more by his laziness. For example, he would just not eat breakfast or lunch. Lately, I have been making both of us protein, spinach & fruit packed smoothies every morning. I also make batches of egg whites with spinach & green onion in a muffin tin. This is our morning snack. I try to prepare us both a healthy veggie & protein packed lunch. Lastly, dinners have always been wholesome, but sometimes we eat out or I deep fry something. I've focused more on cooking better.

I've been hitting the gym almost every day at lunch. There's an elliptical that is always free & 30-45 minutes of music or reading is spent while I work on my cardio. Hibdon has always been fit & trim, but recently started working out. So all these little food choices have led to exercise & feeling great. Feeling so healthy in my first pregnancy.

So here's what I need to add today....
Work has been so busy I have missed the gym this week, I feel exhausted & I'm in major need of some water. We ran out of almond milk & boost on Wednesday. So I haven't drank a boost in three days & a protein smoothie in two. Last night we ate at RL & stuffed ourselves miserable. Now I feel even more like poo. Hibdon even asked me where the smoothie stuff is yesterday. He said he needed his daily smoothie. I've got to go to the store!! I need to be healthy & so does Hibdon.

PS I ate a maple long john this morning. I'm so ashamed. I just really need to confess that sugar sin.

21 weeks

Yesterday was our January appointment! 21 weeks, I know I am just over half way, but that means a lot. Being patient has never been a strength of mine. Whether its the thrill of meeting the little angel who will change my life or the anxiety of wanting this to all be complete (I don't do well with transition), I'm learning each day to trust God. I really have to ask myself..."What's the alternative, Bri?" I know it seems silly, but for control freaks like me, I need a reality check.

21 weeks has been great! I feel great. I weighed in & gained 13 lbs. I think that's normal. I'm trying to focus on healthy baby. My belly is so so so very tight. I hope this doesn't mean stretch marks. I lather palmers massage lotion on every morning & the night body butter every single night if stretch marks happen, it wasn't because I didn't try to prevent them. Thankfully, Big Brother has a machine in his office that can help with this. He owes me.

Our appointment was after a meeting with our financial advisor, Seth, who we just love. We made plans for AnnaBella. Reports were ran with her name. It's hard to not want her here when I see those things. It was a great meeting & our appointment was right on schedule. Dr. N got us in & out quickly. He's always is a great mood & kind of goofy. He makes the appointments fun. I had planned all day to use my 250mg of caffeine on that moment to have great pics of AnnaBella. She was moving & kicking like crazy when we were in the waiting room. I guess she finally found her comfy spot though.

By the time her image was on the screen she was breach. Just curled up in a little ball. Her feet & hands were blocking her pretty little face. Dr. N assured me there is absolutely no worry with her being breach right now. He looks at all her cute little bones, her organs & tried to get a face shot. He did study her brain for a little while, which he called perfect. Her cerebellum is very large, this controls her fine motor skills. Dr. N thought this would make her an outstanding athlete, Daddy was proud. I asked all my questions & we were on our way to a dinner date. I want to go back! I need more time. I want to spend hours with him showing me different parts of her. We keep just getting little tastes of her. I just want to gobble her up! Consume myself with her! Feb 5th is going to take FOREVER.


Thursday, January 10, 2013

These Girls

Dear Baby Girl,

I hope within my life I will be able to provide a good example of being a woman after God's heart. I pray that I will act in kindness & love to everyone, even on the bad days. I hope that when you become a women there will be traits from my characteristics you are proud to have. Something that I have been blessed with is a few girls to help me be who I am. Without these girls I would not be the same woman I am today. If you don't listen to any of my motherly advice, listen to this. Once you find a few girls like these, hold on & cherish your relationship. They are way too important to lose.

Tator: My all time person, I can tell her any & everything without one ounce of judgement. Now, there may be a few jokes & teasing about it later, but no judgment. She helps me laugh at myself, be proud of myself & encourages me to challenge myself. Tator has the most impressive endurance & dedication. She will be a wonderful example for your professional & educational life. She will also be a great example of being ground, but knowing there is always more. You need a Tator, everyone does.
Bill: She's one of the most impressive people I know. She can take a goal that seems too large to comprehend, make her goal & then turn around with a new more competitive goal. She has the most dedication to reach her goals & she does it all while being an amazing Momma & Wife. She's real, she never puts on a show for anyone. She's great at encouraging others to better themselves. Spend one day around her & you will feel like you need a new challenge.
Aunt Aub: I'm not sure if it rare to be such good friends with your SIL, but I couldn't imagine life without her. She is the most organized, put-together, over-achieving, slightly OCD person I know. She is also the most easy-going & fun person I know. I don't know how she can be all of those, but she is. No question. She is one of those friends that thinks of sweet things to do, say or text. She's up for just about anything. She will love you like no other. You will need your Aunt Aub. We can't live without her.
Aunt Sara Beth: She will walk through fire for her loved ones, laugh with her whole heart & run to your defense at any moment. I can vent about my day & it's never my fault, she always sees it my way. She is the biggest supporter you will have. I've never cared if I had a sister because of Aunt Sara Beth. She too likes to have fun, but she is always the best person to have a night in with. She makes everything fun. Like Aunt Aub, we need her.

God gave me these girls & I can't wait to share them with you. There's many others in my life that are so kind & sweet. You will probably play with their children, but none of my relationships compare as these four girls. I pray you have a few of these girls in your life. While you are finding them, I'll let you borrow mine.

Love you,
Momma

Monday, January 7, 2013

Just a little pressure

Let's just talk about it.....

My road trip to crazy town this morning. So, I'm at work trying to wrap my head around this insanely large project that has been forgotten for years & now it's mine all mine. All the sudden AnnaBella is doing cartwheels in my tummy. She's just turning & turning. What happens next, yep another high anxiety moment. So I start stressing, thinking again 9 months is too long. Then I think of what if something is wrong with her? What if I'm not a good mom? You know the whole dang dog & pony show. I quickly send a text to Tator & Bill to say a prayer for me. I didn't even tell them why, I was just embarrassed.

Fast forward ten minutes, but what seemed like an eternity. I'm hot, sweating. Then I'm cold, put my sweater on. Finally, in my pregnant brain , I realize that my hormones must be blazing. I start to calm down. I get really busy with meeting after meeting & started to relax.

Then my sweet prego friend, Sta, decided she would join me for lunch tomorrow. She is literally due Friday. She is giddy! She rubbed off on me. I started to get giddy. We talked about us both having appointments on Thurs. We are so excited to get a visit with our little ones. The hormones took a new route to happy town.

Next, Mrs. D gives me a call to check-in on me. She's so sweet! I happened to be in a meeting & she left a voicemail. Probably the longest voicemail ever, but it was perfect. It's the kind that I will keep throughout my pregnancy. Next trip to crazy town I'll need it. She said great things about God is forming a new relationship with you, in you & through you. Days will be uncomfortable & tiring, but he won't bring you to it & not bring you through it. In her inspiring words she said..."We can't become diamonds without a little pressure". Man, that's good friend talk right there! I am making this my new mantra when I feel the heat is on. Whether its hormone driven craziness, sleep deprived baby feedings, large projects at work, volunteer projects that make you disgruntled & loads of unorganized housework just waiting to be tamed. Just take the pressure & become that sparkling beautiful diamond.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

God Shout Out on 2012

I had every intention of posting my 2012 blessings in 2012, but Jan. 1, 2013 is pretty close. Obviously 2012 was an incredible year with the news of ABJ. It's been a whirlwind and making the last quarter of 2012 zoom by.

In the past my NYE plans have been set for many, many weeks.  This year I was busy and flat out too tired to plan.  Thankfully, Sar-Bear and Kym had the bright idea of a fun night at the Hibdon Hotel.  I love that they wanted to come hang.  Neither of them have kiddos and are soon approaching "their day", they could easily see their last wild and crazy times nearing.  However, they love Hibdon and me...and they are probably just as lazy as we are. (Just kidding girls)

So the plans were set and the Hardin's arrived at our house, or what Brent refers to as the Hibdon Hotel. They came a day early for some extra fun time. We played games, made more food than imaginable and rang in the New Year with the ball drop, champagne/water toast, hats and horns.  After our 2013 kisses and hugs we started talking about our best memories, days, achievements, trips ...of 2012. Of course I had a top three: Baby AnnaBella, new job and finishing my Masters, yes all in the same year.  Really all in the same month...sort of. This had my mind rolling and Mindy's, Russell recap to how God was so good.  Every single year, month, week and day he is so good to us.  Of course I will forget good things, but month-by-month here is my God Shout Out for our 2012 blessings.

Thank you Lord for this life you have given us, Forgive us if we don't appreciate it enough.

NYE 2012

January-  We celebrated New Years Eve with friends, but it started with a family dinner at PF Changs with SIL, Shayne, E, Sar-Bear and Speedy. It was the perfect way to start our 2012.  This began the month of Easton's first sleepover with Uncle Adam and Aunt B.  Also, this month was fairly mild in Oklahoma, which gave Hibdon his happy ending to hunting season by dragging Maddy and me to the deer stand.  We were troopers, but not very quiet.  There may have been a reason he didn't see anything.
Hunting with Hibdon

E's first sleepover...we were tired
February- Started out just perfect.  Hibdon's bday apprached and there wasn't a snow storm in our forecast, but there sure was love predicted.  A proposal to be exact.  On Hibdon's bday we fooled Sar-Bear into thinking we were having a night on the town for Hibdon's bday, really Speedy was proposing. He did great, we all cheered, gave hugs and maybe shed a happy tear or two. Again, Hibdon is a lucky man our Valentine's Day date was spent in the suite at the Thunder game.  He should say an extra prayer that I love them as much as he does.
Excited for the Gaches'....I'll be ready to fit into that dress again
She was glowing!
Lots of hugs that night
 

JLT D&D
March- Is typically cold, cold, cold in Oklahoma, but this year was slightly warm.  We celebrated this warm weather by going to the lake and fishing as much as Hibdon wanted.  I started staying weekends with Mema and soaking up her precious time.  Lastly, we boogied down and raised loads of money at the Junior League Denim and Diamonds event.  The JLT girls know how to have fun, but we worked so hard earning that night!
Loving the weather

Right where he wants to be
April- We celebrated Easter with the family, got all sentimental at a wedding and I ran my first 5k with Sar-Bear and Trist.
Look at that little tail!
Momma and I Easter Sunday
First 5K!!
Tator time at the wedding
More fishing for Hib

Girls at BH Day
May-This was a big month, a fun month.  I walked in graduation, all of my classes were finished, but I had one hairy test to pass. I ran my second and third 5K.  We had a blast at Big Heart Day and did a little more fishing.

Birthday Boy
Bachelorette Party Fun
Hibdon and his beloved Jeep
June- E turned 1!!!! He's such a big boy and growing this personality that makes me fall so deep in love with that little guy.  The temps rose and Hibdon starting running with me.  He pushed me so much more than I realized I could go.  We ended the month with Sar-Bear's bachelorette party on Grand Lake and her bridal shower.  Hibdon was very excited at the end of this month.  He finally bought his Jeep.  His old Jeep Wrangler that he has talked about for years. He's so in love with that thing.

Rehearsal Time
July-Sar-Bear and Speedy tied the knot, we had a blast at their after party.  Again the temps just climbed, so we climbed right into the pool.  E loves the pool!

Year #2 Boy I miss that blond hair.
August- This month was a doosey! I passed my final exam, school is out FOREVER. I started my new job, that I love, love, love, love, love. Hibdon and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary.  We also followed it up with the annual pictures at the spot he proposed at.

Arkansas vs. Rutgers
September- The best month, we found out about AnnaBella! I was a hard secret to keep, but we kept it quiet for the most part.  I did tell Big Brother at the Arkansas game.


October-  It was slightly a blur.  I was avoiding most people to keep from slipping on the baby front.  I was feeling terrible and we were just flat out busy with life.  Hibdon  took a week to spend in the woods and then his annual fishing trip with Gpa.  I think he rather enjoyed himself.  I did celebrate another year of getting older. We don't have to worry about that though.

FB announcement
November-The cat's out of the bag! Everyone heard the news about Baby H and we were relieved.  We also found out that Baby H was a girl.  We enjoyed Thanksgiving in our usual locations, but I was still suffering from the morning sickness.

December- Christmas time with Christmas blessings and no morning sickness! I ate, oh boy did I eat.







This year has been fun, busy and perfect.  I can't believe next year is the year in which I will say at every doctors appointment and fill in every blank.  This will be the year I use for the rest of my life. The year of my AnnaBella. Bring it on 2013, we are sooooo ready for you!