26 Weeks

Me at 26 Weeks and Emily at 24 Weeks

Today Tal and I went to the OB for my 26-week appointment. Savannah and I both received good reports. My iron levels and blood pressure were normal. My weight gain was also normal--although I've gained 10 pounds in the last six weeks (19 pounds in all).

In addition to getting a flu shot, I also took the routine glucose screening test to see if I have gestational diabetes. I chugged a very sweet glucose drink, which tastes like flat orange soda. I waited in the office for an hour and then had some blood drawn. We're trusting that the test results will show that I don't have gestational diabetes.

During the visit, Savannah was lying sideways in my belly. Her heartbeat was normal at 150 beats per minute. The doctor felt Savannah two inches above my belly button, which is right on schedule for 26 weeks. By the end of next week (and the end of my second trimester), my belly should be the size of a basketball! Some days it feels like I'm carrying around a basketball. :-)

Good Eatin'

On Saturday, Tal, Barbara, and I went to the NC State Fair. Our first stop was the NC Cattlemen's Association's booth, where we ordered steak sandwiches. For weeks, Tal and I have dreaming about eating those steak sandwiches, and we didn't want to miss them.

Sure, we've eaten deep fried Twinkies, Snickers, and Oreos at the fair in the past. But have you ever sampled a slice of deep fried pecan pie? Neither had we--until yesterday!

To make this tasty treat, the fair workers took a slice of Mrs. Smith's pecan pie and slid a stick inside. Then, they dipped the pie in funnel cake batter and deep fried it until it was golden brown. Finally, they topped this sweet treat with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Tal quickly devoured his fried pecan pie and declared it "the best thing at the fair."

Barbara described it as "out of this world!"

For dinner that night, Tal and I took Barbara to Red, Hot, and Blue, which serves Memphis-style BBQ. Barbara thought it was hilarious how the restaurant served our drinks in pitchers. Surprisingly, I drank that whole pitcher of water with my dinner!

We all stuffed ourselves with pulled pork drizzled with a special BBQ sauce. Tal raved about the baked beans and Brunswick stew, while Barbara loved her sweet potato and cornbread muffins.

Although we probably shouldn't have, Tal and I also managed to eat a few bites of the banana pudding and pecan pie that came with our meals. After dinner, we went to the mall to walk off some of our dinner. It was a good day for eating!

Getting Ready for Savannah

We had a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend with Tal's mom, Barbara, who came to visit us. On Saturday, Tal, Barbara, and I had the best time registering for baby items at Wal-mart and Target. (We're going to register at Babies R Us next weekend.)

Barbara was a big help because she gave us a mom's perspective on essential and "nice-to have" items for Savannah. Tal and I learned a lot about the best diapers for girls, which bottles help prevent gas :-), and how to wash a baby's clothes.

As we registered for items, it was fun to imagine Savannah being part of our lives and using the items that we picked out. For instance, I can envision taking Savannah for a walk in her stroller, giving her a bath every night, and watching her sleep in her Pack-n-Play at Grandma's house.

Thanks to her generous Grandma Barbara, Savannah will be the cutest baby! Below are some of the adorable clothes that Grandma brought for Savannah. Some of our favorites say, "cute as a button," "I love Grandma," and "lil' princess."

Granddaddy's Surprise Party

Last Saturday, we celebrated Tal's granddaddy's 74th birthday in Salter Path. This birthday was extra special for Granddaddy because it was his first birthday party, and it was a surprise!

Granddaddy's party was held in the church fellowship hall, and over 50 family and friends came to wish Grandaddy a happy birthday, as well as to eat BBQ and watch Granddaddy open his presents.

The picture below shows how surprised Granddaddy was--just seconds after he opened the door, and everyone shouted, "Surprise!"

Granddaddy's cake shows the "king of the castle" lying on couch and watching TV. Under the TV, it says, "biggest sports fan ever."

The photo below shows Tal with his Uncle Keith and Uncle Kenny. Keith and his wife Teresa drove 11 hours from Florida to surprise Granddaddy. He was surprised alright!

Baby Bump at 24 Weeks

24 weeks down...and about 16 more weeks to go until Savannah arrives! Savannah is growing by leaps and bounds. She is about 8 1/2 inches long and weighs 1 1/2 pounds. From now on, Savannah will gain about 6 ounces each week.

Savannah's little arms and legs are starting to pack more of a punch. I notice that she's really active after I eat, when I'm sitting on the couch, or lying in bed.

Tal and I still have a lot to do to prepare for Savannah's arrival. Thankfully, last week I found someone to sub for me while I'm on maternity leave for 10-12 weeks. Also, Tal and I have been touring daycares and meeting with pediatrians, and we hope to make our decisions by the end of next week. In addition, we still need to put together the nursery by adding bedding and shopping for a La-Z-y Boy recliner.

Next week Tal and I will be going to the OB for a routine 26-week check-up. We anticipate a good report!

Running Boards

Last Friday, the car dealership added running boards to the sides of Tal's truck. With the running boards, it's easier for me to hop in and out of the truck.

Do you know what Tal did while he waited for his truck at the dealership? He used a loaner vehicle to go grocery shopping at Walmart--just because he didn't want me to have to do it when I got home from school. Tal's thoughtfulness brightened my day!

Tal's New Truck!

After months of researching and saving, Tal's dream of owning a truck came true this past weekend! On Saturday, Tal purchased a preowned 2008 Ford F-150 with 17,500 miles. It's black with a gray interior.




Tal's truck has two features that we really needed: an automatic transmission and four doors for our growing family. It also has a couple "extras" that we're very excited about: an MP3 player and a bed liner.

Within the next few weeks, the car dealership will be adding running boards on both sides, which will make it easier for Savannah and me to hop in and out of Tal's truck.

(In the photo below, Tal took his mom and grandparents, who visited us yesterday, for a ride in his new truck.)

Just as the Lord has blessed us with Tal's truck, we pray the Lord will lead us to bless others by helping them move items and/or by establishing a small grass cutting ministry/business.

Some of you have asked what we plan to do with Tal's 1998 Jeep Cherokee. The Lord guided us in negotiating a good deal on the truck, and we felt that He was leading us to donate Tal's Jeep to a family in our church that needs a vehicle immediately. We pray that the Jeep will serve this family well for several years.

Yoga with Emily

During the last five weeks, my dear friend Emily and I have been taking a weekly prenatal yoga class.

Yoga class always makes me feel calm and relaxed. Our instructor turns off the lights and talks in quiet tones. The stretching and breathing techniques help ease the aches and discomfort that I sometimes feel. Plus, the fellowship with other pregnant women has been wonderful.

Emily is a guidance counselor at my school. She's expecting twin boys within a couple weeks of me! Emily and I have had so much fun being pregnant at the same time. We're always swapping stories and information on pregnancy symptoms, childcare, and pediatricians--not to mention cures for insomnia, how to decorate the nursery, and ways to reduce vericose veins and stretch marks. In fact, Emily and I think it would be pretty cool if we delivered at the hospital at the same time. :-)

She's a Butterfly!

I'm 22 weeks today, and Savannah has been very active in my belly recently. During the last week, I've felt her flutter many times each day.

It's comforting and mind-blowing to feel Savannah floating around inside me. For the last few months, we've seen her inside me, but now I can feel her!

I haven't felt Savannah kicking yet--probably because she still too small. However, I'm sure it will happen soon, and then Tal can feel Savannah moving, too. I know he will be all smiles when it happens--like any proud daddy would be. :-)

Look Who's 35!

My sweet hubby is celebrating his 35th birthday today! Take a look at the new golf bag below (in N.C. State colors, of course!) that Tal picked out for his birthday:

For his birthday, Tal is going to the Allman Brothers concert tonight with his brother Benny. Tal can hardly believe that one of his favorite bands is playing on his birthday! ;-)

Tal, in honor of your birthday, below are 35 reasons why I love and appreciate you:

• You don't mind watching CSI reruns for the umpteenth time.
• You purposely got me hooked on reruns of the TV show 24, so you could watch all of the new episodes with me in 2009.
• You recently replaced the brakes on my car, which I think is pretty amazing!
• You remind me to take my prenatal vitamins every night before bed.
• You often thank me for choosing you to be my husband.
• You love your sweet tea, chocolate covered peanuts, and Greg Norman golf shirts.
• You can't wait to be a daddy.
• You're perfectly content to eat bologna sandwiches for lunch every day.
• You take the laundry baskets up and down the stairs for me.
• You rub my baby belly when my growing, stretching belly makes me feel uncomfortable.
• You tell me that I'm good company.
• You enjoy mowing the grass and doing all of the yard work.
• You don't mind driving us wherever we go.
• You ask for a "honey-do" list every week and work really hard to get everything done on the list on Friday or Saturday.
• You calculate statistics (which is way beyond my comprehension) on your job every day.
• You often tell me that you love "your girls" (me and Savannah).
• You're handy around the house and can fix or put together most things.
• If you don't know something, then you know where to look or who to ask to find the answer.
• You do thorough research and gather advice from others before making decisions.
• You are loyal to your family and do an excellent job of staying in touch with them.
• You tell me that I'm easy to get along with.
• You complete the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper in less than 20 minutes!
• You request to eat at Taco Bell every week.
• You kiss my baby belly every night before bed.
• You cheerfully take out the trash.
• You choose not to work on Sundays because it's the day of rest.
• You know as much as (and often more than) the sportscasters on TV.
• You volunteer to put gas in my car, so I won't have to.
• You don't mind that I go to bed at 8:00 every night.
• You patiently explain the rules of football, hockey, tennis, etc. to me.
• You've enjoyed serving as an usher at our church practically every Sunday for the last 15 years.
• You download music to my iPod when you know I need some new exercise music.
• You're generally cheerful most of the time.
• You jump out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off (unlike me who lounges in bed for an extra 35 minutes).
• You chose me to be your wife!

Happy Birthday, Tal! You're the best!

Mummified!

As most of you know, my assistant and I work very hard to generate funds for our library. Our biggest fundraiser is the Book Fair, which we run for two weeks in the fall and spring.

Our fall Book Fair was a huge success! A couple weeks ago, we raised $6,880--nearly 20% more than last year. With our profit of $2,727, we will be able to purchase about 200 new books for our library.

To celebrate our success, we held an assembly last Friday and today. During the assembly, I selected one student from each grade level to wrap up me and my assistant like a mummy. When the students ran out of toilet paper, they donned us with sunglasses and wigs and then cheered for the cutest mummy.

Surprisingly, I got hot under all the layers of toilet paper. :-) However, being able to buy new books for our library makes it all worthwhile.