Introducing...

James Tucker Lawrence E.
Born January 4, 2013 at 11:32pm
6 pounds, 12 ounces
19.5 inches long

2012 in 12 Pictures

Joining Dweej over at House Unseen. I apologize for the total unimpressiveness of the following photos - it appears the majority of my saved photographs are internet memes. New goal in 2013: file pictures that actually involve the real world. 

ENJOY.

Zoo in January

February Valentine's Flowers

Arkansas in March

Brian's 30th Birthday in April

May Blessings

The Baby Bean in June

Bridal Party in July

Gender Reveal (Boy) in August

The September Move

Navy Graduation in October

November Maternity Photos

December Decorating

Coming up in 2013: An exorbitant amount of squishy baby photos. Soon. Please. 

7 Quick Takes

So here's my best guess as to what has happened in the Big E household in the past week and half...

- 1 -

We enjoyed a lovely day trip to Lake Lopez in Arroyo Grande, CA to eat way too much Thanksgiving food with my godparents family, friends and my Dad. 

Prego camper & hubs

Not so wild wildlife. They like carrots. 

Best. Dog. Ever.

Usually we accompany Dad in the RV for 3 days of waking up way too early thanks to his 5:30am coffee grinding habits, but this year we skipped out since my pregnant belly wanted to sleep in it's own bed. So we just showed up for some quality campfire time and, of course, the grub. Very blessed to have such a wonderful extended family!

- 2 -

Insurance, Y u no cover birth centers!?

I finally got my butt in gear and read about 100 pages of a childbirth book. I'm seriously so lax in the prepared department. We signed up last minute for a Childbirth class at the Hospital as well, and went to the Breastfeeding class on Monday night. The booby class was much better than I expected (i.e., only marginally corny) and was really informative, so I'm going into this Childbirth course with high expectations. 

There seems to be no gray area with me. I either want to know everything there is to know about giving birth, or I want to go the "ignorance is bliss" route. So please, random women of America, stop sharing your birth horror stories with me. 

- 3 -

We got our maternity photos, and I think they came out beautiful (or as beautiful as one can make a puffy pregnant woman). FYI - we did not splurge on these, they actually came as a part of our wedding photography package. If you live in the SoCal/Orange County area, I highly recommend Gamboa Photography.

We plan on using the images in our Christmas card this year. Double bonus, two birds with one stone, and all that jazz.

- 4 -

34 weeks - OB says baby is head down. Good boy!

7 things I've noticed since entering the third trimester:

1. Everything is sore. 

2. I can no longer spell or do math.

3. It's hard to eat with feet in your ribs.

4. Clipping your toenails becomes an extreme sport.

5. Pants are not your friend.

6. Heartburn sucks.

7. 2nd trimester energy = completely gone.

- 5 -

 I'd like to take this moment (because I have nothing else of interest to say this week) to introduce you to an important member of the family. This here is Juicy Mama. Despite what you think you're seeing, she (he?) is not a koi fish, but a goldfish. Not only is she a goldfish, she is a goldfish we won AT A CARNIVAL SIX YEARS AGO. 

She is the behemoth of her kind, and an absolute terror. Before she reached size ginormous she shared a tank with two fancy-tailed golfish (Doogan and Leroy - I'm obviously very traditional when it comes fish names) who she slowly but surely tortured to death. She's been flying solo for the past three years now - just the way she likes it. 

Her favorite pastimes include binge eating, inhaling the rocks at the bottom of her tank and spitting them at the glass (she used to hurl them at the other fish), and making an obscene amount of noise splashing in the middle of the night.

We heart her.

- 6 -

Itty bitty baby socks. They melt even the coldest heart.

My cats are obviously very discriminatory with their love.

My mom (henceforth known as Grandma) came to visit on Tuesday night and stayed until Thursday morning. She is the laundry guru and I'm lucky to have someone volunteer to separate, wash, and hang up all the baby clothes while I nap.  And by all the baby clothes I mean about 78 outfits, 19 blankets, a bajillion baby socks, and other miscellaneous items. This child will never be naked. 

My Dad (henceforth known as Grandpa) is coming up bright and early on Sunday to paint the baby's room and the guest bedroom. I will, again, be sleeping.

Much love and thanks to my parentals! 

- 7 -

Hey, remember when I used to write about things that were important and intellectual? Yeah, me neither.

{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}

Originally posted last week, but reposting again since there is an actual link up this time. Click the button to visit the other ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter! :)

{pretty}

Look who got all crafty and finally did this project off of Pinterest! I'm seriously so proud of myself. I actually got my butt in gear and completed something - and it really does look Pinterest worthy!

I made two (one on each side of my fall flowers). Here is the price breakdown and where I got the supplies from:

Vases from Joann's $6.99 x 2 = $13.98

Pumpkin Spice candle from Joann's $4.99 x 2 = $9.98

4ply jute/twine from Joann's = $3.99

Yellow corn kernels from Walmart $1.19 x 2 = $2.38

Small Red Beans from Walmart $1.19 x 2 = $2.38

Green Split Peas from Walmart $1.19 x 2 = $2.38

20% Off Coupon at Joann's = -$5.59

TOTAL for 2 Seasonal DIY Decor = $29.50

Or $14.75 for each Seasonal Vase

It's amazing how something as simple as beans in a vase can brighten your dining room. I can't wait to do a variation of this for every season. 

{happy}

I generally stick to a lactose free diet as it is easier on my ulcerative colitis. I drink lactose free milk, have soy milk with my Starbucks drinks, avoid yogurt and all soft cheeses, etc. Of course, I let myself indulge every once in awhile.

12 pack at Walmart for $5? Yes please. Nothing makes this pregnant mama happy like a can of chocolate gold.

{funny}

 I succumbed to the pressure and bought that damn giraffe everyone harps on about.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some eco friendly baby toys (or really eco anything, since I'm generally pretty crunchy) but $20 for something my baby is going to suck on? We had a gift card to Babies R Us so I felt justified in splurging.

You should have heard the sales lady.

Me: "So do you have that giraffe thing-"

Sales Lady: "Oh, you mean Sophie? She has her own section right over here, and there's only one left! She's really popular."

I'm sorry...are we still talking about the giraffe teether?

Just look at her, with her big eyes and rosy cheeks...I know she's plotting something.

{real}

While taking a bubble bath the other night, there were strange rattling sounds coming from the ceiling. I texted my husband (because that's how we do things around here) and he came to investigate... 

By spring boarding off the tub rail and onto the bathroom counter. BECAUSE THAT'S SAFE. First I'm freaked out that some creature has gotten into the air ducts, and NOW I'm freaked out that he's going to slip and fall, kill himself, and I'll be a pregnant widow. With no one to help me out of the tub.

No small mammals or husbands were harmed in the making of this post. Turned out to just be windy outside.

- - -

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

7 Quick Takes

- 1 -

There are times when I sit down to do this blog linkup, and it's like the entire week erases itself from my mind. I have to either a) ask my husband what happened to me like I'm some kind of amnesia patient or b) look through the pictures on my cell phone in hopes that I can trigger some memories. I'm going with option b today, since Brian is watching Big Bang Theory reruns.

- 2 -

I love me some instagram. I love my garden tub. I love LUSH products. And I especially love cheap candles at Target on my fancy new candlesticks (also from Target). That is some ambiance right there. 

- 3 -

Our friends put on a party for us on Saturday - it was part Baby Shower and part 25th birthday. We had SO much fun! I loved the games we played - especially the baby obstacle course. I had tears of hilarity coming from my eyes watching the guys compete. First they had to chug beer out of a baby bottle, then they had to correctly put a cloth diaper on a stuffed animal, and finally they had to match 3 pairs of baby socks. Fastest time wins!

We played another game called pin the sperm on the egg, but this blog is rated PG so you'll have to use your imaginations. :)

- 4 -

Is anyone else doing Read the Catechism in a Year? I'm on Day 29 and have really kept up. Of course, my reading comprehension is years behind what it needs to be in order to fully digest it all, but I'm giving it the old college try. Even if I have to read the same sentence 12 times. 

- 5 -

This is what the baby's room currently looks like. It's like a giant bomb of baby blue and fluff went off when I wasn't looking. My shower gifts were all stacked downstairs on the dining room table, and while Brian was at work I took it upon myself to take 6 trips up and down the stairs so we could eat dinner at a table again. I totally planned on putting away/organizing said gifts...but all that exercise was exhausting. Maybe tomorrow.

- 6 -

I took down my very limited Halloween decorations yesterday, and put up some Fall/Thanksgiving decor that I got from Target (I see a theme here). Just some window clings and a sign so far, but it's coming along. We've also got two pumpkins I'm thinking about decorating, and I'm currently working on a yarn wreath and this. I PROMISE to do a crafty post when I'm done with it all. It just might be next year. 

- 7 -

Excited to be participating in Mandi's multiple giveaways to celebrate Lucia's first birthday! There are lots of great items you can win, so head on over and participate! :)

7 Quick Takes

I can't believe I'm doing this AHEAD of schedule. There must be something askew in the universe. 

— 1 — I cannot believe I spent 4 days in Chicago and managed to see absolutely nothing. Then again, I was a bit busy traveling to and from airport/hotel/NAVY base in a million configurations. But I LOVED what I did see (you know, besides seeing my baby brother in his sailor uniform - amazing!). The trees, the fall colors, the architecture, the wonderful cold weather...I could go on and on. I'm sure to those of you who already live in the Midwest these things are very passe, but to a Southern California girl who prays for more rain every year, it was  a beautiful thing. And let me just say...wow...houses built out of bricks. So bizarre, and definitely not earthquake friendly (but I guess bricks are okay with tornadoes?). I definitely would like to go back and be able to explore the city. Except, next time, let's not have the plane be delayed as we sit on the tarmac for one hour because of 50+mph winds and heavy rain, okay?
— 2 —

I would be a terrible big sister if I didn't share with you our reason for going to Chicago in the first place - my brother became a Sailor. Not only did he graduate from boot camp, but his fellow sailors from his division (88 of them) chose him as the Honor Recruit. His letter of commendation says, "By virtue of your demonstrated honor to duty, military conduct, responsiveness to orders, cooperation, and loyalty, you have been selected by your shipmates as Honor Recruit for Division 334. I take great pleasure in commending you for your fine performance, which has earned you the admiration and respect of your shipmates and extend to you a 'Well Done' for your impressive achievement." I'm sure I don't have to tell you how BIG of a deal this is in the military. 

The only sucky part was having to say goodbye on Saturday, as he was off to Submarine School in Groton, CT. I'm sure he will do just as well there - we are rooting for you Chris!
— 3 — Is anyone else doing the 30 Day Marriage Challenge that Hallie is hosting over at Moxie Wife? Let me tell you, Day 1 started off with a bump.
Me: What can I help you with today? Husband: Huh? Me: You know - do you need help with anything? Husband: Is this a trick question?
And then I got frustrated and kind of gave up after that. Whoops. Maybe this isn't something you should be attempting at 6.5 months pregnant. Thankfully, I've been doing much better since then. Tomorrow is Day 5: Tell yourself, "He really loves his family, and he is doing his best for us." I CAN DO THIS.
— 4 — Baby Deals sites - I'm looking for them. I've always loved Amazon Daily Deals, and I check that pretty regularly, but I've just come into the world of baby deal sites. I've found a few, but I'm not sure what the best ones are. Do you mommies have any tips/tricks for me? Any favorite sites that you check everyday? Weekly giveaways? I'm definitely interested in cloth diapers and other need-to-haves, so point me in the right direction and I will be eternally grateful.  Thanks to Kendra I discovered that Thirsties has a weekly giveaway...now I just have to win something!
— 5 — Continuing with the baby theme (what can I say, baby boy is on my mind) I have my first shower coming up a week from this Sunday. Why multiple showers you ask (or at least my mom did)? Because my family is TOO DARN BIG. My husband's side of the family will be about 15-20 people, but I invited 40 people to my family's side of the shower. I've been referring to the two showers as The North (Los Angeles - my family) and The South (Orange County - Brian's family) - hopefully the Civil War comparisons will end there.
Anyway, I'm a tad bit nervous. I fit quite nicely into the introvert box and the thought of a large group of people watching me open presents and asking me questions is...awkward. But I am so happy that we are doing a coed shower so my husband will be there with me. I'll be a lot less nervous at The North shower, since they will be all the people I grew up with. Just need to make it through The South shower without making a fool of myself. Sheesh, this is sounding like some kind of History Channel drama.
— 6 — For my 25th Birthday next month I'm thinking of getting a tablet. But Rachel, you say, what do you need a tablet for, didn't you just buy a very expensive gaming laptop? To which I reply, who are you my husband!? Sigh. Listen, it's hard to get this colossal computer rig situated when I want to blog. Wouldn't it be great to just sit down on the couch with a 1.5 pound tablet and just type away while I can see the TV at the same time, and get up to go pee (which I have to do every hour) without having to untangle myself from computer cords? I knew you would see it my way.
So, do any of you use a tablet to blog? Or have you thought about it? It seems like there are way more options than just an iPad these days, so I'm interested to hear about other brands. Thanks!
— 7 —

Please just wake me when this political BS is all over - I can't handle it anymore. Though I guess it could be worse...the last time we had an election it was on my 21st Birthday. I'm sure you can imagine how fun that was for me.

7 Quick Takes: Better Late Than Never

— 1 — Things have been so all over the place lately, I can barely keep my head on straight. After finally moving in the last of our things from the old apartment, we drove down to Los Angeles the very next day to catch a plane to Northwest Arkansas. And by "moving in" I mean that we left everything in half-opened boxes strewn about in every room, effectively creating a fire hazard and an obstacle course. We got back home on Friday and I feel myself twitch every time I look at one of those boxes, and yet I feel too tired to do anything about it. Um, nesting energy, where are you?
— 2 — Vacation was great. I couldn't ask for a better extended family. I truly tried to relax and enjoy the scenery, and was so happy to watch my husband interact with my Southern folk. I am so grateful to have such a large, extended family (on both sides) that I can keep in touch with. My great Aunt and great Uncle seem just as excited for our baby boy as if it were their own great grandchild. 

My buddy Turtle and I. 

I was a little bit naughty and went horseback riding while 5.75 months pregnant. My cousin Shelli (the cowgirl) said she rode until she was 8 months pregnant, and her horse is named Turtle after all, so I felt pretty confident. I walked on Turtle for a bit, until he decided he didn't want to walk anymore and closed his eyes and took a snooze. Then I had Brian lead me around the arena on Turtle. Getting on and off the horse was a bit of trick, but with a little bit of help I managed. Nothing can keep me from my horse riding!
— 3 — My fellow thrifters would be so proud of me. I went CRAZY in Gentry, AR at one of the cutest little baby consignment shops. I actually went back two days in a row, accumulating a total of 25 pieces of clothing and 2 newborn hats for $48.90. For those of you who are math-disabled like me, that comes out to $1.81 per item. You can't beat gently used baby clothes (two items actually had the stickers still on them, so they were brand new) for under $2 a pop. A few of the items I found were even 100% organic cotton!
All told, so far I have only bought baby boy clothes at consignment shops, or the 50%+ off rack at Sears. I have yet to spend more than $4 on any one item. The little man has clothes from 0-3 months all the way to 12 months. I'm feeling pretty awesome. 
Tomorrow I'll probably go through his clothes and discover he has all shirts and no pants or something. 
— 4 —

Indian (Native American if you please) fry bread tacos. Delicious.

I'm ashamed to say I took barely any pictures on my week-long vacation. Ugh. I used to be so good about capturing all the moments on my travelling excursions, but I've really fallen off the wagon lately. 
I do have some pictures of Brian and the rest of the family shooting guns on the property (I wisely decided to snap some quick pictures and then head inside, since 8 people shooting clay pigeons is a little loud for baby), but uploading them would involve me getting out of bed and going downstairs. Sorry guys - you'll have to take my word - Brian was really, really good! 
— 5 — Twitter. I communicate with some of you on twitter already, but generally have tried not to put my username out there. I have a couple of reasons for doing so, but mostly it's because a lot of my family and friends (i.e., the non religious kind) don't know I have a blog, so I'm hesitant to link the two together. Do I really want to open myself up to that kind of scrutiny? Do I want friends of friends coming to my blog? I have other, less than devout reasons too. I curse - in fact, I really like to curse, and I know that bothers some people (religious and unreligious alike). Do I want my fellow bloggers to see how unperfect I am? Will my cathsorority sisters think less of me?
I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Do others have this dilemma? Is this a Catholic convert issue? What do you think?
— 6 — As soon as I finish unpacking all these *#$@& boxes I want to start decorating this place so it feels like HOME. Right now I tend to feel like I'm either house sitting for someone or staying in a rental vacation home. The walls are SO WHITE and SO BARE. Between furnishing the guest room and the baby's room, we definitely have a lot of shopping to do, but I really don't know the first thing about decorating. I tend to be a DIY type person, but I draw the line at refinishing furniture and hanging light fixtures. 
Pinterest has been, of course, a great source of inspiration. Now if only I can find all of those cute little bathroom accessories at Walmart. 
— 7 —

I guess I could see these three people hanging out together. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!  

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Sunday before departure.

Today marks the end of my brother's first week at Navy boot camp. Other than the 2 minute call he was given upon landing in Chicago, we will probably not get to hear from him for another 8 weeks. We think about you every day little brother! Can't wait to see you graduate in October!
— 2 —

The first outfit we bought.

We had our big ultrasound last Wednesday, and were very surprised to find out we are having a little boy. I had been mentally preparing myself for a girl, since I've generally been a nanny to mostly boys. Brian was also convinced he was following in his grandfather's footsteps and we were going to have six girls. I'm glad God has his own plans. :)


— 3 — I wanted to do something fun to tell my parents the baby's gender, rather than just a regular phone call. Right after the doctor's appointment we took a trip to the baby consignment store and bought our first baby boy outfit, and a little bear that says "It's a Boy!" to surprise them. Of course while attempting to shop for these items my mother was texting and calling excessively, and in our attempts to evade her and tell her to wait just a bit longer there might have been some swear words. Hahaha.
There's something about torturing your parents with good news that brings a smile to my face.
Anyhow, we got home and FaceTimed them, and on a 1-2-3 count held up the outfit and teddy bear while shouting, "It's a boy!" It was so much more fun to see their reactions and to have some suspense built up rather than just tell them over the phone, so I'm glad we held out (and that my mother didn't suffer a stroke)! 
— 4 —

I don't have anything to add here. This looks good.

— 5 — Baby registries. They really suck to plan. I think I have an idea of what I need, but I just know I'm either going to forget something really important, or bulk order crap I never use. 
What are your registry must haves? Do you have any recommendations? 
What do I put on my baby registry and what do I buy myself?
What does a baby absolutely need in the first year?
WAKE ME WHEN IT'S OVER.
— 6 —

20 weeks - the halfway point!

I can't wait to get to the point where people stop giving me the crazy eyes while they scan my body doubtfully when I tell them I'm pregnant (not only pregnant, but halfway-to-baby-birth pregnant). Dresses seem to completely hide my bump, but they are the most comfortable so they've been my go-to outfit lately. Surprising, considering I used to hate dresses. Yesterday I told hubby that I actually felt pretty in them! Sign of the Apocalypse for sure. 

— 7 —

I haven't wanted to say anything until it was finalized, but...WE ARE MOVING! Obviously our tiny one bedroom hotbox in Santa Barbara wasn't going to cut it anymore with a baby on the way. I was also demanding a dishwasher and a washer/dryer and that was out of the question here. 

So we are relocating 40 minutes south to Ventura/Oxnard where the prices are more reasonable. So reasonable in fact, that we are moving into a 4 bedroom townhome with a two car garage, dishwasher, washer/dryer, and air conditioning, for LESS $ per month than a two bedroom with none of those things in Santa Barbara. The only downside is Brian will have to commute to school. Still, we think the benefits far outweigh the cons, and we will actually be a lot closer to family and friends in the LA area - yay visitors and a guest bedroom!

Wish us luck in our big move - we start September 1st and will be moved in by September 9th! Decorating before and afters sure to follow!