22 Weeks

I am 22 weeks pregnant today!  I can't believe that I am already this far along.  It seems like it has gone by very quickly so far.  Everything is going well.  I am feeling our baby boy kick almost every day now.  Richard was able to feel him kick last Thursday night.  It felt like he was a kicking ninja that day.  We have decided on a name....Logan Alexander McClanahan.  We are still trying to make decisions about the colors and a theme for the nursery.  According to the website that I am following, our baby boy is about the size of a spaghetti squash (11 inches long and 1 pound in weight).  It says that his lips, his eyelids and his eyebrows are becoming more visible.  And surprising to me, his tooth buds are beginning to form under his gums.  We are getting more and more excited each and every day about meeting our little baby boy Logan!  Here is my belly picture for the week!

21 Weeks!!

I will be 21 weeks pregnant tomorrow!!  We have been so excited this past week knowing that we are having a little baby boy!  We are still debating on the name, but we are getting close!  I have been feeling good, just growing each day!  I have gained 12 pounds so far, so needless to say, my clothes are fitting much differently or not fitting at all.  The belly band has been a lifesaver and allowed me to stay in my normal pants (for now!).  We are also trying to make some decisions about the nursery.  We are having a hard time decided on colors and a theme!  I am feeling our baby boy move almost every day.  It is the craziest, but best feeling!  I can't wait for Richard to be able to feel him move.  According to the website that I am following, the baby is the length of a carrot this week (about 10 1/2 inches long).

It's A BOY!!!

I am 20 weeks pregnant today!!! We went to the doctor this morning for the ultrasound and found out that we are having a baby BOY!!  It was pretty clear from the ultrasound pictures that we are in fact having a boy.  He was moving around and very active first thing.  The nurse said that everything looked good and that he was weighing in at about 12 ounces.  His heartbeat was 155 bpm.  We are both very excited and can't wait for him to get here!  We are still working on the official name, but hopefully we will have that soon.  For now, it is just nice to be able to call him a him instead of an it.  I was also able to feel him move for the first time this past Saturday night.  I was laying on the couch and Richard was playing the guitar for him when I felt him move.  It was the strangest, but most awesome feeling.  I can't wait for Richard to be able to feel him move too.  We feel so blessed!!!  Throughout this whole thing, I had not bought a single thing for the baby, well, that changed today.  After the doctor's appointment we went shopping and I had to buy just one little outfit.  They are some little frog pajamas with frogs on the feet and the butt!  I thought it was too cute!!  Now, we just have to start picking out what we want to do for the nursery! According to the website I am following, the baby is the length of a banana this week.  This week he is practicing his swallowing which helps to promote his digestive system.  Here is a picture of my belly and of the pjs that we bought!

19 Weeks!!

I am 19 weeks pregnant today!!  I am getting bigger by the day!  We are getting more and more excited too!  We find out if the baby is a boy or a girl in just one week!!!  We have been counting down the days and are so ready for next Wednesday to get here!  We don't really have a preference of boy or girl, we just want the baby to be healthy and to know what it is!  Once we know if it's a boy or a girl, we can officially decide on a name and start picking out things for the nursery.  According to the website that I am following, the baby is the size of a tomato this week and weighs about 8 1/2 ounces.  They say that the baby's brain is beginning to develop the areas for smell, taste, touch, hearing and seeing.  They even say that the baby might be able to hear voices this week.  Here is my belly bump picture for the week!!

18 Weeks!!

I am 18 weeks pregnant today!! We find out if it's a boy or a girl in just 2 more weeks!! We are so excited and can't wait to find out the sex of our little baby!  I am ready to start picking out colors and decorations for the nursery.  I finally broke down and bought some maternity clothes this week.  I haven't wore any yet, but I could at this point.  I am hoping each day that I feel those first movements of the baby.  I don't think that I have felt anything quite yet, but am so anxious to feel a little flutter.  According to the website that I am following, the baby is the size of a bell pepper this week.  The babies ears are in their final position, but still sticking out from its head a little.  Here is my baby bump picture for the week!

17 Weeks!!

I am 17 weeks pregnant today!!  I am growing each day.  I feel better on most days than I have throughout the pregnancy.  I still feel a little tired sometimes and have to keep something on my stomach, but it's much better than it was during the first trimester.  According to the website that I am following, the baby is the size of a turnip this week which is about 5 ounces and about 5 inches long.  The baby can move its joints and its sweat glands are starting to develop.  I promise that I will post a belly picture tomorrow!!  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Here is the belly picture as promised! And yes, I do have our Christmas decorations up already!

16 Weeks!!

I am 16 weeks pregnant today! Yay!!  I had my 16 week appointment today and Richard was able to go with me for the first time!  We got to hear the heartbeat, which is an amazing sound! It just lets you know that God is truly at work on the little miracle inside!  Richard thought that the heartbeat sounded like a horse gallopping!  The baby's heartbeat was in the 150's.  I have gained 5 pounds so far, but as of right now, I am still wearing my regular clothes.  According to the website that I am following, the baby is the size of an avocado this week.  The baby has started developing toenails and the baby's heart is pumping around 25 quarts of blood each day.  Here is my baby bump picture for the week!

We were also able to go to the Auburn vs. Georgia game this past weekend with our friends Chris and April.  Even though the game was not a very good one, we enjoyed the trip and being able to spend time with friends!

15 Weeks

Today, I am 15 weeks pregnant!!  Richard and I are both getting anxious/excited about finding out if it's a boy or a girl (at it's still over a month away!).  I haven't felt any movements yet, but I can't wait for that to happen.  My morning sickness, or as I renamed it "all-day-sickness", is getting much better!  I still like to take naps when I can, but my energy level is getting a little better as well.  I finally went and bought a belly band from Target.  It's one of those bands that goes around your waist that allows you to unbutton your pants without anyone knowing and still be able to hold your pants up.  I haven't tried it out yet, but I will be doing that soon!  According to the baby website that I am following, the baby is the size of an apple this week and probably about 4 inches long.  It says that although the baby can't open it's eyes yet, it can still sense light.  It says that if you shine a flashlight at my tummy, he or she is likely to move away from it.  Taste buds are also forming.  We go back to the doctor next week for my 16 week visit.  Here is my picture for the week, which was actually taken yesterday, and yes I do have on my "I Voted" sticker!!

14 weeks and Happy Halloween

I am 14 weeks pregnant today!!  I can definitely tell that I am starting to show.  I have a baby bump!!  This week, the baby is the size of a lemon.  According to the website that I am following, the baby can make faces, suck its thumb and even pee!  Crazy, I know!  We are still amazed at all the things that are going on inside right now.  The nausea seems to be getting a little better as the days go by.

Since today is Halloween, I had to share some pictures.  We dressed up and handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Our neighbors came over to help us pass out candy and look at all the different costumes.  We had a lot of fun and had quite a few trick-or-treaters. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Auburn Game and Pumpkin Carving

On Saturday, Richard and I were able to go to our first Auburn game since we graduated!  Although Auburn isn't doing so well this season, we still wanted to go to a game.  We went to see Auburn vs. Texas A&M, which was neat to see since this was their first time playing Auburn in the SEC.  It was a beautiful morning and then, all of sudden, it turned quite chilly and was cold toward the end of the game.  Even though the game didn't turn out so well, we still had a great trip!  We were able to spend some time walking around campus and seeing friends!

On Sunday night, we were able to carve pumpkins with our neighbors which was a lot of fun!  We had all forgotten the amount of effort that it takes to carve a pumpkin.  I thought that they all turned out really good!
HAPPY FALL!!!

13 Weeks

I am 13 weeks pregnant this week!! I am still feeling nauseated at different times throughout the day, but it seems to be getting a little bit better.  I love to take naps on my days off to try to catch up on some sleep, and I go to bed early when I can.  We are getting more and more excited as each day passes.  We got to visit my cousin Daniel and his wife Ashley this Monday to see their beautiful baby girl Karsten.  Seeing her made us even more excited about May! (and nervous too!)  I am following a website that tells you about the size of your baby at each week and important things that are going on.  At week 13, the baby should be the size of a shrimp!  And it's fingerprints develop this week!  It is so incredible to think about all that is going on inside.  Here is my first picture!  You can tell that I am starting to get a little baby bump.  I am still wearing my regular clothes, but things are definitely starting to fit a little bit differently!!

We are having a BABY!!!

Richard and I are incredibly excited to announce that we are going to have a baby!!!  The baby is due on May 2nd, 2013.  I was 12 weeks along yesterday.  We are so glad that we can finally let everyone know!  It has been so hard for the both of us to keep such a big secret for so long!  Our parents were very excited and can't wait for the baby to get here!  I really think that their biggest concern right now, is what they want to be called by the baby.  I have been to two doctor's visits, one at 8 weeks and the other at 12 weeks and everything was great at both of the visits.  I haven't actually thrown-up yet, but I feel nauseated throughout the day.  I have learned that if I just keep something on my stomach then I am okay.  I haven't had a lot of energy lately, but I have been told that it will get better soon.  I am going to try to start posting weekly with pictures and updates starting next week.  (We will just have to see how that goes!)

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

YUMMY!  Richard's Grandma makes these peanut butter rice krispy treats which are wonderful.  We thought that they were the perfect fall treat!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 & 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups rice krispies

Directions:

• Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with wax paper.
• Place corn syrup and sugars in sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat.  Remove from heat after it begins to boil.
• Quickly add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.
• Add rice krispies and mix well.
• Spread into baking pan and let cool.
• Cut into squares and ENJOY!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!

Easy Breakfast Casserole

I love breakfast food!  Richard isn't a big breakfast eater, but I can occasionally convince him to have breakfast for supper.  I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought that it looked really good.  We fixed it the other night and it was super easy and delicious.

Sausage and Grits Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked grits
• 1 lb ground sausage
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cook grits in 4 cups of salted water until done.  Saute sausage, breaking it into small pieces.  When the sausage is almost browned, add the onions and saute until soft and sausage is completely cooked.
• Add butter, egg and 1 cup of cheese to grits.  Combine grits and sausage mixture.
• Pout into 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and top with remaining cheese, paprika and parsley.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until casserole is bubbly and lightly brown on top.

ENJOY!!!

Gulf Shores Trip

 Richard and I had the chance to go to Gulf Shores for a few days with his parents.  We stayed really close to Fort Morgan.  The weather was gorgeous the whole time that we were there.  There was a little bit of a fall breeze, but still plenty warm enough to enjoy the sand and the water.  The water was crystal clear.  Richard was able to catch so many different types of sea creatures.  And we were able to see sting rays and dolphins!  We ate at the Shrimp Basket and the Oyster House, which were both delicious!  Here are a few pictures from the trip!

They may not like this picture, but I love it!

This is the crazy fish that Richard caught!  He would have been disappointed if I hadn't posted this one!  He was really proud of it!

September is Here

Yay for September!!!  September means fall, football and my birthday!  We are super excited about the start of football and the game tonight!  WAR EAGLE!!  Richard has literally been glued to the TV all day and loving every minute of it!  I decided that it was time for a new fall wreath for our front door.  This is what  I came up with.

As Seen On TV...

....and it actually worked!!  Richard and I recently saw an infomercial for "Perfect Tortilla" and we were hooked.  I wanted to call in and buy one then.  We looked at several stores and eventually found it at Target.  We used it for the first time tonight and it was a success!  We had taco salads and they were delicious!

Meet Penny

If you know me, I have been wanting a puppy for a while now!  Well, we finally have one....Meet Penny!  We are both completely in love with her!  She is still adjusting to her new home, but we think that she is starting to like it.  She is absolutely precious!  I have been taking pictures like crazy and already have so many and we have only had her for 2 days now!  After we decided that we were going to get her, we found out that her birthday is July 12, 2012.  July 12th is also our wedding anniversary!  Here are a few of the pictures that I have taken! (I am sure that there will be plenty more to come!!!)

PCB 2012

At Pier Park about to eat at The Back Porch!

Richard and I were so excited when we found out that we had a weekend off from work together.  We had been wanting to go to the beach so badly and our friends Chris and April had been wanting to go as well.  We all decided that we should take a little trip down to Florida!  We left late Thursday night and headed to Panama City Beach.  We knew that there was a chance of rain on Friday, but little did we know that it was going to rain the entire day!  April and I sat under our umbrella on the beach wrapped up in our towels as the boys played in the ocean like it was no big deal.  It did stop raining later that night after April bought an umbrella!  Saturday started out to be a wonderful day on the beach.  The sun was out, there was a breeze blowing and the water wasn't filled with seaweed.  However, around lunch time, we started hearing lots of sirens and seeing police and beach patrol and medic trucks.  They ended up putting up double red flags, which means that the water is closed to the public.  They had patrol trucks on the beach telling everyone to get out of the water.  We later found out that there had been 20 rescues from the water, 3 of which had to have CPR and 2 deaths in Panama City Beach.  Needless to say, we didn't get back in the water.  We went and played putt-putt golf and drove go-karts, which was a blast.  Even though the weather and the water wasn't what we had hoped for, it was still a good trip and lots of fun!

Chris and April at Hook'd.

Richard and I at Hook'd.

The four of us before we left to come home.

Marco's Pizza

We can definitely say that Marco's Pizza is by far our favorite pizza!!  We like this one which is Ham and Pineapple and we also like the Meat Supremo!  Richard's favorite part is their CheezyBread.  I would have taken a picture of it, but there were a couple missing by the time I got my camera out.  If you haven't tried their pizza, you should!!

Our Projects So Far

So, Richard found the cord that hooks the camera up to the computer!!! Thank goodness!  I was getting worried that it had gotten lost in the move.

Here are some pictures of the couch and the loveseat for the living room.  I haven't really hung anything on the walls yet, because we just got the furniture and I haven't decided what to hang above the couch.  Any suggestions??

Richard has been dying to get a grill!  When we were in Auburn, we grilled out all the time, but then when we moved into the apartment we couldn't grill out.  He finally decided which one he wanted and we went to get it today.  We were just going to buy the only that they already had assembled, but they wouldn't sell it to us since it was the weekend and they needed it for display.  So, we ended up buying one that was in a box.  We had a feeling that it was going to take a while to put together.  Two hours and fourty-five minutes later, we were finally finished.

I Promise

I PROMISE that we are still alive!

We have been pretty busy these past couple of weeks with work and moving into our house!  We are still so excited about our house.  There have been several times when we will look at each other and say, "I love our house."  Silly, I know, but we are so happy to have a home of our own.  We are still working on the furniture.  Before we moved into the house, we were still using lots of our furniture from college.  We decided that it was time to buy some grown-up furniture, as we call it.  Who knew that furniture was so expensive!  We are getting a few pieces, little by little. I was going to post a few pictures of our couch and love seat and rug that we got for the living room, but the cord that hooks the camera to the computer seems to have gone missing sometime during the move.   As soon as I find it, I will post some pictures. I PROMISE.

We have a HOUSE!

We can finally say that we are home owners!!  We closed on our house earlier today! We are incredibly excited and can't wait to get moved in this weekend!  We are ready to get some furniture and make it our home!

Auburn vs. Tennessee Baseball

Richard and I were able to make a quick trip to Auburn the other night to watch an Auburn baseball game.  The weather was perfect for the game!  This was our first time not going in as students, which was a little strange.  The Auburn Tigers ended up pulling out a 12-5 win over Tennessee.  WAR  EAGLE!!  Here are a few pictures!

More Easter

Richard had to work on Easter Sunday, but I was able to visit some family. These were a few pictures from Sunday.

Clay, Kimberly and Cooper. Cooper's first Easter Sunday!

Ashley, Kimberly and I.

Me and Cooper! He is such a cutie!!

Happy Easter!

Easter is a special time that we can remember what Jesus did for us so many years ago. There is no way to express how thankful we should be for his sacrifice and all that he went through for us!

These are an Easter dessert that I made. Birds Nests! Just Rice Krispies Treats and Jelly Beans! Super easy! I got the idea off of Pinterest.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Spring Wreath

I decided that it was time to replace the wreath on our door. There were so many great wreath ideas on Pinterest. I sort of combined a few of the ideas that I had seen and this is what I came up with....

Mercedes Half Marathon 2012

Well, we ran it again! Richard and I decided to run the half marathon again this year. We recruited my cousin Daniel to run with us. As it got closer and closer to race day, we realized that the weather was not going to be as pleasant as last year. Saturday night we were wondering what we had gotten ourselves into and Sunday morning we were even regretting our decision to run. When we left my Mom and Dad's house at 5:45 on Sunday morning, there was frost on the car and the temperature read 24 degrees!! When we parked downtown Birmingham it was still on 24 degrees. We were bundled up and even had Hot Hands in our gloves, but our hands were still freezing. For the first couple of miles it was hard to even feel our toes! Although it was terribly cold, somehow we all managed to make it through and cross the finish line!

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it! It turned out great! It is definitely a recipe that we will have again!!

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

Ingredients:

• 3 large chicken breasts
• 5 cups corn flakes
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 TBSP olive oil
• 1 12 ounce package bowtie noodles
• Sauce:
• 1 10 ounce container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

• Crush corn flakes in food processor into crumbs.
• Combine 1/2 tsp salt and 3/4 cup flour.
• Place flour, milk and crushed cornflakes into separate pans.
• Pound chicken with meat mallet.
• Cut chicken breasts in half.
• Dredge the chicken in flour, making sure that both sides get covered.
• Lay the floured chicken onto a cookie sheet and place in freezer for about 5 minutes.
• Start cooking pasta.
• Remove chicken from freezer and dredge each piece in the milk and then the corn flakes.
• Add olive oil to hot skillet.
• Lay chicken carefully into hot oil and sprinkle chicken with bit of salt and pepper.
• Cook chicken over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until each piece is golden brown.
• Flip chicken and cook on other side.
• Cover pan and reduce heat and let chicken cook for about 7 more minutes or until completely done.
• Remove chicken and place on plate and cover with tin foil.
• In the same pan, add broth, Philadelphia Cooking Cream, cream of chicken soup and milk and whisk for about 3 minutes or until warm.
• Pour sauce over pasta and place chicken on top.

ENJOY!!

Fort Toulouse in Wetumpka

On one of our days off from work, Richard and I decided to visit Fort Toulouse in Wetumpka. It's only about 20 minutes from where we live so we drove out to see what it was all about. Fort Toulouse is situated where the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers meet. It was a beautiful day in January and felt like spring outside. We enjoyed being outside for a little while and taking a few pictures.

There was lots of spanish moss in all the trees.

I had no idea that this is what spanish moss looked like up close.

Richard decided that one day he wants to build a fort for himself!