Kaylin Elizabeth-Love of my Life

Our precious angel arrived on October 31, 2011! She will forever be known as our little pumpkin because of her special birthday. It is super ironic that she was born on this day. It's the only day I said I did not want her to be born on. After her birth, I found out just how special of a day it really is. Her paternal great grandfather's (on Brad's side) favorite day was Halloween. He had so much fun decorating and getting his kids excited about dressing up. He also passed away on Halloween. She will always have amazing birthday parties, that is certain. I am starting a new blog. The address is FTMadvice.blogspot.com. FTM stands for first time mom. I will be offering advice through my experiences of being a FTM. I am going to try to blog more, but it is very difficult to choose between blogging, eating, sleeping and showering. I'll have tips for finding time over at FTMadvice so stay tuned for that!

38 Weeks...I'm Ready

38 weeks! I understand now what 'being SO ready' really means. My mind is completely in a different place. It's hard to concentrate at work because I am just thinking about getting to meet Kaylin in just a couple of weeks. It became very real when I packed my hospital bag along with the outfit we will be bringing home our precious little girl in. If she does in fact arrive on her due date, I only have 15 more days left of uninterrupted sleep. I am definitely going to take advantage of those nights! Thankfully tomorrow is Friday and I finally have a day with Trent to relax and enjoy my hubby's company. It's not often that he gets a Saturday with me. The weather in Florida is A-Mazing right now. It's about 70 degrees and gorgeous. I finally get some cool weather with only 2 weeks to go.

Here are a few baby shower pictures:


Super cute diaper cake from Aunt Judy!!

Dolphin's Onesies!! What more could a little girl ask for?

Ummm...Where has the time gone?

22 days left!? How can this be? I can't only have 3 weeks before my due date. I have way too much that still has to be done.
Buy/set up PNP
Wash newborn clothes
Prep cloth diapers
Pack a bag for the hospital for TJ, Kaylin and myself
Install car seat and figure out where to get it checked (having major issues with this)
Get car seat base for TJ's car (debating if we actually need a second base or not)
Purchase several items still needed for Kaylin
Oh and I still have to train my replacement at work for while I am out...and I still don't know who that will be yet!

I think my mom is going to come over this weekend and help wrap up some loose ends. I feel like my due date is just approaching way too fast. It doesn't help that TJ is working as much as he can until I go to the hospital. 'Whew...ok Julz, slow down, take a deep breath...it'll all be ok.'

My baby shower was last weekend and it was so much fun! Deb and Trina did an amazing job setting everything up. The games were too funny. All of the guys that were in attendence were good sports and everyone had a great time. Thank you so much to everyone that came and for all of the generous and sweet gifts! Kaylin is so blessed to have so many wonderful people in her life and so are we.

Pregnancy Progression #2

We get to go on a tour of the hospital tomorrow! I am excited to see where we will be for one of the most exciting times of our life. I put together my pregnancy progression #2. This shows me at weeks 24-32. I am still feeling pretty good! Some people will say how good I look and then others will tell me I look like I'm ready to pop. Interesting. I think maybe sometimes comments should be thought and not said out loud. I am still learning all about cloth diapering. I am trying to make as many notes as I can so that I am not caught off guard with different situations. I'm looking forward to the weekend so that I can visit the fabric store to see what other kind of scrap material I can find so I can start sewing some inserts. I also read today how to make wool dryer balls! Apparently these work SO much better than dryer sheets because they don't cause any build up on fabrics. Learning something new everyday!

Getting Ready!

We are busy busy getting ready for Baby Kaylin. I spent the weekend organizing and putting clothes away. Trent hung the chandelier that my brother got for us. I love love love it. Mom and Dad came over on Sunday and we were able to spend the day with them. Mom gave me my first ever sewing lesson!! I am determined to learn how to sew! I did pretty well for a first timer. I am just afraid I am going to forget everything when I sit down to sew something by myself. Baby steps for now. Kaylin's been kicking like crazy. I ate spicy food for dinner and I wonder if that affects how much she kicks. No heart burn yet, but I'm sure it will come. I can't believe there are only 5 more weekends until my due date. Since I work during the week, that means I have 10 days to get stuff accomplished! Yikes!



My song this week is "Blessed be the Name of the Lord." It is really giving me strength when I get super stressed out and overwhelmed and reminds me to be grateful when everything is perfect in my world.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Craving of the Month

Watermelon!! Cannot get enough. So delicous. I buy a whole watermelon and cut it up. Between TJ and me, it ALL gets eaten. I wish I had some right now!

Only 8 Weeks Left

Hard to believe how fast the months have flown by. We only have 8 weeks left! TJ and I are attending a birthing/newborn class tomorrow night. That kind of makes everything a little bit more real. I've starting washing some stuff. We haven't quite finished the nursery yet. A few final touches and we should be ready to go. Kaylin has been moving like crazy. It's so funny watching my stomach move up and down. Lately, I've been pretty tired, so it is nice to take advantage of lazy weekends. Oscar is more than happy to enjoy these days with me.

30 weeks today. Time is flying right on by.

10 weeks and counting. I've had really bad heartburn lately and annoying leg cramps at night, other than that I feel great. I need to get a jump on washing clothes and buying diapers!!

My baby shower is going to be October 8th and invitations should be going out soon. I can't wait! Guys are welcome to come. It should be a fun time just of being together and celebrating baby K. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone. At that point I will only have 4 weeks to go. Wow!

Have I mentioned Kaylin is going to have the cutest puppy in the world??

Catching Up

I've been so busy these past few weeks with work and with just being tired. I had my glucose test at week 26 and passed out! I was also told at my last doctor's appointment that I am borderline anemic. Apparently a lot of women are deficient in iron during their pregnancy. I am taking an iron supplement every other day and have been eating more iron rich foods. Mom and Dad bought me some new soft-gel pre-natal vitamins as well. The hard tablets may not be dissolving as well as they should be. We've been busy with getting the nursery ready as we only have 2 1/2 months to go! Oscar is starting to get jealous, I think. He likes to pull the stuffed toys off of the shelf we have in Kaylin's room. He's still baby # 1, so he can have whatever he wants until November.

Monster under the bed.



Almost complete.


I painted these picture frames to match the room. These came from my grandma's house and are so perfect in the nursery!

Craving of the Day

MMMM. Love me some rasinets. Good thing my hubby loves me :) Craving Satisfied!

Pregnancy Progression

We had our 24 week appointment today and everything looks great! My next step is the glucose testing. Apparently I'll have to drink incredibly gross sugar water. I will schedule that for next weekend. I'll get to spend a whole hour at Quest; NO FUN! We also need to schedule a tour at the hospital. We are debating what classes we should take. Hopefully I'll be able to get something scheduled in the next couple of weeks. I'll get my Rhogam shot on the 11th of August. I have to get that because I am RH negative and Trent isn't. If Kaylin is RH positive then my different blood type could end up hurting her. If she is negative like me, this will be the only shot either of us will have to get. My in-laws move this weekend! It is going to be so nice having them closer. I know they are going to miss Trina and their home in Bloomington, though. Pray that they have an easy move as they get situated in their new house.

Well, I figure it's about time to keep you up to date on the preggo progression:

Settling into my New Job

Well, the past couple of weeks have certainly been a whirlwind. I started my new position at work and have been training, training, training. I feel like all I do is sleep, eat, work and go to the gym whenever I have an afternoon where I am not absolutely exhausted. I am really enjoying my new role at work. I moved back over to the hotel where I started and I even have my own office! It is nice to be working at the same location as Trent. I am so thankful the way everything has worked out.

On a baby note:
I have been able to feel our sweet little girl kicking. It is such a strange feeling. We have lots to do, but I think we finally nailed down a date for the baby shower. I believe it will be October 9th in Tampa. Stay tuned for details.

The Big Reveal

Today was my 18 week anatomy sono appointment. That means we got to find out if we are having a little boy or girl!! I have to say, I was definitely surprised!

I made cake pops with the right color inside to tell everyone at work.



And guess what.....



We are so excited!! We are going to have a little princess. Everything looks healthy and she is measuring exactly where she should be. We are so very blessed to have a healthy little baby girl on the way. I had to go out and buy something pink today, of course.

Here are some sono pictures:

Notice how she's lounging with her little legs crossed in the first one.

Cake POPS!

Well.. I have discovered the world of cake pops. Stay tuned because something very exciting is soon to be revealed with the help of my new favorite sweet treat.

Gardening 101

Trent built me a garden! My very own garden! No one has ever built me a garden before. What a sweet husband I have. Today I went to Home Depot and picked up some things to plant. I planted 2 marigolds on the corners to keep away bugs. (thanks for that tip mom) I planted cherry tomatoes, hybrid tomatoes, cilantro and a sugar baby watermelon. I also planted marigolds around our mailbox. It only took me about 3 hours but my thumb is turning green!!


From left to right: Cilantro, Cherry Tomato, Hybrid Tomato, Sugar Baby Watermelon. Marigolds are at each corner.


And here are my pretty Marigolds around my mailbox.

16 Week Appointment

Today was my 16 week appointment. It went well. Heartbeat is 160 bpm. Doctor Morris said that is excellent. All of my bloodwork from my previous visit was normal. Trent is B positive so that means he is not RH negative and I will have to get a rhogam at around 28 weeks. I am 0 negative which means I am RH negative so the baby has a 50/50 chance of also being RH negative. If the baby is RH negative then I won't have to get a shot after delivery, otherwise I will. Apparently it is no big deal, so I am not worried. We get to find out in 2 weeks if we are having a boy or a girl!! We made the appointment for June 1st. I am so excited!

An answer to prayer: My in-laws found a house in Charlotte! Well, Harrisburg to be exact. It is beautiful and they were able to get a fantastic deal. Their next step is to find a house down in Florida.

Branching Out in the Kitchen

Trent is without a doubt the cook in our family. I can make about 5 meals without a recipe, that's it. The 5 meals that I can make taste good, but it gets repetitive after a while. Especially since nothing really sounds good to me, it's time to learn some more tricks in the kitchen. I've been surfing the web for some easy recipes to make during pregnancy. I spent a small fortune at the grocery store last night, but I think I got some really good stuff. Last night I made tilapia with arugula along with a squash and zucchini blend. It turned out really well.


What you need:
-2 tilapia fillets
-1/2 cup arugula, whole (2 small handfuls)
-whole wheat flour to coat fillets
-1 squash
-1 zucchini
-1/2 cup white onion
-lemon juice

How to make it:
-cut onion into small pieces or to your liking
-throw onion in a wok with olive oil and heat on medium high
-once the onion starts to sizzle, add zucchini and squash
-saute until crisp and tender (about 15-20 minutes)
-salt and pepper zucchini and squash to taste
-coat tilapia fillets on both sides with whole wheat flour
-add 1 tbsp butter to skillet heat on medium heat until butter is melted
-add tilapia fillets and cook on each side for about 4-6 minutes
-top tilapia with arugula, add a few dashes of lemon juice and serve

This meal is so easy it is ridiculous. Everything was ready at the same time and the flavor was amazing. Yumm Yumm.

Nursery and New Pains

Well, ladies and gentleman, I have been nausea free for the past 4 days!! Praise the Lord! Now, we have a new pain to deal with. My stomach has been hurting off and on and I just have been feeling somewhat achy. I am told these are round ligament pains and just a normal part of the whole process. Unfortunately, all I want to do is lay in bed. This is not an option, so I will go on feeling a little funky. I am glad to have these pains instead of nausea though.

We purchased our nursery set! It is absolutely beautiful. We are very happy with it. It is good solid wood with a honey oak finish. Now, we just have to figure out how to arrange everything in the baby's room. We won't try to do any painting or decorating until we know if we are having a boy or girl. We should be able to find out in about 3 weeks!!

Sick of Being Sick

This morning was not very much fun. As soon as I woke up, I got sick. Not so much fun. I have been doing a lot of searching for bedroom furniture for the nursery. I found a really great set on craigslist that seems to be a really good deal. I think Mom and Dad might go take a look at it for me today or tomorrow. It is out in Lake Nona, which is near Orlando. Please pray that my morning sickness will suddenly disappear so that I can get back to feeling like a normal person again. Well, as normal as a pregnant lady can feel.

On a happier note, I made banana bread last night for the first time. I am so proud! My mom's banana bread has always been a favorite of mine and I never knew how easy it was to make! I used a different recipe, but I am sure it is similar to hers. It was so delicious. I wish you could taste it, but this picture will have to do. Try not to drool all over your keyboard.

Ideas for Baby Room

I know we still have a lot of time, but I would rather be prepared than caught off guard. As of today, I am in love with an owl theme for the baby's room. Check out my inspirations below:

I am really in love with this idea. The only question is to paint, or buy decals? I am no fantastic artist. I think we could probably paint the tree without a problem. I would then just have to buy owl decals. I am thinking the tree would go over the changing table and have one branch coming out of the wall that would be above the crib. Lots to think about. I am going to try to see how many DIY projects I can come up with for owls before I go spending a whole bunch of $$ that we don't have.

Baby Bean!

Got to see the bean today! Our little one was so active, bouncing up and down like crazy! The tech asked what I ate this morning because he sure liked it! Well, I guess our bean is a fan Chick Fil A. They said everything looks healthy and I will have another appointment at 16 weeks. We can opt to do a 4D sono to find out the sex, but we will have to pay extra. We may just wait until 20 weeks and find out for free. Either way, we are so blessed and so excited.

12!!! End of 1st Trimester...are you Serious!?

I can hardly believe it! It has been 3 months already? I am a little scared when I think about the incredible amount of stuff we have to do. I still haven't even announced the news to everyone! I am trying to rest in the Lord and know that He has us in the palm of His hand. Please pray that we find the right path we are supposed to be on. I don't want to worry, but it is hard not to be a little overwhelmed with everything. I have a SONO appointment tomorrow and will be posting the picture so stay tuned!

11 weeks and counting

It feels like 11 weeks is so much further along than 8 weeks! I think I am going to be amazed at how time flies over the next 7 months. I told my sweet best friends the news yesterday. Both were excited and can't wait to be 'Aunties.' I told my co-workers the news today. We have a morning meeting everyday and that is when I told them. They all clapped. HAHA. They were very excited. Supposedly some of them were 'suspecting.' They have been wondering why I have been munching on saltines and oyster crackers. I have been on thebump.com A LOT lately. I have been reading specifically about cloth diapers. I am seriously considering doing this. It seems so much more economical. You can reuse them and even use them for a second child. Trent wasn't super excited about the idea, but he hasn't been doing any research. They are adorable too!! It's like the diaper becomes a fashion statement. Maybe that is why I like them. Man! If only I knew how to sew. I could make these puppies myself. Women are making some serious cash of these hot commodities.

Home Sweet Home

We got back from Illinois yesterday. We got to tell Trina our news in person. She was so happy for us. I really wish we lived closer so that the full experience could be shared. She wants me to take monthly pictures of my belly. HA. She will probably be the only one I will let see those! She is going to be a wonderful Aunt. Our trip was anything but uneventful. Trina threw a surpise birthday party for her boyfriend, Ryan. It was kind of hectic getting all of that together. On Sunday, Deb had to have emergency gallbladder surgery. It had to be removed bofore it burst! Praise the Lord the surgery went well and she is now at home recovering. It was wonderful to see everyone and to stay in the house Trent grew up in one last time.

Morning sickness is in full swing. I have thrown up the past 3 mornings in a row. (Sorry if that is TMI) I think if it happens again tomorrow I will call my doctor for some Zofran. I will fill the prescription and probably only take if absolutely necessary. I was planning on telling my boss today, but he was off! One of my event managers goes on vacation tomorrow, so I guess I will have to wait to tell her when she gets back on Monday. I am slowly telling everyone else. I think one phone call a day is all I can handle. Trent told me I should host a webinar to tell everyone at once...not a bad idea.

I felt great!....for about 2 hours.

My nausea has been really quite terrible. I didn't go to sleep until 3:30 Monday morning because it was so bad. I bought sea-bands which really seem to work amazingly well. I went to put them on today at work, but one is missing! You have to wear a band on each wrist in order for them to be effective. I am so bummed that I lost one. At $11.99 they were not cheap, so I really hate to buy another pair. I am praying that it dropped out of my purse at home or in my car. I also bought ginger gum which has really seemed to help. It is such a terrible feeling knowing that I need to eat and not being able to swallow anything without gagging.

Mom, Dad, David and Linzy came to Tampa last night to eat at TJ's restaurant, Pelagia. It was a birthday celebration for mom/congratulations to me. It was really good to see my mom and dad. I haven't seen them since around the end of January! I felt really great at dinner. I actually ate a whole bowl of ravioli, bread, some salad and a few appetizers. It was parobably the most I have eaten in one sitting since I ate a California Roll over the weekend. I felt great during dinner but then was back to feeling terrible again by the time I got home and started getting into bed. This morning I have felt very crummy. I wish I had my other sea-band!

Rabbit Rabbit Grandma!

This is no April Fool's joke! I caved. I decided to tell my family this morning. It is mom's birthday and so I knew this would be a special day to tell her the news. Many of you may know that my mom and I have been saying 'Rabbit Rabbit' to each other on the first day of the month since I was old enough to talk. It is a game she played with one of her best friends when she was little and it just got passed on to me. On the first day of every month, the goal is to be the first person to say, 'Rabbit Rabbit.' Several of my friends have been drawn into the game through the years and now it is just sort of tradition. I called mom this morning and we both said "Rabbit Rabbit!" at the same time. (she thinks she won) My Rabbit Rabbit had a 'grandma' attached to the end. She didn't quite get it at first. I had to go on to say, "This time next year, I will have to buy you a happy birthday grandma card." Finally I hear, "Are you serious??" I then got to tell my brother and then my dad. I guess it is pretty heavy news because all 3 kind of had to digest what I just told them. My mom woke my dad out of a sound sleep. He will probably go back to sleep and wake up and think it was a dream. Everyone seemed excited and I can't wait to see them in person for hugs.


Orkut Scraps

Almost 9 Weeks!

As each day goes by, it becomes more and more a reality that we are in deed expecting. John 1:16 seems to say it best. "From the fullness of grace, we have received one blessing after another." I have been extremely nauseous during this past week. I'm talking 24/7. I have been on blogs talking with other girls that are going through the same thing and have been getting lots of good advice. I am going to stop by a maternity store today to pick up some 'pregnancy pops.' I will talk to Dr. Morris on 4/6 to find out about any other remedies for such nauseaousness. I really have to force myself to eat as nothing sounds good and everything I try to eat makes me want to gag. 6 days until we tell Mom and Dad McCarty and Uncle David. We will tell Aunt Trina on 4/7. Can't wait!

Sharing the News!

Deb, Trent's mom, got into town yesterday. We knew we were going to tell her while she was here I just didn't expect it to be the first thing we told her. Trent really wanted to tell his dad before he told anyone in the family, but was unsuccessful in getting him on the phone when he tried calling. Right when Deb, Aunt Patty and Uncle Greg arrived, Brad decided to call! Trent took the phone call in the garage and told Brad the exciting news. I went out to check on him and the waterworks were flowing! Trent's eyes were all bloodshot. Everyone was wondering where T ran off to, especially since they just arrived. I told them he was on the phone with work and tried to keep them occupied so Deb wouldn't go into the garage. After Trent hung up with Brad he told me, "We have to tell mom, now!" We bought both grandmom's the book: Chicken Soup for the Grandmother's Soul. I put our first sonogram in her book and our due date was written inside. We both walked out of our bedroom and I told her, "We saw this book and thought you might like it." She just stood there looking at the book and looking at me. I don't think she quite knew what to do! She asked if we were serious and of course, well, WE ARE! She congratulated us and gave us both hugs. And then of course hugs from Aunt Patty and Uncle Greg. We still haven't told my mom and dad. We are planning on telling them on April 5th. The fam is coming over for Mom's birthday, so we will break the news then. To be continued...