4 Weeks

I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since Noah made his grand entrance to the world. After a 2 week stay in the NICU, we got to go home and he has been doing great. He eats, sleeps, and poops just like a good baby should. He hardly ever cries, unless he is hungry or cold. Noah loves to be swaddled, as long as he can keep his left arm free! He's not too sure about a paci, though we've tried it a few times. Though it's sometimes hard to see in pictures, he has tons of blonde hair. Sweet is definitely the word to describe my little boy. He likes to snuggle, but also sleeps well in his own bed.

 There are definitely hard moments, but all in all being a mom has been great so far. Todd is great and helps out a lot with getting up at night. Thanks to his stay in the NICU, Noah has so problem going between a bottle and nursing so I get decent sleep. That helps a lot. We have made trips to Mimi and Poppi's, Walmart, and The Fresh Market so far. Otherwise most days we just stay in and hang out on the couch. Growing is hard work :) 

I think I hear the hungry cry, so I will cut this short as leave you with some pictures. 

Introducing Noah Benjamin

The past 2 weeks have been a roller coaster of craziness, where I went from thinking I was going to have a little turkey the end of November to being told I would have the little guy in a matter of days. Noah was not growing as he should on the inside and the doctors decided it would be safer to deliver in the next couple of days even though he would be small and early. I was very fortunate to have some great high risk doctors at UT Med Center looking after me and an OB that recognized how serious things were.
Excuse me while I have my medical paragraph.
I'll try and keep it somewhat simple. Noah was diagnosed with severe IUGR at 33 weeks when I went for my regular appointment and monthly growth scan on October 4th. I was sent immediately to Knoxville to a MFM OB who confirmed that Noah was in the 4th percentile for growth and that his cord blood flow was absent during diastole. He recommended delivery by 37 weeks at the latest, but likely sooner. A week later I went for a follow up scan and the blood flow was worse, so the decision was made for me to get 2 rounds of steroids and then get baby boy out via C-section 2 days later. So on October 10th, I was admitted to the hospital to be monitored and receive my steroids. It was a long couple of days. I am not the best patient and didn't sleep well at all. Things were going well and there was a plan in place though, so I was hanging in there knowing he would be here soon. Evidently Friday afternoon was not convenient for Noah and he decided to have an episode of decels in the middle of the night prompting an emergency c-section where I was ripped from an Ambien induced coma and rushed to the OR. Look for that crazy story to follow soon!

I am happy to announce that Noah arrived safely and healthy on October 12th at 220a. He weighed in at 3 lbs 10 oz and 16 1/2 inches. He is so precious and already has a very sweet disposition. However, he has made it clear from the start that he has his own plan for how things are gonna go! Todd and I are overjoyed to be parents and love our little blessing so much.

It is hard to believe he is not even a week old yet, because he is doing so well already. Looks like he may be an overachiever like his mamma. He was completely off oxygen shortly after being born. He was quickly off IV fluids and TPN as he breastfeeds like a champ. Right now his challenges are keeping his body temperature up and gaining weight. As soon as he is big enough he will be able to go home and they anticipate that could be as early as the end of next week!!!!

Life as a NICU mamma is hard, but I am so thankful that he is doing well and has had minimal problems. I am glad to be home resting in my own bed. Fortunately the hospital is only a couple of miles away and it is easy for me to go back and forth via my chaufer (aka Todd). I am feeling great and adjusting to life as it will be for a couple of weeks.

Breaking News

So I've been a blog slacker lately. I know I promised an exciting post in August, but here it is the beginning of September and I am just now getting around to putting up a post. August was pretty busy and went by really fast. Then Labor Day caught me by surprise by being extra early this year. The end of summer is rushing by and as much as I love fall, I'd be ok if things would slow down just a tad.
By now, a lot of you know the news I am about to share, but for those of you who don't I suspect this may be a little shocking......

Hiding behind arms at 20wks

T and I are expecting a baby boy the end of November. Yep you read that right, I'm pregnant. I am so very excited at the chance to be a mom. For those of you that know me, you know this is something I have wanted for a very long time. The timing was a bit unexpected, but not something that we had discussed being a part of our future. We are both so looking forward to embarking on this journey together and know this little boy will be a blessing in our lives.

29 weeks

Summertime List

Sooooo it's been a long time since I posted anything. I can't believe it's already the middle of July. Summer is moving right along and life has been pretty good lately. Since I have a bunch of random things to post about, I've decided it's list time again :)

• I will turn 30 in less than 2 weeks. And surprisingly I'm really okay with it. My life has taken a couple of really big, but positive turns lately and it has put things in perspective for me. I have realized age is really not that big of a deal. So I'm looking forward to celebrating a new phase of life. I am happy and liking where things are headed.
• I have really amazing sisters. They have supported me through some big things lately and I am so thankful for them. 
• I love love love working in the Pediatric ER. I didn't realize how much I missed it. At times I must say I contemplate the idea of maybe going back to it full time. I work with some great nurses and doctors and I enjoy taking care of the kiddos so much.
• Summertime, how I love all your trashy reality shows. Yes, I probably shouldn't watch them, but well I do and they are great :) Some new favorites on the list year are Cheer Perfection and Beverly Hills Nannies. Also on my viewing schedule are Toddlers and Tiaras, Big Brother, So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway, and Design Star.
• My BF Todd is really great. He is my best friend and I really can't imagine life without him. I am more and more thankful for him everyday. I would post a picture, but he might hurt me :) not really but he's not so much a camera fan (one of many things we have in common).
• I am going to be an aunt in September! 
• The best Diet Dr. Pepper is sold from the drive thru at the McDonalds near my house. This has been discovered from some extensive research.
• I finally made it back to Nashville the beginning of June and it was so great to see my girls. They are pretty amazing
• I have become obsessed with Etsy lately. There are so many cute things on there, but man some people have a really high opinion of their handy work! 

That's what I've got for now. Sorry for some of the vagueness, but I promise if you tune in in August I will clear things up. 

Thankful May Edition

It has been a long week and I am exhausted. Work has really worn me down this week. I had to dig deep to come up with this list, but felt like I needed to pause and reflect on the positive in the midst of a lot of stress.

1. Starbucks: seriously made my day today
2. Seeing old friends
3. My job: even if some weeks it gets a little out of control
4. Scott's Strawberries: love this time of year
5. A sweet card from a friend
6. Health: had a lot of patients this week who are facing a poor prognosis 
7. Rain: it kept me from having to worry about watering my plants this week, which is good because they probably would have died otherwise
8. Time with family
9. Just the right song on the radio
10. Friends who listen when you've had a bad day.

I'm Thankful...

My friend Carrie does a weekly post of 10 things she is thankful for. I have admired this concept for a long time as I like the idea of pausing each week to remember that there are always things to be thankful for. It is a good reminder that even the bad weeks have bright spots. I'm not sure that this will be a weekly post on my blog, but perhaps at least a monthly thing, but this week I'm feeling very thankful so I thought I would put up my own list. Here goes!

1. Friends that stick by my side when times are tough.
2. A good report at the doctor today.
3. A random day off taken kind of last minute to catch my breath from the busyness of life.
4. The ability to pick up a few extra shifts in the Pediatric ER, which means extra income for some upcoming expenses and getting to take care of sweet little kiddos. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the pediatric population.
5. This pretty great guy that I've become quite smitten with (more to come on this really, I promise).
6. The financial freedom to occasionally spoil people that mean a lot to me with unexpected gifts. 
7. Mexican food and a chance to catch up with a friend.
8. The reminder that though life sometimes throws unexpected things our way, God has a plan and it is under control.
9. Spring like weather and sunshine. 
10. Credit card points that get redeemed for Starbucks gift cards :)

Whirlwind Wedding Weekend

Quite literally! This past weekend my good friend Melissa got married in Chattanooga. The weather in Tennessee has been kinda crazy this "winter", and well this weekend was no exception. The forecast showed severe storms across the state with Knoxville and Chattanooga being some of the hardest hit areas. We had all been praying for no snow, I mean it is March after all, but forgot to pray for no tornadoes. Yep, that's right we got caught right in the middle of a tornado while trying to get from the chapel to the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. It was terrifying. I saw the funnel cloud moving towards us as we were driving and we quickly turned the other way and pulled into a parking lot beside a building. We hunkered down the best we could as the tennis ball size hail, pouring rain, and wind raged around us. There was a whole lot of praying going on in that car! We were able to laugh about it later on, and everyone made it through safely, but it was an experience I hope to not have anytime in the near future! The same tornado went through Ooltewah where I rent my townhouse out, but fortunately when I drove by to check it out today, no damage had been done!
The rest of the weekend went much much smoother. Melissa's parents were kind enough to let us girls take over their house and we enjoyed a relaxing Saturday morning of hanging out, getting hair and makeup done, and then headed to the chapel for pictures and the main event. It was a beautiful ceremony with a gorgeous bride and handsome groom who are clearly quite smitten with each other. Lots of fun was had at the reception. I caught the bouquet :) I'm hoping that significance plays out in the near future. Here are a few photo highlights from the weekend!

Back By Popular Demand

Ok, so no one has actually demanded this post, I felt like it was time for one of my infamous random posts. I'd like to think that at least a person or 2 gets some enjoyment out of them.

• The sun is starting to shine in my life again (see my previous post). There will be more info on this in coming posts, but I'm feeling happy and hopeful about the future.
• Next weekend my good friend Melissa is getting married and I'm excited to be a part of her special day. I had a small freak out earlier this week when I went to try on my bridesmaid dress. When I purchased it in September it seemed to fit fine perhaps needing to be taken in just a tiny bit. I have been meaning to try it on again, but had just forgotten. So Tuesday night, I tried it on. And yeah it's way too big. I've only lost a pound or two, but I guess between running and some recently added strength training, I'm down some inches. Fortunately I am blessed with a mother who has some pretty great sewing skills and she will be able to make the needed alterations.
• My obsession love for reality TV continues. My current loves are Dance Moms (please tell me other people watch this, if not you should), The Challenge Battle of the Exes (yeah I know, I just can't help it), The Voice (Blake Shelton you are awesome), Teen Mom 2 (sometimes I just want to shake those girls and give them a dose of self esteem), and The Biggest Loser (Bob you will always be my favorite).
• In 2 weeks I'm running a 5K called Joggin' for the Noggin' sponsored by the Crumley House, which is a long term facility for people with traumatic brain injuries. I've slacked a little in running department the past couple of weeks (previously I had been doing really really well), so I'm not sure how well it's gonna go. Guess I will just try my best and have fun. I've decided I want to run the Crazy 8s race this summer and am working on upping my mileage. Running has definitely become a great outlet for my stress.
• I've started planning my summer/fall trips. If you follow my blog, you know I love to travel. It makes me excited to mark off dates on the calender. Looking forward to heading back out to Arizona for Young Lives camp in July and a cruise with the girls in September. Also hoping to squeeze in a trip to Charleston, SC at some point. 
• Inspired by a fellow blogger Carrie, I've working on cleaning the clutter out of my house, making a few improvements, and trying to only purchase things I need/really like. When I shop, I allow myself to pick up things I like as I look around, but then at then end I reevaluate the contents of my cart to see if I really need the items. I typically try and put back at least 1/3 of what I have selected. This still allows for a few unplanned items, but keeps so much needless junk from coming in to my house. 
• I'm working on a few Pinterest inspired projects (pictures to be posted as items are completed). I LOVE that site. It is so darn addicting, but a really good way to pass the slower hours at work. I most recently made Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese frosting for my friend's Bachelorette Party. They were pretty good if I do say so myself. 

• I have a dentist appointment next Thursday and I'm looking forward to it (yes I'm that girl). I've never had a cavity so trips to the dentist for me usually just mean really clean teeth and a new toothbrush. Recently I have had some extreme tooth sensitivity and decided I should get it checked out to make sure something isn't going on. And also because I haven't been to the dentist since college, yes I know it's horrible, but well I haven't had any problems. I'm hoping they don't find anything major and that they don't ask how long it's been since my last visit! 
• I've starting picking up some shift in the Pediatric ER at the hospital where I work and I love it. I had forgotten how much I enjoy interacting with kiddos. Since they opened the Peds ER almost 4 years ago, I haven't really had the opportunity to take care of many pediatric patients. I may give up shifts with the adults all together, because I feel my time spent with the little people is so much more rewarding.
• And now to go do 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I have a love/hate relationship with her, but man she is getting my butt in shape! 

Blah Blah Blah

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. Christmas has passed, the New Year has passed, and here it is the first of February I've had a major case of the blah's lately and as a result haven't really felt like posting. The holidays were really hard. 2012, didn't start out the way I had hoped. I am quickly approaching the big 3-0 and my life isn't exactly where I thought it would be. I know I have a lot to be thankful for and there are a lot of good things in my life. But 2 of the things I want the most aren't there. And it's hard to see all the people around me getting those things. I feel left out and sometimes like I'm not part of the club. I'm trying to focus on all the positive things in my life and to celebrate the exciting things in my friends lives. But it's hard not to be a little jealous. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but I'm having a hard time rising out of this low period. I've been keeping up with my running and I think it is what is keeping me sane these days. Even when I have to force myself out the door or to the gym, I am always glad I get those runs in. I've also been tying to workout in other ways and eat right. I know I need to take care of myself even though some days I barely have the energy to function. I'm hoping the sun starts shinning in my life again.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

well except for the fact that it was 60 degrees at 6pm today, but none the less, Christmas is almost here.

I am one of those people that doesn't start anything Christmas related until the first of December. The first major signal to me that the holiday season is upon us is the arrival of Band Fruit. We've order fruit from the SHHS band for as long as I can remember. Me and my older sisters sold it when we were in high school and I continue to purchase from friend's band nerds kids. It is seriously some of the best fruit ever. It is always delivered the first weekend of December and I get very excited about it's arrival. The navel oranges are my favorite.

My Christmas tree also went up the first weekend of December. A real one of course, because well nothing smells quite like a fresh-ish tree in the house.

I bake like a crazy person at the holidays. I can't help it. I just do. The holidays=baking in my opinion. In the past 2 weeks I have made 2 batches of peanut butter fudge, 1batch chocolate fudge, 1batch Dreamsicle fudge (and yes it is as amazing as it sounds), 5 batches of Oreo truffles, 3 batches of sugar cookies, 1 batch Chex mix, 1 batch gingerbread cookies, and 1 batch cloud cookies. I've used 2 bags of sugar, 3 pounds of butter (the real deal), and a bag of flour. (Erika I have aspirations of someday being known for my Christmas cookie/treat platters like your mom use to make!)

I officially purchased my last Christmas present today and am waiting for one more to arrive via mail so that I can declare myself done with Christmas shopping. I am not usually a last minute shopper, but this year I've had a little bit of a hard time getting in the Christmas mode, so I waited a lot later that I like to. In the past week I have braved Kroger (twice), Walmart, Target (twice), TJ Maxx, and The Mall (three times). It really hasn't been that bad. I am glad to be done though.

Let's see, what else have I been up to....

• I went to Richmond to visit my friend Alicia and her family in what is becoming an annual early December trip. It was a great weekend of relaxing, catching up, and lovin' on her sweet little boys. We also checked out some pretty awesome Tacky Christmas Lights. 
• I made another wreath off Pinterest using a wire hanger and ornaments from the Dollar Tree. Total cost $8 

• The hospital decided to decorate the outdoor space outside of the ICUs with mannequins that look like a whole lot like the ones from the Old Navy ads. It was a slow day at work and well.......this may have happened.

My Favorite Fellow Bloggers

Today my friend Erika mentioned me on her blog Always better together as one of her favorite blogs and I feel very honored. So I'm passing on the blog love and naming my own top 5.


1. You may think I'm bias, but Erika's  is one of my favorite blogs to read. We grew up down the street from each other and share a birthday. I enjoy keeping up with her life even though we are miles apart. I especially look forward to the "Overheard in Our House" posts. I can't tell you the number of times I have laughed out loud reading what she writes.
2. Kelly at The Burrow Knits. Kelly is a single mom of 4 boys and I admire her strength and raw honesty about life. Stories of adventures with the boys make me laugh and her thoughts on deep matters and self discovery often bring tears to my eyes or make me really stop and think.
3. Piper at A Matter of Life and Breath. Piper has cystic fibrosis. She is a major advocate for CF research and knowledge in the community. She has also shared her journey of her double lung transplant. She is a beautiful writer and one strong chick. I discovered her blog kind of randomly. My friend Nathan passed away from CF a couple of years ago and I have continued to remain involved with the CFF.
4. Carrie at Carrie's Busy Nothings. Carrie is a childhood friend that I home schooled with and I have enjoyed connecting with her again in our adult lives. She writes about a little bit of everything. She shares my love for bargains, fall, and pumpkins! :)
5. Gina at Skinny Taste. Gina posts delicious, healthy recipes and includes the Weight Watchers points. Everything I have tried is delicious. Her pumpkin recipes are some of my favorites (I'm sure you're shocked.) I like that her recipes don't use a lot of artificial crap.

If you want to keep the blog love going, here are the rules:

1.  Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2.  Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3.  Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4.  Hope that the people you've sent the award to forward it to their five favorite bloggers and keep it going!

The Best Things in Life are Free

I am, as most of you know, a major bargain hunter. My philosophy is why pay full price if you don't have to? On occasion, I am drawn to certain expensive items and have to get creative in order to get what I like without shelling out the full amount. Sometimes that means a lot of online hunting to find a deal. Sometimes it means asking for the item or money towards the item for a birthday or Christmas. Sometimes it means getting it slightly used on eBay. This time in meant cashing in some of my stashed up credit card bonus points. I hadn't made any major withdraws from my points in a while, and since I pay for practically everything with my credit card (which I pay off in full every month), I rack up points pretty quickly. The item I really wanted was not available in the rewards center, but fortunately Citicard has a "my reward wish" request center where you submit what you want and they let you know how many points it will take to get your special order item. Pretty great if you ask me. So are you curious as to what I got? The wait is almost over :)
When I arrived home today after a somewhat frustrating afternoon at the hospital, I found this on my front porch

And inside was this

And inside that beautiful box were these babies:) 

My new glorious purple Hunter boots!!!!!!!!!

I have wanted a pair of Hunter rain boots for some time now, but just could not justify paying $125 for them. I have looked and looked for a deal, but did not have any luck finding one. Or if I did, it wasn't the color I wanted or they were out of my size. I had kind of given up on getting a pair. 

A few weeks ago I thought I had finally found them on 6pm.com (Zappos sister site with some really awesome deals and free shipping on all orders) for $69, but they did not have my size. I was very disappointed and that was when I got the bright idea to check in to using my reward points to acquire these lovely boots. I couldn't be happier with my new boots. I'm even wishing for rain/snow so I have an excuse to wear them! 

I like Running!

5k #3 with my fam (they walked, I ran)

I got back in to running at the end of September as an outlet for all the stress in my life. And I'm really glad as I did as I think it is the only thing that has kept me sane lately. It has been a great outlet to get out frustrations and give me a sense of accomplishment even if the rest of my life is chaotic. I think I finally get why so many people like running. I am not a fast runner, and probably never will be. I have to go slow and gradually build up my time. As long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, that's all that matters. 
This past weekend I ran my 3rd and 4th 5K races, and I was able to run faster and longer than I have before. During one of my races, I overheard 2 ladies talking. The one was saying to her friend that she didn't think she could make it and was going to have to walk. Her friend said not to give herself the option of walking. To think of having to keep running until she reached the finish line. For some reason this really stuck with me. Running is as much a mental thing as it is a physical thing. This week when I have been running and feel like giving up, I think to myself, nope it's not an option. Yesterday I ran for 28 minutes without stopping, which for me is a major accomplishment. I've also been trying to stop and think about why I want to stop when I feel like I can't make it. Do my legs hurt? Am I feeling short of breath or is my chest hurting? Do I have a cramp? Am I hot? For me it is usually the later. I get hot really easily thanks to my heart condition and the medication that I take for it. It was 48 degrees when I ran yesterday. I had on short sleeves and thin running tights. There was a breeze. And I was still sweating like crazy! I actually look forward to winter because it's easier for me to run. 38 degrees is kind of my ideal temp! 
On Thanksgiving morning I am running the Turkey Trot 5K. My goal is to run the whole thing and I really think I can. I hoping for a cool morning :)

Fall Fun

Well fall is here in full force. It's been down right cold the past 2 days, but prior to that we have enjoyed some beautiful weather here in the mountains of East TN. I love fall so much and have actually found the time to enjoy it this year even in the midst of a lot of busyness and wrestling with what I want out of my life. Here's what I've been up to lately:

• Last weekend was absolutely gorgeous and I had a quiet call weekend so I drove out to Fender's Farm and the surrounding stands to get some fall produce. I stocked up on sweet potatoes, apples, and of course pumpkins! It was nice to enjoy the sunshine and fall colors. 
• I have discovered the wonderful world that is Pinterest, and I have to admit I am obsessed! It has so many wonderful things; from tasty treats to craft projects to funny quotes. I have spent way too much time surfing around checking out all the "pins". I have been inspired by some of the things I have seen and as a result have been quite crafty lately. 
• 
  The pumpkins acquired on my trip to the farmer's market combined with an idea I saw on Pinterest resulted in the following craft project. I got my big pumpkin for only $5 and the little ones for a $1 each! They made for some pretty inexpensive fall decorations.

• I've got some 5Ks coming up soon, so I've been running regularly lately and trying to get back in to shape. I was doing really well, and then I went to Mexico and got sick when I came home. That set me back a little bit, but I'm back on track now and training hard. In 2 weeks I'm running in Chattanooga at the Purple Strides Pancreatic Cancer Awareness 5K on Saturday. Then on Sunday I'm doing the Speedway in Lights Children's Charity 5k. And of course I'm signed up for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Last weekend I also participated in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure (just walked this one). This is me and my Specials girls wearing our PINK last Friday for National Wear Pink Day. 

• This weekend I made a fall wreath that was inspired by Pinterest. The original project called for styrofoam balls, but they are costly and I didn't want to end up spending a fortune on a craft project. So I brainstormed with some fellow crafty friends, did some looking around, and finally found some cheap plastic wiffle balls at Target in various sizes that made a great substitute. Here's the finished project:

And because no fall is complete without some pumpkin baking, this week I made Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting , and if I do say so myself, they are to die for. The best part is they are healthy! Guilt free fall goodness? Yes please!