Tons O' Topics Day 7

Day 7: How do you stay focused on a task or activity?

I have a system. Well, as long as the task/activity is in my home, haha! Whatever it is, I get all the things together that I need... I make my bed, clear off everything, clean my room, turn on "Ghost Whisperer" (or a TV show series on DVD that I LOVE), and get started! For some reason, I feel like I HAVE to do things in my room for me to get it accomplished! But guess what? It gets done! :)

Project 365: Day 473- March 18th

First, a quote from Quotemeal:   "Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of hell." [Charles H. Spurgeon]   Now...   first I have to say... thank You God for cell phones. Well, actually, smart phones and the lovely applications they have :) Contractions have been getting a lot more consistent and frequent... and I don't have any note book paper at home to keep track of how often we are having them.. then my friend Carrie told me about an application for the Droid system called 'Contraction Timer' where you simply hit the button "Start Timer" when you're having a contraction and it times the contractions and puts down how frequently you're having them. Amazing, right? :) So, yes, I was using this ALL day today, haha!    

  And my contractions were pretty consistent yesterday.. a lot more consistent than I felt comfortable with (and when I say comfortable I mean staying at home by myself when everyone is 30-60 minutes away.. eek!) So, I went ahead and headed in to my mom's work (she's only like 5-8 minutes from the hospital). We were having lunch together anyways, so I just went in a little early. I'd rather be safe, than sorry! hehe   We got there and they were having a lunch for Big Brothers Big Sisters (an organization we care SO much about!!) so mom and I had lunch at her work. We had shredded chicken sandwiches, cheesecake, and TACO SOUP. This soup was AMAZING. And so guess what?? I got the recipe for it, thank God! I cannot wait to make it here at the house. YUMMY. Here's a shot of the recipe. Be on the look out for when I make it :) I would have taken a picture of it, but as soon as I got it home, my husband scarfed the rest of it down, haha!  

  I came home and rested for awhile, then headed back into town to watch Lil' Ethan play soccer. But, when we got there... TO SURPRISE HIM, haha... he didn't show up! Figures.. he's there every week and the one week we show up on a surprise visit, he is a no-show LOL So, we decided to just go ahead and go out to eat :) Momma said "Applebees" and that sounded amazing to me!! :) We got there and they told us it'd be a 25-30 minute wait, but I think being pregnant pulled some strings because we only stood there waiting for about 6 minutes and we already had a booth, hehe :) I got the chicken fajita roll up... YUMMY. It's my favorite there! And of course, I brought some left-overs home for the hubs :)  

  Then I went to bed! I was BEAT.   Cheers to Project 365!!  

Tons O' Topics Day 6

 Day 6: Are you stressed out right now? If so, about what? If not, how do you control the things going on in your life?

I wouldn't say I'm stressed per se. I'm feeling a lot.
 
I just rambled on and on in my Project 365 blog about this.
 
I am feeling EVERYTHING right now. Every emotion. It's a constant roller coaster. I cried to my mom for about 40 minutes last night because I just feel sooo much in my heart and mind right now... and it all revolves around giving birth to my sweet, sweet girl.
 
I... first of all... am EXCITED. I cannot wait to see her! I cannot wait to hold her! I have so much love for her already and she's just moving around in my tummy. Words cannot even express how ready I am for the doctor to hold her up and for me to see that beautiful face for the first time! :)
 
I am NERVOUS. Why? Because of the fear of the unknown. I'm a first time mom getting ready to give birth. It's a lot to be nervous about, you know? Every one says "You'll be fine" and I know this. I trust God to have His hands on my family during that time, but it's still human nature to be anxious. I find myself having to take deep breaths to calm myself.
 
I am ANXIOUS. It's the waiting game now. I'm full-term. Everything is ready for her. So, now.. I just sit here and wait for contractions to start or for my water to break. It's hard to be patient when you're so excited.. and so nervous.. and just ready to get the ball rolling, so it'll all be over and you finally have your sweetheart in your arms!!
 
And through all of this, I'm trying to also ENJOY the last few days/weeks of this pregnancy. It has been such an exciting, scary, overwhelming, amazing journey since July 26th, 2010-- the first time I took a pregnancy test and saw a faint, positive line. And now here we are, March 18th, 2011-- 20 days til' D-Day. Just crazy, I tell you.
 
So, I wouldn't say that I'm STRESSED.... more like... on an emotional roller coaster that will likely continue until I can finally just see my baby girl!  

Project 365: Day 472- March 17th

First off-- a quote from Quotemeal:   "A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel." [Author Unknown]     Today marked...   37 WEEKS PREGNANT.   We have officially hit full-term. Can I get a holla? haha! :) That's right... it's 21 days until our due-date. And let me tell you, I am getting SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO anxious. I am starting to cry every day because it's a constant emotional roller coaster I feel like I am on. I know that sounds terrible right? A new mom should feel--- ECSTATIC. And don't get me wrong, I do, but it lasts for about 10 minutes... then I get overwhelmed with the fear of the unknown. Then I'm nervous. Then I'm impatiently anxious. Then I'm excited. Then I can't wait to see her. Then I'm scared about whether I'm going to be a good mommy.... Do you see why it's such a roller coaster ride of emotions? haha! And my poor, sweet husband doesn't even know how to deal with it sometimes. I'm on top of the world one minute... and freaking out the next. But I have to say, I did really good up to this point. However, now that I know that she's a good 6lbs and a good solid 20" long at least (according to THEIR estimates, haha).... and I know that she could safely come at any point... yea, that gets the heart tickin' a little faster :)   But regardless, I am SO excited to soon meet our baby girl and be sure, you will ALL know!   Now, time to see this belly! Here's a bare, 37 week belly!    

  Yeah, she's a'droppin, huh? haha! And here's momma Lyss!  

  You can definitely see her popping out there, haha! I LOVE it :) One thing is for sure.. I'm going to love having her here, but boy oh boy, I'm gonna miss that belly ;) It grows on you after awhile, I'm serious haha!   And today was about 65 degrees out... and well, since I'm definitely not sporting shorts... haha, I wore a black dress and black leggings. (Nope no green. Should have pinched me!) It was a shorter dress and those capri leggings... and it was nice and cool. But check out that belly in this outfit, haha.  

  And guess what??? Remember me telling everyone that our neighbors (my preggo pal #2) had their baby Tuesday afternoon? They came home today! So, of course we were over there in a heartbeat! She is SO tiny and SO adorable!!! It made the wait for Tayler that much harder, haha! But I got a sweet shot of my wonderful husband FINALLY holding her. He is so scared to hold babies. I've only seen him hold one baby and she was about 2 months old or so..... but this was a FRESH baby, hehe! 2 day old baby. He looks sooo good doing this though! I can't wait to see him with our baby girl!  

  Once we got home, we got some snacks and started watching "American Idol." It was elimination night and I had my fingers crossed that Naima was GOING HOME. Seriously- no offense to her or anyone that likes her, but I'm just not a fan, you know? She is pitchy-- constantly. And I don't think she chooses the right songs to sing for an American Idol competition. But anyways, during elimination night they announced the bottom 3: Haley, Naima, and Karen. If you all will remember, I picked Naima, Thia, and Haley.   And wouldn't you know it... the girl I didn't pick for the bottom 3 gets voted off! Yes, that's right-- sweet Karen Rodriguez was headed home!  

And let me say-- Did you hear the pipes on Karen Rodriguez singing "Hero" by Mariah Carey? BEAUTIFUL. I would have never guessed she was heading home because let me tell you-- Naima couldn't hold the notes that Karen was holding. Sorry, but it's true. I just don't think she can sing. I do like Haley because she's got a unique voice and she CAN sing, but I don't think she's as stronger as the others in the competition. I know, my husband cringes when I say that. (That's his girl, haha)

But I guess that's how American Idol goes, right? Someone has to be voted off every week. Just sad it had to be Karen Rodriguez so soon in to the competition.

Cheers to Project 365!

 

Tons O' Topics Day 5

Day 5: Do you prefer to talk, text, or use a different communication method?

Well, this depends. I'm a chicken. So, if I have something to say and I'm scared to call, I'll text.
 
 I actually text a lot of people and that's ALL our communication is. Weird, huh? But I still feel like we have good friendships even if it is just constant IMing/texting communication.
 
If it's Ethan or someone in my family, I prefer talking on the phone. It's quicker.
 
If it's something I have to say quickly or is too much to text type, I prefer to call.
 
If you're a telemarketer, I prefer no communication method, haha!   

Project 365: Day 471- March 16th

Quote from Quotemeal to start the day off with: "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." [Mother Teresa] I didn't do much today. I know, are you like completely surprised? haha! It was just one of those days. We are getting closer to having this baby... and I just decided to take it easy today :) But I had a little wiggle worm in my tummy today. I took a video for everyone to see, so click this link and enjoy the 1 minute jam session of Tayler Bay! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_4oRzlygnc I swear she was trying to get out, haha! But someone should tell her she can't come that way! LOL :) After enjoying the day feeling her moving around, I got things together to make stir fry for dinner. This is such a simple meal and one of our favorites!  

I take chicken and cook that, slicing it up into pieces. (I cooked this chicken in light butter with pepper, salt, and garlic) After the chicken is cooked, add in chopped up green peppers and onions. Continue cooking over high heat until the chicken is browned and the green peppers/onions are soft. I also made brown rice to go under the chicken and peppers! :) We LOVED it. And I hope you do too!

And then it was AMERICAN IDOL time!!



And here's my American Idol recap along with who I think will be in the bottom 3 tonight and who I think will go home. I got it right last week (as far as who was being voted off goes...) so lets see if I can do the same tonight! :) Who do I think is WITHOUT A DOUBT safe?  1. Casey Abrams (LOVED his performance too! Out of the box, as always!)
2. Scotty McCreery (Amazing, as usual!)
3. James Durbin (LOVED his performance last night)
4. Stefano Langone (not my favorite, but he did good last night)5. Paul McDonald (one of my favorites!)6. Lauren Alaina (even sick she tore that song up!)
7. Pia Toscono (she played it safe, but it was flawless)Safe (but on the border)8. Jacob Lusk
9. Karen Rodriguez Bottom 3:10. Haley Rinehart (I LOVE her, but I think she's picking some odd songs and the judges comments will hurt her)11. Thia Megia (Played it safe. A little too young for the competition, personally)12. Naima Adedapo (not a fan, whatsoever, haha) And with that being said, I think NAIMA will be voted off tonight.  Stay tuned on FOX at 8PM to find out. PLUSSSSS.....  

THIS MAN (Lee Dewyze) is performing tonight! My favorite from last season :) You don't want to miss that!

Cheers to Project 365!

  

Quotemeal

 I receive daily quotes from Quotemeal. They are quotes that make you think. They can inspire you or cause you to inquire about your life. After feeling their impact, I have decided that I would LOVE to share their wisdom every morning! So, along with my Project 365, I am going to post the daily quote along with it :) I think we all could use some uplifting and encouraging, wouldn't you agree?  Thus, the quote for the day is: "Money is a very excellent servant, but a terrible Master." [P.T. Barnum] 

Tons O' Topics Day 4

 Day 4: Share something that makes you smile. It can be anything!  I know, I know... all of my posts revolve around my pregnancy, but I just can't help it! :) It's been SUCH an amazing journey and I can hardly believe it is coming to an end. With that being said, the kicks, the punches, the rolls, the movements... all of that makes me smile... YES, even when it's at 2:30AM, hehe! I can't help it! I know that there are so many women out there that struggle to become pregnant, that face difficult circumstances during their pregnancy...... I know the trials we have had to face during this pregnancy, so I can't help but smile and get a little teary-eyed EVERY time I feel this miracle move. She's pushing the laptop off my stomach as we speak, haha! Hilarious little lady, let me tell you! I've been feeling her kick for about 16 weeks now, and it still gives me butterflies every time (at least I think that's butterflies... hehe!) I am so in love with her and I feel so blessed to be able to walk down this path! Thank You God for our miracle!    
  

Project 365: Day 470- March 15th

 I got up this morning and found out that my preggo pal #2 was in the hospital-- GIVING BIRTH! AHHH :) Preggo pal #1 had her baby on March 1st and yes, preggo pal #2 had her baby today, March 15th. (2 Weeks apart)....  could baby Tayler be born 2 weeks later on March 29th? Doubtful. I have a feeling (and I haven't told very many this...) that it's soon. Just certain signs. But I am keeping it quiet once I go into labor for some personal reasons... and everyone will be updated once our sweet baby arrives! I'll post pictures soon of preggo pal #1's baby and preggo pal #2's baby. I finally got to meet preggo pal #1s baby today too, but forgot to take a picture while I was there :( But here's our last picture together. Preggo pal #1 was 37 weeks, preggo pal #2 was 34 weeks, and then there's me... bringing up the rear at 33 weeks, haha! Of course, that was almost 4 weeks ago considering I'm 37 weeks tomorrow... but it's nice to see this and document. Once baby Tayler is here, we're all going to get pictures done of us and our babies! :) 

 After hearing that news, I got things together to make stuffed peppers :) I think it's literally our FAVORITE meal in this house... I crave them, so I got set-up and put them in the crock pot. I'll post the recipe again for those of you that have missed it in past weeks: I took 6 green peppers and cut the top off of them and cleaned them out in the middle.  I cooked 1 1/2 cups of rice.After that was done, I stirred in 1 lb. of un-cooked hamburger with the rice. I took the rice and hamburger combination and stuffed it inside of the peppers.I took 1 mozzarella jalapeno cheese stick and stuck it down the middle of the peppers.Then, I dumped 1 jar of pizza sauce all over the peppersand I added 1 cup of water to the crock pot. Then I covered the peppers with pepper and garlic. Cook in the crock pot on high for about 6-6.5 hours! These peppers are SO good they just fell a part when we put them on our plates. YUMMY! :) Hope y'all enjoy!  After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning. Since getting the hot water tank put in, I've slacked on the up-keep of this place! I hate doing dishes in any water but HOT, so I had dishes piled high. The bath tub needed cleaned from our baths. Our bedroom needed put back together since that's where the hot water tank is... sooo, needless to say, I had my hands full! Vacuuming, scrubbing, putting new Scentsy in :) But it got done.. and I felt AMAZING after that hehe! I love me a good, clean house! 

And then I got cleaned up and took a picture of me and this belly, hehe! I am 36 weeks, 5 days today! And I really don't think this belly could get any bigger, haha!! 

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying some dinner, visiting Kyra & Bentley, and then we cuddled up and watched "Next Three Days." I haven't felt the greatest STILL (leg cramps, hip cramps, etc.) so all I felt like doing was laying down and watching a movie.  This movie was pretty good! I thought it could have been shortened just a little bit (it's 2hrs, 13 mins long), but man, it was a genius movie. Throughout many scenes, I thought the guy (Russell Crowe) was a complete moron and then at the end, you realize EVERYTHING he did was for a reason! It was amazing :) Good movie choice if I do say so myself! 

 Cheers to Project 365!

I Refuse to Argue

I don't usually make my blogs a place for my random ramblings, but being the hormonal pregnant woman that I am, I have decided to proceed forth with my thoughts. Take this as your warning, haha :) "I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect." [Edward Gibbon] In theory, there is no point in arguing with someone whom you do not respect. It's as simple as that.  I have tried to narrow down what I get involved with (as far as discussions and conversations go) because, well, A) I don't NEED stress or drama in my life and B) there's really no point in it. I heard once that we should ask ourselves prior to an argument or temper tantrum how this problem/issue will affect us in 5 years. If it won't, chances are.. it doesn't really matter and should just be left alone to avoid any more stress.  So, how do I go about narrowing down WHAT I get involved with? By simply choosing not to argue with people I have no respect for. Now, let me first say this-- I in no way think I'm better than these people. Please, don't get me wrong. But, there are certain people in this world that have said some disgraceful things during conversations that have made me go "What the heck?" And because of that, I have determined that these are the people in which there is NO point in arguing. Seriously-- have you ever met those individuals to where you could have 1,000,000 people validating your statements and they would still disagree? Yes. We all have. And because of that, there is noooo point in trying to even argue.  I am trying to live a life of peace. I battled with fear and anxiety for a long time (which is what my book is about) and because of that, I have made the decision to cut the ties of anything in my life that creates those feelings again. And pointless arguments seem to spark the fire which ignites the tightness in my chest! I will fight for what I know is right, but I will also only have these arguments/discussions with individuals that can be mature and open-minded (otherwise, there's clearly no point.)  To save yourself the trouble of dealing with these kind of arguments, refuse to argue with someone you know is only going to stress you out. Why put that on yourself? Why cause yourself that stress and anxiety? I guess there are some people in this world that thrive on drama. (I've met them- believe me. If there's not some kind of 'problem' going on, they cannot function. Sad life to live if you ask me....) But I digress... "I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect." [Edward Gibbon]

Remember this. I believe it will come in handy.  I'll step away from my computer now and leave that for you to ponder...

Tons O' Topics Day 3

Day 3: What was your BEST accomplishment in 2010? You can only post one, so think hard!  Well, I was inclined to say conceiving our child... and getting married, but I don't know if those would be considered accomplishments-- they're more like BLESSINGS :) So, if it has to be something that I worked hard on.. it would be publishing a book!   It's a devotional-type book about different struggles in life... about finding your purpose. It's my first attempt at this whole writing thing :) I only hope that others find reading it, what I found writing it...  If you're interested in purchasing it, please check out the link on the right side of this blog :)  God bless!  

Project 365: Day 469- March 14th

Remember Sunday how we were boiling pots and pots of water to take a bath? Well bless the good Lord above, we got a new hot water tank yesterday!! Our landlords came over about 11:00AM and did their work :) They even fixed our back door (which hasn't opened since we moved in here, haha!) And YES YES YES, we finally have hot water! I even got to take a shower last night... first REAL shower (not a luke warm bath or boiling water bath) since last Wednesday, haha! :) It was wonderful!! 

 While they were working on the hot water tank, I had a doctor's appointment. We are seeing the doctor every week now... YES WE ARE GETTING THAT CLOSE!! :) Due date is 24 days away from today (March 14th, 2011).. My sweet husband works about 1.5 hours away from us, so he never gets to go to our doctor's appointments. I am thankful for the ultrasounds and 1 appointment he has been able to make it to, but I know how much is heart hurts when he can't hear her heartbeat every time like I get the sweet privilege of doing :) So, this time... we vided-recorded her heartbeat for him! (Plus, I wanted a video of it for her DVD I am making once she's born :)) And I decided to share it with all of you today as well!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGN6brqmhU  And they scheduled our next doctor's appointment for next week-- I'll be 37 ALMOST 38 weeks :) 

 When I got home from my doctor's appointment, there was a package on our doorsteps. Once again, it was addressed to "Tayler" hehe! I just love seeing that! And it was my sweet friend Jacki! She bought Tayler a toy and some clothes. Here are some pictures of her presents: 

 (This attaches to her car seat or stroller for her to play with!) And here are her summer outfits! Mommy LOVES them, hehe! 

 

 

And how cute is the little booty of this outfit?? GAH! Soooo adorable, haha!!

Thank you again, Jacki! :) We appreciate it soooo much!

After opening the package, we went out of town to get Ethan's truck, came home and grabbed some dinner, then we snuggled up and watched "Pretty Little Liars." Yes, my husband is just as addicted as I am, haha! First of all-- I think Caleb is sincere about his apology. Second of all--- I love Toby and Spencer together. Third-- Ezra and Aria are screwed. How much you want to bet Garrett blackmails? Fourth-- Ian and Melissa are hiding something huge considering they were busted about their Hilton Head lie! Guess we'll see what happens in the Season Finale next week!

Cheers to Project 365!

Tons O' Topics Day 2

Day 2: Name someone who deserves more credit than they get. You can also talk about how to change things so they receive more credit, post about this person, how you know them, ways we can get to know them, etc.


This is a tough one. I had to really think about the people I know (or don't know) and who I feel does not get the credit that they truly deserve in this world. And honestly-- (and I'm going to get philosophical here...) I think it would be God. See, here's my thought process:

When bad things happen... (natural disasters, death, etc.), it's always "God, why did You let this happen?" "God, why would You do that to someone?" I don't know if everyone out there hears this, but I know that I hear it quite often from people.

BUT... when good things happen (i.e a new job, guarded from a car accident, a blessing of money, etc.) it seems it's all about what that person did to avoid disaster. I'm even guilty of it. When something good happens, I say "I'm so glad we went that route..." when I should have said "Thank You God for Your blessings! You are always blessing us!"

I need to remember this more often!
   

Project 365: Day 468- March 13th

  So wanna hear what an amazing wife I am? haha! :) I made Ethan a yummy breakfast this morning! I cooked a thing of hashbrowns (and added onions and cheese at the end) and I scrambled 3 eggs. I mixed all of that up and then cooked 5 slices of bacon and crumbled those over the top. Add a little pepper and 2 pieces of toast and you have Ethan's breakfast. It's his favorite (besides breakfast casserole of course, hehe!) Here's a shot of it: 

 And guess what my sweet husband did for me today? He hung our new shelf and plants up! It looks beautiful on our wall. Thank you so much darling! :) You know how much I LOVE decorations in our house, hehe! 

 Then.... I went back to try to take a shower and guess what? Our hot water tank wasn't working. I let the water run for at least 2 minutes and it was FREEZING. There wasn't even a nice little medium. It was tragic. I desperately needed a shower. Our neighbors weren't home. My parents live about 40 minutes away. So, we reverted to the olden days. Yes, we heated up pots on the stove. Unfortunately, I don't have a HUGE pot, so I was filling up a tiny pot that I use for rice and carrying it back and forth to the bathroom. About 20 trips later (and we filled the crock pot with water and boiled it in there).... we finally had enough water in there to take a bath! Here's a shot of our set up while boiling: 

And here I am (sorry, I look absolutely TERRIBLE haha!) on like the 14th trip back to the bathroom. It was getting old after awhile... hence why I look so unbelievably awful, haha!

Once we finally got cleaned up (or I guess as cleaned up as we were gonna get, haha) we went to Subway. I wanted a Sweet Onion Chicken Teryaki sub SOOO bad! Here's Ethan enjoying his turkey bacon sub:

Well, I guess he isn't really eating there.. just giving me an awkward look, haha!

And here I am sippin on some Sprite.. my fave! :)

 Then my sweet, loving, adorable husband decided to listen to his friends and look up cheap motorcyles on Craigslist. SOMETHING WE DON'T NEED. Grrr! lol! I was so frustrated. We are finally ahead of the bills game, we have a savings account started, money in the bank.. there is no reason why we should be purchasing a motorcycle, but... I digress! haha! Anyways, he found a motorcycle he wanted to look at... and since it was about 5 minutes down the road from my parents, I decided to go along for the ride since he said we could stop at their house afterwards! :) Ethan test drove the motorcycle, decided he didn't like it, then we went over there and spent time with them for a little bit :) Oreo (their spunky black cat) made himself comfortable on Ethan's lap as soon as Ethan sat down. haha! 

 But he soon got tired of Ethan's lap and made his way onto mine.. .however, he's not too keen on sitting on my lap anymore.. must be the lack of space he has thanks to Tayler, haha! :) 

 Once we got home, we curled up on the couch and watched the movie "Annapolis" and then we hit the sack! We were absolutely exhausted! Cheers to Project 365! 

Tons O' Topics Day 1

Day 1: List 3 countries you'd like to visit and why you would like to go. You can post pictures, an itinerary... anything you'd like! 
 The Island of the Bahamas  How gorgeous is that? Gah, I just want to be laying on the beach in a lawn chair, reading a book, drinking a drink.... and RELAXING. Italy 

 Yes, I want to ride on a gondola and experience all of the history and architecture here! Oh.. and the pizza :) Austrailia 

 It looks beautiful and I'd love to spend some time there one day!