20 Week Bump Date

20 weeks!

How far along: 20 WEEKS... 1/2 way!!!!  We get to meet our princess in 4 and a half months!!! 

Total weight gain: 5 pounds

Clothes:  Using the bellyband. I am still in my normal shirts and dresses but my pants are a bit uncomfortable buttoned. 

Sleep: I am having a major heart burn and acid reflux right before bed so a bottle of Tums has become our new bedroom decor. 

Cravings/Aversions: Water! I am always thirsty... Always! As far as food, I want red meat- steak and bacon. This is so unlike me! This little girl is 100% Jeffrey's mini-me. 

Symptoms:  heart burn and acid reflux... yuck! 

ENERGY:  I am tired, I am not going to lie, but I keep on plugging along! Jeffrey works from home next week so I am looking forward to extra help!

Exercise: 
Monday:Rest
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: Pilates
Thursday: Barre
Friday: Walk/run 3 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Walk/run 3 miles

Mood: I feel really blessed still. Is it all happy and rainbows... hahaha, NO! I would be lying if I said pregnancy was all "perfection". Am I excited and blessed? Of course, but I am tired and hormonal still and that is okay, it's normal. I am human after all. So it's all rainbows with some lightening. Welcome to pregnancy!

Movement: I have felt her off and on. It is the coolest most amazing feeling EVER! There is nothing like it in the entire world. 

Miss anything?  Not really. I miss my mom and my friends back home in Atlanta. I miss their support and love for me and baby girl! I miss Jeffrey being at home because he works in Kansas Monday-Thursday, but these are "life misses" not pregnancy misses. 

Best moment this week: Diving more in God's word and scripture. I have been having a hard time emotionally so going to the word was exactly what I needed. 

Looking forward to: Jeffrey being able to feel her kick and move. 

Weddings vs. Babies

Having a baby and planning for said baby is 100 times more work then planning a wedding. Let me tell you, I had NO idea!!!! NO IDEA!

Here are my top five reasons why planning for a baby is the most work I have ever done:

1. Baby names vs. wedding vows: y'all, picking a name for your child is SO stressful. When I wrote my wedding vows I would write, erase, edit, write, erase... you get the idea... all day long. It took me months to write my vows and they still were not perfect. Does it matter that they weren't perfect, heck no! Jeff still loves me and life moves on. I never think about those vows in my day-to-day. Now, if you mess up your child's name... well, that will haunt you every day! You have to say that name, write that name, and become that name so you better like it!

2. Thank you notes: wedding vs. baby shower: It is so much fun registering and getting gifts in the mail. It is so exciting and adds to the bliss of having a baby; however, the millions of thank you notes are not so fun.

3. Baby room vs. wedding venue: When I was planning my wedding, I would look up all sorts of venues, arrangements, and decorations. I wanted my reception to look amazing but still within our budget. Creating a babies room is 100 times more stressful. Now our budget is even tighter and we have an entire room to fill for another human!!! Talk about stressful. Not to mention you're going to spend a lot of days and nights in this baby room so you want it to be nice and comfortable.

4. Baby's Birthday vs. Wedding day: I honestly should not have to write anything here. At my wedding I drank, danced, laughed, and looked beautiful! At our daughter's birth I don't believe I will really be doing any of those.

5.  Baby shower invites vs. wedding invites: When you get married you have to make a  list of guests you want to attend. I had no idea a baby's birth was the same. I had to send my mom a list of friends I wanted invited to different showers (making sure I didn't have anyone attending two showers or miss anyone). Then, I am having to coordinate schedules of when friends and family can come stay with us in Charleston to see her! Sweet baby is due in February and she has people booked to see her through May!!! I mean we are so blessed and if you want to remain my friend you better come love on me and my baby, but man alive are we booked!

So the verdict is in, I am here to tell you- planning for a baby is SO much more stressful then planning any wedding. Throw in exhaustion, hormones, and a bump and you have one crazy woman! So be kind to me and tell me how much I am glowing and that I am not crazy at all. Please and thank you!

Toilet Training Pup?

I love my pup Roxie So much!! She is my first baby and I would do anything for her. I know you are waiting for the BUT in this here blog post and let me tell you, it's a big one (insert song "I like big butts and I cannot lie"). I love her dearly, BUT why oh why can't she just use the toilet or take herself on walks? Is that to much to ask? Come on Roxie, learn to use the toilet inside-- it would really be a game changer!

Since Jeffrey is in another time zone 4 days a week my pregnant self has to hike it down the stairs morning, evening, and night after a LONG day of first graders and an hour of pilates... this momma is T-I-R-E-D!

Roxie is truly a blessing and brings so much joy to our lives and she is just so darn cute, BUT (there it is again), if she could learn to use the toilet she would be SO much more amazing.

Anyone else struggle with taking their pup outside or is it just 20 week pregnant me?

Currently!

I haven't written a post like this in a while so I thought I would share what is happening in the "Nelson World". Besides world traveling, our lives have been pretty boring.

CURRENTLY

1. Going through our Ireland photos // I have been sifting through our one-hundred-million Ireland photos to compile an awesome photo book. Y'all, this is a process

2. Practicing with our stroller // Yep, you read that correctly! My mom recently purchased baby girl a BOB jogging stroller. Since Roxie is not used to running with a huge obstacle, we have been practicing our 3 mile walk/runs with an empty stroller and hyper puppy. Let me tell you, I am so glad we are doing this now before baby girls arrival because it is comical.

3. Eating beets // My new favorite food this week are beets! YUM. I cannot get enough. When I am not craving beets, I want bacon and steak. This is 100% Jeffrey's child. I am just thankful to have my appetite back after loosing so much weight and being malnourished for four months.

4. Loving FALL // I love Fall so much, it is my favorite time of year. Being pregnant makes Fall even more delightful for me. Cooler weather, pumpkin EVERYTHING, and fun date nights to detract me from my back pain. I don't know if it is the hormones or the holidays approaching but I am falling more and more in love with Jeffrey as every day passes. He is so caring and loving towards me and our daughter. It is the cutest! There is NOTHING like having your husband hand you a pumpkin muffin and kiss your belly. MELT MY HEART!

5. Wanting Fall bags // I am in love with this Kate Spade bag. It is perfect for Fall and comes in a ton of great colors! Bonus is that this bag is normally $398.00 and Amazon has it for 1/2 the price! 

So Cool!

My mom is my best friend. We are so close and I call her about thirty times a day. Most conversations consist of, "hey mom, just missed you... yeah I know its only been an hour... lets just talk and laugh about nonsense". My mom has always been my "go to person" for happy times and not so happy times.

Now that I am having a daughter of my own I cannot wait to add another little girl into our tribe. I cannot wait to have a little buddy. I pray our relationship is similar to my mom and I's relationship.

With that being said, I do remember a time rolling my eyes and thinking "eh, my parents are so lame". WHAT!?!? You mean I was a typical teenager... shocker! Well, I was a typical teenager who though she was SO cool and her parents were not.

When my little one is a teenager (eeek, I can't image... time please go slow for me!) I want to pull up this Blog and show her how cool her parents really are!

Dear baby girl,

Your parents are SO cool, like the coolest! Here are some images to prove it:

We love football and take awesome fan photos!

We look great in hats... that's pretty cool!

We even have food fights!

We know how to pose for a picture!

Our staring contests are "on point".

I mean, your mom is SO cool! 

Your dad had some awesomely curly hair. I wonder if you will have his curls?

We look great in glasses.

We swam with dolphins! 

Even your grandma is cool!!! How lucky are you. 

Your mom and dad are so ridiculously in love.

So you see sweet baby, your mom and dad are SO cool, like the coolest. We hope and pray you find a soul mate who has a love as cool as ours! 

Seeing the World with my Daughter!

Jeffrey and I are ALWAYS on the go... ALWAYS! We are out of town traveling most weekends and when we are not, we are always up to something. Even during the week we are going here-there-and-everywhere. I love staying busy and experiencing the big world out there! I grew up traveling as did Jeffrey. We both remember being woken up at 5:00 am on a Saturday and driving in the car for a million hours. My first road trip from Georgia to Ohio was at one month old!! I guess you can say I was born busy! My baby schedule was always booked.

Now that Jeffrey and I are expecting our first precious baby we have no desire to change our traveling lives at all. Will our lives be different once we have our girly? Of course! Once she arrives our lives will get busier, sweeter, harder, and so much more perfect. The best news....we will have another travel buddy; even if she screams the entire time, hey, at least she is cute.

My mom and mother-in-law both reassured me that your life begins once you have kids and that they traveled and took baby Kelsey and baby Jeffrey everywhere they went. I want the same for our daughter. I want her to see the world and travel with her cool mom and dad seeing and experiencing life. We already have a cabin weekend in Georgia planned when she is 8 weeks, a trip to North Carolina Mountains when she is 9 weeks, and a big trip to New York when she is 12 weeks. Not to mention the countless trips I am sure we will take to Georgia and Virginia. She is already scheduled more then most and she isn't even here yet. If you want to see baby girl Nelson, you better ask her to pencil you in now.

Needless to say, I refuse to believe your life ends when you have kids and that our traveling days are over. To those of you that believe that, keep your thoughts to yourself and stay far away from me! I choose to make the most of her and enjoy a life teaching her and watching her grow. Of course things will be different, of course they will be hard sometimes (isn't that life anyways), and sure she may scream the entire 10 hour car ride-- WHO CARES. She wont scream forever, she won't be little forever, and those memories you make on the stressful car ride are 100 times worth it.

We are those crazy parents that will always jump in the car with our 500 bags full of baby things and sing to the radio over our screaming child and we will take smiling selfies and cherish every single moment on the road with our daughter. I am literally giddy right now as I write this because I cannot wait to meet her and experience the world with someone Jeffrey and I created!

Eeeeek, Jeffrey if you're reading this-- we're having a daughter!!!! A perfect little daughter that has two parents that love her to the moon and beyond already! Can you tell I am excited, elated, and just beyond thrilled and full of bliss. Little Nelly, sweet girl- mommy and daddy love you SO much!

Friday Five

We just got back after ten amazing, incredible, breathtaking days in Ireland. We traveled with another couple who were amazing to travel with. We all had a blast. I am already wanting to plan another trip with them ASAP!!! Michelle and Stu are hands down the best traveling buddies!!! Here are my five favorite photos from the five-million we took!

#1. The boys surprised Michelle and I with a nights stay in a castle complete with fine dinning and a Spa day! My pre-natal message was so amazing. Way to go boys, you made these girls VERY happy!!!! 

#2. Ireland has the BEST FOOD!!!! They are so gluten free friendly. I ate dessert with dinner everyday and enjoyed gluten free bread throughout our trip. I was in gluten free heaven! 

 #3. We went to the Dark Hedges or better know as "Kings Road" on Game of Thrones. Since Game of Thrones is filmed here Michelle and I had to act out a few scenes.

#4. The views! I cannot even begin to describe the scenery and views in Ireland. They were breathtaking. This is an image from Giants Causeway.

#5. Walking across this rope bridge to gorgeous views of mountains and water as far as the eye could see. This bridge was an adventure for sure, but the walk was so worth it. 

If you ever have the opportunity to go out of the country, I would highly recommend Ireland. We had a blast touring Dublin and Northern Ireland. We adventured in a different city every day and made memories that will last us a lifetime! 

Bump Date- 18 Weeks!

This picture is in Ireland at 17 weeks pregnant. 

How far along: 18 weeks this Friday! 

Total weight gain: 2 pounds.

Clothes:  Using the bellyband. I am still in my normal shirts but my pants are a bit uncomfortable buttoned. 

Sleep: I am so blessed, I am sleeping wonderfully.

Cravings/Aversions: Gummy snacks! I bought Annie's organic gummy bunnies to help curb my "sweet tooth". I am trying to be as healthy as I can, but I still want to satisfy those cravings. While we were in Ireland, I ate all things carb and gluten-free and it was amazing. I had ZERO guilt, simply bliss! 

Symptoms:  My nails and hair are starting to get healthier and stronger. I also have my energy back!!! 

ENERGY:  I am still on an Ireland trip high so I feel AMAZING! I pray this lasts a while!

Exercise: While in Ireland we walked over 25,000 steps in one day. I also went to barre and pilates this week. I am hoping to stay active as long as I can. 

Mood: I feel so great, blessed, happy...all the feels! God is good.

Movement: She was moving a little during the Georgia Tech game in Ireland. It was mainly flutters and strange "oh, there is something in there" feelings. 

Miss anything?  I am growing a precious gift from God! I don't miss anything! 

Best moment this week: Seeing Ireland with amazing friends. We also got baby girls stroller from my generous parents. Sweet girl has an awesome ride ready for her in February.

Looking forward to: Feeling her kick and move.

Michelle and I jumping for joy in Ireland. Baby girl is 17 weeks.