A Few of My Favorite (Pregnancy) Things!

I will be the first to admit that this pregnancy has not made me want the house full of little ones that I once dreamed about...or at least I'd rather adopt them than carry them for 9 months.  However on my good days, I find myself (like every other pregnant woman) fixated on certain products of the edible nature.  Sometimes these fixations are enough to keep you awake at night.  Talk about willpower!  Try convincing your pregnant body and the wee-one within that you don't need your tenth glass of orange juice for the night.  Not as easy at it sounds.   

So, I thought I'd entertain you (and document for myself) with some of my fluctuating cravings.  None of these have remained the same throughout pregnancy.  I find that mine change about every trimester.

1.  Cinnamon Disc - I know, sounds weird.  However, I have found that these definitely help with some of my nausea.  My mother-in-law stocked me up with a ton of them the last time we were in SC (thanks Linda)!

2.  Salt & Vinegar Chips - Normally, I try to be nice and keep the pickiness to a minimum, but pregnancy allows no such luxury.  I am quite specific about this.  It MUST be Lays, and on occasion I will accept Pringles as a substitute.  Keep in mind, these are not my preference...they are all Emory's (and my dad likes them too).

3.  Juices - More specifically lots and lots of orange juice.  I am obsessed (and was prior to becoming pregnant) on the Simply line of juices.  Any of them float my boat, but I have been stocking up on some Country Stand, Vitamin D & Calcium fortified, Medium Pulp Simply Orange juice.  Their apple juice is an amazing staple as well.  I also believe quite firmly in their Simply Lemonade with Raspberry.  Delish!  Let's just say this craving, I am positive, will not end when little man arrives.

4.  Apples with Peanut Butter - Preferably Gala (not Royal Gala) or Fuji apples and Simply JIF peanut butter to be exact.  It's a great snack...even at 10 PM.  Since this whole consumption process apparently requires one to eat 24/7, this is a great answer to the problem of night time hunger pains (because mama refuses to get out of her warm bed just to eat).

5.  Snyders of Hanover Pretzel Sticks - They are fabulous.  They have been a life saver over the course of this pregnancy.  When the hyperemesis was in full swing earlier in the pregnancy, this was one of the few things I was occasionally able to keep down.  My love will never die.

6.  Baby Carrots and Veggie Dip - This is another one of those night time snacks that make it possible to survive until the next morning.  We have killed some baby carrots over the past 6+ months.  Plus, the pups enjoy them as a part of their night time snack as well.  :-)

7.  Lima Beans and Mashed Potatoes - I am positive, with almost 100% certainty, that our son will take after his father MUCH more than myself.  I'm ok with this since I'm kinda partial to Mr. Phillip, but good heavens this kid loves some Southern cooking...especially lima beans and mashed potatoes!

8.  Chicken Salad - Not any chicken salad, it has to be my friend's recipe.  Jenni made it one time when we were in Raleigh.  I've been obsessed with it over the past month or so of pregnancy.  Unfortunately, I can't look at, handle, cook, etc. any kind of meat.  Fortunately, I married an insanely hot cook.  He's become a pro!  I can and do eat this stuff on bread, crackers, or lettuce leaves.  It's fabulous.

9.  Post Selects Banana Nut Crunch Cereal - I NEVER eat breakfast.  I dislike anything besides caffeine before noon.  However, since caffeine isn't an option and little man keeps me famished, I have found a secret love (that's not so secret anymore).  It all began with muffins.  (Still love some muffins...any kind.)  I was shopping for Phillip's breakfast cereal and I stumbled upon this.  I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it, and am I ever glad I took that gamble.  FANTASTIC and filling.  I'm addicted.

10.  Trident Sugar Free Original Flavor Gum - This has been another nausea relief trick.  When I'm sick I can't deal with a lot of flavors, but this one doesn't seem to bother me.  Love it AND it's sugar free.

I should insert a HUGE "thank you" to the most wonderful husband in the world.  He has made COUNTLESS runs to the store in the middle of the night for the items above and many more.  All I have to say about Phillip is that God is good!

What were you addicted to during pregnancy?

Snow Day + Ice Day + Another Ice Day

I really only have pictures from the snow day.  Now, I love some snow, but we are just not equipped here in the South to deal with snow and ice.  We had a lot of fun playing in the snow.  It was quite funny watching the dogs try to walk on the snow after the ice had solidified.  Poor Gracie was slipping and sliding everywhere.

We decided to take a walk after work was canceled for both of us. 

 The house before all of the ice.  (Check out that SWEET Astro van I've been sporting around town.)

This is post-walk.  I didn't have a hood on my jacket.  Lots of sleet. 

Our pups were not being very photogenic, but Phillip snapped this one of us. 

Phillip decided it'd be nice to pelt me with a snowball.  Glad I didn't fix my hair!

Our sweet Mason pup seems to be confused about whether he's a pig or not when it snows.  All he does it root around. 

My dad fixed chili.  His chili is one of my all-time favorites.  So we bundled up and headed over for dinner and some play time in the snow. 

Here's my dad and Rascal, my sister's dog.  He believes he is a small child.  He refuses to allow anyone to carry him as if he's animal.

I love my husband for so many reason.  One of those reasons is because he's a child trapped in an adult's body.

My sister made this her snowball fighting stance. 

Here's Kandice and sweet (albeit stupid) Jackson. 

This would be my husband...and my sister...and my sister's rather large derriere. 

My sweet daddy was running around the backyard with the pups.  So precious. 

God bless my sister.  She's special on so many levels.  She wanted everyone to watch her fabulous cartwheel.  This was the landing.  Or faceplant.  This was the second time the wind got knocked out of her.

Snow bunny pic of us...and baby Emory.

She comes up with the most ridiculous things.  Never classy. 

I got an aerial view of this snowball fight.  Phillip pretty much just kept throwing snowballs at Kandice repeatedly.

Kandice just started batting them all down like it was a Wii game. 

Poor Jackson.  Dad put a reindeer bell on him so he wouldn't lose track of him at night.

Unfortunately, we've been stuck indoors since then thanks to ice, but we had a great time while it lasted!

Clemson Bowl Game

This year Clemson was in a bowl game here at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.  They were playing South Florida.  I thought it'd be a nice gesture to get Phillip some tickets.  He's been super supportive throughout this whole pregnancy, so I figured it would be a nice little break. 

The game was held on New Years Eve, so we headed down to tailgate with some friends of mine from grad school. 

Here's my handsome hubs with the "golden" tickets. 

It was a little chilly that morning. 

Here's my buddy, Adam, from grad school.  We did almost all of our work together, mainly because he let me do it the way I wanted.  He's about as close as I've ever come to meeting a well-educated, younger version of Larry the Cable Guy. 

Go Tigers!

Their band did a good job. 

I needed a nap.

Sadly, this was the final score.  We had a good time nonetheless. 

The nice cops took this picture of us. 

We decided to tailgate a bit more afterward and let traffic die down. 

Phillip took the "E" cupcake out of the CLEMSON for Emory.  :-)

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year!  Happy 2011!!!

Santa Came to South Carolina

***Warning: Lots of pictures in this post!***

This year we decided to spend Christmas with Phillip's family.  My parents were sad because it was the first Christmas we had not seen one another, but I had purchased Meineke Car Care Bowl Game tickets for Phillip the following weekend so we needed to spend some time with his family since we hadn't been down since the end of October.  (I'll post all about our Christmas treat from my parents soon!)

I don't remember a lot of the weekend, it seemed quite busy.  Christmas Eve was when all presents were wrapped.  Phillip's mom and I started the job, but seriously the woman is a female version of Santa Claus.  There is no way all of the gifts she buys (and waits until Christmas Eve to wrap) will ever get covered in paper.  Her son finally started throwing stuff in packaging boxes and taping it with decorating shipping tape on Christmas day.  Love it!  Aunt Diane and I took over wrapping and kept going until 1 AM.  Phillip went with his mom to set up Santa gifts for our nieces Christmas Eve.  They got home super late.  How or why Linda Harris does Christmas this way is beyond my comprehension, but God bless her for it.

We all got together Christmas day at Aunt Diane's.  We had a fabulous dinner before opening gifts.  I wanted a nap more than anything after eating.  :-)  Here are some pics from the evening.

Phillip's dad got to join us this year for the festivities.  We love it when he can make it!

You have to love Taylor.  She was chowing down on come corn. 

Logan opening her gifts from us. 

Lee had Daddy Duty during present opening time.  I don't think he minded.

 

Sarah's faces are priceless.

Lee was none too pleased with the play make-up we got Emma (don't worry, all of it is little girl clear and sparkly).  We also had the towel you see embroidered and got her this crazy big art set. 

Some of the crew.  Yes, just some. 

The art set.  Disney Fairy art set to be exact.

I think Sarah got this for Logan, but look at that face.  How precious!

Everyone was helping me open.  This, I believe, was a fabulous WillowTree that we got from Aunt Diane.  I am totally in love with it.

Linda got this for Emma; and OH MY HEAVENS, the child ran this thing so much the motor started to smell. 

 

In case you can't tell, I have a thing for cinnamon discs right now.  Surprisingly, they help a bit with nausea.  My mother-in-law stocked me up for the next 10 pregnancies.

Taylor digging in.  :-)

This has to be one of the best gifts I've received in a long time.  Linda bought me a Sony Reader.  I'm so excited.  Phillip was even impressed by it.  :-)  Thanks Mama Harris!

This is a gift for little Emory.  It reads, "Feed me or I'll snap."  Appropriate.  (I am also looking for a t-shirt in adult female sizes for my friend, Meredith.) 

This is about the time that Lee started to get annoyed with the fabulous weasel. 

 Sarah and I checking out an awesome wrap Linda got me. 

 I am pretty sure Phillip was annoying Emma here. 

I love the faces this kid makes. 

 Aunt Diane finally opened some of her presents. 

My husband lost his Christmas-appropriate closing and gained a whole lot of cast iron.  He loves to cook with cast iron. 

There are no words.  Nor should there ever be words.  Ever.

 She was trying to run from a picture.

 Sadly, I wasn't looking, but I love my nieces.

Such a goof.  

Doesn't he look so happy?  He was tired. 

So he decided to annoy me.

Even though Phillip's eyes aren't open, we hope you all had a fabulous Christmas as well!