Re-use, Re-do, Re-purpose

Do it yourself. That is the "in" thing to do right now.  It's cost effective and gratifying all at the same time. Well, people, I have done it myself a lot lately. A couple of things needed to be done. And some other projects were just for fun. I'm almost 99% positive I am finished with projects for the next long while! Here is what I have been up to for the last 2 weeks...

The first thing I did was repurpose a Crown Royal bottle. I found this little project on Pinterest. Britt likes Crown, so we always keep some in our liquor collection. All I had to do was paint and distress the bottle and I have a pretty knick knack sitting in my kitchen. {The tutorial calls for chalk paint, but I used regular paint from Home Depot and it looks juts as good to me.}

Spray paint one good coat of metallic gold.

Brush on your choice of paint color. Mine needed two coats. 

Let it dry.

I used a medium steel wool pad for the distressing. 

The next project was Pinterest inspired, but I put my own spin on it. I saw a tablet {iPad} holder for the kitchen--to rest your iPad with your Pinterest recipes pulled up, duh. Someone had taken a cutting board and added a ledge for the tablet to sit on. We don't have an iPad right now, but hopefully we will get one for Christmas. In the mean time, I will use my creation for a good, old-fashioned cookbook when I'm working in the kitchen. I ordered a wooden cutting board from Bed Bath & Beyond, we bought a dowel from Home Depot, I used left over paint from the nursery, and ordered a cool monogram decal from momogramart.com.

Paint cutting board with two coats of paint. 

Once paint is dry, screw in dowels.

Add a monogram decal, and wah-la! I've since used this and it serves its purpose well!

Next on my list of things to do was find something to hang over our grill on our deck. I looked all over for some type of wrought iron wall decor, but anything I found that I actually liked cost a fortune. I'm not into paying a lot for things right now considering our circumstances, but the OCD in me needs everything house-related to be finished. I just can't explain it. I can't handle unfinished-ness in our home! Britt's parents have been storing a lot of our and Kelsey's belongings in their basement. Since we are now in Atlanta and Kelsey moved into her own apartment, Britt's dad cleaned out the basement and made us all come over to see if there was ANYTHING we wanted to keep. If not, he's giving it away--I don't blame him! The point of this story is that I found something in the basement that I could use to hang over the grill--an old window. It was one I had actually given to Kelsey a few years ago. She doesn't use it anymore, so I might as well take it back, right?! I brought it home, went to Michael's and bought some Martha Stewart glass paint, and came home and painted the glass panes. Now it is hanging over our grill, and our deck is complete. Thank goodness!

Have you ever bought a piece of furniture with the intensions of redoing it? Who hasn't? I know I have. I bought a wicker night stand when I was still in college at a consignment shop. It was white, and I knew I could paint it to give it a better look. I think I paid $20 or $30 dollars for it. For whatever reason, I never got around to painting it. Perhaps I'm not  a huge fan of painting wicker. Who knows. Anyway, once we moved and I was cranking out projects like it was my business I decided there's no finer time than now to paint that bad boy. I went to Home Depot and bought a bottle of Rust-Oleum spray paint, satin nutmeg, to be exact. I came home and painted the nightstand in no time. {One bottle wasn't quite enough so I ran back to Home Depot and got one more--that did the trick.} I say it every time, but it amazes me what a good coat of paint can do for a piece of furniture. I love how it turned out!

I forgot to take a picture of it before I started, whoops! 

The finished product!

Whew, last one. I found this shelf on Pinterest and wanted it so badly for our baby's nursery. I got the bright idea that Britt and his Granddaddy could build it for me. They could have, but once we started drawing plans and calculating what supplies would cost, it seemed silly to try and recreate the shelf. Instead, we went on a hunt for something similar {that didn't cost an arm and a leg}. I expected to search forever to find the perfect shelf, but thankfully in one Saturday and after visiting only two antique/consignment stores we found a winner. It was in our price range, and it was on sale. Score! We had leftover Annie Sloan chalk paint from two previous projects {Britt can no longer complain about the high cost of the ASCP because we completed three projects with that one quart of paint!}. We used it to paint the shelf, and I think it turned out beautiful.

Blah.

So much prettier! 

What's left of our ASCP...just enough for possibly needed touchups! 

I'm not sure I have anymore projects left in me--at least not for a while. Perhaps this was part of my "nesting". I am just relieved that everything is finished and all of the crafting supplies are put away and out of site for a while. I truly get a sense of satisfaction from doing projects. I hope I inspired you to do something crafty soon. There's bound to be something in your house that can be repurposed or redone! 

Happy crafting--Jess

Fourth of July Fun!

The Fourth of July is a holiday that everyone loves to celebrate. It usually means a day off of work and lots of fun with friends and family. Cookouts and a day at the lake, followed by a beautiful fireworks show, typically top the list of what I think of when celebrating Independence Day. Britt and I don't generally celebrate at the lake, but we do have a tradition of cooking out and watching the fireworks show at Lenox {not this year, though, because of the rain}. In the past years we have been visitors in Atlanta over the 4th of July. Not this year, though. We celebrated our first 4th of July living in Atlanta {well, at least living in Atlanta together, since Britt is from here}. We had Britt's parents, sister, and her friends Annie and Weston over for dinner. I spent what felt like all day in the kitchen preparing everything--not complaining--I LOVE my time in the kitchen cooking. It's like therapy to me...strange, I know! Here's a glance at what we had to celebrate our great nation.

Britt and I were recently watching a show on t.v. and I found a new way to make deviled eggs. Cut the top and bottom off {so the egg will stand up}, push the yolk out {gently, or it will break the egg white}, mix the yolk with mayo and any other ingredients you like, put the mixture in a plastic bag and cut the tip off, pipe into the eggs and top with paprika!  

We also had redneck caviar to kick off the celebration. It's a Paula Deen recipe, so you know it was great!

For dinner we grilled burgers {some beef and some bison}. I love my cute Target dollar section decorations in the background!

Our whole spread--burgers, homemade potato salad, and baked beans...as American as it gets!

After dinner we had Patchwork Cobbler for dessert. I got the recipe out of Southern Living; their recipes never fail me. This cobbler had peaches, plums, and blueberries--a great mixture. Instead of making "patchwork squares" with the dough, I used a star cookie cutter to make my patchwork. I thought it turned out very patriotic! 

 

Britt got these silly sunglasses with one of his online clothing purchases...I was just having fun :)

 I hope your Fourth of July holiday was as fun as ours. I hope you spent time with friends and/or family! 

Love, Jess&Britt

56 days to D-day!!

Woah, we are in the single digits of our weekly countdown to Baby S's arrival now. I am 32 weeks and we only have approximately 8 more weeks {that's only 56 days--eeeeek} until this baby is coming to live in our house...I feel like we have SO much left to do in these 8 little weeks. I have a list of things we still need for baby--
-mattress
-mattress pad
-a couple more crib sheets
-changing pad
-changing pad liner and cover
- bath towels
-a couple more Swaddle Me sleep sacks
-burp cloths
-diaper bag
-bassinet sheets
-get our bassinet from Birmingham
-get baby's "coming home from the hospital" day gown {that I smocked!} constructed
-paint baby's shelf
The list will surely grow as time quickly passes, but hopefully this next week we can begin crossing some of these things off!

As I have stated before, it was sad for us to leave Birmingham, but there are many great things about being in Atlanta now. One thing that tops my list of "good things" is that we got to have an ultrasound at our 32 week appointment...We weren't supposed to have an ultrasound after our 20 week appointment as long as baby and I remained healthy with no real risks. I was oaky with that as long as it meant we were both healthy, but I was sad that I wouldn't see my baby for the last 20 weeks of this pregnancy. I got a pleasant surprise when I called my new doctor to set up our first appointment--they wanted to do an ultrasound! I suppose it was just because they had not done one. So, last Friday we went to our new doctor. We went to the ultrasound first. It was amazing to see how much our baby has grown. It was grabbing its little toes with its hands and moving all around! We got a great profile shot, and I could see a lot of Britt in that profile--the ultrasound tech agreed--she didn't however get a picture of it...grrr! She also said the baby weighs 4 pounds 2 ounces. She said it could gain anywhere from 1/3 to double its current weight. That puts us in the 6-8 pound range. I was 6lbs. 12oz. and Britt was 8lbs. 8oz. I'm guessing we might get a 7 pound baby {at least I hope so}!

After the ultrasound we went to meet our new doctor. We are using Dr. Bennett at Piedmont. She was extremely nice and personable. She has boy/girl twins {like my brother and sister!} that are going into Kindergarten. It was fun hearing about them. According to Dr. Bennett and the ultrasound baby and I are both healthy as a horse. Praise Jesus. We go back for our next appointment on July 12th!

Now, here are my thoughts about being 32 weeks pregnant...

Here's what it looks like.

Size of baby: According to babycenter.com, the baby is the size of a jicama. I had to google what a jicama is--it's a Mexican yam or turnip. The baby weighs 4lbs. 2 oz. and is about 16 3/4 inches long.

Weight gain: Still.don't.like.this. !! 24 pounds...I'll take that, though. Surely I can keep my weight gain to a minimum these last 8 weeks! My goal is still to not gain over the recommended 25-35 pounds. {I guess I will be over 25 pounds, but hopefully not more that 30-35.} I'm continuing to be conscience about what I eat and also exercising 4-5 times a week. I'll do whatever it takes to stay in shape so that it will be easier to get back to "normal" post delivery!

Stretch marks: Still no, praise the Lord.

Gender: I'll tell y'all on August 26th--I vote boy, though!

Movement: It's like I have a little alien inside of me! I LOVE feeling this tiny baby move inside me all day! Its little pokes and rolls and kicks are the sweetest thing I've ever experienced. I know I will miss feeling these movements once the baby is born.

Sleep: Thank goodness I still sleep through the night with no problem--well, I do wake up for one restroom trip, but I fall right back asleep!  For a while I was waking up anywhere between 5:45am and 7am. That was for the birds. Now I {and Britt} am able to sleep until right at 8am every morning. I know we will not be sleeping that late for a LONG time come late August, so we are relishing the ability to do so now!

Food cravings: People, I have yet to have any real food cravings. It's for the best, I am sure.

What I miss: Running. That is all. I go on walks now, but crave a good, long run so bad. It's gotten too hot to run {I think}. I don't want to chance getting overheated and hurting the baby. The baby also makes me feel like I am about to pop if I run. It must get right on my bladder when it's exercise time!

Symptoms: Mhmm...I think I have had some Braxton Hicks contractions. I run out of breath VERY easily now. Not much else, though!

Belly button: Just nice and flat...it hasn't popped out.

Wedding Rings: On! My fingers do swell in the heat of the day...but by night time they're back to normal.

Maternity clothes: Same as before--Nike shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits, flowy dresses, flowy regular tops, my 3 pairs of prized Gap maternity shorts. Britt's cousin, Kathryn kindly lent me a stack of great maternity tops and dresses. I have a few favorites out of those I like to wear.

Best moment of the week: Seeing our sweet baby! Also, making a few baby purchases. We got our diaper genie, a "grass" drying mat for bottles and accessories that Britt has wanted badly, and a few other odds and ends.

Check back soon for an update on us...I'm also going to try to share some pictures of our new home in a blog soon. We are all unpacked and it feels like we have lived here forever!

Love, Jess

2/3 of the way complete!

Wow, we've made it to the third trimester! Every time I say "third trimester" I have mixed emotions. I get really excited because I know we will be meeting our baby very shortly. But I also get scared for that exact same reason. It seems scary to know we will be solely responsible for a helpless human being. I have no doubt that we will be able to handle parenthood--I suppose it is more of a fear of the "unknown".  I've been reading up on parenting dos and don'ts, but it doesn't seem to ease any of my "what do I do if..." questions. I know when it comes down to it we will naturally know what to do, or we will call our mommas! Anyway, we are super excited about this journey called parenthood that we will embark on in 12 short weeks.  Here's an update on this momma and Baby S!

How far along? 28 weeks! 12 {or less} to go!

Please disregard that this chalkboard says we're in the second trimester...Must have been my pregnancy brain! 

Size of baby: This week the baby is about the size of an eggplant. I don't really like the food comparisons anymore because I don't think they can be that accurate, but I guess it gives you a little something to imagine when you're trying to fathom how big your baby possibly is. Right now Baby S is about 14.8 inches long {could be longer if it gets its Daddy's height!} and about 2 1/4 pounds. I can certainly feel the baby more now that it is longer and not all balled up all the time.

Weight gain: Still doing pretty good in this department, in my opinion...between 18 and 19 pounds, depending on how much I indulge in "good" food from day to day. My goal is still to be under or at the 35 pound weight gain mark by delivery day--we shall see! I'm continuing my exercising to try and keep the weight gain at a minimum...

Stretch marks: Still no. Cocoa butter is my tummy's best friend, though!

Gender:  I'll let you know come August 26th...

Movement: Crazy movement is going on inside me. I love feeling the baby move, but when I really think about it, it is the strangest thing to me. There is really another human being living and growing inside of me. What a miracle! I like to call the baby's movement "moving and grooving". My favorite thing to do is wake up each morning and feel the baby immediately start moving. It's like we wake up at the same time:)

Sleep: I am very thankful to still be sleeping through the night {aside from a bathroom break}. I do however, wish I could sleep past 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. For some reason I just can't sleep late anymore. I guess I'm getting ready for early rising once the baby gets here!

Food cravings: None. I still just like to eat my usual diet. Nothing out of the ordinary.

What I miss: Same as always. Beer, wine, sushi, and my long, DECENT runs. I can still run, but my pace is so dang slow! And when I run I feel like I have to use the restroom...even though I swear I go at least twice before I leave for a run. I'm definitely looking forward to being back to my regular, running self.

Symptoms: Really, just going to the bathroom every.10.minutes. No joke. That's all I can complain about right now!

Belly button: It's continuing to get flatter, but it's still not completely flat, much less an out-y. I'll take that!

Wedding rings: Still on!

Maternity clothes: Do nike shorts, t-shirts, and bathing suits count?? If so, yes {that's what my summer wardrobe consists of}! If not, then not really. I wear my comfy maternity shorts a lot now, but I still wear all of my same shirts. I did buy one cute maternity dress for Britt's graduation. Other than that I just throw on a flowy dress when I go somewhere. Oh, and I did purchase my first ever tankini yesterday. That was struggle! I don't mind wearing my bikini still, but figure I should have something a little more conservative on hand, too.

Best moment of the week: We got to hear the baby's heartbeat. That's always so special to me! We also ordered the baby's bedding, and I LOVE it. I can't wait for it to come in...it takes 8-9 weeks so I guess I'll have to be patient!

We're also in the process of getting a new doctor in Atlanta. I found someone today, but I have to wait on my prenatal records to be sent to her before she can begin seeing me. We decided to use a doctor who delivers at Piedmont because it is a little closer to our new home. We are now at the point of appointments every two weeks so I will get to see my doctor here in Birmingham one more time. I am sad she won't deliver our baby..Dr. Tamucci is the best!

I also mentioned that our new landlord is super sweet...he got his painter to paint the nursery for us. Well, when he sent us the lease yesterday we noticed that he included Baby S as one of the tenants. How thoughtful of him! 

Check it out; its really tiny, but if you look closely you can see Baby Smith's name! 

We are getting ready to fly to DC at the end of the week to celebrate our 2 year anniversary, meet Britt's cousin's baby, and meet my college roomy's baby! We can't wait to spend time with everyone while we are there! 

Stay tuned to see how this last trimester goes...I'm praying for it to be as smooth as the last two!
-jess

Control

control: power or authority to guide or manage

Control is what we think we have over our lives. We so often believe we have the power and authority to control everything that happens in our lives. And we do in a sense, we are able to control our actions and decisions. But we do not have control over our life's journey. Britt and I have found this out quickly. 

Just a few short weeks ago we were in control of our lives. We were ecstatic about the soon-to-be arrival of our sweet baby. Britt had just graduated from law school--hallelujah. He had just begun studying to take the Alabama Bar. I was excited about the end of another school year. Although I would miss by sweet class terribly, every teacher needs a summer break to rejuvenate and get ready for the excitement that comes with a new school year. We were in control. Britt was actively searching for jobs in the Birmingham area. We knew he may not find something until the Fall, but God would lead him to the job that was meant for him. We had money in savings to tie us over until he found the right job. 

Just kidding.

Right when you think you have everything under control, the man upstairs says, "WHOA. Hold on. You are not in control, I am." HE is not joking, I am certain of this. 

Why you ask? Well let me tell you. On one afternoon, in a matter of about 5 minutes, our life was no longer in our control. I found out that my contract was not renewed for the 2013-2014 school year. I was not given a reason {Under Alabama law, schools are not required to give you a reason for non-renewal of a contract if a teacher is not tenured}. When I tell you that this was a shock to me, that is an understatement. Words truly cannot express how taken aback I was at this news.  I had {what I thought to be} good evaluations. Of course there were a couple of areas to work on. I'm 99% positive that is how teaching works. No one is perfect. There's always room for improvement! Right after I digested this horrible news I was so angry I didn't even cry.  All I could think about was this helpless baby we are about to bring into this world, and how I would be able to tell Britt and my family this news. How would we live, eat, survive?  I felt like a failure. I felt embarrassed. I felt like I had done something wrong, but did not know what. I am thankful for my grade level because they consoled me while I waited to be able to get in touch with Britt. When I finally got in touch with him, the tears came flowing. He picked me up from school and we went home. Thankfully, he was strong for me because I was so upset. I wasn't sure how to tell my parents the news. For some reason I thought they would be disappointed in me. I suppose it's because I am so hard on myself when it comes to my work and performance. They were not, however, disappointed. They were as upset as I was. Someone had hurt their baby girl. Now I am at peace with what has happened.  I am no longer embarrassed or ashamed. I know that I am not a bad teacher. I had 17 children who I taught to read and write this year. I had 17 sets of parents who adored me and were thankful for all that I taught their children over the course of the year--they were giving me hugs of thanks and gratitude with tears in their eyes at our Kindergarten Parent Picnic just hours before I found out I was not longer invited back to teach at this school. After a few days to let all of this sink in I went back and reviewed my evaluation conference notes to try an make sense of why this might have happened. As I reviewed them, it was almost comical because of all of the positive comments I received on my evaluations notes. There is some underlying reason this happened--we will never know the true reason, but it is what it is.  In my heart I know that there is a better opportunity ahead. An opportunity to love and teach children--to foster a love of learning in the children. This is my calling and I am passionate about teaching. 

All of this being said, that afternoon I realized that our Heavenly Father is the one in control of our life. HE has a plan for us. One that we do not know yet. We are praying for answers and guidance. I got the daily devotional, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. It is amazing how the verses speak directly to us each day. 

It is already apparent that their are lots of little blessings coming out of this situation. One huge blessing is that I will get more time at home with our baby. I was only going to be able to take 8 weeks off with him/her. Now I will be able to take off longer. Although we love Birmingham, we always knew we wanted to end up in Atlanta eventually {we love the food scene, the neighborhoods, entertainment options, etc. that Atlanta has to offer}. The reason Britt didn't take the Georgia Bar and we didn't make the move to Atlanta is because I had a job in Birmingham. It did not make sense to us to leave my job and both of us be in search of a new job. We don't have my job holding us back anymore, though. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us we should, in fact, go to Atlanta. We do not know for sure, but the signs are pointing us in that direction. 

So, we are taking a huge leap of faith and making the move to Atlanta. It seems like it has been a whirl wind decision, but things started leading us in this direction. Britt always wanted to get his LLM {basically a masters on top of a law degree} upon graduating from law school. I was not a fan of that since I felt like he needed to have a job to add income to our family. But now it seems to be the best choice. My, how one's {my} view can change so quickly.  Now Britt has applied to Emory's LLM program. We are waiting to hear back from them, so prayers are appreciated! He will also be able to do some part-time work for his dad. I will be able to substitute a couple of days a week and possibly work at a preschool. I always knew I wanted to teach 4K or 5K at a preschool once I had children of my own. I could possibly have that chance now. Time will tell. 

We have been searching for a house or apartment to rent in Atlanta since we even began thinking of moving to Atlanta a week and a half ago. Let me tell you, that is a daunting task. The rental market is BOOMING apparently. Each house or condo we would find in our price range would be taken by the time the listing agent was able to get back to us. We spent a weekend driving around for about 9 hours and didn't come up with many options. We found a few places to look at this past weekend so we hopped back in the car and drove to Atlanta for another weekend of house hunting. We found about 5 possible places and thankfully one of them is the one we think is for us. It's a duplex off of Pharr Road. We love the location, it is half a mile away from the pool I usually go to when I'm in Atlanta, and it's in walking distance to a park--all great for when the baby gets here! It's about the same size as our apartment we live in now, but it has TWO bathrooms...one of them even has a real vanity area! That's a major selling point to me. The landlord seems like he is going to be very accommodating. He is getting his painter to paint our nursery for us--one less thing we have to worry about!  We are signing a lease and slowly moving our things to Atlanta over the next two weeks. 

Leaving Birmingham at this point in our lives is not our choice. I am devastated to leave the town I grew up in. I do not want to leave my parents or all of our friends. Thankfully, we will be about 5 minutes away from Britt's parents though. We are so fortunate to have two sets of parents as a wonderful support system.  We are truly blessed to have each other, our health, and a healthy baby that is about to bring pure joy to our lives. Things could be much worse. This is all in God's plan for us. We are certain of this. 

Here is what I read in my daily devotional, Jesus Calling, yesterday: "I am involved in each moment of your life. I have carefully mapped out every inch of your journey through this day, even though much of it may seem haphazard. Because the world is a fallen place condition, things always seem to be unraveling around the edges. Expect to find trouble in this day. At the same time, trust that My way is perfect, even in the midst of such messy imperfection. 

Stay conscious of Me as you go through this day, remembering that I never leave your side. Let the Holy Spirit guide you step by step, protecting you from the unnecessary trials and equipping you to get through whatever must be endured. As you trudge through the sludge of this fallen world, keep your mind in heavenly places with Me. Thus the Light of My Presence shines on you, giving you Peace and Joy that circumstances cannot touch."

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. PSALM 18:30

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. ISAIAh 41:13" Is that not powerful, or what? We are SO thankful we serve an almighty God who IS in control of our lives. 

Although this is a scary journey to embark on, we are excited to see what the future holds. We will keep you updated as this chapter of our lives unfolds. We love each and everyone of you and certainly appreciate any and all prayers!

-Jessica & Britt 

A Three Year Journey

It literally seems like yesterday Britt and I walked across the stage at Auburn University's graduation ceremony. But it wasn't. It was 4 years ago. We graduated in August and Britt moved back to Atlanta to work for a year while he applied to law school. I stayed in  Auburn to begin my teaching career. Britt applied to law schools all across the U.S. He made the decision to attend Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. How perfect. I am from Birmingham and did not mind moving back here at all.

In August of 2010 Britt made the move from Atlanta to Birmingham to start this new three year journey called law school. I stayed in Auburn since we weren't married yet. Britt and two other guys found a house in Homewood to rent, and so began the adventures of law school.

Britt's 1L year was fun. I made the trip to Birmingham most weekends, and we enjoyed meeting new friends. Lots of fun was had in the Hanover House. We got married the summer after Britt finished his 1L year. He began his 2L year in August and then we learned how to balance law school and marriage. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. We survived our first year of marriage and Britt's second year of law school...it was essentially a breeze! In August of 2012 Britt began his final year of law school. In December we found out we are expecting our first baby.

And now, here we are. May 2013. Britt has successfully made it through law school. He graduated on Friday, May 17th from Cumberland School of Law! Words cannot describe how proud I am of him. He worked so hard the past three years, and his success is definitely reflective of that!

I wanted Britt's graduation day to be special. He woke up to this :)

Proud wife and momma getting ready to go to Britt's graduation.

Debbie, Al, Kelsey, and Grandaddy made the trip from Atlanta for our graduation celebration. Grandmommy had a sinus infection, so she stayed home to get well {she and Grandaddy are leaving for a Mediterranean cruise this week so she HAD to get well!}. It was rainy on graduation night, so we snapped a few QUICK pictures in the midst of all the other graduates trying to do the same!

 I thought the commencement program was beautiful.

 The stage!

 The best photos I could capture of Britt getting his "diploma" and being hooded. So PROUD!

After the ceremony :)

 Proud parents!

Proud wife and sister with the graduate.

 We missed Grandmommy...we decided we could photoshop her in!

 Britt and his Grandaddy :)

Britt's graduation gift for his future office! 

After the graduation ceremony, we went to dinner at Hot and Hot Fish Club. If you have never been, I highly recommend you try it. It was delicious! 

Saturday morning Britt's family came over for breakfast before heading back to Atlanta. We had donuts, bagels from our FAVORITE bagel place {Crestline Bagel}, and fresh fruit with a new fruit dip I made. I also found a vintage milk bottle that I'm IN LOVE with!

The three year journey of law school may be over, but Britt's journey is not. He starts his BAR review class on Monday. He will spend ALL summer studying, and take the BAR at the end of July. He will be searching for the job God has planned for him. We can't wait to see which job that will be...all I know is that we have faith that there is a job that is meant for him! I am a proud wife. I know Britt will be successful!

When one chapter of your life ends, another one begins. That could not be truer for us. Aside from beginning a new career, we will also being the journey as a family of three in a few short months!

Now, if I can make it through 5 more days, I will be out of school for the summer!! Check back soon. 

Love--Jessica and Britt

24 down, 16 to go!

I can't believe we are at 24 weeks...time is flying by! It's hard to fathom that in 16 short weeks we will meet our miracle. I am full of emotions every time I think about it. I want to jump up and down and scream because I'm so excited I can't stand it. But I am also nervous about taking care of another {helpless} human being. Here is what's happening in week 24...

Size of baby: According to babycenter.com, Baby S is about the size of an ear of corn {in length}. He/she is still a little over a pound and almost a foot long...growing like a weed each week!

Weight gain: I will continue to dislike this topic over the next 16 weeks {and the weeks thereafter, I am sure}, but anyhow, as of my last doctor visit on Friday I am up 14 pounds from the start of this journey.   I suppose it could be worse!

Stretch marks: NO!! I still use cocoa butter every day, though.

Gender: Still just Baby S...can't wait until August 26th to find out!

Movement: Are you kidding? This baby flips around, and kicks, and does whatever else babies like to do in utero all.the.time. I can feel it all day, but that baby is most active at night when I get in bed. It's my favorite time of the day!! The movement has gotten so strong that we can see my tummy move when the baby kicks. It's crazy, but so neat! I still can't believe there is a tiny baby growing inside me.

Sleep: Still sleeping like normal...thankfully.

Food cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. I just eat what I ate pre-pregnancy. I get the same random cravings I did before this baby came along...sweets, pizza, bread. Same as always!

What I miss: Aside from the normal beer, wine, and sushi, I miss my long runs. I miss running 5 miles during the week or going on 6+ mile runs on the weekends. I also miss my 9:00 - 9:30/minute pace. I feel like a slug when I run my 3 miles now! But every time I feel discouraged for only running 3 miles {slowly}, I try to remind myself that a lot of people can't/don't run 3 miles on a daily basis when they aren't pregnant, much less 24 weeks pregnant! I'll be back to my normal running self one day soon {ish}.

Symptoms: Nothing much to report here...I feel occasional back/hip pain, but it's certainly not something that's going to kill me!

Belly button: Oh gosh. It's still in. But I'm not sure how much longer it will be...it's slowly {or quickly} becoming flatter and flatter. Not sure how I'll handle it when it pops out!

Wedding rings: Still on!

Maternity clothes: Still a negative. My doctor was amazed that I was still in my regular jeans on Friday! I have rubber banded some of my pants recently and will continue to do so as long as it is still comfortable. I've also worn one of my pairs of maternity shorts twice, but other than that everything still fits and I can't bring myself to spend money on any more maternity clothes right now. I know the day will come when I have to, though.

Best moment of the week: Going to the doctor and getting to hear this baby's heartbeat. Friday was my glucose test. After drinking the sugar drink the baby was so active that the doctor had a hard time finding the heartbeat. When she would find it the baby would move...it was like a game! She finally found it and was able to listen to it. I could sit and listen to that heartbeat all.day.long. and never get tired of it. By the way, baby's heart rate was 135...lowest it's been yet!

These next few weeks are going to go by in the blink of an eye. Britt graduates from law school in two weeks. I am finished with school in three weeks. Then I will be in my third trimester....say whaaaaaaat??? I'll be back soon with more on what's going on in the Smith house!

Until then, much love from our home to yours. -jess&britt