Currently x17 & positive affirmations {link ups}

So, today is somewhat of a link up dump!  I love both of these link ups & the hosts, so check them out. 
Currently: Harvesting Kale & Write Yourself Happy (Positive Affirmations): Smile & Write
First up, this week's prompts are {clearing, digging, mixing, reading, watching}

CURRENTLY:

CLEARING:  Our bank account.  Man.  It seems like all I'm doing lately is spending money on groceries or something we need for the house.  Tony even talked me into a $60 leaf blower!  And he was very convincing!!!  (And on his behalf, it is something that we needed.  But still!)  This was on top of the new mower.  And a $45 extension cord.  And new curtains and a rod.  And a million other things.  I will be excited when it all settles down and starts to pay off.  We will also need shoe molding for the entire house (ughhhhh.... stupid project), a few area rugs (I'm thinking eventually for the living room, dining area, & bedroom), to install a new disposal (which was "working" before we moved in & cleared the inspection.... somehow...), a weed eater... and that is just the short list.  It's all very exciting but I am going to feel much better when we are spending less!

DIGGING:  The fact that it is almost Thursday already.  The Scandal finale is tomorrow and I can hardly wait!  I'm several episodes behind with Grey's Anatomy... as usual, but thankfully we have a few more weeks before that season finale.  I'm also SUPER behind on Parenthood & How I Met Your Mother... which YES... means I have NOT seen the finale yet and NO I would not like any spoilers!  The speakers for our computer went out so I just need to catch up on my phone.  Eventually.

MIXING:  I am feeling EXTREMELY mixed on whether or not to transition Presley to a toddler bed before Molly comes.  So many pros/cons and informed opinions.  Ultimately, the decision is ours because every kid is different from the next and as her parents, we know her best.  The thing that is completely throwing me off is the fact that she is STILL UP as I type - an hour after she laid down in her crib!  It is SO DISHEARTENING going from a serious sleeper to someone who plays at bedtime now for so long.  Will this get better in a toddler bed, stay the same, or get worse?  I guess I'm just worried that she isn't ready for it.  I'm worried that she will backslide once Molly is here.  And I'm worried it will affect all of our sleep!  Tony's response?  "Well we can't keep her in a crib forever."  -_-  I wonder if switching to a video monitor for Presley would take some of that anxiety away.

READING:  I just got involved in giving myself a reading challenge with the Goodreads website/app.  I think once I have Molly I am going to regret setting such an ambitious challenge for myself - which is 24 books this year.  Especially considering I started the challenge in April.  Usually, this wouldn't be so bad, but with a newborn?  I am thinking it's just not gonna happen (I'm already 6 books behind schedule...) but we'll see.  Reading any amount of books is better than none at all.  I started the challenge re-reading the Hunger Games and I am still stuck there.  I have not been able to keep my eyes open at night to read!  The book, however, is just as awesome as I remember.

WATCHING:  We've been watching "Ultimate Car Build-off" on Netflix the past few nights (you can guess who chose this) and it is a really good show.  Cars and sports are two of Tony's favorite pastimes and hobbies and thank the good Lord that I've honestly come to love them both as well.  Of course, not as fervently as he does, but I do really enjoy them nonetheless.  Anyways, they have to do these crazy challenges on the show and these shop guys are pretty spectacular with what they can pull off with random vehicles in 40 hours!

Five affirmations for my life:

• A ship in port is safe but that's not what ships are built for.  Grace Murray Hopper
• You is kind.  You is smart.  You is important.  Aibileen Clark
• I am thankful for today.
• Never apologize for being sensitive or emotional.  It's a sign that you have a big heart, and that you aren't afraid to let others see it.  Showing your emotions is a sign of strength."  Brigitte Nicole
• Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.  Matthew 19:6

I plan to incorporate a couple of these the more I begin decorating - the first two are absolutely going up somewhere in this home.  The first one on the list is very special to me and became ingrained in my heart during a TEC weekend a few years ago.  The second definitely speaks to my heart and is from the movie/book The Help at one of the most moving points of the story for me.  The last affirmation on the list is something that has always given me comfort in the struggles that come in our marriage.  The third and fourth on the list are such needed reminders for me - to just stop and be THANKFUL for today and to also stop apologizing when expressing genuine emotions... especially the ones that might make myself/others feel a little uncomfortable at first (such as crying).

I'd love to know what you guys have currently been up to and/or the five affirmations that resound for you.  You can link up through the bloggers listed above!  Thanks to both hosts for bringing bloggers together and giving us the chance to express ourselves further.

Currently {link up} x14

Joining Ot & Et and Harvesting Kale for another week of what we're Currently up to!
The prompts this week are {battling, surfing, jumping, taking, making}

BATTLING:  So, we hit another substantial hitch when it comes to home buying and I am TRYING desperately to maintain the "glass half full" perspective of it all.  I really am trying.  For someone who is not always trying to find the bright side... it's a struggle.  So much of a struggle that if things don't improve by Friday, we will be walking away from this home.  And starting all over.  From scratch.  That will be such a defeating feeling.  Not to mention we will now be out of a small amount of money to do that.  Could be a lot worse but I just hope hope hope we are meant to be in this house and that it doesn't come to that.

Well, I wrote this post earlier today, without finishing publishing it... and thankfully since then we can now breathe a HUGE sigh of relief!!!  Things are looking UP with the home situation.  So great that things are BACK ON TRACK!!!!  And it is looking like we may still be able to attain possession NEXT WEEK!!!!  We could be home owners in one week.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Now there is a whole other kind of worry!!!  Like how in the world will we be able to get everything done by then!?  But it's such a great worry to have!!!  We have to time things perfectly so that once everything is out of the house we will have the carpets cleaned and stretched and then move our things in.  ONWARD & UPWARD!!!!

SURFING:  As you may know, we are Neflix people.  We frequently surf Netflix just to feel like there is nothing new that catches our eye.  (That's sorta rare.  Let's face it - there are so many options on there.)  After seeing Blackfish, Tony & I have watched two other documentaries on killer whales that have been awesome!  And the more recent show we've watched is "An Idiot Abroad" thanks to our friend Chris.  HILARIOUS.  What else could you expect with Ricky Gervais as the mastermind?  I was laughing and crying so hard watching it that my stomach was hurting.  Great show to watch... especially if you just need a pick-me-up!

JUMPING:  Who else is jumping for joy over the official beginning of SPRING being tomorrow?!  March 20th is also a special day for me & Tony as it marks the beginning of our dating eleven years ago!  (Though it's hard to wrap my mind around that fact.)  I am hoping for a spring full of fun weather and new opportunities (which will include moving into our next home - wherever that may be) and lots and lots of growth (my belly, growth as a family & as a couple, and of course my two babies growing)!

TAKING:  So many pictures and videos of Presley!!!  I swear she learns at such a progressive rate these days that everything is so new and funny and special to me.


MAKING:  A baby.  Well, my body is doing that for me.  It's just pretty incredible.  And what's especially incredible about this week?  We've hit the VIABILITY MILESTONE!  As in, "Babies born now in hospitals with top-tier facilities for premature babies have about a 50% chance of surviving... each week, your baby's chance of survival goes up."  Obviously, as it says, I want Miss Molly in there safe & sound and where she belongs - but it's incredible that there are stories such as THESE that are just FULL of miracles!  Obviously nothing is promised.  But the viability week is a reason to rejoice!


HEADS UP...  There will be an awesome opportunity coming up for my super fantastic readers here on the blog sometime in the next coming weeks... so make sure and stay tuned for some upcoming excitement!!

Currently {link up} x13

Joining Harvesting Kale for another week of Currently!

The prompts I'm using this week: {hoping, wondering, wearing, watching & waiting}

Today, right now, and for the next 11 days... I will be HOPING that everything continues to go smoothly with the home we are pursuing.  As most of you homeowners know, buying a home is such a process - there are so many steps you need to take before you can even reach the next hurdle.  Just when you think you've reached some real success you begin to realize it's really not over until the fat lady sings!  There are some potential problems that aren't an issue yet (and I hope they won't materialize!!!) but I can't help but prepare myself for all worse-case scenarios!  14 days until closing & I pray that timeline is still going to work!!!!

Also WONDERING when I will be tired of watching the new Hunger Games movie Catching Fire.  I watch it pretty much every day during Presley's nap time and any other evening after her bedtime if there is nothing worth watching on TV.  It makes me want to unpack the book series as soon as we move into our house and read the books all over again.  Which begs the question... when will I get tired of reading those books?!  Hopefully never.  And once it gets closer to the time Divergent is coming out in the theaters, I will start reading those books!

I've been WEARING nothing but my maternity compression pants from Old Navy... love love love them.  I would say this was easily the best buy from my first maternity clothing collection.  I pretty much love Old Navy for maternity wear because they've almost always got awesome online sales/coupons going on and free shipping if you purchase enough merchandise!  Thanks to some awesome hand-me-downs and second hand buys, I don't have to supplement my maternity wardrobe TOO much except for the fact that this is the first time I'll be super pregnant in the dead of summer... in the SOUTH!  Ahhhh... so needless to say, my most recent purchase from Old Navy included some maternity tanks!

Do you guys have Netflix?  If so, have you seen "Blackfish"?  WATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.  So worth your time.  In addition to that, I've been WATCHING documents lately.  (But not food-related ones.  They depress me so much and I'm not ready to make a huge lifestyle change... denial!  I know!  Maybe someday soon...)  The latest thing I watched and loved was "Aerial America" - the Tennessee episode.  So much awesome information and incredible aerial video of the beautiful state.  Also?  I just rewatched "Friends with Kids" last night for the first time since it was released on DVD and it was even funnier and more touching this time around.  We first watched it when Presley was only a few months old and now,  two years after becoming parents, the humor and characters were just that much more relateable.

Patiently WAITING for my sister and one of my best friends (my sister, Amanda, and my BFF Katie - who is becoming a first time mama!) to have their baby boys.  Both are due in early April (April 1st & 3rd) but I am so ready for them to have their healthy kids any day now!!!  And I'm hoping Matthew will come a little early and show up in March because we don't have many March birthdays in the family.  Matthew Alan will be my first nephew!  So excited to get into the boy world a little more.  Very excited that he and Molly will be so close in age - even closer than Presley and Annie!  It still hasn't REALLY dawned on me that we will have four kids running/crawling around during future get togethers rather than just the two girls.  Amanda... how are we gonna fit all 4 kids in the bathtub?! :)

10 Things... {Blogging with Purpose link-up}

Several of my blog friends are linking up with Becky today for the "10 Things I Live For" link up.  I love the blogging with a purpose idea and even love this link up... but I think the wording is a little drastic... so I am going to write about 10 things that make me really really happy!  PS, two blogs in one day?!  Who am I?

10.  STARBUCKS.  How different can coffee from a magic drive-thru window really taste that different from coffee at home?  Who knows... but Starbucks is definitely one of my favorite pick-me-ups every once in a while.  My favorites?  Tall coffee frap with whip - this is my go to... mostly because of the taste and the low price!  Venti black tea lemonade with half the pumps (of sweetener) - this became my obsession during my time working at Build-A-Bear in the Collierville Mall (thanks to the best boss EVER, Paula!) and the taste of this drink is pure summer to me.  Venti Tuxedo (hot) with 2 pumps of each syrup - I only get this drink when I have earned a free drink at Starbucks!  Otherwise, if I'm in the mood for a tuxedo, I will typically get a tall!

09.  My first family.  Nothing can replace your first family for you.  They are a part of you just as much as your blood and DNA is a part of you.  Or at least that's how it is for me.  My sisters and parents really make me happy.  Whether it's reminiscing over old memories (like LIVING in the playroom on the pull-out couch every summer or watching dad feed all our leftover vegetables to Scrappy) or making new ones - the love and loyalty I feel for my "first" family will not ever fade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 08.  Pinterest.  I'm currently embarking on a Pinterest-worthy DIY craft here at home that requires some "up-cycling" and I'm pretty excited about it!  It will probably be finished tomorrow so be on the lookout for a new post about that here soon!  I really just love all the beautiful, creative ideas out there.

07.  My extended family.  My in-laws.  Our aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  I love spending time with family and when that's not possible, I enjoy keeping up with them via preferred social networks!  Meeting extended family on my dad's side last summer for the first time in many years was something I enjoyed so much more than I could have ever imagined.  Spending time in Mississippi with Tony's family 24/7 for several days while we're in town.  Family holidays at my Aunt Jills or Uncle Jeffs and laughing about anything and everything over and over again.  Visiting my Gramma in Florida and having a Thanksgiving feast right on the beach.  Spending the weekend at Breanne & Dustin's in Wisconsin.  I mean... those moments are made by the company we are with, not by the activities we do or the movies we watch or anything like that.  All those moments are legendary because of the love and laughs we have shared together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 06.  Walt Disney World.  Okay, even though I just said it sounded dramatic, I swear WDW is something I literally live for!  Does that make me awesome or pathetic?  Well, that is for you to decide but personally I think it makes me AWESOME!  I am always thinking of cool things for us to do the next time we visit the Disney parks... rides to ride, attractions to visit, restaurants to sit at while a parade goes by or during a fireworks show, resorts to stay at, characters to see, etc... Disney is one of my favorite and probably most frequent day dreams.  I cannot wait to see Presley experience the Disney magic for the first time and just can't wait to go together as a family.  Do we have any plans to go anytime soon?  Not necessarily (we are going to stop in Orlando & do downtown Disney towards the end of July during our family beach vacay) - but it is something that we will absolutely do one of these days!

05.  Our friends.  Man oh man.  Our friends has seen us through some of the most hilarious times and some of the most awful as well (and vice versa) and we are so lucky to have them all.  Our lives are all going in 295787460 different directions and yet we still find ways to bring our lives together and that is what matters!  I am so thankful for the happiness each and every one of our friends bring to me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

04.  Netflix streaming.  I've written about it numerous times before... but man oh man... what did we do before we had this??  Tony gets to watch Top Gear every night before bed (what is he gonna do once he is all caught up?!) and I get to watch whatever I fancy once he goes to bed... and of course througout the day Presley gets to watch her beloved "ABBY!" (aka, Sesame Street) - so we are all pleased!  And at $8 a month you just can't beat that price.  Who needs to pay a hefty cable bill when you have this?

03.  Body Escentials by Partylite.  Ladies and gentleman, I am pleased to introduce you to the best lotion... in the world!  And yet, I hate to tell you, it is DISCONTINUED.  Once I learned that PartyLite was getting rid of my beloved lotion, I bought 3-4 bottles.  I should have bought 20!  I didn't believe they would really discontinue the lotion and there was an expiration date on the bottle so I didn't want the lotion to go bad (whatever that means).  As my supply is dwindling, I am getting so sad that I will never have this product again!  Anyone have a favorite lotion they recommend?

RIP best lotion, ever.

02.  Photos.  Old ones, new ones, candid, professional portraits, action shots... you name it.  Can you tell that I am just in love and obsessed with pictures and picture-taking?!

01.  My tiny family.  I really do live for days that we spend with each other.  A few days ago when Tony was mowing the grass and me and Presley were playing outside - it just all felt so awesome.  Every time Tony would move out of our sight Presley would stare off in his direction and wait patiently for him to reappear just for her to scream and wave at him!  It was so precious.  There is nothing better than feeling loved by the people you love so much.  But really, an even better feeling is knowing the ones you love most love each other so completely as well!  It may not always be so picture perfect around here, but those moments when it is perfect is enough to keep you running on the days when it maybe doesn't feel so blissful.

Nursing Presley in the bathroom during the extreme weather we were having this afternoon. In my head, I was doing this to keep Presley calm, but really, I did this to keep MYSELF calm! :)  And yes, Presley is playing with my phone while nursing. Hello 21st Century.

 

 

 

 

 

  Hope you enjoyed the photo overload tonight.  If you'd like to link up, click the button below!

Currently {link up} x7

This weeks prompts are {watching, looking for, growing, riding, reading}

Watching:  The same movie over and over again.  That would be the Hunger Games.  I can't believe it's going to be a whole 7 months before Catching Fire is out in theaters.  The trailer looks so fantastic - I feel like this second movie is going to be much huger than the first.  Which is how it is with most movie series.  I hope they took their time and added more from the book than they did the first movie!  Besides that, we are always watching Sesame Street on Netflix streaming!

Elmo has her full attention!

 Looking for:  A nice bike trailer.  Or perhaps the recommendation of a brand to look into.  We have a bike seat that goes on the back of our bike for Presley that we got from a friend - but I am also interested at looking into a trailer.  They are pretty expensive though!  So if anyone in the area sees a decent used one - let me know!

Growing:  Impatient for the weather to clear up.  It's been unseasonably cool for Spring and now it's pouring buckets outside - so much so that their is major flooding here in the Quad Cities.  {I guess there is one downfall to living along the Mississippi River.  Even still, I am consider myself supremely lucky to live so close to something so magnificent.}  I can't wait to start the C25K program again!  Maybe I actually will submit to a gym membership again.

Riding:  In the lap of luxury every day!  If you didn't already know, we bought a family car back in October and decided to get the Honda Fit.  I still love my little Corolla, but it really is nice to have things like a radio, cruise control, and automatic windows.  Though none of those are necessities, they sure are nice.  My favorite part is feeling that Presley is safer in the car.

Reading:  Catching Fire.  Again.  The series is just that good.  Plus, I am one of those people who get so sucked into a book series that it's hard for me to put the books down!  I have to say though that this is the first time I've ever started the series again right after I finished them.  I read all three books so quickly that I wanted to pay closer attention to detail this time around and so far, so good.

Currently {link up} x3

The prompts are {cleaning, planning, planting, skipping, and wearing}

Cleaning... Phew, this afternoon I cleaned some dishes (yeah, we don't have a dishwasher... it's not fun!) and cleared a ton of junk out of our pantry... and it felt great.  Wish I would have taken before/after pictures!

Planning...On watching Scrubs, Private Practice, and Mad Men from start to finish.  I love you, Netflix.  Also... kinda want to watch Hart of Dixie as well - has anybody been watching it?

Planting... Um, not a thing.  Not only because it's freezing (and we're supposed to get a ton of snow over the weekend), but also because I've never planted anything of my own... ever.  I cannot wait to have my own flower bed someday as well as a vegetable garden!

Skipping... Absolutely Incredible Kid Day at Fazoli's.  [Insert MAJOR sad face here.]  I planned on taking Presley to Fazoli's today dressed in her Superman PJs but she hasn't really been feeling good lately.  I know it's silly, but I was looking forward to getting her dressed up as a superhero and eating her free kids meal! :-)

Four days of sick-girl-poopy-diaper-blowouts... all requiring a bath to get her cleaned up.  We will see what day five has in store for us!

Wearing... The best socks in the world... Puma socks put all other socks to shame!  You can find them discounted at Marshall's!  My husband and I are hooked.  No more cheap-o socks for us.

Since When?!

Since when did my baby girl get so big?

Please excuse my face as I don't walk around camera-ready.  These two pictures were taken a year apart in the same exact spot (though now, thankfully, Presley sleeps when it is dark out!) and the difference that year makes still leaves me a bit speechless.  Also, do you love Presley's crazy hair sticking out in the 2nd picture?  So adorable.

To add to the previous photo, since when did I start looking like that instead of this?

In my head, I still kinda resemble this 20-year-old me.  And in my head my hair and makeup are done, my skin is bronzed, & jewelry is on and all... which is far from reality.  Nonetheless, when I spot myself in the mirror these days I think, "That is not what I expected to see!"

Since when was my Netflix queue full of cartoons?

Okay... so for those of you who know me know this isn't too farfetched from what it probably looked like pre-baby days seeing as I've seen nearly every animated Disney movie at least once :)

Since when were sloppy kisses my absolute favorite kind of kiss to get?

I still love getting non-sloppy kisses from my hubby, but nothing beats a kiss from your baby when they're first learning to give kisses... drool and all!

As you can see, it's been another great week for me at home!  I wonder, though, when will it really hit me that this is my life now?  I suppose it will be something that happens gradually over the course of the next few years, but it amazes me that while I make room for the new traditions and routines of our current life, my brain still holds on tight to some of the memories from my past life.

Have you had any "since when?!" moments this week?