Let it Sneau...

I think all  spellings of the sound "o" should be spelled "eau" just like Beau's name - it's just prettier ;-)

Moving on...is there anything more beautiful than my office closing because of snow?! It all began Thursday and continued to worsen overnight into Friday. We had about 10 inches of snow at the house and it was SOOO beautiful!! We loved watching Brinkley and Shelby play in it and I'm so happy it happened when Beau was home. He did have to drive in it Thursday coming home from his project in Arkansas. I worry about him on that drive every week like I've never worried before. I did read where once one begins having children their sense of mortality hits - no longer feeling invincible the way I spent my teenage years & most of my 20s. 

I digress...here are some pics of our snow days! Beau and I both worked from home Friday, which can be difficult with 2 dogs and the two of us on conference calls. Who said dogs barking in the background was unprofessional? Pssh.

Baby Reynolds has a name!

Exciting news....we announced earlier this week that our little boy's name is Grayson Luke Reynolds! We are very excited and I have to admit I got chills last night when Beau called him by his name for the first time ;-) It was truly special!

Although still very much developing inside me, Grayson likes to play this game that has proven a little frustrating to Beau and me.  He's moving like crazy and sometimes feels like he's somersaulting around....that is, until Beau puts his hand on my belly so that he can feel too. Then. Nothing. Still as can be. Beau will then walk away and he starts right back up. Another round of calling Beau back into the room for him to feel....and. nothing. All while (I imagine) Baby Gray is snickering on the inside.

More to come on our developments!

Share Your Love Story

We officially have our February promotion up and running for The Cheesecake Factory's Share Your Love Story Contest. We are really excited about the response we have received so far and it always solidifies all the crazy rushing and late nights when you see people engaging with the brand like they are. Dr. Phil will do a blurb this Friday on his show about the contest and anytime we get national attention at that level, the participation levels sky rocket! Which is good but not for those of us who manage the weekend monitoring of the site ;-) We will have record #s of entries this weekend and yours truly (and a few recruits from around the office) will be right there reading every story to ensure all follow guidelines (no inappropriate pictures/stories). 

On a similar but different note, things are more stressful than ever at the office as my dear co-worker is moving on to another opportunity. I will miss her (both personally and professionally) a great deal! She brought so much to the table, the 2 of us were a great team & operated very well being short staffed. I am officially doing 2 1/2 people's jobs! ;-) We don't have an Account Director at the moment so that compounds things. This at a time where I should keep my stress levels to a minimum with the pregnancy and all. They say they are getting me help though so I'm looking forward to that!

Here is a screen shot of the promotion since the link above won't work after Feb. Moving on - our Q2 promo is RIGHT around the corner!!

Hot Air Balloon

So this is kinda neat. The other day I was driving down our street and saw a hot air balloon flying right over our house! I've never seen one this close up and didn't realize how fast they travel! From the time I saw it to when I pulled out my phone and snapped this, it went from just to the left of our house to just to the right of it - speedy little sucker! My favorite part - Beau arrived right after me and he pulled over to take pictures too :-) Naturally, his photo (2nd below) is MUCH better than mine (the first one). Anyway, we think so much alike! :)

20 Week Updates (or 1/2 way!)

Sooo happy to be at the 1/2 way mark! What an achievement, although I can't say I've really done anything ;-) We are making progress with things. We have our stroller (as you know), we have selected our car seat (just need to go get it), and have cleaned out the guest bedroom. And by "cleaned it out" I mean all the "stuff" is now in the other bedroom and the furniture is ready to be moved to the garage! We are now testing paint colors and I have to admit they don't look the way they do in my head! :( I'm now second guessing my one and only plan and am worried we may have to start from scratch on nursery colors. I don't really do dark paint colors so I can't figure out if the navy really does look terrible and that we need to abandon the idea or if I'm just not used to it and we need to go for it and it will all work out....this is tough!

Here are a couple of options (that I'm hating). And you can tell me that the pics from my camera phone stink but it's just so EASY. So, sorry for the poor quality....

Now, I know what you are thinking...."Wait a minute. You are having a boy and have baby blue walls and you want to CHANGE them?!"....my answer, "Why, yes I do" :) I know, nuts. But again, IN MY HEAD it is all so pretty!! Navy and cream - how could we go wrong?! Well, it appears that we may be wrong. And then there's the whole decision about what goes in that annoying little stripe between the chair rails. Hmmmm....I'll keep you posted....

How your baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

The Talker

I have always loved a good massage and they have been ever-so-important here recently! Not only b/c of back pain due to pregnancy but b/c I'm dealing with more stress & responsibility at the office than I ever have before. (Yes, perfectly coinciding with a time in my life that I need the least outside stress.) I have now had 2 prenatal massages and BOTH therapists talked throughout the ENTIRE massage! Shouldn't Chapter 1 in Massage Therapy school be all about WHY people come to see them? De-stress, relaxation, muscle tension come to mind....so a massage should be a quiet, relaxing experience, right?! I know therapists stand in those dark rooms all day with no one to talk to and I feel for them but I just don't want them talking to ME.;)

I specificaly don't want to hear about your daughter's stressful job at Bank of America (remember, I'm trying to FORGET work), the abuse your adoptive daughter experienced at the hands of her father (break my heart!), your ex-husband, your ex-boyfriend, how your lab saved your life at a rest stop, how you arrived to Texas from Boston via Scottsdale, and I REALLY don't want to be asked 20 questions about MY stressful job...[sigh]. She was so sweet but really?! And this is less than 1/2 of the topics...her 2 pugs, her dancing career (not THAT kind of dancing!), her middle name (Faye), muscle education, her pregnancy and her daughter's boss are all new things I have learned about. All that said, she did an excellent job and I feel great. :)

I just really need a quiet massage therapist and I KNOW it's my job to tell them to be quiet. I just can't bring myself to address it. :-(

19 Week Updates

So much to tell you! First, my parents were here this weekend - I love, love, love spending time with them. They are so easy to be around, full of laughs and great conversation and food (helloooo Jaspers!). They have been so supportive of all the changes in our lives, definitely different discussion topics and errand-running than this time last year ;-) I think it was when we hit the multi-level stroller section of Buy Buy Baby that my dad finally conceded! Here is a pic of my mom and me before they left today...can't wait til they come back to visit!

Speaking of my parents and their high threshold of patience, they sat through 3 trips to various stores while Beau and I made our final decision on our stroller! We have been shopping and reading up for weeks and have been teetering between the City Select by Baby Jogger and the Uppababy. Final decision (drumroll please)..the Uppababy and we are so excited! Our thrill for a bargain will probably continue to resurface throughout my blog and this update is no different - probably the best of all! We got the last 2009 model that they had in stock (I know, ridiculous that they are like cars) so it was a "Hot Buy" as they like to call it and Beau further negotiated them down since it was on the floor and not in it's original packaging (sometimes I wonder if he thinks we are in Mexico!) and ta da!! We saved the price of a car seat! Yes, there is a twinge of pride here - I can't lie. Here it is - it came with this bassinet and the regular seat. Best part, it fits 2 seats for the growing family so we don't have to buy another stroller if/when #2 comes along. We are ready to stroll!

A belly pic taken yesterday...

19 Week Sono where we found out the sex (for real)...

 

Here is the usual weekly update!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Baby Reynolds is a boy!

We are proud to announce that we will have a little boy in June! We are so thrilled although many people know that we already kind of knew ;-) The 12 week sono showed a little somethin' between those little, very mobile legs. So, this 19 week sono was more of a confirmation, only after a brief thought by the ultrasound tech that it might be a little girl. He must not have liked the tech calling him a girl b/c he quickly opened his legs and flashed the goods. And on that note, what a mover! I can feel him from time to time but watching the sonogram shows just how much movement - from legs to a wiggly little spine (which was SO cool to see) to sucking his thumb - there was plenty going on in there. :-) We are just thrilled to know for sure and so begins the planning....or, the continuation of our planning!

18 Weeks (or Flex Those Muscles!)

Not much to report here - I have felt the baby move a few more times and I can tell my belly has gotten bigger. Everything that I have read (including below) is true: dizzy when I stand up, my balance is off a little bit and I'm doing my best to sleep on my side. Beau is so sweet to nudge me at night when he sees me sleeping on my back, which is every time he wakes up! (He's a really light sleeper) I made some rice krispie treats today and ate almost the whole pan :-( I'm totally paying for that now. Oops. We find out the sex this Friday! I'm very nervous we will have bad news. I need to get over that, I know. And I know I said I felt it move but then my brain starts questioning whether it is gas. Ugh, I know. Happy thoughts from now on.....

 How your baby's growing:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How your life's changing:

Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow.

Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.

From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort.

If you haven't already had a second-trimester ultrasound, you'll probably have one soon. This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking his thumb. Bring your partner along, and be sure to ask for a printout for your baby's first photo album!

Random Thoughts

Chik-fil-a

Why do I still eat there? Every time, I feel like I'm going to have food poisoning. I'm not the only one either. Just about every co-worker I have (that I go to eat Chik-fil-a with) feels the same way afterward. And yet we STILL eat there?! Crack, I tell you.

"Gas guzzler"

This may fall under a broader subject - maybe something like "Unsolicited opinions about my life" - but when people hear about my new (new to me) car, their first comment is "Ooooh, a gas guzzler, huh?" ...What?! That's like calling my kid ugly or my cooking bad. I love my new car (it's a Yukon - total Mommobile and I couldn't be happier!) and why is that the first reaction or opinion expressed?! How about, congrats! Or, how exciting! Or, what happened to the Camry? Or, nothing. I'm just at a loss as to how to respond to this comment. Maybe something like:

"It's paid off. Is yours?"
"My gas bill is nothing to that car payment that wasn't in your budget in the first place."

Why am I so defensive? There are a bazillion tahoes/yukons out there - why are they hatin' on my car?! And it's Texas - Land of the SUVs! And like theirs are perfect! I'll stop, promise...but if you have a witty response, send it my way ;-)

Stroller Decisions
I mean this with every amount of seriousness in my being -> there are few things more complicated and stressful (in my opinion) than stroller/car seat shopping. It almost makes me angry that there are so many options, none of which are comparing apples to apples. I just don't get why there need to be 20 brands, each with 5+ options each. It's daunting. That said, we have loosely researched the top, most well-known brands, subscribed to Consumer Reports just for this and think we have made a decision. Who knows if we will stick to it but as of now we are abandoning our original decision to go with the Chicco travel system and go with one that can add a second seat from the get go. Now THAT is planning! :) We do plan to have a second and probably pretty close to the first so maybe we just get in front of this whole thing and avoid having to buy additional strollers. However, if this plan doesn't pan out, the stroller still looks/works just fine as a single seat. A win/win IMO. So, here we go - this one has 16 different possible positions (not that we will learn/use all of them) and is made of titanium, I think (which Beau likes better than the plastic) and it's lightweight. That's all I know. It's between this one and the Uppababy. The only problem is that I was loving the cost of the travel system but Beau assures me that it will all be a wash if we don't have to buy a 2-seater later on down the road. Thoughts? Any opinions are welcome - I promise I'm not sensitive with this like I am with my vehicle! :-) 

Free Pizza for a Year
Here's a cute story for you :-) Beau and I decided to get out of the house one beautiful Saturday to get Starbucks (with the dogs, of course) and take a drive around our new suburb since we really don't know it very well. We stumbled across some farmland with an unpaved, VERY muddy (I can't express how deep this mud was) road that takes you to the north side of Frisco. Beau's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas - so excited at the possibility of using his 4 wheel drive! Now you may be asking why so excited?Or, Is his truck new? No. Well, is this the first time he has had 4wd? No, he's had it most of his life. It's just an innate thing that I think (most) men have with playing in mud and getting dirty. So, I said go for it. I'm along for the ride (and then quickly gave him the, "I'm pregnant so don't get us stuck/I'm not walking." speech. We came across a VERY stuck Hyundai and when Beau asked the couple if we could help (again, eyes lit up with the possibility of using his tow chain), they said no thanks. That a tow truck was on it's way. As we left and made our way to the paved road again, the tow truck was pulling up. The driver said, "I'm not going out there! I'll get stuck!" Beau figured that so we went back to help the couple. And after we garnered an audience on foot (some high school boys), Beau pulled the SUV out and to the paved road. Growing up in South Texas & by the beach and with friends that loved trucks and mud, I've seen my share of pulling people out of sticky situations. I must admit, with the depth that they were stuck and the fact that they were slanted off the road, I questioned whether it was possible. And I was REALLY scared the truck would be damaged in the process. Long story short - the woman was a Manager at Papa John's and so appreciative that she gave us tons of free coupons for large pizzas (no other purchase necessary AND they will deliver it!). The best part is that the past 3 times we have ordered, they haven't asked for the coupon. We could have free pizza for life! ;-)

Finger Pointing
I continue to point at things (i.e. a ball or bone) when Shelby and Brinkley look at me. Sort of a, "Go get your ball!" or "It's right over there!". All they do is stare at my finger. You think I would learn that they are not capable of following the path of the finger point. Hope kids grasp the concept easier than they do....

Jersey Shore-theme Party
I can't get enough of this trashy show! I want to have a theme party! My friends joke that they are throwing me a Jersey Shore Baby Shower. I might draw the line there! Do you watch this non-sense?! My friends and I are all hooked!

17 Weeks (or a slow week)

I guess I have become spoiled with the rapid growth of the baby up until this point...this week is pretty brief. :-)

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Beau is adjusting to all the new pillows that have made their way into the bed since I no longer should sleep on my back. He has been left with about 1/3 of the bed but is so sweet not to complain about it. No doubt he looks forward to getting back on the road just so he can have a king bed all to himself! Ha! I probably spend way too much time on this subject but a king bed is such a luxury right now and I would LOVE to have one. It just doesn't make sense right now with all the baby stuff needed. But someday!! :-)

2 Reasons February can't come fast enough

1)

2)

What, you thought this post would be baby -related? Well, I'm full of suprises! But the title should say FOUR reasons b/c I bought two boxes of each ;-) (and donated some to the troops). The girls were at the office earlier this week (not dressed in uniform - pssh) and I couldn't pass up the opportunity!

Business opportunity: Since GS cookie season is only once a year (I believe) and is in high demand, why don't I just buy a bazillion and then sell them throughout the year and a higher rate. You know you would buy them. Illegal or just plain genius?