Just a Picture ...

Going to a Holiday party for my work tonight so I decided to post a picture :)

37 Weeks .... 6.5 lbs!

How far along? 37 weeks 3 days
Total weight gain/loss? Enough
Maternity Clothes? I have a few that fit
Stretch marks? Still not bad.
Sleep? It's not so good. But could be worse.
Best moment of the week? Christmas was good!
Miss anything? No
Miss anything? Shopping for normal clothes.
Food cravings? Not really. Just hungry.
Anything make you queasy or sick? No
Have you started to show?yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? Some irregular contractions here and there.
Bellybutton in or out? Flat
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both...
Looking forward to? Baby K's arrival!
Love y'all, Mel

Refinishing Antique Wood Furniture ... A Dry Sink for a Baby Changing Table

Cody and I have been working on the baby room quite a bit lately. We are pretty behind. Several weeks ago, we refinished an old dry sink that had been in the house before we moved in. We are going to use it as the changing table. I think its adorable! More pictures of the nursery coming soon!

Before. It was stored in a barn, so it is a bit dusty. It had a hard dark "crust" on it. We wanted to remove that dark over-dried finish and make it look more like natural wood.

So we found ourselves at Lowe's! And we found this stuff - Minwax Furniture Refinisher. It works GREAT!

 

You will also need a clean pair of old socks for application.

The Minwax is pretty stout, so be sure to protect your skin with some gloves! Cody had to use several pair because the Minwax kept eating through them!

Steel Wool dipped in the Minwax (in place of a sock) will get the tough spots.

 

Pour the Minwax into an old metal coffee can or something similar and start applying it to the furniture.

Apply generous amounts. It works fast.

Its a messy job. The old finish will just start dripping off with the Minwax. We used an old Political sign someone left on our fence to protect our porch from getting "refinished."

You have to work quickly. Apply the Minwax then wipe it away with the old sock. Or it will drip and dry - see picture above.

 

Look how much better that looks! Before, you couldn't even see the wood grain.

Cody and I wanted to put a protective finish (clear) back on the piece. So we chose DEFT - Clear Wood Finish.

Ta Da!

We are so happy with how it turned out! I can't wait to show you how it looks in the nursery! Those pictures will be coming soon!

36 Weeks ... Baby is the size of a bowling ball!

How far along? 36 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss?
Maternity Clothes? How about I just switch to pajamas from now to the end? OK!
Stretch marks? A few, but not too bad. I keep using the BioOil
Sleep? Its tough. Can't get comfortable. Rolling from one side to the other does make me feel like there is a bowling ball in my stomach.
Best moment of the week? Going to look at Christmas Lights in Boerne with Brandi and Cody on Friday night
Miss anything? Just feeling normal. I just want to sit in a chair and not have back pain.
Movement? I think she has turned. They told me at the Dr. last week that she was head down and good to go. Yesterday, I am pretty sure she did a 180 while I was sitting at my desk looking at my stomach. Weird feeling.
Food cravings? Milk
Anything make you queasy or sick? No :)
Have you started to show? Definitely
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? No, I think she is in there for the long haul
Bellybutton in or out? Flatty
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both ... good luck.
Looking forward to? Christmas next week! :)
Love y'all, Mel

Maternity Pictures.... The BELLY shots :)

Hello All.
My sister, Stacie, took these lovely pictures of me, my husband and my belly, so I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy!

Our pet deer, Olive. She wanted to be in the picture. She is one year old. We found her last year as a 2 day old fawn. The dogs were after her. She only has half of an ear... but it doesn't hold her back! She had a fawn of her own this year. We love Olive.

35 Weeks ... Baby weighs 5 lbs!

How far along? 35 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss? alot
Maternity Clothes? I am starting to need them more. I sort of feel like a I am smuggling a basketball around.
Stretch marks? Some but not too bad. I am ok with it so far.
Sleep? Braxton Hicks in the middle of the night wake me up. They go away quickly though. Also, it is really getting hard to roll from side to side, which is quite frustrating.
Best moment of the week? I didnt have to work last week. I had to use up some vacation time. The best part of the week was napping :)
Miss anything? Snow. Growing up it snowed a few times a year in the Texas Panhandle. Now that I live in the hill country, it never snows. It is hard to get in the Christmas spirit with its 75 outside :/
Movement? She is still moving quite a bit, but I am enjoying it still, it only bothers me when I am trying to sleep. I know that soon she will be so big and crowded that she won't be moving around as much, so I am enjoying the movement while it lasts.
Food cravings? Nothing specific lately. Well, I like chocolate.
Anything make you queasy or sick? No :)
Have you started to show? Definitely
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? Not really. Thank goodness. This little baby needs to hang out in the womb a little longer.
Bellybutton in or out? Flatty
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both ...
Looking forward to? Supper tonight. Its in the crockpot :)
Love y'all, Mel

34 weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks (plus a few days!...late)
Total weight gain/loss?
Maternity Clothes? I prefer Pajamas
Stretch marks? Not looking
Sleep? Not too bad.
Best moment of the week? Stac and Mom came to visit!!
Miss anything? Nope
Movement? YES :)
Food cravings? Always love pb&j
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? Not really
Bellybutton in or out? flatty
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both ...
Looking forward to? Christmas!
Love y'all, Mel

33 Weeks .... Baby is the size of a Honeydew!

How far along? 33 weeks

Maternity clothes? Not wearing any today, but I probably should be :). My normal clothes are starting to look .... stretched.

Stretchmarks? none.

Sleep: Not too bad. I have been pretty tired the past few days because of Thanksgiving travel, so I have slept well.  

Best moment of the week: getting to be with all the family for Thanksgiving!

Miss Anything? I miss my sister, Kala.

Movement: Yes but its different movement lately. More pressure/pain with the movement. Sort of like she is getting crowded in there.

Foodcravings: Peanut Butter and Milk

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet: Just a smidge. HAHAHA

Gender: Girl

LaborSigns: Braxton Hicks. Not sure thats a labor sign but its... something.

Belly Button in or out? flat... on its way out!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody? Both

Looking forward to: Baby Shower on Saturday. Mom and Stacie are coming!

32 Weeks ... I feel like I got a Turkey in the Oven!

How far along? 32 Weeks (that means there are only 8 left)
Total weight gain/loss?
Maternity Clothes? I hardly ever wear maternity shirts unless I am really dressing up. But pants are a different story - they are getting tight! I like dresses and tights :)
Stretch marks? Not so far. BioOil
Sleep? Well there is this rooster..... I think he needs to die. He starts crowing about 4:30AM and doesnt stop until 7am
Best moment of the week? Childbirth class on Sunday. Cody and I really learned alot and are glad we went. Lisa, our instructor, was great and told us all the gory/helpful details. I feel much more prepared for childbirth now.
Miss anything? Not currently.
Movement? She moves like crazy. Cody and I even saw her foot stick out of the side of my belly... I was glad we both saw it.
Food cravings? Chocolate (M&Ms)
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? Not really, some Braxton Hicks now and then
Bellybutton in or out? inny/flatty
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both ...
Looking forward to? Going to Claude tomorrow!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Love y'all, Mel

31 Weeks ... Baby weighs almost 4 lbs!

How far along? 31 weeks and a few days
Total weight gain/loss?
Maternity Clothes? Not wearing any today, but I have noticed that the belly band is starting to feel tight...not good.
Stretch marks? I thought I saw some last week, but now cant see them. I dont know. I am afraid one day I will wake up and my belly will be covered in them...
Sleep? Not too bad I have to say. I am getting use to it!
Best moment of the week? Nesting has started. And I can't spend enough time in the baby room. Ready to have it all finished and ready for ... bet you thought I was going to say her name! hahaha
Miss anything? red beer. they are good when you have had a hard day at work. which i have had some of those lately
Movement? YES :)
Food cravings? food in general. i crave food.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? No, but I think I experienced some Braxton Hicks. Not sure though.
Bellybutton in or out? inny/flatty
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both ...
Looking forward to? Getting the baby bed that Cody made into the baby room :)
Love y'all, Mel

30 Weeks ... Baby is opening her eyes :)

How far along? 30 weeks (plus a few days!...late on this again)
Total weight gain/loss?
Maternity Clothes? Probably wear 40% maternity clothes and 60% regular
Stretch marks? I think I spotted a few small ones... Using the bioOil like crazy!
Sleep? Actually pretty good last night. I think I am just getting use to the fact I don't sleep like I did before.
Best moment of the week? Mom and Dad came to visit!!
Miss anything? Being able to easily bend down.
Movement? YES :)
Food cravings? Nothing right now...
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? inny/flatty
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both ...
Looking forward to? Thanksgiving! :)
Love y'all, Mel

29 Weeks ... Baby girl is 17 inches long!

How far along? 29 weeks (plus a few days!)
Total weight gain/loss? I am sooo over this question
Maternity Clothes? Wearing a maternity shirt today, but regular jeans. Thank goodness for the belly band!
Stretch marks? None ... lovin and using the BioOil
Sleep? Cody has been sick for a week. Coughing and snoring. Needless to say... not much sleep
Best moment of the week? Seeing the baby moving all the time! Me and Cody will just sit and stare at my belly.
Miss anything? Sleeping all through the night
Movement? definitely!
Food cravings? Peanut butter...
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? The inny is changing... to more of flatty now..
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both...
Looking forward to? A baby shower on Sunday at church!
Love y'all, Mel

28 Weeks .... Third trimester! What?!!?

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? Enough
Maternity Clothes? Not cute.
Stretch marks? 0 :)
Sleep? Not great. But enjoying what I have while I have it.
Best moment of the week? Hearing heartbeat at the Doctor
Miss anything? Nope
Movement? Yes. And it makes me smile. Every time.
Food cravings? I'm lovin Halloween candy.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show?yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Both...
Looking forward to? My mom and dad and sister coming to visit in a couple of weeks!!
Love y'all, Mel

27weeks... Baby Girl is the size of a Head of Cauliflower!

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? ???
Maternity Clothes? Over rated. Get some stretchy clothes and a couple belly bands
Stretch marks? 0 :)
Sleep? It's not good. But really don't see how it could get better. I just need to get use to less sleep.
Best moment of the week? Pretty sure we chose the name! But not telling anyone til she's born :)
Miss anything? Nope
Movement? Yes. Sometimes she kicks and it hurts!
Food cravings? Sweets... :-/
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope :)
Have you started to show?yes...
Gender? Girl :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Mooooody
Looking forward to? Well on Monday I have my Dr's appt for diabetes testing. Looking forward to that being over. Praying I pass.
Love y'all, Mel

26 weeks... Baby is 15 in long!

I know I am late on this... sorry! I forgot...Good thing Renee texted me and reminded me :)

How far along? 26 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss?
Maternity Clothes? Yes. And stretchy clothes. :)
Stretch marks? Stretch clothes... not stretchy marks. Yet.
Sleep? Ok. Not the best but I am getting use to it.
Best moment of the week?  Spending all weekend with the hubs. Cutting fire wood. Driving around the pasture. We had nice cool weather... the first sign of Fall :)
Miss anything? I miss my family.
Movement? She's a mover.
Food cravings? Milk. Milk. Milk
Anything make you queasy or sick? No.
Have you started to show?
Gender? GIRL :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny ... I wonder when it normally "pops"?
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Happy but tired.
Looking forward to? Thanksgiving :)
Love y'all, Mel

25 Weeks ... Baby is the size of an Eggplant :)

How far along? 25 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss? Well, I believe I will be deleting this question on future posts, but it has been 15 pounds!
Maternity Clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Not so far...
Sleep? Not the best. Friday night I think I slept 2 hours total. She was awake allllll night just rolling around in my stomach. I kept changing positions but she just wouldn't be still!
Best moment of the week? Well I usually say the Dr.'s appointment, but it wasn't. My Dr. was out so I had to use a different one. After sitting in the waiting room for 1.5 hours, I finally saw the Dr. and she barely let me hear the heartbeat. Glad I didn't pick her as my dr. Next time I will see MY Dr.
Miss anything? Absolutely nothing. Perfectly content.
Movement? Yes!
Food cravings? None in particular.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Trying to look at something (phone, book, etc) while riding in the car. This has always been a problem for me, but worse the last few times I tried to do it.
Have you started to show? Yes. Although there are a few people that keep telling me that I am barely showing. Makes me wonder how they saw me before I was pregnant... Did I really look like a had a big fat gut???
Gender? GIRL :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny, but I did notice its beginning to get slightly shallower...
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? This past week was Happy, but who know's... Ol' moody  might be just around the corner...
Looking forward to? Friday... Who isn't?!
Love y'all, Mel

24 Weeks ... Baby is 1.5 lbs!

WOO HOO! I'm on time this week! AND I have a picture :)

By the way, wanted to let yall know that I finally watched the "What to Expect When you are Expecting" comedy movie. It's not that good. A few laughs here and there but nothing spectacular. The story line was non-existent.

How far along? 24 weeks ... that is 6 months!
Total weight gain/loss? Enough. real update next week after my dr. appt.
Maternity Clothes? I shop for them online. Fill up my cart on oldnavy.com and then never buy.... I don't know why.
Stretch marks? none. still use BioOil occasionally. Probably should more often.
Sleep? Not so good. Just can't get comfortable. My hips hurt on both sides from sleeping on my sides so much. I just wish I could lay on my back.
Best moment of the week? Sitting on the porch Saturday morning with my husband drinking coffee and watching the sun come up :)
Miss anything? Nothing
Movement? Yes, My baby is excellent at movement. :)
Food cravings? Not "craving" anything but some things I like are cold milk, peanut butter, dried apricots, cheese....
Anything make you queasy or sick? No
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? GIRL :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Moody (by that I mean sometimes I am happy and sometimes I am not happy)
Looking forward to? Thursday's Dr. Appt. to hear the heartbeat - it never gets old.
Love y'all, Mel

23 Weeks ... Baby is the size of an ear of corn!

I just realized i forgot to do 23 weeks!!! I did not think my life was this busy, but I guess it is! Sorry there is not picture. I look the same as 22 weeks. :)

How far along? 23 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? Well I know its more than 10 lbs and thats more than I want to know! I will give a real update at 25 weeks. I go to my 24 week dr. appt next Thursday.
Maternity Clothes? They just are not that cute. I would rather buy baby girl clothes :)
Stretch marks? none so far..
Sleep? I have been sleeping SOOO good lately. All the windows open on the house...
Best moment of the week? Cleaned the house last Saturday and sprayed for scorpions. (wow, that was my best moment of the week.. sad)
Miss anything? Not having to worry about how (position) I am sleeping
Movement? Oh yes, right now actually. This morning I was telling Cody how sometimes it will wake me up in the night when she moves alot, he said "Well, at least she does't cry yet and we don't have to change pooped diapers." That's my hubs!
Food cravings? Apples. Red ones. Been eating 2/day
Anything make you queasy or sick? nope
Have you started to show? yes...
Gender? GIRL :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny
Wedding ring on or off? On. I have yet to experience any swelling in hands or feet. I think that is much further down the road for me.
Happy or Moody? Moooooody. Not gonna lie.
Looking forward to? January!
Love y'all, Mel

22 Weeks ... Baby is the size of a Spaghetti Squash!

How far along? 22 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? Honestly havn't weighed myself in a few days, I am thinking 10 lbs.
Maternity Clothes? So I cleaned out / Organized my closet and it was MUCH easier to pick out my clothes for work this morning. Sometimes I wear maternity clothes, sometimes I wear regular clothes. Today, its regular clothes.
Stretch marks? none so far..
Sleep? Not so good last night. Baby girl was tumbling all around. Hoping tonight is better.
Best moment of the week? Telling everyone at church that we are having a GIRL! They were so excited :)
Miss anything? After a rough day at work, I miss being able to have a Red Beer.
Movement? Yes. She moves alot. And I love it. It reminds me that I am never alone. It is very comforting... which surprises me.
Food cravings? Milk. Always Milk
Anything make you queasy or sick? Brushing my top teeth still makes me gag. No Nausea or Sickness.
Have you started to show? YES.
Gender? GIRL :)
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Happy
Looking forward to? Working on the baby room. Starting that very soon.
Love y'all, Mel

Shearing ...

Two weeks ago was shearing time for the Angora's. An angora goat is a goat that is raised for its hair rather than meat or milk. The hill country is one of the most common places in Texas for this type of goat because of their ability to thrive in rocky hills and utilize brush in their diet.
Cody's family has raised angora goats for over 3 decades.

The goats are shorn two times a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The hair is called mohair. The hair is is graded on fineness or coarseness of the fibers. Fine hair is more valuable and can be used to weave into yarn and make clothing. More coarse hair can be used for rugs or even string for braiding horse gear like headstalls and reins.

Shearing goats is not easy. It takes practice and patience to learn. Cody and his family hire a crew to come shear their goats. I hope you enjoy the pictures below and let me know if you have questions.

Goats up next to be shorn

Angora goat

Shorn goat

First you get the goat down....

Then you shear it....

All over....

Then you grade it by fiber coarseness or fineness.

But don't forget the most important help ... The dog :)

m

21 weeks.. IT'S a GIRL!! Baby weighs 1 pound!

Sorry this is late again! I'm busy. :)

How far along? 21w4d
Total weight gain/loss? 8-10 lbs I think
Maternity Clothes? Clothes - that word stresses me out lately. Skip.
Stretch marks? none so far..
Sleep? well its already started...I can't get comfortable. I think its mostly in my head, I am constantly waking up wondering if the baby is confortable.
Best moment of the week? finding out we are having a baby girl!!!
Miss anything? No, I am very happy and content.
Movement? Yes. All the time now. But she does sort of have a schedule she follows.
Food cravings? PB&J with a big glass of ice milk. MMmmmmm. I could eat this for every meal.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Brushy my top teeth makes me gag a little. weird
Have you started to show? Yes. Yes.
Gender? GIRL GIRL GIRL. I am so excited. We sing in the car together already.
Labor signs? No
Bellybutton in or out? Inny
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody? Happy
Looking forward to? Fall weather. I'm sick of the heat.
Love y'all, Mel

PS - hoping to do a full blog post soon with all the pics from the gender reveal! It was a great day!