Nursery Loot

We finally bought furniture and registered for/bought some pieces of the bedding!! It was definitely exciting - not just because we actually bought things for the nursery and it drove home the point that we WILL have a baby in 2.5 months, but because it was literally an adventure -- offfffff course there is a story...

We went last weekend and shopped for furniture and found some sets that we liked. We talked about it over the week last week and we definitely liked one set more than all of the rest. We had a wedding in South Georgia this past Saturday (more on that later) but decided we should go ahead and buy some of the furniture before we went down. We had some good coupons from some of the stores from signing up for registries or mailing lists so I wanted to at least use those before the expired and get some pieces. I wasn't sure if they could hold them and we weren't ready for them quite yet but decided we could find a place to store everything if needed.

We had a million errands to run and if you know me, you know I had a long list of things to do with the full knowledge that it wouldn't all get done. This definitely made the list. We went in hovered over the furniture for about 30 seconds before a sales associate smelled our credit card and the sense of urgency to buy things that comes with passing into the third trimester. Let me interject here to say that I have the best mother in law!! She came over on Friday evening and measured our nursery and did space planning for furniture. She and FJ looked up the dimensions of the pieces of furniture and decided what all we needed and where it should go - so we had an exact shopping list of the pieces we needed, the confidence that they would all fit, the knowledge of where they would go and the buy in of a licensed interior designer on the choices we had made! We felt pretty good. And broke. We weren't planning on buying as many pieces as we did until we did the space planning. Sooooo glad Joani was able to come over Friday night!

So we laid our cards on the table and told the sales woman that we had some coupons and had full intention of using registry completion coupons to buy other pieces. She let us know that we could buy everything that day, apply additional coupons later, hold the pieces that were available today and schedule delivery for everything at once on whatever date we wanted. It was like putting puzzle pieces together and everything fit!! We really appreciated her help because it took some very creative ordering because some pieces were in, some on order, some on back order, etc.

As we sat down to write up all of the orders and go over everything another couple sat next to us...turns out that they wanted the exact same furniture. We had just bought the last crib in stock and had also purchased the last dresser that was on order. They were so distraught because they had called the day before and there were 2 of each available...apparently someone bought a set the day before and we bought ours at 10:00 or so. Sitting right next to us, they gave the manager some sob story about how they had called in advance and driven an hour and a half to that store because they were the only ones with this furniture available and that she was 8 weeks away from her due date and HAD to have it. I think she thought we were going to give her our furniture? Uhhhhh - no. I mean you would figure if it had been that important, they would have purchased over the phone or gotten there before 11:00am on a Saturday. I can't say much since we are about 11 weeks out and hadn't bought furniture yet...

The manager offered to walk through the stock room for them - the sales woman that was helping us told us later after we walked away from that area that there was absolutely nothing back there - she had already checked that morning and there was the piece we bought which she had already tagged for us.

Now I realize that bad luck can still strike and I could get a call before the delivery that some how it's not there and we aren't going to get it in time, but it was all very dramatic for the purchasing of baby furniture!

We've still got to pick out patterns for the window treatments as well as the glider and ottoman. FJ's mom is all over it! She's also going to help us look for some accent pieces, but we found some we liked at the store, too. All in all it was really fun to pick everything out.

I also put up some pictures of the bedding/theme we chose. It's a jungle theme from Pottery Barn Kids with gingham accents. Definitely a compromise and some of the only bedding choices that we both agreed on. ha ha!

Now that all the fun stuff is almost taken care of we get to start trying to figure out whose insurance we are adding Rhett to (my enrollment begins any day now so we just have to figure out whose insurance makes more sense) so that we can start finding a pediatrician. We got our confirmation from Moms On Call and it included a list of things we need to have or do before delivery and before they come...clearly this woman is after my heart because she provided a check list with instructions on things like finding a pediatrician - complete with time lines. Whew. Apparently once we get the car seat and base, we also get to take a trip to the fire station. Luckily there are about 14 within 5 miles of us. We've narrowed the list down to two daycares and need to pull the trigger and reserve our spot for one of those. There is definitely a long list of things to do and I am positive this list is going to make time seem like it is flying by even faster than it is right now...scary and exciting all at once!!

Happy Anniversary to Mark & Joani (in laws)

And another party successfully on the books! I didn't get a good picture of the couple of the hour, so I put one of us up instead! ha ha!

The dessert table with the candy buffet actually turned out pretty well! Definitely not nearly as cool as what Kate (my cake, cupcake, dessert table, etc guru http://www.andeverythingsweet.blogspot.com/) can do, but not bad for my first attempt. I had various candies, a picture from Mark & Joani's wedding, a picture of them 19 years later at our wedding, candles, bags for people to take some candy home and then I got Kate to provide some cupcakes and cake balls. I'm not sure if the pictures show it well, but the cupcakes had silver liners, white icing and green monograms with M for Moore on top. The cake balls were chocolate or yellow cake with the yummy icing and toppers that said "20" in alternating green, white and silver!

I didn't put a picture of the empty food table but for the first time in my party planninng career, the food was GONE! As fast as I could bring out more, it was consumed. I take it as a compliment to my culinary skills because there was certainly enough food provided for the number of guests! FJ even fried some stuff outside (he's figured out how to fry on a cast iron skillet on the grill) and none of that food made it inside. We actually found more food in the fridge that we could fry (chicken tenders and onion rings) around 11 and made that and I had to pretty much physically fight someone to get 1 or 2 chicken fingers! ha ha! SUCCESS!!!

Most of all, FJ's parents had a blast and were so excited that we put so much effort into celebrating their anniversary. Their friends had a great time and I think it meant a lot to Joani and Mark to have so many people there to celebrate with them!

It was a great weekend and the party was a huge success!! Congratulations to Joani and Mark again on "20 Moore Years!"

"Rounding" out T2

As the second trimester wound down, we didn't exactly slow down...We went to Athens to celebrate the birthdays of a couple of good friends and to enjoy some Athens tailgating for the only time this year (FJ might go back, but I checked it off my list of things to do). Athens bars are smoke free so I was able to go out with everyone for what was supposed to be a little while...but then promises of Little Italy for late night kept me going!! Don't worry, I got two pieces of cheese pizza at 3am and slept like a baby. We got up early, went downtown, overpaid for parking and started hiking up and down the hills.

We went to Reagan's fam's tailgate for a bit (maybe I ate two donuts, maybe I didn't) and then hit up the bookstore - probably one of FJ's favorite places on earth. We got a tiny little hat for Rhett to wear home from the hospital and got FJ a long sleeve tee. We ate lunch downtown and then headed home shortly after kick off and listened to the game on the radio. We caught the last little bit when we got home which was painful to watch, but overall it was a great weekend and we got to see a ton of FJ's really good friends from college. And of course, I got to haze FJ and he definitely won MVP over both birthday boys on Friday night...so proud!

This past weekend, we threw FJ's mom and step dad, Joani and Mark an anniversary party to celebrate their 20th. I have tons of pictures, so I'll save the details for the next post.

This coming weekend is Curt and Ashley's wedding and I am SOOOOOOO excited that we are able to go!!! I can't wait to see the mini donkeys and of course see two of my good friends (and the Scarce family - who doesn't love a Scarce? Prob the same people who hate fun...)

We have a doctor's appointment this week - just routine - no blood tests or scary stuff this week!! I'll be sure to get an update on this past weekend (we also registered and picked nursery furniture...exciting stuff), too!

Just checking in!

Here's one of my favorite pictures from Kate and Reid's wedding. I can't believe that was over a month ago!! Congrats again.

We have one more wedding this year and it's next weekend in Douglas, GA. I'm definitely excited to celebrate with Curt and Ashley!!

We also have Joani and Mark's (my in laws) 20th anniversary party this weekend. It should be a lot of fun. I just finished making the menu last night and have a lot to do the next couple of nights.

This week has been interesting. I'm definitely very moody. I can feel it, I just can't control it. And of course FJ let's me know which is probably not one of the smarter things he can do. I think it's worse to know that I'm being crazy. Plus, when I am positive that I am 100% right about something, it's easy to just put it in the "she's pregnant and crazy" column.

I've also started swelling. That is not any fun at all. I assumed it was from eating poorly during our excursion to Athens, but after drinking tons of water on Sunday it didn't get any better. Plus it felt different than sodium swelling. It felt like when I have orange juice and swell or when I sprain an ankle and swell. It's definitely fluid/blood swelling so it comes with some pain in addition to the unpleasant cosmetic side effects.

We have doctor's appointments every 2 weeks now, so I guess we are getting closer and closer! Next week marks the beginning of the third trimester - it should get interesting from here.

I'll post some pics and updates from our trip to Athens this past weekend later this week and I'm sure I'll have plenty to report after the anniversary party this weekend, too!

Look who made it to the gym - RHETT!

For those who wanted to know if I was still working out, the trainers at the Crossfit gym where FJ and I work out took this picture yesterday. Depending on your knowledge of a backsquat, this either looks much more impressive or much less impressive than it truly is. We have been doing some strength training at the gym which means we start with some basic lifting and go for max weight and then we do a short cardio burst or metcon (metabollic conditioning maybe?). Yesterday, we did back squats followed by a 12 minute metcon that I will just vaguely say was not fun and left me completely sore and sweaty! Obviously, I can't do quite as much as I used to do as far as weight or range of motion, but I also can't "max out" anymore. I go to a point where I feel challenged, but I can't really go all out.

Yesterday as I was doing my back squats and doing much less than what I would have done 6 months ago, one of the trainers/owners went up to FJ and commented at how great I was doing and then they both told me. This made me feel awesome! The people at Crossfit North Fulton (as well as at Crossfit Peachtree which is where I began my CF journey and still consider a second home) are so supportive and almost everyday, someone tells me how badass or awesome it is that I am even in there. I am surprised at how much that helps given that I feel like a large piece of laziness in the gym since I can't do quite as much as I used to!

As far as the other part of "fitness" is concerned - I continue to wage war against to the new infestation of the terrible monster I refer to as "Sweet Tooth". I am not winning, but I am not losing. ST came on strong and caught me by surprise. Combined with the opening of a confectionary called Scoops with every sweet treat known to man (old fashioned candy, ice cream, fudge, cup cakes, truffles, candy by the pound, and so on), the quick attack by ST was a recipe for disaster. I had a sweet treat (or two) every day for about a month. I haven't cut it entirely out, but it's managed at this point.

We've also gone back to limiting starches/complex carbs and doing menus each week including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I even got a little white board to keep track of what we were having each day and what prep work might need to be done that week. Last night was steak with zucchini, squash and red onions (and basil, lemon and garlic). Tonight is pork tenderloin (marinated in ground mustard, honey, fresh thyme, garlic and lemon), broccoli and a spinach salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Tomorrow we are having meatballs with spaghetti squash and Thursday is stuffed chicken. I have no clue what the sides are for Thursday, but it's on the board which resembles my much loved spreadsheets!

I'm pretty boring this week. We are headed to Athens on Friday night to celebrate some good friends' birthdays and to tailgate on Saturday morning for the game. We also have another birthday/housewarming on Saturday so it'll be another busy weekend! Next weekend is the anniversary party for my in laws (who are right now on the cruise that FJ and I weren't able to go on anymore) and then the following weekend is the wedding of two good friends, Curt and Ashley. We slow down a bit after that and I'm thankful for the change of pace, but we all know I love going and going!

Welcome Fall!

What an awesome way to begin fall. Our Labor Day weekend was so much fun. We packed in so much but had a blast doing it. I think we had perfect timing because I can tell my energy is starting to drop so I'm not sure how much fun I would have been if this had been a month later! ha ha!

Here are some pics from 24 weeks! These were taken last week. I've been terrible about keeping up with taking pictures, so I'm trying to get better. We also have some lake pictures, but I think I was pretty successful at staying behind the camera for that adventure.

Our weekend started off Friday night as we went to FJ's parents' house to celebrate Joani's birthday (a week late). We grilled burgers and hot dogs and FJ used a new technique to fry up some onion rings. I also brought buffalo chicken dip upon request. If you start keeping count, this will be buffalo chicken dip #1 of 3 for the weekend and the dip count was at a total of 4. Dinner was great and I even managed to sneak in one of the Whole Foods mini cakes "for" Joani.

Saturday Jill came out and Jill, Liz, FJ and I went to a friend's house to watch the UGA game. Truth be told, they all helped me get the invitations out for Joani and Mark's anniversary party, too. We had some great food and beverages (water for this girl) and kind of grazed all day. Buffalo Chicken Dip #2 made an appearance, though shortlived before it was devoured. We also picked up some bratwurst tips, too. Can't wait to break those out.

Saturday evening, FJ went to a fantasy football draft with some neighbors and I went across the street to one of their houses to meet "the wives". It was actually a ton of fun. I didn't realize we had so many people so close to our age in our neighborhood. Some have young children, some don't so it's a great mix. I sent FJ with Buffalo Chicken Dip (#3) and I took my Mexican Layer Dip across the street (Dip #4). I came home and stayed up talking to Jill and catching up.

Sunday we loaded up and went to the lake for Sunday Funday on the Grady family's boat, Yeah, Baby! As always, it was an absolute blast! It's always an adventure. It was Liz's birthday weekend, so we had fun celebrating that and had a really great crew of folks on the boat. We tied up with some friends and had some dance parties, too, of course!

Yesterday, I ran some errands while FJ did some yard work (we were battling it out to see whow as going to mow the yard...I'm pretty stubborn but I've got nothing on an only child so I was very pleased to win that battle!). Then I did the food prep/menu for the week and we went to our neighborhood pool with some of our new neighbor friends. We came home and I finished up the food prep, we ate dinner and just relaxed a little bit!

It was a terrific weekend and just what the doctor ordered. We have a few more exciting weekends coming up, but overall, things are starting to slow down a little. We have an engagement party this weekend for some good friends who are getting married in May. Then we travel to Athens for a birthday party/game day the weekend of teh 18th. After that is Joani and Mark's 20th anniversary party and then Curt and Ashley's wedding in Douglas! So I guess we won't really be slowing down all that much, but it still seems like a little less.

And Jess - as promised, here's your shout out! 8 more days!! (She's working towards the fall CPA deadline).

And we have a name!

I just wanted to put up a quick post for the 2 people who check the blog! Ha ha (shout out to Anne who actually does check it! Ha).

I use this somewhat as a journal and have every intention of printing and binding it after the baby comes as well as keeping up with our growing family. We'll see how that goes...

I'm not sure if we've made the announcement officially on here yet, but we've picked out a name!! Rhett Colton Tribuzio will be joining our family in December of this year.

As a quick update - Rhett is moving around quite a bit. He's not kicking in the sense that we're having daily martial arts lessons in the tummy, but he's moving around a good bit and I can feel him. It's kind of neat and kind of weird all at the same time. So far, fingers crossed, he sleeps when I sleep or at the very least doesn't wake me up. If only I could say the same for my tiny, overworked bladder! At least I can confidently say I'm doing an excellent job with hydration. There is no way I'm slacking in that department at the rate that I get up in the middle of the night!

My only craving is still for sweets. I've eaten so many of them lately that the thought of eating a cookie right now makes me sweat a little (in a bad way), but as I type that, I really want a coke. This is very strange to me! I can't wait till my sweet tooth goes away...See what I'm doing here? We are just putting it out there that it IS going away so please don't point out to me that it might not as I'm not entertaining that option at all!

Some of our friends and family (actually, all people that I consider both) have offered to throw some showers so of course I am excited for that! I can't believe we have less than 4 months to go, though...the time is starting to make me nervous which I am sure that anyone who knows me could have easily predicted. I'm not very patient and I'm prone to anxiety over things I can't control. This does not mesh well with being a procrastinator... I guess I can deal with that later :)

We don't have any major updates. The doctor's visits are going fine. After the next one (in about 2 weeks), they'll start going to every 2 weeks then eventually to every week. I'm gaining weight pretty much daily it seems. I'm still working out, just not as much as I wished or would like to - but who does? Other than the sweets, I'm still eating the same food - lots of fruits, veggies, meats, etc and few grains if possible.

My energy is still up - I'm just trying to do way too much so I'm as tired as I would be if I weren't pregnant and taking on the world! But I love it, I wouldn't have it any other way and I figure I should push myself now since I'm sure I won't have a ton of time or inclination to do this after Rhett joins us!! Ha!

I haven't been sick in a couple months but am still terrified it can come back - that was no fun! But so far, so good!

My in-laws have their 20th anniversary coming up - congratulations to Mark and Joani!! They're going on a trip to the Mediterranean (a cruise) in 10 days and I'm so jealous! We were supposed to go with them, but plans have changed in that aspect. I'm so happy for them and am glad they get to take a trip to celebrate!

College football is starting up this weekend and we have our UGA flag flying from the front of our house. We are still going to make it to Athens for at least one game and it will be a good one!! I couldn't tell you much about the stats or rivalry, but it's 3 good friends' birthdays and we know I love a birthday as much as FJ loves UGA Football, so it's a great combo.

That's about it...this one is boring! I need to take some more pics and post them, too. I'm also working on starting a scrapbook and realizing that I've been avoiding cameras! ha ha! Whooooopsy!

Happy Birthday to our roommate and good friend, Liz, too! Looking forward to celebrating this weekend! Also looking forward to a day on Yeah, Baby (the Grady's awesome boat) with good friends and Jenny/Jill time. It's going to be a great, long weekend and just what the doctor ordered!!