Growing...

Lately it seems like my belly is growing bigger by the hour.
So many more people now noticing it, now touching it (which I could go without but they never ask), asking me when I'm due and so on.
This last week I had a customer, who I see twice a week, say "Nat are you expecting?" I said "yes"... He continues with "well last week I couldn't even tell you were pregnant and this week you look really big!" Hummm not sure how to respond to that... I just said "yah and I'll only be getting bigger!"
Even Tate and Jeff can tell how much it is changing from day to day... We can now see his sweet kicks and jabs as they move my shirt. He's a little party guy! He loves to move around, especially at night when I'm laying down watching TV, it's like he has a party each night in there!
I'm definitely feeling very pregnant these days! My pregnancy app says my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball... I believe it!
Here's a little comparison so you can see just how much this belly changes in a matter of 4 weeks!

Here I am a few weeks ago...
And here I am now...

Yes I had my trainer, Julie, take my photo at the gym after we worked out... It's hard to find time to take a picture when I actually have make up on haha.
Even though I'm feeling veryyy big most days, I am really liking this stage in my pregnancy!
Here are a few answers to things I am often asked these days...I am feeling rested most of the time, my wedding ring is still on, my belly button is still in (not popped out yet), I do wear maternity jeans but not maternity tops, I have gained 8 pounds so far, and a baby shower is in the works.

Stay tuned because I'll be back soon and bigger than ever ;D

Holidays...

The older I get the more chaos that comes with the holiday season... Splitting time between in-laws, moms family, dads family, and immediate family... Juggling who gets Thanksgiving, who gets Christmas, and who falls on the weekends in between... It's a balancing act I tell ya!
We made it work and all is going as planned!
We recently went to Abilene and attended the McCarty Equipment Christmas party. This night is a big night for our family, my dad especially! It's so great being there and seeing him in his element with all his ducks in a row! All employees from every location all under one roof! Here are a few pictures from our night...

The following weekend it was back to Abilene to celebrate my Mennies 70th birthday!! It was a surprise party and boy was she surprised!

This past weekend we loaded up our suitcases yet again and went to Lake Jackson to do Christmas with my moms side of the family! This weekend is always so much fun and this year was no different! We decided on pajamas this year instead of crazy Christmas sweaters...

This Friday I'm off to Houston to take Landrie on our annual trip to The Nutcracker! It's one of my most favorite things to do this time of year! I'm like a little kid who just can't contain their excitement... It's all about making fun memories with her and that I can do!
Happy Monday friends!

Celebrating Kate&Walter...

While in Abilene we hosted a wedding shower for Kate and Walter. It turned out beautifully!
Kate was my very first friend when I moved to Abilene in kindergarten and has been one of my best friends since! She has been there for me through it all, she celebrated with me when we found out I would be having a little sister and was the first friend to hold Kaitlyn aka Tate, she got me through break ups, my parents divorce, and was with me the night I met the love of my life, Jeffrey! We were inseparable growing up, always in the same class until 3rd grade came alone and we thought our lives were over! Luckily 4th grade we wound up in the same class again and all was right with the world! God bless those poor teachers ;D
We are loud, we are bossy, we are dramatic and we are sensitive!
So alike and so different!
She is so special to me and I am beyond thankful for the bond we have!
She and Walter are getting married February 16, 2013 in Mexico! I gladly accepted the bridesmaid invite, booked our room, made our flight reservations and starting dreaming of matching tanks and swimmies!
In August I found out I was pregnant and couldn't be more excited, a few weeks later I went in to the doctor and she said no way no how are you going to Mexico at 32 weeks along in your pregnancy unless you are prepared to possibly give birth in Mexico! WHAT!!!! I absolutely do not want that! But this would mean I couldn't go to the wedding of my life long friend!
Cue the crying uncontrollably, the long dreaded phone call to Kate, and the endless apologizing for missing the wedding!
I am pretty certain the weekend of February 16th I will be in bed, in pajamas, box of tissue near by, crying my eyes out and wondering what all the girls are doing and how Kate looks and if she's nervous and so on...
Already seeing the sacrifices of being a mom! I know this lil guy will be sooo worth it and that Kate completely understands my absence but that doesn't keep me from wishing I could have both ha!
Anyhow back to the shower... It was at our home country club Saturday night, close friends and family, complete with a mimosa bar, heavy hors d'oeuvres, very intimate and just perfect!
Here are some pictures from the night...

So while my girl friends are dieting and working hard on their beach bods for Mexico 2013 I'm sipping on this delicious treat and full as can be haha...

Our little turkey...

Our little turkey is a... BOY!!!
Tuesday November 20th was our sonogram to find out the gender of sweet Baby S! I had been thinking/swearing this baby is a girl... I just knew it hah. Jeff and Tate stuck with their guess of boy the whole time. I was so excited once we got to the doctors office Tuesday morning because I knew that very soon we would know if this baby was a boy or a girl. Soon it would have a name other than Baby S and soon we could start buying it things fit for a girl or fit for a boy!! Tate got to go with Jeff and I and I'm so glad she did. Once in the room the lady asked us if we wanted to find out the sex of the baby and we told her yes... She showed us the sweet little hands, tummy, face, spine, legs and feet, then said ok I'm going to move between the legs... Any guesses on what it is?! Jeff laughed the most precious laugh and we all replied BOY!!! Tate and Jeff were right... How could this be... I was excited... I was completely shocked... This whole time I've been thinking it was a little girl in there... Poor guy! We quickly text my mom and dad to tell them the news! This is HUGE news on my side of the family, first grand baby, first boy, ohhhh let the spoiling begin!
While waiting for the doctor I just had to text Mel and B who I knew were just as certain as I was that this baby was a girl haha BOY were we all surprised! I have a great record of guessing the gender of friends and families babies but totally missed my own ha isn't that about par for the course.

After talking with the doctor and hearing that everything looks great we left the office and went to pick up a cookie cake to announce the gender to the Stevens side of the family! Jeff, my mom and I met Erica and the kids, Rach, Sid and Vicki at lunch where we told them all about our perfect little baby BOY!

We decided to wait to tell my Girls Weekend Girls {with the exception of Mel} all in person on Friday night at Mel's house. Friday couldn't come soon enough! Thursday night my sister helped me make cupcakes and fill them with BLUE icing. They all arrived at different times so we got to announce it over and over again hah... Here are their predictions and reactions...

Preston Tate Stevens
you are SO LOVED!
We cannot wait to meet you!

Tuscaloosa...

I almost didn't blog about last weekend because I just couldn't make myself write about it.
Alabama lost to Texas A&M! Gasp!!! We were there, we witnessed this funeral of our perfect season first hand, but as Jeff said "believe it or not the sun did rise in Tuscaloosa" Sunday morning.
We have had our tickets for this game since July, we had a group of friends going, we were ready! Tate and I were really pushing to fly to the game but Jeff wasn't sure about spending the money to fly plus paying to get a rental car and so on... So driving it was! Then residency interviews started coming and Jeff ended up flying into Birmingham that Thursday before the game to interview that Friday! What a weasel! Tate and I were then stuck making the 12 hour drive there alone... We made the most of it though and it wasn't so bad. We got to Birmingham Friday afternoon, picked Jeff up from UAB medical center, stopped at The Summit for some shopping, and then PF Changs for dinner. Much to my surprise it was still happy hour and they offered a couple of non alcoholic cocktails...That made this pregnant lady very happy!

It also made me extremely happy to see The Summit decorated for Christmas! So pretty!

We left Birmingham after dinner and headed to Tuscaloosa to meet up with family and friends. We spent the night listening to live music at a local bar.

Saturday was the game and I won't even get into that... But here are some pictures from before the game...

Sunday was a long drive home but we made it safe and sound... Just wishing home was anywhere but College Station these days... Some aggies are just too much to handle on a daily basis.
Happy Weekend and Roll Tide!

Birthday and a baby bump...

26!
Yep 26 years old! Sunday was my birthday and it seemed as though I woke up a year older and had a baby bump all of the sudden! I must say I'm glad to see that lil bump getting bigger, after being so sick for weeks on end I still have not gained any weight. NONE. So I've been a little worried wondering if my lil sweet pea is getting enough nutrients to grow in there... But Sunday when I woke up and got dressed there it was, a baby bump, more than just an overstuffed food belly!!! Even Jeff and Tate noticed that it looked bigger.
So here it is... 15 Weeks!

Next time I will try to wear a more figure flattering shirt so you get a better idea but I was in a hurry to get to the gym so I just had Tate snap a quick one!
Now back to the Birthday celebration... It is no secret that I love birthdays! Not just mine, anyone's! I received so many calls, texts, messages online, cards, gifts and even some visitors! My friends and family sure know how to make a girl feel special! Mendy and Alex came to spend the weekend with us, they arrived Friday around 9 with a white chocolate raspberry bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cake! One of my favorites! Us girls instantly dug in while the boys made themselves a lil adult beverage. We spent time catching up and then the boys decided to go to the bar but needed a ride so we dropped them off at Northgate around 11. They left swearing we wouldn't have to wake up to come get them and that they would just get a cab or have a friend bring them home... Sound asleep and both of our phones ring, surprise surprise it's the boys needing a ride home from the bar hah at least they were being safe.
Saturday morning we went to brunch at La Bodega, left the boys at Corner Bar, and went for pedicures with Tate! After going to buy me some maternity jeans we hit up Northgate, went to some tailgates, and then posted up at Corner to watch the Bama game {Roll Tide!}

Side note: I got this delicious edible arrangement from my mom and sis and devoured it in 3 days... No shame!

Sunday was my actual Birthday, Jeff, Tate and I went to Houston, did some shopping at The Galleria and ate at the Melting Pot! Delicious and so fun!
Thanks everyone who made my Birthday so special!

Here we go 26!

Oh Baby Our Circus is Growing Again...

I know what you're thinking... They must be crazy! With 3 cats and 2 dogs already we can safely say we will not be getting any more animal babies any time soon!
We're having a BABY!
Yep that's right... Baby S is due April 17th and we couldn't be any more excited!
I found out August 8th, the day before we left for Padre, I was so excited and so nervous. My doctor won't see you until you are at 9 weeks so those 5 weeks of waiting to hear that lil heartbeat seemed like forever! Thankfully Jeffrey got off work and came to town to go to my first appointment and see my first ultrasound! It was such an amazing experience for us.
I am 14 weeks today and officially in my second trimester!
My first trimester was a doozie to say the least... I spent most of the past 8 weeks with my head in the toilet, crying, or sleeping. I was just an absolute joy to be around let me tell you! Melanie swears to me it will end soon and Im holding her to that! Special thanks to Tate for putting up with me daily since Jeff has been gone for work since before I found out. She has been so great to change my cat litter boxes, listen to my gripes, and provide me with lots of baked potatoes and baked potato soup! Jeff got home from Birmingham this past Friday just in time for ACL and my second trimester to start... Smart man hah! Since he has been gone my mom got to go with me to my most recent doctor visit and I'm so glad she did... It was nice not having to go alone.
So I will try to answer anything else you might be wondering...
We are planning on finding out the gender of our little sweet pea... I can't wait!
We do have names picked out which we will share at some point.
I wouldn't say I have an actual baby belly yet...I'm still looking like I just ate a few too many enchiladas. But my jeans are definitely getting snug in the waist.
I always thought I would tell Jeff, my mom,Tate, and Erica in a cute way once I became preg but when the moment came I was freaking out and just called them all instead hah... Jeff was already gone on his away rotations for school so Tate told my dad she was homesick and he flew in to visit us. Once at dinner we admitted to him that the real reason we wanted him to come to town is so we could see his face when I told him I was pregnant... And boy was it worth it! His reaction was one I will never forget!
We told Jeff's parents right before his dads birthday so we gave them this little card that Jeff had printed off...

The funniest reaction we got was from my little cousin Landrie. When I called to tell her I was having a baby she squeeled and said "like do you have a big ole belly? Will it be here in time to go to The Nutcracker? Is it a boy or a girl? I sure hope it's a girl bc if it's a boy that's going to be weird for you because you will have to see his parts!" She is such a character! I cannot wait to see her interact with this baby!

Other exciting news is my sister in law Erica is due with her 4th baby February 17th! So by spring we will have two new babies to love on! If only I could convince her and Daniel to find out the gender of their baby too haha.
Please pray for Baby S and our growing little family!
We are so blessed!

Here We Go Again...

Did you give up on me?
I bet you thought I had given up on my poor little blog! With Jeff being gone from home since August 5th and me traveling to spend as much time with him as possible blogging has taken a backseat really quickly. Plus my life lately is constantly documented on instagram I feel like I have nothing left to share...but what am I thinking I've got so much to share so
Let's get caught up in pictures...

August
We went to Padre to celebrate my moms 50th birthday...

All 3 of my aunts, my sister, Alison, Erica and Rhonda made the long trek for the special occasion!

We of course had to make matching tanks to commemorate our fun weekend.

Then Alison and I found the perfect hats to wear in Cancun for Kate's wedding weekend... Odd she said no to them...

September...
We went to Dallas for the Alabama v Michigan game at Cowboys Stadium! My dad was so nice and let us use the suite for the game and it worked out perfectly!

Then we went to Abilene to celebrate my Mennie and Pappa's 50th wedding anniversary!!!
I don't have any pictures except one from my phone so I'll have to get some from the photographer to share.

This past weekend I went to visit Jeffrey in Birmingham so Saturday morning we made the short drive to Tuscaloosa for the Bama V Ole Miss game. We met up with our friends from Alabama who we met last year in Vegas and had a wonderful time tailgating.

Now that we are all caught up be sure to check back soon because big news is coming!