Getting organized...

Don't you all just love the feeling of being organized?!
I know I do but it's hell getting there!
I seriously think I clean out our garage every 3-4 months... You'd think we would just work to keep it clean for longer but for one reason or another we always mess it up pretty quickly.
FAIL!
I am just the queen of starting things and never finishing them. Jeff left August 5th and I knew he would be gone for 10 weeks, I thought oh great I'll use all my free time and really get stuff done around here! I started with the fridge and pantry and actually finished them both. Then I decided to clean out all of Jeff drawers and really organize them, I got as far as unloading them all and separating all the clothes into piles all over his office where they remained for a solid month!
My other projects were to clean out from under my bathroom sink and AGAIN clean out the garage! All of the stuff from under my sink ended up on top of my bathroom counter instead for longer than I care to admit... I then took over Jeff's bathroom sink instead of cleaning mine off and finishing what I started. Oops!
Well with morning sickness all fall, tons of holiday travel and little time to clean on weekends because we were never home... it just became one disaster on top of another! Now that our travel has drastically slowed down, my belly is getting bigger by the minute, my energy is slowly decreasing and we really needed to list our house to sell ...I realized its GO TIME!
Now or never!
No more putting these projects off, time to finish what I've started and get these things checked off my to do list! Jeff has been a huge help and I am so grateful for that!
We managed to get all of our suitcases unpacked, laundry caught up, about 12 loads later it was done, cleaned off my bathroom sink so I could finally get out of Jeff's bathroom area, and with help from Tate I even got the guest room and my closet organized!
I wont even show you all of the before photos because its far too embarrassing that I let it get so bad ha...

Thank goodness it is finally done!
We actually got this house on the market and I can enjoy my time with family and hopefully just maintain and relax!
Please pray our sweet lil house sells soon and brings the next owners as much happiness as it has brought to us!

8 weeks or less until we meet our little boy!
How sweet it is!

Life lately...

Lately I have been quite the complainer... Always finding something new to add to my list of woes. It's awful but I just couldn't shake it!
"My back is killing me... This heartburn is horrid... Leg cramps are terrible... I can't get comfortable... I'm exhausted...I'm so ready to not be pregnant and to just have this sweet baby to love on"
Gripe, gripe, gripe!
Poor Jeff, Mom and Tate having to listen to my complaints daily!

I am 28 weeks pregnant, officially in my third trimester!
Here's a lil about Preston:
He is a big lil guy... Measuring at 29 weeks and 5 days (I was 28 weeks and 1 day along) ... And weighing 3.0 pounds!
We were not surprised that he is measuring ahead of schedule, actually we've wondered about his size the whole pregnancy bc Jeff weighed almost 12 pounds when he was born haha!
Here's a little about me:
I have gained 11 pounds so far... My belly button is still in but not for much longer I'm afraid... Feeling a little more tired in the afternoons these days...however Im still dragging my butt to the gym twice a week (thanks to Tate).
I had an ultrasound at my appointment yesterday to check in on PT.
Seeing that lil guy made me have an attitude adjustment!
Seeing him was magical and made all my aches and pains seem so worth it and all my gripes seem so silly!
Last night I laid in bed and thought about how fast this pregnancy is really going by... Most days I don't see it that way but I remembered my first doctors appointment and her telling me that my last scheduled ultrasound would be at 28 weeks... 28 weeks I thought to myself dang that is forever away! But here we are well into the 28th week!
Before I went to bed I decided I will make the most of the rest of my pregnancy! I will take longer showers, enjoy fixing my hair and make up, go to sleep a little earlier, sleep in a little later, cherish my quiet times, walk my pups a little more often, love on those cats of ours just a lil longer each day, and make the most of each moment alone with Jeff...
Because soon the dynamic of our little circus is going to change... we look so forward to adding another member!
How sweet it is!

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!