Time for Shrimp!

Michael and I received this really cute lobster serving bowl as a wedding gift four years ago.  

I've used it a couple of times, but I've always wished that I had a really good reason for pulling it out to use it.  Well, that very occasion was tonight!  After our beach trip a couple of weeks ago, we have had two pounds of shrimp just waiting for a shrimp boil.  So, we threw some corn, potatoes, shrimp, and some awesome seasoning together in a big pot, and went to boiling.  Just look at that yummy goodness cooking:

So, as I'm sure you've put two and two together, I served it all from the lobster bowl, which I thought was rather appropriate. :)

And you can't forget the best part... making your own homemade cocktail sauce!

Needless to say, Baby Sanford is extremely excited about tonight's dinner choice.  He's been dancing all night!

Life's a Beach

It's funny, but that's always the phrase I see on every t-shirt, hugger, etc when I go to the beach.  We just got back from a trip to the beach with my parents, and it was wonderful!  We went for my birthday, and as always, it just didn't seem long enough.  I'm now recovering from the onset of depression that always sets in after a wonderfully relaxing trip.

But, I thought I'd share some of the pictures from the morning that we took the dogs out onto the beach.  It was really early because we didn't want them to chase people and bark the whole time.  So, here are the highlights...

Pedro, enjoying the sand and surf.

Bailey, who was content just watching the waves.

And then there was Max.

It was wonderful.  I'll post soon about some of the amazing pregnancy symptoms I'm now facing. :)

23 weeks

It just so happens that I have an updated picture of me at 23 weeks.  I know, I know... I'm so slim.  It's the pre-natal water aerobics. :)  haha- I just snorted.

And here are my sweet guys doing what they do best.  One of them is beyond excited about having a new baby boy in the family.

And the other one... well, let's just say that his expression was a little different than what I expected when I asked him, "How do you feel about having a baby brother?"

Maybe he'll get used to the idea before December.  Right now he's more interested in chasing lasers, chewing on bones, and barking at anything that moves.  Well... we have about four months to break him into the idea. :)

Bedding is HERE!

The bedding finally came in, and after spending some time washing everything yesterday, the crib is now finally set up!  So... I will now post pictures of the crib AND the bedding together.  Believe me, it was worth the wait.  Well, it was to me anyway.

My mom gave us that sweet blanket, and it matches perfectly!  As you can tell, I'm really excited about the bedding. :)

On another note, Michael I went to Babies-R-Us this afternoon to register.  Um... we were a bunch of bumbling idiots.  Our wedding registry was hard, but it was so much easier because it was all stuff that we would be using for ourselves.  This was totally different, because it's stuff that we'll be using for someone else- and why does there have to be eight different brands for every single thing!  Our conversation consisted of, "What do you think we should get for this?  I don't know." "What brand of these should we get?  I don't know."  "How many of these do you think we'll need?  I don't know."  So, if any of you happen across our registry in the future and think to yourselves, "Oh my gosh, Kay and Michael are so weird- why do they have so much stuff on their registry?"  The answer is, "We don't know."  We're totally clueless, and as soon as I post this, I'm about to go back to the online registry and see what all we actually registered for- because we would scan one thing- and then ten minutes later we'd see something that we liked better- so we'd scan it too!  Sigh- I'm not a fan of registering to begin with... but I tell you what... by the time we finished, I was starving, my back hurt, and my sentences were starting to sound funny.  So, we went to Wings and stuffed ourselves with cheese fries and wings to take the edge off.  It was wonderful.

Now... I'm going to put my pj's on, lie in my comfortable bed, and start reading a book on breastfeeding. This outta be humorous. :)

The Transition... Part One

Two weekends ago was exciting and tiring, all rolled up into one!  My mom came to Birmingham on Saturday, and she, my cousin, and I went on a search for baby furniture.  We were on the lookout for a non-traditional changing table, as well as a crib that would match the dresser we already have in the room.  While my mom was on the way to Birmingham, I figured I would waste no time and hit up some yard sales around the area.  I was really looking for a table that I could transform into a changing table, but what I ended up getting was even better.  While there was nothing that matched my "changing table wish list," I did score a pack-and-play, as well as a stroller for a little bit of nothing.  And they are both in really great shape, so I'm beyond excited about my new (to me) purchases. 

Once my mom arrived, she and I hit up a couple of other yard sales, as well as a local furniture store before picking up my cousin to do the most important thing of the day: eat lunch.  After loading up on some really great Mexican food, we set out in search for this "in my mind changing table that doesn't really exist."  After one store, we thought we'd found the perfect piece.  It was antique, painted mint green, and was really cute.  However, I felt that we should go to another store just to shop around first.  I'm so glad we did!  We found this table, and I love it!  I'm going to repaint, hopefully in the same hue, only because of the chipped paint places.

You should have seen us riding through Birmingham with this table hanging half out of my trunk, strapped in with some twine that I had leftover from our Christmas tree purchase- and padded with a hoodie that always lives in my trunk.  If we didn't look like the Clampett's, I don't know who did.

After dropping off the table at my house, and switching vehicles with Michael, we headed on the search for the crib.  I had done some online searching for cribs, and knew the style that I wanted, so it was an easy decision for me once we saw one similar to the one I had painted in my mind.  But, I'm going to leave you in suspense for the crib pic, because I want to get the mattress and bedding put on before the great reveal.  But that's where we'll end this post- Saturday afternoon, with a changing table and a crib in tow, a great time with my mom and cousin under my belt, and excitement for the day that lay ahead.

Stay tuned...

Oh Boy!

We found out last Thursday that we're having a boy!  Michael and I were both really shocked- not because we didn't want a boy, but because we both (along with most of our family members) thought we were having a girl.  There was no scientific reasoning behind this... just a feeling.  And apparently, it was an incorrect feeling.

So, we were all set with a girl name, but since we've been discussing boy names for five months with no conclusion, we're going to have to really ramp up the efforts.  We have agreed on one name, but I'll wait to post it because if you know us at all, there's a strong chance we'll change our minds.  Hopefully not though- because I really like this one.

Anyway, I've been looking at bedding for several months now, and had already decided that I wanted to do a green/white/brown color scheme- if it was a boy or a girl.  I finally settled on one that I just kept coming back to.  I think it's really clean and fresh, and not too baby-ish.  Check it out!

Now all I have to do is figure out how I want to decorate.  But that's the fun part.  Nursery pictures are coming soon.  I may wait until I have something more substantial before I post pictures though.

Have a great week!

The Hushamok

I like to find new items that I've never heard of before- especially when it comes to baby items (right now, at least).  So, imagine my interest in this cool baby hammock.

It's called the Hushamok.  I get blog updates from Project Nursery, and the Hushamok is this week's giveaway prize.  It's designed to snuggle baby in a smooth rocking motion that helps baby feel like he/she did when in the womb.  There are also numerous health benefits to the Hushamok.  I really like the name... and I'm having even more fun typing it.  

Anyway, if you would like to win a Hushamok, visit their website and then share your thoughts about it with Project Nursery by commenting here.

I think it's kinda cool- and just thought I'd share with you interested preggies!