What are we thinking today?

The other day I had gotten all ready for the day, we were on our way out somewhere, and I walked out and Erik looked at me and smiled. I watched as he looked me up and down and I could see in his face he was looking for the right words to say. He came out with something like this (very carefully and seriously) "so...are we thinking we are too fat and big today or are we liking our baby bump and want to look more pregnant?" hahah! I couldn't help but laugh. (much to Erik's relief)

He has a hard time knowing these days which way to compliment me because let's be honest I am a little shifty in my opinion of my size lately. I switch back and forth from thinking I am too little to too big. One day he will say "oh my gosh you are looking so big!" and i will love it, and the next time he says it I get mad at how insensitive he is being!

Around the holiday time Erik walked around singing "Lucy is coming the Nikki's getting Fat!" (sung to the tune of some Christmas song where the words are "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat") haha! I don't hear that song out of him much anymore, I think I scared it out of him. I kinda miss it! ;) Poor men...they sure put up with a lot. Especially from pregnant women!

As promised, here is my Belly at 34 weeks!

oh...and Braxton hicks have arrived and in full form! mmmeeh! My tummy is like constantly tight and feels sore, like it's bruised. But practically no heartburn, no swollen feet yet, and I still sleep great at night thanks to my body pillow! I just have to slow down a lot during the day and take a lot of breaks. It also gets hard to find a comfortable position when sitting. But overall I don't have much to complain about! I can't believe tomorrow is April..and after April is MAY!! My sweet little baby's big debut month! :)

Spring Break 2010-Part 1

I love still being students! I don't know what we will do when we don't get a spring break! We were lucky enough to get to escape to palm coast Fordia and stay at a beautiful Condo at Cinnamon Beach for a whole week! We went with some great friends who are also here for Dental and Medical school. We couldn't have asked for a better time. It was so fun. Here is part 1 in pictures of our adventures. Fort Mantanzas-we took a beautiful ferry ride to this fort on a little island. We also took a little nature hike. We saw owls and pelicans. It was beautiful.
St. Augustine Lighthouse
Downtown St. Augustine. Oldest town in America-take that Jamestown! There were cute little shops all along St. George street. We stopped, walked around and even got a yummy homemade pretzel.
Fort Castillo in St. Augustine-the Guys-Erik, Brian, Beck, Dane, and Josh (little Will was somewhere)
The Chicas had a more creative pose. Adorable Lydia front and center rockin the glasses followed by Danielle, Jessica, me and Emily.
Before we left we did a day of service towards a free day at Disney. We figured we had to get a day of Disney in if we were coming all that way! No matter how old, or how pregnant you are, Disney is still magical!
The Buzz Lightyear ride- a Family Fav for sure!
Cinderella's Castle
Mainstreet USA
So I had this great idea "let's have Pluto kiss my belly!" I think he missed. It just kinda looks like he is doubling over in pain! haha.
This one's a little better! Pluto meet Lucy!!!
Peter Pan!
Splash mountain!
I wish I had gotten some pictures of the parade...that was my favorite part!
Thanks Dane for being our tour guide! (he is a Disney regular) We had a wonderful day!! It totally wore us out!

Danielle has tons more pictures of our trip. I got lazy and just started letting her take all our pictures. So once I get those from her I will post those as well. It wasn't super warm down there yet, but we did actually get 1 day at the pool and 1 day at the beach, and got pretty burnt!

I'm so glad we got to go with some pretty amazing families! There are not many people in the world you can spend a whole week in a condo with and come away loving more, but we definitely did! What a great break!

What do you think?

I am thinking of getting this carseat. Not in this color scheme...but I LOVE the Combi stroller and I am not sure anyone can change my mind on that...but unfortunately only the Combi car seats will fit in them. And the only thing I am worried about with the car seat is that weird bar at the bottom. It is called an Anti Rebound bar. What the heck is that? Why don't other seats have that? I have never seen that before. But, whatever...the big question is: Do you think that will make it a lot harder to get a baby in and out of it? Convenience and ease is my biggest thing, and that bar intimidates me. I really don't want to regret this buy. Please weigh in!

Lucy's Quilt?...Check!

Diaper Deal

Just thought I would give you all a heads up on a diaper deal this week instead of waiting and posting my goods next week when you can no longer get the deal and making you all jealous! ;)

Here is what I am going to do: Rite Aid Diaper

Or maybe this scenario: Rite Aid Diapers

Both great deals!

You should go do it too! Let me know if you have questions!

P.S. Anyone else think it's crazy that according to my little ticker to the left I only have 50 more days to go!?!?!? WHAT? HOLY COW! In less than 2 months I will actually be putting these diapers on a little Lucy bum!? Ah! Wow. Time flies...and if she comes early I will freak! I am totally not ready. At least I have diapers though. :) I will post belly pics soon. (warning: I'm huge!)

Some Bright Ideas Giveaway

Hey all! Ever wonder where all my crafty talent and amazingly frugal shopping finds come from? ;)

Well it all started with the guidance of a wonderful friend and neighbor who just started her own blog all about just that, getting deals, and doing crafty projects. To launch her new blog she is doing a GIVEAWAY!!! So head on over to Some Bright Ideas to leave a comment and enter. And please, please, please SPREAD THE WORD!

If you blog about the giveaway and her blog you get a 2nd entry, and really people, it's a brand new blog, so we are not talking 100's of entries, chances of winning are high!!! So what do you win you might ask? The pattern to make anything in her etsy shop located here. She has some really cute things, and she has only just started!

I would highly recommend adding her blog to one you regularly visit to get great tips on freebies, saving money, and get inspired to make some cute stuff! Thanks guys! :)

somebrightideas.blogspot.com

Can you say Nesting?

This month it is my goal to get 3 things off my regular to do list a day, and to also get 1 thing off my "big things" to do list each week. So far I have done great! I am really starting to feel the frenzy of wanting to get everything done before Lucy gets here. And at this rate, i just may accomplish it! Lucy's room is finally painted the perfect pink. After trying 3 different shades I think we have found the winner. Here are some pics of her daddy slaving away!! Her room also now has a silhouette of a tree painted on the wall done by my friend Jenna. It looks so adorable! I am going to make you wait though before I show you that until the whole nursery is done. (sorry!)

Here is my closet Before:And here it is after:
Yay! So much more organized and better use of space. I am HUGE into de-cluttering, it feels so good. I used to be a pack rat and now I fear I have gone to the other extreme...i just chuck everything! I think since we moved here I have been to goodwill with like 8 loads! And I dumped like 10 at DI before we moved! crazy! So i was stressing about keeping everything organized with having maternity clothes, and different seasons, and sizes, it's quite the hassel (as a lot of you moms know!), but now it's organized in a good system.

Here is an old dresser my aunt gave me a while back, i never did anything with it until now. So Before:
After:

Kind of a funky color I know. Once I do the big bedroom reveal it will make a little more sense. (I have a few things to finish up) The color matches a color that will be in the curtains. The knobs are actually mod podged just on the one side of that same fabric.

I found this calendar for a steal at a craft store and snagged it. I just painted the edges, mod podged the paper on it and added some distressing and embellishments. What do you think? My kitchen is all yellow with red accents. I will post pictures of that soon too. I don't think I ever did. I have one more thing to put up in there. Actually, that reminds me, anyone know how i can hang plates on the wall without using a plate holder?

I actually made this sign last year, but never loved it. So I did some touch up on the paint, added the flowers and dots and just spruced it up a bit. It hangs crooked on my door, but eh, whatcha' gonna do?!

Here was my first attempt at doing vinyl on the wall! Kinda of scary! But with Erik's help it turned out great. I love having this reminder in my living room.

VCU Winter Ball

Be prepared for picture overload! Every year VCU holds a winter dance for the dental and medical students. Everyone has been talking about it since we moved in and stressing how much we HAVE to go! So we were lucky to get tickets that sold out in like 5 min (good job Erik!) and we put on our dancing shoes and headed to the beautiful Jefferson Hotel. And let me tell ya, the dance did NOT disappoint! It totally lived up to all the hype! We had an awesome night! Complete with the fake casino games, amazing food, a candy bar, a photo booth, and of course dancing! We had such a great time hanging with all our friends. Here's the night documented in photos:The Gibbons and Hones-fellow 1st years. We look forward to the next 4 years with these guys!
Me and one of my bestest friends Danielle! Love that pretty girl!
All us crazy girls had a little too much fun in the photo booth line! I LOVE these girls!
I love this pic! haha This is how us Fox's get down! Lucy should already be ashamed of her parents!
Me and my fellow sugar junkies!!! We hit the candy bar and hit it HARD! So awesome!
At the Jefferson Hotel, at the grand staircase. (supposedly the staircase in Gone with the Wind)

Some of my favorite girls (and Andrew-lol) Bustin some moves on the dance floor!
Me and the lovely Jenna. Getting ready to make our bets at the horse race! (quite the highlight of the night) I was the caller! haha! It got a little crazy! (*cough* Jessica *cough*) ;)
Oh yeah! Rockin the black fingernails...all the cool kids are doing it these days!
Erik learning the ropes from Dane at the Roulette table! haha. Erik loved the games! (and we learned Dane was a pro!)

Most of the 1st year wifes. Not sure why we didn't get a picture of all the guys. (i guess we couldn't pull them away from the game tables!)
before we left the house...a quick "practice picture"! haha. Like we didn't end up having enough! :)
Not the greatest quality, but here is our photo booth pic! haha! Why are Photo Booths so fun? These were well thought out and planned poses by the way!(we practiced) Didn't want to have to go off the fly! ;)

Elder Jewkes' Earthquake account

As some of you know my brother Nate is on a mission in Santiago Chile (east side). My family got news pretty quickly that he was safe, which we were extremely grateful for. (I would have been even a bigger mess!) I am so grateful that he and all the other Missionaries are safe and sound. My heart goes out to the Chilean people, I hope they can remain in all of our prayers. The area my brother is in has only minor damages. But we did get an email from him today recounting those moments when the earthquake hit along with his testimony. I thought it was neat to hear and thought I would share.

Well this is the story:
The four of us in the little house are all sleeping, when at 3:37 in the morning our bunk beds start to shake. It takes me a bit to figure out what´s going on, and after about 10 seconds I said with urgency in my voice, relatively calmly but loud enough so the others could hear, ¨earthquake!¨ I remembered the earthquake training that mom had gave me long ago, and I sprinted for the door frame. I knelt down because with the strength of the shakes I didn´t feel I could stand. They say it lasted just two and a half minutes but of course it felt like twenty. It was pretty scary. The sound of the earth grumbling and things falling off of shelves and tables... it was horrible. The worst was the front door banging and shaking as if Goliath was trying to brake in. But after the matter of the fact, after about half an hour of my body still shaking, recuperating and digesting what had taken place, it was pretty cool. Until in the morning listening to the radio we found out that it was bigger in Concepción and a lot of people had died and been left homeless.
Last night we had a Family Home Evening with the mission. I know that revelation is real. About three weeks back, the president sent us all some papers, telling us what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Also telling us to prepare an emergency backpack with a list of necessary items. I had begun to gather up the things mentioned there but had not finished when the earthquake hit. But thanks to the list, I had a flashlight for the two nights we went without light. I know that God talks to his servants and that he sends revelation. There was a special spirit in the FHE we had last night. I really feel like part of a family here. I know that this is the true church, that God directs it. That He restored it through His prophet Joseph Smith. That He loves us. That we are His children. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That through His atoning sacrifice we may be saved, thanks to the restoration of the church and all the sacred ordinances of His holy priesthood. I´m grateful that I am safe, to be able to give testimony to the humbled people of Chile after this earthquake (Luke 21: 11, 13).

Love,
Elder Jewkes

My brother is not a man of many words...so it's good to hear this descriptive account. I love him so much and am so grateful first for technology so we could hear that he was safe, and for Heavenly Father for keeping him and the other Missionaries safe.