I forgot one...

oh, I forgot to put Rowan on the list...so, it's on the name list.

Corporate Training lessons

What i've learned over the last week...

1. Professional training is good, but...boring at times, redundant at times, elementary at times, and overwhelming at times. In the end, though, you learned something, right?!

2. Look behind you 8 times before backing out of a parking space.

3. Speak up if you don't think the car accident is your fault! and especially speak up if you KNOW it's not your fault. You'll regret it if you don't. (yes, i got in a car accident...in the company car!!! one of the worst moments ever...as if being away from 2 weeks wasn't bad enough. wasn't my fault, but either way, cop decided we were both at fault. Thank goodness the company was understanding and made me feel better about it!)

4. Eating on the company tab can be fun (even if you are pregnant, can't have an adult beverage, and are dining by yourself...with room service)! Experiment! (within reason, of course!)

5. Always check the amenities at the hotel before traveling (believe it or not, some hotels, still don't have "business centers" or fitness centers.

6. Time flies...sometimes even when you're not having so much fun. Cherish every minute.

7. It's nice to sit outside on a sunny day, eat frozen yogurt, and just watch the world pass by...even if you are by yourself.

8. BUT, nothing's nicer or better than being home. With family and friends.

3 more days...

pictures from home

My parents have been helping Justin out a lot while I've been away. Really, they're just taking advantage of me being gone and have picked Ruby Belle up from day care every day so Justin can have some time to stay at work or just enjoy a few minutes without being a single dad. I think they've even managed to feed him dinner a few nights. I'm thankful that they are eager to pick her up and have some play time, but even more thankful that they've been sending me pics all week!! Just to share a few...

This one said "Making her earn her keep." She LOVES to hang out outside at my parents, and almost always wants to have a broom and dust pan in her hand!! Let's hope this desire to help sweep lasts through her teenage years!

So, after all the hard work, she needed a bath. She LOVES bath time at their house!!

Playing dress up after bath time!

getting into the spirit of the Easter season...

Boy, oh, boy! Name poll #1

Boy names are so hard!!! We're so thrilled to be having a baby boy, but boy, this name thing hard!!! I know we have quite a few more weeks (17 to be exact) to talk about this, but it's so much fun to think of baby names!

So, here's what we've come up with. Nothing is just jumping out at me and I'm reaching to all names (you may think some are way off the wall) to try to find the perfect name for our baby boy. I'm very open (and won't be offended) by your thoughts and want to hear them!

-Briggs
-Nash
-Beck
-Tate (love this one the most so far, but have some friends in Arkansas with a son by the same name...so, struggling)
-Riser
-Cy
-Lewis
-Butler

Middle name to come later, but that one will be a family name probably.

Help!!!

one week down...

one week to go... ugh.

i'm in South Carolina with my new job. they sent me here to train...for 2 whole weeks!!! 2. whole. weeks. double ugh!!

Highlights and Lowlights of the trip so far.
Lowlights:

1 . I miss my baby....TERRIBLY!!

2. I miss my husband...TERRIBLY!

3. The training proctor is SO getting on my nerves. (Don't they all?!) I'm not sure he's cracked much more than a slight smile even twice.

4. I spent the first week without any computer access. (there's not even a computer center/business center in the hotel!) Sad, I know, but we're so connected with the world via internet, that it's been rough!

5. I only have about 4 decent television channels...thank goodness TLC is one of them, but I hate to say it's not as good as HGTV would have been.

6. There's no fitness center in the hotel.

7. We have 1 car to share.

8. I'm pregnant (yes, a blessing) and can't drink at least one cocktail to get me through some of this pain!

9. I'm missing my brother's 30th birthday party :-( it's sure to be a blast!! I moved to Shreveport so I wouldn't miss this kind of fun! ugh

10. I'm stuck at this training 5 days a week with 3 guys and that's it. Just me and 3 guys I didn't know until now. Kinda awkward, but kinda in my favor...

Because the #1 highlight is that we were supposed to share rooms., but I got lucky and don't have to since there are no other girls! No, not your regular hotel room, but a suite. you know, 2 separate bedrooms each with their own bathroom, but a shared living/kitchen space. Still, it's sharing a room with a perfect stranger! SO, lucky me! I have a room all to myself! Sadly, this "room" is larger than the "Smith Suites" my family and I have been living in for the last 3 months! and I'm all alone!

Here's my home away from home.

the "shared living space"

it even has a washer & dryer in the room!!

2. My sweet husband and mom sent me our laptop per my request and it just arrived today!! So, now i'm connected, can blog, and can even catch up on some TV I've missed over the last few months!! Cheap/free entertainment!! Yippee!!

3. We have access to a gym...it's just about 2-3 miles down the road.

4. We just have 1 more week!!!

I cannot WAIT to get back to my family!!! I'm praying this weekend and next week fly by!!

It's (almost) ours!!!

here it is!! our new home!!! well, not yet. we close on April 15th, THEN it's our new home!!! I don't think that day could come any faster :-) we are super stoked about this place! mainly because it's ours, but also because we love it, we feel like we've waiting and played the house bidding game for TOO long (really it wasn't THAT long, but it felt like it), it's in a great neighborhood, and it's going to be just perfect for our little family!! We put offers in 3 different times (on 2 other houses and this one) before we scored on this one! 4th times a charm! the house is not as big as some we looked at and a little more pricey per square foot than some we looked at, but it's NOT a "fixer-upper" like some we looked at either. We like to fix things up and were a little hesitant on this house because there's really nothing to "fix up," but I think in the end it was the best deal. The bonus is that we won't have to fix much up and really that's probably smart considering we have a 1 1/2 yr old and a new baby on the way soon!! Praise God for knowing what's best!!

check out the pics below! The current owners have great taste!

The front. You can't really see it from here, but it's got a pretty good front porch to just hang out on.

The kitchen! I can't wait to hang out here! it's so cute and open!! and it's really inspiring me to start cooking!!! The den. There's also a formal living room, but this will probably get the most use while the kids are young!

The backyard! I love it!! I can't wait to watch our kids play here!!

Baby boy belly pics

so, i said i would post them...and i'm regretting it. Maybe i'm a little more self-conscious or a little more modest this time around, but i think i'm going to regret posting these. here it goes.

16 Weeks

20.5 weeks

I feel SOOO much bigger than this!!! and starting to get uncomfortable.

really, i can't wait to be oh, 30+ weeks pregnant where i look pregnant, can embrace having a big belly (hopefully nothing else will get TOO big this time around), and have a full wardrobe of full out maternity clothes instead of the "not-big-enough-yet-for-maternity-clothes-yet" clothes. Still trying to wear your regular clothes and not being able to button them is not as comfortable as "everyone who has advice for you when you're pregnant" may say. really, it's not comfortable...and neither is the Bella Band. really.

and really, i remember enjoying being "big belly pregnant" last time...hoping that i remember that in about 10-12 weeks!