Showered (Part 2)!

On Sunday, we had my church and other friends shower at my good friend Heather's house - she and her husband have been our travel buddies this year, and I am so blessed to have her friendship! There were seven hostesses for this shower, and I have to say that I was so impressed with their creativity! They went above and beyond!

Here I am at the guest sign-in table with the first of the adorable decorations that the girls' found - those little square shaped pictures of the whales and anchors were in the dollar bin at Michael's, and I get to use them in the nursery, too!

This was such a cute idea! Each bag contained a mystery item that we had to guess by feeling them through the bag. The person who got the most right received a prize. I got to keep the items in the bags! We also played guess the name of the baby animal - that was extremely hard! Kudos to Neal's Aunt Barbara who won by getting a whopping 11 correct!

The diaper cake made with 90 size 1 diapers for Camden! It also had one of the blankets and bibs and onesies! Heather does this for a living, so look her up if you are interested in a custom diaper cake - she has talent!

The snacks! We enjoyed broccoli, edamame, cocktail shrimp (they looked like they were swimming!), fruit pizza, and blue ice cream punch that was foamy like the ocean! So cute and delicious!

Blue (like the ocean) cupcakes that had life preservers and boats that were named S.S. Camden as the toppers! These were made by my friend Katie - I had no idea that she needs to go into the cupcake business! I am still enjoying these today!

Playing the guess the baby animal game - we were really surprised to learn some of the answers - I think I would have done better if I had chosen science or elementary education as my teaching specialty!

Another very soft blanket crocheted by my mom for Camden - she made this before we knew whether we were having a girl or a boy, so I chose a very soft khaki colored yarn, because I knew it would go with anything that I chose for the nursery. Camden's first Eric Carle book from my friend Katie - I have always loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and I keep picking it up at the store, but I had been waiting until I found it for a good price. I am so happy to have it for my sweet little boy - I hope he loves it as much as I do!

Hop on Pop shirt from Camden's Aunt Kendyll - she chose this shirt because Neal's dad is going to go by Pop, so this was special for him, too. I think it is really stylish - I wish I had a Dr. Suess shirt in my size!

A set of the most popular Dr. Suess books - I also loved these as a kid - particularly Green Eggs and Ham, and I can't wait to read these to Camden!

Neal's mom and my Aunt Tina - on a side note, Neal's parents will be in Atlanta in a few weeks, so they plan on getting together with my aunt while they are there. I love that my family and Neal's family got to spend so much time together this weekend! It was neat to see everyone interacting and realizing how much they like each other!

Katie with her three month old Graham - he was so well-behaved at the shower! What a cutie!

The hostess gift was a whale bathtub filled with fun bath toys, clothes, and other goodies!

Still finding more cute stuff - I love this puppy dog outfit that says "I love my mommy" on the bib!

With all of my sweet, adorable hostesses - they are an amazing group of women, and I am so happy that we get to be in a small group with them! Christy is missing from this picture, but she had a wedding to attend/participate in, so she missed the shower, but she contributed a great deal of help to the planning and materials, too!

Look at how blessed our baby boy already is!

Comparing bellies with my friend Stephanie - she is due in November, so I guess we will be planning her shower next!

After our shower on Sunday, we put Neal to work on the bassinet, because everyone (all of the family) wanted to see it put together before they left the next morning to go home. I was not allowed to help, so it was very hard for me to give up control and let others do all of the work and directions interpreting!

With the finished product and all of Neal's helpers (my cousins) - I am so relieved that Camden will have a place to sleep when he comes home from the hospital!

Now, I need to finish my thank you notes, wash everything, and hang up the wall decor in the nursery! I am so lucky to have such wonderful, generous friends and family!

Why I Love Tuesday . . .

Today was a busy day! We had our 30 week appointment with the doctor where we heard the heartbeat (still going strong), checked my weight, blood pressure, measurements, urine sample, etc., and found out that everything is still normal. We also had a very long conversation with the doctor about why she would choose a C-section or induction. I love that she will only use these as last resort options and does not like to choose those unless there is nothing else that will work. She also eased my fears about some of the really scary things that have happened to some friends of mine recently during their deliveries. It sounds like she knows what to look for in certain situations, and she also knew how to prevent many of the complications that I have heard about recently. She really made me feel better about our options. By the way, I had all of the serious questions about labor and delivery, and Neal wanted to know if she had ever fallen off of the step that she sometimes has to stand on for C-sections! I will admit that I was just slightly embarrassed, because the question implied that he thought our doctor was really short - I just hope that she wasn't offended! By the way, interesting trivia that we learned today: Sylvester Stallone has a slur in his speech, because he was delivered using forceps that were improperly placed. Who knew?

Here's what I look like at 30 weeks:

We've also been busy working on the nursery! I have completed several artsy items, while my Nana completed all of the sewing projects (they arrived today!), and Neal put together and lifted the furniture items.

More items that I have painted for the nursery - they look great with the nautical theme!

Great lamp that I found at Marshall's!

Memory board made by my friend Keri and her mom - so cute!

Quilt, bumper pads, and bed skirt (made with love by my Nana)

Diaper holder for the changing table - love the detail on this! By the way, this was made by Nana, as well.

Baskets with liners (also made by Nana)

Window treatment made by Nana - she said that this was her favorite part of the nursery items! I think it's pretty awesome, too!

I am so excited to have all of this great stuff for Camden's nursery, and I can't wait to see him in it! He is one very blessed boy! In other news, the doctor said that he is probably laying in a transverse position (which means he is laying across my stomach), and I have noticed that he likes to push up against the part of my stomach that is right next to the belly button. Neal and I like to push him back, because we can feel the hard part where he is hanging out. He has been especially active lately, and I feel like I sit there and my stomach just bounces. I also sometimes think that he is moving so much at night that it is shaking our bed, but Neal hasn't felt anything yet. Today, we also went up to my school to drop off the school supplies I found on sale at Staples last week, and I saw that my Smartboard was installed! For those of you who don't teach, a Smartboard is an awesome screen that you can touch and use for really great interactive lessons - I am so lucky to get to have one thanks to a state grant that we received last year! I can't wait to try it out! Don't you see why this has been a great Tuesday?

To catch you up on last week, I enjoyed chicken and waffles for the first time at a place called Buttons in south Fort Worth - so good! I highly recommend this place, and I loved the fact that we saw the actually chef/owner working in the kitchen - he even talked to us, because we were sitting at the chef's table! On Friday, we drove out to Ikea for shelves (for more nursery stuff) and great food on what Neal coined, "Swedish Day." We also watched a Swedish movie and cooked some of our favorite Swedish foods that night. I actually went to the gym on Saturday (shocking!), and Neal and I hung out at the pool on Sunday morning - Neal can't wait to get to play in the kids' area when Camden is here!

This weekend will be full of hanging out with family and friends for two showers for Camden - I can't wait to see everybody, and enjoy some great food!

Childbirth Crash Course!

On Saturday, Neal and I spent the entire day at the hospital where Camden will be delivered learning about childbirth, breathing exercises, massage (my favorite part!), and taking a tour of the maternity ward. We woke up early (for a Saturday) and treated ourselves to some dough-nuts, because we figured the sugar might help us to wake up. The only thing we knew about the class before we arrived was the time, date, location, and the basics of what the class would teach. We did not know that we were supposed to bring pillows and blankets! Thankfully, the instructor let us borrow some, but I was frustrated that I felt like we came in unprepared. I was thankful that they had coffee, juice, fruit, and pastries to start the morning - Neal especially needed the coffee, because he hit his sugar low when we arrived.

When we all made our introductions, we learned that everyone was due in August or September, and most of the couples were having boys. Some interesting stories about our classmates:

-One lady was 41 when she found out she was pregnant, and she had tried numerous fertility treatments on her own, before she ended up pregnant (the natural way) with her boyfriend of only three months! He even stuck around and was her coach at the class - I was impressed, but also a little worried, because the woman seemed a little high maintenance and hard to handle for long periods of time!

-There was also a teenage girl in our group who was there with her mom (who has refused to be called grandma and looked like a teenager herself), and this girl just seemed terrified of the whole process. I love that both the mom and daughter looked like they share a wardrobe, between the mom's skinny jeans and tight top and the daughter's high top sneakers.

-Another couple (who happened to be the other couple who share the same doctor as we do) is planning on taking their baby to a Rangers game when she is about two weeks old - I'm pretty sure the pediatrician would frown on that, but that's just a guess.

After introductions, we dove right in to the first lecture of the day about each stage of labor and although this was a good review, since it had been awhile since Neal or I had been in a science class, (I guess the teenage girl in our group did have that advantage over us!) we spent way too much time on this! The instructor, a retired nurse from the hospital, described every stage along with a powerpoint, then we watched a video (which basically repeated everything from the powerpoint, but had better visuals), and then we answered review questions that she passed out to the class. Neal said that the one thing that provided a bit of comedic relief throughout this session was the fact that our instructor kept demonstrating/pointing to certain areas of her own body to talk about what would be happening during labor. Let's just say she was overly correct about the areas she would point to so that we knew exactly where each stage was supposed to take place. I will admit that it was awkward to see a 60-something year old woman point to her own female parts when talking about labor and delivery - it just didn't seem to fit! At least it kept us paying attention to what she was talking about! I do feel like I have a better idea of when we should go to the hospital now - I definitely do not want to go up too early, because there are certain things you can't do once you get there, such as a shower or eat or drink anything. I am also really hoping that my pre-labor, etc. will start at home and not at school, I don't want to freak out any junior high students with my contractions!

After an exciting morning of class, we left the room we were in to see the maternity floor of the hospital. There was only one baby in the nursery (I think all of the others were in the postpartum rooms with their families), but it was nice to see where Camden will go right after he is born. Our instructor walked us through each of the areas and described what happens in each room. I was impressed with how nice everything was - it really showed that this part of the hospital had been very recently remodelled and updated. We ended the tour by donning hospital gowns and surgical caps to visit one of the Cesarean rooms. This room was very bright and very sterile. She told us what the whole C-section process would be like, and I just kept thinking the whole time that I really hope we do not have to go with this option. I know that many women get C-sections all of the time, but I am not someone who is comfortable with knowing that I could get cut open. Keep in mind that I have never had any surgery in my life, and the highest number of stitches I have had at any point was about six (I think), and that was for a minor cut. Needless to say, I was really happy when we left that room and were dismissed to go to lunch! One of the other moms in our group was having a tough time in that room, and I saw her having to lean against the instructor when we were leaving. I thought she was upset about seeing the C-section room, but it turns out that her blood sugar was low, and she was feeling weak and on the verge of fainting. She had to meet with her doctor during lunch, so she and her husband had to bring their lunch back to the afternoon session. I was worried that she was going in to labor, because the last time one of my good friends went to a childbirth class with her husband, she ended up in the hospital, because she figured out that her water had broken early! I was beginning to think that these classes jinx people into early labor!

After lunch, we did the fun stuff! Neal and I giggled about the cup of lotion that was put at each our seats, because we didn't know what it was until our instructor pointed it out (we thought it was some type of special ointment that was somehow related to labor and delivery or recovery). We practiced breathing techniques while the coaches (husbands and/or grandmothers) massaged our hands and backs - this was so relaxing! And, Neal and I realized how much I like to have my tummy rubbed, so that has become a new part of our routine each day since our class. I also liked that she had us switch and give the dads hand and back massages, too, so they could experience it! I think that was important, because many times the focus tends to be on me and the baby, and not Neal, so it was good for him to get some TLC, too. We also pretended like we were experiencing contractions during the massages, so we could think about how we could use the breathing and massage to get through a contraction. This was really difficult to imagine, because I have not experienced a contraction before, but it was good to have tools to use for when it does happen. I also got the feeling that this particular instructor really encourages natural births - she did mention that all of her children and grandchildren were born without epidurals. Neal and I definitely plan on practicing the breathing more, so I don't forget it when then the time comes.

After the massages, we watched a video explaining the options regarding pain control, induction, and Cesarean section. I refused to look at the actual needle used during epidurals (needles and I do not get along), but I did look at the cartoon picture of the process, and I learned that the actual needle does not stay in your back, it's not as long as a thought it was, and you can get an epidural later in the labor process than I thought. This actually helped me to feel much more at ease at about this option. I even felt comfortable knowing that I would be okay even if was not able to get an epidural in time. All in all, I came away from this class feeling much more prepared and comforted about the whole process. Now, I keep dreaming about being in labor and visualizing what will happen throughout. This does not mean that I am ready for it to be now, though! I want Camden to stay in a little longer, so he will be healthy when he is born!

That night, we took the dogs for a walk, because we felt really bad about leaving them in their kennel all day, and we met some neighbors that moved in down the street from us in October. They moved in right before they had a baby (who is now 8 months old), and now they are expecting again! They had definitely not planned on having their second that soon, and I could tell that the husband really wants a boy (their first was a girl), and he was kind of jealous of us! They seemed like they don't really know a whole lot of people with little ones, so I have a feeling we will most likely spend more time getting to know them and hanging out - since they are in the same stage of life as we are. On our walk, I also experienced what I believe was my first Braxton-Hicks contraction. There was not really any strong pain, just a lot of tightening of my pelvic area. After it passed, though, I started to feel pain, and it wouldn't go away. I was worried that I wouldn't make it home and kind of freaked out, because I know that Braxton-Hicks are not supposed to last very long. That's when I figured out that I just needed to get to the restroom, so I was thankful that it was nothing serious!

Sorry there are no pictures this time around, but we forgot to take pictures at the hospital - the best would have been us in our hospital gowns and caps, but we were really hungry at that moment, so we were more concerned with taking everything off and getting to Chik Fil-A! Our next appointment is a week from Tuesday, and the nursery is coming along - I hope to have some more pictures of that progress soon!

4th of July, etc.

We decided to take a trip to Houston for the 4th of July to visit my family one last time before Camden arrives in September, and I'm so glad we did! We had fun as usual, and it was great to spend a longer weekend with my parents than we usually do - I don't know what I will do when Neal graduates from school and he goes back to work and our summer trips will have to be cut short and planned around his work schedule! It has been really nice to have a very flexible schedule in the summer time! We woke up very early (6:00 am! Yikes!) to drive to Houston and avoid DFW traffic and made it to my dad's house by 10:15 where we picked up a car seat and two bases that are going to work out very well for us - let's just hope that Camden likes this car seat better than my sister Madison - apparently she hated it and cried the entire time she was in it, but she also didn't like the car very much at first, either. Next, we drove to my mom and stepdad's house where we immediately left for a birthday lunch for my stepdad at El Charro (my favorite Mexican restaurant in Houston - see earlier posts for details).

They embarrassed my stepdad by covering his face in whip cream that came with his birthday sopapilla - he was a good sport about it, though! Unfortunately my mom was at work, so she missed it, but we told her about it when we went up to her school to visit her and her little ones. She even put us to work by having us hold some of her babies - Neal keeps getting all kinds of practice for when his son arrives!

On Saturday, my mom and I did some shopping in the morning before we visited my aunt, uncles, and grandfather in Seabrook for grilled steaks, etc. and fun with the family! It's always exciting when we get together with my mom's side of the family.

Here is my youngest cousin, Lance, and his new best friend "Frankie Bubbles," a new dachshund puppy that my aunt was given by a co-worker. She was adorable and so tiny! I almost wanted to get another puppy, but decided I was happier to just play with this little one.

After the festivities in Seabrook, I was tired, and Penny and Peyton found their favorite places to hang out whenever I am sitting on the couch. Peyton likes to be able to watch everyone and everything while Penny prefers to cuddle and stay close to Camden (and his mom) - I hope this means that she will be very protective of him when he is here!

This was one of our many attempts to get a picture of all of the dogs together on Sunday afternoon, since we don't have a picture of our dogs with my parents' dogs. At first, the only way we could get them to cooperate for a picture was for me to sit with them, but I felt a lot like my new name should be the "Dog Lady." I'm not a fan of that nickname, by the way. Later, we were able to get one of just the dogs.

After church on Sunday - our colors coordinated, and Neal didn't even see what dress I had packed whenever he chose his shirt for church!

While we were in Houston, my mom and I went to Home Depot to look at all the supplies she would need to paint the rooms in my parents' house, and she was really motivated to get started, but she was worried that she would do something wrong when she actually started, so my sweet husband volunteered to help paint my brother's bedroom, so she would feel comfortable painting other rooms on her own (with my stepdad's help, of course). So, instead of going to watch fireworks, we stayed in on Sunday night (we did go to a movie earlier that day) to prep the room and paint. I helped my mom with the cleaning and taping, while Neal and my stepdad cleared out the furniture and covered everything in plastic. Then, Neal, my mom, and my stepdad painted while I sorted through some old toys and mementos that my mom was storing for me. In the background, all four dogs were barking, because they didn't want to be ignored, and they were scared of the sounds of fireworks going off in the street outside of my parents' house. We did turn on some classic rock to try and drown out the "din," but those pups have some lungs! I think "the painters" did a great job, and my parents were so grateful to get the painting started! I think my stepdad was wondering what my mom had gotten them into, but he was ultimately happy with the results, too! However, Penny, our schnauzer, was still mad at us on Monday for neglecting her during the painting!

With their completed masterpiece

My parents even decided to paint my old bedroom on Tuesday, because they were so motivated after the first room was completed! I can't wait to see it in person - they just sent me pictures of it, since they completed this after we came home!

On Tuesday, we had another doctor's appointment where we found out that everything is still going well. Camden's heartbeat was around 130-140 beats per minute. My uterus was still measuring the right amount of centimeters for how far along I am (28 weeks), I had gained some weight (I'm no longer comfortable sharing the actual number, but just know that it's healthy, and nothing to cause the doctor concern). My next appointment is in two weeks, and we will continue to go in every two weeks until the last month when we will switch to once a week appointments, and our next sonogram will be around 36 weeks to check Camden's weight and position for the birth. Crazy how close it is! I am currently 28 weeks along, so only 12 weeks, or 3 months, left. I can remember when I was just that far along - I can't believe how quickly time has gone by! For lunch, we took Neal's sister, Kendyll, out for her birthday to this awesome Italian place in Southlake that serves authentic Italian-style pizza. It really tasted like I was back in Florence or Rome - I can't wait to go back (sorry, for no pictures - I didn't think to take any while we were eating, because it was that good!)! We also stopped at my new favorite place, What's Up Cupcake, in Keller, on the way home to get cupcakes for Kendyll's birthday dessert (by the way, we also brought some of these down to Houston for my stepdad's birthday - they were a big hit there, as well!). Even though it's my new favorite, I promise that Kendyll did ask to go there - I didn't choose it for her! Neal and I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon before we went to the Rangers game with Kendyll. Every year, she gets to use season tickets from a family friend who goes to her parents' church in Athens, and this year, she invited Neal and I to come along, too!

With the birthday girl outside of the ballpark

Wearing our matching (free!) hats at the ballpark (by the way, thanks to my mother-in-law, I have a comfortable Heidi Klum maternity tank top in Rangers blue to wear to the games!)

Oh, and did I mention that our seats were right behind the visitors' dugout at the ballpark? This was my view at the game! The player in the middle is Kerry Wood (apparently he is from DFW and I think he used to play for the Rangers), and we felt kind of awkward throughout the game, because the Indians who were in the dugout would periodically turn around and stare at us while we were staring at them. They were really nice about signing autographs for several of the kids who were sitting around us, though. By the way, that's C. J. Wilson who was pitching for the Rangers. I have several more action shots from the game, but I decided not to fill up my blog with them, although it was so cool to be that close to the action! The Rangers had a great game (they won!), but there were several unexpected things that happened. First of all, Neal's sister was disappointed that her favorite player, Michael Young, was not playing (this is the first game that he has sat out for this year) along with one of their best starters, Elvis Andrus. Then, during the very first inning, someone sitting in the next section over from us was hit in the collarbone by a foul ball - it hit him so hard that I heard a crack, he had to sit down, and was taken to a first aid station to get checked out. This made me really pay attention, because I had visions of what happens to Drew Barrymore in the movie, Fever Pitch - let's just say that it's not a good idea to bring your office to the ballpark.

The scariest thing happened during the fifth inning when Nelson Cruz hit a foul ball up to the second level on the first base side (remember, we were sitting on the third base side), and a fan leaned over to try and catch it and fell from the second level to the first level (about a 30 foot fall). Because of where we were sitting, we saw the entire thing happen, and it did not seem real. If you know me well, you know that I am very scared of heights, and one of my worst nightmares would be to fall from one of the upper levels at a baseball field - my hands are getting clammy as I type this, and I would never even consider reaching out for a foul ball at a game. I was immediately nauseous and so worried about the guy who fell. The lady sitting behind us kept saying, "Everyone needs to stop and pray." The entire ballpark was silent as the emergency medical staff came in to assess the situation and transport him to the hospital. The thing that angered me about the situation was that fans sitting in the area where it happened moved closer, even though the best idea in that type of situation is to move away to give the experts a chance to get closer and get their job, and some of those people even got out their cameras and started taking pictures. I couldn't believe their insensitivity! I really wasn't sure if the game would continue, but after they were able to transport out the injured man and the people that he landed on, the game started again five minutes later. Several of the players looked away, because they thought he had died, while others stopped and prayed. We kept hoping to hear an update on the man's injuries, but we didn't really hear anything until after the game when we got back to the car and heard about it on the radio. Apparently, he was able to move his extremities when the paramedics arrived, and he was responsive. Today, Neal heard on ESPN radio that miraculously, he only suffered a concussion and a sprained ankle - they believe that because he was a firefighter and in good physical condition that he fared better than others might have in the same situation. Also, the people sitting in the area where he fell were fine, and they were even able to stay for the rest of the game. So, maybe those prayers helped! Still, this is probably the scariest thing that I have ever seen in person, and I was so grateful that we were sitting in the lowest possible row at the ballpark - otherwise, we would have had to go home. Thankfully, the rest of the game went smoothly, although the man who fell was still on our minds throughout the night.

Here is our group after the game (Kendyll's friend, Kelly, from church also came to the game)

On Saturday, Neal and I are taking our all day crash course about the childbirth process. I am hoping to learn some valuable information, and I think that Neal is hoping that he will be able to last the entire day - even though he is currently a student, I think the thought of sitting in a class for an entire today does not appeal to him. Let's pray that he is not too antsy!

Beach Trip!

This is my second attempt at this post today - my first attempt was deleted this afternoon, so hopefully this one works out! After finishing all of the laundry, completely unpacking, taking a trip to the grocery store, and catching up on some school work, I decided that I finally had the time to sit down and write about our awesome vacation weekend in Seagrove Beach, Florida. For those of you who have never heard of this place, it is about halfway between Destin and Panama City Beach, a little bit off of the beaten path, very family friendly, and gorgeous! Neal and I took this trip with two other couples from our small group to celebrate our friend Joel's thirtieth birthday (even though he looks like he could be one of the younger members of our group), and because we all have fun together! If you know me very well, you would know that the beach will always be my top choice for a vacation, so I was thrilled when Florida was chosen as the location for our trip. However, I was not so thrilled when I found out that BP had created a huge oil spill in the Gulf just weeks before our trip was scheduled. We thought about cancelling and choosing another place, but I'm so glad we didn't. Not only did I feel good to be contributing to the economy of the Gulf Coast, but I also only saw minimal oil flecks/flakes and just a few tar balls. Other than that, the water was almost completely clear. In fact, the only "pests" in the water happened to be a four foot shark that swam very close to shore and encouraged us all to get out of the water in a hurry and June grass which is a type of seaweed that is very green and tends to be really thick during the month of June. Neither one of these problems actually hurt anyone there, although a few people were terrified of the shark!

We drove the first half of the trip over two days, so we wouldn't be completely exhausted by the time we made it to the beach. Our friend Dave borrowed his parents suburban for the trip and did all of the driving! I am so grateful that he did that, although I know that he had to have been very worn out! We spent the first night of our trip at a LaQuinta in Jackson, Mississippi (it had the cheapest room while still offering breakfast) and were very disappointed to wake up to no water in the entire hotel, because a water main had broken in the area sometime during the night. So, we just ended up leaving a little earlier (and smellier) than we had planned. When we arrived in Seagrove, we immediately hit the beach and played! The water was clear, the sand was white, and we didn't get a drop of rain! Each day at the beach we saw several workers who combed the beach with nets looking for oil and cleaning what they found. They looked miserable, because they all wore long sleeves and pants with gloves, hats, and face masks. I think they were trying to protect themselves from the sun, but they had to be sweltering in those clothes! They were also very interested in the game of "Ladder Ball" that the guys in our group were frequently playing.

In the evenings, we went out for dinner, where we enjoyed lots of yummy seafood and great company. On Thursday night, we explored Rosemary Beach where everyone seemed to have large families that were generally very good looking and well-off. We kind of felt out of place, because we didn't have any little ones with us, although that will be a different story if we go back next year. We saw a movie set up in the park, families playing games, and people spending ridiculous amounts of money on items such as candy and ice cream, but it was fun to explore. On Friday night, we drove to Panama City where we ate at the Boatyard (this was special for Joel and Christy, because this is where they had their rehearsal dinner for their wedding) and I ate some of the best fried grouper and oysters that I have ever had! Then, we walked around looking at the boats that were parked in the harbor and ended the evening with a trip to Ms. Newby's - a very trashy, outdoor, live music club for the locals. It was here that I am not very proud to say that I had a hormone-induced meltdown. I think that I was tired, worried about the smokers around me (even though we were outside), and generally uncomfortable - mostly because I was sweating like crazy. I remember sitting there feeling like I was going to cry and telling myself not to cry, yet the tears just started to flow and there was no turning back. Neal and I went for a walk to calm down, and I couldn't even explain why this was happening, but I felt better to breathe more fresh air and get away from the loud music. It was weird, because usually I would enjoy watching the people in a place like that make fools of themselves, but my hormones would not allow it! By the way, it was at this place that an older woman, who looked like she poses for the after pictures in ads for places to help meth addicts, tried to make out with Neal and each of the other husbands in our group. Neal was the only one that she managed to kiss on the cheek. Needless to say, one of the security guys escorted her home. Also, the lead singer of the band kept reminding everyone to take another "swallow" of whatever beverage they were drinking while sporting a dress that resembled the label of a Budweiser bottle (and was probably painted on, that's how tight it fit) with her thigh-high red boots. Let's just say that this was not the kind of place we usually frequent. I am so glad we chose a condo in Seagrove and not around Panama City - it just seemed too touristy and dirty for me.

On Saturday, we spent the morning at the beach, then came back to the condo, cleaned up, and the guys went to watch a disappointing World Cup game between the US and Ghana while the girls hit up the outlet mall in Destin. I managed to find a great dress for one of my showers and I just couldn't resist a cute little layette for Camden at Carter's. All around it was a successful trip. That night, we went to Coram's, a Waffle House-type establishment that serves more than just breakfast and is a favorite among the locals, for Joel's birthday. I had a pretty good pancake and hash brown here, so I can see why he wanted to go there! After dinner, we enjoyed a beautiful walk on the beach for the sunset. I forgot how much I love that part of a beach trip, and I wished that we had thought to do that every night that we were there - I think that our hunger usually won, though! We drove home yesterday, and I have been wishing I was back in Florida ever since.

I think that my doctor would be very proud of me for staying hydrated, wearing plenty of sunscreen (I even reapplied), and managing to sit in the shade a few times. She was a bit nervous about how late in the pregnancy I was travelling and that I would be outside in the summer heat so much, but she gave plenty of warnings about what could happen if I did not take care of myself, and I'm glad I listened! The only thing that was difficult was the time in the car - my hips and lower back would really start to stiffen up in the car, so I am glad that we made sure this was our last big trip before Camden arrives. For now, I am focusing on doing what I need to around the house to prepare for his arrival and trying to stay cool and comfortable. Here are the pictures that I know you are dying to see:

The bump at the beach - with a few of my toes in the water

27 weeks at the beach

Loved this sunset!

Hangin' out at Rosemary Beach

Romantic picture with the sun setting in the background

The girls on our trip (Christy, Heather, and myself)

Our group

The girls on the beach - Sorry, but I had to leave the beached whale pictures out of this post - I'm just not into posting pictures of myself at 6 months pregnant on a public website. I'm still not happy that someone posted a few of them on Facebook. :(

Heather and I digging our perfectly polished toes in the sand

The view from the balcony at our condo - that water is gorgeous!

"Jersey Shore" night in Panama City - Neal bought matching shirts for all of the guys

The whole group - after dinner at the Boatyard

Yay for Seagrove Beach, Florida!

By the way, today is officially the first day of my third trimester! I am excited that Camden is almost here and that our nursery is almost finished. We still have the showers to look forward to, and I get to spend most of the rest of the pregnancy at home, although I am trying to rest up for when I do have to go back to school. I am not excited about the summer heat, however. I really do feel it much more than I usually do! I also need finish up the curriculum that I promised to work on this summer - and that I have been procrastinating about! We might travel to Houston this weekend to see my family or we'll hang out here. Stay tuned to find out!

Nesting

Neal said to me the other day that he knows that typically women seem to really get into nesting during the pregnancy, but that he feels that he really needs to know that the nursery is done - otherwise we won't be ready for Camden's arrival. He was really worried that our nursery would not get painted and that our furniture would not get set up, etc. Not that I have not had nights that I have stayed awake just thinking about all of the things that need to be done this summer, because, believe me, I have! I just don't talk about it all of the time, because it makes me think about it more, which makes me stay up at night thinking about it, which makes me a really tired, cranky person the next day. So, to make Neal (and secretly, me) more at ease, we did some nesting today! Here is a picture before Neal and his sister painted (I would have helped, but we did not buy the special paint that is safe for pregnant women):

I did contribute by taping all of the edges, because that takes place before the painting and because both Neal and Kendyll think that it is the worst part of painting a room. I was very impressed that it only took them an afternoon to paint this room, because the other rooms that we have painted in our house have usually taken more time. Here is the after picture:

We still need to remove the tape (and set up the furniture), but I just couldn't resist sharing this now, because we are so relieved to have this done! I am so thankful that Kendyll was willing to come over and help - I know she will be tired and sore tomorrow. And, did I mention that she had worked a 12 hour night shift at the hospital on Friday night, so she was really sacrificing a lot to help us! By the way, we chose to paint the nursery a neutral brown (Mississippi Mud at Home Depot), because Neal did not want to have to paint over a color that was clearly meant for a baby's room if we ever happen to move. Also, this is the color that we painted in our bedroom, and I love it because it is neutral, so relaxing, and goes well with several colors. I really think that our fabrics will stand out well with this color. And, just in case you thought I was doing nothing while the nursery was painted, here is a picture of what I painted!

I bought three art canvases and acrylic paints from Hobby Lobby to complete this. A friend of mine suggested that I use dafont.com to find a cool font for the letters, and I borrowed my projector from school to trace the words and pictures. This verse has been really special to me during the pregnancy - it has comforted me any time that I have felt sick or uncomfortable or when I have thought something was wrong (By the way, nothing bad has happened, but with the Internet and hearing other people's stories, pregnant women sometimes freak out about every ache or pain). This is something I have prayed many times over the last six months! The colors were matched to the fabric for the nursery, and Neal suggested the nautical pictures. He has really wanted to decorate our house in a nautical theme, but we haven't found many items that don't look too old-fashioned or that happen to match the colors that we have chosen for the rest of our house. I think it really works in the baby's room, and since I have only chosen stripes and polka dots so far, it will be easy to incorporate. By the way, please do not go out and buy sailboats and other nautical items for the nursery, because I am very picky about what I want the room to look like! I also found some unfinished wood boats and other items at Hobby Lobby that I can't wait to paint soon! Stay tuned for pictures showing continued progress with our nursery. . .