Only Erica....

Hello Busy Bee followers! I'm Erica and I chill out over at my blog, Young and Fabulous!

Okay as you all know, there's been lotsa baby talk on this here blog? Why? WELL...Kristin is pregnant!! EEEK EEK EEK! Honestly, Kristin was one of my first blog followers and I've been reading ever since she got proposed to! Yeah..we go BACK! I can't even explain how excited I am for her and her hubs!

So pretty much daily, Kristin, Carolyn, Katie, Jess and I have group texts where we talk about everything under the sun. Recent topics? Babies of course!

What better thing to do is see what their baby will look like, eh? Baby Bee Boy!

Okay not too bad he's still a cutie! But I know Kristin and Jason's babe will be WAY cuter.

So then I was like...hmm I wonder if Kristin and I artificially inseminated ourselves with our own fluids, what our child would look like?

Hmm. Not sure about this one but I am liking the little mohawk looking thing going on! And the puppet looking mouth!

So maybe Jess and Kristin's baby would be cute too?

NOO idea why that says Carolyn!

No words. It looks as if one of their fluids got mixed up with someone elses! But hey at least she is pinch cheeking cute!!

Then it was Katie and Kristin's turn to swap fluids

I don't know if this is a boy or girl but whatever it is, he's got the Elvis lip goin on and some weird looking Star Wars hair!

I had to save the best/creepiest for last. Carolyn. Her partner in crime. I don't know why, but this little girl creeps me the heck out! She looks like she belongs in the shining!

Okay Kristin...I think your safest bet will be your own child with your own hubs. And we CANNOT wait to see little baby bee! But in case in the future you want a different looking child, you have us girls and the estimation of what they'll look like! :-)

"I'm Pregnant" FAQs

Thank you all so much for all the love these past couple of days! 

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It feels so good to finally go "public" with the news and I am completely overwhelmed by all of the comments and messages I received from all of you. You are truly too sweet. 

I'm sure you're already sick of hearing about my baby, sorry, you're in for a long 5 months! J

But, I have found that when I tell people I’m pregnant, they all ask the same series of questions. And even though a lot of these were kind of answered in my last couple of posts, you were all asking…so I figured I’d dedicate this post to getting all those FAQ’s answered.

Was this planned?

No, this was a complete and total surprise! Jason and I had talked about starting to try at the end of this year or early next year, but God had different plans.

How did you find out?

If you missed it, the whole story is posted HERE.

Are you going to find out the gender?

Yes! I am far too type-A not to know what I’m having. I cannot wait to know for sure!

Do you have names picked out?

We have a boy’s first name picked out with a couple of middle name options. Then we have a couple of girl’s name options with a for sure middle name picked out. We did decide though, that since we’re finding out the sex we’re going to keep the name top secret until D-Day.

Do you plan to breastfeed?

I’ve been pret-ty shocked at how many people have asked me this. Yes, I do plan to breastfeed and believe that it would be ideal, but I’m well aware that things don’t always go as planned so we’ll see how everything goes when the time comes.

How did you tell your families?

I had always imagined telling them in some cute way with custom bibs or picture frames or something, but everything was such a surprise I didn’t really have time to think of something cute before we were telling them. We just couldn’t wait. So we pretty much just blurted out the news to all sets of parents. Their reactions were all I needed, without or without a "cute" reveal. 

Any morning sickness?

I have been extremely lucky. Besides really sore boobs and major fatigue, I haven’t really had any icky symptoms.

How’s your diet?

It floors me how interested people are in a pregnant woman’s diet, and of course, everyone has an opinion! I plan on doing a full preggo health post, but I have increased my calories, am still using myfitnesspal to keep track and am trying hard to get a good variety of foods with all the essential nutrients. Easier said than done. Especially these past few weeks when nothing sounds good.

Are you going to stay in your townhouse?
Our current lease is through November, and there is no way I'm moving with a newborn. Plus, we LOVE our townhouse and have plenty of space for a tiny little addition. Ideally, I'd like to buy a house in the next two years. So that's the current plan.

Finally, I am SO super excited because today I am officially 12 weeks!

END OF THE FIRST TRIMESTER IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
3 months down, 6 to go!

Holler!
I am hoping what everyone says is true and I will start to get some energy back in the next week or two. 

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Jason and I are off to Denver tonight to help my dad run another basketball tournament. I’m extending my stay a couple of days so I can see my grandparents, Aunt & Uncle and cousins who all live out there!

I’ll be back Tuesday night! Until then, I hope you all have a great weekend! 

My Belly {weeks 9-12}

via thebump & babycenter

Size of the baby?  

Baby has grown from the size of an olive to the size of a plum in just 4 weeks! 

Total Weight Gain/Loss?  

Up 4 pounds already. bah.

Maternity Clothes?  
I bought a maternity swimsuit because if it suddenly gets to be pool weather I WILL NOT be wearing a bikini. So might as well take the plunge and get a preggo suit, right? 
ps. Did you know they have fake bellies at maternity stores for trying on clothes?!?! I did NOT. Needless to say that was the strangest moment of my life putting that puppy on. Yes there is a picture and NO I will not be sharing it. 
But this is the suit I got:

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cute, right?

Stretch marks?  
None to be seen yet! Hallelujah. 

Best Moments?  

Week 9: This week was really rough. My allergies are so brutal and there is no safe medication strong enough to give me any relief. Feeling like crap and being so tired made me extra crabby this whole week BUT still no morning sickess...so that's the best moment of this week...YAY! 

Week 10: Telling my boss! It's a very nerve-racking thing because obviously a preggo lady is not the most ideal employee! Especially since I've only worked here 6 months. BUT, he was absolutely incredible. I am so lucky to have the job that I do and to have such a kickass boss. I literally felt drunk from relief after telling him. 

Week 11: My first doctors appointment! I absolutely adore my doctor, I've been seeing her since I was 15 and she got me through my endo-drama. Seeing her made me feel so good about everything! Plus seeing the baby is always a MAJOR moment. We could see the heart beating away and a tiny white line that is the spine! I also had my husby and bff there to entertain me:

this would be them using the light a a microphone. love them! 

Week 12:  FINALLY, up to date! This week has been rough so far. I am just too tired to function. I'm tired to the point where I feel sick, but no matter how much sleep I get I still feel exhausted. BUT, the best moment of this week without question was going public! I was SO overwhelmed by all the love, this little nugget is a lucky one. 

Movement? 

Not yet, but apparently only another month or two 'til I can feel the nugget squirming around. 

Food Cravings?  

These past few weeks I have been dying over Pasta Roni White Cheddar Shells. 

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Literally, could eat a box for every meal. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? 
I've gagged a few times while brushing my teeth and I get queasy when I go too long without eating. It's strange that I can tell the baby needs more nutrients. I am hungry way more often and get stripped of all energy when I go too long without eating, which makes me queasy. 

What I miss?  
Giving up alcohol has been a lot easier than I anticipated. I don't miss getting drunk but I do miss having a cocktail with friends or a glass of wine with dinner. 

What I'm looking forward to?  
Going public with the news! A lot of friends and family already know, but it will be nice when it's no longer a secret. Which, by the time you read this it won't be!

Nausea/Vomiting?  
I've had some bouts of nausea here and there, more-so in the past couple of weeks but it's been pretty minimal and I haven't puked once! I am sooo grateful! 

Labor signs?  
Still got a ways to go before that fun starts. 

Gender? 

Still won't know for a while, but according to thebump.com's Chinese Gender Chart, we're having a girl! 

via thebump

Belly Button In or Out?  

Still in there.

Wedding rings On or Off?  
Still on. Whoop! 

Sleep?  

Wisdom?  

Everyone has an opinion and when you're pregnant they're not afraid to share it. You and your baby-daddy need to figure out what is best for you and stick with it, despite what other people say. It's your baby to grow and raise, so if you mess up it's only your fault and when everything goes awesome you get all the credit! 

READ all of my bumpdates by clicking HERE! 

My Belly {weeks 4-8}

The first few weeks were truly a whirlwind. After we found out {read yesterday’s post HERE} it took several days, if not weeks to really accept what was going on. Not because we weren't happy or excited but because it was so NOT planned and came as a complete shock.

Of course, first thing Monday morning I called my doctor’s office to schedule an appointment. Like most offices they don’t see you for a full exam until you’re 8-10 weeks along. I had been having some significant pain in my right side, which is actually pretty normal for me because of my history with endometriosis {read that whole story HERE} and so they suggested I come in for a blood test just to make sure the HCG {pregnancy hormone} was at a regular level. Two days later I had my blood test and everything came back normal, but because of my history with endometriosis they wanted to do an ultrasound just to be certain there wasn’t an ectopic pregnancy {when the baby doesn’t make it to the uterus and starts growing somewhere else, usually the fallopian tubes.} So the day after that, Jason and I went in for my first ultrasound.

I truly cannot describe the feeling of seeing that tiny little sac safely in the uterus where it belonged. As you can see it looked like nothing more than a white blob but knowing it was safe and healthy and actually SEEING it in there was so overwhelming. It was at that point that I fell in love and really felt like this was all happening.

On the ultrasound they did find a cyst on my right ovary that was leaking fluid and was what was causing the pain. I guess this is pretty normal and called a corpus luteum and is nothing to be concerned about. Just to be safe they scheduled another ultrasound for 10 days later which I was over-the-moon about, the more times I can go in and make sure that bambino is safe the better!

Other than that initial little scare everything has been going pretty great. I instantly starting doing the weekly bump-date journals and decided instead of sharing ALL of them, I would group them in to the first 4-8 week and then tomorrow will share the next 9-12, bringing you right up to date! J

via thebump & babycenter

Size of the baby?  

Started off as a tiny little poppyseed and grew to a plump little raspberry in just 4 weeks!

Total Weight Gain/Loss?  

The first couple of weeks I actually lost weight which I attribute to eating way healthier and not drinking. As of week 8, I have gained 1.2 pounds which puts me right on track according to the Weight Gain Calculator I have been using.

Maternity Clothes?  

I have been doing a lot of online browsing, but at this point I have just purchased one plain white tank from Old Navy and have yet to wear it.

Stretch marks?  

Not yet, thank goodness! I’m sort of hoping I am one of the lucky few who doesn’t get any…a girl can dream, right?

Best Moments?  

Week 4:  The complete shock of finding out wearing off, and getting excited.

Week 5: Telling some select friends and family. All the reactions have been pretty similar so far -- totally surprised, but excited and happy for us. It felt great getting it out to a few people...living with this kind of secret is HARD! 

Week 6: Getting baby’s first outfit!

My Beeb bought this for us! Seriously, how cute is that? 

It’s a onesie with matching burp cloth! 

Week 7: Seeing the heartbeat! Just knowing everything is OK in there is the BEST feeling ever! 

Week 8: Week 8 was kind of an emotional roller-coaster (damn those hormones) but my mom was in town from Arizona, so finally getting to see her and talk about the baby in person was really special. 

Movement? 

Umm, no. Not for a while still.

Food Cravings?  

The only major craving I have had so far has been for hummus and watermelon...not together, though that may be good. Oh, and Jimmy John’s, once I found out I couldn't eat deli meat I started to crave Jimmy Johns. And I guarantee it’s only the fact that I can’t have it that makes me want it so bad.

Anything making you queasy or sick? 

Thankfully, not really. I can no longer handle eating sausage or bratwurst…something about the casing really makes me gag. And then fresh veggies, they all taste dirty. I can handle frozen veggies but nothing fresh. 

What I miss?  

Truthfully there isn’t anything I miss terribly at this point. I mean, sure, I would LOVE a giant glass of Chardonnay or an ice cold Twisted Tea but I haven’t really gotten to the point where I’m dying to have anything yet.

What I'm looking forward to?  

I cannot wait to get in for my first full exam on April 13^th. It’ll be my first time seeing my doctor, who has been my doctor since I was 13. I absolutely love her and know I’m in great hands. So having that appointment will be really reassuring and exciting.

Nausea/Vomiting?  

Praise the Lord, NO! I have had a couple of days where I felt really crappy and I was certain it was the beginning of morning sickness, but thankfully the next day I felt great and I haven’t felt too bad since. KNOCK ON WOOD, I continue to feel this good.

Labor signs?  

Not for a while, thank goodness! I’m just getting used to the idea of being pregnant, I’m going to need these next 7 months to accept that a baby is coming.

Gender? 

I have no idea, one minute I am sure it’s a boy and the next I am visualizing girl stuff everywhere…it’s just too soon to have a feeling one way or the other.

Belly Button In or Out?  

Eight weeks down and it’s still an innie.

Wedding rings On or Off?  

I have made it my personal goal to wear my wedding rings the entire pregnancy {again, wishful thinking}. But I’ve made it 8 weeks so how hard can 32 more weeks be? I know all you mamas out there are laughing at me right now.

Sleep?  

I didn’t know what tired was until I became pregnant. Holy Smokes! I can only imagine what its going to feel like down the road and after the nugget arrives. Needless to say I have been exhausted. I’ve been averaging an 8:30pm bed time but have hit the hay as early as 7:30pm on several occasions.

Wisdom?  

Several things from these first 8 weeks:

*God has a plan, and it’s bigger than yours, so just trust that He knows what He’s doing.

*Fresh air and sunshine can work wonders on your mood.

*When you’re tired, sleep.

*Marrying your best friend is a really good idea.

I’m realizing this advice is not even specific to pregnancy. 
Apparently carrying a baby has made me very wise. 

READ all of my bumpdates by clicking HERE! 

Oh, Just a Lil Surprise!

I'M PREGNANT!

On Friday March 2^nd I was driving home from work so excited for the weekend because I had a special date planned for Jason. I had rented a cabin in Northern Minnesota and booked a wine tasting at the resort. For some strange reason (a reason I now know was God) I felt this sudden urge to take a pregnancy test. I remember thinking to myself “if by some off chance I am pregnant I don’t want to spend the whole weekend drinking.” So I got home around 4:30pm and took a test. I had two leftover from a previous post-honeymoon scare—turns out eating and drinking non-stop for 6 days in a foreign country gives you very similar symptoms to pregnancy.

Anyways, I took the test and immediately saw two pink lines.

I really wish I could remember my exact reaction, but seeing as Bailey was the only one with me and she doesn’t speak I will never truly know how coo-coo the next 60 minutes were.

The first thing I did upon seeing the double line was run downstairs to the computer to google what caused a false positive…turns out, not a lot. But, one culprit was an expired test, which just had to be it. I ran back upstairs, checked the test: Expires May 2013. I then proceed to chug two full glasses of water and take the second test: two pink lines.

This is where I really lost it. I throw Bailey in the car and the two of us run to Walgreens and purchase two more pregnancy tests (two different brands, I might add) and a Vitamin Water. I chug the Vitamin Water on the car ride home and promptly take the next two tests, one of which displayed a plus sign and the other:

One of the few things I do remember about all of this (because I am very confident I blacked out) was standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror and thinking “I’m pregnant.”

Then I got dizzy and had to sit down.

I called Jason who was on his way home from work and as calmly as possible said “when will you be home?” He was stopping at his dad’s to get firewood, so I knew it would be a while.

After about 20 minutes of not being able to stand it any longer I called him again and more frantically asked him when he would be home. He was just minutes away, so I told him to come right inside when he got home (opposed to unloading the firewood—which makes him sound like a lumberjack,  but he’s not) to which he responded,

“You’re creepy.”

Finally after what felt like an eternity of sitting in the dark and staring at the wall (no joke, that’s what I did), Jason came home. I met him at the door, grabbed his hand and said,

“I need to show you something.”

After leading him up to the bathroom it didn’t take long for him to see the four positive pregnancy tests lined up on the counter.

Everything from here once again goes dark. I know he didn’t say anything, so I began to yell at him to say something, and then I’m pretty sure I lost it. I cried in his chest saying things similar to…

“I’m not ready.”

“It’s too soon.”

“I’m scared.”

“We just got married.”

I won’t lie, I had a panic attack. But then my darling husband calmed me down (as he always does) simply by saying,

“Toot, this is our chance.”

Since being diagnosed with endometriosis in high school I have had a constant fear of not being able to conceive. Though it was sooner than I had planned and though I may not be entirely ready, God has a plan and He believes that Jason and I are ready for a baby and not only that, I am able to conceive and that by itself is the greatest blessing.

Let the Chaos Begin

I apologize for being MIA this week. 

This time of year is always the busiest time of year for my family. My dad runs a competitive AAU basketball program and we run two tournaments a year, one of which is this weekend. 

The amount of time, energy and preparation that goes in to these tournaments is tremendous. My dad works SO hard to make these events a success and in return our whole family (and the Beeb) work like dogs to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. 

For those of you basketball fans...coaches Bill Self and John Calipari were a couple of MANY college coaches in attendance recruiting last year. Kelly & Jess, did your heads just explode? :)

Anyways, I know this is a ridiculously dumb and pointless post, but I just wanted my dear friends to know why I have been hardcore slacking on the blog front. 

And also to think of me this weekend while you're relaxing, because I will be running around like a crazy person ALL. WEEKEND. LONG. 

xoxox, 

Look At Me, I'm Colorful!

I have been receiving tons of grief from Katie & Jess about the lack of color in my wardrobe....

...OK, they're right. I really don't wear color. I always try to add a little color here or there but when I am shopping I am always attracted to the blacks and grays of the world. 

BUT, with the introduction of Pinterest and the start of spring I decided to step out of my comfort zone and add a splash {just a tiny splash} of color in to my life. 

Exhibit A: purple top from Old Navy

Exhibit B: Tank from Heartbreaker

Exhibit C: Bright Blue skinnies from Heartbreaker

and yes I take my shoes off at work and get comfy.

I also got a gray sweater, a white tank and a black and white swimsuit....but all you color lovers should be hella proud and impressed that I not only added color to my closet but am actually wearing these out of the house. 

Baby steps people! Baby steps. 

Friday! Whoop Whoop!

This week has been crazy-go-nuts! I cannot believe how quickly April is flying by! 

C'mon summer.....C'mon summer!

I literally have 10 minutes to do a quick post, which breaks my heart because both of these ladies deserve a full, super long masterful post gushing about how amazing they are and how incredibly thankful I am for the days they were born. 

Unfortunately, I just don't have time. 

(damn clients--really getting in the way of my blogging) 

Nonetheless, this weekend two of my favorite people on the planet are celebrating their birthdays. 

TODAY is my dear friend and disgustingly talented wedding photographer's 30th birthday!!!

SJ-

I swear Coffee Buzz happened so that I could meet you and gain a lifetime friend (and have the most amazing wedding photographs of all time). You are hilarious, loyal, beautiful and the most talented person I know. I am so lucky to call you my friend.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

And Sunday is THE BEEB'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

BB-

I would straight up die without you...what else is there to say?

I could not be more grateful to have such a close friend who always knows how to cheer me up even when I'm too crabby to want to be cheered up; who always has my back 100%; who understands my ideas, visions and crazy plans without me really explaining anything; who makes me laugh so hard that I cry at my desk from holding in the excessive laughter; and for loving bee stuff just because I love bee stuff (that's not a real one but it's true and one of the many reasons I love you). 

You're my Beeb and even though you like colors (a lot) I am so glad you were born. 

Everyone head on over to Life, Love and Puppy Prints to wish Carolyn a Happy (early) Birthday!

I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful weekend! I will be celebrating those two gorgeous ladies, so I KNOW it's going to be a great weekend. 

Wedding Recap {The Bar}

After we finished photos at The Stadium, we hopped back in to the limo and headed to my favorite college bar. It was so fun visiting the old stomping grounds on my wedding day. Best of all, a friend from college still manages the bar so they opened up the back bar just for us!

Baby Sister!

Scooby Snack for the bride & Tequila for the groom!

Our amazing photographers (and friends!} John & Sara

Couple Photo with The Beeb & her hubby, Jake!

"You should get up on the bar!" Why not?

Little Brother & Step-Sissy:

brother made a pit stop at the liquor store to ensure the limo was stocked for our ride to the reception.

We LOVE our brother! 

The whole clan...aka...best wedding party ever!

Once we got back in the limo one of my bridesmaid's, Courtney, suggested we make a pit stop at our sorority house since we were only two blocks away!

She ran inside to grab a bunch of the girls...which was SO awesome!

Then, like all sorority girls, we proceeded to sing a couple of songs!

Courtney and Libby...two of my best friends and the reason I joined Alpha Omicron Pi!

It's hard to explain how much it meant to me to go to the stadium, to Blarney and to AOTT on my wedding day. College was the best time in my life and my dedication and school spirit is unwavering. It was such a fun and special and cool way to spend the first couple hours of being a married lady. 

But, we couldn't keep our guests waiting much longer, so it was time to head to our reception!

 

All photographs by Sara Jayne Photography.