Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday Kelly, and a Happy New Year!

Well we've certainly been busy over the last few weeks. I spent Dec 14-21st in Sarasota, FL for Christmas training w/ the swim team and Kelly stayed at home to get as much research done as possible. He has a graduation date in sight (May 2011) and doesn't want to get delayed....and I'm on board with that :).

We spent Christmas in Atlanta this year with Kelly's families. We are so blessed to have such wonderful, supportive families. We had a fantastic time as we always do when we get together. Here are some pictures:

When we returned from Atlanta, some of our Clemson friends came to stay w/ us for the night. Kelly roomed w/ Kyle, Brandon, and William throughout much of his undergrad days so there were many fun stories to be told. I enjoyed hanging out w/ Ashley b/c she just had a new baby about a month ago so I was able to ask her lots of questions about what it's like being a new mommy.

On the 28th we headed to Asheville, NC to celebrate Kelly's 26th birthday which was on the 29th. It was wonderful to spend some quality time w/ Kelly before Riley arrives . We went out to eat, played some mini-golf and laser tag at the Fun Depot, toured the Grove Park Inn and the National Gingerbread House competition, and of course watched plenty of Bowl Games. I have the most amazing husband in the world and I feel so lucky to be his wife. Happy Birthday Kelly. I love you!

Fun Depot

Our Cottage in Asheville

The Grove Park Inn

I guess that last thing is just a quick update on Baby Riley. She has continued to measure a little bit small in her abdomen so I've been visiting the doctor twice a week instead of once. I've also had lots of ultrasounds which have been kind of fun...in the sense that I get to see my little girl frequently. I had my amniotic fluid measured to make sure there was enough and I've had 2 non-stress tests all of which were fine. I have another ultrasound tomorrow to check on her progress. At one point I thought they were going to induce me early, but it seems that she is very healthy so we are just going to wait it out. Just over 2 weeks to go. Riley weighed about 5 1/2 pounds and I was 1 cm dilated at my last appointment. We will keep everyone updated!!! Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

2 more things...

Kelly reminded me when he got home of one very important happening:

1-Dudes and Dolls won the ultimate frisbee intramural championship :). Yes my husband is 25 years old, and yes he still plays intramurals at Clemson :). I love you honey.

2-We took a childbirth class at Spartanburg Regional. I wish we had learned something new, but Kelly got to see more births on video than he ever wants to see in his life. Don't think we'll be taking another one of those. :)

3-Staff Christmas party at Gardner-Webb tonight. Fun times.

Lots of Catching Up To Do...

I've been really bad about keeping up with this blog, so I will attempt to summarize the happenings of the last month or so...

1. I had a baby shower in GA hosted by my very best friends, and I had such a wonderful time seeing friends and family (some of whom I hadn't seen since my wedding.) I only wish we had more time to spend together. Here are a couple of pictures:

2. Kelly and I went to Florida for Thanksgiving to spend time with my family. We had a chance to watch my little brother play football in the state playoffs, and watch my dad coach. Thankfully they won in double overtime and they're still on the quest for a state championship. We ate Thanksgiving lunch at my uncle's house and my grandparents and cousins joined us there. On Saturday, my mom and grandmother threw me a baby shower. My grandma is so creative and she hand-made all of the place settings and decorations. It was so cute. Plus, the food was yummy :). Kelly got to go to the FSU vs. UF football game b/c my little brother has committed to play ball at Florida and he got free tix. Dad, Kelly, and Justin spent a day together in Gainesville and Kelly was forced to wear Orange and Blue (he told himself that it was Clemson colors)...but it was a bad day for Clemson too :).

Cutest Baby Boots Ever

Who's having a baby?

Thanksgiving!

3. After we left FL we made a stop in Georgia to visit Mom and Dave and to celebrate Mom's birthday with a little shopping and fondue dinner. Mom and I headed out on the town to find some good deals while Kelly and Dave went to the grocery and prepared an amazing dinner of Steak,Sausage,Shrimp, Bread, and Veggies...to be cooked in our broth and cheese...and of course fruit and chocolate fondue for dessert. yummy!

4. December has been quite busy so far as Kelly had to prepare to defend his proposal..which he did today...and passed! And I have been preparing to take our team down to Florida for Christmas Training. I was a little concerned about traveling so close to my due date, but the doctor seemed to think I would be fine. I had my 34 week appointment today and left feeling a little anxious. Thankfully my weight gain, blood pressure, and overall general health has been wonderful. Riley is moving around all the time and has made her way into the "head-down" position...hopefully she'll stay there. She currently weighs about 4 lbs 12 oz. I had an ultrasound to measure her b/c my belly has continued to measure a few centimeters smaller than normal for this many weeks gestation. She is right on track in all areas except her abdominal measurement. Her abdomen is measuring about 3 weeks behind the rest of her body. The doctor isn't sure why, but she scheduled me for a follow-up ultrasound in 3 weeks with the hope that her belly will catch up to the rest of her body. She didn't seem overly concerned, but she did mention that if she doesn't make progress that there is a chance that they will induce labor sooner than my due date. I'm praying that Riley's belly decides to grow between now and then. Thankfully, with all the help and support of our friends and family, I do feel like Kelly and I are prepared for our little one whenever she decides to make her appearance.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

It's 9:00 and we have officially been drained of our Halloween candy, so I figured I would take a minute and post a quick update. We had no idea how many trick-or-treaters we would get in our new neighborhood, but we'll be better prepared next year :).

After our first annual alumni swim meet up at Gardner-Webb, Kelly and I headed to Clemson to spend homecoming at our alma mater. The Tigers beat up on Coastal Carolina, so it was an enjoyable afternoon. I also love looking at the floats on Bowman Field.

There aren't any big updates on baby Riley other than that my doctors appt went well. My blood sugar tested in the normal range so I don't have to go on any special diet. I went ahead and got the swine flu vaccine on the recommendation of the doctors since we've had an outbreak at Gardner-Webb. I've also been trying to put some work into her nursery. Last Wed. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some wooden letters and paint and made letters for her nursery wall. It was really therapeutic since I don't get to do crafty things very often. You can see the picture below. Also, I posted a belly pic update. I am now 29 weeks and getting Braxton Hicks contractions rather regularly. They aren't painful, just an uncomfortable tightening. I'm definitely starting to feel more and more pregnant every day.

Happy Birthday Dave!

First of all, Happy Birthday to my wonderful father-in-law, Dave!

It's been so long since I posted an update, so I don't know where to start. Swimming season is in full swing and we traveled up to VMI in October, then had home meets vs. ECU and Catawba, and also traveled to Wilmington yesterday. We also had fall break and took the team up to the mountains to stay in a cabin for the weekend. It was beautiful up there, and the s'mores were delicious! We've had a great start to our season so far.

Kelly is staying busy with graduate school and working on applications for new funding opportunities for next year as he's looking to finish up his PhD. Frisbee season got pushed back for several weeks due to inclement weather, so I will let all of blog world know if Dudes and Dolls pulls off a championship.

Baby Riley is doing well. Only 12 more weeks to go. I guess I've officially arrived at the third trimester. I've gained right at 15 lbs and my belly button is threatening to pop out (which Kelly finds hilarious...)My next appointment is on Tuesday where I will be tested for gestational diabetes. I also went and got a flu shot this week b/c we've had a flu outbreak at work....both H1N1 and regular. I haven't decided whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccine, but the doctor prescribed me w/ some Tamiflu b/c I've been exposed to it so that I will have a prescription handy if I come down w/ flu-like symptoms.

I will hopefully post some new pictures soon.

Oh Baby...

Baby Riley is growing...fast! Kelly took me to the mall to buy some maternity clothes necessities b/c I was running out of pants to wear....the belly band and the little elastic button extender have become futile attempts at making my pre-pregnancy clothes fit. (sigh). I had an appointment yesterday and all looked well. Riley had a heart rate of 152 beats per minute. They did an ultrasound and confirmed that she was, indeed, still a girl. Good news considering all of the pink in her closet. I've gained about 14 lbs so far, and my blood pressure has remained 112/60. I have the 28 week gestational diabetes test at the next prenatal visit on Oct 26th. I think she is laying on my sciatic nerve as I've been having numbness and the feeling of a "dead leg" on my upper left leg. I mentioned it to my doctor, but she didn't seem to be concerned at all. Other than that, all is well. Here is a picture at 24 weeks.

Kelly and I had a chance to go to the Clemson vs. TCU game with one of our friends, Drew, this past weekend. It was tons of fun, but we did endure a downpour during the second half. There's nothing like trudging back to your car after adding about 10 lbs due to soaking wet clothes :). Drew had never been to Clemson so we took him around and took pictures with Howard's Rock.

Also last week, Kelly and I celebrated Christmas in September. I had been telling him how much I was ready for Christmas lights, music, movies, cider, and s'mores to make a return. I absolutely adore those little traditions....So on our weekly "date night." Kelly prepared just that. First we went out to dinner, then we came back to the house to lay on the couch in our pajamas, watch a movie, all while sipping hot cider and s'mores made over the stove (by the way, i do a much better job of toasting marshmallows over the stove than over an open flame). mmm. Is it Christmas yet?

We make our first travel trip w/ the swim team this season on Friday. We will be heading up to Virginia Military Institute. Thankfully Kelly gets to come along on this trip.

Nothing Much...

Happy Birthday Justin! Today my little brother is 17. I sure wish I could be there to celebrate with him, and cheer him on in the football game he's playing tonight.

Last weekend my mama came up for a visit. We had a very relaxing weekend of shopping, college football, baking, and laying out in the sun. I love every moment I get to spend with her. I wish my dad could've come too!

Also, we made our last car payment, so we are officially debt free (minus the mortgage of course). There's a huge sense of freedom in that.

I guess the only other big thing is that baby Riley is due in less than 4 months. That thought really blows my mind b/c the first 12 weeks went by sooo slow. The last 11 have flown by. Hopefully the next 17 will be just as fast.

Name Game...

I guess the first big news to announce is that our lovely daughter has a name. Kelly and I intended to name our baby girl, and then let it be a surprise for all of our friends and family...but we were really torn between two names so we decided to let the GWU swim team take a vote. The two names being voted on were "Riley" and "Avery". Since all 60 swimmers know our baby girl's name it seems only fair to let everyone in on the fun. In the end, Riley won by 3 votes. We're still trying to pick a middle name, but Riley Elizabeth and Riley Kate seem to be the two names we keep coming back to.

Riley seems to be growing very rapidly. As one of my swimmers announced during

practice on Saturday, "Ashley's belly seems to have doubled in size over night." It might be true. I had my first melt down on Saturday trying to get ready to go to the Clemson game. It was 90 degrees outside and I couldn't find anything to wear. None of my clothes fit me anymore. I have one pair of jeans and one pair of black pants, but nothing in the way of shorts (at least none that can button). After trying on about 8 different things that looked horrible, I just sat down on the bed and cried. After having a moment, and accepting the fact that I didn't have a a cute summer-y outfit wear to the game, I threw on a football jersey and a pair of shorts that wouldn't quite button, and we were off :) By the way, there are very few places that

make me quite as happy as Death Valley on gameday. I truly love Tiger football!

The other exciting news is that my mama is coming up from FL to visit for a long weekend this Friday-Sunday. We're really looking forward to spending some time w/ her.

For those of you that have been asking. Here is a belly shot...22 weeks.

Small Happenings....

-Friday night was classified as "date night" and so Kelly and I got dressed up and went to dinner at Copper River Grill. very yummy. Little brother and daddy also won their first football game of this year's high school season 25-14. I made mom call and give us updates on the game.

-Saturday we had our very first swim team Risk night, and pulled out the good old fashion strategy board game. We ended up w/ about 10 Risk players. It was a great time of food, fun, and friendly competition. Kelly and I played at separate tables, and both won our respective games :)

-Sunday was church, and then a swim team cookout at my boss' house. It was really nice to spend time w/ swimmers outside of the pool.

-This morning (Monday) was our first day of practice (4:30 am wakeup!) and I had another OB visit. Everything seems well. My BP was 100/64, I've gained 7 lbs total, and baby had a heartrate of 152. I've been really tired and my lymph nodes are a bit swollen so they went ahead and tested me for mono...just precautionary...but I really don't think I have severe enough symptoms for it to be anything more than simple fatigue. I also have a few red dots on my hand (they have been there for several months, and i can't feel them at all), but the doctor asked that I go visit a dermatologist just to make sure they're not some kind of allergic rash...so I have that appointment next week.

-Kelly has his first ultimate frisbee game of the semester tonight at 8. Dudes and Dolls (the team Kelly started 7 years ago) is still going strong. He's happy he can still run w/ the "young guys".

Baby Nursery...

I think I had my first pregnancy craving...nothing weird like pickles and peanut butter, but I desperately wanted fondue cheese. We had a fondue night a couple of weeks ago w/ some of our good friends, Chris and Megan, and ever since then I'd been practically dying for more fondue cheese. One problem: not one grocery store in Spartanburg, SC carries it at this time of the year. Trust me, I know. 1.5 hours of searching later...no luck.

So...the good news is that we were making a trip to Atlanta this weekend to pick up some nursery furniture from Kelly's aunt and also to attend a shower for one of our friends. AND Publix in Atlanta carries fondue cheese. problem solved. My entire dinner last night was fresh baked bread and fondue cheese :)

Speaking of nursery furniture I thought I'd post an update of the baby's room. We were blessed to be given so much from Kelly's aunt and uncle at such a great price. All of the furniture and bedding was theirs. They also gave us a jogging stroller. Kelly's parents were absolutely wonderful as well for driving to Atlanta to help us load a truck and then back to SC to help us unload (and by "us" i mean Kelly since I was pretty much useless in helping to move furniture). The room still has a ways to go, but I think it's beginning to look like a nursery.

Latest Ultrasound Pictures

Here are a few pictures from yesterday's appointment...

1. She wouldn't turn to the side so this is a head-on shot of her face and belly

2. I love how she's resting on her little hand

3. Close-up of her foot (yay for 5 toes!)

4. A shot from her bottom upwards. Her knees are bent so that's why her legs look a bit funny. As the nurse stated, "Baby has no boy parts. It's a girl!"

IT'S A....

We are so excited to announce that we are having a baby GIRL!!! We'll post ultrasound pictures as soon as we scan them into the computer :)

Last Weekend Before Life Starts...

I was really looking forward to this weekend b/c it was the first in recent memory that Kelly and I had plans to do nothing. Over the last few months life has taken us to Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and many weekends in Georgia..but there's just something in me that's a homebody at heart. This is also the last weekend before the swimmer's move in and orientation begins. I'm really excited to see all of them again, but it also signals the end of summer :(

Friday night Kel and I met up w/ some college friends and hung out in downtown Greenville. We ate at Sticky Fingers, then walked Falls Park, and ended up at Coffee Underground. I will forever associate Coffee Underground with my college experience...so many weekends were spent sipping coffee and eating dessert at this establishment. I went with the Strawberry Cake...a pretty sure bet. Second only to the Bailey's Cheesecake.

Saturday was fabulously uneventful. First we slept in until 10:45 and then ate a "real" breakfast (bacon, eggs, and toast). Typical breakfast in our house generally consists of cereal, so this was a treat :). Next we decided that since we have to pay HOA dues of $375 a year we might as well use the neighborhood pool so we soaked up the sunshine and immersed ourselves in a good book. I'm currently reading My Sister's Keeper and so far it has exceeded my expectations (I'm only halfway through). The afternoon concluded with a nap (for me), and a good game of Scrabble (which i dominated), and then we curled up and watched a movie. Ahhhh. I love my life.

Today was, once again, a perfect Sunday at NewSpring. The message consisted of many video clips of real life stories of how God has been impacting families in our church. It was so encouraging for me b/c I think it's easy to dwell on all the really cool things God did in the past, but lose sight of the fact that this same God is still active and evident in people's every day lives today. I think we tend to chalk many things up to coincidence instead of recognizing them as a work of God.

So...TRUE STORY... we left church and I was telling Kelly all of this. We decided that we'd cap off our wonderful weekend with a trip to my favorite restaurant...Miyabi Japanese Steakhouse. We come in and get seated next to a large family who is celebrating a daughter's birthday. After we eat, the waiter never brings us our bill so I ask, "Excuse me sir, can we have our check?" ...and he tells me that this family that we're sitting with has picked up our tab. Kelly and I both look totally confused, I'm sure. I finally look up at the father and say "What? Are you serious? Thank you sooo much!" and he walks over to us and shakes our hand and says, "While you guys prayed for your food, God really impressed upon me that I was supposed to pay for your lunch. I definitely want to listen when God speaks." WOW. Seriously?. God is still active and evident in people's every day lives. Thank you sir for this very tangible reminder.

Weekend Recap...

As I mentioned in my last post, we spent our weekend in Georgia visiting some of our best friends and celebrating Quinn's 16th birthday. We had an absolute blast. On Friday night we went to trivia at Blue Moon Pizza with the Reaves' and Ellis'. Our team, "Chuck Norris can touch MC Hammer" got off to a slow start, but had an amazing second half to finish in the top 12 or so. The announcer clearly could not read and continued to announce our team as "Chuck Norris can touch MY MC Hammer" which has totally different connotations, but was pretty funny nonetheless.

On Saturday we met up with the Ellis' to spend the day lounging around the pool at the country club. It was a gorgeous day, and between the diving boards and the kiddle water slide there were many laughs and good memories. I rocked my new preggo bathing suit b/c I don't think I'll ever be one of those women that can wear the skimpy bikini with the protruding round belly. I admire those that can do that, but I don't have that same confidence I suppose.

Saturday night we went to dinner at the Twisted Taco for Quinn's Birthday, and then followed the fam back to Kim and Frank's for dessert and coffee. Every moment we get to spend with family makes me wish that we lived closer to them and that we could do it more often.

Sunday morning we spent at NewSpring...first in service and then volunteering in the nursery. We think volunteering has been really good practice for the days to come (when we can't hand the babies back after an hour and a half). Sunday evening we spent cleaning out the "baby room" closet and attempting to organize our clutter. I'm not exactly sure how we managed to go from a cramped 1 bedroom apartment to a cramped 3 bedroom house. Where did all this junk come from?! Kelly made a run to Goodwill, and it seems that we've made some progress.

Here are some pics from the weekend:

Sneak Peak...

So I'm not gonna lie, Kelly and I were pretty darn cute kids. Judging by these, I'm gonna guess we will have a super cute blonde-headed toddler one day :) Don't you think? Much thanks to Ashley Jones for getting these pictures printer-ready. I'm planning on using them for a little art project :).

Here we go...

I thought it would be fun to start a blog since most of our family and friends live out of the state and do not get to be a part of our lives on a day-to-day basis. I make no promises about the consistency of this blog, but I promise to give it an earnest attempt. Obviously the most exciting news in our family is the addition of a little one in January. We have been calling the baby "Cletus the Fetus"...really just Cletus, much to my mother's chagrin. I personally think it's kind of cute. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but the next ultrasound appointment is scheduled for August 17, and we're hoping that the baby isn't shy and we can tell then. Here is a picture of our 10 week ultrasound.

We're also heading to Atlanta this weekend to visit some of our best friends...Kristi and Travis Reaves and Christy and Charles Ellis, and also to celebrate our brother Quinn's 16th birthday. Happy Birthday Quinn!!! We're really looking forward to a fantastic weekend filled with friends, family, and of course food! Hopefully pictures will follow.