We're Moving!!

Well, I'm sure you are thinking this blog looks the exact same. One of the changes that we decided to make is our blog address. I reserved this new address, months ago. I thought that once we were pregnant, it would be a good time to switch from averittbabyjourney to theaverittfam.blogspot.com. Well the baby is on the way, so it's time to move!! :) I still have some blog buddy addresses to add and things like that, but all in all, we're moved in and ready for you to take a tour!

There are a couple of pains with switching to a new blog address. One being...for all of you that have subscribed through feedblitz and receive an email every time we write a new post - you will receive an email soon, asking you to confirm your subscription to the new Averitt Fam Blog. This way, you will still receive an email with every update! Once I get all of the email addresses in, I will cancel your subscriptions to this blog. Another pain...everyone who clicked my FOLLOW button on this blog, will need to click it again on the new blog. That is, if you want to continue following our little family. :) Sorry for the inconvenience, sweet friends!!

I LOVE my new blog makeover! I have to thank my good friend, Faith for taking care of it for me!! She is so talented and gave me exactly what I wanted. If you want a new look for your blog, head on over and let her design one for you as well! Her prices are great and she is the sweetest person ever. You can click on her name above or on her blog button (on my sidebar) for more info.

Now head on over to our new home and let me know what you think!! :)

Love you guys!
Jill

Change is a-comin'...

I had a doctor's appointment today. I am 15w3d. I went ahead and had my yearly while I was there. I didn't realize they still did this when you were pregnant. I don't know why I thought they didn't, just surprised me. Anywho, got that over with and then we moved on to the fun stuff...like hearing our baby's heartbeat! The nurse came in with the doppler. I told her that we had ordered one, so she showed me how to use it properly. The baby's heartbeat went from 144-156 the entire time. She said that was good. I thought it would be fun to put a poll on the blog. Alex and I have our guesses, but I want to know what you think. :) We will find out if it's a he or she at the end of the month...not that far off!! I'm so excited to know if it's a boy or a girl. I'm ready to get started on the nursery.

I talked to my doctor about my weight. I had gained 6 lbs in four weeks. I asked him if he was concerned and he said, "well let's figure that...if you gained 6 lbs every week until you had the baby, you would weigh..." I stopped him right there and started freaking out. He started laughing, came over and gave me a hug, and said the weight thing would be okay. I think I'm going to try the aqua moms class at the hospital where I'm delivering. I also think that Alex, Dies, and I, need to start going on evening walks. He told me that exercise is fine, as long as I don't get my heart rate above 140. He told me to shoot for a 3 lb weight gain in the next four weeks. I will admit, I have been eating whatever sounds good. The nurse was telling me the things that I SHOULDN'T be eating on a daily basis. Honestly, it was like she had been sitting across the table from me, watching me eat for the past 15 weeks. She mentioned all of the things that I've been eating! I called Alex after my appointment and told him what was discussed (he wasn't able to join me today). I told him about the weight conversation and I followed it with "I'm going to meet Sara at Cupcakes on Kavanaugh today." He started laughing at me. I then started laughing at myself. Yep, I better start that exercise class soon. :)

Change is a-comin' to the blog in the very near future. I'm excited to share it with you. Maybe by the end of this week...we'll see. Bet you're on pins and needles, aren't you?? ;)

Love you guys,
Jill

Fresh Flowers...

Today I blog about something that I love. FLOWERS!

Alex was always very thoughtful about sending flowers to my work. He would do it just to surprise me. It was usually for no reason at all that I would receive them and it always made my day! :) Now that I don't work outside of the home, I try and keep them around the house. Especially this time of year. They don't have to be expensive. I actually buy mine at Sam's. My sister finds the prettiest daisies at her Walmart and for practically nothing! Here are a few tips at helping your flowers last longer.

1. Check your water level/Change out the water on a regular basis.

2. Remove all leaves from the part of the stem that is submerged under water.

3. You can clean the stems by lightly brushing them with a vegetable brush. This not only helps the flowers, but it will keep the water cleaner.

4. Cut flowers will last longer if the stems are prepared correctly. Preparing the stems helps them take up water quickly. To prepare stems:
• Cut about one-half inch off the end of the stem at about a forty-five degree angle. Don't use dull scissors to cut the stems because they can crush the stem.
• For best results, cut the stems underwater. Cutting them under water prevents air from getting into the veins in the stem of your flower.
• Split all stems about one-half inch from the bottom with a knife or crush the bottom of the stem with a mallet (if the stems are woody).
• Place the stems in deep water and leave them there for a few hours before moving them into shallower water.

5. Use water that is a mixture one tablespoon of bleach per quart of water. The bleach will keep the water cleaner and kill any stench from the water.

6. A teaspoon of sugar added to the water will help renew flowers.

7. Keep the flowers out of direct sun and away from heat and drafts. Even a fan can cause flowers to wilt quicker.

8. Use a straw to fix or stabilize any broken or drooping stems.

9. To prevent tulips from flopping over, wrap them tightly in wet newspaper and then place them in about two to three inches of water. Leave them there for about two hours. Push small pins through the stems just below the flower heads and they will stay soldier straight.

10. Remove any dying flowers immediately. Dying flowers emit ethylene gas that will cause the other, healthy flowers to wilt.

*tips by doityourself.com*

Here are some pics of where I have fresh flowers, at the moment.

Gerberas...these come in the prettiest colors. This was the only pkg they had left on the day that I went, but they go with my table perfectly! 10 stems for $7.12 at Sam's.


Next is one of my faves...Sunflowers! They always make a room more cheerful! You really don't need many stems to make an arrangement because they're so large. 5 stems for $5.88 at Sam's.


Blue Iris...Mom, I thought of you when I bought these. :) They started blooming today. You can get 10 stems for only $4.88 at Sam's.


So go out and by youself some flowers...I promise that it will make for a happier day. :)

Love you guys,
Jill

ABC's of Me!

Found this on my friend, Faith's blog and just assumed you guys wanted to know a few things about me. :)

A - Age: 32

B - Bed size: Queen...Alex doesn't like King, he feels like we're sleeping in separate beds. LOL

C - Chore you hate: Dusting and cleaning the shower.

D - Dog's name: Diesel

E - Essential start your day item: Cup of coffee w/cream

F - Favorite color: Have a few...yellow, tiffany blue, brown, pink

G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: I wear both, but really like silver

H - Height: 5'9"

I - Instruments you play: None, unfortunately.

J - Job title: Housewife, soon to be Mommy!

K - Kid(s): The bun is still in the oven.

L - Living arrangements: Me and my hubby

M - Mom's name: Belinda

N - Nicknames: Jill "Pill"

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Surgery for endo removal

P - Pet Peeve: People not washing their hands w/soap...yuck.

Q - Quote from a movie: "I like 'em big...I like 'em chunky" -Madagascar II

R - Right handed or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 3 brothers and 2 sisters

T - Time you wake up: Anywhere between 8 & 9

U- Underwear: Yep, I wear 'em.

V - Vegetable you dislike: Lima beans

W - Ways you run late: Under estimate how long it takes to get somewhere, get stuck on the phone while trying to get ready to go somewhere.

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, back, abdomen, ankle

Y - Yummy food you make: Mexican dish, potato salad, cookies, homemade ice cream...I can't think of anything spectacular.

Z - Zoo favorite: Giraffes

Baby Bump...

So I'm finally posting a baby bump pic. I have been dreading this day. Many have asked me to post one. I guess I've put it off as long as I can. So here you go. When I look at other women that are expecting around the same time as me, they look so much smaller! My stomach never went down after the transfer...it continues to grow and I'm trying my best to embrace that. Alex absolutely loves it. He constantly reminds me that we prayed for this belly, for many years. When I think about that and get over myself and my vanity, I find myself loving it as well. I also think that once I start laying out by the pool and get a tan, I will feel even better about it. :) I am a little fearful as to what my doc is going to say on Tuesday. I'm very scared of the scale. I know that I've gained weight. I'm sure that you aren't supposed to gain this early on. We'll see. I may only be eating salad for the next 5 months.



I'm feeling really good. Day sickness is completely gone. I get tired by the afternoon and really want a nap. And when I say nap, I mean NAP. I'm not like my mom and sister. When they speak of a nap, it means they need 30 mins (at the most) to rest. When I say I'm taking a nap, it means SEE YA IN 3 HOURS. So depending upon my day, sometimes I get one ~ sometimes I don't.

I'm having crazy dreams. I dreamed that my Mom and I were both pregnant. We were so excited to be sharing our pregnancies at the same time. Alex says, I've been watching too much Father of The Bride II. I watch it at least once a week. I'm pretty sure my mom said to shoot her if that ever happens.

I've started feeling things...little flutters. I have no idea if it's the baby or not, but it's so neat to think that it might be. I told Alex that I was ready to hear the heartbeat again, so what does he do? He gets online and orders a baby doppler. We should receive it next week. It's supposed to be a really good one...like what a lot of doctor's offices and midwives use. We'll see. If it does work well, I might start having parties with all of my preggo friends...we can sit around and listen to our babies! I'm a wild woman, I know.

The weather is beautiful here. I hope to enjoy some time outside, tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned!

Love you guys,
Jill

Memorial Day at the Averitt house...

We decided to stick around the house this Memorial Day. Alex has been recovering from a sinus infection and double ear infection, so he wasn't up for going anywhere. I took this as an opportunity to grill out and invite some of my bros & sisters over. We had SO MUCH FOOD! On the menu: grilled chicken/pork chops/hot dogs & sausage (my hubby knows how to grill!), potato salad, pasta salad, corn on the cob, roasted zuchinni/squash/peppers/onions, deviled eggs, homemade ice cream & watermelon. Yummy! I didn't take many pics but here are a few from the day...

Little J enjoying his bubble gun...


Seriously, how cute is this kid!?


He LOVES corn on the cob!


Okay, so this is the kind of stuff that my nephews come up with...


And their uncles encourage!


They are drinking a 16 YEAR OLD Mt. Dew!!! Ewwwww!!!


Boys are so gross. But they make us laugh and keep us entertained, so I think we'll keep 'em. :)


It was a great day with family and a wonderful day at home. I hope you had a fun holiday, as well!

Love you guys,
Jill

Congrats to April!!

Today was a big day. Alex's little sis, April, graduated from high school. When Alex and I first started dating, April was 4 years old. There was a daycare on the same campus as our high school, so he would walk her to daycare and pick her up, each day. I can still see that sweet, little, round face in my head. :) She's definitely not a baby anymore...she's a beautiful, young woman. April has what I would call a meek and quiet spirit...I hope my little girls are like their Aunt April someday. :) She has a huge heart and we think the world of her.

Making herself pretty...as though she needs it. :)


Alex and April- about to leave the house


Big brother walking her to the auditorium. I'm sure he would have held her hand like she was 4 again, if she would have let him. :) So sweet.


Gown Time!


Helping a girl out...


She was the cutest graduate there!


Laila reading the program...I love this pic!


Uncle Alex lovin' on Peyton. :)


April walking in!


Class of 2009


Proud parents :)


Jared, Jen, Pey & Laila w/April


Me & Alex w/April


We're so proud of you, April!!

Love,
Alex & Jill