No News

No news on the baby front. We had a doctor's appointment last Friday and there is nothing new to report...no dialation. I was kinda bummed about it! I will tell you I have really been enjoying Tessa's movement the past couple weeks (I'm not kidding!). She is really going to town, and to no surprise she already loves music. She always seems to get into it when I'm practicing for our Christmas program at church or listening to something on the radio. I have another appointment this week and we'll see what happens then.

My parents were here on Monday for a super-quick visit on their way to see my grandpap (mom's dad) and gram (dad's mom - they're not together)in Pennsylvania. My g-pap fell a couple weeks back and ended up having surgery for his broken hip. Surprisingly, he seems to be doing very well in rehab. I think he enjoys the company of everyone there. He lives at home by himslef, so this is quite a change for him. I don't think he's eaten this good in a while...it's nice to have someone cook meals for you!! :)

Maternity Pics

Check out these pictures taken by Jadie on Sunday.
Click here

Random Stuff

We had a doctor's appointment last Friday and it went well. Everything seems to be going good. She's a busy little booger! We have one more 2 week appointment and then we'll start going every week. It's getting closer!!

Jim and I had maternity pictures taken on Sunday and they are so sweet! A friend of ours from church met us at Opryland Hotel (where we were engaged) to take the pics. We had a great time! Listen to this...I exposed my belly in Opryland Hotel!! Yes, I did and I felt like such a rebel! I'm still bold and daring! At least that's what I like to tell myself. We'll get some of the pictures and place them on the blog soon. Thanks, Jadie! You're amazing!

Tessa's nursery is coming along. We have the crib and changing table up and running. I washed the bedding last night and put that on the bed. Little by little we're preparing for her arrival. It is so crazy to think that she will be here in about a month (or earlier or later). Part of me is so excited I can barely stand it and the other part of me is scared to death!

This whole experience is such an amazing miracle! I don't know how people that don't believe in God explain it all. To have this life, this little baby girl inside me is incredible! This is just the beginning of the journey and it has already been such a blessing for me and Jim.

The Last Hoo-Rah!

Yep, that's right! Jim and I took our last little hoo-rah before the rugrat arrives...oh, I mean sweet, precious baby girl! :) We went to Chattanooga and stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Stone Fort Inn. It was such an amazing place. The people were very helpful and the breakfast was to die for!!! Boy, I could eat like that every morning!

We left Nashville early Saturday morning and headed straight to the Tennessee Aquarium. It was so fun! I loved seeing the penguins and I think they really liked me, too! Come on penguin dude, give me a kissy!

Other highlights would be petting the sting rays, having butterflies all around us, the otters and the Deep Sea 3D IMAX. Don't I look hot in these fancy glasses? I wanted to keep them, but of course we had to turn them in...nothing is free these days! We ate at Sticky Finger's which was recommended by multiple people. It was very good and yes, the Sticky Skins were yumm-o! We had a nice dinner at the Canyon Grill after going to Rock City to see the Enchanted Garden of Lights. The lights were beautiful and oh so enchanting! After our breakfast on Sunday, we walked and drove around the city, and ended up at a market. It was fun just casually walking around and looking at stuff. We headed home shortly after that.

We had a great trip and I was so glad we were able to get away together before Tessa's arrival. It was nice just to relax and move at our own pace. We had some good laughs, too!

To Pigeon Forge

A couple weekends ago (November 9th -11th), Jim and I went to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area with 5 other couples. We stayed in an awesome cabin and had an amazing time. On Saturday we slept in and had a yummy breakfast. After some relaxing during the day we all went to eat at the Cherokee Grill in Gatlinburg...it was very nice! I had crab cakes in honor of my gram (she loves crab cakes)! We walked around a bit in downtown Gatlinburg and then headed home for some snacks and games. Taboo was a crowd favorite! The ladies won!

On Sunday we slept in again (by sleeping in I mean until about 9am - that's as long as I can sleep in now that I'm all grown up!!) and then spent some time at the Tanger Outlet Mall. We made a few purchases, but didn't go too crazy!!

It was great just getting away and being with good friends. This is a picture of Jim and I on the balcony of our cabin with the mountains in the background.

Boo Hoo-ing

My parents came to visit me and Jim and were here for over a week. It was so nice to have them here for such an extended visit. Most of the time when they're there, it's for a weekend or a long weekend, so this was great! They were able to see me with a big belly, feel Tessa moving and of course play double 12 dominos! It's a must when we're together. Jim loves playing with us...he usually wins!! :)

When they left on Sunday, I was a mess! I cried while telling them goodbye and cried more when they left. It never fails...I always cry when they leave. They are just so fun to have around. I wish we were able to see each other more often, but being in Houston makes it tough. I think the older I get the more emotional I get. They will always be my parents, but now more than ever they are my friends. I love and cherish the moments we spend together.

Still Alive and Kicking

I know it's been a while, but I'm back. One of my last posts was about the sugar test I was going to take to see if I had gestational diabetes. Well, I took my glucose test and passed with flying colors. I was all nervous about the drink and it wasn't all that bad. I was so glad I took it before going to visit my gram in Pittsburgh and my parents in Houston...let's just say there were a lot of sweets around! When gram offers you something, you can't say no!!

Tessa is doing great! It's been awesome to feel her moving around so much lately. I just wonder what it is that I'm feeling...a kick? A punch? She's been quite the little acrobat! I think we have an Olympic Gold Medalist...look out Kerri Scruggs! Her nursery is coming together wonderfully. While I was at Gram's, Jim and his mom painted our master bath and Tessa's room. Both rooms couldn't look any better if we would've had professionals come in. I am so grateful for the work they put into this! Take a look...the walls are pale pink and the stripes on the wall coordinate with the stripes in her bedding. The stripes are only on one wall . Yes, they did the polka dots! What a team!
We ordered her furniture this week and honestly, I'm excited about putting it together! I know this brings out the best in some and I'm anxious to see how it goes!! As you can see everything is coming along which is comforting to me!! It helps me to calm down and not get so overwhelmed with all we have to do. We have 2 full months left (assuming she doesn't come early) and that's it! I feel like this whole pregnancy has gone so slow, but so fast. That may not make sense, but it probably does for other parents out there. Hopefully it won't be another month before I blog!

Faith's New Release

There aren't many albums I will purchase on the actual release date, but Faith Hill's is one of them. I've loved her music since the release of her first album in 1994. To me, there is something so exciting about going to purchase a new album, unwrapping it (if I can get that celephone off), and listening to the songs as I flip through the cd insert. Call me crazy, but I love it!

On Tuesday, Faith Hill released a Greatest Hits album and while I have all the songs that were on this album (except for the 2 new relases on it), of course I was at Target shortly after work to buy it. The cd includes a wide range of songs from back in the day to her most recent release, 'Fireflies.'

I love that she challenges herself musically to create something new and different. I love that she steps out of the box and doesn't compromise her vision inorder to fit into a particular genre. I love that you never know what you're gonna get with one of her albums. While that bothers some people, I tend to enjoy it.

There's talk that Faith's next album will be a gospel album. Although I'm not sure when it will be released, you can be sure I'll buy it on 'opening day!'

Nothing New

It's been a while since I blogged last and honestly, I just haven't had anything to report. I wanted to let you know I'm still here, feeling good and beginning to look pregnant. People are starting to make comments about my belly...it's the only time a big belly is exciting! Not too many people touching it yet, but I've heard that will come with time. I don't think I'll mind people I know touching my belly, but when randoms try to go in for a touch...hmm...I think not!

Jim and I are making the final decisions on Tessa's bedding. Who knew it was such a hard decision? There always seems to be such cute stuff for babies when you're not looking for it!! Once we decide on that, the rest of the room (furniture, wall color, etc.) will fall into place.

My next appointment is on October 5th (my mom's b-day) and I will take the sugar test. I've got my fruit punch glucose drink in the fridge and ready to go! Yummo! I can't wait! Yeah, right! Let me know if you have any tips for those 5 minutes I down it!

I Love Sales!

I just have to share with y'all the good deals I've gotten on maternity clothes thus far. Listen to this...I've spent about $120 and received all the items below:

2 long sleeve, button down cardigans

1 turtle neck

3 button down blouses

1 t-shirt

1 short sleeve button down cardigan

1 pair of jeans

3 pair of pants

My sister-in-law gave me some of her clothes that have been great and I also received some as gifts, but I think $120 dollars for all that is awesome. I purchased these items at consignment stores, Craig's List, and Old Navy. I love shopping!!! :)

And the Verdict is....

As many of you know by now, Jim and I are having a baby GIRL!! Wow! Tuesday was quite a day! I was totally surprised (I knew it was a boy...or at least thought I knew) and Jim just knew it was a girl! My first 'motherly instinct' was wrong! I hope that's not a sign of things to come. :) I know ultrasounds can be tricky sometimes, but let me tell you there was no mistaking the fact she is a girl!! We got a pretty good shot of the goods! No worries!

Her name you ask? Drumroll please...Tessa Lynn Forrester! Don't you love it??? We do! The first name is one we've liked for years and the middle name is after my mommy (hi mom). Sweet name for a sweet girl, I hope!! :) Well, there it is! Pass it on to everyone! This is a picture of Tessa's curled up little body.

Maternity Shirts or Bust

Well, the time has come for me to begin wearing maternity shirts. I wore my first one last week and I've got to tell ya...I liked it! After I got over feeling silly in it, I loved how comfortable it was! I could let it all hang out and no one knew! How great! I haven't moved to pants yet, but we'll see how that goes.

We find out the sex of the baby this Tuesday (8/21). Can I tell you how excited I am?? Once we know what we're having, we'll be able to pick out a name, start planning the baby room, etc. Our appointment is in the am so keep your eyes posted to the blog for the lastest info!!

Unexpected Loss

Sorry it's been a while since I last blogged. Jim's granddad, James William "Bill" Robertson, passed away on July 29th at Baptist Hospital. At least to me and Jim, this was quite unexpected. He went in to the hospital on July 26th to have what we knew was a risky surgery, but we thought in the usual granddad fashion he would pull out of it no problem. That wasn't the case. He put up a good fight, but God had other plans for him. The visitation was on Tuesday and the funeral was on Wednesday. Everything was very nice and uplifting. He was an amazing man and he will be missed.

Some things I will remember about granddad...

*His love for God, family and friends
*His laugh
*Googling jokes and sharing them with everyone...he loved telling jokes and making people laugh
*Jim and I gave him a coffee mug we painted for Christmas about 2 years ago. We found out he drank out of it everyday!
*The first meal he made for me and Jim after his wife, Virginia, passed away in 2005

If you have memories of granddad, we'd love for you to share them with us! Here he is below with his coffee mug!

15 Weeks and Counting

Jim and I attended our 15 week appointment yesterday to make sure everything is going well with BF. The doctor gave us a good report, so nothing too new to report. She listened to the heartbeat and said it sounded good at 130 beats per minute. That was a good bit slower than the last time we heard it (168 bpm). At this point, if she had to guess the gender based on the heart rate, she'd say a boy. Following that statement she said, "Don't go painting the room just yet, though." We have our BIG ultrasound on August 21st, so we'll know the gender of BF then!! We can't wait!

Marriage and Mice

Jim and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary on Saturday. Guess what we did?? Absolutely nothing and it was awesome! You know those days when you have nothing planned except to relax and your day is anything but relaxing? I promised myself Saturday would not be one of those days and it wasn't! We rented movies, ordered a pizza for lunch and my sweet mother-in-law brought dinner for us! How nice is she?? We had yummy steaks, sweet potatoes, broccoli, rolls, and homemade peach cobbler for dessert! Mmm! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! It was an awesome day with my sweet hubby! Each day I'm reminded how blessed I am to have him in my life.

On another note, Jim and I were playing with Hana in the backyard last night around 8pm. It was pretty dark, but you could still see a little bit. I was walking towards the back of our yard when I heard something moving. I looked down and ran super-fast away from the little critter that was at my feet. I think it was a mouse! Now, I'm not a bug/rodent lover by any means, but I wanted to go back and check him out. He was cute! I think since seeing the movie Ratatouille I have a new appreciation for mice...not that I would want them cooking in my kitchen or anything! Jim went inside and I wasn't about to walk up to Remy by myself! That was the end of that!

Who is Hana?

Hana (pronounced Hawna) is our baby for now. She was my birthday present back in 2005 and she has been such a fun addition to the family. During one of my parents visits, they went to the Spring Hill Vet to get a 'special' food for their dog and came across this little black fluffball. My mom knew I'd wanted a puppy for a long time, so Jim and I returned to meet the little gal and fell in love with her (at least I did)! The vet was running out of room for her and she was going to be put to sleep the next day. Talk about pressure!!

When we brought her home we didn't have anything; no fence, no food, no toys, no crate...nothing! We didn't even know what kind of dog she was or how big she would get. We found out later her birthdate is March 15th, she had a home before us, and she is a lab/setter mix. We were a little nervous about her size after hearing that, but she is the perfect size for us. She is about 30 lbs and definitely has more to her than the lab/setter mix.

The story of her name is pretty cool. For our honeymoon, Jim and I went to Hawaii and spent a few nights in the rainforest of Hana. The neat thing about the location Hana is that the beaches are black due to the volcanic ash and lava. We were sitting around trying to think of what we would call her and Jim mentioned Hana...it just fit.

She has completely taken over the Forrester Mansion (it's not really a mansion, but that's what I call it!). She's a great pet and loves hanging out with her mommy and daddy. We've been able to teach her a few tricks one of which is playing dead. She tries really hard, but she never really stops moving. We need to work on that!

The top picture is about a week after we brought her home and the picture below is on our Thanksgiving journey to Houston in 2006. She is a road dog...she loves traveling!! Isn't she sweet? Oh yeah! If you come to our house you may want to ignore her for about the first 10 minutes or she'll pee...Cocker Spaniel??

BF's (Baby Forrester) First Video

Hot off the press! We had an appointment this morning and some of the footage is below. It was so amazing!! It's crazy to think BF has come all this way since the blob back in May. BF was good and seemed to wave to us a few times. We were able to see the head, arms, hands, legs, and feet! How fun is this!

We are going to find out the sex of BF, but we have about 6 more weeks to go. I am eagerly awaiting that day and ready to plan!! Nursery, here we come!

Serious Traveling

Jim and I recently went on the longest two-engine flight in the world - Newark to Hong Kong - 16 hours in the air! It was crazy! Let's put that in our baby books! Everything went fine for both of us. My doctor suggested I wear compression hose to prevent blood clots in my legs. Sure, no problem! Wow! I have never experienced anything like those. I could barely get them on by myself!

We went on a mission trip to Thailand with our church from June 8th to June 21st and had an amazing time! We were able to help lead worship for a conference. Most of our trip was conference related, but we did get some free time as well. One of the extra things we did was go to an elephant camp where we rode an elephant! It was so fun! There were elephants everywhere bathing, eating, playing, etc. Here is a picture of us being hugged by a big hunk of love.

We spent the last 3 days of our trip in Hong Kong. Below is a picture of us on a boat ride with the city in the background. There were buildings like this EVERYWHERE!! It was wild!

About the Pregnancy...So Far

I am 12 weeks along this week and have been feeling normal for most of my pregnancy. Towards the beginning I felt a little nauseous, but I just told myself to eat (even though I wasn't hungry) and it was fine. I haven't had any 'hanging over the toilet' moments and I am very grateful for that! No weird cravings either...the only thing I had to have was Fazoli's which is Italian fast food. The funny thing about that is the last time I had it was about 5 years ago. I have no idea what made me think of it but I loved every minute of that meal! It was the breadsticks I was really wanting...yummy!

Blob with a Heartbeat

Back in May, we had our first ultrasound and were able to see our new blob. It's about 3 mm long and 6 weeks old in this picture.

Good luck making it out. Hint -- look in the lower right-hand corner of the big black hole.