12 weeks (yesterday)

Bear with me here.... Since Jordan had already left for work last night when I remembered I was supposed to take my 12 weeks belly pictures, I took them by myself. I'm not big on getting my face in these so I'm not sure if this will change whether Jordan takes them or not (in the future shots). I guess it will all depend on how I'm looking/dressed when we take them. Anyways, these are the best I could get since I was taking them myself and YES, I had to use the mirror. How else was I supposed too? Haha. Other than that, it is clearly obvious that baby #2 is already poking out there at 12 weeks...

obviously im pokin a little more in this one since my arms are down...

and not so much in this one because I'm holding my arms up.

I am 12 WEEKS

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 weeks and 1 day

Size of baby: The website I googled said baby is currently the size of a strawberry :)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: At my doctor's appointment on Friday I was (-4). I was very surprised to hear this since I haven't been too sick. More nauseated than actually sick. My doctor assured me this was normal. Of course, I wasn't complaining because I know before too long, I'll be packing on the baby weight.

Maternity Clothes: None yet. But really needing the pants already. I get so aggravated trying to find some pants to wear to work every day. I'm down to 2-3 pairs that barely button. I'll be shopping for some sooner than later.

Gender: We don't know yet...

Movement: So far I haven't felt any movement

What I miss: I miss not being nauseated (I think its worse than actually throwing up) and being able to SLEEP through the night.

Cravings: I'm actually in that stage where I'm not really hungry but of course I have to eat. Believe me, baby lets me know ASAP when it's time to eat. I will continuously gag until I make myself eat. I did the same thing with my pregnancy with Tuff. It's actually very odd. If I do crave anything, it's for anything SALTY. I actually just had a snack about 30 minutes ago, salt & vinegar chips. :)

Symptoms: Exhaustion and nausea. I've actually only gotten sick 3 times.

Best Moment this week: Our doctor's appointment last Friday. We got to hear little "strawberry's" heartbeat. I know I've told ya'll this before but that sound makes it all seem so surreal!!!! :)

They are calling for MORE snow here this afternoon and I'm dreading it. Where oh where are you SPRING?

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday. We're half way to Friday. WOO HOO!

The Alford's

Weekend Update

We had a pretty good weekend. Friday night we stayed in and just got some take out for dinner. We use to go to Mboro almost every Friday night but since I've became pregnant, I'm too wore out after getting home from work (which is in Mboro) to turn around and go back. Saturday we hung out around the house until about 3 when we started getting ready to head to Gabe's birthday party. Gabe is Jordan's nephew. He turned 10. It's amazing how fast they grow, really! When Jordan and I first started dating, I remember going with him to Gabe's 1st birthday party. I can't believe it's been that long. Anyways, Tuff had a blast!!! They had his party at the local sportscom at the indoor pool. Tuff wasn't too into the pool but him and his cuz Jace had a ball running and playing together. Here are a few pictures of the sweet boys playing...

Watching the big kids from the side

Trying to escape

running, what they mostly did

Kissing cousins

Jace is 7 months older but Tuff is just as big ;)

playing

Jace LOVES kissing Tuff

Sweet boys getting ready to go home

Tuff had a blast. It's funny how they can have so much fun just running with each other. All they did the whole time was RUN. :) They ended up finding a ball and started to fight over it so that was our que to head out. After the party we stopped by the grocery store and then headed home. Sunday was Mrs. Annie's funeral. Carolyn asked Jordan to be a paul bearer so we had to be there around 12:30 though the funeral didn't start until 2. It was a very small funeral. Actually, the smallest I'd ever been too. They went straight from visitation to the cemetery. It was a sad day for Jordan's mom and all of us really. We've all been so close to Mrs. Annies for so many years. I'm glad she's no longer in pain though. She's also with her only sister who she loved dearly. The Lord is taking good care of her now. I do know that. Please continue to pray for Jordan's mother. She's got so much adjusting to do/get used to.

It was back to work yesterday.... We got more snow last night. I've just decided to get used to it because obviously, it isn't going anywhere. We're expected to get MORE tomorrow. Just Amazing! I am offically 12 weeks today! YAY for 2nd trimester!!! I will try to get my 12 week shot tonight and post tomorrow for all of you to see. :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful beginning to a wonderful week....

The Alford's

Sure is "tuff" trying to feed Tuff

HAPPY FRIDAY! :) Today I have decided to link up with Kelly from Kelly's Korner about feeding our toddlers. I am SO relieved to see by all the links that I'm not the only mom out there who's having trouble getting baby boy to eat. It's really amazing to me because right when Tuff came off the bottle, he ate ANYTHING we gave him. Veggies, fruit and even meat. But lately his appetite for anything healthy has completely decreased. Oh me. It's aggravating at times because I'm constantly worrying about what I can find to feed him that he'll eat AFTER I've cooked a big meal for me and my husband. I guess we just have to roll with the punches around our house and do whatever we have to do to get him to eat. I'm also feeling guilty alot because it seems like the only things he will eat, are nothing compared to healthy. Like I said, at least I'm not the only mom struggling with this. Anyways, here is what Tuff's eating routine is looking like these days...

Breakfast:
(This is his best meal of the day. He's one of those "has to eat as soon as his head comes off the pillow kind. So he usually eats good for this meal.)

• Cereal: Mainly fruit loops at our house since I'm not a big cereal eater and his daddy always eats fruit loops, that's usually all we have in the house. But at his MeMe's house, he eats all different kinds.
• Grits (instant, we buy them by the box)
• waffles
• bacon, the kid LOVES bacon
• pancakes
• bananas
• french toast

Lunch/Dinner:

This is where it starts to get scarce and VERY limited.... First of all I'm going to list the things he'll ALWAYS eat. Meaning things that he'll NEVER turn down. It goes a little something like this....

• Pizza

And... that's it. Haha. I know ya'll must be thinking I'm crazy but it's true. The child LOVES pizza and it's the only thing I've NEVER seen him turn down. Now here are the things that he'll eat most of the time but every now and then will turn down...

• mostly anything Chef Boyardee but his favorites are abc/123 & meatballs and spaghetti & meatballs. (minus the meatballs. we take them out)
• Campbells chicken noodle soup (this has turned into a hit lately meaning.. he's not turning it down much)
• spaghetti (my spaghetti, not from the can)
• lasagna
• mashed potatos (sometimes with gravy)
• green peas & green beans
• bread... this use to be something he'd NEVER turn down but the past month or so he's turned it down a few times.
• french fries
• chicken nuggets (but very,very rarely and he's not into any kinds of dips yet. too bad because I'm sure he'd like them better if he liked dips)
• soups (he'll eat just about any kind of homeade soup)

And that's about it in the lunch/dinner department. We're really struggling, I know. But I hear it's a phase so I'm hoping we come out of it soon.

Snacks:

One of our biggest issues is snacking. He likes to snack constantly. I don't want him to do this because I feel like this could be one of the main reasons for him not eating his meals. The only good thing about him snacking is he doesn't like sweets. Can you believe it? What kids don't eat sweets. He gets this from his daddy because his daddy barely eats any sweets. Don't get me wrong, there are very few sweets he does like but like I said, very FEW. He really prefers salty over sweet. Here are a list of his favorite snacks...

• Tortilla chips (he goes through phases with his favorite snack but currently, this is the FAV. He wants to eat these all the time.)
• cheez its
• cheetos
• gold fish
• crackers (Ritz & Saltine)
• butter cookies (occassionally but this used to be a favorite. I think he got tired of them)
• snack pack pudding cups (this has been freshly added to the list this week)
• apple sauce

As for drinks, I've never been big on giving him juice. I know he gets alot more juice at his MeMe's which is ok but at home we mostly stick to milk. In my head, I think this is good for him his eating habbits are so limited but in the doctor's eyes, he thinks it could be another reason for him not eating much. Who knows. I still think it's a phase so I try not to dwell on it too much. As long as he's not losing weight I think we're ok.

I've really enjoyed browsing everyone's links to see all of your tricks. Maybe we'll try some out.

Anyways, if you follow my blog regularly and you're wondering about our appointment this morning.... It went great!!! She did find the heartbeat with the doppler and it was VERY fast. Those were her words exactly. It was funny because you can hear both my heartbeat and the babies over the doppler and it was amazing how much faster the babies was. Anyways, we all know what VERY fast means... GIRL. Haha. I said that to my doctor and she said "Yeeesss... they do say that but I also wouldn't call that accurate information." :) Jordan's face was priceless when we heard that strong, VERY fast heartbeat. Even though I know he would be SO very happy with a little girlie too. We were there for 2 hours. After seeing the doctor, I had to have blood drawn (5 TUBES!!!!) and then we had a meeting with the financial advisor there. Oh me... Our favorite part of the pregnancy. The costs. Anyways, it was a good visit and we will be headed in for another check up on March 4th. Stay tuned because I should have 12 week belly shots up next week.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful FRIDAY. Not too much longer for my weekend to start. Enjoy yours!!!!!

The Alford's

Tomorrows the BIG day!

Our appointment is at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I will *hopefully* be posting some ultrasound pictures for ya'll to see. That is unless they find little's heartbeat with the stinkin doppler. Guess we'll have to see.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thursday!!!

The Alford's

Early Spring... here we come!!!

I'm sure everyone knows it's groundhog day and I know we were all hoping for the same news... for Mr. Punxsutawney Phil (funny name, huh?) to crawl out of his hole and NOT see his shadow. Well, he indeed crawled out of his hole this morning and DID NOT see his shadow. WOOOO HOOOOO. I dread the thought of him seeing his shadow every year. I am always ready for warmer weather. Now, by no means am I ready for a summer like we had last summer, especially since I'll be HUGE and pregnant by that point but my arms are always wide open, welcoming Spring time. :) Last Saturday's beautiful weather was like a little piece of Heaven. I can't wait to have days like that for a few months before summer. Anyways, since I'm at work and haven't been able to watch the news today, I googled the groundhog news and I found my info here.

I did cook country fried steak for the first time last night and it was a SUCCESS!!! I will say the kitchen was a complete mess when I finished. But it was well worth the mess. Jordan must have thought so too since he ate up a whole plate and took left overs to work with him. :) I was proud of myself... mostly proud for the homemade gravy that was also a success! I think Tuff enjoyed the mashed potatos and gravy too, mainly because after every bite he would say "Mmmmm." Little cutie pie. Can't help but LOVE him to pieces.

We are scheduled to hear the heartbeat Friday morning at 8:30. I'm anxious and excited. Maybe that's why this week has drrrruuuugggg so much. I feel like I've been watching the clock all day, evey day at work. And we've actually been pretty busy since it's officially TAX SEASON. Blah. I love being busy but one thing I don't love is the phone during tax season. I swear it rings every 60 seconds. Some days I want to rip it out of the wall and throw it out the window. Hahaha. Someone has to do it though, right? :) Anyways, I guess I'm about 11 weeks along now. Things have been looking up in the nausea department. Getting closer to the 2nd trimester. Maybe that's why. On the up side, I don't have much of an appetite. Baby obviously lets me know when it's time to eat (I start gagging like crazy when my stomach gets empty) but I have absolutely NO cravings and nothing sounds good to me. Isn't that wierd? I don't get sick when I do eat, but up until I make myself eat something, nothing sounds good. I hope that continues the whole pregnancy so I don't gain 50 pounds. Ha. I doubt it works like that though. I was SO sick the first 4 months with Tuff but after those 4 months, everything sounded good. All I wanted to do is eat. I can't be like that this time though. Mainly because I was still 15 pounds heavier than pre-Tuff when I got pregnant with this little one. I hope to exercise more with this baby too. I think it will work out since Spring is right around the corner and I'll be pregnant in mostly all warm weather. Which obviously means I'll have NO excuse not to exercise. :) I plan on taking either weekly or bi-weekly belly pictures starting soon. That way ya'll can see how baby #2 is progressing. I haven't yet decided at what week I want to start though. I tried this with Tuff but could never keep up. I will try to do better this time around. Plus I have a blog now where I can record it. Anyways, maybe I'll start next week since I will be 12 weeks and beginning the 2nd trimester.

I'm glad it's Wednesday. And almost the end of Wednesday already. Wednesday means we're half way through the work week. I cherish my weekends. I'm sure everyone does. Hope you all are having a wonderful day!!!

The Alford's

Future Charmer

Meme and Papa bought baby boy some Valentine PJ's. Tuff was pretty proud of his new jammies after his bath last night. He kept pointing to his shirt where it says "Future Charmer." Future charmer one day for the girlies and present charmer for this mama. :) He sure does charm me... all the time.

We've also got a new found love for chocolate pudding. I bought some of the snack packs at the grocery store this week to carry in my lunch every day but Tuff has already ate half of them. Which is A-OK with me since he doesn't like to eat much. You can see by his chocolate-y mouth that he was really enjoying his snack pack...

Silly Boy

My favorite meal growing up was my mom's country fried steak and gravy. YUM. We have lived in our house for almost a year now and I've never attempted to cook country fried steak. I guess I'm living in fear that I might mess it up somehow. Of course I'm sure it'll never be as good as my own mother's but tonight is the night!!! I bought some from the grocery store this weekend and it's thawing out from being in the freezer as we speak. I figured I better try cooking it on an off night from Tuff's baths because I'm not sure how long it's going to take me. Since he had his bath last night, I figured I'd try tonight. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. Wish me luck!!! :)

Jordan's mom has taken care of an elderly lady as long as I've known Jordan (10 years). Jordan's mom even used to pay me to work the night shift at her home when I first started college. It was an easy job and I had time to study and do homework while Miss Annie watched tv, ate dinner, etc. Within the past 5 years she's taken her into her own home and taken care of her every need. Miss Annie has been pretty sick and in the hospital for the past week and a half and I was sad to hear she passed around 3 a.m. this morning. Jordan's mom has taken care of Miss Annie for a LONG time and cared for her deeply. She is also very exhausted from being at the hospital and not leaving her side for the past week and a half. If ya'll don't mind, say a little prayer for Jordan's mom. I'm sure she could use them as she prepares for a funeral/arrangements the rest of this week and also while she tries to adjust to not having the responsibility all day every day of taking care of Miss Annie.

I don't have too much more to share. It's just a rainy, dreary day here. I'm just GLAD it's not snow. I could do without it the rest of this year. I'll leave ya'll with another picture of our ball loving baby boy...

Have a good Tuesday!

The Alford's

The Lord knew just what we needed

All I have to say about this winter is UGH. It has been long, cold and sickly and it's not even February yet. I think the Lord knew just what we everyone needed on Saturday when we woke up to 60+ degrees and SUNSHINE. It was so nice that I decided to take the boys and Bentley to the park. Breeann stopped by with Ada, Tori and a friend of Tori's and we invited them to tag along as well. It was so nice to have a breath of fresh warm air. I know the babies had to feel the same way. Especially since they have all been so sick and stuck inside this winter. I took a few pictures with my phone to share...

Baby boy getting ready to go down the slide

and again with Aunt Tori

Sweet Ada soaking up the sun rays

The busy boys

It was such a nice day. And like I said... we NEEDED it to prepare us for what February has in store for us. Even though I wished it would stay this pretty and warm, I know it must come to an end. Haha.

The boys had a good time playing together on Saturday. I'm glad Harrison got to come out and spend some time with Tuff. They were both so excited to see each other when Harrison walked in. They immediately went running and giggling towards Tuff's bedroom as soon as Harrison got there. Both took good naps, ate good lunch and had fun playing outside. Bentley was also a joy to have for the weekend. I'm sure most of you know but Bentley is technically "my" dog... I'm sure my mom and dad wouldn't call him that anymore since they give him a home but I will always be "mama" to him. Bentley was my pride and joy for 2 years before I had Tuff. I pretty much treated him like my baby... LITERALLY. When Tuff came along, it was so hard to give him the attention he needed with a new baby. I felt guilty most of the time for not being able to give him the attention he used to get (before Tuff). So I thought about trying to find him a home with someone who could give him the attention he "needed" and mom and dad couldn't stand the thought of it so they decided to take him in. It really worked out well because I still get to see him as much as I want and he gets to have a vacation at our house every now and then when mom and dad need to go out of town, etc. It's funny because he just comes over and acts like he's right at home.. like he never left at all. I'm glad we got to spend some quality time together with BB's.

Tuff enjoyed spending time with him too.

Is this not the cutest, sweetest face EVER? :)

We had a nice relaxed weekend with some good company. It was nice and much needed of course. :) Only 3 days until we get to hear out little's heartbeat. We can't wait!!!! Hope you all had a wonderful warm weekend!!!!

The Alford's