31 WEEKS

So once again sorry for the lack of posts. I have had kind of an off week. Kenny and I got home from an amazing but very quick Christmas holiday and then Kenny went out of town for the rest of the week for work. Normally I enjoy the time spent alone when he is away for business but this week I was just antsy without him. I think it is because we had some stuff that needed to get done like a HUGE grocery shopping trip because we have ZERO food in the house and the Christmas decorations needed to get taken down and I just can't do that stuff by myself or at all these days. Which leaves me feeling helpless and frustrated.

But never fear he is conquering that ginormous grocery list for me today and we both have opted to order take in tonight and watch movies which sounds perfect to me. I am making a big lunch for the Gator Bowl tomorrow. Go Dawgs!!

But we did have a great Christmas full of family, food and lots of gifts. We got a new camera so hopefully the pictures I post on here will get better in quality. And Elle even got some Christmas presents to!!

So here is the belated update for this week!

31 WEEKS

How far along? 31 weeks and 5 days. The baby weighs 3.9 lbs is 19 inches long and is still the size of a head of lettuce according to my app.

Total weight gain/loss? UNKNOWN. Does it really matter at this point. I think to avoid the stress and pressure I am going to start doing my weigh ins facing away from the scale. It is not so much the total gained as it is the numbers I am reaching that I have never seen before in my life!

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Sleep? What is that? Not sleeping much at all. In fact last night I would say I got about two hours after getting up every few minutes to pee or walk off a muscle spasm because I did not want it to turn into an actual cramp. These leg cramps y'all are the WORST symptom of pregnancy for me. So painful and don't let up. I get so nervous that I am about to have one that it kind of sends me into a panic attack. Yikes.

On a side note at some point last night I started watching this movie with Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallon...it was so random...called Rhinestone. Have yall ever seen this movie? I might have been kind of delirious.

Best moment last week? Spending time with our families for Christmas, eating lots of good food, Christmas Eve candle light service, presents. It was all fun.

Movement? Lots and lots of movement. Not sure if she is always so awake at night but last night while I was up alllllllllll night she was going crazy. We will have to nip that in the bud when she gets here.

Food cravings? No real cravings. Love food just the same as I always have!

Gender? It's a girl! Elting Caroline!

Labor signs? Lots of Braxton Hicks but no true labor signs.

Belly button in/out? I think it might officially be on its way out.

What I miss: At this point I miss a lot and I have a lot of symptoms that are making me uncomfortable but I hate being a complainer and I am doing it to much these days. I am so happy we are having this baby girl and despite how I feel I don't want to keep complaining because it seems ungrateful. So not going to list these things this week.

What I am looking forward to: Watching my Bulldogs win the Gator Bowl tomorrow and a big New Years Day lunch with my family. Getting back into a routine after the holidays and hopefully finding some time to relax before delivery although I'm beginning to think this is NOT going to happen before Elting gets here.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!!! AND LET'S GO DAWGS!!!!!

30 WEEKS

Sorry for my lack of blogging this week. Haven't had to much to say and I have been trying to soak up the holiday spirit and trying to relax.

I have felt very reflective and maybe a little sad at times as we go through this season because I know it is the last one where things will be the way they are. Do you get what I am saying? DO NOT GET ME WRONG!! We are beyond thrilled and know we are so blessed to have our little girl on the way. But it has been Kenny and me for so long. And with our lives about to change so much I am just really appreciating the time we took together as a couple to just be a couple. Next Christmas will not be anything like this Christmas and I cannot wait. But until then I am just trying to enjoy every moment.

Last night Kenny and I opened our gifts to each other after a little dinner out. It was so much fun and he put so much thought into the gifts. There were even some gifts for Elle from Daddy. And we got Lena one of these from Target. Have any of yall seen these? She freaking loved it. Loved it! And this morning she was carrying around her corn on the cob. It was so cute!

Anyway, looking forward to the next few days spent with family. So here is your weekly update!!

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks and 4 days. The baby weighs 3.2 lbs is 18 inches long and is the size of a head of lettuce.

Total weight gain/loss? NOT TALKING ABOUT IT! Ha! Things are fine and nothing is extreme. My doctor reassures me that I am freaking out for no reason. But...let's just say hormones making everything a little bit more dramatic and drastic feeling.

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Not great. Waking up every hour and a half to go to the bathroom. Then it takes so much effort to get back into bed and then re-adjust Mr. Snoogle. I was telling Kenny that I seriously cannot believe that he does not even budge during all of this moving around. Because he has not woken up once from all the flouncing. Crazy.

Best moment last week? Just enjoying Christmas and spending more time with friends. And we got to hear Elle's strong heartbeat yesterday. She is doing great.

Movement? Lots and lots of movement.

Food cravings? No food cravings really. Have enjoyed a cup or two of eggnog.

Gender? It's a girl! Elting Caroline!

Labor signs? Lots of Braxton Hicks but no true labor signs.

Belly button in/out? I think it might officially be on its way out.

What I miss: What I miss...basically it sums up to being able to do anything without triple the effort and huffing and puffing. Everything wears me out. And we won't even get into how much it wears me out to put on tights for work everyday. It is kind of comical. Yesterday I came home from getting a manicure and had to have Kenny help me put on my maternity skinny jeans. The effort and trying not to mess up my nails made Kenny say "I think this might be a low point in our relationship." Ha! It was kind of funny.

What I am looking forward to: Spending time with family over the holidays and hopefully RELAXING!!

29 WEEKS

FOR COMPARISONS SAKE
20 Week Picture in LBD
29 Week Picture in LBD (and please excuse the cropping) Decided to take this picture as I was leaving work for the day. I looked tired and already had my uggs on to walk to the car because it is so cold. So I am only sharing the belly. What a difference though right? I would say I am uuuuuhhh a little fuller EVERYWHERE!

29 WEEKS- 3rd Trimester WHOO- HOO!

How far along? 29 weeks and 4 days. The baby weighs 3.1 lbs is 17 inches long and is the size of a butternut squash.

Total weight gain/loss? Not sure yet. I have a doctors appointment coming up so maybe I will update you after that. Getting antsy to start losing the weight already though! Can't wait to hear about Weight Watchers new program. Someone told me that fruit is 0 points and that is very exciting to this girl!

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Meh. First, it is 18 degrees here and I am sleeping with no covers. I am burning up all the time. And then I feel like I am halfway asleep most of the time. Not sleeping hard but not fully awake either. Maybe it is all the bathroom trips. Not sure. But the good thing is I don't feel to tired during the day. Still have my energy.

Best moment last week? Spending time with friends. We went to dinner and to see Starry Nights with some friends and then had dinner with a group of people on Friday night. It was nice to just hang out and relax during this busy season.

And thanks to the internets I have been done with my Christmas shopping for at least a week. Obsessed with Amazon this year and my Amazon Mom Prime Free Shipping. My sister and I had a wrapping party so she could help me wrap and we drank hot cocoa and listened to Christmas music. I was totally worn out from all the hard work but now I have so many pretty packages under my tree.

Movement? Just a ton of movement and these days she is kicking HARD! She moves my whole belly and it is so funny to watch.

Food cravings? None really. Anything is pretty good. Chicken is still weird and still haven't eaten Chinese food since our trip to Chicago.

Gender? It's a girl! Elting Caroline!

Labor signs? No. But I do notice at least several Braxton Hicks contractions a day.

Belly button in/out? I think it might officially be on its way out.

What I miss: Being able to lean over. Being able to lift my legs. Being able to get dressed or do anything without huffing and puffing. Not having my back hurt all the time!

These are the same as last week because I still concur.

What I am looking forward to: Spending more time with Kenny as Christmas gets closer. We are in the process of deciding what night we are going to exchange our gifts for each other. We always do it by ourselves instead of with family. I am excited to give him his gifts, he has a few surprises!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From the Laceys!

(Christmas Card designed and printed by J Press Designs)

And had to share our Christmas tree now that we have all of our gifts wrapped and ready to be given to our family.

(Wrapping courtesy of my lovely sister and I)

28 WEEKS AND A JPRESS DESIGNS GIVEAWAY

Before I give you my weekly update I thought I would let you know that my good friend Susan with JPress Designs is giving away one of her desk calendars of your choice. She has three to choose from. They are so cute. My favorite is her newest design "Eclectic" (pictured above) but she also has a floral set and a very classy black and white version.

So head on over to her blog to enter. And if you want to buy some. They really are the perfect stocking stuffer or gift where you want to get someone something small for only $10-$15 dollars each!

28 WEEKS

How far along? 28 weeks and 4 days. The baby weighs 2.9 lbs is 17 inches long and is the size of a small cabbage.

Total weight gain/loss? Don't know. I will have a doctors appointment in a couple of weeks. My clothes aren't fitting any different so I don't feel like I have gained to much outside of normal baby stuff.

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Is still just okay. Literally getting up to go to the bathroom at least 5 times a night. And I don't even talk about the effort it takes to sit up and then get out of bed. And yes I know I still have a pretty good ways to go.

Best moment last week? I really enjoyed getting away with Kenny last weekend. I have to say even though I already talked about it earlier this week; that the best moment was sitting in the Loveless Cafe over a delicious breakfast(nom food!) with Kenny, watching the snow fall outside the window, Christmas music playing and just being grateful for everything we have been given this holiday season.

Movement? Lots and lots of movement. And I am starting to see and feel elbows, knees, feet, who knows what it is poking and jutting out in different places.

Food cravings? Not really having to many cravings. Just enjoying not to have to worry so much about what I am eating over this holiday season. I know I will pay for it later.

Gender? It's a girl! Elting Caroline!

Labor signs? No. But I do notice at least several Braxton Hicks contractions a day.

Belly button in/out? Not out per say. But def not it. This is a weird question by the way...

What I miss: Being able to wear my shoes and boots. Was getting ready to go out to eat the other night and none of my shoes or boots would go over my poor swollen feet and ankles. Kenny found it rather comical and so did I to a point.

What I am looking forward to: Christmas of course!! And I am in my third trimester. It is so crazy to watch the days and weeks countdown. They are flying by. Kenny and I have lots of Christmas-y dates and double dates planned for the next couple weeks. Tonight we are going to dinner with friends and then to see Starry Nights and next week we are going to Zoo lights and ice skating with some other friends. Love doing these things with the people we care about!

A GREAT WINTER MEAL

VEGETABLE RAVIOLI SOUP

(Click above for link to recipe)

Last night I made this homemade ravioli vegetable soup along with some grilled cheese sandwiches. It was extremely simple and very delicious! Kenny gave it rave reviews.

It is also seemingly healthy at 264 calories for two cups of soup. And it was very filling with all the zucchini and the raviolis. I doubled the recipe and froze half of it for another night's meal.

Once we had our bowls full of warm soup on a very cold night we settled in(or at least I did) to watch Glee's Christmas episode. I thought it was a fantastic episode. I continue to be amazed at that shows ability to make me laugh the whole time and then ugly cry five seconds later.

A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Saturday morning Kenny and I got up and made our way to Nashville for a little weekend getaway. We had reservations at the Opryland Hotel. The hotel is a fun place to stay during the holidays with all the lights and decorations. It is always a little bit crazy because there are soooo many people there. But as long as we have a room to go to to unwind we are fine.

When we got there we grabbed some lunch at Solario. The hotel's Mexican restaurant. We took a self portrait while we waited.Had to include a picture of a nearby elephant. They are my favorite animal. Anyway Solario had the BEST guacamole that they made fresh to order. And we absolutely stuffed ourselves. And now I am craving Mexican food!

After we were finished eating we went back to our room to watch the SEC Championship and relax. Then we got ready for dinner. We went on the General Jackson riverboat and they had a Christmas show where they sang Christmas music while you ate. It was all very fun and festive.

Once we were off the boat we walked around for a little while and looked at all the lights. By the time we got back to the room I was wiped and to be honest having some swelling issues. So we decided I needed to elevate. This was the result!

Cute right?? We take pictures of these situations for memory purposes to show Elting. Aren't you so glad I am sharing with you to?

On Sunday we got up to head back to Memphis and opened our window to find snow flurries outside of our window. For a Christmas cheeseball like myself this was so exciting. At one point we were listening to Let It Snow on the iPod while it was really snowing. Being a southern girl this was a first and I loved it!

I wanted to eat at Loveless Cafe for breakfast so we packed up and made our way to the Natchez Trace for some of the best down home brunch I have EVER had! If you have never been you must go. By the time we got to Loveless the snow was really coming down. So while we ate breakfast the diner was playing Christmas music and the snow was coming down outside...it was all so cozy.

Once we were back to Memphis we just rested and watched football. Kenny decided he wanted to make sure Elle's stroller was in working order so he pulled that out to play with.

It was. And we pushed it empty around the house for a little bit like complete nerds.

It was such a good holiday weekend and put us both in the Christmas spirit!

SANTA...

So there isn't a whole lot I am asking for for Christmas this year. Kenny and I are doing a smaller Christmas for each other and the same with our families. But if Santa existed in more than just spirit there is just one thing that I would ask for...

EOS Rebel XSi

We plan on getting a point and shoot in the very near future but I feel like you need both types of cameras when you have a baby. One for on the go moments and this big mama for when you want quality pictures for keepsakes. This is actually one of the more affordable ones that I have researched. Start saving our dollas!

27 WEEKS

27 WEEKS

How far along? 27 weeks and 4 days. The baby weighs 2.5 lbs is 16 inches long and is the size of a head of cauliflower. She is getting so big.

Total weight gain/loss? I only gained a few lbs at my last doctor appointment. I am right around 19-20 lbs gained. This is in the normal range and while it is still a hard pill to swallow it is just part of it and I am not complaining.

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Mr. Snoogle is now our road companion. He goes everywhere with us now. I showed him to my family over Thanksgiving and they all wanted Mr. Snoogles of their own. Otherwise...sleep is just okay.

Best moment last week? Last week was Thanksgiving week and I was so grateful to be able to relax and spend some time with my family and Kenny. My sister and my aunt both got to feel Elle kick while we were at the cabin and I was happy that I got to see everyone during my pregnancy.

I also passed my glucose test with flying colors the nurse said. So I was so happy about that. She did say my iron was pretty low so I am on a new iron supplement now plus my prenatals.

Movement? Just a ton of movement and these days she is kicking HARD! She moves my whole belly and it is so funny to watch.

Food cravings? Normally I wouldn't have had anything to say but on my way to work I was hit in the face with an intense craving for CHEESE STICKS! Must have them now. I am trying to figure out where I can get them for lunch!

Gender? It's a girl! Elting Caroline!

Labor signs? No. But I do notice at least several Braxton Hicks contractions a day.

Belly button in/out? I think it might officially be on its way out.

What I miss: Being able to lean over. Being able to lift my legs. Being able to get dressed or do anything without huffing and puffing. Not having my back hurt all the time!

What I am looking forward to: Starting my third trimester next week! Cannot believe it! Kenny and I have a little weekend planned in Nashville this weekend. A short little baby moon. We are going to stay at the Opryland Hotel and go to a nice dinner. Go see all the pretty lights. And don't worry we have the SEC Championship worked into our little getaway also. So romantic I know. But we have to eat lunch so might as well do it while we watch the game! And of course I am looking forward to all the things that go along with the holidays and this being the last time that it is just Kenny and I. Next year will be a totally different ballgame.

MY LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE

Monday night we continued with our annual tradition of "night of tree decoration." For as long as I can remember to kick off the Christmas season we order take out, decorate the tree while listening to Christmas music and then watch Christmas Vacation. Kenny loves the movie and I enjoy it too. We treat it as a little date night together at home. I love it.

This year seemed especially surreal because we were both so aware that this would be the LAST time that it would just be he and I decorating the tree. Next year, while she might not be able to help all that much, Elting will be here. We will be a family of four (don't forget about Lena!)

The way we choose to decorate the tree is using ornaments that we are given and that we buy for each other each year that mean something to us. No themes, or fru fru-ness. To me it makes decorating the tree so much more fun because we talk about each ornament as we pull it out. Where we got it, who gave it to us, when we got it. My mom gives us a box of ornaments that she buys every Christmas that she buys throughout the year and this year along with the ones she bought she had included some that usually hang on her tree from my childhood. You know you are getting old when these types of things have such sentimental value.

Here is the before shot of our little tree. And yes we do artificial. We are both allergic. So I buy lots of Christmas tree scented candles to make it smell more authentic because everyone knows that is the best part of a real tree anyway.

Mom's annual gift of ornaments waiting to be opened.

Some of our ornaments.

1. An elephant ornament Kenny gave me the first year we were married because it is my favorite animal. I love them.

2. Kenny's favorite baseball team is the Red Sox and I found this for a steal brand new at our Junior League's second hand store and snatched it up. Couldn't believe my luck.

3. A little clay crawfish from an art show my mom went to. So random and I love it.

4. Ballet Slippers from my mom's tree. I got these from the dance studio that I took lessons from when I was little and I have always loved them. So fun to have them on our tree now.

5. Couldn't resist this cheesy goodness. Got this for Kenny our first year we were married. And yes it has our names on it. Ha!

6. And we couldn't ignore this guy this year. He got a front row spot representing all of Mississippi State's hard work this season! We have so many State ornaments we are contemplating doing a small themed State tree in our office.

Me in all my pregnant glory and Lena decorating the tree together.

And our finished tree. Isn't she pretty. I still need a tree skirt. I have never been able to find one that I felt was right or that I liked. So I just shop for gifts and wrap them quickly and get them under the tree!

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Kenny and I got home last night from an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. It was exactly what we needed minus the long car drive there in back with the rest of the country's population. Wednesday night, after work, we made our way to my family's lake house outside of Atlanta. It is on Lake Lanier. We got there at 2:30 am and fell into bed!

Then it was Turkey Day! My brother, sister and law and nephews came. My cousins both got married this past year and it was nice to hang out with everyone and their husbands. My aunt and uncles extended family were in town to. There were about 20 of us total! It was a big family Thanksgiving and my aunt and her sister did such a fabulous job hosting everyone. I ACTUALLY have a few pictures. And then...my camera died. We have got to get a new camera pronto!

The fabulous table settings for the big dinner. We ate on the main floor's porch overlooking the lake. The sun even came out for the event eventually. It really was so nice.

The porch fireplace. So nice to sit outside next to the fire!

My Aunt Pam greeted me with a little arrangement for my bedside table in honor of Elle.

There was a rousing came of corn hole going on the lower porch with my nephews.

The Elting family (my aunt, uncle and cousins) also have a tradition of skeet shooting every Thanksgiving so we all loaded up to shoot some skeet. I have to say my husband was one of the best and definitely held his own out there. Plus he looked pretty cute doing it! I told him I needed to send him bird hunting!

My uncle giving my mom a little refresher course on shooting.

And this would be my mother and husband in competition.

And that is where the camera died. But dinner was amazing. And I have to say one of the best I have had in years because we all chose not to eat on any hors d' oeuvres before dinner and I was not full before sitting down. In fact, I was starving and because of that I loved every bit of that caloric gluttony!

The rest of the weekend was pure enjoyment. My cousins and their husband's had to head back to Atlanta to do some things so the crowd was smaller. And we pretty much watched football at the house next to a huge fire and ate our way through the weekend. Kenny and I were so thrilled to be able to relax. We had not been able to in so long.

On Saturday, we went to a sports bar in a nearby town to watch the LSU/Arkansas game and to have some wings and draft beers. That helped our small case of cabin fever and then it was back to the lake house to watch my

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS DEFEAT THE OLE MISS BLACK BEARS AND TAKE HOME THIS!!!
It really was the perfect way to end the weekend!

THE SEASON IS OVER

So this past weekend was our last home football game and Kenny and I's last weekend in Starkville. We rented a house with a bunch of friends and piled in there like sardines. It was fun hanging out with everyone.

I have to say I am a little relieved this was our last game for the year. Football season has kept us so incredibly busy and the constant going out town has started getting a little hard. I am ready to be at home for a few weekends and just do nothing. I am thinking that this will be a possibility in January. However, I have loved every single minute of this fall and all the games!

So who watched the game? What a heart breaker right? It was so much fun being there. A few seasons back Mississippi State would not have been able to come back from a 10 point lead. But we did and then the overtimes! Oh the overtimes! We had so many chances to pull out the win. I mean the kicker missed a 20 yard field goal. But in the end it just wasn't in the cards for us. I actually wasn't that sad about the loss because our season has been so good and we played so well! Arkansas just played better.

Now its time to beat the Black Bears and then onto our bowl game!

REASONS WHY I LOVED THE BULLDOG FOOTBALL SEASON
1. Getting to see Mississippi State fans care about our football program! Everyone stays for the games and are so pumped up! I am so exhausted after every game from cheering and ringing my legal cowbell. Thank you Dan Mullen for turning our program around!

2. Being ranked for most of the season! Even after our loss against Arkansas we are still in the polls.(barely) But we are there.

3. Getting to see my friends every weekend and people you might not see otherwise and spending time with them. Tailgating=fun!

4. Going to have to put this one on here but getting to eat at all my favorite Starkville restaurants like City Bagel and the Grill. I hope to make it to Restaurant Tyler for basketball season. But there was not a single weekend we were in Starkville where we did not eat at City Bagel at least once if not more!

5. The weather for every single football game was amazing. No rain, no clouds and not even to cold!

6. Spending time with Kenny. The car rides down there. And then our seats were separate from everyone elses during the game. So it would just be him and me sitting together during the game and we would talk about the game and people watch. It was just so much fun doing it all with him and I loved the time together. Especially since it might become a rarity for a little bit in the future.

On Sunday, we rode home with our friends and I slept the afternoon away. Then last night Kenny decided to set up Elle's new swing we bought her. He was so proud and excited! The boy is starting to love him some baby gear!

Umm so it is Thanksgiving this week! Get excited!!

WHO IS EXCITED??!!!!

About a Royal Wedding!!!!!!

I can already tell I might start to obsess over this whole shebang. I have really liked Kate or Katherine as they are now calling her, since she started dating William 8-9 years ago. I mean really who hasn't. I liked how she did not seem to want the media attention and stayed true to herself.

I can only hope that her and William are truly in love. And I think they are. Unlike Princess Di and Charles. I want them to be together forever! Yes, I know I sound like a 6th grader right now.

Plus it is so intriguing to me to think about how her life is going to change. I mean she fell in love with this boy who happened to be a prince. But to marry him is a full time job and you are under such intense scrutiny. I mean look at it already, the last two days of morning news have been completely devoted to them and their engagement. Can you imagine being judged by the Queen on everything you do?? Yikes!

And while I am not to crazy about her sapphire engagement ring (it seems more of a right hand ring to me.) I do think it is really special that is was Diana's and William felt like she should have it.

Alright I am rambling. But I do plan on waking up at 3:00 am to watch this royal wedding like we always hear our moms say they did.

WEEKEND RECAP

We had such a crazy weekend! And I know I promised pictures of the nursery but our camera is not working and well the camera phone isn't doing the room justice. So all in good time! I promise. Plus I need to add some personal touches. We hung some shelves and they need to be accessorized and my friend Susan at J Press Designs is designing some customized artwork to hang over the crib and we need some cute lamps because the overhead lighting is horrible! I despise overhead lighting!! So there is still a little left to do!

I will show you this picture of the armoire that was mine and my mother's as a child! Isn't it cute.... I love the color with the gray and we are putting baskets in it for organization and I will also keep all of the books in it that my mom brought up from when I was a little girl. I love books and was so excited to see all my favorites that we will read to Elle.

Friday my mom got into town and we got to work covering/upholstering the valances for the windows that we had made. And I was dying for some Mexican so we all went out for some chips and cheese dip after a trip to Lowes. Why is it when you just want to run into Lowes it always turns into at least an hour trip! Ugg! The Mexican food was delicious anyway!

Saturday morning Kenny and I both woke up early! The weather was horrible but he had a golf lesson scheduled and my mom and I had a ton of errands to run. I hugged and kissed him goodbye and told him I was getting in the shower. I was about to get out the shower when my mom knocked on the door and told me that Kenny had been in a car accident. He was okay but needed me to run an up to date insurance card to the accident.

And now for my PSA: You might have heard that most car accidents happen with 1-2 miles of your house. This is 100% true for every accident I have EVER had (which might be up to a total of 3 or 4). And was true for this one too. My husband travels to see clients for a living every single day. He has never gotten into an accident until now and he was less than .5 a mile from our house. Always, always, always put on your seat belt even if you are just running somewhere that is close by.

Anyway, the lady that hit Kenny has good insurance and the car is already in the shop. But you can imagine that I looked a mess when I arrived at the scene of the accident with wet hair, a long sleeve tshirt that was entirely too small for the preggy belly, sweat pants and Uggs all in a panic! He grabbed the information and told me I could wait at home. Ha!

After all the excitement Kenny managed to still get to his golf lesson that he rescheduled and my mom and I ran a ton of errands and got so much accomplished. Then we met my sister who had just taken her Praxis for grad school for pedicures. They were heavenly and I think we all needed some pampering by this point.

That night we cheered on our Bulldogs while they played Alabama despite the beating! I love them anyway and then watched Post Grad. Terrible movie by the way. And it had so many famous people in it.

Sunday, Kenny and I had not seen a movie in FOOOOOREEEEVER so we went to see Due Date. We get all settled in with our popcorn and drinks and our smuggled movie candy (because seriously $3 for a box of candy) and they come tell us the projector wasn't working. Boo! But they refunded our money and gave us two free movie passes so I can't complain to much. And we sure did take that popcorn home and eat it anyway! Ha! That afternoon we went over to some friends house to cook out and hang out around their fire pit. It was so fun and I was loving the cooler weather.

TAGGED YOUR IT!

Ashley over at Life As I Know It has given me a blog award!! So I am going to play along on this lovely Friday morning!

Here are the rules ...

1. Thank and link back to who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself per award.

So here are my seven things!

1. My name is Mallory Lacey and I am a list making addict. Not exaggerating right now. I have four handwritten lists sitting right next to me. This does not include the lists that I keep on my computer that I fiddle with and update on a daily basis. I love lists. Lists take all my little anxious thoughts in my head and put them out so that I can see them and it calms me and organizes me and I feel like I have a handle on things. I realize that my lists are totally a coping mechanism but so what. I don't think I will ever kick the habit!

2. I think I have said this before but the thing that terrifies me the most in life is a big ol cockroach. I am talking those big flying suckers that are huge. I cry, I shake, I hyperventilate, I call everyone I know to come kill it. I F-R-E-A-K out! Days after seeing one I will still be jumpy and shaking shower curtains and towels or anything else that could house on of those horrid creatures. Seriously, if I am a Russian Spy and you need info from me get a cockroach near me and I will tell you everything I know. (I know this was a random comment but I watched a story about the Russian spies this morning on the news and they intrigue me so)

3. I watch A LOT of television. I mean a lot! And some of it DOES NOT make me a smarter person, nor do I tell people some of the shows I watch because they are so trashy. And yes, I have a life. I just really adore my DVR.

4. Give me a french fry or a chip or a Cheez-It any day over something sweet.

5. I love pop music and pop country and then people like Celine Dion and Josh Groban. This is the total opposite of my husband who puts up with my music tastes but is passionate about jam bands and southern rock.

6. I love cooking and have a strong obsession with all things food. I love looking at people's grocery carts to see what they are buying or what people are eating at work or at restaurants. One of my dream's in life is that my children will always think that I am/was a great cook and I instill the love of cooking them also.

7. My ultimate dream in life would be to be a cheesemonger and own a cheese and wine shop.

Please feel free to do this if you want to chime in on seven little things about yourself!

24 WEEKS

24 WEEKS

How far along? 24 weeks and 4 days. The baby weighs 1.7 lbs and is the size of an eggplant. See what I mean with these veggies/fruits. Ear of corn to eggplant.... huh??

Total weight gain/loss? Not sure a couple weeks ago it was around 14-15 lbs total. Ugg.

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Actually enjoying sleep these days. Besides my arms and shoulders going numb from sleeping on my sides and the crazy dreams, I am feeling pretty well rested. Plus it is easier to get up in the morning when it is not pitch dark outside.

Best moment last week? Last week was a really good week. Not to busy and then Kenny's parents came in town for a visit. They were so generous and took us shopping at Babies R' Us and marked several things off the list that we needed for the babe. Including this stroller that I am really excited about!

I made sure to get in the cute green color so we could use it for any future baby Lacey's. They also brought her some really cute outfits and bibs and things like that! We spent the weekend hanging out watching football and cooking at home. It was a really nice visit!

Movement? Still lots and lots of movement. I read that this will decrease in the future once the baby gets bigger and can't move around so much. That will make me sad.

Food cravings? Orange flavored drinks which I am quenching with Crystal Light orange bottle packets. I have also had a HUGE sweet tooth here lately which is abnormal for me.

Gender? It's a girl! Elle Caroline!

Labor signs? No. But I am pretty convinced I am having some Braxton Hicks occasionally.

Belly button in/out? In......for now.

What I miss: Still missing the breathing and I think my belly had a growth spurt because I am feeling a smidge more uncomfortable than I have been. But it is still completely bearable and totally worth it!

What I am looking forward to: My mom is coming in town tomorrow and I can't wait! We are going to get so much done on the nursery. It will be almost complete after this weekend. Don't worry I will be sharing pictures! Then it will be time to try and get the den back in order since we are in the process of redoing that also. And I am also anxious for Mississippi State to play Alabama this weekend. Normally I would of thought that we had no hope but Alabama is 11 and we are 17. That is something....so I am at least hoping for a good game and not a slaughtering! Go Dawgs!!

And if anyone has any good art sites on Etsy or anywhere else please let me know. Really focusing on getting some cute prints/artwork to frame and mat for above the crib in Elle's nursery and I do not know if I am just being picky or what. But I am having a really hard time! So any tips would help!!

WHERE I'VE BEEN SHOPPIN

Oh the glamorous life of pregnancy and maternity clothes. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely appreciative of the oh so comfy clothes. And as much as I fought it in the beginning the maternity clothes end up being more flattering than trying to squeeze yourself into your normal clothes. When you squeeze yourself into your normal clothes you look fat and feel squished.

But it is frustrating to know that you will only wear these clothes for such a small amount of time in the grand scheme of things. So because of that I have been very conscious of how much I spend on these clothes. I ended up buying a lot of dresses because I LOVE dresses and they are more versatile for work and for social outings.

The website I have bought the most from is Destination Maternity. This website is great because it carries clothes from the more popular places you have probably heard of like Motherhood and Pea In The Pod and also designers. Here are some of my favorite things that I have purchased and in my opinion are ridiculously affordable!

Grey Faux Wrap Dress

Empire Waisted Sweater Dress

You might recognize this one from the one and only belly pic I posted on here.

Purple Smocked Dress

This one is so comfy and when I get it to Starkville can be passed off as maroon on game day! Win win situation there!

And I am so excited about this one. I plan on wearing it to our last home football game and maybe pairing it with some purple tights for Thanksgiving Day and boots. It is brown corduroy and so flattering!

Corduroy Shirt Dress

This is only a few of the dresses I have bought and I seriously don't think that I have paid more than $50 for any of them. I also got a great little tunic from this website that I pair with black leggings and it can be dressed up or down.

For jeans I decided not to buy designer and ended up buying a pair of maternity skinny jeans from The Gap.


I also purchased a simple black pair of work pants from Target that are so comfortable and very professional along with some simple white t-shirts to wear under sweaters and jackets. My friend Mollie gave me some things from when she is pregnant and then I have just been adding pieces from places like Old Navy and Gap. I haven't really had that "what am I going to wear" issue because the things that I have been buying are so affordable and versatile and I usually buy a couple new things every few weeks. And I will always have the wardrobe for future children because most of them are not too season specific.

23 WEEKS

23 WEEKS

How far along? 23 weeks and 4 days. The baby weighs 1.5 lbs and is the size of an ear of corn. These food comparisons are crazy. One week my baby is big and fat like a spaghetti squash and now it is tall and thin like corn. I think the people who made these up reached a bit far for these comparisons. Oh well. We will go with it.

Total weight gain/loss? Not getting on the scale anymore at home. We will just be getting our weight updates at the doc's office. I don't feel like being depressed or stressed about it on a daily/weekly basis. It is going to happen regardless so why worry about it.

Maternity clothes? Still loving them!!

Stretch marks? Nope! Thankful for this.

Sleep? Sleeping pretty good except for when my arms go numb from sleeping on my side and then my fingers swell up. This morning I was up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so I watched the end of Heart and Souls where he helps the two ladies do their ghostly life tasks. I cried. After watching five minutes of the ending of the movie. I really love that movie.

Best moment last week? Last week was good. Got to hear a good strong heartbeat from our little girl and got to see some good friends in Starkville. And of course the Bulldogs won again! 7-2!

Movement? Lots and lots of movement. I love it. She has gotten to where now I think I can feel her elbows or feet or knees poking out of me. It is weird.

Food cravings? Orange flavored drinks which I am quenching with Crystal Light orange bottle packets. Other than that no really big cravings.

Gender? It's a girl! Elle Caroline!

Labor signs? No. I wouldn't know if I was. Ha!

Belly button in/out? In......for now.

What I miss: Breathing! The last couple weeks I have had shortness of breath like can't breath when I eat or even sitting still. Kenny says I sound like a 400 lb woman when I eat sometimes because of the breathing sounds I make. I know he says this with love though. Showers just wear me out. I shave my legs every single day and I am worn out by the time I get out of the shower. Whew!

What I am looking forward to: Kenny's parents are coming in town this weekend and we have a nice low key weekend planned. And then next weekend my mom comes in town and by the time she leaves we will have the nursery pretty much done! She is bringing the window valances, the custom pillows, the armoire and a ton of other stuff for the baby and the nursery and I cannot wait!

RECIPE SHARING

So I had seen this recipe several times on other people's blogs and thought it looked good and pretty easy for a weeknight meal. So last night I made it for dinner. This is courtesy of Paula Deen so it is not very healthy but just watch your serving sizes if you are to worried about it.

I felt I needed to share because Kenny said after he was done that it was in his top ten of favorite meals I have made. The only problem is he likes everything I cook and I think he may have said this far more than ten times. So we decided that we actually need to write down some of his favorite meals. I like to cook so much that we rarely eat the same thing so it is hard to remember which ones really stand out as needing to be repeated.

Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole

I bought two boxes of wild rice so I doubled this recipe with no problem. It made a lot. I filled up a 9X11 dish and we have half of it for left overs tomorrow night. So yay!

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool.

Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a mediumsaucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.

Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese,shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glasscasserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.