Her Name Will Be...

We have had it picked out for over a year now.
Heath and I love "Olive." We think it is so cute and it compliments Lucy. Don't believe me? Well, then trust BabyCenter.com:

Here is some more information about the name "Olive":

The rank is #272 in the United States right now. However, it has become more popular, having been almost #1,000 in the 1950s. The origin is Latin and the meaning is, well, an olive. It is a form of "Oliver."

I'll cut to the chase and tell you that many of my family members don't like it. In fact, some of my family members openly despise the name. But, then again, my dad hated "Lucy" and it has now grown on him. :) They have been pushing us toward "Olivia" or calling her "Liv." Naming her "Olivia" is out of the question; it is far too popular for me. If they want to call her "Liv," so be it.

At the end of the day, I love you dad, and many others,...but, Heath and I love the name. And, I read this quote on Pinterest that explained it best...

That is so true. Dad - we never were a family that gave much of a damn what people thought about our decisions in life; why start now? :)

So, "Olive" it is...unless this baby shows off a previously hidden penis at our next ultrasound. Haha.

Baby Girl Names

Just to be mean, I am going to hold off one more day to tell you what we are planning on naming Baby Girl #2. :)  But, I thought I would do a post on the names we had considered. I am kind of breaking my own code here, by giving my favorite names to people. However, I don't foresee having to name another baby girl in the future...I say that; but, you never know! ;)

When naming girls, we like several names. We have always had an abundance of girl names. Some we liked for a while and for one reason or another we don't anymore. Some we have always liked, but just not enough. Some I like and Heath doesn't...that happens a lot (especially with boy names - we never seem to agree!).

So, without further adieu, here are some of the names we had considered, or at least I did, when naming a baby girl.  And, I must mention our actual pick is not on here. :) Evil, I know.

These were in-case-we-have-twins names (haha). I have also listed their popularity rank from BabyCenter.com:

I Like and Still Do
Violet (#68)
Hattie (#1,051)
Molly (#57)
Marnie (#4,384)
Elizabeth (#25)
Charlotte (#14)
Layla (#33)
Scarlett (#48)

Liked at One Time
Bree (#961)
Zoey (#22)
Gabby (#711)
Elle (#213)

I'll admit too. The name "Aurora" is growing on me, since that is the name of Lucy's baby doll (#158). It makes it easy to imagine a baby Aurora in the house. haha.

The fact that we liked some names and no longer do is scary to me. What if we would have named a child that and then later on wished it would have been something else? Eek! Oh well, I guess when you have a feeling, you have a feeling! :)

I feel pretty good and confident about our name though. Hopefully I will share it tomorrow.... ;)

19 Week Update

How far along?
I am 19 weeks and 4 days (139 days to go); I am 49.3% through my pregnancy! Yay! Half way there!


Baby is the size of a...
large, heirloom tomato? She is 6 inches from head to rump and 8.5 oz (although at our appointment the ultrasound tech said she was 11 oz!). We could have a chubby baby on our hands again! :) Here is a picture of an heirloom tomato:

Symptoms:
Thank you for all of the concern about my hips. They haven't been bothering me as bad the last few nights (knock on wood). It must be an on-and-off thing for now. I hope it stays away! It is really painful! I feel really good otherwise. I had been sleeping pretty well too; however, last night wasn't very good. I dream like crazy! I just wish I could get some real rest. Also, I got up to go pee four times! No more water for me late in the evening.

I also made the mistake of eating some chocolate candy around 10 pm... :[ I knew that I shouldn't have. I had indigestion then for about an hour following. Blech.

I feel like I am getting to be way to big for only five months of pregnancy. I also feel like I waddle a bit. :{ Already.

Anything new?
There really isn't much, since I have been writing about the baby every post lately. :) The big thing was to find out that it was a girl! :) I am still very excited and love being able to imagine life four months from now. :) Is that enough smiley faces for you? I guess I'm happy and getting a little crazy with them...sorry. 

I wore my first pair of maternity pants last Friday. Ehh...I hate maternity pants. I really do. They are just so baggy looking around the crotch area, especially the khaki ones. I immediately went back to wearing my regular ones with belly bands. We will see how long I can do this. I think I was around 24 weeks with Lucy before I had to give in. Then again, my body was very different back then.

Oh, but I did get a few pairs of yoga capris from Motherhood. They are super comfy! :) 'A+' purchase!

New with Heath?
He has started calling the baby by name and telling people about the name. So, it looks like a name post may be sent out this week. :) I think we will be telling my blog readers, family, and friends; but, we will probably keep the name off of Facebook, for now at least. Many of my family members, who hate the name, don't think anyone would steal it. But, I don't want to chance it. (Paranoid!)

I think being able to call her by name makes it more real to Heath too. It is so nice being able to say, "when the girls get older," and phrases like that. When I say, "Girls," I immediately think of my mom. When she would yell at my sister and I as children, it was always that term.

"Girls! Get away from there!"
"Girls! Don't touch that!"
"Girls! Come inside!"

I try to think back to myself as a child and I never imagined having two girls, just like my family, growing up. :) Heath probably didn't imagine it either! haha. Last night, Lucy and I were laying in mine and Heath's bed. We were snuggling, along with her baby doll, Aurora, and her stuffed horse, Bonnie. He looked at us, smiled, and said, "What am I going to do with three girls?"

New with Lucy?
I wish that I could say that we were closer to achieving all of our goals before baby is born. 1) Get Lucy moved to her big girl room and have her stay in bed at night. 2) Get Lucy potty-trained. 3) Get rid of the binkie.

I think Lucy is getting used to her big girl room and doing a bit better at night. But, the binkie isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I know it needs to be gone at least a couple of months before the baby is using one in front of her. It is just tough. I don't think Heath and I are ready for that battle.  The potty-training was looking pretty promising there for a while. But, now she is lying to us about it. When we ask her if she has to go or if she did go, she says, "No."  It is totally obvious though! Still working on it...

We have her practice saying the baby's name. She is really good at pronouncing it. :) Ahh...I can't wait to see them interact. I hope it is a smooth and happy transition for Lucy - being the baby, to sharing the spotlight!

Anything else?
Not really...we are pretty boring these days. We continue to prep the house and financially prepare for the baby. But, it still seems like forever from now. I tell you though, once September hits, it'll be the first of the year before we know it! Maternity leave, football season, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter break...I cannot wait!


Have a great day!

17 Week Update

Just so you know, I had Heath take about four pictures of me this week. I kept trying to get one picture where I didn't look huge. No such luck.

How far along?
I am 17 weeks and 1 day (160 days left)


Baby is the size of a...
Turnip? Like I know what that is. It is 5 inches from head to rump. :) Here is a picture, according to BabyCenter.com, of the turnip we are comparing my baby to:

Symptoms:
I think I am starting to feel kicks every once in a while. I get really big jabs when I move weird or "squish" the poor baby while bending over. I am excited for this part! I know at the end it gets to be a LOT; but, in the second trimester feeling movement is the best! :)

I still feel pretty good. No more headaches in a while! Yay! My appetite is still really spotty. I don't want anything at all and nothing sounds good, then all of a sudden I think of or see an item and I want it really bad. I have been really wanting mozzarella sticks, or cheddar bites, or basically anything fried with cheese. Yum - I'm making myself hungry. Heath has let me indulge lately. I think he just wants to make sure I am eating.

Oh, I did wake up last night and my hips hurt for the first time. I am not looking forward to that again! :(

Anything New?
I am still in my regular clothes. I am in between right now, which is the worst. My normal pants don't button; but, maternity pants are awkwardly big. I have a lot of capris that I can wear; but, the weather started to get chilly again. :( Then, my legs are so pasty too that I'm self-conscience.

I have been dreaming a LOT lately. They are such odd and aimless dreams too. It is bugging me; I wake up and I don't feel rested. I did have a dream over the weekend that I had triplet girls. I apparently like to scare myself in dreams and have multiples; I think I'm accessing some tiny fear in the back of my mind. haha. Anyway, in the dream, I had to name the babies. I completely blanked on all of the names that Heath and I have actually discussed. I was trying to talk Heath into some names and all began with the letter 'A' - again! Remember I had a dream about the name 'Audrey'? More 'A' names...(perhaps I watch too much Pretty Little Liars). This time I suggested to Heath, "Amy, Amsey, Arie, Aria, Aurora" and some others that I couldn't remember. It is really odd to me, because Heath and I have never even considered an 'A' name.

New with Heath?
I really don't know. I'll be honest. He has been working really hard on Lucy's big girl room and talking about the finances when the baby comes; but, that is about it. I guess that is the dad's job - make sure the finances are set and get the house ready. It is my job to get all "mushy-gushy" about the baby and obsess over my growing bump.

Don't get me wrong, he still occasionally rubs my stomach and says things about having another one running around. :) It just isn't as "real" to him...not that I am any more prepared mentally.

With Lucy?
She is getting settled into her new room. She has been in there since last Saturday night. We are trying to get her used to the new room; so, when the baby comes, she won't have any attachment to the nursery still. I am crossing my fingers!

She still points are her own belly and mine to say, "Baby in dere." We tell her that, "Yes - there is a baby in mommy's belly." She makes me laugh, because she treats it like one of her dolls and says, "It cryin!" I always say, "No, baby's sleeping." Then, I had the crazy thought that maybe she has some baby ESP and the baby really is crying. Wouldn't that be creepy? haha.

We get to watch a friend's baby for about an hour on Saturday morning. :) I'm so excited. Plus, we think it is great for Lucy to be around a baby. It still bothers her when Heath holds him. So, we will see if we can warm Lucy up a bit to the idea.

Anything else?
Hmmm...dreams, symptoms, oh! I just remembered. I think my motherly intuition is finally speaking to me. For some reason the other day I was sitting in the living room and I told Heath, "I think it's a boy." At that moment, I just did. I just felt like all signs are pointing to a boy (except for my dreams!). Of course, Heath just smiled at that idea. I don't know how reliable my intuition is; but, we will soon see.

Oh, and I had a Facebook friend tell me that she had a dream about me and the baby too. I asked her what the sex was and she said that it was a boy. Who knows?! :)

Week 16 Update

There is another huge photo, in all of it's "I just woke up and I don't have makeup on" glory.

How far along?
I am 16 weeks and 1 day...only 168 days left
(I accidentally put how many days I was into the pregnancy on the last update - whoops!)

Baby is the size of a...
(an) avocado (according to BabyCenter.com)

Symptoms:
I hate to say anything, in the fear that I will jinx it. But, I feel pretty good. I haven't had a headache in almost a week! I was having them every day there for a while. Overall I feel pretty good. I still have the occasional stretching and pulling feeling; but, I am pretty used to those.

I am in that awkward stage now, where my symptoms are coming to the second trimester plateau; but, I still can't feel the baby kick. So, I just sit and worry that something is wrong. Even my appetite has gotten better. Now the pounds will surely pack on. :{ We will see.

I feel like my face is getting chubbier; but, I also feel like I am super pasty. This will certainly be the worst part of a summer pregnancy. I will be asking about spray tanning at my next appointment; I can't forget this time!

Anything new?
Speaking of which, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for April 13th. Friday the 13th, to be exact. Does that freak me out? Yeah, it kind of does. I am a bit superstitious. It seriously makes me a tad nervous. But, I will be 18 weeks and we can schedule our ultrasound! I am super pumped about that! I just remember, besides finding out Lucy's sex, how wonderful it was to watch her kick and move. Plus, I loved watching her little heart flicker on the monitor. It is so unreal, as is pregnancy in general.

I just got asked if I had any feelings about the sex, and nope. I wish I did; but, I don't. My motherly intuition isn't speaking to me at all.

It makes me kind of sad to think about finding out the sex sometimes. I am really excited; but, I feel like everyone wants a boy. I feel like if it is a girl, that everyone will be disappointed. I hate that. I seriously don't mind one way or another. I would love another girl, seriously! It was just me and my sister growing up; I don't really even know much about little boys, besides getting picked on when I was little or observing my nephew. I seriously don't have a preference; sometimes I feel like the only one. :(

New with Heath?
Heath totally wants a boy. Parents "aren't supposed to pick a gender preference," or whatever; but, I don't think it is uncalled for. A dad naturally wants a boy to watch play football and to "walk in his footsteps." Mostly I think he just wants to balance out the testosterone and estrogen levels in the house. haha.

The other night we had our friends over. They just had a baby in late December (he is SO cute, by the way). Heath held him for a while and the baby fell right asleep. It was adorable. But, Heath looks at me and says, "This just makes me want a boy even more." I quickly argued, "You didn't do any 'boyish' things with him!"  His response was, "No - boys are more mellow. There isn't any of the drama estrogen."

My husband, the labeler. Imagine the drama estrogen in our house with three girls and a Heath. haha.

New with Lucy?
She hasn't been feeling well lately. We think she has allergies. As a result, she got an ear infection. Fun times. We've been giving her medicine; but, she is a mess. She whines all the time and is super emotional. She gets upset at the oddest things.

We haven't decided if we will take her to the ultrasound yet. I am thinking probably not. They don't have the toys in there, like a doctor's office does. So, we will see.

By the way, Heath is staying home this week to paint Lucy's big girl room! A post will definitely follow!

Anything else?
I know that I was mean mentioning baby names to you all and not telling you our favorite names. It drives me nuts too! When someone has a baby, I immediately search for the name. I always think, "Why don't you just post it for everyone to see?" :) Usually it will just be, "Baby [Last Name]." So frustrating for the nosey people like me! haha. But, I seriously live for baby names. I always have. I don't know why; but, I love talking about them!

I have decided that I won't share our names yet, until we find out the sex. We haven't completely ruled out baby #3 yet (or I haven't at least - haha - I don't know about Heath). So, I don't want the names to be used by name stealers...not that any of you are. You just never know...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Week 12 Update

How far along?
I am twelve weeks and 1 day today. Only 195 more days...

Baby is the size of a...
lime (according to BabyCenter.com) 

Symptoms:
For the most part, I am tired. That seems to be the one that is most prevalent. I am tired all the time. I told Heath that I feel like I use all of my energy at work and then when I get home, I'm bushed!  I was tired with Lucy, but it only lasted a few weeks. This time, I could nap at the drop of a hat. If I laid my head on my desk at work, especially in the afternoon, I'd be out. I seriously go to sleep every night at 9 pm, which is unheard of for me.

Heath asked me if I wanted to go to the movies and he followed that up with, "if you don't fall asleep during the movie!"

Additionally, although the nausea has long passed, I have food aversions. It isn't anything specific (except chicken broth! Gross!); I just randomly get grossed out by stuff, like Lucy's pizza the other night. It smelled awful.

And, finally, the last one, which is odd for me. I get light-headed and shaky sometimes. I feel like my blood sugar is low or something. It happens a lot in the afternoon and when I eat a snack, it gets better. So, I am having to snack a lot. It probably will mean more weight gain in the end. :(  I am drinking lots of water though!

Anything new?
My dress pants are becoming too tight in the waist. Thank goodness that seems to be the only place, as of now anyway. I really need to get my belly bands out of storage!

I have a doctor's appointment next Friday! I am excited; we should get to hear the baby's heart beat! I can't wait. I can wait, however, for the blood that they will have to take. :( Boo.

New With Heath?
He is still being very good about pampering me. He is such a good daddy and hubby. :) We are fortunate. I told him that he will be sick of me before the next 28 weeks are up. :)  He has been on a mission to find baby names that we like and has asked family members for their input. Perhaps I will take a poll or something in the future...

Lucy?
She is completely oblivious. We try to tell her that their is a baby in my tummy and she looks at us like we are crazy. It's to be expected. All she cares is that she is getting a new room. Or, in her mind, she probably thinks that she is getting two rooms now. :) I know though, from the way she plays with my nephew, she will love a playmate!


Anything else?
 I hope to include photos with my future posts; but, I forgot to get it this week. Sorry! You would have been shocked anyway. My tummy is shockingly big for 12 weeks. :{ Prepare you minds for next week!


Happy Friday! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

What's in a name?

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

Now, I must say right away that I love Shakespeare. And, I love Romeo & Juliet.  And, yes, my lust for Leonardo DiCaprio only reinforces the situation.

I am a sucker for a 'smooth talker.' 

My husband on the other hand is not so favorable of the author. He complains that ol'Billy Shakes is too wordy and a whole lot of complicated. Perhaps it is the little princess in me that imagines a fairy tale where 'it is the East, and I am the sun.'  Either way, I love it.

If Lucy were called by any other name, would she be the same?

Lately, I started wondering about name meanings and if it has an impact on parents naming their children. We didn't really consider the meaning of 'Lucy' when we named her.  Nor, did we look up the meaning of her middle name, 'Jean.'  All we knew was I loved Lucille Ball, Jean was both of our mothers' middle names, and we thought it was adorable. :)

According to BabyCenter.com:
Lucy - meaning light
Jean - meaning God is gracious

I like those. I could see myself picking those for meaning as well. But, again, we didn't.  And, I sure hope mine and Heath's parents didn't pick names based on meaning!

Cori - meaning from the Hollow
Heath - meaning wasteland

Okay, so Heath's is worse than mine. But, it is obvious they just went with what sounded good.

What does your child's name mean?  Did you base your decision off of that meaning?  Will you do things differently with future children?

Lucy, the Dog: Part II

I actually had a normal lunch today at work and was looking through the blogs I follow. I went to one, A Southern Accent, to see the newest cute designs. I am not one for give-a-ways or new deals; so, I skipped over the first entry fairly quickly. The next was about the blogger's new carpet and a picture of her living room.

I love looking at people's homes, so I immediately studied the photo. She has such a unique sense of style and awww, what a cute dog! Then I read the text.

Her dog.....it's name is Lucy.

Are you freaking kidding me?

Related Post: Lucy, the Dog

Lucy, the Dog

When naming Lucy, we never considered another girl name at all. We joked what we would name her twin (that my mom knew was undoubtedly there, since I was so huge). But, honestly, we had been talking about names long before pregnancy. It was a fun pastime and I liked to dream about our future together, as a family.

I grew up watching ‘I Love Lucy.’ To this day, it is still my number one show. Hilarious! If you haven’t seen it, shame on you. It is not only hilarious and well written, but it is a piece of our pop-culture history! I love Lucille Ball and have collected many items based on the show. So, for me, it seemed pretty obvious to name my daughter Lucy. It was adorable and classic. It seems like older names are coming back too – even more reason! When I told Heath, he liked it too. Then, he watched the show and found a love for Lucille Ball as well (except for her crying, “Whaaa”- haha). It was a sure thing at that point.

Today, roaming blogs and the usual social networks, my sister-in-law turned me onto another blog. It was about getting in shape; sending me there was stemmed by my post yesterday about my momma body. I read it and enjoyed it greatly. I even started following it! But then…I read about the blogger. She was adorable, inspiring, straight-forward, had a great husband, and then…..bum, bum, bum,….her dog’s name is Lucy.

Uggghh…..I literally raise my eyebrows and curl my mouth at the side in disturbance when I think about it.

Lucy isn’t a dog’s name….oh, alright, it isn’t the worst dog name I’ve ever heard; but, it is my baby girl’s name! Have you ever had that happen to you? A dog has the same name as your child? I don’t even know what to think. When people hear ‘Lucy’ do they think, “Oh that’s a dog’s name?”

At least it was a cute dog.