Tis the season for fun!

Ugh....sorry I'm so slack about updating my blog lately. Half of the reason is I just haven't had the time and the other half is the fact that I hate blogging from my iPad. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPad but I miss a keyboard. Where is the best place to get a keyboard for the iPad, btw?? This is a Christmas wish (hint, hint) for all you family members reading this blog!

Since I last blogged, my mini-me hit the 2 month mark! Here's her milestone pic, is she not the cutest?!?

I heart her. <3<3

Since I last blogged we've gotten two month shots (the worst), hosted 25 family members for Thanksgiving, and Catching Fire finally hit theaters (lerve)! 

With Christmas finally upon us we have already been in full swing with Christmas parties and get-togethers. My Macon girls came up to Gtown (we missed you, Brooke!) for our annual Christmas dinner/gift exchange last Friday night, and last night my Griffin girls and I got together for the same. I wore my Fab'rik leather leggings to both parties because:

1) I am in dire need of new clothes and have nothing "partyish" to wear

and

2) They work like Spanx in that they're so tight they hold in this post-preg/post-section belly. 

Maybe Santa should bring me a treadmill for Christmas?

Adam and I celebrated six years of marriage this past Sunday. Besides being married six years, we've been together 8 years this past October! That blows my mind. Almost a decade I've been with this man....crazy. Here's to 60 more anniversaries, babe!

Thanks Graceology for this amazing pic- it's my fave!

The rest of this blog entry is going to be bulleted since baby girl could wake from her nap at any moment:

* I am nursing a maj hangover today. Last night Natalie introduced me to Cran-Brr-Rita's and let's just say we hit it off. Yolo.

* The one good thing about today is that I woke up a with a case of bed-head that legitimately looked good. Have no idea how that happened, but I am thankful. The good man upstairs knew I needed one less thing on my plate today.

* Paul Walker's death. So tragic. I am so sad about it. Now I'm psychotically googling him. Did y'all know he had a girlfriend half his age? AND, that he was just in Macon eating at Chillis the Sunday before Thanksgiving?? So, so sad.

* Are y'all watching Scandal?? If not, you need to. It's ah-ma-zing.

* Aaron is out of school for 3 weeks starting this weekend. Lord help me.

* My precious cousin, Kate, is marrying her adorable fiancé, Ben, December 21st and I am so pumped for their wedding! Still need a dress to wear.....ideas?? I'm definitely thinking LBD. I'm putting the hubby in a skinny tie. This will be our first spend-the-night away evening from both kids. I could not be more excited!

Alright, gotta go. Promise to update sooner!

~LL

I will survive!

Up until I had Harper, getting up at 5:00 seemed almost laughable. Although I am technically "one of those morning people," getting up at any hour before 7 (pre-baby) was a lost cause.

Not anymore.

Every day around 5 AM, my little posse (Harper and Sophie May) and I sleepily walk the hallway, prepare bottles, coffee, etc. and begin our day. After Harper has her bottle and is settled back down, I head back to my room, stare longingly at my bed, and hop in the shower. Because as much as I want to crawl back into that comfy bed, I know that with a three year old waking up soon that ain't happening. 

And our day begins.

And you know what? I'm getting the hang of this (early) early bird thang. I must admit that it's nice running errands and getting them done before noon. It's nice not looking like a ragamuffin (most of the time) when I drop Aaron off at school. Of course, every time I think we're onto something, Harper throws a wrench into those plans. Days that I think to myself, "Girl, you got this- this is a piece of cake," Harper's fussy all day, doesn't nap, and decides to take a massive poop while I'm wearing her in the Moby at the grocery store. Ahhh....the life of the mom of a newborn- so glamorous!

We are surviving. We are making it- some days just barely. I know six months from now I'll barely remember the exhaustion of this time- I hope so, anyway! 

All this being said, she is such a little love. A mini, baby girl version of my Aaron Mo. I am crazy about her. Her hair's already getting long in the back (true story) and she's wearing three-month clothing (she likes to eat like Mom!). She's still sleeping in her Rock and Play sleeper in our room, and we're trying to transition her to her crib which is not easy. 

In an effort to not let Laughing Lolly be ALL about baby, let's catch up on some other stuff:

- I need a new car. That '98 Toyota Avalon (AKA: The Mamakat) is not cutting it anymore. It especially looks gangster right now because a routine oil change turned into having to put on my full-size spare tire as my back passenger side tire was about to blow due to a nail that's obviously been there for ages. That wouldn't be bad, except for the fact that they didn't put the tire back on my car's actual rim, and instead put in on a random black rim. Who am I? Joker's Wild?? Jesus. Headed back to the car shop today. In the meantime, Adam and I have made an executive decision that I need a "newer" car, in other words used but like new. So begins the car search....

- Hunger Games: Catching Fire starts next Friday. Aghhhhhh!!!! Who's going with me? I must admit, I've pretty much left JHutch in the dust and have now jumped the Liam H bandwagon- he's so much hotter to me now that he's dumped that twerking, foam-finger Miley; however, I will always be Team Peeta, y'all. Ride or die.

- I've been pretty bored with Walking Dead this season (all those body fluids are seriously grossing me out) and made my dissatisfaction known on FB but had to retract my statement as "The Guv-Nah" is back. And you know, I'm just gonna say it, I think he's hot. There. I said it. Hatas gonna hate!

Gotta go now. I will *attempt* to update sooner than later. Enjoy your day, friends!

~LL

Hello, 4 weeks!

Well, it's official- I've had a new baby for four weeks now. My little princess will be a month old tomorrow! We've survived the first 29 days. I'm just so glad she's here; I just stare at her all day soaking her in. I'm madly in love- so is Adam. We love her dark, black hair and sweet, nubby nose. I smooch her little lips all the time....I can't help it. She's so alert (when she's not sleeping) and she's mesmerized by her big brother. Sweetness. She completes our little family perfectly. I think about Luke all the time, and I know he had a hand in sending her to us. It still breaks my heart into pieces when I think about him. I know he would have loved being a little brother to Aaron and big brother to Harper, but instead he's their guardian angel. One day I'll tell Aaron and Harper about their brother when they can understand. In the meantime, I know he'll be with all of us every step of the way. <3

While this past month has been completely wonderful, it's also been very hard. I threw in the breastfeeding towel yesterday. It wasn't without a lot of tears, I will say. Breastfeeding is THE hardest thing I've ever done,. I was constantly in a panic; "Is the latch correct? Is she getting enough? Is she crying because she's hungry or she wants to be held?" The constant insecurity was too much to deal with; time supposed to be spent enjoying her, I was crying my makeup off to Adam, my mom, or Natalie about breastfeeding. Y'all, I was doing it all: nursing, pumping, supplementing with both breastmilk and formula. It was effin' exhausting. I've read so many articles on Kellymom I can practically quote them in my sleep. I've taken Fenugreek, drank Mother's Milk tea and dark beer, etc. Hell, I even dropped thirty-five bucks on Tia and Tamera's cash cow, Milky (hope Adam doesn't read this). None of it worked for me in increasing my supply. I gave it my all. I finally gave her a full 3 ounce bottle of formula yesterday and she sucked it dry- there's my sign. I'm sure I was probably doing something wrong, but having my boob out all day was just not working for me. I have a husband that works out of town, and a 3 1/2 year old. I've got shit to do. I prayed about my decision, and haven't cried in 2 days- that's a record considering I've spent 27 of those 29 days sobbing and stressed about breastmilk. Harper nursed and had her last breastmilk bottle yesterday; I made it 4 weeks- that's twice as long as I made it with Aaron. I'm proud of what I was able to give her. I'm happier; therefore, she's happier. Please only words of support- this was not an easy pill to swallow, but I am at peace about my decision. I will say, all mothers rock- breastfeeding or not breastfeeding, natural birth or caesarean, epidural or no medication- being a mom is the hardest job on the planet. Let's support each other!

Here's a glimpse of the past week:

First post-preg date night!

"Hewwo"

Spidey! (with his eyes closed) 😳

First attempt at Moby wrap: not successful.

Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend!

~LL

Taking it day by day.....

Happy Friday, Friends!

TGIF, amiright?! This week's fall-like weather has been great, but I'm so excited to see the sunshine! There are only so many gray days I can take without wanting to curl up in bed and just sleep. Sleep, you ask? Why yes- I'm napping at least once, if not twice a day to catch up on lack of zzzz's at night. Rough, but I know this being up every 2 hours at night will be gone in the blink of an eye, and soon I'll have another 3 1/2 year old. #perspective

Not to say that I'm cool as a cucumber- I'm totally far from it. I've had at least 3 breastfeeding meltdowns this week, I've lost my sh*t with Aaron more times than I want to admit, and I've had my moments of being majorly hein to my hubby. Trying to keep myself in check. You forget how hard this time is because the good SO outweighs the bad. Luckily, I'm blessed with such amazing family and friends that are always there when I need a shoulder to cry on, advice, to rant, etc. Every day I get one step closer to my pre-preg self, and I'm not only trying be patient with everyone, but patient with myself as well. 

Tomorrow night my awesome mother-in-law is driving up to babysit the kiddos while Adam and I have a much-needed date night. SO.EXCITED. We'll probably only go to dinner and a movie, but the thought of curling my hair, putting on a cute top, and NOT wearing flip-flops almost sends me over the edge. And yes, I do plan on drinking an adult beverage. Sky's the limit, y'all!

Here's some cuteness from our week:

"Pump, pump, pump it up!"

Walker-stalker like her mama!

She's delicious.

My world.

Have a great weekend!!

~LL

Harper's Nursery

We're a week out, y'all! My c-section is scheduled for next Friday and we are so excited! I can't wait to kiss those sweet lips and chubby cheeks, and tell her how long we've been waiting for her. As much as I'm ready to meet her, I want her to stay in this big belly until next Friday. Keep on growing and getting fatter, my little love! 

I'm posting pictures of Harper's nursery, although I still have some last minute touches I want to add before next Friday. I love it! It's so pink and precious, and I think it's perfect for her. 

Pottery Barn bedding in Penelope with Mia bed skirt. So girly!!

I fell in love with the framed "Hello's" from the amazing blog: 6th Street Design School. I saw this over a year ago and knew if I ever had a girl I was going to copy. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? 

A peek inside her already full closet.

Her bag's packed, the diaper wreath is ready, the nursing pillow's on standby, and her photo book is just waiting for her sweet footprints. We love you, Harper Elizabeth!!

Like I said, I still need another piece of furniture for the bare wall beside her door, a rug in front of her crib, and some other pieces of wall decor, but other than that we're ready!

7 more days to go.......agh!!!

~LL

36 week check-up

I've been saying for the past couple of weeks I'm in the home-stretch, but this time I really am.  Agh!!  So excited!  Excited for my sweet love to get here, excited to wear non-maternity clothing, excited to not have pop Tums all.day.long,  excited to have a glass of wine....or beer....or for Heaven's sake, a margarita!  When I think about this pregnancy the word that comes to mind is: long.  I know every pregnant woman feels this way, too.  It just blows my mind that I've been through 3 seasons: winter, spring, and summer.  I've been pregnant since January.  That's a long time!  Anyway....

My 36 week check-up was today.  I weighed (still holding strong at 30 pound weight gain- thankful it didn't go up), got pricked, and was sent on my merry way to wait for my Doc. (Btw, have I mentioned my Doc's name is Doctor Harper?  Harper is not named after my Doc; however, he said he's going to take some credit for it.  Ha!)  I had the Group B Strep test done today (blah) and then Dr. Harper "checked" me.  I knew this was going to happen today, and have been dreading it.  I'm not dilated (not shocking- I was only one centimeter dilated when I went into the hospital to have Aaron; I was contracting but not dilating), and I was informed (shocker- not really) that there's just not a lot of room for you know, birthing a second child.  I won't go into details as the readers that I do have I want to come back, but my birthing experience with Aaron kinda set the path for future deliver(ies).  After a lot of discussion with my Doc, we made the decision to deliver baby girl via c section.  I am totally okay with this.  In fact, I've been somewhat preparing myself for this since I delivered Aaron.  I'm honestly happy with this decision.  They're supposed to call me tomorrow to schedule the surgery, and I'll be at least 39 weeks when I deliver unless she decides to make her appearance sooner.  So, that's where we're at.  Harper Elizabeth could be here in as little as 3 weeks from today- eeeekkk!!!  I just can't wait to see her!

In other random news, I am DYING to see the new Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie, Don Jon.  I've been pretty much obsessed with him since his SNL striptease.  The movie doesn't come out until September 27th, so I highly doubt I'll be seeing it in theaters, but rest assured, I will be snatching it up as soon as it hits Redbox, y'all!  Here's the trailer:

Have a good night!

~LL

A month out

Aaron started preschool today- Whoop!  He is now going 5 days a week from 9-12.  I still can't believe he'll be gone 5 mornings a week.  We went from Tues/Thurs preschool classes to this!  A part of me thinks that's a lot, but he will be going to Pre-K 5x a week next year, so better to get prepared now, right?  He was so excited this morning; I think most excited about wearing his new book-bag!  I ended up ordering just a plain blue bag from Etsy with his name and first initial monogrammed on the front.  Nothing fancy- just something he can carry with him for the next couple of years.  Sweet, big boy.  I'm so proud of him!

Harper's due date is exactly a month from today.  Eeekk!!  Truthfully, I think she's coming this month.  I'm 36 weeks tomorrow, so really, I'm hoping I only have around 3 weeks left than 4.  Wishful thinking, I know.  Of course, I want her to stay in as long as she needs to, but I'm not gonna lie- carrying 30 pounds of extra weight in this August heat and humidity is not fun.  I just flat-out refuse to go outside........unless I'm floating in a pool.  Sorry, not sorry.  Luckily, Adam's working from home until baby girl makes her grand entrance, so Aaron's had plenty of outside play and "boy-time" with Dad.  My hubby's been fantastic, he's really taken over doing a lot of stuff around the house- stuff that I usually do: cooking dinner, Aaron's bath time, heck- he's even helping with the laundry!  I, on the other hand, am just sitting around getting bigger by the second.  I even had to order some more maternity jeans yesterday, because all of my other maternity jeans/shorts are too tight!  For real?!?  It's probably not helping that I made a beeline for Dunkin Doughnuts today once I found out that they brought back their pumpkin doughnuts- that ring of deliciousness was finished by the time I exited the parking lot, y'all.  Next up: Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.......mmmmhhhhmmm.


I'm going to take a page out of Ashley's book today, and post some of my "pinspiration" for the week. 

Obsessed with this outfit.  Everything from the over-sized tunic sweater (perfect for covering up a "just had a baby belly", to the distressed skinnies, & pointy-toed heels= LOVE.  Cannot wait to wear regular clothes again!

Love this look.  And I practically have all of these options in my closet; except for those fab mint jeans- they will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine. 

Fall hair color.  Love!!!  Her hair always looks fabulous, does it not?

I miss alcohol.  In particular, margaritas.  And red wine.  Oh, who am I kidding- I miss everything!

30 days to go.  Maybe less.  Agh!!!

And one more for good measure.  My sweet, precious love.

Happy Tuesday!

~LL

*Patiently* Waiting

I am exhausted today.  I tried to nap some while Aaron was napping, but I think I might have dozed for maybe 30 minutes.  Sleep is so essential right now, and I just can't get rested.  I'm sure it's part excitement/anxiety/discomfort from carrying this baby girl, etc.  Either way, things are getting down to the wire.  I can't believe I only have 4-5 weeks left.  Eeeekk!!!  I keep on looking at her chunky face from her 3D picture and falling more and more in love with her.  I wonder if she'll come out with tons of long, black hair like her big brother; heck, she might come out blonde, red, or even bald (although the ultrasound tech showed me her hair).  Bless it.  Her room is coming together, and I've decided I will only post a pic once everything is officially ready.  Adam painted my old dresser a pretty, matte pink and we are getting new hardware to replace the old, rusty knobs already on there.  I bid on a Pottery Barn Kids chandelier on Ebay and won (yes!) so we still need to get that installed.  We still have some wall pieces that have yet to be hung, I want a pretty rug for her floor, I want a skinny book shelf stand next to her closet, and we still need to get her car seat/base installed in the car.  I absolutely love her room.  It's so girly and pink, and as soon as you walk in it immediately feels like her.  We've been so lucky that basically everything we needed for her, we got at showers through gifts or gift cards.  The only thing left that we need is a swing.  I don't know why I never thought about a swing until now!  Adam and I are such last-minute people (which is totally not a good thing) so I'm sure we'll be collecting these items, and finishing all these "to-dos" up until it's go time.  I ordered some pretty pj's and a bathrobe to wear in the hospital so I'm more comfortable, and I can promise y'all that I will have my makeup bag, dry shampoo, and my curling iron on hand and ready.  Call me prissy, crazy, whatever, but I want to look halfway decent in those hospital pictures!  Priorities, people. ;)

Aaron (finally) starts back school next week.  Last night was his orientation, and today he met his two sweet teachers at Open House.  I hope he has a great year.  I can't believe my monkey is growing up so fast!  It's so sad how fast time flies by.  We popped over to his old teacher's classroom to say hello and she couldn't believe how big he is.  Last time he was in her class he was only 1; toddling into her class- just a baby.  Tear.  It makes me cry.  I would post a pic, but that would send me into a full-on melt-down. He's such a little man now, and I'm so proud of him.  My sweet, big boy. 

Enjoy your weekend, friends!  I'll try to update at some point.  Tomorrow starts UGA football, and my hubby is acting like it's Christmas Eve tonight.  Ha!  Can't believe it's already that time!

~LL

5 weeks to go!!

I started this blog entry this morning and I'm so glad I didn't finish/post it this morning.  I totally woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, and my mood could accurately have been described as heinous.  Pregnancy rage is real, y'all.  Luckily, my hormone levels evened out by lunch time, and after that I resumed normalcy- or, whatever I consider "normal" for myself right now.  I wouldn't be lying if I said that a slaw dog, fries, and sweet tea from Griffith's did the trick.  You do what you have to do, people!

We obviously have a lot to catch up on, amiright??  First things first.....Harper update!  I went in yesterday for my 35 week check-up, and so far everything is progressing nicely.  My weight gain is 30 pounds so far (I really don't know how on earth my weight gain isn't more like 45- guess the daily toddler-chasing, stair-climbing is burning off my crazy ChickfilA waffle fry obsession), my blood pressure looked good, and I haven't started to majorly swell.....yet.  Harper's heart rate was at 148, and I still get so excited when I hear that whoosh, whoosh over the Doppler.  Next week starts the weekly visits; I have mixed feelings about this.  Yes, it's great because I get to check on baby girl, hear that sweet heart, and once you hit that 36-week mark you are officially in countdown mode.  The one thing that I hate about these visits: pelvic exams.  Ugh.  At 31 years old, I am still the girl that pops a Xanax before a pap smear.  Can't stand it.  So yeah, the next few check-ups should be interesting.  I don't want to go all TMI here, but let's just say that after my delivery with Aaron the lady parts needed some significant healing, so the option for a delivery via c-section has always been available to me.  I am definitely not opposed to a c-section, and really prefer it as I do not want to go through what I went through with Aaron.  We'll see......

Sunday, my mother-in-law, my two sister-in-laws, and a friend hosted Harper's second (and final) "sprinkle."  It was wonderful, and just meant the world to me.  This shower wasn't as big as my first, but still so special, nonetheless.  I am lucky to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family.  Here's some pics:

Sweet friends

Brooke and I- due 6 weeks apart; both with girls!

Loot

My beautiful (and delicious) cake

Grub

Love the wreath!

And the diaper cake!

 Again, I am so appreciative of my family and friends that put forth the effort to throw me a shower, and just show up.  Everyone has so much going on in their lives, and it just meant so much to me the people that came.  So, if you're reading this- thank you!!!  I find it so rude and tasteless when you invite people to something, and they can't even simply send a text to regret not being able to show up.  There's just no excuse for that.  But, you live and you learn.  Point noted- moving on!

Finally, VMA's.  Thoughts??  We are now on Day 2 of the Miley aftermath.  My FB newsfeed has been flooded with opinions on the raunchfest that took place on stage Sunday night.  Wth???  I'm still confused.  And traumatized.  The tongue, the leotard, followed by next-to-nothing, the foam finger, the "twerking."  Absolutely ratchet.  Gosh, even Robin Thicke has gone down a few steps on the hottie ladder after he participated in that gross-out fest.   Y'all, I'm telling you, this girl is headed for Britney melt-down circa 2007.  It's so sad.  She needs help.  The only part of the show that was awesome and amazing was, you guessed it- JT.  Agh!!  Cannot.even.handle.him.  He brought sexy back.  As he so rightfully mentioned, "I still run this bitch."  If you haven't seen it, or you would like to watch it for the 57th time (like me) watch it here.


That's it, friends.  Gotta hit the sack!

~LL

It's baaacckkkk

In the words of Madea, my second favorite person in the world, "hallelujer!"  Folks, we are back in the the 21st century.....we officially have Internet again.  Whoop!  We have been without Internet for over 3 weeks now.  It's been awful.  I know I've ranted about this before, but AT&T can suck it.  Basically after being loyal customers for 2 years, they suddenly turned off our Internet....without any warning.  My husband, who is one of the most patient and kind people I've ever known, immediately called and was informed that they had no record of Internet installation at our new address; at this point Adam went off.  We were furious!  After reaming their behinds a new one, he canceled service.  At that point, I told him to contact DirecTV since our satellite service is with them, and they had previously tried to sell me on their TV/Internet bundle before.  We've been with DirecTV for 6 years now, and have never had any issues with them before.  So, Adam calls DirecTV to inquire about their "bundle" and lo and behold, they bundle with AT&T.  At this point, Adam's been on the phone with AT&T for over an hour, and both of us were over it.  We decide to precede with the "bundle" because we could get a discount on our DirecTV bill.  We set up installation for the following week and moved on.  Except the installation day came and went, and after Adam called AT&T (again) to get the status, they informed him (again) they had no record of a request being made to reestablish service.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????!!!!!!!!  At that point, Adam said eff' y'all- we're done.  We called Comcast, set up installation day (today) which was 2 1/2 weeks ago.  So that's it folks, we've been without Internet for almost a month and we're finally back in business again.  I know, #firstworldproblems.  I will say; however, depending on my iPhone's fickle 3G service has been awful- today is a blessing.  Yes, I am thankful for the small things!

In other news......

• After my True Blood rant the other day, I found out yesterday that ASkars (Eric) will be returning to TB next season.  "Thank you, Lort!" 
• According to my BabyCenter pregnancy app I am 34 weeks today.  Can I get a what what?!  That means *fingers crossed* that baby girl will be here in at least 6 weeks.  This makes me so happy.  This last trimester has been rough.  I am so thankful to God for blessing me with the ability to carry a child, and for blessing me with another healthy child, but I don't plan to be pregnant ever again.  Pregnancy the first go-round (if you're a person that enjoys being pregnant) is great; you eat what you want to, sleep when you want to, lay on the couch for 5 hours straight when you want to, etc.  Pregnancy with a 3 1/2 year old (or any other child for that matter) is a whole other story.  It's hard; mentally and physically exhausting.  Because no matter what, your child needs you.  Parenting blogs, websites, magazines, love to tell you to put "you first."  These people writing these articles, blogs, etc. obviously don't have children or they have 1 child.  Sorry honey, but it stopped being "about me" the day my son was born.....3 1/2 years ago! 
• My second (and final) baby "sprinkle" is this Sunday at my mother-in-law's house.  I'm excited!  It won't be as big as my first "sprinkle" but I'm still so happy to be able to share this special day with good friends and family.  Bring on the cake! ;)

Since I can't stop quoting Madea today (Harper Beth must love her, too!) I have to add this.  Enjoy!

~LL

Playing catch-up!

Happy Friday, loves! Thank God. As much as I love this weather, I do have a slight case of cabin fever. I was hoping to take Aaron to see Planes yesterday, but since the kids are "technically" back in school, they only show matinees on the weekends. I say "technically" loosely, because my kid is not back in school....and I'm about to go cray. Aaron's preschool doesn't start back until September 3rd; two weeks from next Tuesday. In other words, SO late. Most schools have either started back by now, started back this week, or are starting next week. I don't know why his school is starting back so late. Okay, so I know I'm complaining; I should treasure every moment spent together, blah blah blah....over it. I blame this partially on preg hormones, and mostly on the fact that he's been out of school since mid-May and it's time to head back; for both of our sanities. There's only so many Lego towers we can build, books we can read, cars and trucks we can crash, bike rides we can take (in normal August heat), etc. before we are legitimately sick of each other. Sorry, I'm not sorry. I love my son more than life, but there's a reason preschool was invented. End of rant.

In other news I'm 33 weeks pregs, and have 7 more weeks to go. (Hoping our little princess makes her arrival in 6 weeks, although I want her to stay in her cocoon as long as she needs to.) I'm big as a house, battling heartburn all.day.every.day, and experiencing major mood swings (obviously). 

Last weekend was busy but fun! Natalie, Amy, and I hosted a baby shower/brunch at our house for our good friend, Jessica, who's expecting baby girl, Emory, in October. We're actually due the same day! It was so nice spending time together and catching up; nothing touches those moments. Here we are and please don't pay attention to me as I look hein- just focus on the other three beauties:

The next day was my first baby "sprinkle" for Harper Elizabeth. My good friends Natalie, Jessica, Katie, Ashley, and Kim hosted and it was so wonderful! Everything was exceptional: the decorations, the food, but most of all my hostesses and guests. When I think of that day the only word that comes to mind is "undeserving." I know that's weird to say, but I literally cried all afternoon Sunday (happy tears!) because of the outpouring of love shown to me and Harper. There are already so many people that love this baby girl and I feel so incredibly blessed. Here are some pics of the sweet day:

*I would caption the photos but I am blogging from my phone app as we still don't have Internet service. Should be back to normal next week- fingers crossed!

Anyway, as I said above, it's been hard to blog with not having proper Internet service, but I plan to resume my *mostly* daily posts once Internet service resumes. Grrrrr.....I plan on writing a scathing email to the corporate office of AT&T. Ridonk!!!!

Have a happy weekend, y'all!

~LL

Getting closer!

Hey friends!

It's been over a week since my last blog post- so sorry. We are without Internet for the second time since we moved into our new house (damn AT&T) and won't be getting it back until next Monday. I downloaded the Blogger app and that's how I'm reaching out to you, my lovely readers! It's a long story, one in which I don't understand at all, but I will say that it is completely AT&T's fault. Since I'm starting to feel myself getting angry about the situation all over again I'm moving on...

I had my 31 week appointment for Harper Beth today, and luckily everything looks great! I'm measuring right at 31 weeks, baby girl's head is down (knew that I was feeling some extra pressure over the past couple of weeks), heart rate sounded great, and my weight gain is at 26 lbs. Phew! No guilt tripping over French fries or donuts today! Tomorrow I'm going for her 3D ultrasound and I absolutely cannot wait to see her. Little punkin!!

We are still in the process of decorating the house and getting Harper's nursery ready. Slowly but surely, we're getting it done. My two girlfriends and I are hosting a baby shower for a good friend of ours at my house a week from Saturday, and I'm using that as a deadline to get as much done as possible. I'll post pics once our Internet is back working normally.

I got 2 1/2 inches chopped off my hair yesterday and I feel so much better. Here's a pic:

I look cray in this pic, but whatev. It doesn't seem like a lot, but all the long hair was dragging me down. I knew I didn't want to get it chopped again as (through lots of trial and error) short hair on me=disaster. I just needed something more updated. Voila! The "lob." We'll see how this relationship goes...

Until next time, loves. 

~LL

Simple Things

Aaron and I went to my friend, Michelle's, house for a play date and lunch today.  She has two awesome kids, and although they're older than Aaron, they always take the time to play so sweetly with him.  Aaron, of course, is dying to be a big boy, so playing with the older kids is so exciting to him.  Michelle is a super mom; she's actually one of the best moms I've ever known.  It's evident in how sweet and well-mannered her children are.  I can only hope Aaron and Harper are as lovely as Ryan and Anna are!  Every time we hang out, I'm constantly taking mental notes on everything she does.  And the thing is, Michelle doesn't even realize how amazing she is.  That's what blows my mind.  I can only hope that I'm half of what she is!  Today I asked her, "What do I do to make sure Aaron is as great of a kid as Ryan and Anna are?"  Her response, "All you can do is your best.  They will be who they're going to be."  Just as simple as that.  We, as parents, put a lot of pressure on ourselves trying to raise the perfect child.  How many times do I have to remind myself that no child is perfect?  As a matter of fact, no one is perfect!  Simply, all you do is your best.  With the constant exposure to parenting blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. you feel the need to make your life like a fairy tale where every day is perfect/magical/amazing.  That's just not true.  That's not the real world.  You love your kids,  love your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend,  love your family, and go to bed at night knowing you did your best.  Wish somebody had given me this advice years ago!  Thanks again for a great morning, Michelle.  You're the best, my friend. ;)


I totally started this blog entry 6 hours ago while Aaron was napping, and saved it so I could finish it later.  Only thing is, I've lost my train of thought due to pregnancy brain.  We ended up hitting up a friend's pool for the afternoon, and didn't get home until dinner time.  I'm so excited because I have a prenatal massage scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.  (Thank you Nat, Jess, & Amy for the birthday present!)   I can only count on one hand the number of massages I've had (sad, isn't it), but out of the 4 massages that I've had in my entire life, the prenatal massage I had when I was pregnant with Aaron was by far the best.  So.Pumped.  I might just slide right off that table when my hour is over. 

I'll leave you with this new Dior ad featuring Rpatz.  Is it just me, or is he so much hotter since he and KStew finally called it quits?  Love him.

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Nighty-night.

~LL

I can't believe summer's halfway over!

After my rant the other day, I found out late yesterday afternoon that I passed my glucose test.  Woot!  I was totally under the impression that they were going to call me with the results, and when I hadn't heard from them by 3 pm yesterday, I called them.  Turns out, if the test had been abnormal they would have called me.  I guess in this case no news= good news.  As selfish as this sounds, I was thrilled that I didn't have to give up my sweets (doughnuts, cheesecake, oatmeal cream pies, ice cream, etc).  Now just to reign it all in.....another story for another day.

All of Harper's bedding has come in, and my mom helped me put it all together in her crib this morning.  Y'all, I love it!  I would post a pic, but I want her room to be a little more prepared before I start posting pics.  The only thing that's ready right now is her crib.  We still have a lot of work to do, but hey- at least it's getting underway.  I absolutely cannot wait to see her sweet face asleep in that bed......only 12 weeks left!!

I'm still in shock over Cory Monteith's death.  Adam let me sleep in Sunday morning, and as soon as I picked up my phone, I saw a notification from US Weekly (of course since I'm totally celebrity-obsessed that app is probably my fave) that read: Cory Monteith: Dead at 31.  I could not believe it.  Even Adam was shocked as Glee used to be one of our favorite shows.  I knew that he had his issues; that he went to rehab for a month earlier this year, but with so many celebrities going to rehab all the time, using and abusing it (Lindsay Lohan), I just assumed "Oh, he's alright.  It's the celebrity thing to do."  Judging from all of the articles that I've read about him over the last couple of days, he's been battling this illness for quite some time.  Of course, the autopsy details haven't been released, but one can only assume drugs/alcohol were the cause of his death.  So sad.  I feed so badly for Lea Michele.   So, in honor of Cory Monteith I'm posting one of my favorite Glee performances by him (and the other Glee cast).  Enjoy.

~LL

Let the poking & prodding begin!

Today marks my 28th week of pregnancy- whoop!  I celebrated this special occasion by taking my glucose test for gestational diabetes (yuck), getting a shot in my rear (even yuckier), and getting my blood drawn (the yuckiest).  I'm Rh-negative; therefore, I have to get injected in both third trimester and after baby girl's born.  Fun times.  Anyway, I find out Monday the results of my glucose test, and I plan to eat ice cream every day until then in case the results come back positive.  You do what you gotta do!

I realized today that this was just the beginning of the poking and prodding.  It's getting real now.  I go back in three weeks and from that point on I'll be 9 weeks away from delivery.  That's crazy!  My appointment went well today; baby girl's heart beat sounds good and strong, and my vital signs are good.  I've gained 23 pounds total, and when I asked my Doc (whom I adore) if that was good,  he basically told me that I need to cut back on the sweets and fast-food.  Um, for real??  He said that he only wants me to gain 3-4 pounds between visits, and I've gained 6 since my last visit.  I'm not gonna lie, it hurt my feelings.  Yeah, I know he's right because he's the expert and all, but it's not like I'm hitting up Chick-fil-A every day (just around 2x/week).  I mean, I have eaten a Krispy Kreme every day in the past 2 weeks, and I'm not one that's going to turn down dessert or anything.  AND, I did just get back from Destin where's it's practically required that I eat fried shrimp, crab cakes, hush-puppies, and slaw every day, but other than that I'm not being too awful, right?? Who am I kidding, I totally have gestational diabetes.  Let my last weekend of freedom begin!

Since I was feeling guilty from all my "sweets and fast-food" intake, I hit up Subway and picked up a sandwich for lunch.  One of the sandwich makers asked what I was having and when I was due.  When I told her October 3rd, her response was "you ain't gonna make it."  Thank you, Ms. Subway Sandwich Maker.  After I marched my large, pregnant a$$ out of there, I remembered a similar comment that was said to me at this same point in my pregnancy with Aaron at, you guessed it, a Subway in Macon.  Be prepared friends: not only are those Subway Sandwich Makers preparing your turkey sub (with vinegar and oil I might add), but also imparting gems of wisdom for you to mull over forever.  This is what I say to them:

 

With all of that being said, I'm off to nap.  Happy Friday, friends!

~LL

Nursery Updates

Folks, I have picked out bedding for Harper Beth's nursery.  This is major for me right now.  Prego brain has completely taken over my life.  I'm hoping when all the new-house hoopla settles down, I'll get some of my brain cells back.  Anyway, I decided to go with Pottery Barn's Penelope pattern and I am in love.  Here's a peek:

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 Isn't it sweet?  I love the pink and green accents, and I adore the little birds.  I can just see Harper Beth in this crib.  Ahhhh.....girls stuff is so fun!  Once we get the bedding in, I can really go to town with the decorating.  Both the crib and changing table are already set up and in there places, and Adam is going to paint my old dresser pink for the other wall of her room.  Pics coming soon!

I'll try to update more later.  Have a friend coming in town and I need to jump in the shower!

Talk soon!

~LL

Lots of catching up to do!

Hey!  Do you remember me??  I have a blog titled "Laughing Lolly."  Ever heard  of it?  If you haven't, I'm not shocked because there's been zero bloggage in what, three weeks??  Sorry, y'all.  We moved into our new house two weeks ago, and we just got Internet yesterday.  I wish I was kidding.  Let's just say that next time we make a move (which we're not planning to do for a long time) we might rethink the AT&T relationship.  Not impressed. 

Anyway, we are all moved in to our new house and loving it!  We've never had this much room since we moved into our first home in December 2006.  More room=lots of empty spaces which we'll have to build upon as the time goes by.  The new house things I'm super stoked about are: a separate laundry room, separate master bathroom, carpet (yes, I know I'm crazy), and the fact that I have a foyer.  I haven't been able to access Pinterest that much over the past couple of weeks, but since things are finally settling down and since we finally have internet I plan to get my pinspiration on.  I'll post pics of the house soon, I promise.  My hubs is super pumped about the fact that we have a partly finished basement that's the size of the house.  His own personal "man home."  Oh, the things we have planned......can't wait to put these plans into action!

The most important "to do" right now is getting Harper's nursery ready.  I am so lame that I haven't even picked out nursery bedding yet.  That's cray.  I'll be entering 3rd trimester this Friday (28 weeks- whoop!).  By this point in my pregnancy with Aaron the bedding was already chosen, and Adam was painting the nursery.  The only excuse I have is the fact that we just moved, and haven't had much time for nursery planning.  I do have my eye on some precious bedding from Pottery Barn that I will most likely purchase this week.  Once I do, I'll give y'all a sneak peek.  I feel like once the bedding gets here, the creativity will take over.....hopefully.  Her walls are already painted beige, and I'm fine with sticking to that color.  My main color is pink (duh), and I feel like I can pull in all kinds of fun colors with that as the base. 

Speaking of baby girl, we went for her Fetal Echo two weeks ago Friday, and her heart is healthy and normal!!!  Ahhhh.....relief.  Like I've said before, I've felt pretty confident from our past two ultrasounds that her heart was normal, but it was music to my ears to hear from a pediatric cardiologist that her sweet heart showed no abnormalities and is normal.  We are so blessed.
This Friday is my Gestational Diabetes test (the glucose screening) where I have to drink the yucky, orange stuff.  Not looking forward to it.  However, I am looking forward to the 3D/4D ultrasound of Harper Beth next month!  I just want to see if she has hair.  Aaron had tons of it.  I've been plagued with heartburn again this pregnancy so I'm taking that as a good sign.  My Aaron Mo came out with tons of black hair, that had basically grown into a rattail it was so long.  I could not believe I grew all that hair in my belly.....hahah!  Guess we'll see!

Since it's been forever since I last blogged, and a lot of things have happened since I'm just going to let my photos document the past few weeks:

My girlfriends and I went to see NKOTB/98 Degrees/Boyz 2 Men a few weeks ago.  Y'all, we had a blast!  We started out in the nosebleed seats at Phillip's Arena, but ended up on the second row right before NKOTB took the stage (thanks, Lori!).  I know we're totally tweens, but I'm just going to put it out there and say: NKOTB put on a great show.  We even lingered behind after the show was over trying to get a glimpse of Joey and Company.  My sweet friend Brooke and I even tried to pimp out our pregnant bellies to get backstage access and all we got was a set list from a nice guy that was working production.  Oh well, it's the little things!  Here's a video of the guy's singing "Tender Love;" an old-school love song that I've been obsessed with forever!

The next day after the concert, we closed on our house!  Here's a pic of the front of our new casa:

Wish I could say the white BMW was mine also, but sadly I cannot.  Dreamers can dream!

Best news of the week!!! 

We were only in our new home for a week before we headed to Destin for our family vacation.  With the exception of the last three, rain-drenched days of vacay, we had a wonderful, relaxing time. 

The night we arrived.  Heaven. 

Crab Cakes at The Crab Trap.  My mouth is watering. 

We took our annual boating trip around the Gulf to Crab Island and Dewey Destin earlier in the week due to the terrible rainy weather at the end of the week:

The Captain & his Skipper ;)

We're on a boat, y'all!

My boys enjoying Crab Island.  The water was a little green this year, but nevertheless beautiful!

Mi familia

Our last night dinner at Whales Tail.  See you next year!

Sadly, I didn't get as many pics as I would have liked to, but like I said before, it rained.  A lot.  Boo.  Oh well, there's always next year!!

Enjoy your Tuesday, friends!

~LL