Week in Review….

I’m so sorry that I have been slack lately about keeping everyone updated with all that is going on in our little corner of the world.  Things have been extremely busy with work, graduate school, starting my new Thirty-One business, preparing for the arrival of DD #2, and just life in general!  Yes, my plate may be full, but only one word continues to resonate in my heart—BLESSED!  So, to catch you up a little I thought I would share the photos that will be in my Project 365 album from this past week:

Grams and KK posing for a shot before the Aloette party on Monday night.

Mackaylan and I arrived home Tuesday to find this love note taped to the door from Mickey!

Yay!  The order from my first Thirty-One show arrived.  Wednesday night was spent sorting and bagging all of my customers wonderful purchases!

I can’t believe I am posting this pic, but this is Lana unmasked! I just love using my new Aloette products!

Friday was Word Day at school.  Mackaylan chose to dress up as “aquatic.”  LOVE IT!

This is a quick pic of me and my “roomies!”  Dottie was dressed as “dot,” I was dressed as “mismatched,” and Jessica was dressed as “fan.”  I love these two!

And here is a sneak peak of Lydia’s room.  We made a lot of progress on Saturday!  I have more pics, but will save those for another post when we are all set and ready for the “grand opening!”

So, there you have it.  That is our life in a nutshell from this past week.  I hope all is well in your little corner of the world….. 

The Me Project Blog Tour

I am so excited to be able to participate in The Me Project blog tour next week.  Kathi Lipp is one of my favorite authors.  Not only are her books WONDERFUL, but she is so personable (and even replies to me via Twitter! haha) Her latest book is entitled The Me Project and is a book that will “provide women with fun and creative ways to bring back the sense of purpose and vitality that comes with living out the plans and dreams God has planted in our hearts. Kathi Lipp’s warm tone and laugh-out-loud humor motivates women to take daily steps toward intentional goals. The end result? We get back our lives and enjoy living in the confidence of a purposeful life in spite of our chaotic schedules.”  Doesn’t that sound great?  I can’t wait to get the book and share all of the “golden nuggets” with you.  During the actual blog tour I will also share more information about the book, the author, and a Grand Prize giveaway that you may just win.  Stay tuned…..

Baby Shower

On Thursday, some of my dear friends (and family) at school hosted a shower for me (and the girls).  It was so fun to spend the afternoon eating (and we had a spread!), chatting, and just enjoying being together.  Needless to say, we were blessed with many wonderful things. If you recall, we have sold or donated almost everything that we used with Mackaylan so we are practically starting over.  Mackaylan and I went and registered at Target last weekend and she had such a fun time picking things out for her little sister.  She was amazed when she saw some of those same gifts appear at the shower.  To her it was like magic!  One thing I was most thankful for was the way everyone showered her with gifts as well. She can’t wait to wear her new “Big Sister” t-shirt and try out her camera at the hospital on “the big day!”   As you will be able to see by these pics, we are so blessed to be loved by so many people!

32 Weeks

I'm 32 Weeks!

Size of baby: Baby O weighs around 3.75 lbs. and is about 16.7 inches long.  We are both growing like crazy.  It’s amazing how much my stomach has grown in the past few weeks.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ? I'm trying to avoid the scale :) However, after looking at this picture I am beginning to think that maybe it isn’t all “just baby weight” like my friends/family keep telling me.  Oh, the joys, of pregnancy!

Maternity Clothes: Oh, yes! I can still wear quite a few of my pre-weight loss tops from Lane Bryant, but the pants have to be maternity.  

Gender: Girl!  Her name will be Lydia.   

Movement: Yes! She is a very active little girl, and I love it!  I don’t remember Mackaylan ever moving this much, but it has been over 5 years…hmm?! I’m convinced that she is going to be a gymnast! :)

Sleep: Sound sleep is slowly becoming a thing of the past.  It feels like it takes forever to roll over and I am trying to sleep on my side instead of my back and that is hard for me.  I have also found that when I wake up in the middle of the night my mind starts racing and it is hard to get back to sleep.  I guess it is just my body’s way of preparing for the sleepless nights ahead, right?!

What I miss: Nothing! We have been praying for this baby for so long I feel nothing but blessed!

Cravings: Here’s a crazy one:  Raisin Bran cereal.  I can’t get enough of it! 

Symptoms: I have definitely been more emotional with this baby, but some will argue that has nothing to do with pregnancy! *wink*wink* 

Best moment this week: My baby shower at school (pics and post to follow.)  I feel so blessed to be able to work with such wonderful people.  Not only did they spoil Lydia, but Mackaylan received quite a few “Big Sister” gifts as well. 

Update/Extra information: I go back to the doctor this coming Wednesday.  I’m looking forward to seeing what they have to say.  One more visit and I think I will be on a weekly rotation.  Time is ticking……

Valentine’s Day 2011

This year our Valentine’s Day consisted of lasagna (not Aunt Martha’s, but I think I did okay), salad, bread, a delicious dessert, and a scavenger hunt.  I spent Sunday afternoon shopping for gifts, writing clues, and hiding presents so I would be ready on Monday evening.  I think I had just as much fun preparing for the hunt as Mickey and Mackaylan did actually finding all of their presents.  None of the gifts were that elaborate, but there was a lot of thought and time put into making the hunt fun and memorable.  It was just my way of showing these two people how very special they are to me! Here are a few pictures from the evening:

Mackaylan opening her card and finding clue #1.

Mickey helping her read the clues.  Little did he know that he was going to have his own hunt as well.

Mackaylan finding her first prize.  Yes, it was chocolate!  What else would my little 5 year old want for V-day?!

Mickey and Mackaylan checking out her new book.

Mackaylan’s favorite gift.

The beginning of Mickey’s hunt.

Searching……

Mickey is currently participating in a weight loss competition for work, so I think this chocolate is still in the cabinet.  That is will power at it’s finest my friends!

 

Mickey finding his “big” prize.  The note simple read, “There is nothing I would ‘change’ about you!”  I know.  I’m so corny!

Mickey surprised me with a bottle of new perfume.  It is Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson.  It has a very romantic smell.  Perfect for V-day! :)

Needless to say, it was a Valentine’s Day to remember! 

Our weekend…

On Friday night I hosted my first Thirty-One party.  It was a lot of preparation, but also a lot of fun!  Now, that I have one show under my belt I feel much more confident and am even ready to get my business up and going.  I have another party booked in February and hopefully a catalog show or two as well.  The new spring products are adorable and reasonably priced.  What more could you ask for?!  If you would like to take a peek at the new spring catalog and/or place an order visit my website at www.mythirtyone.com/lanaoshields.  And remember, if your wish list holds more than your wallet, host a party and you can receive lots of products free and/or at a discounted rate. 

Anyway… here are just a few pics from the night: 

The catalogs and fabric swatches:

In keeping with our theme, A “Soup”er Shopping event, all of the guests were asked to bring their favorite soup recipe to share.  I am planning to type up and distributed all of the recipes with the orders when they come in.

A quick picture of some of the door prizes:

The new Thirty-One consultant:

Once the party got underway I wasn’t able to take anymore pics, but I had about 15 friends in attendance.  We had such a fun time eating, socializing, and shopping!  The most stressful part of the entire evening was the check-out, but I have already decided that when possible I will take my laptop and input the orders immediately.  What can I say?  I’m learning along the way…..

After a fun Friday night, Saturday started off on the right foot with a delicious breakfast date with the hubs.  However, during our meal, we received a phone call from Grams and Pop-O that Mackaylan was running a fever and sick.  I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised because we have had tons of students and teachers out sick lately, but I was hoping it would somehow skip over my loved ones.  Then, to make matters worse, on Sunday morning, I woke up with a terrible stomach bug.  I was a little worried about the baby, but she kept moving and I kept trying to keep fluids in my system even though I knew they would eventually find their way back up.  Needless to say, Mackaylan and I stayed in bed all day! Mackaylan still had a low grade fever on Monday and I was very weak so we both stayed home from school. We spent the day sleeping, watching TV, and sanitizing the house. Oh, what fun!