tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91016933956146964092024-02-19T03:13:06.130-06:00Here We GeauxLauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-66768356655635681892017-04-19T12:29:00.000-05:002017-04-19T12:30:59.978-05:00Rocking MotherhoodMore often than not, I feel like I'm drowning in motherhood, certainly not rocking it. However, <a href="http://will.blog/">Jen</a> is my ever-present blogging cheer leader so I'm going to write today about motherhood just as she prompted me to. And, Hi to all those new faces she keeps sending my way! ;-)<br />
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<strong>I trust my gut.</strong> We're 14 months into this thing and B still doesn't sleep at night. We have tried everything in the book - white noise, essential oils, melatonin (only once, I promise!), reflux meds, having him sleep with us - except sleep training. Sorry, I just can't do it. My gut tells me there's some other reason he doesn't sleep, and I guess I just have to wait it out. I'll sleep when he gets married, or goes to college, or moves out the house, I suppose. <br />
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<strong>I look for his cues.</strong> On that same note, I try to follow his cues for sleeping and eating (that's not to say we don't have a schedule, because we definitely do) and being around others. If he doesn't want to go with a family member or friend, including grandparents, I don't make him. Let those feelings get hurt, I refuse to force my kid to be with you if he isn't comfortable doing so.<br />
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<strong>I read to him daily.</strong> B LOVES books. LOVES them, I tell you. We read all day, every day. It's not unusual for him to beg me to read a few quick books after I change his diaper in the morning and before I rush off to work. He's constantly dragging books around and making us read them. He's also known to disappear into his self-made book nook and spend 30 minutes ooh-ing and ahh-ing as he flips through the pages. <br />
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<strong>I love his daddy.</strong> Parenthood is hard. Really hard. We're certainly not our best to each other as we were before B, but I still love Alex and I yearn for time spent with him regularly. One day, I hope B will learn to treat a woman as well as his daddy does...a direct result of my love as well. <br />
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<strong>I don't buy him new toys or clothes (often).</strong> I say this 2 hours after we bough several new shirts and shorts for B on our weekly grocery trip to Walmart. However, this is probably one of three or four new clothes purchases I have purchased for B in his whole life (from Walmart, at that!). Ninety percent of the time B wears hand-me-downs (I'm looking at you <a href="http://will.blog/">Jen</a>!) or items purchased from Goodwill. We buy books for holidays and birthdays, occasionally something that we know fits his personality (a stuffed Clifford on sale for $3 or a toy steering wheel because he loooves real ones), but that's it. ...He's a kid people. He doesn't know what brand he's wearing, or if it's new/used, etc. Plus, they grow so fast. I can't in good faith pay full price for a whole new wardrobe every few months! Let's just say we're teaching him the value of a dollar, and smart buying early on. <br />
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<strong>I let him watch French TV.</strong> I know, I know. The APA recommends ZERO screen time before age 2. We were sticklers for that right up until age 1, and then I started relaxing the rules a little. We don't give him our phones/tablet/computer to play, but we do occasionally flip through pictures of him because he loooves looking at himself. Recently we have also begun allowing him to watch a French television show on PBS Kids. I keep telling myself it's good for him to hear the language being spoken because now is a great time for him to bridge those synapses or whatever it's called when language development happens. Ha!<br />
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<strong>I take him to church (and we don't sit in the cry room).</strong> As best as I can remember, B has missed church less than 3 or 4 times in his 14 months on this earth. Thanks to the wonderful wisdom that abounds from amazing mama blogger friends, we choose not to sit in the cry room unless an emergency diaper change is needed or a full out meltdown occurs (and even then we stay as briefly as possible). I feel B needs to learn how to respect the fullness of the Mass, and for us that means sitting in the pews with everyone else. Before he was born, I swore I'd never give my kid snacks during Mass, but I've learned that little kids eat a lot more often than adults, and snacks really aren't a big deal if they're quiet and used appropriately (re: before the age of reason). While I can't guarantee B will be a faith-filled adult, bringing him to Mass, and bringing him regularly is an important part of that journey. <br />
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Mmm...sadly, I am stopping there because neither me nor my husband can think of anything else. I <em>told</em> you I totally <em>don't</em> rock motherhood. Plus, B will wake up from his nap soon, and we all know how that goes! <br />
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First, though, I'm tagging a few friends:<br />
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Stephanie at <a href="https://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/">Blessed to Be</a><br />
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Stephanie at <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Captive the Heart</a><br />
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Sheena at <a href="http://www.beaninloveblog.com/">Bean in Love</a> <br />
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Annie at <a href="http://anneryathome.blogspot.com/">Annery at Home</a><br />
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Rosie at <a href="http://rosie-ablogformymom.blogspot.com/">A Blog for My Mom</a><br />
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That's all folks!<br />
-Lauren<br />
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P.S. These are obviously NOT current photos of the B...but I figure I'll keep inserting an assortment until we get all caught up (one day?!). Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-66979935488572052942017-04-11T08:00:00.000-05:002017-04-11T08:00:38.528-05:00Introducing BAEBecause who doesn't like ooh-ing and ahh-ing over wittle (or not-so-little) babies...<br />
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Some photos taken by Bennett's godmother a few weeks after he was born:<br />
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And, if you recall...we hosted a baby pool at BabyHunch.com. It was SO much fun to watch the guesses come in as we got closer to the big day. In the end, over 65 people participated!<br />
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The first place winner was a college student who worked for both Alex and I (at our separate jobs - yes she was employed by both of us, no wonder she won!). Second place went to one of Alex's graduate assistants. I guess they spent enough time with us...or just got really lucky. <br />
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For fun, check out their guesses:<br />
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Kerigan: Feb. 16, 8:11 a.m., BOY, 8 lbs. 5 oz., 19.75 in., J name<br />
Dan: Feb. 16, 8:05 p.m., BOY, 8 lbs. 3 oz., 20.25 in., L name<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hunchessofar"><tbody>
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We actually had someone guess the correct date (Feb. 15), but she came in 3rd place. <br />
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If/when there is another child, we will definitely be waiting to see the gender, and using another baby pool. It was so much fun!!!</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td><span class="bold"></span><br /></td><td></td><td> </td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-71768495789512324352017-04-02T08:00:00.000-05:002017-04-02T08:00:00.166-05:00Clearing the Fog [Birth Story, Part 2]We arrived at the hospital just before 5 a.m. Of course, I was placed in triage, but thankfully, I was the only one there. The nurses had me change into a gown, give a urine sample, checked my cervix (not more than a 1, if I remember correctly) and then hooked me up to monitors. Alex went to move the car from ER parking to a regular lot while the nurse started a test to find out if my water had broken.<br />
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Before he even returned from the parking lot, the test results were clear...my water had broken and we were there to stay. Needless to say, I think we were both surprised; I for one, was certain they would laugh at my trip to the hospital and turn me right around, insisting that I was not, in fact, in labor. Oops.<br />
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Since I was still only dilated 1-2 cm, we were told the procedure would wait until my doctor arrived for the day at 8 a.m. My family lived 3.5 hours away, so once we received the news that we were staying and baby was on the way, we made the call around 6 a.m. to let them know things were happening. I sent Alex back to the car to get our bags...and reality started to set in.<br />
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At 7:59 a.m., I was rolled into the OR and prepped for the procedure. Alex had to wait in triage for about 20 minutes while they did the spinal block and got everything set up. When he came in, he stood at my head and we waited anxiously to find out the gender of our little one. The doctor asked us one last time before delivery, and we both guessed it would be a boy...<br />
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...WE WERE RIGHT!<br />
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Bennett Alexander was born at 8:28 a.m. on Monday, February 15, 2016.<br />
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Alex went over to the baby table and watched as they cleaned him and stamped his hand and footprints. They cut the cord, wrapped him up, and Alex brought him over to see me while the doctor stitched me back up. Then Alex carried him to the nursery so they could take his stats and complete initial tests. <br />
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I was returned to triage less than an hour after I left. Alex beat me there, so he texted my family to let them know "it's a BOY," and announced his name. This is when things get really <em>really</em> fuzzy; I guess it's the pain medicine to blame here. Baby was returned to us before we got our room...the oohs and ahhs, and "oh my gosh what are we doing" began. <br />
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Once we got our room, we continued skin to skin and enjoyed baby, hoping we'd be allowed to keep him at least until my family arrived. Just as the nurses were coming to take him back to the nursery, we got word that my family was close, so we asked to keep him a few more minutes in order for them to meet him. Family came, lunch was delivered, we settled in, and as they say...the rest is history!<br />
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I realize this is all "old news" at this point, but because we ended up having such a difficult time with the transition to parenthood and family life, I really do want take the time to write down as much of it as I can remember and bare to tell. Even though my memory is super foggy, I think it's important to have a record of our experiences, and to acknowledge for others that having a baby is not at all like the movies or on TV, or even like what some of our friends experience. In fact, sometimes it downright SUCKS. But that's another story for another day. ;) Thanks for sticking around and feel free to leave some love before you go!<br />
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-LaurenLauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-4620686178240491872017-03-26T14:56:00.000-05:002017-03-26T14:56:39.352-05:00That One Time We Tried to Celebrate Valentine's Day...[Birth Story Part 1]As you may or may not recall, after much deliberation, <a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/promotion-effective-tuesday.html">we made the decision to schedule a cesarean delivery</a> for Tuesday, Feburary 16, 2016. Most planned deliveries (induced or otherwise) are scheduled for Mondays; not that it's important at all, but I didn't want Bennett to have a February 15th birthday because the kid would have no shot at feeling special with a birthday so close to Valentine's Day (especially if he were to ever be in a serious relationship). <br />
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February 16th sounded like a pretty good date...no odd numbers (I'm weird about that), and it kind of had a ring to it. 2.16.16. Yep, it flowed pretty well, or so I thought. Apparently God and babies are pretty similar when it comes to telling them your plans...<br />
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Fast forward to Sunday, February 14, 2016. Alex and I decided to take advantage of one of our last evenings pre-baby by going out to dinner at Logan's Roadhouse. While we were pleasantly surprised there was no wait on this holiday of sorts, the restaurant seemed to be out of <i>everything</i>. It was like they hadn't anticipated an influx of customers for the weekend and everything was used up prior to Sunday. We made the best of it and chatted about what the coming days were sure to bring. <br />
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Nothing out of the ordinary, we went home after dinner, relaxed, and turned in for the night. Sometime around 11 p.m., my stomach started hurting. I ignored it for a while, fell back asleep, and then woke up every hour for the next few hours feeling the aches. At some point, my bladder told me I needed to get up, and I thought maybe I'd find relief by using the bathroom. Not so. I returned to bed, curled on my side and tried to fall back asleep. <br />
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Not long after returning to bed, Alex got up to use the bathroom. When he returned, I decided to tell him that I didn't feel well and my stomach was hurting. (This was around 1:15-1:30 a.m.) It really hadn't occurred to me at all before, but Alex asked if he should try to time what must be contractions. Since I wouldn't have even told him about the aches if he hadn't gotten up to pee, I was kind of surprised by his question, but agreed to try to time them. At this point, we realized the contractions were __________ apart, not close together or super regular, but we kept timing. <br />
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As pregnant women do, I went to the bathroom again and realized something was different. I hadn't experienced a "gush," but I thought perhaps I was "leaking" amniotic fluid...hmm. We had been told previously to come in using the 511 rule (contractions every 5 minutes, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour) or if my water were to break. Since we weren't sure on the last part, we decided to call the on-call doctor. When we mentioned the scheduled cesarean, we were told to go in, just in case. <br />
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And yep, I'm going to leave you hanging right there...mostly because things get foggy from here on and Alex isn't home to consult for assistance with the details...lol. BUT, how about one more photo of us before we lost our innocence and became real, live, can't-run-away-and-hide, PARENTS! Muhahahahahahahah.....<br />
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<br />Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-78439655253554001432017-02-12T15:25:00.001-06:002017-02-12T15:25:09.657-06:00A Month for Your Marriage {Week 1 - Togetherness} I'm taking a little break from playing "catch up" to join Jen at Into Your Will for her "<a href="https://intoyourwill.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-month-for-your-marriage-week-1.html">A Month for Your Marriage</a>" link-up. When I read Jen's post about the first challenge of the month, I thought to myself, "This will be EASY; Alex and I love doing things together!" I guess that should have been my first clue that God was about to send me a slap across the face and a healthy does of humility to boot...<br />
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It's true though, Alex and I really do love doing things together. One of the worst parts of me working while he's a stay-at-home dad is having to leave for work in the morning knowing that he and Bennett get to spend the whole day together, even if Bennett is a tough kid and things are certainly not rainbows and sunshine while I'm away. However, I thought this challenge was going to come naturally to us and in some ways it did (we didn't intentionally do anything different), in others it really didn't. <br />
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We've been gearing up for Bennett's first birthday party which is coming up next weekend. While we moved into our new house at Thanksgiving, we had never gotten around to hanging anything on the walls. It didn't bother me so much at Christmas/New Year's, but almost 3 months later, I have been itching to make the place our own. <br />
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In an effort to get the ball rolling, we left Bennett with my Nanna on Sunday afternoon and shopped like crazy for some fun new touches to our décor, especially to dress up Bennett's room that had never actually been decorated in our old house (I was pretty much anti-baby room for a while, but Bennett's turning a year old now and I felt it was time). We really had a great time, but we hadn't found exaaactly what we were looking for, so we went back out again on Monday evening, as a whole family. Alex had put dinner in the crockpot on Monday morning, so we were good to go with heading to Lafayette for a few quick stops after work and before dinner. <br />
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I work "late" on Tuesdays, which meant we weren't going to get anything more done on the house that day, but we did manage to squeeze in a family walk and hosted dinner for my dad. It was nice to take a brain break on the decorating front, though. And, I think I was able to read a chapter for school while Alex put Bennett to bed, but that's neither here nor there... <br />
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Wednesday, we went on another family walk (love those), shared dinner, and then...I failed at life and became apparently ungrateful, mean, and demanding toward Alex. Obviously, I never mean to hurt his feelings or make him feel like anything less than the amazing man that he is, but nevertheless, it happened. I try to be understanding of his emotions toward being stuck at home all day, but I'm not perfect and I am not always as respectful or gracious toward him as I should be. <br />
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At this point, I don't remember much about Thursday, but I do think we managed to share another family walk that evening. Friday, Alex took one for the team by keeping Bennett while I went to dinner with some girlfriends (after being with him all day as well). We had talked about squeezing in a walk again, but time just didn't allow it. BUT, we did end the week on a good note when we asked Nanna to keep Bennett again so that we could attend a performance of Annie Jr., put on by the new Christian Youth Theater group in town. <br />
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I think I said some other things to upset Alex again this morning, which means I REALLY need to take Jen's next challenge to heart and work hard at building him back up again through affirmation. And if you read all the way through...mad props to you. Here's a picture of Alex and I from a trip to the local pumpkin patch way back in 2014. Apparently I also need to make a point of getting a recent photo of us together for next week's post. :)<br />
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Have a good one, ya'll!Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-29427614592074656332017-02-05T16:00:00.000-06:002017-02-05T16:00:01.642-06:00Celebrating a Hungry Caterpillar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Still trying to play catch up by sharing about 2016 in chronological order, so today I'm here to relive our baby shower...Enjoy!</i></div>
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Some family and friends threw together a cute little shower for us on New Year's Day (2016). It was an adorable "hungry caterpillar theme," with yummy food and fun games to entertain guests. The weather did NOT cooperate (SO cold, windy, wet, gross and very unlike Louisiana), but we made the best of it and went on with the show. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shower hosts: Dawn, Victoria, (myself), <a href="https://intoyourwill.blogspot.com/">Jen</a>, cousin Laurie, and Great Aunt Jackie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurie's triplet 5-year-olds served as bell ringers in our wedding 3 years prior<br />
Drew (my godson), Sophie, and Emma</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://intoyourwill.blogspot.com/">Jen's</a> son, Chase, totally stole the show all day. He and Alex were buds. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A co-ed shower wouldn't be complete without a drinking game, no?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daddy was the champion!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice photo with my parents, brother, and Nanna. </td></tr>
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Okay, now all that food is making me hungry, lol. In any case, we really appreciate the effort made by those who contributed to this special day. We received lots of love in the form of tangible gifts (but no diapers/wipes/or repeats, yay!) and silly notes too (mad libs, anyone?). Next up, a surprise baby arrival (birth story), introductions, and the announcement of a winner from our baby pool! </div>
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-Lauren</div>
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<i>P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-49852086637255917152017-01-29T16:00:00.000-06:002017-01-29T15:36:38.852-06:00Can we say gorgeous? [Maternity Photos]Although these were taken over a year ago now (late December 2015), I am still in love with our maternity photos, and never got the chance to share them here....so enjoy! <br />
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Just a little background first...<a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html">Katie Hoffpauir</a> is the photographer who took our engagement photos, bridals, and photographed our wedding, as well. We love how she is so incredibly flexible, good at what she does (we're not the most photogenic or model-like people!), and wonderful to work with in general. I started talking to Katie about maternity photos back several months before these were taken, but we lived 3.5 hours away from Katie at the time, so our schedules didn't line up until we were about 34 weeks along in the pregnancy. <br />
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I asked Katie for some simple photos that we could use for New Year's greeting cards (yeah, those never happened) and to remember the bump while we were at it. Not only did Katie fill my requests, but she went above and beyond to do so (as always!). We love our photos and I'm excited to share some of my favorites!<br />
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And these don't scream "maternity" but I LOVE them anyway! ("Dirty hot chocolate," yummmm.)</div>
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If you want to check out the whole album, they're on Facebook, or you can visit Katie's <a href="http://khphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/edwards/">online gallery</a>. <br />
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Enjoy!<br />
-Lauren<br />
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<i>P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i>Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-6202307163011671922017-01-16T15:36:00.002-06:002017-01-16T15:36:59.334-06:00Out With the Old: Goodbye 2016!Wow, well, I didn't expect it to be 11 months between blog posts. This last year has been I-N-S-A-N-E. When I left off, we were days away from becoming parents, and I was completely oblivious to what the rest of 2016 would bring for us. Let's see if I can bring us up to speed here...<br />
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On February 15th (yes, I said February 15th, NOT 16th as was shared in my previous post), we welcomed our little “be-ritto,” Bennett Alexander. He was born at 8:28 a.m., and weighed in at 8 pounds 11 ounces. We all rested up just fine and returned home a few days later to begin our life as a family of three. <br />
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The adjustment to parenthood (re: HELLacious nursing experience, to hopefully be discussed here on the blog in a future post...) continued as the days warmed with the season. I returned to work in May and Bennett began his (short-lived) adventure at daycare. Meanwhile, Alex traded in a long season of travel with ULM Baseball for Daddy duties and home-games only. <br />
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In June, Alex vacated his position with ULM. Subsequently, I accepted a position with the V. (edited for privacy) Parish School Board, and thus began the process of relocating to south Louisiana. Our home was promptly prepared for market and officially listed with an agent around mid-June. My last day at work was July 8th. We packed essentials and established a temporary residence at my parents' home. Bennett enjoyed swimming in Gam and Pop’s pool, and spent many hours wearing his daddy out! <br />
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I began my new position as an Early Interventionist/Kindergarten Special Education teacher at the end of July. I participated in several staff development workshops in preparation for work within a Kindergarten “combo” (inclusion) class, featuring 17 students, six of which have developmental delays or other disabilities. There are two teachers and two paraeducators serving within the classroom, and oh does it make for loads of fun! <br />
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Bennett experienced his first airplane trip when he and Alex traveled to North Carolina to visit family and attend a friend’s wedding in September. The boys had quite the adventure, which included sprints through the Dallas airport and a much-needed nap on the airplane afterwards. Bennett even returned with a very special souvenir – his first tooth (at 7 months old)! <br />
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With the start of football season this fall, Alex began freelance work with a local newspaper and nearby university. He covered local high school games on Friday nights and spent Saturdays working for TV crews doing stats during home games for college games. His favorite part of this new gig was experiencing the excitement that is high school football rivalries in the south. <br />
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In October, our home in Monroe went under contract (exactly 4 months after) on the very same day an offer was made for their new home in south Louisiana. Despite some last minute hiccups (re: very angry moments), we moved into our new home just before Thanksgiving. <br />
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Bennett received exactly what he wanted for Christmas, his two front teeth (ha!), and we enjoyed celebrating in our very own space. We hosted extended family for a game of Dirty Santa on New Year's Eve and spent New Year's Day at my aunt's. Needless to say, we are (mostly) loving being near family and friends again and Bennett is a huge fan of his new stomping grounds, as he continues to master his crawling and climbing (but not sleeping) skills.<br />
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Looking ahead to 2017, we hope for a more peaceful and stable year. We are excited to start planning Bennett's first birthday party, and my 30th is right around the corner, as well. No doubt, Bennett will be walking, running, and jumping soon enough, and that’s plenty of activity to keep everyone busy! <br />
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As far as blogging goes, I am hoping that I will be getting back in the saddle again now that things are sort of starting to settle down. We still have zero decorations on the walls, as well as a patio and fence to build, all while working, taking classes, searching for jobs (Alex), and caring for Bennett...in other words, I'm not making any promises. However, I did just realize that I have two or three drafted posts that never published, so I'll try to share those before too long. <br />
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And you...friends...I have missed you SO much. That's one of the saddest parts about not writing for a year...missing all of you! Please, share an update on how things are going with your family...I haven't been able to keep up with reading posts either, so I am totally in the dark here. <br />
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What's up?!?<br />
-LaurenLauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-86830523631523915622016-02-12T20:07:00.000-06:002016-02-12T20:10:51.987-06:00Promotion: Effective TuesdayAlex is working (in town - thank goodness) all weekend, so I had every intention of putting together Quick Takes tonight, but by the way the afternoon went, that's just not going to happen. Instead, announcement time............. (Warning: This post is super long.)<br />
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Baby will be here...on Tuesday (if not before)!<br />
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How do we know this? Well, it's a little thing called a scheduled cesarean. Yeah, definitely not what I want or planned, but it's probably best and well at this point it's done. <br />
<br />
Let me back up a little...Doctor has been warning us for a while, baby has measured big as far back as what was supposed to be our last ultrasound in late December. At the time, it measured in the 78th percentile and predicted to be at least 8 pounds. I'm a short person (5 ft even), so there isn't a lot of space inside for baby to grow and/or deliver naturally. <br />
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As a result of this estimate, doctor encouraged us to do another growth ultrasound at 37 weeks to see how things were looking. She said, though, that nothing could or would be scheduled intervention-wise before the 39th week unless it were to be an emergency. At that scan (9 days ago), the ultrasound tech confirmed that we were still looking at a baby that could be upwards of 9 pounds (now measuring at the 85th percentile), but this time noticed the head was positioned sideways, basically as though it would deliver ear-first if it were to come in its current state. Obviously, ear-first doesn't work for delivery, soooooooo doctor encouraged us to do another ultrasound (seventh total!) at 39 weeks - that's today. <br />
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For today's scan, I tried stay calm and kept hoping we'd get good news about the head moving into a better position, because I long ago gave up on size being a non-issue at this point. At first, the tech seemed to think the head had moved, but she took her time and very thoroughly looked from all angles, changing my position and trying to see as much as possible. Unfortunately, baby is now measuring 8.5 pounds (giver or take half a pound) and above the 90th percentile for size. The head is also in the same position as before, and even more concerning today was the presence of the umbilical cord that is either near or around the neck (I can't remember exactly how she said it). It's her opinion that the cord may be what's interfering with baby positioning itself properly, and with the combination of the two, a) probably will not change before birth, and b) could result in some serious distress if I were to go into labor naturally. <br />
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After a couple of stressful hours going back and forth with the ultrasound tech, a nurse, and then finally speaking with the doctor, a decision was made to schedule the cesarean for Tuesday at Noon. It was all very confusing because the tech was very confident in her findings and prepared us for that conversation, but the nurse instead was incredibly vague and said she couldn't recommend any decision over another, that it was totally up to us but I needed to decide today or there wouldn't be a spot on the schedule for the following week. For a time, I felt very (anxiously) unprepared to be making such a big decision without fresh input from the doctor, and I was thiiiis close to declining a scheduled intervention with the understanding that I'd see doctor on Monday and talk about it in person with her then. <br />
<br />
But then. Doctor called. I can't tell you how relieved I felt just to hear her voice on the other end of the line. I knew I'd get real input and hoped I'd feel more confident in whatever decision after our conversation. And in the end, all of the above. Doctor repeated the information the ultrasound tech had shared, consistent in facts and opinions of the situation. She said there's no viable way to deliver with the head in its current position and given the other factors it seems incredibly unlikely that this would change. She said she always goes into decisions thinking about what she would recommend for her sister or for herself and in this situation she predicted a 99% chance that even if I tried to labor it would result in a cesarean. She didn't recommend the risk of attempting induction or natural labor for the 1% chance it would have positive results. <br />
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A big concern for me is extended recovery time (remember,<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/on-my-mind.html"> I wanted to be independent postpartum</a>), and negative effects for future pregnancies. There's not much anyone can do about the recovery, but doctor reassured me that she is very willing to do VBACs (though upfront, wanted me to be aware that those cannot be induced whatsoever, only another c-section can be used if in an emergency situation) and she has experience doing cesareans for women who have had as many as eight children. She told me it wouldn't limit the number of future children I could have (huuuge concern given the contraceptive society we live in), and that she didn't see any reason it would be a problem down the road. Can we say HUGE weight lifted off my mind???<br />
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So then the issue of what to share with my family (<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/on-my-mind.html">who, remember, wants to be present ASAP</a>) given my desire to have a very private birth experience. I was finally able to put into words exactly what made me anxious about all of that - a) having people in my space while laboring, thinking I'd feel claustrophobic and just plain over stimulated by the presence of others, and b) feeling pressure to speed things along knowing there are others "waiting" on me. ...But the thing about a cesarean is that a) only one other person is allowed to be present (YAY HUSBAND) and b) it's a 20 minute deal, so the waiting part is pretty much nonexistent. Realizing my fears about having others around wouldn't be so much of an issue with a cesarean, we decided to be honest about the situation and share the plans with my family. <br />
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Although I'm not certain my father won't be awake at 4 a.m. trying to drag my mother out the house, I spent a great deal of time telling my mother NOT to get on the road any earlier than necessary and to take.their.time. getting here. My father, on the other hand, asked to come on Monday night...to which I quickly corrected him about traveling the following morning, ha. I still really don't want people waiting around, especially knowing I want that magic hour of just the three of us together after baby is born and the thought of having people in the waiting room at that point still stresses me out. And then of course, it will be my grandmother in addition to my parents, and possibly my brother too. AHH, people!<br />
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The plan is for family to arrive sometime around midday on Tuesday and leave Thursdayish, since my daddy will go on call Thursday evening. (Of course, my daddy is talking about switching his call and not leaving on Thursday as he would have to...EEK, Father!!!) I'm *hoping* things go well enough to be discharged on Friday and have our family of three home together for the weekend and following week. My mother/grandmother want to come back and stay when Alex goes back to work, but I'm not agreeing to anything just yet. Then, Alex's mom will be flying in Saturday, March 5th and leaving on Friday, March 11th. We'll see what I think about that in about two weeks...yikes.<br />
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And...all of these details could totally derail if baby decides it wants to arrive before the 16th. So, we'll see! <br />
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As always, prayers greatly appreciated. <br />
<br />
-Lauren<br />
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P.S. Someone I know had her baby today, and gave it the same name we picked out (yes I'm being intentionally vague in case someone puts two and two together)!! Now I have this complex that she'll think I stole her baby's name, even though neither of us talked names AT ALL beforehand. ...I sent her an email that surely sounds like crazy talk about how I'm so sorry we picked the same name. Go ahead, laugh...you deserve it after sticking around through this post!<br />
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<i>P.P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i>Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-46114251804227082222016-02-09T08:00:00.000-06:002016-02-09T08:00:13.798-06:00Hello, Gorgeous!Stephanie may still be <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/introducing.html">on maternity leave</a>, but I'm having a hard time keeping up with her! As I said before, she's still churning out good stuff, so head over to visit her at <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Captive the Heart</a>. I'm totally not a beauty blogger, but there is something I'd swear by for all brides to be. To find out more, and learn what others are saying about tried-and-tested beauty tips on your wedding day, go check out <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2016/01/brides-whove-been-there-8-tried-and.html">her post</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html">Katie Hoffpauir Photograph</a></span><a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html" style="font-size: 12.8px;">y</a></td></tr>
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Check back regularly to visit with Stephanie, as she will be sharing more from "Brides Who've Been There" during this Wedding Q & A series!<br />
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Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-28492143317958498602016-02-07T20:14:00.000-06:002016-02-12T19:59:12.107-06:00On my mind.Alex is out at a Superbowl gathering with coworkers tonight, and I've been home doing laundry while catching up on the DVR. There are tons of thoughts running through my mind, and while I really don't want my blog to turn in to all baby, all the time, I really just want to get some of it off my mind. And, maybe some of you experienced ladies out there will have some wisdom to share, as well. <br />
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-This pregnancy has flown by, and for that I am grateful! However, it's also really weird knowing that your life is about to change in huuuuge ways, but the "when" part is totally unknown. This could be my last full week of work, or I may not even make it there tomorrow morning (very unlikely). There's just no way to know and that's difficult to wrap my mind around!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom crib bedding from Etsy arrived this week!<br />
It's not the fanciest, but I love it! </td></tr>
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-Baby is still measuring very much ahead of schedule size-wise, <i>and </i>now doctor is worried its head is positioned in a way that isn't conducive to vaginal delivery. She's been preparing us for a while that we may end up in a induction/cesearan situation, but that's becoming more real with each passing week. We'll have a check-up and seventh (!!!) ultrasound this coming Friday, and a decision may be made then about scheduling either one of those options (as early as 2/15...EEK!). I <i>really </i>want my body to do this on its own so maybe if you feel so inclined to send up a few prayers for us....that would be great. <br />
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-So speaking of scheduling... Maybe I'm weird but I really want this birthing experience to be sacred between Alex and I. I don't want family or friends to be hanging around the hospital or even there to meet baby immediately. I don't want to feel rushed to progress any faster than my body and baby are ready, and I want to cherish those initial moments with our little family and no one else. My mom has pressured me to let her in the delivery (to which I responded with a big fat NO), and while I think she has finally accepted my decision, everyone still expects to be notified as soon as I see the first signs of labor. I have <i>no </i>interest in alerting the masses and would really rather just tell people after it's all said and done. Everyone (except Alex) is making me feel guilty about it but I feel super strongly about this...am I awful for feeling this way?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan. 28 - 36w6d<br />
SO BIG!!</td></tr>
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-On a related note, I also don't want people coming to visit and stay with us immediately either. Again, maybe I'm naive, but there is one baby and two adults already...is it really necessary to have another (or more) adult around to care for one stinking infant? I feel like that's ridiculous overkill and I realllyyyy don't understand why my mom and grandmother (Alex's mom too) are all eager-beaver about wanting to come stay with us. It's especially weird to me as far as my mom is concerned because she is NOT a domestic person and I feel like it's totally pointless for her to plan on staying with us since she doesn't enjoy housework whatsoever. And I won't even get started on the idea of a mother-in-law staying with us for any length of time either. But again........maybe I'm a terrible person for feeling this way. (Side note: I have talked to Alex about employing Fiske's theory on <a href="http://www.thefikelife.com/2015/07/how-to-postpartum-like-boss.html">How to Postpartum Like a Boss</a>; I still don't think it requires extra adults in our house, especially since we don't have any other children to care for at the moment.)<br />
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-And if I hope for my body to bring things on naturally, then I'm open for (pleasant) suggestions on making that happen. I keep saying I'm going to walk this thing out of me if I have to! :) Doc says I made progress in one week that takes some several, so that's promising. So walking and raspberry leaf tea (which, I know is only going to strengthen uterus and not actually bring on labor) are my mantras right now. Yesterday, we walked 3 miles (of hills, thank you very much!) at a local park and let C.J. run around at the dog park while we were there. I was totally worn out afterwards, but no pain, no gain, they say! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am IN LOVE with this onsie...even if baby comes after Feb. 9. </td></tr>
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-So if labor happens this week, we're looking at the possibility of being in the hospital for Ash Wednesday - how does that even work? Thankfully, we're laboring at a Catholic hospital, but fasting is obviously out regardless, but can I still receive ashes? Same for laboring over the weekend (re: communion). And what about if it happens on a Friday (re: abstinence)? Then there's postpartum too... I figure I can still manage meatless, but what about other Lenten observances? Is it strange of me to even be thinking about these things? Talk about bizarre brain functions over here....<br />
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Mmm...okay, I think that's enough for now. There are probably several other "issues" running through my mind but I think I've unloaded enough for now. Here's to hoping for a productive and peaceful week, on all accounts!<br />
<br />
-Lauren<br />
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<i>P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i>Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-55073615741041967732016-02-02T12:47:00.000-06:002016-02-12T19:59:04.170-06:00All the things.After going a month without writing, at a time when there's lots to say, how does one begin? It's been such a whirlwind since returning from our two-weeks on the road at Christmas/New Years. For remembering sake, I am going to write what we've been up to, and hope not to bore you along the way. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a delicious dinner at Prejean's exactly 3 years after hosting our rehearsal dinner there. </td></tr>
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In the notable department, we briefly celebrated our 3-anniversary with a trip to the restaurant where we had our rehearsal dinner, had maternity pictures taken, and was treated to a shower by family and friends. Alex came with me for an overnight work trip to Camp the second weekend in January, and each weekend since has been spent kicking ass (aka working like crazy) as we great ready for the little one to arrive. We've accomplished so much, I want to include a list for memory's sake:<br />
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<ul>
<li>cleaned out and organized all our closets and storage areas</li>
<li>donated items to Goodwill, dropped several boxes worth of paper stuff in the recycling bins</li>
<li>bought 20 baby items (0-12 months) for $25 at Goodwill</li>
<li>sold items to Amazon, Declutter, and SellBackYourBook</li>
<li>had furniture moved in all rooms of our house</li>
<li>sorted shower gifts and set up basics for baby room/our room</li>
<li>ordered bedding (via Etsy) for the crib we have on loan</li>
<li>brewed a fresh batch of homemade laundry detergent</li>
<li>prepared 12 gallons of freezer meals (pretty sure this one almost sent me into labor at 36 weeks)</li>
<li>ordered/installed two car seat bases and (assembled) the coordinating stroller, had installation checked by a local Trooper</li>
<li>had carpets/wood floors professionally cleaned</li>
<li>vacuumed/dusted/cleaned the house...more than once</li>
<li>renewed Sam's Club membership</li>
<li>made an errand trip or two (Walmart, Dollar General, Babies r Us, Ulta, Lowe's, etc)</li>
<li>attended breastfeeding (2 hours on a Tuesday night) and childbirth class (2.5 hours on a Thursday night), and the first ever local Theology on Tap (!)</li>
<li>toured the hospital where we will deliver</li>
<li>researched and selected a pediatrician</li>
</ul>
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...that's all in the last three weeks and in addition to keeping up with the weekly grocery shopping and dishes/laundry piles, while trying to get out and walk around the neighborhood at least a few times a week (weather, depending, of course). And as home ownership goes, we also had to replace our toilet seat, as well as the fill pump on our toilet, and discovered we need a new roof ASAP thanks to an obvious leak stain on the ceiling in our living room. I'm just exhausted <i>thinking </i>about this list!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anybody wanna buy some Jodi Picoult books? Facebook is apparently uninterested, lol. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least we shouldn't go hungry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a start. </td></tr>
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At work, I've been preparing what feels like three months worth of lesson plans (if I were a school teacher, that is). A college student will be filling in for me part time while I'm out, so I have assembled a month by month list of everything that needs to be done, including deadlines and checklists, with as much details as I can possibly anticipate with memory on overload at this point. There are reports to be submitted and just some things that she cannot do, so I am ferociously working to have those ready before I'm out, while training her on where things are located and how things work in the 10-15ish hours a week she is working now. Not to mention, this girl works two other jobs (one of which is actually with Alex as her boss on campus, lol), so coordinating with a full time class schedule and three jobs can be just a wee big complicated! <br />
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So if you've been wondering why I'm absent, maybe now you understand... :)<br />
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I guess now that the big things are checked off, my mind is still working in overdrive but my body can't keep up (and thankfully there isn't much essential left to handle). We do still need to pack our hospital bags (MUST happen this weekend!), attend a newborn basics class this week, and I never have gotten around to researching day care options in the area...oops. (Consciously/subconsciously I'm hoping I won't need to make that decision and thus it keeps getting put off.)<br />
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In any case, I really miss this here blog and I hope I can get back to posting more regularly. At some point, I want to share our maternity photos and talk a little about the shower too. <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Stephanie </a>encouraged me to prepare a lineup of guest posts for when baby comes, but it has yet to be seen whether I'll manage to be that put-together before the little one arrives. I mean, <i>technically</i>, he or she could arrive any day now... AH!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If we make it to Mardi Gras without a baby...I will need more of this...and Blue Bell ice cream.</td></tr>
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This is really happening, isn't it?<br />
-Lauren<br />
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<i>P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i><br />
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Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-60411876787425122712016-01-29T12:10:00.000-06:002016-01-29T12:10:09.175-06:00Thumbs Up for Divine InterventionI'm a week late to share this one, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity altogether, so here it is... The lovely Stephanie is <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/introducing.html">on maternity leave</a>, but still churning out good stuff, so head over to visit her at <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Captive the Heart</a>. This round, Stephanie asked some of her married friends to share about <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2016/01/brides-whove-been-there-7-ways-to-pray.html">prayer with their spouse</a>. ...Because when you're silly, there can be fun rewards involved (in addition to the spiritual ones, haha). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html">Katie Hoffpauir Photograph</a></span><a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html" style="font-size: 12.8px;">y</a></td></tr>
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Check back regularly to visit with Stephanie, as she will be sharing more from "Brides Who've Been There" during this Wedding Q & A series!<br />
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Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-17983002161538687762016-01-27T15:46:00.001-06:002016-02-12T19:58:36.159-06:00Is it Time Yet? (Bumpdate, 36+ Weeks)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Bump Update - 1/27/16 </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/21/16 - 35w6d<br />
Blurry...it was too cold for a retake!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">How far along? 36 weeks. (Technically 36w5d now, but who's counting?!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Total weight gain: I think I'm right around 15 pounds now. It just depends on if you look at my highest point, or lowest point or whatever. Last appointment, I got in trouble for gaining something like 7 pounds in two weeks, but I'm totally blaming the boots I had on because this week I didn't gain at all. Stupid weight fluctuations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maternity clothes? Same as last time...Other than elastic-waisted bottoms (think sweatpants/shorts/capris), it's all maternity. I can still wearing some regular shirts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Stretch marks? Maybe around my hips, but I really don't care so I never pay attention to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sleep: Still, some days are better than others. I get up 4-5 times a night, and have to turn often due to aches and pains. However, I'm thankful my brain isn't battling insomnia like so many others do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Best moment this week: Being productive!! The last few weekends have been insanely productive and that makes me sooooo happy. I'm hoping this will be the last weekend with major tasks and then I can start relaxing...maybe?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Miss anything? Still looking forward to not sharing the bod. I read a quote a few weeks ago that went something like, "Pregnancy is like a 9 month hostage situation where you're both the hostage and the building." SO ACCURATE. Also, drinking is such a social thing here that I do feel like I'm missing out there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Food cravings: A few weeks ago, an incling for all things sweet came over me and it hasn't really gone away. That's also related to the 5 pounds I gained in 2 weeks. I'm trying (!) not to go too crazy with it. ...However, If we get to Mardi Gras and no baby, you can BET this girl will be indulging then!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anything making you queasy or sick? Not too much these days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Gender: With every passing day we become more confident that this little one is all boy! We'll see soon, won't we?! <i><u>Side note</u>: If you want in on our baby pool, comment below and I'll send you the link to add your "hunches." Winner will receive a $25 gift card!!</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Labor signs: Definitely feeling the aches and tightness that comes along with this stage of pregnancy. On Monday I started my weekly appointments and doc says there is NO progress, so it doesn't look like the little one is coming in any hurry. Given its projected size, I am not giving up on the possibility of a slightly early arrival, though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Symptoms: Still no need for kick counts - this kid doesn't stop! It's really annoying and sometimes painful or nauseating. I'm large...measuring two weeks ahead and hoping we don't end up with a 9 pounder!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Belly button in or out? Ya know, it's kind of an outie these days. I totally didn't expect that to happen!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wedding rings on or off: On...and please let it stay that way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy or moody most of the time: Productivity makes me happy! And for that reason, this blog has been neglected. There is SO much to do at work and at home that we literally haven't stopped since we got back from our 2 week trip. Maybe I'll get around to writing a real blog about that sometime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Looking forward to: (Short term) Weekly appointments to see how/if we are progressing. Next week, we're doing another (!!) ultrasound, which ought to be fun. (Long term) Not working for a while!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hows Dad doing? "Dad is ready to see his offspring. With he/she being just two days away from 37 weeks, I know everything is good so far, so whenever he/she comes I am ready to join #TeamNoSleep." </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12/25/15 - 32 weeks<br />
Christmas!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">There you have it...there may or may not be additional posts in this series, depending on what the little one does over these next few weeks. Eeek!! Thanks for sticking around and hopefully it won't be too long before I share something a little more substantial. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">-Lauren</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You might also enjoy:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-first-bumpdate-16-weeks.html">A First (Bumpdate, 16 Weeks)</a></span><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/halfway-baby-bumpdate-20-weeks.html">Halfway, Baby (Bumpdate, 20 Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/its-getting-real-bumpdate-24-weeks.html">It's Getting Real (Bumpdate, 24+ Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/hello-3rd-trimester-bumpdate-28-weeks.html">Hello, 3rd Trimester! (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/ready-to-open-our-gift-bumpdate-32-weeks.html">Ready to Open Our Gift! (Bumpdate, 32 Weeks)</a><br />
Is it Time Yet? (Bumpdate, 36+ Weeks)<br />
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<i style="line-height: normal;">P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-44290383609858772282015-12-30T10:51:00.000-06:002015-12-30T10:51:07.933-06:00A Winter "Beach" WeddingIt's been a while since we've done anything mildly interesting, so I figure attending a winter "beach" wedding is worth mentioning. <br />
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Originally, Alex was going to be a groomsman in this wedding, but a potential conflict came up a few months ago, and he decided to respectfully bow out rather than leave someone hanging at the last minute. Instead, we thought we'd make it into a bit of a "babymoon," but then after our exhaustingly long drive the day before, we didn't have much energy to put into dragging this trip out. It was, however, nice to do something different, and having an excuse to get dolled up didn't hurt either. ;)<br />
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The wedding party was pretty average sized (7 attendants total), but the chapel they chose was WAY too small for the 325 guests that attended. (We barely managed to grab the very last two seats in the room!) Additionally, the reception was held in the bride's backyard, so an announcement was made after the ceremony that people needed to leave their cars there and take trolley shuttles to the reception due to lack of parking (way to prepare people...). Let's just say fearing porta potty lines, lack of seating, and the possibility of running out of food made this 31 week pregnant lady pretty nervous to say the least!<br />
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However, I was pleasantly surprised to find huge enclosed tents with adequate seating, a hot chocolate bar (yay, something for me while Alex enjoyed the beer), no lack of food, and "high end" porta potties (with lines to wait in the 40 degree cold, which I still think is pretty tacky, but whatever). We enjoyed the opportunity to have a night out, just the two of us. And, you can't really argue with a nice dinner and decent entertainment, can you? It's too bad we didn't know anyone to hang out with and make a party out of it, though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Sweet Potato Butter? <br />That will be interesting!</td></tr>
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We peeled out pretty early (around 8:30 p.m.) and returned to the motel to enjoy television in bed, which is always a real treat for us. Alex watched football, I perused the internet on my phone, letting ourselves start to catch up on some much-needed rest. The next morning, we took a minute to visit the beach, since we were on an island after all. Of course, 35 degrees is way too cold to spend any real enjoyable time out there, so we snapped a few pictures and then went on our way!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's first trip to the beach! </td></tr>
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On our way to Mass, we killed time by stopping at a few grocery stores in hopes of finding some jar roux to use in making gumbo for his parents, but no luck. People had no idea what roux was, so despite the stores selling plenty of Zatarain's and Tony Chachere's brand products, roux was not one of those. The gumbo will have to wait!<br />
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And finally, we enjoyed Mass before heading out of town, and then stopped to have Bojangles (!!!) for lunch on our way back to Alex's dad's house. I have to say, one of my favorite parts of traveling is attending Mass at churches across the country. We always keep a copy of the bulletin and add it to our collection to a scrapbook of sorts. It's cool to look back on all the places we visit over the years.<br />
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What about you - do you have any interesting travel traditions as it relates to visiting churches on your trip?<br />
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-LaurenLauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-57115324755329081042015-12-28T07:56:00.000-06:002016-02-12T19:58:25.554-06:00Ready to Open Our Gift! (Bumpdate, 32 Weeks)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Bump Update - 12/28/15 </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12/19/15 - 31w1d<br />
All dolled up for a winter beach wedding! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">How far along? 32 weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Total weight gain: Not sure, to be honest. We were out of town last week, so I didn't get to check a scale as I normally would. I have an appointment today (12/28), which means we'll see if any holiday laziness/overeating plays into it this time around. As of two weeks ago, I was up about 6 pounds from my first appointment (highest weight) or 12 from where I dropped (lowest weight). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maternity clothes? Other than elastic-waisted bottoms (think sweatpants/shorts/capris), it's all maternity. I'm still wearing some regular shirts. But shout to the heavens - I scored two pair of maternity jeans from Motherhood for $30 total!! I also got some comfy 3/4 length shirts on buy-one-get-one-free. Yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Stretch marks? Who knows, who cares.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sleep: Some days are better than others. Sleeping in hotels and guest rooms doesn't make for much pleasantry. I'm certainly ready to be done with the 2 week trip and back in the safety/comfort of our home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Best moment this week: Again, being off of work for the holiday - yeah!!! We're in NC for 10 days, then almost a week visiting my parents in south Louisiana before heading back to Funroe and back to work on the 4th of January. So far, I've read almost two novels, watched two movies, done some work "homework," and walked for an hour on two separate occasions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Update from last post.) All clear on the gestational diabetes front! Alex had just returned from Hawaii and really couldn't get away from work, so my mom came with me. I didn't chug the beverage this time, and thank goodness, I didn't get sick either. When the nurse called with results, she said, "You're not diabetic so eat whatever you want!" Sa-weet!<br /><br />(Bonus question.) Worst moment last week: Our 13-14 hour drive to NC turned into a 16 hour trip whenever Atlanta traffic slowed us down for what felt like foreverrrr. Thankfully, we had a friend of Alex's with us to help drive, but those last 7 hours almost ruined all of us. The car was silent (save 13 hours of Y2K Country and 3 hours of FoxNews Radio) and everyone was kind of on edge by the end of it. Plus, I started having lots of discomfort and BHicks, which made me kind of nervous. I'm hoping it's a little less stressful on the return trip. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Miss anything? I'm ready to have my body back! I don't mean my body shape...I mean I am ready to not share the space anymore, haha. Baby is super active and it's only getting more uncomfortable, of course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Food cravings: Nope. I've given up on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anything making you queasy or sick? Here and there, some third trimester nausea has surfaced. Like the first trimester, it seems to occur mainly in the morning and tends to subside with food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Gender: In private, Alex and I have pretty much given up on referring to it as a girl. "He, him," and our boy name has stuck pretty well. If this baby turns out to be a girl, we're going to be pretty dang surprised! <i><u>Side note</u>: If you want in on our baby pool, comment below and I'll send you the link to add your "hunches." Winner will receive a $25 gift card!!</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Labor signs: That car ride at Week 31 seems to have sent us into a tailspin of becoming more obviously pregnant than ever before. If I was unsure of Braxton Hicks before, that's not the case these days. Being so far away makes me more anxious about them, and I think I'll feel a lot better once we get back from the trip. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Symptoms: Still no need for kick counts - this kid doesn't stop! But really though, I feel like my belly became huge overnight. It will be interesting to see what my family thinks since I just saw them three weeks ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Belly button in or out? Flat with a tiny raised portion that can be seen if you look closely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wedding rings on or off: On. I hope it stays that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy or moody most of the time: My patience for people is null and I'm okay with that. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Looking forward to: As if I haven't said it enough already...getting back to our house after 2 weeks on the road!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hows Dad doing? "Dad is good. Traveling for the holidays helps, but it will be slightly nerve racking knowing we won't be in Monroe for a while until after the 33 week mark." </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12/23/15 - 31w5d</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I hope you are all enjoying the Christmas holiday! Merry Christmas to you and yours!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">-Lauren</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You might also enjoy:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-first-bumpdate-16-weeks.html">A First (Bumpdate, 16 Weeks)</a></span><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/halfway-baby-bumpdate-20-weeks.html">Halfway, Baby (Bumpdate, 20 Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/its-getting-real-bumpdate-24-weeks.html">It's Getting Real (Bumpdate, 24+ Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/hello-3rd-trimester-bumpdate-28-weeks.html">Hello, 3rd Trimester! (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)</a><br />
Ready to Open Our Gift! (Bumpdate, 32 Weeks)<br />
<span style="line-height: 28.8px;"><a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/is-it-time-yet-bumpdate-36-weeks.html">Is it Time Yet? (Bumpdate, 36+ Weeks)</a></span><br />
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<i style="line-height: normal;">P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-22765118547366597152015-12-24T10:16:00.000-06:002015-12-24T10:16:12.758-06:00It's Never Too Late for Gifting Your LoveIf it weren't for Stephanie, it seems this blog would be dead these days...and she's the one <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/introducing.html">on maternity leave</a>! I'm a few days late sharing this here, but it is Christmas Eve and if you're still looking to score a last minute gift for your significant other, she's your girl. Head over to visit her at <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Captive the Heart</a>. This week, Stephanie asked some of her married friends to share <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/12/brides-whove-been-there-7-gift-ideas.html">gift ideas for your love</a>. ...And why stop with one gift when you could share 26? (That's my mantra anyway!)<br />
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Check back regularly to visit with Stephanie, as she will be sharing more from "Brides Who've Been There" during this Wedding Q & A series!<br />
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<br />Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-31848301841275650262015-12-15T12:47:00.000-06:002015-12-15T12:47:24.010-06:00Tradition, ShmaditionI know, the content around here has been rather lackluster lately. So go ahead and ditch me for greener pastures today... head over to visit Stephanie at <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Captive the Heart</a>. She's on maternity leave following <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/introducing.html">the birth of her beautiful daughter Lily Grace</a>, and asked some of her married friends to share <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/12/brides-whove-been-there-10-ways-to.html">ways they stretched the wedding budget</a>. ...While there, you might just learn a little about designing a wedding without flowers (what? no way?! yes, way.). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw-A8OqO7jtHESlhosk6TZ6GOwzg12tRhEVuEC-MjItNuoAUve4HzXmVnsLnmTj9sjDBujy9ICbPRQoqghGpBOLNytcTsrXcutMCrxkyzELeLjs55QN-xAJ0LgUhbDg7HAZFzDhtIpWOy/s1600/KH+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw-A8OqO7jtHESlhosk6TZ6GOwzg12tRhEVuEC-MjItNuoAUve4HzXmVnsLnmTj9sjDBujy9ICbPRQoqghGpBOLNytcTsrXcutMCrxkyzELeLjs55QN-xAJ0LgUhbDg7HAZFzDhtIpWOy/s640/KH+01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html">Katie Hoffpauir Photograph</a></span><a href="http://www.katiehphotography.com/Site/Home.html">y</a></td></tr>
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Check back regularly to visit with Stephanie, as she will be sharing more from "Brides Who've Been There" during this Wedding Q & A series!<br />
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Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-31562303878520226462015-12-07T13:59:00.000-06:002015-12-07T13:59:29.219-06:00The Long Way There<div class="" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><i>In a play off of the lyrics from a song by one of my daddy's favorite bands (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKGOCOAI_2c">Take the Long Way Home, Supertramp</a>), this post is brought to you by my lovely husband, Alex. He recently returned from a work trip to Hawaii, in which I asked him to compile a list of tips or suggestions for surviving long plane rides. With lots of folks heading out on long trips to visit family for the holidays, I thought this might be something worth sharing (that, and my internet time has been consumed by baby registry research/Christmas-Anniversary shopping, so I needed something to fill the space here!). And without further ado, read on!</i></span></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />5 Ways to Entertain Yourself … On a 12-hour Plane Ride</span></b><b style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">When on a chartered flight from Monroe to San Francisco to Honolulu, you have to find ways to pass the time as total flying time is about 10-10.5 hours and then add in another 1.5 hours of a layover to refuel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">What is one to do on a flight of that length? Below are the things that I did to help pass the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">1 – Listen to music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">I got a bunch of new CDs for my birthday which was just about 10 days earlier, so I loaded them all up on my phone and jammed out. Everything from </span><a href="http://ladyantebellum.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Lady Antebellum</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.bradpaisley.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Brad Paisley</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> to</span><a href="http://weareamericanauthors.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> American Authors</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> and </span><a href="https://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Imagine Dragons</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">. Listening to all of that got me about 2.5 hours or so, so that was a tremendous help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />2 – Read a book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">I had been working on a book for most of the football season but I finally got around to finishing </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Closer-Mariano-Rivera/dp/0316400734/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">The Closer by Mariano Rivera</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">. Not a NY Yankee fan by any stretch of the imagination, but he was one of the greatest pitchers ever and a class act of a guy. It is a great book, definitely worth the read. Anyway, finishing out about the last third of the book or so got me on the ground in San Fran. So leg one of the trip was in the books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />3 – See what others are doing / stand up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Some of the athletic training staff that I was seated near used Snapchat to play hangman, it was rather entertaining to watch. Also, don’t sit the entire time, you have to get up and move around – pending no turbulence obviously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />During our layover, we were able to get off the plane and stretch our legs on the jetway, just to give us a break. After refueling and putting meals on the plane we headed off for Honolulu.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />4 – Eat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">After take off and once the seat belt sign went off, I grabbed my food box which was nothing more than a ham sandwich, chips and an apple. Regardless it was much needed and combined with my snack bag that I had brought on the plane, I was all set for leg two of the trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />5 – Movies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Thanks to a Google Play card from my wife for my birthday, I rented some movies to watch on my tablet to help pass the time. I watched </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092633/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> (a comedy) and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798684/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Southpaw</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> (action/drama). The first was funny, to me at least, and I had meant to watch it several years ago, but just now got around to it. The second movie was great, if you haven’t seen Southpaw then you need to do so ASAP! It has some rather sad and dark parts, but it is a great movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"><br />Watching two movies (I watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1499658/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Horrible Bosses</a> on the return trip) and talking to those around me took most of the trip to Hawaii; so there you have it, what do to on a plane for 10-12 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">I hope this helps to jump start ideas entertainment on any upcoming flights you have! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Alex<br /><br />-<br /><i>Notes from the wife: </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.72px;"><i>A few weeks before Alex's trip, I came across <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2015/10/10-things-you-should-bring-on-long-flights-with-young-kids.html">this post</a> that included some great ideas for getting him set up for the long flights. Wet wipes, medication, neck pillow (yes, the one they mentioned) and snacks...I made sure Alex had everything he might possibly need to stay comfortable on the trip. I also started a (private) Pinterest board for travel ideas, so be sure to let me know if you'd like to see it. <br /><br />-Laure</i>n </span></span></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-37035464486270072962015-12-03T10:32:00.000-06:002016-02-12T19:58:15.000-06:00Hello, 3rd Trimester! (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Bump Update - 12/03/15 </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12/03/15 - 28w6d ... 38 degrees outside, brr!<br />
It seems I finally have an obviously noticeable bump!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">How far along? 28 weeks (Technically, 28w6d by the time this is getting posted.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Total weight gain: Things in this department are yo-yo'ing like you wouldn't believe!! I went up 11 pounds (so maybe 4 pounds up from pre-pregnancy?) in 4 weeks following the doctor's instructions to gain weight, and then lost two in the two weeks that followed before my next appointment. Now we're starting 2 week appointments, so I'm hoping maybe that will help me keep things more in check? This whole situation is really strange, I think. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maternity clothes? Since I inherited some clothes from a friend last month, I haven't even tried to wear anything other than maternity bottoms. Also, I discovered "skinny" pants don't look as awful as I thought they did. But...I still need to find a pair of jeans that really fit me. I've made do with others' jeans but they are either way baggy or too tight in the band, so it's not really working out too well for those. Now that the temperatures are (mostly - I've worn shorts the past two days) cool enough to wear pants, I really need to find some that will work through the winter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Stretch marks? Still not paying attention to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sleep: Leg/hip pains have gotten better since the doctor suggested using a pillow in between my legs (duhh - why didn't I think of that?). I'm getting up to pee every 1.5-2 hours, and sometimes it's hard to fall back asleep following one of those visits but I'm doing okay for the most part here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Best moment this week: Being off of work for the holiday - yeah!!! However, I didn't take off as long as I usually would because Alex was working and then left for Hawaii. My mom and Nanna are here now, so I'm not alone thank goodness! <br /><br />(Bonus question.) Worst moment last week: I almost passed out during my glucose screening, found out I failed it and have to go back for the 3-hour test this week. For a while, I have noticed a low sugar tolerance so I am quite apprehensive about this follow up. It's not so much getting a GD diagnosis as it is knowing how miserable I feel during those sugar crashes. It's really kind of scary to have everything around you go dark and not be able to do anything about it. :(<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Miss anything? A couple of times recently I have thought, "oo, a glass of wine (or beer) would be nice." And thennnnnnnn I realize that's not an option. Shucks! ...I'm also missing out on that trip to Hawaii because things were too risky to do that kind of traveling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Food cravings: I don't think this is at all pregnancy-related but I really want some Domino's pizza!! My plan was to treat myself for lunch on Thanksgiving, but both Domino's and Pizza Hut were closed so I nixed the idea and pulled some vegetable beef soup out of the freezer instead. At this rate, I'll probably be banned from pizza following my sugar test, so I could be waiting a while to satisfy that craving. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anything making you queasy or sick? Nah... nothing out of the ordinary (still some smells of meat cooking but we have learned to cope).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Gender: God only knows! Alex sent me photos of some super adorable little Hawaiian dresses that made my heart melt, but we just can't buy anything like that right now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Labor signs: No, but the doctor did start talking about delivery at my 28 week appointment. We had to sign consents for hospital-related things, and we have to make a decision about which hospital we will deliver at before our next appointment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Symptoms: Little one is kicking like CRAZY!! I'm supposed to start kick counts this week but I don't think that will be a problem at least until things get a little less spacious inside, heh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Belly button in or out? Pretty flat...don't think an outie is in my future, though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wedding rings on or off: On. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy or moody most of the time: Maybe a little better than last time, but I have been super frustrated with customer service at several retail establishments and I definitely let them hear about it! Do what you're supposed to do and we won't have a problem, people! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Looking forward to: Starting to look forward to our Christmas travels, especially since I convinced Alex to let us piggy back his friend's December beach wedding and turn it into a little babymoon. It looks like we will be needing to travel a day earlier than originally planned, so hopefully we will extend the weekend and do something fun while we're there! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hows Dad doing? Dad is in Hawaii (at the time this was written), is there really anything else to say? Hahah. In all seriousness, usually I ask his opinion on this question but since he's away I'll go ahead and share my interpretations instead. He's definitely getting excited...seeing babies and baby items make his heart melt, and occasionally that "oh man this is getting real" fear creeps in as well. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nov. 8 - 25w2d</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nov. 12 - 25w6d</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.6pt;">So there we have it! We'll reach our next milestone (32 weeks) on Christmas Day, so here's to hoping we have good news and happy things to report then.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">-Lauren</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You might also enjoy:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-first-bumpdate-16-weeks.html">A First (Bumpdate, 16 Weeks)</a></span><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/halfway-baby-bumpdate-20-weeks.html">Halfway, Baby (Bumpdate, 20 Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/its-getting-real-bumpdate-24-weeks.html">It's Getting Real (Bumpdate, 24+ Weeks)</a><br />
Hello, 3rd Trimester! (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)<br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/ready-to-open-our-gift-bumpdate-32-weeks.html">Ready to Open Our Gift! (Bumpdate, 32 Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/is-it-time-yet-bumpdate-36-weeks.html" style="line-height: 28.8px;">Is it Time Yet? (Bumpdate, 36+ Weeks)</a><br />
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<i style="line-height: normal;">P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-87358088390271808462015-11-28T15:09:00.000-06:002015-11-28T15:09:00.043-06:00Peace in the CrazyHey hey hey!!<br />
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Today, you should head on over to visit Stephanie at <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/">Captive the Heart</a>. She's on maternity leave following <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/introducing.html">the birth of her beautiful daughter Lily Grace</a>, and asked some of her married friends to share <a href="http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/6-tips-for-more-peaceful-engagement.html">tips for a more peaceful engagement</a>. ...And maybe I'm a little biased here but there's one blogger especially who you will really like. ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do these folks look familiar? ;)</td></tr>
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Check back regularly to visit with Stephanie, as she will be sharing more from "Brides Who've Been There" during this Wedding Q & A series!<br />
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<br />Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-3542850910022591132015-11-27T15:57:00.000-06:002015-11-27T15:57:00.622-06:00And He's Off! (GBB, Vol. 5)<span style="background-color: white;">At the risk of getting too sappy over here, Alex left for a work trip to Hawaii on Wednesday, and today's the last day to join <a href="http://www.betsygettis.com/">Betsy</a> for her Guys Behind the Blog link-up, so here I am! Sports are totally Alex's thing (well, work-wise, not so much in the athleticism department), which means he jumped at the chance to answer these questions when they were posted a few weeks ago. Go ahead, warm your leftovers, sit back and learn more about the wonderful man also known as my husband! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.868px;"><i style="line-height: 21.868px;">1. What sports did you participate in as a child? What sports did you watch growing up?</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;"></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21.3px;">In my early athletic days, I played baseball and soccer. Soccer, was pretty much what you would expect, a mass amoeba of kids that just ran after the ball, I was about the only one that understood my position of defender, so me and the goalkeeper on my team basically just chatted most of the game, it was boring so I only played for one year. Baseball was by far my best sport, I played from tee ball all the way until the end of middle school, so a pretty good little run for 8 or 9 years. I did play football and basketball as well - football in sixth grade and basketball between fourth grade and seventh grade. I still enjoy playing basketball, but at 31, the wide open jumpshot is my best move.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3px;">Growing up, I watched baseball, basketball, and football. On Saturday's my dad and I would get a pizza from Dominos and watch whatever the ACC game of the week was on what used to be the Raycom Sports Game of the Week. Basketball was always fun to watch too, especially when I got older and my parents let me stay up late and watch 9 PM Duke-North Carolina games as well as the National Championship. Baseball, my favorite, was more enjoyable in person than on TV, but I went to a lot of Carolina Mudcats games growing up which was fun.</span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.868px;">2. If you could line up your ideal Super Bowl, who would be facing off, where would they play and who would you pick to win?</i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3px;">Carolina Panthers playing anyone from the AFC, doesn't matter who, as long as the Panthers win.</span><i style="line-height: 21.3px;"><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.868px;"><i style="line-height: 21.868px;">3. Do you prefer the summer or winter Olympics? If you could participate in one Olympic sport, what would it be?</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 21.3px;">Both have events that I like to watch, so I don't have a true favorite as they also have events I care nothing about.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 21.3px;">I would like to participate in curling, only if I was the guy that pushes the stone toward the target; the sport seems simple enough, especially since the people with the brooms do all of the work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.868px;"><i style="line-height: 21.868px;">4. What is your favorite food to eat at a sports party (ex: World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, etc.)?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3px;">Chips and Dip. Put that in front of me and I am good to go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.868px;"><i style="line-height: 21.868px;">5. Who is your all time favorite athlete and why?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3px;">Gonna go with two players here. It's funny - I am not a New York Yankees fan, never have been, never will be, but two of the classiest players, in my mind that ever played the game played for NYY. Derek Jeter "the Captain" and Mariano Rivera, probably the greatest closer in the history of the game played for NYY, but they are probably my two favorite athletes.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">There you have it, a little snippet from the guy behind this blog! Is there a man in your life? If so, you should totally consider handing over the reigns every once in a while (or month, heh) and</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> </span><a href="http://www.betsygettis.com/2015/11/the-guys-behind-blog-november.html">linking up</a> with Betsy<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">for lots of fun. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">Until next time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.72px;">-Lauren</span></span></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-26092460345513887352015-11-25T12:40:00.000-06:002015-11-25T12:40:00.426-06:00An Ode to the MisterI know I've been pretty MIA around here. Things are busy and boring all at the same time, which means there has been a lot on our plates, very little of which lends itself to photo ops or blog-worthy sharing. Heck, I think it's been almost a month since I posted on Instagram. <br />
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In any case, Alex celebrated his 31st birthday on the 15th and I have been wanting to take a few minutes to honor him here. I could gush for hours, but it's a little harder to put into words exactly what he means to me...<br />
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Alex puts me first in all that he does. He thinks of me always, goes out of his way to make things easier for me, and sacrifices himself or his desires for the good of mine before all else.<br />
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Tangibly, this translates to cooking dinner several times a week (namely anything chicken these days), getting up to retrieve for X item (water/cough drops/snacks) upon request, allll the errands, and the list goes on. <br />
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Sure, everyone loves their husband and thinks they're the best in the world, but I 100% believe it over here. We're perfect for each other, and I am so glad he's in my life.<br />
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And for this, I am <i>thankful</i>.<br />
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Happy (belated) Birthday. I love you, Alex.<br />
-LaurenLauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-76931153498813510692015-11-06T08:00:00.000-06:002015-11-06T08:00:06.168-06:007 Quick Takes, I Mean Links (Vol. 16) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2IpUkDVv6mIwIv9tDO8anpx93u9urdB60dVIarWFVBOw0DuvQERpVVcJPPL4fqI9IRpuar8ltWWV1YVy5IPafg38OTImEho2dkY1vNS1LC8gtcBccQ6n1ni_YRr8_YYhgEnW5A6EKzmq/s1600/seven-quick-takes-friday-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2IpUkDVv6mIwIv9tDO8anpx93u9urdB60dVIarWFVBOw0DuvQERpVVcJPPL4fqI9IRpuar8ltWWV1YVy5IPafg38OTImEho2dkY1vNS1LC8gtcBccQ6n1ni_YRr8_YYhgEnW5A6EKzmq/s320/seven-quick-takes-friday-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt1"></a><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt1" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 1 ---</a></strong></div>
I had every intention of posting last Friday, but we went to visit my parents for the weekend (well and, Alex had to work there on Saturday) and since we left on Thursday, I never did get myself together enough to make it happen. It's kind of the same situation this week, seeing as how I am writing this on Thursday morning, and heading out this afternoon, taking some kids to 4-H camp for the weekend. However, I have "takes" to share, so I'm determined to get them together before I go!<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt2"></a><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt2" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 2 ---</a></strong></div>
If you're a "cat person" who uses Instagram, then you must follow @millathecat. She's kind of the most adorable thing out there; Alex and I get "all the feels" from her on the daily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://crowdedcloset.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/milla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://crowdedcloset.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/milla.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://crowdedcloset.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/milla.jpg">source</a></td></tr>
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<strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt3" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 3 ---</a></strong></div>
I have to give a shout-out to my awesome husband for a moment. The work is not always glamorous for SIDs, but <a href="http://www.ulmwarhawks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19000&ATCLID=210457220">this beauty</a> makes me proud to be the wife of one! Such a sweet story he wrote. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvsRjfaf4MswKCvlLouNhwV3TOhYl78xe_y6rO4c6XDyNpXr20Ra6GIw3GyG1doUTooycYJpNuum_5pwIbAIQ1jsbZzN5mYSwUXq1gR9WG-Cj19c99Qb8TCQ3_I3RAyPkSEvgjL95DXaV/s1600/Hogan+Arey+Nathan+Reynolds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvsRjfaf4MswKCvlLouNhwV3TOhYl78xe_y6rO4c6XDyNpXr20Ra6GIw3GyG1doUTooycYJpNuum_5pwIbAIQ1jsbZzN5mYSwUXq1gR9WG-Cj19c99Qb8TCQ3_I3RAyPkSEvgjL95DXaV/s640/Hogan+Arey+Nathan+Reynolds.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of ULMWarhawks.com</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt4"></a><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt4" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 4 ---</a></strong></div>
I have no hard feelings toward those of you in the EO business, but <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/saving-money-on-essential-oils/">Kelly's post</a> is just plain hilarious!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ThisAintTheLyceum.org</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt5"></a><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt5" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 5 ---</a></strong></div>
With just about three months to go before our little one arrives, I'm certainly in tuned to learning all I can from experienced mamas out there. Jessi (<a href="http://thebudgetmama.com/">The Budget Mama</a>) hit the nail on the head with <a href="http://thebudgetmama.com/2015/10/how-to-use-the-toy-rotation-system.html">this one</a> as she shared about using a toy rotation system. I definitely pinned that post for down the road!<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt6"></a><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt6" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 6 ---</a></strong></div>
And, I'm super super excited to share <a href="http://intoyourwill.blogspot.com/2015/10/maybe-you-saw-this-coming.html">Jen's news</a>! She shared a blog post on <i>the day</i> she found out, and I hope you'll all join us in praying for she and her family over the coming months. (If you haven't made the connection yet, Jen and I are friends IRL - in fact, we were college roommates and have known each other for more than 10 years now!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="qt7"></a><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101693395614696409#qt7" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">--- 7 ---</a></strong></div>
How's that for quick takes? It's probably the quickest set I've ever shared! I didn't win any prizes from Link-toberfest, but I had a great time holding myself to the goal of posting every week (ok, I skipped one, but this can count!). Thanks for hosting, Kelly!<br />
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Whew, I did it! Time to throw together lunch and then head out for the weekend! Have a good one, ya'll!<br />
-Lauren<br />
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For more Quick Takes, visit <a href="http://thisaintthelyceum.org/">This Ain't the Lyceum</a>!</div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101693395614696409.post-32374983323797341232015-11-04T11:00:00.000-06:002016-02-12T19:58:04.434-06:00It's Getting Real (Bumpdate, 24+ Weeks)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Bump Update - 11/4/15 </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor lighting, but 5 days late, I was getting desperate. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">How far along? 24 weeks </span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.8px;">(Um, ok I'm really more like 24w5d now...you'll forgive me, right?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Total weight gain: Ya'll. I can't deal. Got that lecture I was expecting at my last appointment, and entered operation gain (healthy) weight. We're now three weeks into the mission, and I'm up something like 5 pounds (from the lowest weigh-in, which is still 2 pounds under pre-pregnancy numbers) already. I'm really not liking these numbers jumping so quickly... 1-2 pounds a week would make me feel muuuch better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maternity clothes? As much as I can, but that means more pregnancy bottoms and still mostly regular tops. I can't seem to find maternity tops that are flattering (cue short person with a large bust - I have to be very careful about necklines), so my regular ones are getting a run for their money these days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Stretch marks? Um, I guess I am really not paying attention to this. It's not like I started out twig-sized and am having major body issues as a result. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sleep: Mostly restful, if I put aside the leg cramps or hip aches that seem to be pretty regular visitors in the overnight hours. I wish sleeping on the back was allowed because I really think it would help with those aches. Oh and, I am super excited about the time change allowing me to wake up with <i>some </i>sunlight (not so much for sunset happening around the time I get home from work, though.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Best moment this week: We inherited some baby gear and hand-me-down maternity clothing, yea!!! Also, both Alex and I were able to cuddle with one of my best friends' 6-week-old and that was just fannntastic. It makes me ready for February, stat!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Miss anything? Sleeping comfortably, waking with energy (!), having a decent wardrobe rotation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Food cravings: Nope. I don't think is going to happen so I should probably just take it off the list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anything making you queasy or sick? When "the women" were here a few weeks ago, my Nanna accidentally knocked a glass bottle with lavender fragrance off the dryer, which shattered on the floor in our laundry room. Eradicating the odor (which is NOT pleasant in such concentrated amounts) has been impossible and ughhh it's rough. We have to keep the laundry room door closed and try to air out the door that opens into the garage as much as possible. The smell is especially foul (for me) in the morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Gender: I'm really thinking (hoping?) it's a boy. Alex likes to be difficult and insist on it being a girl. Our moms also think it's a girl, but I would really like to prove them wrong on this. Plus, my two closest friends with kids have a combined five sons (and no daughters, yet), so I don't want to feel left out! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Labor signs: Thankfully, it's still much to early for this. However, I'm told we've made it to the age of viability and so I'm feeling more peaceful about the little one making it ex-utero. :) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Symptoms: Maybe a little more clumsy, but nothing super extraordinary here. Still having occasional headaches. Just like the water thing in my first-trimester (struggled to increase the liquid intake until a sudden "thirst" switch went off and then all was good), my hunger meter has kicked in so the snacks are more frequent these days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Belly button in or out? It's in but it's certainly flattening. I don't know if I'll ever end up with an outie, though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wedding rings on or off: On. We've had lots of rain as of recent, so the humidity seems to be contributing to slight swelling around my ring finger, but it's still super slippery when I wash my hands, so I will attribute those changes to the weather and not pregnancy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy or moody most of the time: I will say that my patience tolerance is null at this point. When something goes wrong, it's all over. And little things going wrong feel like earth shattering things, so we can all imagine how big things going wrong feel at this point...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Looking forward to: Nothing much interesting coming up here. Am I allowed to say that I'm looking forward to baby coming so I can get time off of work? ...Because that's about all (aside from actually having a cuddly, delicious baby) that sounds heavenly right about now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hows Dad doing? "Very unsure about how he feels regarding toys that make noise." (A reference to the baby gear we hauled home this weekend. lol.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiup-HQ1onle7gRbBeJQZCxJXAgWKgJ8bv0FelHyVy3EK6ePiSrhAT5jmsi2UmnvHZe583Oiiaw2eEE8w4aogCNp-n2wGbs7E3745Ipna1HF1BTXTW3bntSdF0JsWZVvck3gPZiL9-xOExm/s1600/IMG_20151018_094826572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiup-HQ1onle7gRbBeJQZCxJXAgWKgJ8bv0FelHyVy3EK6ePiSrhAT5jmsi2UmnvHZe583Oiiaw2eEE8w4aogCNp-n2wGbs7E3745Ipna1HF1BTXTW3bntSdF0JsWZVvck3gPZiL9-xOExm/s400/IMG_20151018_094826572.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oct. 18th - 22w2d</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Once again, thanks for your patience in waiting a few extra days for this, thanks to...life? lol. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">-Lauren</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You might also enjoy:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-first-bumpdate-16-weeks.html">A First (Bumpdate, 16 Weeks)</a></span><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/halfway-baby-bumpdate-20-weeks.html">Halfway, Baby (Bumpdate, 20 Weeks)</a><br />
It's Getting Real (Bumpdate, 24+ Weeks)<br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/hello-3rd-trimester-bumpdate-28-weeks.html" style="line-height: 28.8px;">Hello, 3rd Trimester! (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/ready-to-open-our-gift-bumpdate-32-weeks.html">Ready to Open Our Gift! (Bumpdate, 32 Weeks)</a><br />
<a href="http://herewegeauxblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/is-it-time-yet-bumpdate-36-weeks.html" style="line-height: 28.8px;">Is it Time Yet? (Bumpdate, 36+ Weeks)</a><br />
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<i style="line-height: normal;">P.S. I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful. Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss. Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day. </i></div>
Lauren @ Here We Geauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969093662089695547noreply@blogger.com4