Kristin McLendon: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

33 weeks...

According to BabyCenter:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

33 week highlights:

Cravings-Nothing specific--feel as if my appetite has even gone down a little.
Belly Button-Robert wouldn't give an official report this week. He said he couldn't because it just looks like a buck tooth. Lovely.
Sleep-Not fun. But I have the most supportive husband in the world. He sits up with me when I wake up and he reads to me when I can't fall asleep.
Symptoms-nothing new. Still feeling a slight bit of pressure, but I think that's here to stay till around March 19th.
Movement-sweet as ever!
Other 33 week highlights:

Had our bimonthly doctors appointment. Everything is looking great and measuring right on target. Heart rate was at 138. That's significantly lower and in boy range if you believe the old wives tale. Doc said it's normal to fluctuate.

My blood work was great--considering two weeks ago it was just okay and could be reason for concern. Thank you Jesus for fixing whatever that was.

Best Moment of the week: Hearing Little Hoot's heartbeat and knowing everything is going great!
Best Moment of the week #2: Hubs calling on his way home from work on Friday and asking me if I wanted to go on a picnic. It was beautiful and trying to soak in the time together and enjoy one another. Can't wait though till we can take Little Hoot on picnics! Maddie says she's okay with that as long as she still gets to go!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

A New Year-New Things

Yes, I know we are 29 days into the new year. I'm allowed grace right? I've actually been working on this since around Christmas time and it's all finally come together.

As many of you know, we started the McLendon Whereabout blog almost 3 years ago. I remember like it was yesterday, Robert and I walking around the neighborhood in Richmond Hill and discussing a good blog name. We'd previously come up with one that had Richmond Hill in the title, then the Lord told us He was moving us, so we held off on that one and decided we needed a blog that would go with us wherever He sent us.

Hence, The McLendon Whereabouts was born. I've loved being a blogger. I've loved having an outlet to write. I've loved being able to share our life with others. I've loved the opportunity to show God's goodness that is woven into our lives.

Don't worry-The McLendon Whereabouts Blog isn't going anywhere, yet we're just adding a new addition! Since the Whereabout blog was to capture our life together, when Kristin's Kreations was born almost 10 months ago, it has taken up some residence on the Whereabout Blog. We feel it is time to give Kristin's Kreations it's own space and keep the Whereabout blog for just that-our Whereabouts. Not to say that Kristin's Kreations won't come visit the Whereabouts every once in awhile, but the goal is to let the Whereabout Blog be about our everyday life that includes our travels, the ins and outs of everyday life, being a Women's Student Pastor, being a Coffee Barista/soon to be Law Student, about to be parents (because you know that's going to produce some hilarious blogs!), letting the desire to write come out. Kristin's Kreations blog will let the crafty side of me to come out.

All this to say--come on over, visit the new blog and tell us hello. I'd love for you to follow both of the blogs and keep up with every aspect of our lives.

The blog isn't all that's new. What's taken some time is to make everything uniform (per the suggestion of this amazing book). So as we ween Kristin's Kreations off of the Whereabouts we'll leave you with all the new ways to find us (when I say new, these are new additions for Kristin's Kreations. The old is not going away, for example you can still follow my original twitter here)!!!

"Like" us on Facebook

Take a peek on our Flickr

New Email!

New Blog

And of course--

The Shop Itself

Everything is now under the name Kristin McLendon which hopefully you'll be able to associate with Kristin's Kreations.

We've added new buttons and banners with our logo and love how it's all turned out!

So come on over, follow us, like us and say hello.

Thank you for your continued support of all that these McLendon's do.

We love you!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Snowcation 2011

Or Snowpocalypse or Deep Freeze of 2011...whatever you want to call it! We got snowed in for several days and here are a few pictures to document this week in the south!

My husband in his wisdom had us leave Savannah an hour early. We got in about 7:30pm and the news stated the next day that at 8:30pm the 911 calls began and people started leaving their cars on I-75. So grateful for my wise husband!

This is Sunday night in our backyard:

and front yard:

Monday Morning:

We worked on our nursery on Monday and this is the view from that window:

Maddie wasn't too sure of all of it:

Poor thing. We watched her take a couple of nose dives throughout the week:

Monday-I don't think either one of got out of our pj's that day, but it was a productive day working on projects! (Lots of neighborhood kids were out playing in it, but I was too scared of falling, I stayed in!)

Poor Abigail:

Tuesday, we were still snowed in, but we were getting a little bit of cabin fever. Robert convinced me to walk to Publix with him and I held onto him for dear life:

We got to Publix just in time for them to say sorry, we're closing (it was 4pm)....so out of desperation we walked to Racetrack.

Here's Robert with his goods (any guesses?):

Wednesday, Robert dug the truck out of the driveway and we drove to Publix. They were open, but this is what we found:

I had made a grand grocery list to get everything to make us a big pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup....instead we left with frozen pizza, chips and cookie dough. Robert was not complaining.

It was an unexpected week at home, which gave us great quality time together and we enjoyed the extra time with our Beloved. It gave us a head start on the many projects we had waiting on us and we were able to complete them in less than 2 weeks. I love how the upstairs of our house has turned out! Our bedroom had become a holding room for everything baby (think crib, dresser, mattress, pack and play, clothes, etc.) and we literally had a walkway from the bed to the bathroom. Now, everything has a place and our room looks incredible. We were even able to build Robert's "study nook" he's been wanting in our room. Here's a sneak peek of a couple of those projects:

Robert's space:

Working on the nursery (that is now finished!):

My new sewing nook my sweet husband built me:

Have to show you one more so you can see the bobbin thingamagig he put on the wall for me. Love it!

**And I did eventually buy everything for the soup. And the best part about it, I came home from youth this past Sunday night and my husband had pulled out the recipe, made the soup from scratch and it was simmering on the stove when I came in. He's too good to me.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Aniston Turns One!

Can you believe it? It's already been a year since Robert & I became an Aunt and Uncle to this bundle of joy:

It really seems like yesterday that I was sitting down after a full day of driving from Atlanta to Savannah to make it in time for her arrival, then settling down for the evening and writing this:

Welcome to this world baby girl. You made your grand entrance today at 4:15pm in Savannah, Georgia. You weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces and you were 19 1/2 inches long. You have dark hair and long finger nails! You are more beautiful than any of us could even begin to dream of. We watched our Jesus answer our prayers once--and you turned a few weeks back so your mommy could deliver you naturally. Then again today you were monitored closely and the doctor gave you one more chance--and 15 minutes--to make your grand entrance on your own. Once more we called on the sweet name of Jesus and in His mercy we watched you come into this world naturally and in your timing...or shall I say His timing. You are marked baby girl. God has great things in store for you and I can't wait to see the wild adventure He has planned for you.

Sleep well baby girl, it's your birthday and we are so glad you are here!

For the original posting, click here.

Now here we are exactly one year later:

My Munchkin with her Munchkin:

The beautiful Eure Family

We actually had to leave the party early due to the snowstorm that was coming into Atlanta, so we didn't get to see her open her presents, but her mama has been good at sending me pictures of her with her little purse I made her. Apparently she likes to carry it around everywhere and put her toys in it. Love it!!!

And here's the picture I got on my phone this morning. All grown up in her big girl car seat. Makes me realize how quickly they grow up and want to savor every little moment we are about to have with Little Hoot!

Love you Ms. Aniston. You bring your Uncle Robert and I great, great joy. We thought we loved you January 9th, 2010, but the amount of love we have for you now can not be put into words.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

32 weeks...

32 weeks according to BabyCenter:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Just reading that makes me super, super excited!!!

32 week highlights:

Cravings-back to mexican-had it twice during this week!
Belly Button-The Robert Report says 95% outie. And if you are wondering why he won't give me a 100% outie it is because the lower part of my belly button has never stuck out. Maybe that was TMI, but just wanted to let those of you know that were wondering!
Sleep-about the same. Heartburn and having to go to the bathroom continue to prevent me from getting a good nights sleep.
Symptoms-things are getting a little harder to do. During the week I was home by myself and found myself saying out loud while putting my socks on, "Come on, you can do this." Glad I know how to give myself a pep talk.
Movement-Little Hoot is just so sweet. He/she really responds to its Daddy's voice and it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Other 32 week highlights:

We finished the nursery! Yay!!! Pictures are coming I promise. Actually all of our bedrooms got makeovers, so I need to shoot all three rooms and share them with you.
I love the nursery. It's so peaceful (I know most of you will say that will change-but we're still claiming a sweet, calm-natured baby that sleeps well!). The room is peaceful and full of the presence of the Lord. I have found myself using the nursery as my prayer room in the mornings. I figured what better place to hang out with the Lord than where our baby will soon be!!

Best moment of the week: Courtesy of my McDad (aka father-in-law) the girls (being myself, my McMom, and my two sister-in-laws) were treated to a spa day at Chateau Elan and a weekend of shopping. It was so much fun as it was a great weekend with family and Little Hoot and I got pampered. It was much needed and I'm incredibly grateful for this beautiful gift. Even my toes look pretty. Which is a good thing-since I can't reach them. (Pictures above are from our spa day!)

Kristin McLendon