Bryce's 22 week adventures in NYC!

 My feet are propped and I have no plans to leave the house today in recovery from our fun-filled weekend in New York City! This was mine and Bryce's first trip to the Big Apple, courtesy of Daniel's parents. We saw West Side Story on Broadway, the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, heard Tim Keller preach at Redeemer, and toured all over the city in between. It was all pretty surreal to say the least, yet my ankles are glad to be back again (this was my first taste of pregnancy swelling- a sight to see!) Here are a few pictures from the trip:

And now it is Christmas week..ALREADY! I am looking forward to time with family, especially when my mom comes down on the 27th. We sure do wish our little man was out here in our world with us, and already looking forward to next Christmas with him. But for now we will enjoy our first Christmas together as Mr. and Mrs. :)  Here is a picture of our first tree:

Merry Christmas everyone! Treasure our Lord and Savior as we celebrate this season of His coming here on earth, and look forward to and put our hope in His coming AGAIN!

Half-way there...20 weeks!

20 down...20 to go. Seems like an eternity until we can hold our sweet Bryce man! We had our 20 week appointment with the doctor on Thursday- good news is he is still a BOY :) He weighs around 12 ounces and is about the length of a banana from head to heel.

A report on me: My thyroid levels are still elevating so my medication has been increased. I believe this is because of not being able to keep the medicine down on a consistent basis. They will be testing for any underlying cause of what is triggering the elevated TSH levels in January. Also, I was referred to a cardiologist for some issues I am having with some racing & irregular heart rate episodes. My OB thinks it could be caused from the thyroid issues, but to be sure I have to see the cardiologist. My sickness is touch and go at this point, which for me is great compared to earlier weeks. Bryce- you are worth all of it little buddy!

A little info on our man:

Bryce is very active now, and responds when Daniel talks to him close to my belly (talk about a heartmelting moment). I can get him to respond to me if I talk in a low, deep daddy voice..haha! He also loves Christmas music like mommy :) His favorite things to eat right now are apples, tangerines, and pizza/pasta- he also LOVES pineapple juice. And he has completely forgotten how much he loved diet orange soda (probably a good thing).

This is long enough... I'll post our first Christmas tree next week.

And I did promise a bump picture:



19 weeks...it's a BOY! (better late than never)

Anyone who reads this more than likely already knows that we are having a BOY!! We have been anticipating this confirmation since our 12 week appointment- our ultrasound tech unofficially told us then. We could not wait for our 20 week appointment to come before knowing for sure so we went to an ultrasound clinic called Meet the Baby at week 17. I am so thankful  that we went because we now have a 15 minute DVD of our sweet little man with moments of kicking, flipping around, swallowing, and trying to suck his thumb. I will cherish having that for the rest of my life!
Here are a few pictures:

Soo.. Sweetpea has a name now- Bryce Hayden Wilson! It has been so fun to call him by name :) And of course this now means I can start on the nursery and buying boy things. We have his crib and changing table which I will post pictures of as soon as I finish painting the nursery and get them assembled.

Our new world:

Our lives have been pretty crazy since the move but things are starting to settle down now. Everything is in its place for the most part, and Daniel is getting more settled into his new job. We went to the mountains for Thanksgiving, which was a nice change from the 80's weather we have here in sunny central Florida! I am still amazed by the scenery here- palm trees, huge oak trees with spanish moss, and lakes everywhere. And that means alligators everywhere- I've seen several in the lake behind our condo. Daniel is amused by my fascination...I took one picture but it is zoomed in alot so look closely:

My Alabama friends will appreciate how crazy this is to me!



I will post pictures of my bump next week, along with our first Christmas tree experience!

16 weeks.. One crazy week after another!

Well, I did not expect it to take me this long to post. Our life has been a roller coaster over the past 3 weeks with packing, moving, unpacking, the new job, and everything else that goes along with the move. I will post pics of our new place as soon as we are settled in more, hopefully in the next few weeks..

Our little Sweetpea is 16 weeks and 2 days now, and it keeps flying by! We have a 16 week appointment on Thursday with our new docor so hopefully the transition will be smooth and our expectations met.
Sweetpea is now 4.5 inches long from crown to rump and weighs around 3.5 oz, which will nearly double in the next few weeks! He or she is also now pumping more than 25 quarts of blood through the heart each day, which will continue to increase throughout development.
I'm not going to lie, I am so ready to find out if Sweetpea is a boy or girl! We have options to find out after this week if we choose to go to an ultrasound clinic.. so next week's post may have the answer :) Our ultrasound tech at our 12 week appointment told us what she determined the sex to be, but I am ready for more solid confirmation. (Nope, I'm not telling what she said the sex was)
I feel like there is so much more to catch up on here, but I will leave it at that for now.

Now for some 16 week pictures:

Last and most importantly- today is our 6 month anniversary! It has been such a crazy and fun 6 months, and I feel so blessed to be married to the most amazing person I have ever known! Thanks D, for everything you do for me and our new little family- I love you!  (P.S.- the cake we are eating below would make a great anniversary gift.. with salt and vinegar chips and a diet Sunkist)  :)

13 weeks..and lots of NEWS!

woohoo! We are in our last week of the first trimester.. I can't believe it! This is a huge milestone, as the percentage of miscarriage has basically diminished (around 3%). Sweetpea now has his/her own unique set of fingerprints, and is now beginning to go pee-pee in my womb. I think that is just too funny not to mention!

Our blood test results for a nuchal translucency combined screening came back this week as NORMAL, which means the chances of Sweetpea having any chromosomal diseases are unlikely. Such good news! I also found out that I have a Vitamin D deficiency, and if you saw me you would know why- I cannot tell you the last time I was out in the sun! I really believe that not being outside is the reason for my deficiency (most of the reason for not getting out has been because of sickness). Speaking of- my sickness ramped back up, but I am keeping my hopes up that it will be over this week..

OUR BIG NEWS:
We are moving to Florida in 8 DAYS! Daniel and I had already made the decision we wanted to start our family in Lakeland, and now that we are family of 3-to-be it has become a reality! The Lord provided our need for a job there, and now we are packing up to head to the Sunshine State! (maybe no more Vitamin D deficiency for me now) We are moving into a townhouse, but I prefer to call it a condo so that I can say I lived in a condo in Florida.. sounds way more fun haha! We are so excited, especially now that Sweetpea will have a nursery now :)

Ok.. time for baby bump pics:

I think I popped out this week... what do you think ?
Get ready for Bama/Tennessee pictures next week!

12 weeks.

I'm a day late, but we are now in week 12 of pregnancy! We went to our 12 week appointment on Friday and I could have watched Sweetpea all day if they would have let us. After a few minutes of our ultrasound tech explaining different things she was measuring and looking for, she started to take still shots of different parts of the body and Sweetpea woke up to say "hello"! I cannot explain the joy of seeing our child start kicking, punching, and squirming around! It was probably the coolest thing I have ever seen :) Everything they look for at 12 weeks looked great according to the doctor, and Sweetpea's heart rate was 161!
After the ultrasound, I had my finger pricked, got a flu shot, and had lab-work drawn at the endocrinologist's office. I would leave out those details but I was so proud of myself for doing all that in one day because of my weakness to needles.
On a side note, my sickness is almost completely gone.. just some queasiness at night and some mornings. I could not have gone through these past 8 weeks of all day sickness without my sweet husband, who took care of me and managed our home as a 2nd full-time job. Sweetpea has an amazing father!
Last but not least, pictures:

My "bump" is more noticeable than these pictures give justice to..

More updates for Team Wilson next week!

11 weeks!

29 weeks to go! Okay, so maybe it is a little too early to count down.. I'll just count up for now.

As I write this week's post, I must admit I have no idea what to say. It is really hard to believe that I am already 11 weeks into this pregnancy- almost through the first trimester! This time has flown by so fast!
Our baby has gone from being a ball of cells to becoming a fetus with most vital organs in place and starting to function. Our Sweetpea is kicking and stretching alot now but I can't feel it yet, and even has tiny details like fingernails, hair, and tooth buds coming in already! I am in love with every detail of our growing child, and I am so thankful for the medical advancements today that allow me to picture week by week how the Lord is knitting this sweet baby together in my womb.

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." -Psalm 139:13-16

Next Friday (October 8) is our 12 week appointment and I cannot wait! We will get to see our baby and hear that precious heartbeat again :) At our 8 week appointment Sweetpea's heartbeat was 138 bpm- the old wives tale says we will be having a girl...we shall see if that is true for us hopefully in 5-6 weeks!
I will post a "baby bump" picture next week...
Until then.. :)

No Secret Anymore...

10 weeks 2 days and counting.... we're PREGNANT!

I have been anxiously awaiting to tell the world our news, and so right after we found out I wrote our story and how I felt down so I could share later, so here goes!

"August 19, 2010

Oh my goodness! My thoughts are running in a million different places, but they all keep coming back to one: our God is so good! On August 9, I half-heartedly told Daniel I wanted to take a pregnancy test ( 4 days away from my period). I had felt nauseated a few days that week but nothing else- I know now that it was the Lord who put that idea on my mind, and we had no clue of what journey we were about to embark on. We had a test that turns into a plus sign if it is positive, and with eyes glued to the test, we both watched this faint line form a plus sign. I asked Daniel if he saw what I saw, and we both looked at each other bewildered! I can’t describe the flood of emotions that came over me, nor can I describe the thankfulness I had in my heart for the Lord to be so gracious to us and entrust us with one of His own. We hugged for an eternity, and I cried like I always imagined I would when that day came.

After the initial excitement and shock, I decided I wanted to go buy another test. (At this point I had no clue that pregnancy tests really are 96-99% accurate and that a false positive was extremely rare.) So the next test was 2 lines = pregnant 1 line = not pregnant.. and within 20 seconds we could see that 2 lines were showing up! Now we were for real PREGNANT!

What happened after that is already a blur to me- all I remember was laying in bed with my sweet husband, both of us still in shock and talking about our baby. I didn’t sleep much that night..or the next. I Googled everything I could think of- what to eat, what was going on inside me, vitamins to take, nursery colors, cribs, baby names, when I could hear a heartbeat, and any verse I could get my hands on about the blessing of children.

Fast forward to Thursday: We were headed to Lakeland for the weekend and told my mom on the way there. We told Daniel’s immediate family late that night. And now I am just bursting at the seams wanting to tell the whole world, or maybe just our close friends J We have been calling our child “Sweetpea” and I can honestly say that everything I do revolves around this sweet baby forming inside me. Sweetpea already has daddy’s full attention, and we love being a family of 3. I already feel this baby’s presence- frequent bathroom trips, nausea, vomiting, cravings, and lower back pains and every single bit of it makes me smile because it confirms that our Sweetpea is there and growing! "


Now.. I'm not so sure that I smile much during the nausea/vomiting anymore since dealing with it for 6 more weeks. :) But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I hope to update weekly so stay tuned...

Willow House

Sorry for the delay in posting- it has been a busy month for me. Good news though!! I am now officially self-employed as a Willow House consultant! I received my consultant kit last week, and I am looking forward to booking some parties and getting the word out...

So, what is Willow House? Well, most of you may know it as Southern Living at Home, but they changed their company to Willow House as of August 1. For those who may not be familiar, the products are home decor & entertaining items. With all of the big changes going on, one thing remains the same: the products! Willow House has the same product line with the same design team, so the quality is GREAT.

If you would like me to send a catalog to you, just let me know! In the meantime you can check out a little more about the company and view our products at the website :

http://www.willowhouse.com/

(If you see something you like just contact me and I'll place an order for you)

before & after:: buffet table

Since our dining room in our apartment is too small for a buffet table, I tried to envision a future home for a piece of furniture I found at the GoodWill in Atlanta. I decided to paint it with a neutral gray-taupe color because of the unkown color palette of our future dining room. My goal once we have moved is to add some decorative molding to the smooth lines to take away from the modern feel, and to paint all these new details to match so that they look like they were always part of the table.

Total cost of project: $30 for the buffet and paint supplies

before::

after::

*the color is Behr- Cheyenne Rock

-Jessica

Recipe:: Shrimp and Grits

I looove Shrimp and Grits, so I went in search of a good recipe that Daniel and I would enjoy. Let me tell you- this was not so easy! Most recipes had a mile-long ingredient list which scared me away quickly, and the rest seemed like we would be eating all of our calories for the week in one meal. So, I created my own recipe by making major improvisions to the recipes I had found and they turned out great!




...And the Shrimp and Grits were "husband tested and approved" :)


Wanted to share the love for anyone who is a fan of Shrimp and Grits- enjoy my recipe below:



Easy Cheesy Shrimp & Grits


ingredients for grits:

-1 cup quick cooking grits
-2 cups water
-1 cup milk (I used 2%)
-1 tbsp butter (I used light, salted)
-1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar, other recipes used parmeasan)
-3 pieces bacon (well done- save bacon grease)
-1/2 tsp. salt
-pepper to taste


ingredients for shrimp:
-1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp (Publix has them on sale frequently)
-1 clove garlic (I used 1 tsp. minced garlic)
-1/2 tsp. paprika
-1 tsp. italian seasoning
-hot sauce or cajun seasoning to taste


Cook bacon first. Crumble bacon, set aside, and keep grease in skillet. Cook grits according to package- make sure to use 1 cup milk and 2 cups water instead of 3 cups water. Add butter, salt, cheese, pepper, and crumbled bacon.
In bacon-grease skillet, add minced garlic and cook on med-high heat for 1 minute. Add shrimp with paprika, italian seasoning, and hotsauce/cajun seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through, but be sure not to over cook them.

Serve shrimp immediately over the grits.


Yields 4 servings.


-Jessica

Braves vs. Rays (our first Braves game)

After 3 weeks of waiting, Daniel's birthday gift day finally arrived- the Braves/Rays game!
I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but will share a few details of our night at Turner Field.
1. It was HOTTT and the sun was beaming in our section at right field! (we were sitting right behind Jason Heyward)
2. At sunset a storm popped up but luckily it rained for 60 seconds and just loomed overhead the rest of the game. (see storm picture below)
3. The Braves WON 6-2!


sitting in the shade before the game started.

our view of the game.

relieved that the sun was going down.

Jason Heyward.

This is the storm that hung out all night.

"better late than never" birthday post

Daniel and I celebrated his first birthday as a married man! (Actually, we celebrated his birthday for the first time together period.)

June 3, 1984 was a very special day in my "unborn" world because God brought my future husband into this world :) It was so much fun to reflect and enjoy what the Lord has done in our lives on his birthday, and to thank Him for blessing us so much.

Just as both of us would have wanted, I made a surprise dinner that included one of his fave main dishes from home- Chicken Chilupe- and finished off with a solo "Happy Birthday" and a cake I made for him:

Just wanted to share!

Before & After: our living room.

Just a little insight before you see the transformation that took place in our apartment:

I am a huge fan of "before and after" posts I see on other blogs, especially anything DIY project related. So, I have been inspired to start posting my own, and our living room is the lucky first "before and after" I have decided to post. The "before" pictures were taken the day we moved Daniel's stuff into our apartment... and the "after" happened in the free time I have had since the honeymoon :) (it is still a work in progress) ....hope you ENJOY!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Our signature Sangria recipe.

If you were at our wedding (and over the age 21), I hope you were able to try our signature drink - the "Wilson" White Sangria. We tested so many others before being blown away by this one, and it deserves to be a staple recipe in every household!

If you tried it and loved it, or now you want to try it for yourself, ENJOY below:

Wilson White Sangria

Apple juice, for ice cubes
1 1/4 cups (10 fl. oz) water
1 small bunch fresh mint
1/2 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
26 fl. oz white wine (we used Chardonnay)

2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 medium orange, sliced crosswise
1 small lemon, sliced crosswise
3 cups (24 fl. oz) sparkling apple cider (we found it at Trader Joe's)
Mint leaves, to garnish (optional)

Preparation
To make the apple juice ice cubes, pour the apple juice into two ice trays and freeze until the sangría is ready to serve.
Combine the water, mint leaves, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, remove and discard the mint and cinnamon sticks.
Transfer the remaining mixture to a large serving bowl.
Add the wine, peaches, orange, and lemon slices to the serving bowl. Mix well, and refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the sparkling apple cider and the apple juice ice cubes.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired.

We're MARRIED!

We had anticipated May 8th, 2010 to come and that it did! We are so thankful for such an amazing wedding weekend-even the weather was absolutely perfect.. (maybe it was my careful watch over the forecast on Weather.com that made it cooperate). We prayed for a worshipful and fun wedding ceremony and reception, and we thank the Lord for providing just that.
We are also so very thankful for the love and support we have been shown throughout this time in our lives. We have seen it word and truth, and especially in the actions and deeds of our friends and family. We feel so blessed to have such an amazing community of support from those who mean s0 much to both of us.

Now we are OFFICIALLY Team Wilson, so let the blogging fun begin :)

Stay tuned....

our "official" engagement shoot.

Daniel and I had our official engagement shoot on Easter weekend in Knoxville... and it was sooo windy! My hair was everywhere as you can see in some of these pictures and Daniel does not LOVE having his picture taken, but we had so much fun with it. We hope you enjoy our super-talented, super-amazing photographer's work below. Not to mention she is a super-great friend of mine- thanks Carrie Jo! We cannot wait to see how great she does on our wedding day in 23 DAYS!!
(you can check out more of her work at www.texturephotographics.com )

<---my fave

red door @ 324...

Daniel and I frequently point out houses we like when we are driving around, and at this point we are both very aware of my slight obsession with red doors. You know... the cute colonial style homes that are light in color with dark shutters and lots of windows, with a RED DOOR. That's what I loooove!

WELL, we signed a lease recently for our first apartment "home" together and the first thing I noticed was how each apartment had a different color door. I joked about how funny it would be if ours had a red door, but did not think much else about it.

Fast forward one month..

On March 26th, Daniel moved into our place...and guess what?

We have a RED DOOR!!

The Lord is so personal and fun :)

Unofficially Official

This is the official blog for the unofficial "Team Wilson". (Official on May 8, 2010)

It is hard to put into words our excitement as we near THE BIG DAY! I wanted to start this blog so many times, but I knew that once it started it must continue and so now here I am... thinking to myself that I can handle a blog a month away from the wedding. (We shall see how that goes..)

So, why a blog?

Well, as almost newlyweds who were thrown into a new life in a new city with no friends or family, we both thought this would be a great way for friends and family to stay connected in the small details of our lives. Okay, so I thought it would be a great way and Daniel agreed :)

We hope you enjoy sharing in our excitement as May 8th draws nearer.. and we look forward to a "blogworthy" life together afterwards!
-j