Welcome to Atlanta...Where the Cutest Puppy on EARTH Lives

Once again, hello from Atlanta!

We're here visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and their brand new puppy, Scully.  

We just got back from a mean round of golf and we have more activites planned for the day, so I don't have long to sit here and write.

BUT...I do have time to introduce you to Scully, the cutest little puppy on earth.  She's the smartest, fluffiest, most loving little puppy I've met in a long time and she loves nothing more than to curl up in your lap and share her love.

These photos should tide you over for today...enjoy! 

My First Guest Blog!

Hello from Atlanta!

This will be a quick one as I should be in the kitchen helping Malinda prepare dinner...

I'm very proud to announce that my very first Guest Blog has been posted today over at Ramblings of a Singleton, a wonderful blog I would highly recommend for you to check out!  

"Being something of an eternal singleton, I don’t really feel that I have anything to contribute to this week’s theme of relationships and happy endings so I’ve purposely decided not to ramble on about a subject into which I have no real insight!  Instead, the readers of Ramblings are in for a real Friday treat because, today, I bring you the second Guest Blog of the week!

In this heartfelt post, the author of www.7x7xMommy.com shares with us her story of falling in love at five (!) before later finding ‘the one’ and then rounding out her family with a new addition!

There’s some really great posts and beautiful pics – I particularly like the one of her parents on their wedding day – on the blog.  If you’re pregnant too, definitely take a ramble over there to see how this Mommy-to-be is getting on.  She’s also asking you to share your experiences; for more see here.  And even if you’re not expecting, I’d still urge you to check it out because it’s not all baby talk all of the time!  I’ve definitely added it to my list of favourite blogs!

Have a great weekend and I’ll meet you back here on Monday,

L xxx"

Check it out: Heartbreaks Exist, but so do Happily Ever Afters

L xxx...thank you SO much for the invitation to participate in your fun and insightful blog.I had a blast sharing my story and I can't wait to keep up with all the stories to come!

7x7xMommy

Submit YOUR Bump at Week 20!

Friends, Followers and Fellow Mommies -

As I was getting ready for work this morning I had a few thoughts...

My first thought was that I should begin publishing a weekly Bump Report beginning at Week 19 (check).

My second thought was that I could hardly believe I've almost reached the 20 week milestone in my pregnancy. 

And my third thought was that I wanted to celebrate this milestone...and Celebrate the Beauty of the Bump...with YOUR HELP!   

Without getting into too much detail (that's what I'll do for The Bump Report: Week 20), I want to write about how different and beautiful all our bumps are.  I've had friends tell me they looked 6 months pregnant at 3 months...and I've heard other friends tell me they looked 3 months pregnant at 6 months. Everyone has a story about their bump, and I want to hear yours!  

Whether you're Pregnant (like me!), you're a new Mommy, or you're an experienced Mommy-pro, I want to hear from you...

More specifically, I would love to include your pictures and stories in my blog, www.7x7xMommy.com, next Thursday in my weekly Bump Report. 

Here's what I'm looking for...

Please submit the following to 7x7xMommy@gmail.com:

1. A picture of you and your baby bump at Week 20 (or close to Week 20!)
2. Your name or alias
3. Which baby this is/was for you (1st, 2nd, etc)
4. Any other fun facts about your pregnancy, yourself, or your bump!

I think this will be a really fun way to Celebrate Week 20 - please help me make it extra special!  Also, please send this along to friends and family members who might enjoy participating...

Thanks and I can't wait to hear from you!

7x7xMommy

The Bump Report: Week 19

Welcome to The Bump Report!

So far, the only people receiving regular reports on my baby bump have been my immediate family and Travis' immediate family...but now that I have a blog about being a Mommy, I suppose this would be an appropriate topic to share with my readers: the progression of the bump (and let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy watching the progression of a pregnant woman's belly!?!). 

Every Thursday I receive one of my favorite emails of the week...Your Belly: Week __ from The Bump. Being a first time Mom, it's always fun to read what size my baby is from week to week...whether it's a grape, a naval orange, or a sweet potato.  

Today I learned that baby Abigail is the size of a mango...yum!  I mean...cool! I also get to learn fun (and sometimes gross) facts.  Here is today's fun fact: "Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid."  Kind of gross, but totally cool. 

In addition to receiving weekly emails, Travis and I have been extremely diligent about taking weekly photos of my bump's progress. One of the main reasons I haven't shared these photos yet is because my bump's progress has been a little pathetic. 

And while Abby is a completely "normal" size (which I was very happy to hear at my last doctor's appointment), I think it's my height (5'10") that has allowed her to spread out and take her time when it comes to "popping."

That being said, at week 19 I'm definitely forming a baby bump - it may be little, but it's more of a bump than I had at Week 5!  Check out the difference between Week 5 and Week 19 and be sure to stay tuned for more Bump Reports!  And maybe for my Week 20 picture, I'll remember which way I was standing and turning the week before...whoops!  

Week 5

Week 5

Week 19

Week 19

 

Today is my Day!

I think this little guy's owner read my blog this morning because his puppy made my day even better!

Meet Aries...my new friend from lunch today.  He's 10 weeks old and isn't supposed to become any bigger than 15-20 pounds...how freaking precious is he!?!  

I hope we start spending many more lunches together!  

Thanks Mom...

For reminding me that I truly was/am an idealist.

In response to "The Importance of Being Thoughtful" my Mom pointed out:

"Taylor Hanson wasn't the only celeb you planned on sending a letter to. I remember you wanting to write to Chris Webber(for those who may not know him, he was bball player, at the time, for the Golden State Warriors.)You were pretty sure that because he shared the same name as your basketball-playing brother, that he would probably answer your letter :) I think that was another letter never mailed." 

That sounds vaguely familiar...what I do remember is that my 5th grade State Report was on Michigan because that's where Chris Webber played basketball in college...ohhhh, I'm a weirdo.

I Love Puppies!

I mean, who doesn't?

So what's better than seeing one puppy on my walk to work?

Seeing TWO puppies, of course!!!  

Plus, it doesn't hurt that the weather was amazing and I was able to wear a tank top the whole way...but back to the puppies.  

There's one in particular, a shaggy goldendoodle, that I see about three mornings a week.  And let me tell you, it makes my day - hands down, it's the best part of my walk. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have my phone out when I saw Shaggy (that's what I call him) fumbling down the street, so I quickly prepared myself to take a picture.  It's an awful picture because we were both moving (plus I didn't want Shaggy's owner to think I was some kind of creepy puppy stalker), but you get the idea...

This little guy makes my heart smile...there's nothing cuter than seeing a little puppy frolicking happily down the street without a care in the world.  And as I mentioned earlier, I was lucky enough to see two adorable puppies this morning.  Shaggy was one...the other was a clumsy yellow Lab sniffing everything in its path and nearly tripping over its own paws.  When the owner walked by me he could tell I was staring and said, "she's such a spaz." Well, she was definitely the cutest spaz I've ever seen!  I hope she becomes a regular in the mornings as well.

Someday I'll have a puppy...someday when we don't live in the City...someday when we have a yard with a fence and a doggy door...it'll happen.  Until then, I'll just admire other people's puppies from afar.  

Here's a picture from back in the day - me and Chelsie (my first puppy) just hanging out...