The Good Life

Well, our little Colton is finally the size of a coconut and his mommy feels like the size of a watermelon (or two). He is pretty much fully developed and is just going to “plump up” between now and his entrance into the world. He will probably put on about a pound or more of baby fat before birth.   Since he’s getting much bigger, he really doesn’t have much room to move around and probably isn’t doing somersaults anymore (even though it feels like he is) but his kicks are definitely still as frequent as always, and much more powerful. Matt is still amazed when he sees him moving and reminds me that I have an alien in my belly (like I don’t already know). It truly is amazing to feel another life moving inside you and I’ve never experienced anything like it. Lately, I have been going through phases. One day I feel like I’m “nesting” and I get a spurt of energy, I want to throw all the clutter away and clean everything. Then I also have days where I feel like a couch potato an...

Matt and I took on the challenge of preparing and deep frying the Thanksgiving Day turkey for the Shelton side of the family this year, and it was a huge success. We spent the day in Shelton Laurel (where I grew up) and it was a beautiful, sunny day in the mountains. After a delicious lunch, we took our (now annual) Thanksgiving walk up the creek. I love my family more than anything, and the time we spend together is so refreshing! I’m thankful for a healthy, supportive, God-loving, crazy, amazing family and wouldn’t want to spend my Thanksgiving any other way. In celebration of the Thanksgiving Holiday, I had a few days off from work. Even though it was a long weekend, it felt short and went by so fast. Thankful for the time off, I did use the days to my advantage and got a lot done. On Friday I was able to spend the day with my Mom and Dad. The three of us did a little shopping and had lunch at one of my favorite places, Five Guys Burgers and Fries .   After shopping,...

Today, Colton and I head to the Doctor for our last bi-weekly visit, and of course that means…weigh in! Every time I step on the scale at the Doctor’s office, I feel like a fighter who has to weigh in to make sure he’s at fighting weight. Of course the Doctor gave me a goal of how much weight to gain and “not gain”. I haven’t been too bad about going over my weight limit, but we do have Thanksgiving and Christmas to get through (good thing this appointment is BEFORE Thanksgiving)!   It’s so funny that I find myself eating healthier on the days I visit the Doctor. One day of eating yogurt instead of a chocolate pop-tart is NOT going to make the scale read any less, but it does make me feel better. I won’t mention that I have a white chocolate Reese’s locked and loaded for after my appointment. I find it very interesting how a woman’s body can adjust and carry extra weight for a baby. It’s simply amazing. I always had the question, “where does the extra weight go during pre...

I can’t believe it’s time to get Christmas decorations out and up, is it really almost December? Thanksgiving is Thursday, so I guess it is time. Even though some days are extremely slow in passing, the weeks are just flying by.   We’re in week 34 – month 9, here we go! I have seen (and felt) significant changes in my body over the course of a week and I feel my attitude heading toward the negative side (that’s normal, right?)! My back aches (daily), I’m tired, my hands are starting to swell (to the point I can’t sleep in (and probably won’t be wearing much longer) my wedding rings), I’m out of breath 99% of the time, I wake up about every 2 hours either to pee or to just be uncomfortable, I officially have heartburn every day, my bras don’t fit, and my skin is (even more) sensitive to breakouts. In other words, I’m really starting to feel like a stuffed turkey (appropriate in time for Thanksgiving, huh?). Since I feel myself growing negative, I’ve made it a goal to only tal...

Matt’s family (on his Mom’s side) gets together every year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, for their annual Swim Family Thanksmas. With so many different commitments, getting together between the two Holidays allows the family to be together without conflicting with immediate family plans on the actual Holidays themselves and I think it’s such an awesome idea. Since we started dating, I have joined Matt in attending the Swim Family Thanksmas, and we haven’t missed one yet. The past few years have been “themed” and we have worn ugly Christmas sweaters and Christmas pajamas (I think this year’s theme is favorite college sweatshirt). So many goodies to eat and dirty santa gift exchange makes for a fun day. This year, with me entering into my 9 th month of pregnancy and us living in Tennessee, we will have to miss the family gathering, and I’m bummed. With me starting my job in April, and then finding out I was pregnant, I have used up all of my (very limited) vacation d...

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, I find it an appropriate time to talk turkey. Deep fried turkey to be exact. Deep-fried turkey is a concept that started in the south (the deep frying capital of the United States) but has risen in popularity nationwide. It’s one of the most moist, most flavorful ways to serve a (normally dry) bird. If you’ve never tasted a turkey that’s been deep fried, I highly recommend that you do at some point in your life. Matt and I fried a bird on Sunday, and it was delicious. It sounds like a lot of work, when you think about deep frying a turkey but, it’s really not too bad. If you make preparations and have the proper equipment, it’s really easy. Matt and I picked up a 30-quart Propane fryer at Walmart ® (minor assembly required) for around $50.00 and it came with everything we needed (pot and lid, automatic timer, welded stand, cast iron burner, T-star and lifter, 10 PSIG regulator and 12” thermometer) minus the propane tank (and turkey). ...

A durian fruit? That’s what size our little Colton is this week! We have reached week 33 and I am so ready for him to be out of my belly and into my arms. According to my pregnancy updates, our little guy is still busy growing and will continue to gain about a half-pound every week. His brain is still developing and soon he’ll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. I think the coolest development this week is the fact that he is starting to keep his eyes open when he’s awake! I can’t believe that November is half way over and we are already heading into the week before Thanksgiving. In some ways, the weeks drag on and in other ways, they fly by. I’m thankful for the energy I feel today and the positive attitude I have heading into this week.

I have been struggling with my emotions this week, more than normal. I know that the election played a huge role in most of these emotions (and because I promised myself I wouldn’t blog about politics, I’ll leave it at that), but the “little stuff” has really added up this week. On Monday, I had an appointment with Dr. Woods and we talked about “life after pregnancy” and the many decisions that come once Colton is born. Who will be his pediatrician, will we circumcise, will I breast or bottle feed and the list goes on. Of course, I’ve thought about these things, but discussing them on Monday really made me realize how close we are to his arrival. Dr. Woods also told me to cut back on my hours at work. Between a 10 hour work day (including the drive), PartyLite shows, getting everything organized and ready for baby Colton and teaching clogging a couple of nights a week, I’m struggling with the fact that I just have to admit, I’m tired and can’t do it all! Mostly, I get emotional...

Because November holds the Thanksgiving holiday, we tend to express how thankful we are throughout this particular month. But, every single day, I have a million reasons to be thankful. One thing I’m overly thankful for is this baby boy that continues to grow and develop inside me. We are at week 32 and he is getting bigger and stronger every day. At our Doctor’s appointment today, I got to hear his little heartbeat (again) and it still amazes me each time I hear that sound. Colton is probably spending most of his time in the head-down position by now, with his bottom facing up. This is the most comfy way for him to fit as his space is getting cramped and to prepare for delivery (which will be here in just a few short weeks). He is about the size of a large jicama this week, and will continue to gain about a half a pound each week from now until birth.   Another thing I’m thankful for is for the love and support of my family. Matt and I (and Colton) are so showered in lov...

This country was built on and around small businesses. I can’t drive down the road without seeing a “going out of business” sign for a lot of small businesses these days. It’s hard being in business, for anybody, but especially if you’re a small business. My family has owned and operated a small business for over 50 years. My entire family has contributed – in one form or another - to helping keep the business up and running. We have always seen ups and downs but with hard economic times, it’s a challenge to keep it going. It takes dedication, faith in God’s provision, hard work and support from the community to keep small businesses running. There are many small business owners, all across the country, facing the same challenges as my family. So many hardworking, dedicated Americans are out there trying to make a living for their families and provide a place of employment for others in their own community. For my family, we own and operate a Sawmill that, in this day and t...