Baby Showers

Well, little Miss Savannah Marie will be making her big debut in 8 days! That's right - DAYS! If she wants to come a little early, I will be completely supportive of her decision. 39 weeks pregnant is no joke, my friends. I have been having daily pep talks with her. They basically consist of me telling her how much she is going to LOVE the real world, but she seems pretty content where she is so....I don't want to rush her.

Before she gets here, and I start posting the really good pictures of her adorableness, I wanted to share a few pictures from my baby showers. We had a shower in Wynne on October 20th and a shower in Conway on November 10th. We are SO blessed to have such amazing people in our lives. The amount of love and support I have received during this pregnancy has been completely and wonderfully overwhelming. I am so thankful for our friends and family.



Mom and sisters before Savannah's Wynne Shower

The love her already!

Savannah is one lucky (and spoiled) little lady.

 

There are actually 6 people in this picture. I have loved being preggo at the same time as my best friend!

These girls did such a great job with our Razorback Shower!

 

Me and baby daddy :)

Such a fun day!

I can't say thank you enough to our friends and family. Savannah is going to be born into a world where she is so loved and that makes me one happy mommy. I can't wait until we all get to meet her.

Savannah's 4D Ultrasound

This week was THE most exciting week of pregnancy so far. Hands down. Wednesday was the Best. Day. Ever. Brian and I got a sneak peak at what our little girl looks like. Now, I know I am biased, but she just might be the prettiest, sweetest, most perfect little thing I have ever seen. (If that sounds like bragging, sorry, can't help it. Just look at her.) Haha! Seriously, we are in love. I am so happy we decided to do the 4D ultrasound. Since insurance won't cover it, it is a little expensive, but it was worth every dollar we paid. I just had to share a few of my favorites.

Before I do, I have to "take back" a conversation I remember having a couple of years ago. A friend and I were discussing another girl's Facebook page. It was filled with all things baby - belly pictures, ultrasound photos, etc. I said, (and I quote), "When I am pregnant, I will NEVER post ultrasound pictures. It is just TOO personal and too strange. I mean that baby is INSIDE of her." Well...I take it back! I take it back 100 times over. I just didn't understand back then, but I completely get it now. Maybe it is weird, maybe it is personal, but I don't care! I cannot physically stop myself from sharing these.



Sweet, sweet baby

She looks so much like Brian in this picture! She has his chin and mouth.

 

In the first video, she is just relaxing and smiling and being adorable. In the second video, she is itching her nose and trying to get comfortable. I have watched these about 100 times over the past few days. I don't know how I get anything accomplished. All I want to do is stare at this baby. 

 

Brian and I feel so blessed.We are so thankful for this precious gift God has given us. I'd like to ask my friends and family to keep the prayers coming. I pray that the last 11 weeks of my pregnancy will go as smoothly as the first 29 and that she will continue to develop and grow strong as she prepares to make her grand entrance in December. 

 

I just can't wait to meet her.

Gender Reveal Party: It's a GIRL!

It is no secret that I am completely obsessed with Pinterest. Until I joined the website, I had never heard of a "Gender Reveal Party". Lately, it has become a very popular way to share your baby's gender with your loved ones. So many of my Facebook friends have thrown these parties, and I just couldn't wait to throw a party like this with our friends and family.This precious pin gave me the idea of how to tell everyone. I think using pink or blue balloons creates such a great element of surprise. It is literally like opening a present!

 

I have read several stories of couples who have their doctor write the gender down on a card and seal it in an envelope. Then, they take this to a bakery, give the sealed envelope to the chef, and order a cake or cupcakes with pink or blue filling based on what's written on the card. At the party, surrounded by their family and friends, the couple cuts into the cake or bites into the cupcakes revealing the pink or blue filling, and this is how they find out! This sounds great in theory, but we just couldn't do it! We were way too anxious. We wanted to find out as soon as possible! Luckily, we only had to wait a day and half to share the big news. I don't think I could have kept that secret much longer.

 

We had the party at my parent's house and invited immediate family and close friends. We haven't had both sides of our families together since our wedding week. Having everyone find out at the same time was such an awesome experience. I am so happy we did this. As I mentioned in the previous post, pretty much EVERYONE thought we were having a boy so this made the "Big Reveal" even more fun for us.

 

 

 

Brian's dad was sweet enough to record this. It is Savannah's first important home video!





Savannah's Aunt Ellen took these pictures for us.









20 weeks - The day we found out we were having a GIRL!





The Jarrett Family is Growing!

Life has been crazy! So much has happened in the past few months. Last time I updated the blog, I made a comment that I was going to make 2012 my year. Well, actually, 2012 is going to be Savannah's year. Who is Savannah? Oh, she is only our 23 week old, unborn baby girl! Yep, I told you life has been crazy! Crazy and wonderful.

As most everyone that reads this knows, WE ARE HAVING A BABY! It has been such a great experience so far. I want to start blogging again so I can have a place to document this special time. What I want to do in this entry is set up a timeline and share a few highlights. Going forward, I plan to keep blogging about our vacations, friends, projects, etc. But also make this a space to share baby pictures and keep everyone updated on what is going on with little Miss Savannah.

When We Found Out

On April 5, 2012, our whole life changed. I bought a pregnancy test after work and to my surprise - there was a '+' sign! I ran in the living room to tell Brian, but then I changed my mind after I had already said, "Oh my gosh, I'm..." I stopped mid-sentence and ran back in the bathroom to gather my thoughts. I had always heard these adorable ideas of how to tell your husband you are expecting. After about 30 seconds of pacing in the bathroom, I knew I was not going to have one of those adorable stories. I ran back in the living room and just blurted out to Brian, "I think I'm pregnant!" Needless to say, he was stunned. SO excited, but really, really shocked. We both were! I mean.....Us.....parents...for real!?! After a couple of days (and and a couple of boxes of positive pregnancy tests-haha!), the shock faded away and the excitement took over!

First Trimester (Week 1-13)

The first trimester is strange. You know Baby is there and growing like crazy (thanks to the 8 week ultrasound), but you don't LOOK or FEEL pregnant. You just kind of feel...exhausted and bloated.  The first 9 weeks or so I was ready to go to sleep by 7:00 every night! I was very fortunate because I never once got nauseas or sick to my stomach. Baby was very nice to me. One surprise preggo symptom - my skin decided it wanted to revert back to its 13 year old self. The break-outs were not attractive at all. All this talk about pregnant women "glowing" is a load of crap. Overall, I had it pretty easy so I cannot complain. I did, however, welcome the second trimester with open arms!

Second Trimester (Week14-26)

The second trimester is where I am right now. I could stay in the second trimester forever. Okay, that is a lie. But seriously, my energy level is back to normal, my face has cleared up, and I can go about my life without constantly day dreaming about naptime.

At about 16 weeks (around July 4th), I decided to break down and buy maternity clothes. My regular clothes worked (with the help of a belly band), but they were so unflattering. Maternity clothes are fabulous. I don't know why I dreaded buying a few pieces. They make such cute jeans, dresses, and tops. Also, no zippers, no buttons, and completely stretchy material. Amazing.

At about 17-18 weeks, I felt like my belly started becoming more noticeable to other people. I know it seems weird to WANT to look pregnant, but it was such a relief when people started commenting on my baby belly. At least then, I knew that I didn't just look like I had eaten one too many cheeseburgers.

Between the 17th and 18th week, I started feeling Baby move! The first time I felt her, I was at work. It was at the end of the day, and I was just typing away at my computer. All of a sudden, I felt this little flutter. Someone told me it would feel like having butterflies in your stomach, and I think that is a perfect description. The first few times I felt her I would scream at the top of my lungs (no matter where I was..a little inappropriate, I know) and then immediately follow up with a "SHHHH SHHHH". Like I needed everyone to be quite so I could feel her or something. Haha. I was dramatic.

Week 20 has to be the most exciting week of the pregnancy so far. On July 25th, we found out our little Baby was a little Baby Girl! It is so nice to call her by name. Actually, it is just nice to stop referring to her as an "it." Everyone in my family thought we were having a boy. I said from the very beginning that I thought she was a girl, but then I started changing my mind as I got farther along in the pregnancy. About 2 weeks before we found out, Brian and I both started thinking "it" was a "she". When the nurse told us we were having a little girl, I just started crying. Happy crying, of course! I don't know if I have ever seen Brian smile that big. We would have been SO happy either way, but we cannot wait for our precious, sweet baby girl to get here! (I am going to write a separate post about our "Gender Revealment Party". We had such a blast.)

At 21 weeks, on August 5th, I felt Savannah kick from the outside. This was one of my favorite moments because it was also the first time Brian felt Savannah kick. I was lying on the couch watching TV and as soon as I felt her with my hand I yelled at Brian to come over. Luckily, she was really having a kicking fit so he was able to catch her in action! His face just lit up. I loved it.

Now, at week 23 (almost 24), I feel her all of the time. Usually, I feel her more at night when I am laying down being still. She isn't kicking hard enough to really hurt or make me uncomfortable yet. I am just enjoying the sweet little kicks while I can. I hear they soon turn into not so sweet and not so little kicks!

Things Lately...

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since November! Wait..that is a lie. I can believe it. Things have been really hectic in my life lately. I started a new job on December 5th. The transition was a lot tougher than I anticipated. Along with working long hours, I have been traveling a TON. The good news is that I have made it to the finish line. Busy season is over, and I see sunny skies ahead (fingers crossed). Anyway, I don't know if I will be able to post as often as I used to, but I am going to try.  Enough boring work talk, I'd like to share what fun things have been happening.

(1) Two of my favorite people in the world are getting married!!! Laura and Stephen are getting married on August 18, 2012. I love these people, and I can't wait for their special day to get here. Until then, there are so many fun wedding festivities to look forward to this summer.

Stephen proposed at a Razorback game. This picture is priceless.



(2) Hank has new uncle! I'd like to introduce the adorableness that is Dylan, Brian's parents new baby.

Not the best picture, but trying to get Hank and Dylan to slow down for a picture was impossible!

(3) Christmas came and went, and it was wonderful. I got to spend a lot of time at home with my family so that was very nice.

This was our Christmas/News Years Card. We know we are kind of ridiculous.

(4) Tara and Tim came to visit!! 2011 would not have complete with out a Jarrett/Vickers reunion. Seriously, we have too much fun. Our 2012 reunion is in a couple of weeks, and we are beyond excited. This time Brian and I are taking a road trip to Indiana. Poor Indiana, it will never be the same.

Been loving this girl since 2004 :)

True Man Love.

(5) I got to spend New Years Eve with my sisters in Nashville. I don't think we have done this since I was 12 and they were 9. It was such an awesome night. This needs to become a tradition.

Perfect way to start 2012

(6) Finally, in March, I turned 26. Twenty freaking six years old. Damn. I am going to make 26 my year. The birthday weekend was awesome. Brian surprised me with Corey Smith tickets and Ellen drove down Friday for the concert. My parents came to town Saturday to take us out to eat and celebrate their oldest daughter for real turning old.

This concert made me feel like a college kid. Oh college.

Silly sister.

Stairway to Heaven

I read an article that said Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' was released 40 years ago today. When I was 15 or 16, my dad gave me a collection of Led Zeppelin's greatest hits. Well, I'm not sure if he gave it to me, or I 'forgot' to give it back. I had a bad habit of stealing his CDs. It quickly became one of those that stayed in my car's CD player - on repeat.

Dad always made sure me and my sisters appreciated good, solid rock music. I'm going to enforce the same principles in my future, hypothetical, non-existent children. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles will be household names. Brian will make sure they know who Hank, Johnny, and Merle are. We're going to raise those babies right. :)

After I read the article, I started wondering if I could track down the CD and look what I found in my trunk. This is the same CD holder I had in my first car 10 years ago. When did I get old?


It really made me smile to find it. 

In honor of this anniversary, I thought I'd post this video. As a bonus, I posted a sound clip of one of my all time favorite songs 'Going to California'.

Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams,
Telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

Monte Sano State Park




Sunday afternoon Brian and I spent some time at Monte Sano State Park. The mountain is so pretty this time of year. I'm happy we made it up there before the trees lost their leaves.

The time change this weekend made me feel frantic. Like I need to soak up every last bit of sun shine because winter is right around the corner.

Ugh. No more talk about dreary, cold, depressing winter. Back to these breathtaking views. Sigh.....

I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful area. I might not be from Alabama, but days like this one make me feel at home here.

  

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

This time of year I am all about the pumpkin. I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Muffins on Pinterest and couldn't believe it only called for three ingredients! Not only are these incredibly moist and delicious, but each muffin only has about 100 calories.

This is all you need!



Yum. Yum.

 It is a good thing they are low-cal because it is impossible to eat just one.

Halloween Weekend

Last weekend was one of those perfect weekends - both relaxing and productive! On Saturday, Brian and I took a trip to Nashville to watch the Arkansas vs. Vanderbilt game. It was a close one, but thankfully the Razorbacks pulled through and won the game. It was nice to get out of town - even if was just for the day.

Vanderbilt Stadium

There were so many AR fans! Look at all that red!

Every year we carve pumpkins before Halloween, but on Sunday we decided to take a lazy different approach.

Yep, we busted out the power drill!

As always, Hank was right in the middle of everything. He's so helpful.

 It's hard to see the pumpkin in this picture, but we were happy with the results!

Between the football watching and pumpkin carving, was lots of Halloween candy snacking (the trick-or-treaters are lucky they got any!) and scary movie watching. This is probably the millionth time I've said this, but I really love this time of year.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Last week Brian's grandparents game to visit. I am not going to lie. The goal in making these Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars was to impress his grandma. The running joke in the family is that she is such a good cook that she even makes a bologna sandwich taste special. Ha! It's totally true. Everything she cooks is the best thing I have ever ate.

With that in mind, I knew I couldn't touch her Chocolate Pecan Pie. She makes it every Thanksgiving, and no one can eat enough of it. However,  this recipe was easy, delicious, and it let me have my "hey, hey, look what I can do." moment.

Store this in the fridge, but serve it warm topped with ice cream. So good!

Oh, and she told me she loved it. Mission Accomplished.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

After Brian's birthday weekend (aka a weekend of non-stop eating and drinking), I decided that I was tired of my jeans being too tight. Seriously, it should not take 15 minutes to squeeze into a pair of pants. A few of my friends have had a lot of success on Weight Watchers so I decided to give it a try. So far it seems to be working. Now it is only taking 10 minutes to put on my jeans :). The reason I am telling you all of this is because as I started looking for "point-friendly" recipes, I found this great website. Everything on this site already has the points calculated for you! Score!

Yesterday morning, I made this recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese, and I have officially become an addict. This bagel paired with a giant cup of coffee is breakfast perfection in my book.

One 'Bagel Thin' and 1.5 tablespoons of the spread is 5 points.

Fall Decorations

A couple of weeks ago Hobby Lobby had their Fall/Harvest decorations on sale for 40%-50% off. (I'm sure at this point they are practically giving the stuff away. I love me some Hobby Lobby.) Anyway, I thought I would share some of my old and new fall decorations. Oh and naturally, most of these ideas came from Pinterest. What was my life like before that wonderful website?



My attempt at being festive.

My mom gave me these pretty apothecary jars as a house warming present. This pin gave me the idea to fill them with candy. The downside of decorating with candy is that starring at Reece's pieces, candy corn, and jelly beans sets my already crazy sweet tooth into overdrive. It is an inexpensive way to use what I already have so it is totally worth practicing self-control!

Candy doubles as decoration.


I found this $40 lantern on sale for $20, and it reminded me of this pin. Not that $20 is cheap, but I should be able to theme it up for most holidays, and use it as an indoor/outdoor candle holder year round. I found the pumpkins and gourds (which were all half off) in the wreath section. I just pulled out the wreath wire and loaded up the lantern.

Candle holder lantern

Bath and Body Works' 'Pumpkin Patch' is my favorite scent during the fall. I don't know how scent evokes emotion, but it really does. Not only does it smell wonderful, it makes the whole house feel warm and cozy. If pumpkin isn't your thing, I bought my mom the Autumn candle for her birthday, and she loved it!

Bath and Body Works Candle Brand is Slatkin & Co.

Happy Fall, y'all!

Tailgating Leftovers: Cheese Dip Chicken Spaghetti

A few weeks ago, we watched the Arkansas vs. Troy game at the house. I believe it is IMPOSSIBLE to watch football without cold beer and snacks, so I made a few things for us to munch on during the game. No matter what or who I am cooking for, I always make too much. It is a good thing Brian and I aren't scared of leftovers! In an attempt to not be wasteful, I decided to try to incorporate the leftover cheese dip into a weeknight meal.

The classic Velvetta Cheese Dip recipe is to cube one block (1lb.) of Velvetta, throw in 2 cans of Rotel (drained), and melt it the microwave - stirring every two minutes until melted. There were only four of us watching the game so I used 1/2 of the Velveeta and 1 can of Hot Rotel.

The next day I was trying to find something to fix for dinner, and I decided to get creative. I combined the leftover cheese dip with the other 1/2 lb. of Velveeta, threw in another can of Rotel, and added a can of cream of chicken soup. While this mixture was melting in the microwave, I boiled 1lb. of pasta. When the cheese mixture was melted, I stirred in a large can of drained canned chicken. Next, I drained the pasta and added it to the cheese sauce. Just like that - Cheese Dip Chicken Spaghetti was born.

Note: If canned chicken grosses you out, you could use rotisserie, boiled, or baked chicken.

Not the healthiest meal in the world - but it's tasty, quick, and resourceful!

Arkansas vs. Auburn: Woo Pig Sooie!

As I mentioned, last Friday was Brian's birthday. To celebrate, we decided to head to northwest Arkansas to watch the Arkansas vs. Auburn game. It's only a 9.5-10 hour trip - no biggie. The drive was long, but totally worth it considering we got to spend the weekend with great friends AND watch the Razorbacks beat Auburn 38-14.

We started the weekend off by everyone eating at least 17 pounds of food a piece at Shogun's. Here is a group shot we took after dinner. If I look puffier than usual, please remember I had 17 pounds of chicken and rice an hour before this :).

Side note: Look at Ashton's festive mantel. So pretty!

Brian got TWO birthday cakes this year. Dang, he must think he is special.

We spent Saturday tailgating with Stephen's family. Good food, good company, great day!

Stephen and the birthday boy

I love this pic.  Erin, Ashton, Laura, me, and Heidi (Stephen's adorable niece).

I really like this boy. I think I'll keep him :).

This is the first time we have ever been to a game in Fayetteville and not sat in upper-upper deck! Ashton's parents were beyond generous and let me and Brian have their tickets to the game. I know. Amy and JP are my favorite people. This view is MUCH better than the nose bleed section!

Woo Pig Sooie!

Besties. (I don't think boys call themselves that, but that's what they are.)

Our friends are so fun. I love our little mini-reunions. I can't wait to see everyone again at the Mississippi State game in November.

Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Last week was Brian's 26th birthday. He is so lucky to have such a young wife, like myself. What? He's five whole months older than me - that totally counts. Anyway, I made this Strawberry Cake for his birthday last year, and he decided that he wanted it to be designated as "Brian's Birthday Cake." It was my Grandma Diebold's recipe that I have tweaked a bit. (See her Peach Delight recipe here) The original recipe called for a whole cup of oil or something ridiculous like that. No wonder I remember it tasting so good. I promise you won't miss the extra fat. Believe me, there is still PLENTY of that in there. Something in this recipe makes this cake so incredibly moist. Maybe the package of jello or the crushed strawberries? Whatever it is, it's magical.




This old school pan belonged to my grandma. Maybe that's the secret to a perfect cake?!



I want this now.

Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (Brian's Birthday Cake)

1 pkg. white cake mix
3T AP Flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen or fresh strawberries (crushed)
1 3oz. pkg strawberry gelatin

Cream Cheese Icing
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup crushed strawberries

Cake - Combine and blend all cake ingredients. Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 35-40 minutes. Poke holes in the cake as it cools. This allows the icing to drip down into the cake. (Yum.)

Icing - Whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add sugar until blended. Stir in strawberries and spread over cake.

Allow the cake to cool before spreading the icing. The consistency is on the thin side, which is how my grandma always made it. If you want to thicken it up, add more powdered sugar.