We had our 4D ultrasound done… and experienced a little bit of  a challenge trying to see her face… She decided she was nice and comfy hiding her head behind my pelvic bone and didn’t have any plans of moving. Fortunately, our ultrasound technician was patient and got as many shots as she could, considering.

It was hard for me to really see the monitor while the ultrasound was being done, but I have had plenty of time to admire our little peanut since. I can’t really tell who she will look like. Actually, I can’t really tell what she will look like at all. All I know is that this little girl is going to have some chubby cheeks that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

Her little foot.

My little cheerleader!

Look at her giving a “we are number one” move.

Her profile. Look at those cheeks!

…and lips!

And…eyes?  haha

She wanted to see what all the commotion was about.

She couldn’t really see anything… so she went back to sleep.

Little fingers.

What a cute little smirk.

Mouth opened.

Pouty little lips.

…and a foot to the head.

We can’t wait to meet you little Peanut!!

Isn’t technology great? We have several short clips of her in action, too… wiggling her fingers, opening and closing her mouth and moving around. It is almost unfathomable for me to think all of this is going on inside my belly. And even more unfathomable? She will be here in less than 10 weeks. What a transformation our life is about to make… and I couldn’t be more grateful or feel more blessed.

I have been such a bad blogger lately. There is just so much going on around here that it seems like I haven’t had a moment to sit down and actually document it!

Here is a quick update (and I will hopefully get to expound upon the details of projects in a later post):

Little Miss Layla Mae:

* Currently 30 weeks! 10 more to go! Layla Mae has been growing like a weed, moving and kicking all the time and besides being a little uncomfortable… I’ve been feeling great.

* Discovered I am RH Negative (O Negative). Yeah, I am embarrassed to say that I never knew what my blood type was before being pregnant. I remember reading about this, but it seemed to be such a rare occurrence that I just assumed I wouldn’t have it. Apparently Negative can’t mix with Positive blood… so if Layla is also a Negative blood type… then there is nothing to worry about. However, if she is Positive (which, statistically, she probably will be), our blood cannot mix. If it does, my body will react to the Positive blood as if it is a foreign allergen of sorts and start building antibodies against it, thus, attacking her blood cells. Obviously, this can lead to all sorts of complications that I don’t even want to think about. However, a mother’s and a baby’s blood usually will not mix until birth… so there typically is not an issue on the first pregnancy. As long as antibodies have not formed yet (which they haven’t for me), I am able to receive two shots that prevent my body from making these antibodies… Once at 28 weeks and once right after birth. Thank the good Lord for medical technology! So I received my 28 week shot for that. {I hope I explained this right… I’m pretty much regurgitating a mixture of what the doctor explained and my WebMd knowledge on the subject. haha If anyone else can explain it better… please do!}

* Took my Glucose Tolerance test to test for gestational diabetes. Which it came back a little higher than average, so my doctor wanted me to take the 3 hour Glucose test just to be sure. I know many of you guys can feel my pain on this one. Big ol’ yucky drink… waiting in the Lab for 4 hours… and getting your blood drawn 4 times. Except I got poked TEN times. The technician couldn’t find my veins… so I got six extra pokes that were fruitless (or should I say bloodless). The worst part is when they twist the needle and pull it in and out looking for a vein! I am literally cringing as I type. I would much rather they just repoke. I felt so bad for the guy… he was so embarrassed. I was understanding though… just as long as he stopped twisting and turning that needle. haha The worst part of all is that you have to fast. I just kept reflecting on how spoiled I am… that not eating for 15 hours felt like the end of the world to me. I was STARVING. I kept thinking that there are millions of people in the world that feel like this every single day. Ugh, it just breaks my heart. So I tried my best to stop complaining in my mind (which was easy because I knew there was a McDonalds next door to the hospital and I was going to get there in 30 seconds flat as soon as they released me. Spoiled. I know.)

I was very thankful that Jon came from work an hour into testing and sat with me for the remaining 3 hours. I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind… and it turned out to be not so bad. He is just the best husband. Ok, I’ll prevent y’all from choking on any more sap. But he is. haha

* Today is our big day! We get to see Layla in 4D! I can’t wait to see what she looks like! My doctor sent us to a hospital in Fresno to do the full body scan and measurements ultrasound a while ago… and they are letting us come back for a 4D for FREE! Yes please! Hopefully I will have some pics to post later today!

* The nursery. Ay yay yay. The nursery. haha I have a million gazillion ideas that I want to do… and probably won’t have the time I need to accomplish everything. I’m hoping to get the nursery painted this week… and to get started on decorating. I will update with pictures as soon as we embark on that endeavor.

The NEVER ending remodel:

* Oh yes. We are STILL working on the house. I know, we moved in almost 4 months ago and it is still a work in progress. We are doing EVERYTHING ourselves and doing it on a major budget. But it is all coming together. The kitchen is almost done now (which I couldn’t be more thrilled about) and I will do a happy dance the day I never have to pick up another paint brush again. haha I have so many things to show y’all… but I am trying my hardest to wait until it is finished. Soon. Very soon.

The house is the culprit for my sparse blogging. I know we are on such a timeline… trying to get everything done before Layla comes. And, I’m trying to be as helpful as possible while I still have the energy and motivation to do it! (Not that I can really do any of the hard physical labor… so I get the tedious jobs like painting (with my mask on… no need for concern).

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Anyway, now y’all are brought up to speed.

I am so looking forward to our trip to Fresno for two reasons (other than the 4D of Layla):

HomeGoods and Chick-Fil-A.

Two of my absolute favorites. Even if it is just going to be a trip to “browse around” HomeGoods… good enough for me.  :)

Jon’s Granny has a scrumptious way of making brownies… so scrumptious, in fact, Jon tried to woo me with them on one of our first dates. Hook, line and sinker. And he has never made them again since. I call that false advertisement.

This is the easiest recipe you will ever make. In fact, in about 30 seconds, you will be able to recall it from memory. Ready? Set. Go!

Ingredients:

1 box of walnut brownie mix

2 Hershey Symphony Bars with Toffee

…and DONE.

I believe it was Paula Deen who said, “I’ve never met a box cake mix that I didn’t like”. I subscribe to that philosophy, too… and I also throw brownies into that general statement. Don’t get me wrong, I love to make recipes from scratch… but I certainly won’t deny the convenience of the box when you want to bake on a whim.

You are going to just follow the box instructions… starting with greasing your dish (or use cooking spray).

Batter up!

Now here is the tricky part. You are going to pour half of your batter into your greased dish.

And then place both Symphony bars on top.

Pour the rest of the batter on top and smooth it out.

Really tricky, eh? Throw it in the oven and bake according to the box instructions. THAT’S IT.

What you will get is a delicious treat in the middle of your brownies… almost fudge-like. But make sure you let them cool completely. Who am I kidding? Take a bite or two or three and then let the rest cool completely.

Just adding a little something special to an ordinary brownie mix… will deliver extraordinary results. I promise. And if you don’t like it, send it to me so I can verify that you made them correctly.

Enjoy!