Things That Make Me Happy

There are just so many things to mention lately that I figured I might as well make this a series. Look for more of these in the future.

• People touching my belly. I never thought I'd say it, but there it is. I love it.
• Maternity clothes. I have fully embraced the elastic waist.
• My raisin bread snack during 2nd period and my green apple before tennis practice. I look forward to them for about an hour beforehand.
• Being called "Mama." Even more, "Little Mama." :)
• Having an excuse to wear Andrew's comfy shirts in public.
• Pondering whether Baby McAffry is a boy or girl. I love dreaming about what it will be like with either one.
• Watching little girls with their dads and imaging Andrew in their place.
• That Andrew was with me when I felt the first baby flutter! We were in the car, and I felt two little butterflies. Haven't felt anything since, but I keep thinking about it.
• Taking maternity pictures. I've had three baby bump sessions in the last two weeks with another one coming up next weekend. Love those beautiful bellies!

Click here to see more of Rachel's Maternity Pics.

Real Woman of Genius

My students wrote ode poems this week, and I'm sure you'll understand why this one was my favorite. (Hint: It will help if you read it to the tune of the Real Men of Genius commercials.)

"Ode to a Real Woman of Genius"

Real woman of genius
today we decide
to salute you
Mrs. English teaching fanatic.
Smart Board using
poem reading
getting really excited for class
even if we are
only talking about
dependent and independent clauses.
You're either teaching...
or thinking about teaching.
Oh and how can we forget
the time when
you got the new
Smart Board software and
little board thingy you write on
and were trying so hard to try to work it
when you got totally sidetracked
from all the colors available to write with.

What is that?
Fees are due second Friday of the semester?
Oh! Just bring it tomorrow...
Or the next day...
Or the next day...
So patient she is
but don't you worry about a thing.
You literature queen
I have it right here
OH!
Can I please bring it tomorrow?
And you do all of this
while you are pregnant.

So crack open a nice fresh
book to read.
You deserve it oh carrier of knowledge
And oh sweet baby boy or girl
This is why
I salute you...
Mrs. English teaching fanatic.

18 Weeks

Today in class I couldn't stop smiling because in exactly two weeks, we will know if it's a boy or girl - and just in time for the major consignment sales! I have officially had my first baby dream. I haven't been dreaming, or at least haven't been remembering them, for a while. This week, though, I dreamt that we were in the ultrasound room with our moms and found out that it was a boy. I had a pretty major happy cry - in the dream.

I can also say I've had my first (okay, maybe not my first) but definitely my most unreasonable emotional breakdown. It was over... are you ready for this? I'm just gonna lay it all out there. Here it goes. Okay, can I really trust you with this information? You promise? It was over...Little Caesar's Crazy Bread!

For real. I'm gonna own it. I totally cried when Andrew told me he ate the last of the crazy bread. I had only eaten two pieces, less than I would even eat not pregnant, and he had finished the rest of it. What? You mean his pregnant wife specifically wanted crazy bread, and he only allowed her two pieces of the deliciously soft, buttery, garlicky bread - the perfect accompaniment to any meal? Yes, he sure did. And I cried about it. I guess I got all the crazy I needed from the crazy bread. Maybe it was best I stopped at two. Though I likely won't stop there next time :)

I don't know when this turned into a food blog, but when I found this granola bar recipe I had to try it immediately. Highly recommend it and you can modify it with whatever you have in your pantry.

18 Weeks. Still no movement. I'm waiting not so patiently.

Don't miss Mom's post on becoming a grandmother. I'm thinking it would be a great series, right along with Why I Love 6th Graders.

Maternity Pics

I got to try out my new studio backdrops yesterday during Kim's maternity session. Like most of my photography purchases, it has only added to the list of business needs. Now I need to work on getting some more lighting equipment. It's a never-ending list that I must constantly evaluate for wants versus needs. Seems like more and more they are wants - not needs. I've been wanting this crazy expensive camera bag for over year, and I just can't justify it as anything other than a want. It's still on the list though :)

This was the first of four maternity sessions in three weeks. I'm loving the baby bumps! Click here for more.

17 Weeks

With our unexpected day off on Monday, I found myself in the kitchen trying to use up some of the things in our pantry.

And what could be better than blueberry scones?

How about blueberry scones with lemon glaze? Mmmmm.

My attempt to use the loaf of French bread before it went bad (to make french toast sandwiches) wasn't as cost-effective. Andrew ended up running to the grocery for cream cheese and apricot preserves.

Luckily Dad whipped up some fruit salad to balance out all those sweets.

Feeling a little under the weather at 17 weeks and wondering why there isn't more research about medications' effect on pregnancy.

We had a checkup today and thankfully were able to hear the heartbeat on the first try. Baby McAffry's heart was going strong at 145 beats per minutes. I've heard this from others, but it really did sound like a galloping horse. In exactly three weeks we will have the all-important gender-revealing ultrasound. Both grandmas are going with us, and we can't wait to experience that moment with them!

The In Between

Andrew and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Friday by going to see, um, Valentine's Day.  Original, I know :)  We met Kenny and Angelina at the theater, stopped by Coffee and Chocolate on our way out, then headed to our house to enjoy our treats.  I promptly fell asleep immediately after finishing my cannoli.  Probably not the best idea to try to stay up late after an actual five day work week.

Matt was my trial subject for the backdrop for my studio - ahem, that is, my parent's basement.  

We're working with what we've got here at Sarah C. Photography.

Milly pretty much denied looking at me even after I used all the cue words: who's here?, want a treat?, you ready?  Nothing.

Big day celebration already done, we were free to spend the afternoon doing one of our favorite things: lounging at Mom and Dads. (BTW, the headless woman is Matt's girlfriend, Amy, not that you would confuse my body with hers these days.)

Just a typical Sunday at Casa Cole.

I had something of an epiphany this week about life.  Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic.  Anyway, I've realized that the special moments in life aren't the big celebrations (i.e. Valentine's Day, birthdays, Christmas, etc.)  It's the in between that matters most - the talks around the dinner table, the Sunday naps, the goodbyes in the morning.  Those are the moments that make a life unique, memorable.  I'm glad this revelation hit me before Baby McAffry arrives.  Lounging in the bed on Saturday mornings, playing with Tupperware containers in the floor, reading bedtime stories at night - those are the moments I'm most looking forward to.  The moments in between.

Props to Jasmine Star for creating the term: the in between.

Let the Good Times Roll

Milly says "Bonjour" to you blog readers. Don't you think her scarf has a little Parisian flair? We love our groomer, Karen.

We are loving life in the McAffry house these days. Yesterday, Andrew stopped the car on our way out of the subdivision, looked me in the eye, and said, "I love my life." We're both feeling pretty good these days - in love with each other, excited about the future, and loving Baby McAffry more and more every day.

This week we started being more intentional about spending time together. We cook dinner, eat, and wash dishes together in the kitchen. Sounds simple, but it has already had a major impact on the way we talk to each other. I have to agree with Papaw Jim who said tonight, "The family that eats together stays together." We were so good about doing this when we were newlyweds but somehow slacked off. With tennis season starting next week, we will have to work a little harder to make this happen, but it will be so worth it.

Just a little proof that it ain't all sweets and chocolate round here. You may be thinking it looks like a pretty boring salad, but that's Olive Garden dressing. It needs nothing else.

Tonight's dinner: tilapia in lemon-butter sauce, roasted asparagus and a baked sweet potato.

Two of my favorites.

At 16 weeks and feeling good. Doctor visit in a week, but no ultrasound. Just a regular checkup.

How Bad Could That Be?

This post is pure evidence that I am pregnant and past the sick phase. I am officially enjoying food again. Just a disclaimer: I have been eating healthy things, too. It's just that apples, bananas, and zucchini aren't photo worthy.

On tonight's episode Ina Garten made brownie pudding for her and Jeffrey's 40th anniversary.

I immediately walked to the kitchen to try it myself. Watching her scoop out the not-quite-done-on-the-inside yet crunchy-on-the-outside brownie was just more than I could handle. I cooked them 15 minutes less than she recommended, but it was still too much. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream, though, it was just right. If you're an Ina fan, you know that she says, "How bad could that be?" nearly every episode. Andrew and I laugh every time.

One of our new staples in the weekly menu is a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

The best part (well, other than the freshly shredded sharp cheddar, the thick Texas toast, the Eggland's Best eggs, and the bacon-that-doesn't-make-your-house-stink-for-days) is that Andrew is in charge of this meal. I don't have to lift a finger, and in minutes I'm served with a warm, tasty sandwich for dinner. This pregnancy thing is really starting to work out well for me.

It may not look like it, but this is actually healthy.

This blueberry coffee cake is made with whole wheat flour, yogurt, only 2 tablespoons of butter and oil and just a trace of sugar.

Which totally gave me permission to eat a few servings today.

I made this dessert pizza for Mom's birthday a few weeks ago.

With a few individual servings for me:)

Don't Miss This

I'm sure many of you have seen this already, but for those of you who haven't, you don't want to miss this. Greg is the worship pastor at our church, and he and his family have been in the adoption process for two years. Yesterday, in Taiwan, they were united with their daughter, Claire, for the first time. This video shows some of the highlights of their first day together.

I'm honored to be photographing their homecoming at the airport next Sunday so prepare to see more pictures of this sweet girl. Here is a link to their adoption blog if you want to read more.

15 Weeks

Pregnancy Update: 15 Weeks

Morning Sickness: MIA for three weeks now

Energy: much better but still out of breath sometimes for no good reason

Exercise: walking for 45 minutes 5 days a week

Baby Bump: learning to embrace it and love it more every day

Cravings: lots of water, fruit, salad, lemon cake, Sonic corndogs - strange

Aversions: the list is getting smaller - since my last post I have eaten everything that was on my aversions list

Baby Names: girl name confirmed, no progress on boy names

Maternity Clothes: so comfortable I may never go back

Mama McAffry: back to enjoying some of my favorite hobbies like baking, reading and exercising; thinking more and more about holding an actual baby in my arms; looking forward to feeling movement; annoyed at websites that say, "you have probably gained five pounds by now" when I have clearly gained double

Baby McAffry: the size of an orange - 4 inches long

Wondering how long it's going to take for the belly to reach the doorknob. Hmm.