Bored at home

So...the thought of two weeks off of work, no UPS, no mean customers, no worries sounded amazing. But, quickly after the first week I have become extremely bored. I've tried everything to keep myself busy. Unfortunately everyone around me has been working, and these two weeks off have not been very fun. I've worked on putting up Christmas, reading, working on things for Landon, going to the gym, cleaning, shopping, etc. Nothing seems to fill my time. I can honestly say I'm ready to go back to work, of course not to work, but to socialize :) It reassures me that being a working mom may be the best choice for my personality. I feel that even if Landon was with me I'll find more joy in the occasional days spent 100% with him then being responsible for house work, etc. because Im' home. I hope everyone has a great New Years- I think Kenny & I are staying home tonight instead of traveling to Anderson to drive back & then go again on Sunday for a housewarming. We are truly looking forward to 2010 & all the surprises that await us!

Christmas

What a great day- last night Kenny & I spent together. We went to a candle light service @ GUUF and then had take out chinese from our favorite place, Lieu's. We waited until this morning to open most of our gifts, but exchanged one last night. It was great to spend time together & it gave us plenty of time to prepare for my family to stop by today. We are so excited to see his family in the morning for breakfast/brunch & will post more photos then. I decided to celebrate Landon at Christmas by wearing an "L" pin at my waist. I think the photos will be a great memory of my pregnancy. Merry Christmas!

Weekend in Atlanta

I surprised Kenny for his 26th birthday with a weekend in Atlanta. I thought it might be one of our last opportunities to go away before Landon arrives & we love Atlanta. We stayed at one of our favorite hotels, Hyatt Place & I got an awesome deal! On Saturday we went to the Georgia Aquarium which Ken has been wanting to visit, then we ate a local mexican restaurant that was suggested to me. We checked into the hotel in the late afternoon & then did some shopping before dinner at the restaurant Goldfish. It was a mix of asian & seafood and Kenny really enjoyed it. We stopped by the Cheesecake Factory to get a slice to go (this has become a tradition!)- then just spent time together in the room. On Sunday we woke up early to check out & made our way to IKEA before it even opened. We ate lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory downtown & then stopped at Chateau Elan and the outlets on the way back. I was so exhausted the next day that I think I fell asleep 3 times while we were out on Monday. We had a doctor's appt for my monthly checkup & everything looks good. We stayed out for a few hours & had lunch at our favorite Indian place- Saffron while waiting for the dishwasher to be installed. I made dinner for us that night and Kenny requested carrot cake. Now I'm just trying to recover from all the festivities of the weekend, but still be productive around the house. Merry Christmas everyone!

Delivering presents to the kids...

Here are a few pictures from last weekend when we delivered presents to our adorable nephews & niece. Connor & Riley received a custom superhero cape with spider man/ "C" or superman & "R" with an eye mask & book about becoming the best superhero. Peyton received a "my first purse" set & Collin got the new Crayola "Color me a Song" drawing board. All the kids had fun & it seemed are ready to open more presents on Christmas day!

Marking things off the baby list...

Things are really moving along for us. Ken made 4 appointments to meet pediatricians in the area between now & January. We already really like the first office we visited & the pediatrician seemed great. We feel so lucky to already have a great option so soon. We are still going to meet with the other docs so we make the best decision for us & Landon. We went on the hospital tour tonight & were really happy with that decision as well. Everyone else on the tour is within 4-8 weeks of delivery, but it makes me feel so much better to be doing these things early. After we make all the major decisions we can focus on the fun stuff & basics like diapers and wipes.

We are going out of town for Ken's birthday this weekend & I'm so excited. He doesn't know where we are going, but I think it will be really great for us to spend the weekend together & Monday (his birthday) just enjoying our time together.

Christmas at our House

We have two Christmas trees this year & I really enjoyed having my themed tree for at least another year. I'm sure things will be different with little Landon & we look forward to all the handmade ornaments he will bring home from school in the future. I don't think I posted a photo of our tree yet so thought I'd share. This year's theme was "A partridge in a pear tree". Next year the only plans I have is to do a "Planes, Trains, & Automobile's" theme for our extra white tree for our little man. I thought it would be cute to use all wooden toys & wrap in brown packing paper. We've delivered most of our Christmas presents to our family already & wish all of you a wonderful holiday!

Calling All Parents

I would like to know if there is any advice that new parents or others could offer about what to do to prepare for baby Landon? He will be here in a few short months & maybe you can help us by suggesting things you may have forgotten or delayed before the baby arrived. This could be about the anything. I just want to work on the stuff I can now before life with Landon gets crazy. And yes, I'm getting lots & lots of sleep! Hope to hear from you all!

Enjoying our time together...

Kenny & I are really trying to maximize our time together before Landon arrives because we know it will be different then. Tonight we went to Roper Mtn. Lights to enjoy the lights & s'mores as we prepare for the holidays. We had alot of fun & can't wait until our little man can join us on a future visit. Also, I purchased a book of 365 stories & rhymes for little boys as a gift for Kenny. Every night he chooses something to read to Landon & it's been a nice time for us to connect as a family.

Thanksgiving Weekend

We spent Thanksgiving with both of our families. We had dinner at my mom's first at noon & then on to Ken's sister's house in the evening. It was all delicious, I'm only wishing today that we had grabbed some leftovers. We woke up early at 3 am to make it to Wal-mart for a few deals we were searching for. We never get up that early but found everything we were looking for & didn't get in any fights. We went to a few others stores before returning home about noon to take a nap. Now I'm just working on wrapping Christmas presents & finishing the decorations at home. We both feel that we have so much to be grateful for & we count our blessings everyday! I can't believe that little Landon will join us at the next Thanksgiving meal. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Cause for Celebration!

I spent Saturday with Landon's two wonderful grandma's. We met for breakfast at Cracker Barrel & then drove to the outlets in Commerce, GA. I had a few coupons for some of my favorite stores & we spent the day looking for cute outfits for him. I've already purchased the bedding at TJ Maxx & the diaper bag I loved. His room will be decorated with a music theme using guitars & records- more to come on that. I thought the diaper bag fit our style & would be better for daddy to carry since it wasn't so cutesy. I know Kenny will be gaga for Landon so I'm sure he wouldn't have minded. Take a look at our pictures from the weekend. We all dressed in blue in celebration for the "little man" who has already stolen our hearts. :)

Who knew cookie cake could be so fulfilling?? WE DID!

Terry, Adam, & the boys came up to visit for the evening & we celebrated Landon with a cookie cake. It's so adorable that Riley is starting to understand that he will soon have a little cousin. I've posted a few pictures from the evening.

It's a BOY!

Our little man is growing fast & although he wanted to be stubborn today & curl up in a ball we were able to confirm that in April we will welcome Landon Kenneth Horton. Kenny & I are so excited & I can't wait to start buying little boy things which we will do tonight. We are going to dinner to celebrate & picking up a few things at the store. It feels so amazing to be at this point & to have everyone's support. And yes, We DO accept hand-me-downs! :) I hope everyone understands I'm not big on posting pictures of the ultrasound showing his gender- guess I'm weird.

One week away

We will find out what we are having next week & we are so excited. It seems like time is passing so quickly already. Thanks to all of you for your votes on our boy/girl poll. I can't wait to start calling baby by name- Madelyne or Landon! We are planning a fun weekend- I'm going shopping with the grandma's on Saturday after we find out & then Terry and Adam are coming up to share our favorite dessert *cookie cake*. May sound nerdy but we are excited!

I will keep you posted.

Planning...Planning...Planning...

I'm sure you all know what a planner I am & I'm trying to get done as much as I can before the baby arrives. I've got my OB & I know where we will be delivering. I've pre-registered at the hospital & signed up for the hospital tour and new parent classes in the new year. We are starting to look at pediatricians so we can decide before the baby arrives. We chose a daycare & paid the deposit. We've got names, the crib, bedding, etc. picked out. What else should I be doing?

One thing I'm excited about is having maternity & newborn pictures done of the baby & I think I've decided on a photographer locally http://www.susanbrewerphotography.com/. She has a "First year" baby program & I can exchange one of the sessions for maternity. I'm thinking maternity, newborn, 6 months, & 1 year photos.

I've found some images online like I like- I think it would be cute for my maternity pictures to be done with a parasol in blue or pink since the baby is due in April. I was so excited to see an example online of what I had thought up. What do you guys think? I've attached a few examples. I was thinking the shoe picture would be replaced with our vans skull slip ones for mommy, daddy, & baby.

Our "baby-moon" to the beach

Kenny & I spent our Halloween weekend in Myrtle Beach with special thanks to my Aunt & Uncle. The weather was great & it was one of the best weekends we've had. The resort we stayed at was in a great location to all the main attractions. We drove down on Friday & went to House of Blues for dinner. Then on Saturday we walked on the beach, did some shopping at Barefoot Landing, Tomlinson's, and had dinner at a restaurant called the Gulfstream Cafe in Murrell's Inlet. On Sunday we stopped at the outlets before leaving just to check out the cute clothes at the baby outlets. Overall we had a wonderful time, oh and I beat Kenny at mini-golf. I got skillz what can I say? Enjoy the pictures.

18 Weeks...Sweet Potato

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

We find out in 12 days what we are having & we are so excited! The most amazing part of everything is that for so long I worried boy or girl, but now everytime we have an appointment all I care about is that the baby is healthy. We would like to know so we can decorate the room, but it makes me feel good that maybe a little "mommy maturity" is growing in me along with the baby!

We got an onion...17 weeks

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

Family celebration

Ken's grandma turned 80 on Sunday & my mom turned 30 :) on Saturday. Below are a few pictures from the visit to ken's grandparents house. All seven of their children were there & many of the grandkids, but defintely not all.

Another great appointment

I had my monthly checkup & everything is looking good. We are so grateful for every day, week, & month. Grow little gummy bear...we love you! Only 3 more weeks & we find out what we are having. We'd love to get your opinion..will it be a b0y or a girl?

PollPub.com Vote

Are Kenny & Megan having a boy or a girl?

a Boy named Landon
a Girl named Madelyne



View Results

Poll powered by PollPub.com Free Polls

16 weeks today!

We are celebrating 16 weeks today & I'm still feeling really good, but growing more & more irritable with ppl's pregnancy comments. I'm trying to stay calm, but it seems I can't control my emotions this week. I hope this passes- I don't want to be annoyed the whole pregnancy. :) Today was my mom's birthday so we went to a local tea room & shopped downtown. Overall a good day.
Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

Our 3 Year Anniversary

Kenny & I celebrated our 3 year anniversary on 10/21/09 & we had a wonderful evening together. He made the dinner plans & I chose the movie. Here is a picture from the restaurant, Rick Erwin's where we enjoyed a delicious meal! He sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to my work & I gave him a gift certificate for a couple's massage somewhere in the near future. After dinner we saw "Couple's Resort".

Collin's Birthday

As I posted in a previous post, our nephew Collin turned one last week & had a WILD party this weekend. Here are a few pictures of Collin Brody enjoying the festivities!

15 weeks

On Saturday we celebrated 15 weeks of pregnancy & our nephew's first birthday. I will post pictures of that later. I forgot to put updates up on the "size of the baby" so I'm posting now. We are so excited. And, although the books say I shouldn't feel flutters yet, I do. Normally in the evening around 9 pm when I'm getting ready for bed. I can't wait until Kenny can feel it.


Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

Busy Month

A lot has gone on since my last post. We had a fun weekend with the Horton's/Hayes/Buckner's at Sky Top Orchard in NC. The weather was a little warm & rainy, but we had the best doughnuts of our life. I love family traditions, so I'm happy that some of ken's family traditions can now become mine. Denise, my mother-in-law made some of her famous apple fritters after we came home from the mountains & they were delicious! Now starts the busy season of birthdays, weekend trips, & the holidays. These are my favorite three months of the year. This weekend we have Collin's 1st birthday & then next week is our 3 year anniversary/ Special Olympics fall games/ my mom's birthday. Will post more pictures & such then. The pictures attached are of Terry, Collin, and me after enjoying a delicious apple cider doughnuts & Kenny & I at Mt. Pisgah Forest with our niece Peyton.

What a sweet hubby

After a stressful day at work...hubby surprised me with a beautiful fall bouquet & my favorite dessert- Tiramisu. I wasn't able to get a picture of the dessert before I enjoyed it! It made a nice ending to my day & now I'm working on getting positive & refreshed to take on tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Was that the baby moving?

I think I felt the baby move today. I was walking to my car after work & had lots of baby thoughts in my head about the next couple of weeks & what I was anticipating. I thought to myself, "It will be so exciting when I can feel the baby move." I sat down & my car and felt a flutter on my left side. It didn't feel like "gas", but some small movement. I felt it a few more times throughout the evening. I called my other mommy friends to ask about the first time they felt the baby move & what it felt like to them and their thoughts were in line with what I felt. I guess I won't know unless the feeling continues, but it's so exciting to think that I could already feel our little one wiggling around. The "baby books" say that you should not notice it before 16-18 weeks, but I guess everyone is different. Either way, it's all very cool to me!

Special Announcement!!!

We had a great doctors appointment today & got more ultrasound pictures. It was great to see our little one change from a gummy bear to a more "human-like" figure. The ultra sound looks like a little skeleton, just in time for Halloween. The doctor said that everything looks great & now we are safely in the 2nd trimester. We are SO EXCITED! I didn't know if we'd make it this far. We are so grateful for this blessing. Ken is going to be an amazing father, I've known that since we first met. As silly as it sounds, that's one of the things that attracted me to him in high school. I can't wait for the baby to arrive & our little family to grow. We've got to get done by then & I'm already having nightmares about the room not being done when the baby arrives. Thank you all for your support & well wishes.

We made it to 13 weeks!

Kenny and I are so excited to make it to the 2nd trimester. I am feeling really good except for nausea that happens at different times in the day. I've found milk to be very helpful, so I'm drinking several glasses of skim milk a day. We go in for another check-up tomorrow & will have an ultrasound picture to share. I will begin posting each week with an update & welcome any of your comments on our blog. I know this is going to be an amazing journey. We've already noticed a lot of changes. My clothes are getting a little more uncomfortable, but maternity clothes are still too big. I'm excited that in a few short weeks we will know what we are having. We can't wait! The next few weekends will be busy with our nephew Collin turning ONE, a Horton family trip to Sky Top Orchard in NC, our 3 year anniversary, my mom & grandpa's birthdays, and a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach, just Ken & I. We look forward to continuing to share this journey with all of you.
Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

A new milestone...

We didn't know a few short weeks ago when we found out that we would see 12 weeks with a healthy pregnancy. So far everything is going well. I will take all the nausea, headaches, dizziness, & upset stomachs to greet our little one in April 2010. We took this picture to the right the day we found out we were expecting in July & were so excited. We've had two ultrasounds so far & I've posted the most recent where the baby looks like a little gummy bear. The doctor originally told us that the due date was in April & I immediately thought of my birthday & fiery personality. They have estimated April 10th 2010, just one day before my 26th birthday. I've already told Ken that he should expect a mini- Megan born right around my birthday. Boy will he have his hands full. We do have our opinions on what we think it might be, but we would welcome a little Landon or little Madelyne- we truly have no preference. We are so excited to share this as a couple & share our journey with all of you.