The Name Game

I find it absolutely hilarious that people think they should be able to have some say so about what Kevin & I name our unborn son.

For example,
Dear random lady in Kroger, do you think that I'm going to take your opinion about what constitutes a legitimate name when your cart is filled to the brim w/ totinos pizzas, mountain dew, and donut holes, while yelling at your 4 kids (all named after celebrities or totally made up, mind you) as they are wrecking havoc on the candy aisle?  You seem to be a totally credible source of all things great in a name. Wait.. no. Not so much.

Dear random dude in my customer's office, I don't really care that you don't like our child's name.  You named your child LOUDILLA. Yes, and that is pronounced exactly as it looks.  I guess its a spin from his love of Armadillos?  Regardless, you forfeited your right to give ANYONE an opinion about their children's name when you named your child LOUDILLA.  Thanks.

Dear Facebook friend who is on her 4th child (and is my age, mind you), You've named your first 3 children after characters in the Twilight series.  After you ran through your fav names from that super well-written book collection, you managed to name your last child after a character from Shades of Grey because thats a completely appropriate for a newborn.

Can you tell people absolutely LOOOOVVEEEE to tell you their opinions on the name you select for your child?  I honestly don't think I would ever have the gall to tell someone that I disliked the name they selected for the baby.  While it can be hilarious in some instances, that various people feel like they have the authority to give their opinion about whatever name you've selected, it is usually just plain annoying.

As a result, Kev & I just essentially decided that once we selected a name, we would stick with that name, end of story.  It is when people sense that you are undecided on a name that they try to sway you with the various names they favor (which are usually absolutely dreadful).  Anywho, this method has seemed to work, and people (for the most part) don't try to convince us to name this little name anything other than what we've already landed on.

Soooo.... I know yall are just dying with anticipation, right? hahahahaha, I'm sure.

The name for our little guy will be.....

Brooks Walker Gray!

Once we found out it was a boy, Brooks was honestly the only name we agreed on.  Kev was funny in the fact that if we would have had a girl, he would have let me name that child whatever I wanted.  But with a boy?  Ohhhhh, hells no.  It was game on as far as finding a boy's name that was manly enough, yet wasn't completely over done.  

We wound up choosing Brooks, because it was the perfect combination of being manly, not too popular, and it worked with our last name.  **Side bar**- Kev might also try to tell you its to pay homage to Rich Brooks, the former UK football coach, but I swear there is no connection.**

We really wanted to use a family name, because it just makes the name of a child so special.  While we toyed with the name James (Kevin's first name, his dad & grandfather's name, and my grandfathers name), we decided that James Brooks Gray or Brooks James Gray sounded wayyyyyy too much like a law firm.  We selected Walker because it actually is a family name.  It was my Grandmother's maiden name, and it worked perfectly with Brooks & our last name.  

And, there you have it!!!

Mr. Brooks should be here within the next week, so fingers crossed for a safe delivery :)

In the meantime, here's a little sneak peek of his nursery!

Thats allllll I've got for today, but since I'm now on maternity leave, be on the look out for some more posts in the very very near future :)  

Side Note** (I swear the whole pregnancy brain is not a myth.  I would have written more in the past few months, but my mind has been just completely blank.  I wrote about our carpet cleaner at one point, if that tells you anything :)  )**

Little English!!!

Sooo, as I've mentioned previously, I have become an even bigger shopaholic since becoming pregnant.  I know, I know, I didn't think that was possible either.... But it is.

I honestly cannot help it- baby & children's clothing are just too much fun & too adorable to pass up!  Plus, as I've mentioned previously, shopping for yourself, especially when you're 8+ months pregnant, is for the birds.  At this stage, you can't envision yourself ever being skinny again, the only shoes you want to wear are comfy/support flats (Lets face it- unless you're wearing orthopedic shoes, sassy flats that are 100% comfy/supportive do not exist.  Tory Burch needs to step up her game & invent a maternity line asap.), & the thought of leaving your house to venture out to the mall makes you want to cry.  Its seriously a no win situation.

In turn, shopping for my son is infinitely more fun.  I've become mildly obsessed w/ finding precious clothes for him (along w/ pieces for my nieces & nephews) that I'm not going to see on every other child.  I can only handle so much Gymboree & Carters on a child- I swear, all of their stuff starts to look identical, no?

Lucky for me, I found a phenomenal fix for my obsession of finding unique, yet quality clothing for not only my soon to be born son, but also for my other family members.
What might that solution be?!?!?

  Little English!!!!

If you aren't familiar with this precious collection, brace yourself for a whole LOT of adorable.

I mean, lets be honest.... what little boy wouldn't look handsome in one of these little numbers??  

Aghhhhh! I die! So flipping cute.  

I can't lie though- looking at the little girls' dresses & outfits kiiiiinnnnnd of make me wish I was having a girl.

I guess I'm just gonna have to spoil my nieces because some of these are too gorgeous to pass up. (See- my shopping problem is clearly getting out of hand, yall!)

So, here I am feeling pretty excited that I found Little English & all the fabulousness that goes along with it.

THEN, I find out even BETTER NEWS!

1. For all you Kentucky Girls, they are based here in Lexington. Holy Amazing. (And sorry, Kev, for the dent that might make in our bank account.)

2. (Hold onto your hats because #2 will ROCK your world)---

THEIR WAREHOUSE SALE STARTS THIS WEEKEND!!!

(Even bigger apologies to my husband, because that obviously means that dent in our bank account just exponentially grew in size. oops.)

Obviously, this is phenomenal news, right?  Especially since the weather is supposed to be absolutely terrible over the next few days.

So, if you're like me & adore fantastic children/baby clothing, especially when those items are on sale, let me give you all the details....

Warehouse Sale Location:

Regency Centre
150 W Lowry Lane, Ste 142
Lexington, KY 40503
(Down from TJMaxx)

Dates/Times:

Sunday, April 28th 2pm-6pm

Monday, April 29th 9am-5pm

Tuesday, April 30th 9am-2pm

Hmmm.. I just had an AMAZING thought. What if I went ahead & bought some of Little English's little girls' clothes, JUST IN CASE, my next child is a girl??  

No? 

Too crazy?

I'm totally kidding. 

Kind of :)

For now, I'll just have to settle (if you can even call it that because everything they have is beyond perfect!) for buying little boys clothes for our little man.

PS- Can you believe that he should be making his appearance sometime in the next 5-6 weeks?!?!?!

So So So CRAZY!

Anywho, I hope yall have a FABULOUS weekend!

And if you're in Kentucky, be sure to cater to your inner-shopoholic (like I obviously plan to do),

 and stop by Little English to take advantage of their amazing sale! 

So, who are you married to?

I swear I'm still alive :)  It has been a wild few weeks for this girl, but be on the look out for some more posting consistency here in the next few weeks/months.  

In the meantime, I'm just gonna leave you with this sweet video I took of my niece a few weeks back. 

 

If you need a little afternoon pick-me-up, this should do the trick :)

How precious is that?  

(I swear I'm going to remind Riley of this video when she's about 15 :)  )

Goes to show that even at a young age, we all just want to marry someone as good as our own Dad.

That does it for me, but I hope yall have a great Wednesday afternoon!

A Whiny Rant & a HUGE Rave

Happy Tuesday!!!

Soooo, in case you've never read my blog before (or if its been awhile), I'm about 7 months pregnant with our first child.  

Just know that going into today's post :)

I found the perfect cartoon to express 

my rant of the year....

Yall, it honestly blows my flipping mind that women are SO beyond eager to not only share their delivery stories with you the minute you get pregnant, but to also fill you in on 

ANY and ALL issues they had during their labor & delivery.

SERIOUS QUESTION....

Do women who have difficult deliveries sign some document that says they MUST tell every detail of their awful experience to any pregnant woman they encounter???

Because I'm firmly starting believe that these women with horrendous tales get HUGE kicks out of sharing every aspect of their labor & delivery story, which, if heard from a 3rd party perspective, these stories could be confused with horror stories.

So, to whom it may concern:

I don't want to hear about how you almost died during childbirth.

I dont want to hear how your child almost died during childbirth.

Please don't mention that your epidural wore off.

Also, I don't want to listen to stories about not being able to get an epidural.

Lastly, please don't tell me about how awful your first month was with your child.

I mean, ladies, all of these discussions sufficiently scare the absolute hell out of ANYONE who listens to them, pregnant or not.

Because lets face it, in these situations.....

Ignorance is Bliss 

(in my mind, anyway)

Moving on to my RAVE Review...

So, I was always one of those girls who rolled their eyes at women who immediately stopped working out when they got pregnant.

Wait, I am still one of those girls who rolls their eyes at women who immediately stop working out the minute they find out their pregnant. 

However, it absolutely kills me to admit that your workouts definitely change during these months.

Those who have followed me for awhile know that I've always been big into fitness & workout 5-6 days/week.  More so, I've always been a runner.

I mean, I've done half marathons & a plethora of 5K races.

How hard can it be to continue running while knocked up?

(How hilarious is this throwback pic of me & Jan taken after the KY Derby Half Marathon? Jan looks like a flippin super model, and I look like a disheveled mess. Oh Jan...)

So In the spirit of transparency, I haven't run more than 2 minutes at a time since December.

So, to answer my question...

.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

However, I have been super fortunate in the fact that I have maintained a high level of energy throughout my pregnancy, and have been able to work out 6-7 days a week.  While I'm well aware how OCD that sounds, I swear on everything that is Holy that I'm not trying to pull a Gisele or Heidi Klum & walk a run way 3 weeks after giving birth.  

To be perfectly honest, I've just maintained a steady routine of exercise & workouts because its one of the few things that I still have control over (to an extent).  Plus, it has been a great stress reliever.  As an added bonus, the consistent workouts will help me once I try to get this body back in shape after I have this child (one can hope anyways!)

So, like I said earlier, I've had to adjust my workouts in a HUGE way.  

One major thing that I incorporated into my workout routine has been this bit of fabulousness...

Why hello, Tracy Anderson Method!!!

Meet Tracy Anderson's method of pregnancy workouts, aka,

The Pregnancy Project. 

HOLYYYYY AMAZZZZZZIIINNNGGG!!

I cannot say enough great things about these workouts.  The $50 DVD collection provides you with 9 DVDs, one individual workout for each month of your pregnancy (Worth every penny). Believe you me, your abilities change with each passing month, so its great that it adjusts to accommodate that.

  

The Whooooollllleeeee Set!

The Best Part?

Tracy is pregnant throughout the workout series, so you don't want to cut her nearly as much as you do during other trainers' DVD workouts (I'm LOOKING AT YOU, JILLIAN MICHAELS.).

Call me a hateful wench, but it makes me feel 100000 times better when I see the trainer struggling during a workout, the same way I am.  Don't judge me :) 

So, take my word for it- as soon as you get pregnant, I highly recommend ordering this specific workout series asap :)

While my stomach has gotten exponentially larger in recent weeks, I'm convinced that the DVDs (along w/ our trusty workout bike & walks w/ the pups) have saved me (so far) from becoming Shamu's identical twin.

But hell, I'm pregnant & kind of crazy half the time, so I'll let yall be the judge :) 

7 months. 

3rd Trimester.

Thank God Almighty.

Well, I think i've probably hit my quota for sharing personal info for the entire year after this post, so I think thats about all I've for today.  

Have a great Tuesday!!

Shopaholic + Baby = Terrible News

Hi.  My name is Caroline & I'm a shopaholic.  

Like, I can't leave a store without buying something.

Add in some pregnancy hormones & knowing the sex of my child, that addiction is easily amplified my 1000000.  

Do you have that image in your head?  Great.  Now add in the fact that I am a complete A type personality & am psychotic about planning out every second of my life.

Again, add in some pregnancy hormones, which magnifies the intensity of my personality by 200000.

I know, poor Kevin, right?  

Ha, believe it or not, he actually thinks being pregnant has made me a nicer person.  Maybe this is because I cry at every sappy commercial on tv?  (PS- I wish there was a way to block the ASPCA commercials.  I firmly believe that Sarah McLaughlin & Willie Nelson have a plot going against pregnancy girls because by God, they know how to prey on my hormones.  I try to convince Kevin to give to ASPCA at least twice a week, through my weeping. So attractive.)

Anywho, they say nesting comes in the 3rd trimester.  Ummm, I don't know who "they are," but "they" are hugely mistaken.  This girl has been all over "Nesting" since day one.

Also, I'm kind of unsure why they call it "nesting."  I call it "Actually being prepared for your child."  Crazy concept, huh?  Professionals crack me up with their crazy terms.  Actually, maybe they coin these terms to make pregnant women feel less crazy?  Hmmm. Theres a thought.
Regardless, I just keep trying to convince myself that my compulsive shopping is 100% normal.  Especially if my baby purchase is a bargain.
Its NOT my fault that sleep sacks, swaddles, and bottle racks all sell for under $10 at TJ MAXX.
You can't pass up deals like that, yall. Right?

However, I guess I hadn't really been keeping track of everything I had bought for our new addition, until I organized it all in his closet.


OH.

MY. 

GOD.

I mean.... does this look like a future episode of Hoarders, or what?  I'm kind of concerned that Kevin is going to stage an intervention for my shopping habits sometime in the near future.  So, I've tried  to cut back & restrain myself from buying baby items every time I see them.

And while I'm well aware I look like an obsessive first time parent (which is probably a fairly accurate assessment, now that I'm thinking about it....), I do have a legitimate reason for little man's closet looking like a mini Babies R Us.  I swear.

The reason being is that shopping for yourself absolutely BLOWS when you are pregnant.
1) People fail to warn you how incredibly unfun shopping for maternity clothes actually is.  In addition, people also fail to mention how hideous most maternity clothes are.  The ONLY hidden benefit are the pants, which are insanely comfortable- even dress pants.  I'm not entirely convinced that I'll ever really want to go back to my normal pants after wearing these bad boys.
2) You all know I am a huge sucker for make-up.  Like, the amount of points that I've accrued on my Sephora and Ulta Cards are almost embarrassing because of their high amount.  However, once you get knocked up, you don't exactly feel gorgeous, so you don't really want to run out & buy make-up.
Seems kind of counter intuitive, no?  It seems like make-up would help you feel prettier, but oddly enough, it just doesnt really work that way.  At least not for me anyways.
3) All fun aspects of shoe & purse shopping also instantly disappear once you get pregnant, mainly because you feel guilty about any crazy expensive purchases.  This whole guilt concept is an entirely new feeling to me, and I can't say I'm a fan.  However, I just can't rationalize $500 on a bag knowing that we could have bought something important for little man with that money.

Who AM I???

In turn, I think I'm going to just need to surrender my debit and credit cards to my sweet husband until we have this child.
Otherwise, we might wind up bankrupt :)

Bahahahahaha.  That about does it for me. Hope yall have a great week!!

Got Munchies? And other random questions

The minute you get pregnant, I think people think it is their constitutional right to ask you any insane & extremely personal question that pops into their head. It absolutely blows my mind some of the things that people have asked me since being informed that I'm having a child.  I thought for some quality entertainment that I'd recap some of the ridiculousness & share these questions with yall.

Question 1: "I bet you're craving alllllll kinds of crazy food. So like, what kind of weird things have you been eating?"

Answer: Hate to crush everyone's hopes & dreams, but not everyone has these crazy "cravings" as soon as they get pregnant.  I'm about 5 1/2 months, & I have yet to have any MUST-HAVE cravings where I've sent Kev off to the grocery at 1am to fetch me something.  When people ask me that, it causes me to stop & wonder why they're asking that question.  Do I look like I've been having insane food cravings causing major weight gain? Is that a polite way of telling me I look like a cow? Or are you just genuinely curious?  And if I had been experiencing anything crazy, it kind of opens yourself up to some judgmental Judy's, pertaining to healthy eating while pregnant. 

Question 2: Isn't it SOOOOOO hard not drinking when everyone around you is?

Answer: Whatever do you mean? People are drinking around me & I don't get to partake? Thank you, Captain Obvious for that astute observation.  Seriously? Way to pour salt in my wound... Just kidding :)

To be really honest, it really doesnt bother me in the least anymore.  Its funny because at first, I really thought I would miss my wine more than anything. After awhile, you just kind of get used to being Sober Sally & roll on with your bad self.  Can't lie though, It does help that the smell of most types of alcohol makes me want to toss my cookies.  Is it fun being around my friends or family when their tipsy?  Hahahaha, yes.  It is hilarious to watch people having cocktails while you are 110% sober.  It makes for the most interesting entertainment one can imagine.  It might even trump Real Housewives.  Would I want to do it 5 nights a week?  Absolutely not.  

Question 3: What do you think you're going to name it? Or what do you think of (fill in blank) as a name?

Answer: Lord knows I used to be guilty of this question.  Everyone likes to either know what you're naming the child ASAP, or they LOVE to throw out suggestions.  I get an absolute kick when people tell me names they think are beautiful or fitting for my child because all I'm really thinking is how disgusting they are & what awful taste they have.  I know that sounds mean, but yall, you should HEAR some of the names people have told us to consider.  They would blow your mind.  At this point in the game, chances are you & your significant other have already landed on a name or have a few top contenders.  (Yes, we do know what we are naming this little man, but I'm saving that for a different blog post.) I also think its funny that people are so willing to tell their favorite names to people who are pregnant, because lets get real, I've had some favorite names I've wanted to name my child since I was in like, the 6th grade.  I'll be damned if I'm gonna share them.  Mainly because I know I'd be devastated if someone took my name.  And yes, I'm well aware that I sound about 12 years old & I know more than 1 person can have the same name, but lets try to be original.  

Question 4: "Sooo, how much weight have you gained so far?"

Answer: None of your damn business.  This question absolutely eats at me.  How would people like it if I asked them how much weight they've gained lately?  It truthfully takes everything in me to not slap someone when they ask me that.  Or I just want to cry.  Either way, my reaction to this question is not pretty. (Mom, are you listening?)  At the end of the day, I think every pregnant person is well aware that they're going to gain weight during the pregnancy.  I mean, you are carrying another person in there.  Duh.  Do you want to be reminded about it 24/7?  Or quizzed on it by random people? Thats a hell no.  One aspect about this question that drives me particularly insane is when people who have already had children throw out random numbers that they supposedly gained while pregnant.  It is MADDENING, especially when those people re a bit... ummm... fluffy & they throw out that they only gained 3 pounds while pregnant.  Ummm. Sure, sweetie. Whatever you say.  You realize a typical child weighs around 6-9 pounds, right? Okay, then.  Keep on truckin. 

Question 5: "Can I feel your stomach?"

Answer: Well, Can I feel YOUR  stomach first?  Yall, this question/action terrifies me more than any other question.  I'm not a very touchy/feely person, so when random people ask to feel this tiny bump that I'm now rolling with, I want to crawl under a chair.  Its one thing if you are a girlfriend or family member of mine, but PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND BOUNDARIES.  Luckily, since its been winter, I've been able to mask my bump so far, but when I'm wearing something that is kind of tight-fitting or don't have a jacket on, I think people think it is a free-for-all.  I would never ever ever ever ask a stranger if I could feel on their stomach.  It is so bizarre to me & I really don't understand the fascination.  Plus, its so intrusive.  Would you do that to me if I wasn't pregnant? No? Okay then, back off. So, unless we're friends, don't ask me because it might set me off into a panic attack :)

To conclude.... I swear I don't have a bad attitude about being pregnant & words cannot describe how excited I am to meet our little man.  I think I have just been completely overwhelmed & totally underprepared by how people react to pregnant people.  The thing about this post is that these questions are just a random sampling from the crazy questions I've gotten so far.  Don't worry, I'm sure I'll have more to report on in the coming months that will be equally terrifying.  So, if you're thinking about getting pregnant in the near future, I just encourage you to read this post & ask yourself if you're ready to deal with the utter insanity that surrounds you when you are carrying a child.  I tell Kevin all the time that I feel like a Science Project :) 

Well, that about wraps it up for me! Hope you all are having a great week! 

A Geriatric Friday Favorite

After my day was devoted to all things baby yesterday (IE: 5 Month Ultrasound, routine check-up, and not one, but TWO daycare tours), I thought I'd take a major break from all of the baby talk this week.

When I was thinking about this post, I was honestly having a hard time coming up with any new favorite items that I've purchased lately.  This is mainly because I haven't bought any new clothes recently, due the fact I feel like an obese cow & clothes shopping makes me contemplate scratching my eyeballs out.  Unfortunately, I have no new make-up items to report that I'm loving either. Sooo, what does that leave?

OH!  Housewares, duh.  

Because apparently you turn into a 62 year old the minute you get pregnant.  OR maybe I'm just forced into having to find sober fun in random places these days.  

Whatever the case, I am honestly OBSESSED with our most recent purchase, aka AMAZINGESS, 

aka

The Bissell Proheat Pet Upright Deep Cleaner

I cannot even express how much fun I had with this bad boy last weekend.  I am literally obsessed with how well this low-cost, impulse purchase works.  

Allow me to provide you with an example.  As we all know, the Grays love their pets. And with a face like this, 

how could you not?? 

However, as much as I love our fur babies, those sloppy sloths drag in a phenomenal amount of foul business into our house.  Whether it be possum leftovers, dirty play bones that they've hidden outside, or just mud, our carpets wind up looking like homeless people have rolled around on our carpets after being outside all winter.

As a result, we have had to get our carpets cleaned every other month or so, which always winds up being around $125 or so.  Last Friday, I decided to take matters into my own hands on an after-dinner date to Walmart. (What? Isn't that where all of you spend your Friday nights? :)  )

And because my husband is an absolute professional with complaining about things over & over without taking action (ie: Carol, we need to get the carpets cleaned... Two days later.. We should get the carpets cleaned.  A week later.. We need to get this filthy carpet cleaned.), I finally convinced him that buying a carpet cleaner was 20 times more cost efficient than continuing to pay $125 every few months.

While homeboy had some majorrrrrrr reservations & also thought I was just having a crazy pregnancy moment for INSISTING  that we buy a carpet cleaner, he couldn't argue with the results.

BEFORE......

AFTER!!!

And that is home carpet cleaning at its finest.  You can't tell me that you all had a more eventful Saturday morning than I did :)  

Don't fret though, for a mere $148.99, you can enjoy the Bissell Proheat Carpet Cleaner & all of its glory in your home too.  

That about wraps it up for me & my senior citizen Friday Favorite.  Maybe Next week I'll be obsessed with something even more exciting, like a new laundry detergent or something. Ha

Have a Great Weekend.