This has been one of the quickest weeks in quite sometime. It seriously flew by. And this was one of the weeks in which I would have loved for time to be slow motion. My mom was here, I had an ultrasound, we went to Tampa/Apollo Beach, and all kinds of other things.
During my moms first visit to Lake Mary, we went to Macaroni Grill (which it has been AT LEAST 15 years since either of us had been there, so good I might add + they let you color on the "table cloth" [table paper] which is perfect for people like us [score]), we shopped, we discovered a new part of the area that I hadn't seen, Park Avenue, where we ate at this super fresh & amazing Mexican restaurant called Cocina 214, and we caught up on some movies that we wanted to see.
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Her time with us flew by. Luckily, we met her later on in the week over on the west coast of Florida. #tampabay #apollobeach It was such a nice visit. We got to see my Aunt, Uncle and cousins. We shopped, Joseph got to play golf on a new course, I got to have lunch at this beautiful waterside restaurant called Bahia Beach, and we experienced a new church. Also, let me mention my extreme excitement for Saturday's college football. Florida State beat Wake Forest & Alabama beat LSU. It was a good day for us to say the very least!
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All good things must come to an end, but now we're getting back into the daily swing of things at home. We have a couple weeks of just the two of us (and Ace) in our house and then the visits start again. So that is something to look forward to :)
Let the thankfulness continue in this gorgeous month of November:
November 4th: My Mom. I am thankful for my mother and everything she has ever done for me. I am thankful for the person she has made me. I am thankful for her improving health and how strong she has been throughout the years. I am thankful that even through the distance, through our phone conversations and catch up time that I feel like I'm not missing anything on her daily life. I am thankful for her visiting. I love that when she gets here, it feels like we just pick up where we left off. I love how she still takes care of me and now I take care of her. I'm forever grateful for her and to her. Caroline is so lucky to have her as a GiGi and she doesn't know it yet. She is going to make such a great grandmother. I am so blessed to have a woman like her in my life. If we could choose our moms, I couldn't have chosen a better one for myself. She is more than a mother, she is truly my best friend. I'm so thankful for the wonderful woman I am blessed to call my mom. 
November 6th:Ultrasounds. I am thankful for ultrasounds. I love how close they bring me to my daughter. I am thankful that my mom was able to be at this ultrasound and see her Granddaughter for the first time. I am thankful for how clear this ultrasound was and how beautiful my baby girl looked. I am thankful that I could see Caroline play with her feet and have a huge yawn. I am thankful that she cooperated the entire time and even played with the light. I am thankful the tech took so much time with my mom & I and explained every little thing about her to us. I am thankful for everything an Ultrasound allows us to see. This visit was by far the best ultrasound I have had so far. I am in love. I am thankful for Ultrasound appointments. 
November 7th: Daily Walks in Nature. I am thankful for the beauty that nature has to offer us. I am grateful that I have a park that I can walk Ace to. I am thankful for the trees and the grass and the fresh air. I am thankful for the ducks that we see on our walks and for the lake we have to look at. I am thankful for the peace that can be found in nature. I love how being outside has a way of clearing the mind. I am thankful for the exercise I get while on our walks. I am thankful that Ace looks forward to them and enjoys them as much as I do. I am thankful for his good behavior while on these walks. I am thankful for the swings I get to swing on and for the clarity I get while at this park. I am thankful for being able to walk my dog through such a beautiful park trail any time I please. 
November 8th: Photography. I am thankful for photography & photographers, specifically our wedding photos & White Sands Photography. I love how pictures capture moments and can take you back and make you remember that moment so clearly. I am thankful for photographers who capture real moments and take candid photos. I am thankful for posed pictures that show true feelings. I am thankful for photographers being at the right place at the right time. I am thankful for photographs that show timelines and make you feel like you're there again. I am thankful for Joseph & my wedding pictures. They take me back & make me enjoy the day again and again. I love looking at them. I love remembering the feelings I had on that day. I love seeing how we were looking at each other and how we held each other on the dance floor. I love the memories that I'll forever get to relive because I have these pictures. I am thankful for pictures & good photography.
November 9th: The water. I am thankful for living by the water. I love being able to hop on a boat and go cruising around.. I love how the air smells, I love the feel of a boat drifting atop of water, I love being able to watch the sunset in the middle of a body of water or from the beach and having someone to share it with. I love the ocean, I love the bays, canals, and lakes. I am thankful for the breathtaking sights you can experience on the water. I am thankful for being blessed to live in Florida by the water.
November 11th: United States Military. Veteran's Day is a day of celebration, remembrance, and pride. I am thankful to all of the men, women, and families who have served this great nation past, present and future and to the fallen soldiers who have given their lives for this great nation. I am thankful for all the military in my family, Air Force & Army & Navy, and am proud to have such a strong military background. I am thankful for my Grandpa (retired), for my Late Opa (retired), for my Father (retired), for my Brother (active), for my Father-In-Law (retired), for my Uncles (retired), for my cousin (retired) and for the their families and elders. I am so thankful to know such strong people and have them in my life. I am thankful for our United States Military Veterans. 
Joseph & I have been talking more about Thanksgiving since it's getting closer. I think we have a change in plans. I think our first Thanksgiving Holiday together we are going to donate our time to feeding the homeless. We are going to find a shelter in the area and go serve food. Neither of us have ever done it before and we both agree that it would be a wonderful and selfless way to spend our 1st Thanksgiving together. We want to give back for the many things we have been blessed with. I'm so glad we talked about it and this choice was brought up. I'm really looking forward to it.
All of our fall decorations are out now, being displayed around the house. [Even my 'Turner Pumpkins' have arrived!] All I am missing is a nice festive table cloth. Staying on the look out though.
Caroline's nursery is still underway. We did add a new addition to it though, thanks to my mommy. She worked very hard and the results show it. She redid a rocking chair for us and had it done in the nursery colors with a super cute fabric and all. We absolutely love it & so does everyone that has seen it. I was rather impressed, since I saw the rocking chair before the remodel started. Such a great transformation! I am so happy with it! Thank you, Mom! 
After having Caroline's ultrasound this past week, we learned that she is a rather big baby. She is already weighing in at 3 lbs. (which is how much a baby at 30 weeks should weigh). Also, she has long bones. So we are expecting a long baby. In her ultrasound you could see the fuzz on her head, lots of it. We are predicting a full head of hair at birth. And she had super long eyelashes, thanks to her mommy & daddy. Her lips were full, they were perfect. (See above Ultrasound for more pictures). I can't wait to see her in 3D/4D and then meet her.
You learn something new every day. Did you know that during your 1st and 2nd trimester you can have a regular visit at the dentist's office. You can have x-rays and get your teeth cleaned as usual. BUT once you get to your 3rd trimester, no more dentist for you. You have to have approval from your doc then. Who would've thought. GOOGLE WAS WRONG!
How far along? 28 weeks! We're in the 3rd Trimester!!
Total weight gain/loss: 25 lbs. (I guess I hadn't been weighed in a while, because that jumped quite a bit!..Now to start gaining weight on the reg)
Maternity Clothes? Every day mixing it up. Maternity pants & regular shirts. My size small shirts don't fit me anymore but the mediums are still hanging in there!
Stretch Marks? None that are noticeable yet, fingers crossed for the remainder.
Sleep: One potty break most nights, besides that, I'm using Joseph as my pregnancy pillow since we don't believe in them- he loves it.
Best moment(s) this week: The ultrasound my mom & I got to see together. Caroline was so playful and exciting to watch. Her huge yawn was adorable. She's extra precious and I'm so happy my mom and I got to experience it together.
Miss anything?: Laying on my stomach. It was probably my favorite way to lay pre-pregnancy. Now I can't.
Movement: She is extremely busy in my belly. Her rest periods are shorter by day it seems.
Food cravings: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! PB & J and some fresh yummy salads!
Labor Signs: no, no, no. NEGATIVE.
Belly Button in or out? Still an innie.
What I am looking forward to: My Healthy start meeting tomorrow to learn about some Mommy & Daddy classes to prep and then our hospital tour on the 20th. We get to pick out our room and hear all about what "The Baby Place" has to offer.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't forget to pee before you go somewhere or do something, you never know when the next bathroom is going to come around.
