A First Time for Everything....

This past week I experienced many things for the first time...

1). Eating Lunch on an Exam Table at an Animal Hospital. (Don't worry, the Doc assured me that no one had used that room all day....hahaha)
2). Purchasing a stroller.
3). Purchasing a car seat.
4). Sewing a purse/bag.

Kacey and I had talked about brining lunch for the Crossroads Animal Hospital troops several times and finally decided I would surprise everyone this past Saturday. I made manicotti (one of the many famous Mama McCoy dishes), jello salad, and 7-layer salad (which incidentally had a handful of habanero pepper pieces because I mistakenly thought it was a mini bell-pepper...oops...added a little kick to the dish!).

Well, it turns out, Kacey was in on a plan to surprise me with a baby shower! So, Kacey, vet-tech Jodi (middle), and Vet. Dr. Sherrod (right) enjoyed a lovely meal and awesome baby presents while surrounded by Frontline and Heartworm posters, medical supplies, and X-ray machines.

Even some of the vet office clients pitched in! Above is a bear from the client who also made the cake (from scratch!!) and party mints. That clinic has the most loyal customers I have ever seen at any company anywhere. At least every other week Kacey comes home with something a client baked, grew, or crafted. People here are so sweet!

And I had to post a picture of our baby jogger and car seat!! How exciting! They work as a travel system so we will be able to start using the stroller even when the baby is only a few days and weeks old. A week from Tuesday, I will start visiting my doctor weekly to assess the cervix for signs of labor! Wow.....can't believe it is so close. We have a TON to do before our little bundle of joy arrives, so hopefully Baby Carr will choose to stay inside my belly until at least October! Kacey worked all day today on the baby room and I worked on sewing my diaper bag. I will post more pictures soon!

Where to Begin??

Well, it has been quite awhile since I posted, so apologies on falling behind! Lots has happened since the last post, so i'll try to fill you in without getting too long....
First, I have had some requests for updated belly shots, so here you go! This is a little past 33 weeks (apparently my counting was a bit off, so the post at 31 weeks was actually quite earlier!). I am still feeling pretty good! Some days I get rather exhausted but I'm still able to go on a walk just about everyday and go about business as usual. I have taken my wedding ring off for the remainder of the pregnancy just to ensure that I don't have to have it cut off, so I'm now wearing the band Kacey got me for my travels in Costa Rica. We finished up our birthing classes last week and we are both so glad we went! It has made it feel a lot more real (especially for Kacey...he's SOOO excited now even feels like he's started nesting!! haha...). I'm also extremely pumped for the labor and delivery and to finally meet the little one!! Oct. 9th seems so long to wait! But we are praying the baby will stay in there until then in order to be fully developed and ready for life outside the womb.

On another note, I learned something very important last night that every cook should know and I will gladly pass it on to you in hopes that will not make the same mistake I did! Kacey had brought home a huge back of home-grown peppers of all kinds this past weekend, so i thought I'd try a dish with jalapenos...well, after slicing and dicing 5 or 6 jalapenos for a jalapeno pie, we sat down to eat dinner. After about 5 minutes of eating, I noticed a burning sensation on my fingers. Immediately, I started looking for scrapes or cuts that could have come in contact with the jalapeno juice but found nothing. I washed my hands anyways, but the burning continually increased and became quite painful. After furiously scrubbing my hands with soap and water several times only to have the burning intensify, I turned to the internet for help. Upon finding a whole discussion board dedicated to washing jalapeno juice off of hands, I learned that you are supposed to wear gloves while handing the spciy peppers! who knew?? Many of the posts had tales of people who burned for 8 hours to 3 days!! So, i began trying all kinds of suggestions...tomato paste, vinegar, borax, dishwashing soap, saliva, lotion, everything! Below is a picture Kacey took of me (I think he felt sorry for me, but was also pretty amused!) soaking my hands in yogurt... one of my last attempts. After that did nothing, I just numbed the pain with ice packs which worked wonders. After I knew I shouldn't keep ice on my hands any longer, the burning returned so we headed to the store for aloe. And wouldn't you know, while we were standing in the aisle debating between brands, the burning subsided! If I was to post on that blog, i guess i would say use ice for an hour and then drive all the way to the store for aloe. Your body will know you went out of your way to get relief and you won't even have to spend the money on aloe! Whatever it was that worked, i am so thankful that by morning the burning was gone (except a little bit on one thumb). Needless to say, it was very diffifult to eat my jalapeno pie, but I did manage to force a few bites down and I think i may have liked the dish if it didn't bring back painful memories of severe burning! I think I'll be sending the peppers back to the animal clinic for someone more daring and experienced than I...

And on an even more different note, on Saturday, Kacey called me on his way home from work and told me he had two surprises for me. Based on my husband's history and tone of voice, my first reaction was "NOOO!!! oh Kacey....NO!" I think he was a bit surprised that I instictively knew he probably meant something live. I thought for sure he was brining home puppies that needed resueing. He assured me they were not puppies or cats so i relaxed just a little (although he still wouldn't tell me what they were!) . It turns out the two surprises were 1). delicious organic cookies, and 2). a baby bunny. I knew it! It had to be something live! Well, of course, it is sooooooo precious and already hops over to me when I make my little rabbit noise. For now, we plan on helping it get a little bigger and then letting it go in our back yard, if we can convince the dogs that it's not prey.

Mighty is thinking, "Why can't I chase it??? I LIVE to hunt and catch these things!"

Bear was a little more relaxed, although he was still a bit unsure about the little guy.

Here is Kacey feeding it milk from a syringe...

Mighty in his new bed. He loves beds that are way to small for him! What a cutie :)

Katie and Kody came down to visit us a few weekends ago and we had a blast!! One of the funnest things we did was take a blow-up raft Kacey found at a garage sale and charted the river at Norris Dam! We also explored the UT campus, took our dogs to the dog park (Katie and Kody brought their new puppy Noodles too!), and visited the West Town Mall. Katie was also a trooper and went with me to the birthing class!! Poor girl! She got to sit through 3 hours of talking about epideruals, forceps, C-sections, and all kinds of good stuff.

Here are three deer crossing the road at Norris State Park.

Kacey and I in front of Norris Dam.

What a BEAUTIFUL site!

And before Katie and Kody came for a visit, Kacey and I got to go to Nashville to see his cousin Tasha and her new baby! Nana, Aunt Lori, and Aunt Vicki were also there :) Here is Olivia (Tasha's first)...so fun! She was always on the move (and had a big crush on Kacey!) so it was hard to get pics that weren't blurry! Tasha looked fabulous and was a wonderful host...even after just having a baby!

Lori, Nana, Kacey, and Vicki...

And here is the newbie! Myca Ray. Probably one of the cutest newborns I have ever seen...this is just a week after her birth. She really looked like a doll.

Phew! Sorry that was so long...I'll have to post sooner next time!

More Pictures...

Here are some pictures Marla took while she and Kevin were in town...

Marla helped me cook 2 quiches, 3 pizzas, and 1 ice cream pie, all in the span of a few hours, to use up some leftovers in the fridge.

Side view of the tummy (this is at about 29 weeks):

If it seems like I'm always wearing that gray sweat skirt, it's because I am! It was a $3 Walmart buy from Arkansas and it has been the most comfortable piece of clothing throughout my entire pregnancy. I love it, despite it's ragged appearance :) Poor Kacey sees me in it about 5 times a week!

This is the baby room window that we (and by we I mean Kacey and his dad) knocked out. It has a wonderful view of the backyard. Bear continually tried to crawl through the window, assuming it was cooler in the there than outside. Yes, he still complains about being outside all day :( It must be doing him some good, though, because he has lost about 15 lbs! If you know anything about Bear, you know this is a good thing. His tendency to over-eat has lead to some weight problems in the past (even though he's not even 2 yrs old!), which will probably complicate his hip problems. So, we have to watch what he eats pretty closely. It's easier now that we have food tucked away in a closet. In Marianna, if we weren't careful, he'd find his way into the laundry room, open the bin of food, and eat until he pretty much passed out in a food comatose state. Although I wish I could say I'm exaggerating, I'm not. Poor Bear...

Spanky checks the progress of the side window...

Kevin gets ready to install the window. This is after much drama trying to find the right sized window. Apparently, they don't make windows the same sizes as they used...all the windows we came back with were either too short or too wide. So after much thought and discussion, Kacey came up with the brilliant idea of building a shelf underneathe each window! Good work Kacey!...Now the windows fit AND we have extra storage space!

Yay for the beautiful new window! You might also notice the white line running above the window. This is the new wiring Kacey and Kevin installed throughout the room...much safer and more reliable.

31 Weeks and Counting

Friday, July 23 marked week 31 in the pregnancy and now that it is seems just around the corner, I have been getting very anxious to know whether Baby Carr is a boy or girl. I'm hoping the gnawing curiousity will help speed the labor and delivery!

In case you are also getting impatient, here are the current gender predictions to keep you thinking...

Baby heart rate - GIRL

Needle on thread test - GIRL
Chinese Lunar Calendar - BOY

Carrying Position (low) - BOY
Carrying Shape (basketball) - BOY

Kacey's gut feeling - GIRL

Bethany's gut feeling - GIRL (with some indecision)
Baby Communication - GIRL (I asked the baby to kick once for a boy and twice for a girl...it gave two swift kicks!)

Popular Opinion - BOY

Split right down the middle! I guess we will just have to wait until October 9th.... Although, last time I went to the doctor, she said I was measuring big... a whole week and 1/2 big! So this could be a September baby afterall. Or the little one just has really long extremities :)

It has been so fun to see and feel the baby move. He/she now responds when I talk to it and it seemed to really enjoy listening to Grandma McCoy sing. I think it's little muscles are getting stronger because some of the kicks are starting to hurt! I'm still feeling good, but am definitely feeling more pregnant. Although the swelling has improved, I get out of breath very easily and when I get hungry, I get REALLY hungry. Kacey, of course, is already being a wonderful dad...he's always making sure I'm comfortable and not over-doing it. He is so appreciative of everything I do at home and he has even stepped up the chivalry! He has also begun making plans for completing road races with the baby jogger :). I am one lucky girl! We start childbirth classes the first week of August and will attend a total of 5 classes. I will also post updated pictures of the baby room when I get them! Kevin and Marla visited this past week and helped out a TON. Kacey and Kevin worked relentlessly and made huge progress on the room. It looks so wonderful already. Marla helped me load up on some baby stuff (including lots of adorable clothes) and helped with the continued efforts to put our house together.

Here are some pictures from when I flew home earlier this month...

First are some fun family pictures Ryan and Dev let me take. I have such a beautiful family :)

Here are some photos from Erin Witt's shower/wedding...the first picture is of Nikki (also pregnant and due Sept .10!) and I with our bellies. She looks so great you can hardly even tell she's pregnant!

This was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to. Everything from the bride to the reception to the absolutely delicious strawberry-rhubarb jam favors was picturesque. But what really made this wedding one that will stick in my mind forever was the focus of the entire ceremony...it was all about Christ. They clearly see marriage as a real-life portrayal of Christ and His bride, the church. If only all marriages started (and continued) with this line of thinking - that relationship with the spouse is not about self-satisfaction and happiness but about demonstrating unconditional forgiveness and love (as Christ does towards His children). Our church in Knoxville is also grappeling with this idea in marriage and it has been a challenging message that has continued to present itself to me in various forms over the past few months...weddings, movies, sermons... Maybe God is trying to tell me something! Well, here is to waking up each day with the intentional decision to live and love like Christ to the best of my ability (only through the grace and mercy that Jesus daily extends to me)...especially towards the wonderful husband God has given me :)

Home Makeover

By request, we have a Home Update... :)

While many of our boxes are now unpacked and organized, some are still full and tucked away in our "creepy-but-full-of-potential" loft. We are waiting to put everything in its rightful place until all rooms are finished. YIKES! could be awhile! Things might be taking a tad longer than anticipated...as things always do with remodeling. The baby room below is just the beginning!! After tearing down the paneling (a reckless act that began the day of our closing back in February because of our excitement), we discovered two layers of very old (probably lead-based) paint on top of two layers of even older wallpaper. That, coupled with a sagging ceiling, made the decision to strip down the entire room to concrete blocks and 2x4 planks. Pictured below is Kacey and Dad ripping the last bit of yucky dry wall out. Way to go men!

On Tuesday, Kacey cleared out all of the rubble and finished ripping the last remining dry wall pieces that were trying to hang on. It already looks much improved...you can even see the floor!

Currently, the rest of the house is thankfully not in such desperate condition because we will work on one room at a time (after the roof and electrical wiring are fixed!). Despite the work ahead, the endless paneling, and mis-matched cabinets, we have loved our new home from the minute we stepped inside. It stays much cleaner now that I can stay home and we don't have Arkansas dust coming in by the troves on our dogs. It is cozy and a perfect fit. It will be fun to share with a little one too :) If you have not seen any pictures yet, here are a few to give you an idea of our little "cottage". If it looks inviting, feel free to call and set up a get-away date! We would love to host a small vacation for you!

Here is our house!

Here is the side view of the fence Kacey finished. It also goes about the same distance back into the woods and then all the way across to the neighbors fence. Our dogs (and Jonas the black one on the left) enjoying the yard...kind of. We are discovering just how spoiled they really are, especially Bear (the big black on in the middle). Last week he caught a squirrel in the woods, which is amazing considering his lack of athleticism and interest in anything but wrestling Mighty, being pet, and food. Kacey and I decided it must have either been very sick and slow or slipped and fell out of the tree right into Bear's grips. Either way, he caught it and in the process, got a huge gash on his lower lip...the squirrel must have fought back pretty hard. With that said, he had to stay inside for about 3 days while the wound healed so that he wouldn't re-open it. Well, apparently he got used to the being inside. Now, if he knows I'm home, he periodically sits on the porch and gives me his most desperate cry hoping I will hear how miserable he is out in his almost one-acre backyard, complete with a friend and woods. Pitiful.

Here is the living room, which is currently acting like another storage room.

This is the kitchen, which will be the next remodeling project after the baby room is complete. This is where I spend a good bit of my day making three meals and doing lots of dishes!
The laundry room (which is housing 2 washers, 2 dryers, and our fridge).
The second living room which is also doubling as the guest quarters. In the three weeks we have been here it has already housed 4 visitors...all teachers on there way to their summer plans. We stacked 2 mattresses on top of each other (one is skinnier that the other) to create a make-shift couch! We sold ours in Marianna so we are improvising while on the prowl for some real living room furniture.
Our quaint bathroom, which is right next to our bedroom. WONDERFUL! Especially since my bladder now wakes me up several times during the night. Now everytime I get out of bed, I whisper a quite thanks for not having to walk all the way across the house and crawl over 2 dog gates and 3 dogs in the dark to get to the toilet (as I did in Marianna).
Here is our little bedroom.
Here is one section of our loft, which will eventually become a cozy hide-away library/craft and sewing room/workout space.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! We'll keep you posted with the progress :)