Picture Friday

Happy Friday!!! BB (baby boy) Hoffman is sure getting big!  I find myself looking at our most recent ultrasound pictures over and over again...and I still cant get enough! I thought that maybe y'all might like to see BB Hoffman!

Saying hello to mommy and daddy

what a beautiful profile BB Hoffman has

My FAVE- so precious

mouth wide open- looks just like his daddy

It's a boy! (arrow pointing incase you need some help)

Oh how I've grown in 10 weeks!



JCH and I are busy doing our homework! Trying to determine which is the safest (and cutest) crib, car seat, stroller, etc. is slightly exhausting...but mommy wont settle for anything other than the best!  What did you do to research baby items? Did you happen to save any of your research (and willing to share)? We are also trying to determine what "baby furniture" items we need/want and what we can fit into the room that we have designated for the nursery.  What items would you say are absolutely necessary?  I bought a sewing machine and am going to make the curtains and a foot stool, and my mother has agreed to help with the crib bedding (slightly more complicated than I can take on).  As silly as it sounds I'm really excited to get my sewing machine and start on some of my projects!!!  This mama is feeling the need to "NEST"!!!

JCH and I are going to a wedding this weekend in Greenville, SC which I've heard so many wonderful things about!  We are really excited to not only share in the joys of LOVE with our friends but to have a little "getaway" together to rest, relax and love on each other!  We love weddings...they really do spark a deeper and bigger flame within the two of us...so magical!  I'll be sure to take pictures--especially after all of the hype of finding the "perfect maternity dress"- LOL :)

Wishing a wonderful weekend to all of you!!!

Mocktails and MooMoo's

Not feeling very COOL lately guys!  I think the idea that I am no longer cool has been lingering in the back of my mind for a month or two, but recently HIT my conscious thought process a few days ago when I was shopping for maternity dresses online for a wedding.

I have always LOVED fashion and have always been known in my circle as being slightly edgy and wearing the “weird” hipster stuff that most people choose not to pick up from runways or celebs (AND I LOVED THAT).  I love clothes and fashion- it’s such a unique way to express yourself and define your individuality.  Why is it that being a “mom” or “soon to be mom” means that you can’t be fashionable (unless you have a huge budget of course)?  I do give the clothing stores, who sell maternity clothes, some credit by supplying clothes that actually FIT pregnant women…but why can’t they just take normal (fashionable) clothes and make a little extra room?  It’s like they are “dumbing down” fashion for those who are “expecting”…leaving me “expecting” more!  Okay so that’s my rant…I’m a little “put out” with maternity clothes and am not feeling like my normal self lately…unable to express my individuality through fashion (I warned you I can be slightly overdramatic)!  In a month or two I will probably look back at this post, 20 pounds heavier (and happily wearing a moo-moo) and laugh that I was so silly about "being fashionably pregnant".

Last night I finally did it! I got my hair done!  I have been putting this off with all of the mixed reviews of why coloring your hair during pregnancy is or isn’t bad for you.  My stylist is amazing!  She made sure to foil so that none of the chemicals touched my scalp and provided me with the seat next to the front door (that she propped open just so I wouldn’t be breathing in any fumes).  I felt 100% confident that our little boy was just fine and can I tell you that MAMA is now more than fine!  When she was done with my color, cut and blowout I felt like ME again!  I honestly felt like I needed to put on my most fashionable outfit (oh wait I don’t have any that fit) and meet some ladies out for cocktails (or at least I would have a “mocktail”)!!! J

Today I even wore HIGH heels to work!! I’m back! LOL but seriously I haven’t worn high heels to work since “IMPLANTATION DAY”….which for those who may not know that date by memory (like I do) it was October 30th! It’s amazing what a pair of stilettos and a trip to the salon will do for your confidence.

Another reason I am feeling REALLY cool today (okay not THAT cool) is that I created a “youtube channel” for our family.  It’s what all the kids are doing nowadays!  I hated that I didn’t have a way to share my last video…and now we have another video that MUST be shared…especially with y’all who I feel are my best and closest!  A few months ago JCH was “nominated” by his doctors to be a spokesperson for a new drug that literally has changed his life- Cayston (see Holidaze).   Cayston is one of the newest drugs that treat Cystic Fibrosis and by far the best!  John's breathing treatments take an hour each morning and each evening (with drugs other than Cayston) and new drug, Cayston, only takes a few minutes.  Drugs like this are changing the lives of those with Cystic Fibrosis and the ongoing support and donations from my “best and closest” are what make that possible.  Since I began my journey as a "CF Wife" (what they call me at the foundation) and advocate for raising funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis I have seen my efforts and money make such a difference in not only Johns life but of the many people I have been honored to know who are also affected by CF.  There is a cure within our reach and financing the research is the only thing that stands in its way!  So check out our video (warning: it’s kind of a tear-jerker) AND check out my link to my Great Strides page where I have just kicked off my fundraising efforts for the event on May 12th.  Please help me make CF stand for CURE FOUND!

Pregos say the darndest things

I guess if you haven’t watched the video on my facebook wall by now…you probably aren’t going to…so I should probably disclose…IT’S A BOY!!!  I thought he was a boy from the very start but for some reason really kind of secretly hoped for a girl.  Dont worry there is NO DISSAPOINTMENT from this girl.  I am even more thrilled that its a boy for some reason.  There hasn’t been a boy in my family for two generations (until now) so the idea of a boy is just way too cool!!!  JCH is such a “man” with his outdoor activities…fishing and hunting…and I can’t imagine him not having his boy to share those hobbies with.  We are going to have so much fun with this little guy!!!

21 weeks pregnant and I am fully loaded with hormones and pregnancy related symptoms.  Although I’m still getting sick from time to time I have finally acquired that APPETITE!  Boy have I acquired an appetite!!!  Last night I went grocery shopping on an empty stomach and came home nearly 2 hours later…with $100 worth of junk food.  I’ve gotten to the point where everything I see- I want to eat.  I’ll be watching tv and they are eating pancakes and from that point on I cant stop thinking about getting my hands on some pancakes…or popcorn…or ANYTHING else that might come across the television.  It’s out of control how much I want food when I see it.  The funny thing is that I don’t have any random cravings…unless I see food!

I’ve also really brought a whole new meaning to “pregnancy brain”.  I do attribute this to having a double dose of pregnancy.  What do I mean by that? (no I’m not having twins)  I have been working on a huge renaming and rebranding project at work for almost a year now that we have set our launch date for May 1st.  I literally countdown the weeks with both the baby…and “the baby” (the name launch).  I have become so overwhelmed with deadlines and information that I can’t keep my head on straight…and I’m pregnant.  A few days ago a project committee at work was meeting with a vendor that normally I “middleman” communication with…and I started the conversation by telling them I requested the meeting because “our group wanted to hear the details from the horses’ ass….errrrr horses’ mouth”. Honest to God the moment it came out of my mouth I corrected it…but that didn’t prevent 15 minutes of comments and jokes at my expense.  This is just one example of the ridiculous things that have come out of my mouth lately. What about things I do?  I rear-ended someone at a stop light a few weeks ago…and I melted JCH’s “breathers” last night.  YUP!  For those that don’t know…since JCH has Cystic Fibrosis he is “prescribed” to do breathing treatments twice daily.  After his treatments he puts the plastic mouthpieces into a pot and boils them to sterilize.  As I was cooking last night I accidentally turned on the wrong burner…and minutes later realized I had melted his plastic breathers.  Partially his fault for putting them in a pot on the stove (with no water)…but definitely an absent-minded mistake on my part! YIKES! Good thing he had extras!

Teddy (our Cavapoo) has also noticed the hormones.  It’s the only thing I can attribute to his “funny” behavior lately.  I noticed a few weeks ago that Teddy was licking the carpet…ALOT!  JCH and I noticed it more around where we so foolishly eat dinner at the coffee table in front of the tv…so we thought maybe he was scavenging for food crumbs.  But then, he started licking the couches…and my sweat pants…and my bath towels…and nearly anything that I touched.  Someone mentioned that he is trying to put his smell on things that I touch (to mark me as his territory)…but another person mentioned that licking is sometimes caused by anxiety.  Either way they both sound pregnancy related.  He definitely knows something is up.  He is more obsessed with mommy then usual…and will attempt to lie across my belly as if he is trying to get closer than the baby inside me.  He will just sit and stare at me as though he’s trying to communicate something to me.  It’s the sweetest thing.  One day while lying across my belly the baby kicked and Teddy looked back at me as if I had nudged or thumped him…it was the funniest thing!  AHHH SIBLING RIVALRY starts early!  For those who know JCH and I you know that we are OBSESSED with little TEDDY. He is our baby!  He has taken more road trips and flown on more airplanes than most people (and he’s only a year old).  It concerns us that he is (and will be) so affected by this.  Our vet actually teaches a class at the hospital about “introducing your dog and baby” and we plan to go to see what we can do to help the transition for Teddy. If you’ve been through this and have any advice on what’s worked with your “fur babies” and new baby PLEASE share…we would love some friendly tips!

On another note…I’m saving Johns melted plastic breathers and “thinking on” how I can use them to make some money for my Great Strides campaign (details coming soon on that)…I mean they kind of look like a piece of art now! LOL :)

JCH's breathers (just as they sat in the pot) melted all together

Side shot of the melted plastic

Boy or Girl??

Happy Super Tuesday (and by super I mean it was fabulous for our little family)! :)

What a day! I left the house before 8am and got home long after 8pm! That's a long day for me! TOTALLY worth it though!!! Our ultrasound this morning was by far the best! Not to belittle the others...but words can’t describe how amazing it was. I cried the whole time (tears literally poured from my eyes while watching them measure the femur and humorous-lol). I kept thinking back to our 1st ultrasound at 7 weeks when our baby was literally JUST a beating heart...and then today getting to see the 4 completely developed chambers of the heart...just a miracle. JCH and I made a fun little video to "announce" baby hoffman's gender so I wanted to share that with y'all too!

In the meantime, we found out that our umbilical chord is not centered on the placenta (which is more typical) and therefore they would like to watch and make sure the baby is growing at the expected rate. The funny thing about that is that baby hoffman is actually BIGGER then he should be...measuring a whole 6 days ahead of his "age" at 14 oz (nearly a pound now). They said the chord placement isn’t anything to worry about...but it does get us an extra ultrasound (which I'm super pumped about). So we'll be back to see the doctor at 24 weeks for the (standard) yummy diabetes drink and check up...and then again at 28 weeks for another ultrasound (yippee).

I was hoping to be able to download the video straight to this page...but it appears that the file size is too big for "blogger".  Follow this link below...and scroll down until you see the video on my facebook page... http://www.facebook.com/#!/casey.luxem (If we aren't already friends...feel free to friend request me too).