GO BUCKEYES!!! (College Football Colors Link-Up)

Being the crazed Ohio State fan I am, I couldn't pass up the chance to participate in this link-up!

I've been a fanatical Buckeye fan since I was a wee one. Going to and graduating from the university only worsened strengthened my obsession. And living in Columbus hasn't hurt, either!!!

My membership in the Alumni Association has been VERY good to me as well, giving me access to coaches and former players time & time again.

Oh, and of course there's the bestie; one of the many (many, many, MANY) reasons I'm so glad to have Angie in my life is that we're equally nuts (HA! Get it?!) for our Buckeyes. Which is good, because try as he might, but husband just doesn't understand this side of me.

And can I just say for the record how EXCITED I am for this season to start? Yeah, we can't go to a bowl game, but after meeting most of new coaching staff over the summer, I am ready to see their enthusiasm mirrored by the players on the field. OH, and I'm going out on a limb here and GUARANTEEING a win over M*ch*gan this November!!!

You can read about a few of my favorite OSU memories here, here, and here, and I'm posting a few of my favorite photos below. :)

So who are you rooting for? Head over to Keeping Up With The Joneses to link up and share your pride!

GO BUCKEYES!!!

Meeting Archie Griffin for the first time. The man is the definition of a class act.

Eddie. Freakin' George. Good lord, did that man smell fantastic...oh, and he was funny, too!

Me & Chris Spielman, not long after I had Nolan. He's an inspirational guy.

SO many game pictures of Angie & I, but this was my favorite. 

Even though the game was a loss, we had a GREAT time. 

And I have the permanent hearing damage to prove it!

Met the new ball coach, one Urban Meyer, over the summer. 

SO excited to see what he's gonna bring to the table this year...

Yeah, so they never had a choice. As you can see, though, 

Nolan's already practicing his "O-H!!!!"

Goings On

I’ve got lots of little things going on. Not really enough to dedicate a whole post to, so here are a few snippets.

• We are now the proud (?) owners of a minivan. Please forgive the sigh that just escaped my lips. Yeah, we just bought a small SUV in February, which we figured would be the perfect family car going forward…and then we got pregnant. You would think it would be fine; two car seats and one booster should fit in the back seat with no problem. Unfortunately, with Aiden’s refusal inability to gain weight, he won’t be in a booster for a while. And after Mom passed away, my dad didn’t really need two vehicles, so it just seemed like the logical thing to do. So we said goodbye to my Cavalier this weekend, and hello to a Dodge Caravan. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but I LOVE the Saturn. Unfortunately, I’m the main taxi driver transporter of the boys, so the minivan is now mine.

S-E-X-Y

• My darling Nolan has never been much of a cuddler. Like EVER. Not even as a newborn, which really bummed me out at the time, truth be told. Recently, though, he’s gotten a bit more touchy-feely; he’s grown quite attached to one of his blankets (or “baby,” as he calls it), as well as his musical seahorse (Cecil). And there’s been more than one recent occasion when he’s gestured for me to sit on the couch, then snuggles next to me with his baby and wants to watch TV. I DO NOT DENY HIM THIS. I don’t care what I’m doing at the time—if Nolan wants to sit with me, then I drop everything and do it; it’s been a long time coming, and I’m going to enjoy every brief second of it!!!

• Monthly checkup with the OB yesterday was normal. I gained five pounds in less than four weeks, but since I lost weight in the first trimester, and then had held pretty steady since then, no one seems concerned. I should probably cut back on the Twix bars, though. Anyway, Justin’s heartbeat thumped away at a steady 150 bpm. Next up: glucose test in three weeks, at about the same time I start the third trimester. Also, another blood draw to check on my thrombocytopenia. This pregnancy is both crawling along and flying by at the same time. Not sure if that’s really possible, but that’s what it feels like!

• FALL IS ALMOST HERE!!! Can I get a halleluiah?! With the first day of September this Saturday, I’m excited to try & stretch a jersey over my baby bump as BUCKEYE FOOTBALL kicks off for another year. I’ve also got a big Scentsy order ready to go—seems I’m not the only who just can’t wait for my house to smell like apples and pumpkins and leaves. I’ve also been getting a few goodies here & there for Nolan’s b-day party in October; the less I have to do around party time, the better, as I imagine I’m going to start getting uncomfortable around that time…

• We did a big toy clean up a couple of weeks ago in preparation to get the two boys in the same room together. Aiden’s transition to a big-boy bed has been seamless (though the bed does seem to swallow him up a bit), but getting Nolan in there with the same ease—let’s just say my hopes aren’t exactly high. We tried to take all the distractions out to make it JUST a room for sleep, but he finds ways to entertain himself that are sometimes shocking. This is going to be a process—one that I hope is complete before Justin arrives.

Not quite complete, and couldn't fit it all in one shot. I think it's pretty cute, though :)

My Week (40) in Instagram

Sunday 8/19/12: Sleepy. Those eyebrows need some attention. Woof.

Monday 8/20/12: Sleepless night required me to splurge on the Nectar of the Gods.

Monday 8/20/12: Hacked of a chunk of my nail peeling potatoes.

Another reason I just don't cook that much--bodily harm.

Tuesday 8/21/12: Family over for dinner = male bonding with PaPa & Uncle John.

Tuesday 8/21/12: First night in his big boy bed was an unabashed success!!!

Now to transition Nolan into that toddler bed...

Wednesday 8/22/12: Lunch out with the (almost) Birthday Girl. Good times :)

Thursday 8/23/12: First date night in awhile. Mike was pretty keyed up about that butter knife.

Saturday 8/25/12: Early morning Pinterest browsing in bed.

Want to link up? Head over to Amy's blog!

My Week (39) in Instagram

Sunday 8/12/12: Someone insisted he didn't need a nap. 

And then I found him like this on the couch.

Sunday 8/12/12: Bathtime brothers.:)

Monday 8/13/12: Five months preggers.

Wednesday 8/15/12: New fall/winter Scensty samples. Most of these are YUM. :)

Friday 8/17/12: A snippet of my desk view :)

Saturday 8/18/12: 22 months old and lovin' the train set :)

Saturday 8/18/12: Blueberry Festival with Papa. Mike looks pretty sexy

wearing that OSU diaper bag. MEEEEEEE-OW :)

Saturday 8/18/12: Aiden's first pony ride! He did great :)

Saturday 8/18/12: Dinner at Rooster's with the Vegas. Good times and silly faces :)

Want to link up? Head over to Amy's blog!

Monthly Mumbles, August Edition

10. First of all, a VERY warm welcome to all my new followers! I hope you’ll stick around for a while. It’s been so fun to find all of your blogs as well—I just LOVE “meeting” new folks. :)

9. The weather this past weekend (sun & clouds mixed with highs in the 70s and 80s) REALLY gave me some fall fever. Seriously—I had to talk myself out of unboxing all my fall decorations several times.

8. Anyone know of any Erin Condren coupon codes floating around out there? I’ve almost pulled the trigger on my new life planner several times, but the price stops me with all the fun budgeting I’ve had to do this year. It probably doesn’t help that I got SUCH a good deal last year, and now I kind of expect the same. But I R-E-A-L-L-Y want one.

7. Left work early last Friday to retrieve a feverish Nolan from the sitter. He was up around 102 degrees until he went to bed that night, so I didn’t have high hopes for my weekend. Imagine my surprise when he woke up fever-free Saturday morning! Must have been some 24-hour thing (I heard one of the other kids had the same problem on Saturday). We’ve been pretty lucky that our boys don’t get sick that often (KNOCKING ON WOOD).

6. Tried a Pinterest recipe over the weekend. It wasn’t successful (at least not in my opinion; my hubster & MIL thought it was good), but reading the comments from the site where it appeared, I believe I know why. Maybe next time I should check out the comments BEFORE I start cooking. Lesson learned.

5. Got an unexpected refund check in the mail over the weekend, so while we’ll be saving most of it, I dedicated a little for a few items on Etsy I’d been coveting for Justin. Can’t WAIT for it all to arrive.

4. Trying to wean Aiden from napping. Right now we’re only doing it on the weekends (which is convenient, because lately we’ve been too busy for him to squeeze it in anyways). He’s done okay; not too grumpy, and he falls asleep easier at bedtime. On Sunday, I thought he should go ahead and take one, but he begged not to—and then I found him asleep on the couch. Work in progress.

3. Gonna have to edit my Bumpdate post from Monday to reveal that I do in fact have a craving with this pregnancy—Twix bars. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH of them. Guess I’ll be gaining more weight this time.

2. Lately, Nolan has stopped whatever he’s doing, found me, and pointed at his diaper when he’s gifted us with a No. 2. I’m thinking maybe that’s a signal to start potty training? It seems a bit early, but the thought of not having two in diapers when Justin arrives in a few months is VERY inviting…

1. This is too crazy not to share; my aunt sent me an email about this over the weekend. My family is Catholic (even though I’m not a shining example of devoutness, which we just won’t get into here). Well, my aunt had been talking to my Grandma over the weekend, and Grandma brought up that all Catholic patron saints are given a calendar day for remembrance. So my mom passed away on June 1^st—and the patron saint for June 1st? St. Justin. {JAW ON FLOOR} We seriously had NO CLUE when we picked the name. I think it’s little things like this that help me know she’s still looking out for us. :)

Bumpdate: Five Months

I see these all over the blog world, and since I don't think I'm disciplined enough to do a weekly update, I thought I'd try a monthly one for the remainder of this pregnancy...

My apologies for the grainy, early morning photo...

How Far Along: 5 months (22.5 weeks) today!

Total Weight Gain: I think maybe 10 lbs total

Size of Baby: Nearly 1 whole pound, according to BabyCenter

Maternity Clothes: I waver between my smaller maternity clothes and a few of my flowier (did I just make up a word?) non-preggo clothes. I am definitely looking forward to the cooler fall months so I can break out my sweaters & sweatshirts, though. I'm kinda done looking flabby in tank tops.

Gender: Most definitely a BOY!

Movement: Silly, ticklish little baby kicks. He has days where he's insanely active, and days when I think he might be napping the entire 24 hours.

Sleep: Not a problem yet; it's getting harder to get myself in and out of the bed, though.

What I miss: Pretty much just beer right now. :)

Cravings: Honestly? Baby makes me HUNGRY. Food of any sort. And even though I'm trying to curb the caffeine, there are moments when I just NEED a Coke.

Other crazy symptoms: Nothing much. I'm so used to being pregnant (I've had a kid every other year since 2008) that nothing really surprises me anymore. :) 

Best Moment this Month: Seeing that beautiful, healthy baby on the ultrasound screen at my 20-week appointment. I imagine I'll be high-risk by my next update (woohoo, thrombocytopenia!) and that I'll get additional ultrasounds due that, so hey, silver lining here, folks :)

Buckeye Love (via Pinterest)

To know me is to accept that I'm a rather overboard die-hard Ohio State fan. (Need some background? Try here, here, here, and oh yeah, here.)

And the thought of waking up three weeks from today and knowing that I can watch ESPN's College Game Day, immediately followed by the first OSU game in the Urban Meyer era...well, let's just say three weeks still feels like an eternity.

To get myself psyched up a bit, I was browsing my Pinterest board this morning. Here's just a taste of some of my favorite OSU finds...

I have a Buckeye room that this would look AWESOME in...

...and this, too...

SO. CUTE.

Maybe next season--I'm a bit too preggers to pull this off right now.

LOVE this, but yeah, maybe next season...

Words can't express how much I'd like to see Justin in this hat...

...or this onesie!!!

And I'll end with a fun meme from Facebook this week--because no self-respecting Ohio State alum can close without a dig at That State Up North...

Sunset Photos from the Sis

My sister Megan, as I've mentioned here before, has developed quite the talent for photography. So being the annoying younger sister that I am, I asked if (during her visit last month) she could snap a few photos of the boys--and maybe a few of Mike & I as well.

I absolutely LOVE all of them. The setting is my folks' backyard, and I love the dreamy haze from the sun.

Thanks, Megan, for letting me share. :)

Should Be

Hey Mom,

Last week marked two months since we got the terrible phone call.

I’m still working this whole adjustment. I’d have to say I’m doing okay most of the time. But I think about you.

All. The. Time.

Lately, when I leave work & still have the urge to call & tell you about my day, I think of how our conversation SHOULD be; I’ll tell you how ornery Nolan still is, and how much Aiden is loving preschool, and that I’m feeling so much more comfortable in this pregnancy while cruising through the second trimester.

And then I think about what you SHOULD be telling me—how much better you’re able to get around now that the knee replacement is behind you, how you’re NOT looking forward to going through it all again on the other knee, how stinking HOT this summer has been, and how much you’re looking forward to fall.

The SHOULD BEs are what kill me. And there are so, so many.

You SHOULD BE enjoying the close proximity of the Vegas, since now you're only separated by 5 minutes instead of 9 hours.

You SHOULD BE telling Megan how fantastic her photography is every time she shares a new photo.

You SHOULD BE shaking your head at the fact that we’re producing a FIFTH grandson—nary a girl to be seen.

You SHOULD BE sharing in Abby’s pride at reaching her goal weight before she turns 30 next month.

You SHOULD BE cooking a fantastic dinner for John & Dad as they finish their hard work fixing up the barn on these sweltering summer weekends.

You SHOULD BE enjoying evenings with Dad, and shaking your head that you’ll celebrate 38 years of marriage this November.

You SHOULD BE the first person I call every time I have a pregnancy update, or silly joke from Mike, or new Aiden-ism, or crazy stunt by Nolan.

You SHOULD BE…here.

But you’re not. And obviously that’s no one’s fault; it just is.

And it sucks. Especially when I think of the SHOULD BEs that haven’t happened yet.

The one that hurts me the most is that you SHOULD BE there hold little Justin on his birthday, just as you were there to welcome his brothers.

I know on some level that you ARE participating in all of this—sharing in our joy, and in our sadness.

But how I wish you were still here in the flesh—to answer my phone calls, to greet me on a Sunday visit, and to give Dad a dirty look when he asks “When are we having cake?” :)

I guess the adjustment to living life without you is ongoing.

Even if I don’t think it should be.

August Blog Star--Hey, Why Not

OH HAI, so nice to meet you!!! 

I'm Kimmie, and I thought I’d give this a go—I love meeting new blog friends!!!

Randoms about me:

1. I pulled a muscle changing the toilet paper roll this morning. (Maybe this isn’t the best thing to start off with, but it’s definitely still on my mind! My arm HURTS!!!)
2. I seem to be having a year of extreme highs (we’re pregnant with our third little dude!) and extreme lows (I lost my mom unexpectedly in June). It’s been a roller coaster ride to say the least. 
3. I LOVE FALL, especially here in Ohio; pumpkins, apples, Buckeye football, new episodes of my show--September can't get here soon enough! 
4. I miss beer. Another reason I can’t wait to meet this little peanut in December… 
5. Pinterest makes me hungry—the recipes make my mouth water. But then I remember I’m the world’s worst cook, and so the pictures remain pinned on my boards, never to be attempted. Someday… 
6. My phone is crapping out on me, but I can’t get a new one until November. Any recommendations out there? 

That’s it for now—feel free to click on the About Me or Our Story up top if you’d like to read more! And stop back anytime!!!

My Week (38) in Instagram

Sunday 7/29/12: Celebrating Gavin's 1st birthday :)

Monday 7/30/12: Hung some new artwork in my cubicle :)

Tuesday 7/31/12: WHAT EVIL PERSON DREAMED THESE UP?!

My mom would've LOVED them.

Tuesday 7/31/12: Waiting for Daddy to get out of Kroger's.

Wednesday 8/1/12: When the sole of your shoe breaks away at work 10 minutes before you're

supposed to leave for your OB appointment, you have to get creative.

Wednesday 8/1/12: Yup, this is AFTER a haircut. I LOVE those curls and can't let them go.

Friday 8/3/12: Dinner with Mimi @ Steak & Shake. Good times :)

Saturday 8/4/12: Chillin' at the St. James Brats Fest, waiting for some vintage baseball.

Definitely one of our favorite events of the summer :)

Saturday 8/4/12: Havin' a good time with Aunt Abby & her friend Dawn.

Want to link up? Head on over to Amy's blog!