In 2012, I resolve to drive myself crazy.

I know there's still a few days until the new year and the time for making resolutions for 2012 is a couple of days away, but I thought I would get a head start on making my (rather lengthy) list of resolutions. Here goes.

1. I WILL make dinner again. I love to cook. I don't have the skill to be able to whip something together from 5 ingredients in my pantry, but I can follow a recipe. And actually like doing it. There's nothing like the feeling of accomplishment when you sit down to a home cooked meal each night, knowing that your hands put together this meal (along with Pillsbury and Sara Lee--every cook needs a little help). I'm tired of eating out, I'm tired of seeing money disappear due to eating out. If I make dinner again six out of the seven nights a week, going out to a restaurant will become a treat again, not just a couple of times a week occurance like it is now. Cook dinner. No excuses.
2. This one's a little trickier.....lose weight. Now, I'm not naive enough to think that I'm going to get my fairly skinny pre-baby body back, but I would like to drop one more jean size and a few inches around the waist. Right now, I'm two sizes bigger than what I was before Avery. I would enjoy wiggling back into a size 6 jean and be perfectly content. This will be achieved through exercise. A tough one for me. I do not, in any way shape or form, have motivation to exercise. Even as a UK student, when the campus gym membership was FREE, I could not bring myself to put on work out clothes, drive to the gym, walk from the parking garage and work out. Not to mention how inadequate I felt being around those health nuts. Here I would be, huffing and puffing and close to death on the treadmill, while they barely broke a sweat running their third mile. No thank you. But I can do some form of a work out at home. Lift light weights with Marty. Do sit ups. Walk around our neighborhood. Too bad doing laundry and changing diapers doesn't burn more calories.....
3. Organize and clean my disgusting house. Listen. I'm a new mom. I'm exhausted 80% of the time. Currently, my attitude about cleaning house is that I don't have the energy to do it on a daily basis. I HAVE to get out of this mindframe. Instead of walking in the door and dumping everything on the kitchen table, I need to make the effort to put things away. Right now, when Avery goes to sleep around 8:30, I'm faced with the dilemma of chosing to accomplish things around the house that don't get done during the day or sleeping. 3 out of 4 times, sleeping wins. I know that my baby will be awake in a few hours (no, at 5 months old, we do not have a sleeping schedule figured out yet) and I want every precious hour of sleep that I can get. Instead, I need to accept the fact that I am not supposed to sleep during this period of Avery's life and start keeping my house neater. I'm not saying that I have to be an obsessive, oh-my-Lord-there's-dirt-on-my-floor-and-I'm-going-to-freak kind of person, but at least having my stuff put away would be a start. Then my 2013 goal can be to have a "Pinterest-esque" organized home.
4. Save money. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the "cook more, eat out less" goal, but I need to stop buying things for myself. When I walk into Target, I usually peruse the clearance section of the women's clothes and shoes. Why? I have PLENTY of both. I don't need another black shirt or pair of flats. Make do with what I have. And I have some pretty great pieces in my closet that I haven't worn in awhile. And while I'm not buying clothes for myself, I need to stop randomly buying clothes for Avery. Believe it or not, this one will be harder to do. Baby girl clothes are sooooooo adorable. And so hard to pass up. But she's going to outgrow that onesie in 3 months...no matter how cute it is. She has two entire drawers full of onesies and a closet jam-packed of cute clothes. Stop. Buying. Baby clothes. Spend that money instead on formula and diapers. Or, better yet, put that money in Avery's college fund.
5. Be a better wife. Sometimes, I feel like with the crazy whirlwind that is my life of a mother with a 5 month old, my husband gets lost in the shuffle. We get up, we talk to Avery, we go to work, I pick up Avery, we get home, we play with Avery, we feed Avery, we put Avery to bed, I go to bed. I see very little "us" time in our current schedule. My husband has asked me several times to sit and watch a DVR'ed episode of "Mike and Molly" with him. I usually decline, opting instead to wash bottles or go to bed. What would thirty minutes of watching TV hurt? Especially when it means that I'm actually getting to spend uninterrupted time with Marty? I feel so frazzled most of the time with my new mom status and my inability to keep a clean house or do anything remotely domesticated anymore, that usually my frustrations come out on the target that's nearest....usually Marty. And I don't understand why. I'm so lucky to have a husband like I do. I hear stories of friends with babies whose husbands don't change diapers or clean up after themselves or do any type of housework in general. I have a husband that will change a diaper (although we're struggling with the dirty diapers right now), does his own laundry and will help me with housework when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Why don't I thank him more? This resolution should probably be moved up to the number 1 spot in importance.
6. Do more with Avery. I browse Pinterest probably once a week and find a million good ideas to do with or for your children. And I immediately pin it to my "Avery stuff" board and resolve that I will do those things for my little girl. Just like everything else, it gets lost in the hustle of our lives and the idea is quickly forgotten. Stop. Make moments count with Avery because she's only little once and I want her childhood to be as memorable as mine.
7. Figure out a way to balance this new-and-improved, domesticated, supermommy me, while also keeping time for myself. Since having Avery, I haven't been able to paint much. Mostly because I don't have the time, but also because my craft room/the office has officially become "the junk room." Don't judge me, I know you have one too. Avery in all her baby adorableness, arrived with a lot of stuff. In our house, that means very little place to keep it. We have a fairly small house with not much storage...few closets, no attic, no basement, no garage. This results in things being thrown in the office, because there is absolutely nowhere else for it to go. When I would walk into the office to relax and paint, I would become so overwhelmed by the clutter that I would immediately hyperventilate and walk back out. I will get this office cleaned, I will paint more, and I WILL find that "me" time that I've lost.

Okay. I'm done for now. There's a million other things that I'd love to list (organize our back porch, keep up with our landscaping, clean the front porch and put out chairs, start collecting antiques and incorporating them with the modern-ish pieces in our house, become a trend-setter and stop worrying what everyone thinks about my clothes and wear what makes me feel good (a.k.a. hats and dresses), make photo books, finish my dad's scrapbook, blog more) but I know that's not being realistic. Heck, out of the seven things I have listed, I'll probably be lucky to keep more than two of them for a few months. But I'm going to give it the old college try. Wish me luck. (and good luck to you in all your 2012 endeavors)

iPhone Apps without iTunes

With CopyTrans Manager, the FREE iTunes Alternative, you can now install apps on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. You no longer need iTunes or even Jailbreak fot that! There is a link to the freeware:

• iPhone apps without iTunes

All the features of CopyTrans Manager in a nutshell:

• Add songs, apps, videos, etc. from any PC to iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone
• Create and delete playlists or edit existing ones
• Drag & Drop songs directly into playlists
• Edit track information (artist, album, ratings, genre, etc.)
• Add missing album artwork automatically
• Browse by album, artist or any other tag
• Play songs and videos on any PC
• No installation required
• Sync instantly

Here is short video on the topic:

For the other way round, in order to backup your iPhone apps to your PC, check out CopyTrans:

• Copy iPhone Apps to iTunes

Ain't love grand?

When I was younger, I had a black Labrador retriever named Pepper. Greatest dog ever. I got him for Christmas when I was 2 years old and grew up with that dog by my side.  I adored him. And I thought I knew what love was....
Until I had my first "boyfriend" in middle school. We never went on a date, held hands or really even talked to each other, but I thought I knew what love was....
Until I had my first high school relationship. We went on dates and hung out.  And I thought I knew what love was....
Until I met Marty.  We had an instant connection to each other and even when we were "just friends," I always wondered what it would be like if we were dating.  Then he asked me to be his girlfriend.  And I was convinced I knew what love was....
Until we had been together for a few years and he got down on one knee in front of hundreds of people at Disney World and asked me to be his wife.  I was so full of emotion, I thought my heart would explode.  And I thought I knew what love was....
Until I walked down an aisle, my dad's arm linked in mine, anxiously waiting to recite my vows and become Mrs. Marty Gaddie.  I was a crazy, don't see anyone but him, head over heels newlywed.  And I thought I knew what love was...
Until we got through our first year of marriage together.  We went through ups, downs, fights, date nights and building a home together.  And I thought I knew what love was....
Until I saw him hold our child.  Knowing that God put this man in my life and blessed us with this beautiful child, who is a perfect combination of us both overwhelms me daily.  Watching Marty with our baby girl is enough to bring me to tears and makes my heart swell with joy.  The love I have for her is indescribable and completely different than any love I've felt before.  And I'm convinced.  THIS has to be what love is.

Super mommy, where are you?

I've got my cape on and I'm ready to.....oh wait, hold on....it's on backwards. There. Now I'm ready to tackle...crap. Is that a stain? I guess it needs to be washed. Let me lay it in one of fifteen piles of dirty clothes in my laundry room. Maybe I'll wash it later, after I do a load of baby clothes of course. Which reminds me, I need to sanitize Avery's pacifer, since I forgot to pick up paci wipes at the store.....where is that stupid pacifer? I thought I put it right here by my five empty water cups sitting on the nightstand....maybe it's here under the bed......so that's what happened to my other gray sock! Gosh. I really should vacuum under there. Do I remember where the vacuum is? I think it's in the laundry room. Geez, that reminds me! I have to wash baby clothes!
I knew I was going to be able to be "super mom." You know the type--the mom that always volunteers for everything, looking completely polished and put together while her baby sported an adorable outfit with a matching bib and hairbow? The one that bragged about her job, ability to make lasagna noodles from scratch, all while keeping a spotless house and documenting every single second of her child's life? That was going to be me. I would lay in bed at night and rub my big pregnant belly and smile, thinking of all the of the amazing things I would do as super mommy. The craft projects we'd create. The organizational tips I would implement. The super strict, but loving discipline I would enforce. The bedtime routine I would establish. The homemade dinners I would make. The clothes I would clean. The clean house I would manage. It was going to be amazing. People have babies all the time and they manage to make it work, right? And then I woke up. I look back at that pregnant me of 4 months ago and laugh my butt off. Super mommy? How about super messy? On a typical day off with my baby girl, I struggle to find time to run to the bathroom by myself before she screams to be entertained. Discipline has gone out the window, as I attend to her every whimper. My laundry room is source of fear for me now....my own personal version of hell. I walk in and the clothes practically taunt me--"A super mommy would have had us washed WEEKS ago. You're out of clean towels? You're a failure." My dishes are piled up in my sink. I no longer have a visible kitchen table top. My Halloween pumpkins are decorated, but didn't even make it out onto the porch. Clothes are everywhere, shoes are scattered, and my car looks like a homeless family has been living in it for months. Where are you super mommy? I look at myself and wonder how other people do it. How does my sister-in-law manage her 3 and 1 year old and watch Avery twice a week? How did my mother work a full time job with three kids under the age of 8--one with a heart defect and in need of extra attention? How did my Meemaw have SIX children in a row, while helping my Peepaw on the farm and always manage to have a homecooked lunch and dinner ready every day? How did my Granny also have SIX children, while following my Papaw around the country as a military family and get all six children readjusted and manage a home? What's my problem?? Why can't I handle an adorable, yet slighty needy, three month old and do all of those things that I set out to do? My blog is the ultimate testiment to my inability to multitask. I don't even remember the last time I was able to sit down and blog. I'm writing this after my sweet baby has gone to bed....the ONLY time of day I seem to be able to get anything done. Is this what I'm going to be reduced to? Washing clothes by the light of the moon and cleaning my room, while tiptoeing around the bassinet that holds my sleeping baby? If that's what I have to do, then so be it. I need a reality check. Repeat after me: my house is not clean and I'm okay with that. Repeat as needed. Next: it will probably be SEVERAL months, if not years, before you have time for the little projects and "super mommy"-ish things you had planned. This is okay. Keeping Avery fed, clean and occupied should be your number one priority now. I wanted to be that mom that was able to have a happy baby, a spotless house and dinner on the table every night. But I'm hanging up my cape for now. Because there certainly isn't anything wrong with a happy baby, a messy house and a Hot Pocket every now and then.

iTunes Alternative for iOS 5 and iPhone 4S

CopyTrans Manager - the free iTunes replacement has been updated lately and is now fully compatible with iOS 5 and iPhone 4S. The download is available on the following page:

• iTunes replacement

Most important functions at a glance:

• Copy videos, ringtones, music and more from PC to iPhone, iPod or iPad
• Create iPhone playlists
• Remove and delete tracks from playlists and your iPhone library
• Change ID3 tags using the Tag Editor
• Automatically search for missing artwork
• Enjoy your iPhone music using the integrated music player

Just because.

I suddenly know the difference between Pampers, Luvs and Huggies and the pros and cons of each. Because I'm a diaper-conscious mommy. At 3 am, I can easily locate a pacifier, clean diaper, receiving blanket and Destin cream by just the light of the TV. Because I'm a sleep-deprived, but learning to function on 4ish hours of sleep mommy. I believe my little girl is the most beautiful and perfect baby I've ever seen. Because I'm a biased mommy. I used to be the type that had to have complete silence and darkness before I could go to sleep, but have now learned to sleep with the TV on and a sound machine loudly playing the sounds of ocean waves. Because I'm a mommy that would listen to a police siren if it would help my baby sleep. I come close to crying tears of happiness when my baby girl is crying and I pick her up and she immediately stops and sighs like being in my arms is her favorite place. Because I'm Avery's mommy. I lay awake at night and watch my baby sleeping, wondering what she's dreaming and watching her little chest rise and fall to make sure she's breathing right. Because I'm a mommy that worries. With every little cough and unexpected rash, I worry that she's getting sick and wonder what I can do to make sure she's always safe and healthy. Because I'm an overprotective mommy. I love hearing about other people's journeys through motherhood and welcome advice on how to keep my baby healthy and happy. Because I'm a new mommy. I walk through stores and am immediately drawn to the adorable baby clothes, even though I know she has a closet full of them at home. Because I'm a fashionable mommy. Even though I love having her here, I miss being able to feel her kicking my belly and always knowing where she is and that she's safe. Because I'm a formerly pregnant mommy. I will probably bore you to death with stories about my baby from now until the time she's 10. Because I'm a ridiculously proud mommy. I hate to argue with any of you that think your job is the best, but you're wrong. Mine is. Because I'm a mommy.

My crazy new life

Life. Is. Crazy. I'd heard it, but kind of blew off any advice that a newborn changes your life completely. Yes, I knew that it was going to happen, but when people would tell me that things were going to change, I just kind of had the nonchalant attitude of "Duh, I know." But trust me, until you're actually living it, until you go through hours of labor and have this little person given to you that you're completely and totally responsible for, you have absolutely NO idea. You have no idea what it's like to sit up at night and worry "Did she eat enough?" "Can she breathe?" "Is she too hot/cold/bundled up/not bundled enough??" Life has completely changed. My living room used to be (for the most part) organized and somewhat clean--focused on decorations and function. Now my living room has been taken over by a 2 week old baby. A bouncy seat, pack n play, swing, bassinet, various baby items are strewn throughout the room. Forget decoration or function. My main goal is now keeping her happy and keeping her things within reach. My entire adult life, I have been on a mission to keep my nails grown out and healthy. The day I went into labor, my nails were perfectly shaped, manicured and all a uniform length. They were perfect. Then Avery arrives with her delicate skin that can be easily scratched by my beautiful nails. Needless to say, the nails were quickly cut down to a very short, very ugly, but very safe for baby length. My days used to be filled with projects, paintings, cleaning and other humdrum activites. Now, my days are filled with diapers, feedings and quick cat naps in between feedings. Nothing else matters except my baby girl and keeping her happy, fed and clean. My thoughts are filled with the last time Avery ate, when I should be taking my medicine, how many diapers we have left in stock and where I placed the Destin cream the last time I used it. If it doesn't relate to my baby, the thought has completely been pushed out of my brain. I no longer worry about what I'm wearing for the day. I throw on a pair of maternity pants and a top that's easy to nurse in and turn my thoughts to which cute outfit baby Avery will be wearing. My alarm clock has been replaced with a baby cry. My cell phone homepage was once filled with games and social media apps. Those have quickly been replaced with a notepad featuring baby's feeding schedule and apps that create white noise to help her sleep. So, to all you soon to be mommies out there....your life is going to change. You'll hear it a hundred times between now and the time that your baby arrives, but I promise, it's all for the better.

How to manage iPhone without iTunes?

You may already know, that you don't have to use iTunes to manage iPod, iPhone or iPad. When searching for iTunes Alternatives it's very likely that you'll find a dozen of apps promising to manage your iPhone independently from iTunes. The software that I use is called CopyTrans Manager and you can find it here:

Free iTunes replacement to manage iPhone without iTunes


So far, so good. Did you also know that iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad require drivers to be recognized by your PC? These drivers are installed with a fresh copy of iTunes, meaning you need to install iTunes, QuickTime etc. to use your iPhone with your PC. As many people consider iTunes to be bloatware, you may wish to use your iPhone without having to install iTunes. That's why you can use the CopyTrans Drivers Installer.

This little free app installs all drivers and you'll finally be able to use your iPhone entirely without iTunes.

Gliders and rockers and chairs, oh my!

Who knew that the hardest part of putting together a baby nursery would be finding the "right" glider to match the decor?? I thought, in my naive little world, that picking out the crib and coordinating furniture would be the most difficult decision I would make. Turns out, that was the easiest. I immediately fell in love with our nursery furniture. Black, classic, gender neutral=perfect. Next step was to find a rocking chair or glider for those late night feedings, bedtime story readings and lullaby singing that Avery and I will be doing in the very near future. I searched online websites, again having a "vision" in my head of exactly what I wanted. And darn it if I didn't find it. Very quickly, I might add.

It's completely gorgeous. I love this chair. No, really. I LOVE this chair. "So buy it!" I hear you say...."what's the problem?" The problem is the price of this little chair. The chair of my dreams is a whopping $449. And that's just the chair. The ottoman (because, of course, I want to kick my feet up and relax after a long day at work) is sold separately, tacking on another $125 to the already steep price tag. I literally have arguments with myself over this chair. I constantly go back and forth over whether or not I should spend that kind of money on a daggone chair. The war in my head goes a little something like this:

"I love this chair."
"I do not love the price."
"It's sooooooooo pretty. It's definitely a chair that I would use after Avery's outgrown the rock-me-to-sleep stage."
"The price isn't that pretty."
"This chair is so unique...have you seen it in anyone else's nursery or home??"
"Of course not. No one else is crazy enough to spend that kind of money!"
*pouty face* "But I waaaaant it."
"Sorry, you need to spend that money on more practical things like bottles and diapers."
*sigh*

This conversation takes place probably once a week. I go to Target's website, look at the chair, decide I want it, click on it to add it to my cart and then feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Yes, we got Target gift cards for our baby showers and could apply that money towards the chair. But then I think of all the things that we could buy with the gift cards instead....a set of organizational bins for her closet, more bottles, more diapers (because Lord knows you can never have enough). As always, my more practical side always wins out and I click out of Target and do (yet another) extensive google search on gliders. I search and I search. I click on less attractive, but soooooooo much cheaper gliders and wonder if they have the ability to re-upholstered. Then you're looking at the cost of fabric. And trying to find someone that can accomplish the task of re-upholstering glider cushions. And the time spent to wait for the glider to be shipped to me and the cushions to be done (and, as of today, we're talking 35 short days away from my due date). And then I get overwhelmed, click out of the websites completely and continue my nursery chair-less day. I'm beginning to think that labor will be easier than picking out this stupid chair......

"To do" list......you mean a " to never get done" list?

As the time for my due date draws near (6 more weeks!) and the pounds continue to add on (I'm going on a strict diet whenever she gets here), I notice that I have absolutely zero energy to tackle my every day tasks that once seemed easy and mundane. What once was a trip to the laundry room, carrying three baskets at once, starting a load of laundry and pulling clean clothes out of the dryer would have taken me maybe 10 minutes. I would have finished the task and moved onto some other household duty that needed attending to. Now, the idea of carrying three baskets is absurd. I carry one basket into the laundry, start a new load whenever the wash happens to be empty (very rare these days) and then, feeling accomplished, I huff and puff my way back to the couch to sit and rest. When did laundry seem like such a daunting task? I think wistfully back to the days that I could get my entire house spotless in a matter of hours...this included mopping floors, bending over to clean anything out from underneath kitchen cabinets and behind the toliet. Now, I can't pick things up off the floor without first bracing myself against the nearest, most solid piece of furniture. I miss the days when I could make myself a to-do list and, within a day or two, it was a to-done list. Now, I make to-do lists that I stare at longingly in my planner, with a task or two crossed off in a matter of a week. I had grand plans for this past weekend. My aunt and mom were coming to my house to help me on Monday to go through the nursery, organize, wash clothes and decide what still needed to be done. But this didn't happen....Sunday night I pulled a muscle in my leg and could barely walk. Monday was spent on the couch giving directions as needed to my mom, husband and sister, who lovingly went through baby things for several hours. However, realizing that I do have 6 very short weeks left (give or take a few) until little Avery arrives and I get nothing done except feedings, diaper changes and reading "Goodnight Moon." Therefore, I'm making my to-do list and nothing will get in my way to getting these things accomplished....no after-work naps, backaches or pulled muscles will stand in my way!
Devan's to do list (that be a WILL GET DONE LIST!!!!)
1. Organize and complete the nursery. This HAS to be done. No excuses.
2. Organize my desk at work...putting notes on everything in case I were to go into labor at any day.
3. Clean my home office that has become a junk/catch-all room in the process of setting up the nursery.
4. Finish painting orders (I'm almost all the way caught up!!)
5. Make more infant/toddler headbands and hair accessories (this is a new project of mine....pictures to be coming soon).
6. Start the book club I've been planning for a few months. There hasn't been much outside interest, but I'm determined to not be a "shut away at home" mommy that never has any outside contact with other adults.
7. Finish laundry. This one might require help from my husband, but I could definitely fold the clothes after he washes and dries them. :)
8. Be happier and less stressed. This is the greatest time of my life....why spend it stressed out and annoyed at everyone I meet?

I hope to update in a week or so and let you know that my to-do list is completely marked off and in the trash. :)

iTunes replacement update for iPod Shuffle 3G and 4G

A few days ago CopyTrans Manager, the free iTunes replacement, has been updated. Thanks to this update you're now able to manage iPod Shuffle 3G and 4G without iTunes.

More information about supported iPod, iPhone and iPad models, as well as further functionalities of the free iTunes Alternative, can be found on the product page:

CopyTrans Manager: Manage iPod and iPhone without iTunes

Pregnancy rantings....

I've noticed a few things since becoming pregnant that I never noticed before.
1. People, mostly men, stare at my belly. Like I'm harboring an alien child. Sometimes, when dealing with customers, men's eyes will flit from my face to my stomach no less than 15 times in a 2 minute conversation with a nervous look on their face like I have a highly contagious disease that they're in danger of catching. Am I delusional in thinking that these men HAD to encounter pregnant women in the past? Some of these men have to be married with children...were you absent for the 9 months your wife was pregnant? You can't tell me that I'm the first expectant mom they've come across in all their years on this Earth. The bigger I've gotten, the more I've noticed this behavior. Like they're waiting for my water to break all over the place and they want to run away in the other direction as fast as they can. As if I didn't feel unattractive enough.....so to you, man in the Wal-Mart line or customer in the bank that I'm walking past to go to the bathroom for the 25th time that day, I'm fine. I will not be going into labor any time soon (and if I do, feel free to go about your business. I have a cell phone and can call the hospital/my husband/my mother) and I am not going to pop out an alien child. Please stop staring at my belly. It's weird.
2. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've noticed that everyone and their brother wants to give me advice now. They ask lots of personal questions like if I'm quitting work, getting an epidural, having a home birth or if I'm breastfeeding my child. If I decide to answer those questions, they immediately ramble on about how I should quit work, shouldn't get an epidural, how home births are the best and how I should breastfeed until my child is 5. Thank you, kind stranger, for your unsolicited advice, but I think I'll be doing my own thing, which includes working, getting an epidural in the comfort of a hospital room and my breastfeeding plan is none of your beeswax. I totally understand that every mother thinks their way is best and they want to bring every person they possibly can to see things from their point of view. However, just because it was good for you, doesn't mean it's going to work for me. Note to self: when I become a mommy, keep the advice to myself unless otherwise asked for such advice. [disclaimer: this does not apply to family. I totally realize that, as my family, you are allowed to give advice whenever and wherever you'd like. I just don't have to listen to you. :)]
3. Suddenly, everyone I see is a doctor. When I stand up or walk by someone, they feel the need to exclaim "You're huge!!" or "Gosh! You look like you're about to pop any day now!" Actually, no. I have two more months left and will get a lot bigger than this. Thank you for your outburst because I didn't really feel like a sweaty beached whale that waddles. You've made me feel so much better about myself.
I hope when this is all over and I have the baby in my arms instead of my belly, people can go back to ignoring me. I'm sure I'll still receive the unwelcome advice once Avery comes and I'll have to learn to take that in stride. As long as they're not still telling me I look like I'm about to pop.

Silly little baby quiz :)

How far along? 26 weeks, 6 days. :)))


Total weight gain: 17 pounds


Maternity clothes? Can't live without them. I still mix in non-maternity pieces like cardigans, but it's mostly stretchy pants and empire waisted tops :)


Sleep: Terrible. Avery is most active at nighttime....figures. lol


Best moment this week: Sitting with Marty and actually watching my stomach move as she kicked me.

Movement: She is VERY active. Thebump.com says that babies in the 2nd trimester should be sleeping/resting up to 14 hours a day....I think my little one sleeps maybe 5. She is her father's child.

Gender: Girl (although I keep having a reoccuring nightmare that we go to the next ultrasound and they tell me they've made a mistake...)

Labor Signs: I would sure hope not! I'd be panicking if they were coming this early.


Belly Button in or out? In. The day I wake up with an outie belly button will be the day I go into complete hibernation.


What I miss: My non-maternity clothes and high heels.


Weekly Wisdom: Just trying to enjoy every little milestone in my pregnancy. It's such an amazing experience!

Baby's Size: An eggplant. She weighs almost 2 pounds :)

Milestones: Her eyes are developing this week and will be blinking soon. She's getting stronger every day....and kicking me HARD to prove it!

Decorating a baby's room....my idea of fun?

Does it make me a bad person to admit that the first reaction I had after we found out we were pregnant (behind shock and excitement, of course) was obsessive thoughts about how I was going to decorate the nursery?? I was beyond excited that I had a new room to decorate...a blank canvas almost. And a nursery is a room where you can get away with doing a lot of cutesy, crafty things without it looking totally overboard. I laid in bed at night and dreamt of all the possibilities. I knew, of course, that we were going with a black and white theme. It's classy, it's gender neutral and could be used again if we have a second child that's a boy. Plus, it's totally me. :) So my nursery hunt began with the search for black and white nursery bedding. It took several months before I found anything I even halfway liked. Finally, I came across a major deal on toysrus.com. Mix and match black and white print bedding....almost EXACTLY what I had pictured in my mind. I was beyond thrilled. The baby mattress came yesterday from Wal-Mart and I immediately rushed to put the bedding in the room to see what it looked like against the purple walls. Love!

I really don't think I could love the result any more than I do. I adore the polka dot, damask, and black and white stripe combination. It's beautiful. And again, exactly what I had pictured in my head. I love it when a plan unfolds just like you envisioned :)

After I had the bedding, my thoughts quickly turned to craft ideas. Things that I could make for Avery's room that would make it uniquely hers. Don't get offended or anything, but I'm just not a fan of the cookie cutter, let's buy a "12 piece set and everything in the room will match perfectly" matchy-matchy type of baby room. Yes, I realize it's more convenient, but I love the idea of mixing and matching things. Finding bedding online, a lamp from Kirklands, a chair from Target, painting her a canvas for the wall. Then the room suddenly turns from just another baby room to completely, 100% Avery's room. But anyway, back to my crafting ideas. The first vision I had was of a bow holder. Yes, I've seen the cute bow holders with the block of wood and the ribbons hanging down where you can attach the bows, but I wanted something a little bit different. Inspiration came in the form of a giant picture frame I found at Hobby Lobby last year for $6...

I wasn't sure how it was going to work, but I just knew this would be the perfect solution for my unique bow holder plans. After throwing around a couple of ideas, my boss informed me that she had roll upon roll of this plastic netting that she used in her garden and no longer needed. Easy to cut, but durable, I knew I had found the solution. Adding a metal flower from a garden ornament on clearance at Kirkland's and a massive burn from my hot glue gun, Avery now has a bigger bow holder than even I think she'll need:

It's not the finished product I had in mind, but it's pretty close. Project #1 of baby's room....done!

My next project I had pictured was a mobile to hang over her crib. Gone are the days of little stuffed bears playing lullabies for baby's crib's. Extensive searching on google provided the most gorgeous results. Butterflies and printed patterns that fluttered with the slightest breeze, long pieces of tulle decorated with gorgeous flowers, pinwheels....you name it, they have made it into a crib mobile. After searching through page after page of mobiles, I decided that I was going to save a considerable amount of money if I just made it myself. The end result isn't exactly what I had planned, but I'm still happy with it. That's all I have done so far. She'll be here in another 3 1/2 months (ahhh!) and I have the following projects:

One VERY large canvas to be made into a personalized subway art painting. A wine rack...this one's a secret :) And attempting to find a super cute black and white printed glider. You have no idea how much I'm enjoying this process. Yes, because it's decorating for my own baby's arrival, but I'm loving the process of finding things that match or go with the room. I wonder if there's a career out there as a nursery interior designer?

Cloth diapering=crazy mommy?

Why is it that everyone looks at me like I have three heads when I mention that I'm thinking about using cloth diapers? No, I'm not a "hippie mom" that's against disposables, I just like the idea of not spending as much on disposables when I can just wash and reuse the cloth diapers. Call me old fashioned, but I love the idea of cloth diapering. And it's not like they're the plain, jane white burp cloth-like diapers from days of old. Have you seen the new cloth diapers? They are super freaking cute! You can get them in all kinds of prints to match babies' outfits or let them be super stylish when they're crawling around in nothing but a diaper!

Yes, there are a few issues when looking at cloth diapers. 1. When purchasing them for the first time, they can be expensive. Some brands charge $18 for just one little diaper cover! That doesn't include any inserts or multiple diapers. Just one diaper. I think that's crazy. But the more I research, the more options I'm finding (and boy are there a BUNCH of options out there!!). The best deal I've found so far has been SunBaby diapers. (http://sunbabydiapers.com/) 12 diapers with 24 diaper inserts for $78. Before you throw a fit, that's just $4 a diaper. I'll spend more than that on disposables. Especially since I can reuse these until they fall apart! I'm also looking into the old fashioned cloth diapers and then keeping them closed with a Snappi (oh, the things people think of now!) http://www.snappibaby.com/products/snappidiaperfastener.html Issue number 2. The mess. When using cloth diapers, you have the diaper itself and then cloth liners that you slide in and out of a pocket in the diaper. I'm not so fond of the idea of having to reach into a dirty diaper and pull out the liner to clean it off. I also get a little grossed out about the idea of actually cleaning off the diaper. But I need to be a tougher mommy. Just the idea of blood and throw up and guts is enough to send me running to the bathroom. Not really an option when Avery will come running up to me with a snotty nose. Or when I change her first not-so-neat diaper. Or when she spits up on me for the first time. Like it or not, I'm going to have to start dealing with the really yucky things. #3. More laundry. Everyone has said that the biggest part of using cloth is the increased laundry you'll be doing. Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but won't you be doing more laundry anyway when a baby comes? I've heard I'll be doing laundry all the time because the second you get a clean outfit on the baby, they spit up on it. Why not add a few little diaper inserts to the pile? Baby clothes are little and don't take up that much room in the wash, I can't imagine that it will increase my washing time and water use enough for me to notice a difference.

At first, cloth diapering was just an idea I was throwing around to save a little money. Now, it's become more of a "I AM going to use cloth diapers" kind of thought. I guess I'll just have to get used to the skeptical, "oh, you're a hippy" look and the "you're wasting your time" kind of speeches. Yes, I'm doing it more for the money saving aspect than the save the enviroment one, but it might be nice to become a little more green in the process......I'll let you know how my venture into the unknown world of cloth diapering goes!

iTunes alternative - CopyTrans Manager - iOS 4.3.1 compatibility

For nearly two years now I'm a regular user of the free iTunes alternative - CopyTrans Manager. I even decided not to upgrade to iOS 4.3.1 unless this tool is compatible.

Finally! The newest version 0.936 brought full iOS 4.3.1 compatibility, allowing you to add music, videos, films, TV-shows, podcasts, audio books to iPhone, iTouch or iPad using the newest firmware.

Manage iPod and iPhone without iTunes

Another more visible thing is that they removed the skin, which turns out to be nice on a PC with Windows 7, but less attractive if you're running it on XP. That's why I decided to reactivate the old CopyTrans Manager skin.

How?
Just go to the Settings tab and click on "Advanced Settings". Search for skin and change "main.skin.file" from "no" to "yes".

Coming soon ... - New roundup of existing iTunes alternatives, stay tuned!

Manage iPhone without iTunes and without duplicates

After a long break there are good news about the free iTunes Alternative CopyTrans Manager. TuneSwift now supports the management of duplicate files on iPod, iPhone and iPad. E.g. If you're going to add music to your iPhone, CopyTrans Manager recognizes already existing tracks and won't add them once again.

If you've already got duplicate files on your iDevice, you can easily display and remove them. Therefore just push the right mouse button in the main track-list and choose "Show duplicates". This way you can delete all duplicate files from your iPhone, iPod or iPad.

Here's how the program looks like

You can download this free iTunes Alternative from the following page:

Download the free iTunes Alternative for iPhone, iPad and iPod


You've got the choice between the Installer for the Control Center (containing all CopyTrans apps) and the standalone version, which doesn't require installation.

CopyTrans Manager supports the following devices:

• iPhone, 3G, 3GS and 4 up to iOS4
• iPod Touch, 2G, 3G and 4G up to iOS4
• iPad 1 up to iOS 4
• iPod Nano up to iPod Nano 5G
• iPod Classic, iPod Video and iPod Photo
• iPod Shuffle up to iPod Shuffle 2G
• iPod Mini
• Mac formatted iPods (HFS+)
• Palm Pre

P-I-N-K

I think I have a medical condition. I feel a little funny. Things around me don't seem the same as they used to. It's almost like they've taken on a different coloring, a lighter colored hue almost. I think I'm seeing.......pink. Lots and lots of pink. :)

Last week, Marty and I went to our ultrasound appointment to find out if little baby Gaddie was going to be a boy or a girl. But we weren't going to be finding out in the traditional way. Instead of having the ultrasound tech move her little paddle around and tell us what we were looking at, we told her we wanted the results put into a sealed envelope to be opened later...at our gender reveal party. If you've never heard of one, you're not alone. When my brilliant sister first approached me with this idea, I was a little skeptical. I'd never heard of a party like this, so what would other people think about it? And then I realized that it was a fun, untraditional way to get my family together and find out all at once what we were having, so we made plans. Invitations were sent:

The idea behind a gender party is that the entire family finds out together what you're having via cake (or cupcakes, whatever floats your boat). Marty and I went to our ultrasound appointment, had the tech seal the envelope and the envelope was quickly whisked off to a bakery for the bakery people to open. They would then proceed to make us a cake filled with either pink or blue icing.

All along, I just KNEW I was having a boy. I saw visions of baseball practices, dirty uniforms and all kinds of creepy crawling insects that a boy would just find fascinating. I imagined tractor rides and fishing lessons and days on the farm with '"Granddaddy." I had absolutely convinced myself that it was a boy and didn't even consider another option. Not that I didn't want a girl. I would LOVE a girl. I'm not big into pink, but I could see myself getting a little girl ready for school and bringing her a bouquet of flowers for her first ballet recital. I just didn't think that was going to happen. So I was preparing myself for a boy. Getting ready for our party, I slipped on my blue shirt, put out the decorations and waited until cake cutting time. When I picked up the cake from the bakery, it's all I could do not to dig my finger into the icing and find out for myself if we were having a Dalton or an Avery. But I was a good little girl and waited the entire 8 hours for our party so I could find out with my husband and our families. When the time actually arrived, I was so incredibly nervous! No more calling the baby "it!" No more calling it just "the baby" when I felt like "it" was too harsh. No more looking at baby things, but unable to buy them because I didn't know if I needed pink or blue! It almost seemed surreal that we were about to find out. My heart was pounding when we cut into the cake...and then I saw the pink. I was absolutely in shock!

So, Avery Leigh Gaddie will be here sometime in July (I hope, I hope I hope...) and I am in the process of going broke. Two days after our gender party, I went with my mom to the Kentucky Kid's Consignment Sale at Pritchard. Bad news bears. Mom and I are not the "hunter-gatherer" type of shoppers. The only place I will dig to find something good is TJMaxx--and that's only because it's required at that store. If it's not immediately accessible or within reach, I'm just going to move along. I'd rather pay $10 more for the convenience (and sanity!) of Target than having to dig for deal. However, I had heard all of these wonderful things about the consignment sale and I knew it would be my first chance to go baby shopping, so I purchased two tickets. When mom and I walked in the door, we were tempted to turn right back around and walk out. There were pregnant women, grandmothers and baby strollers EVERYWHERE. I just knew it was going to be a madhouse the second those doors were opened. Surprisingly, it was calm. Surprisingly, I found a $45 carseat and several adorable outfits without massive digging. Since the consignment sale, I may have bought her a few things from GAP and Old Navy :) and have been checking websites daily for possible nursery decor options. I absolutely cannot wait to start planning now that we know for sure this baby is a "she." And she seems just as excited as I am...hiccups, moving and squirming CONSTANTLY since the day of the gender party. Looks like we have a diva on our hands already!

1928=best year ever

Few people in life are lucky enough to find that one thing that makes them come alive. That one thing that they want to do for the rest of their lives, regardless of how much money it may make them. I'm one of the lucky few. I've found my calling in life: agriculture. More specifically, getting youth involved in agriculture. And I have the FFA to thank for that. And before you ask, no it does not stand for the Future Farmers of America anymore. In my dad's time, the main focus was cows, sows and plows, but the organization taught you so much more than that. You learned how to be a leader. You learned valuable skills like team building and public speaking that are more than necessary to be a successful professional in today's economy. You learned what it meant to be passionate about something. That much hasn't changed. The FFA taught me so much more than leading a group of people in proper Parliamentary Procedure or how to give a perfect prepared public speech about the disappearing family farm structure. I learned that I can actually like the person I am. Before my FFA days, I was S-H-Y to the extreme--and I don't even think that describes it well enough. I hated talking to people. The idea of introducing myself to someone was equivalent to physical pain for me. Eating a bug sounded more appealing than giving a speech in front of a group of people. So you can imagine my reluctance to join a group where all three of the above mentioned were pretty much the norm for a member. After much prodding from my dad, I joined. And my life was never the same. I LOVE giving speeches. I love getting up in front of a group and talking about a subject with which I'm knowledgeable and enjoy talking about. I would pay good money to go back to my FFA State Officer year where I was expected to travel around and give workshops and meet new people on a weekly basis. I have never been prouder to own an article of clothing than I was the day I got my new FFA jacket. Slipping into that blue corduroy with my name and office embroidered in corn gold stitching, I felt invincible. In short, the FFA changed my life (gosh, does that sound as dramatic out loud as it does in my head??). It made me realize that life is about more than just going to work and making money. It's about finding something that you love and doing it well. It's about going to work and feeling a spark of passion for what you're doing. So thank you FFA. Thank you for helping me find the me that I never knew existed. Thank you for giving me a wonderful year as a state officer with wonderful people that I still consider to be like brothers and sisters to me. Thank you for instilling confidience in me and helping me realize that I am a valuable commodity and have skills that are useful in today's economy. Happy FFA Week to all past, present and future FFA members. Let's count our blessings that those 33 farm boys in 1928 decided to start a path to prepare us all for a better future. :)

Baby, oh baby.

Crazy how time flies and crawls at the same time when you're pregnant. Crazy how little else seems to matter except eating constantly, getting enough rest (impossible) and keeping TUMS within arms reach at all times. Crazy how I have actually turned crazy (stupid hormones). I saw pregnant people everywhere before I was pregnant. Watched them as their bellies slowly expanded and listened to their endless tirades about back pain and heartburn. Yet, as I witnessed the changes, I never thought about the daily things that a pregnant woman goes through. Until now. No one tells you about the constant heartburn, the inability to be around any odor, the uncomfortable feeling every time you lay down, the feeling when your stomach is stretching out....all the not so pleasant things about being an expectant mom. Yes, I knew morning sickness was a side effect, but no one told me I'd be sick ALL DAY LONG. Or that it would last this long....it's been like having the flu for 2 solid months. No one told me that I would be a crazy, hormonal psycho that cries at the drop of a hat and then is inexplicably angry the next. No one told me that I would feel so incredible guilty for feeling so miserable all the time and not being able to really ENJOY this pregnancy. I see all of these people on facebook gushing about their pregnancy like they really wouldn't mind being pregnant every day for the rest of their lives. Why am I not that excited? I feel like I was jipped! Why didn't I know about all these horrors before this little bun started baking in the oven? Because none of it really matters. Because I know that in 6 months, he or she will be here and all of the miserable moments of the entire 9 months will be completely forgotten. Because whenever I get weekly updates on what the baby is up to: "This week, baby is the size of a lemon and is sucking it's thumb!" I'm completely in awe that something like that is growing inside of me. That boy or girl, this baby is going to be a mix of Marty and I...and I, for one, cannot wait to see what our mini-me is going to look like. Because I can't wait to see my parents faces when I give them their first grandchild. Because I know (or at least I really, really, REALLY hope) that in a few weeks, the 1st trimester sickness will be fading away. And then I am told that energy will abound and I can focus on fun things like getting our house ready for the baby and buying all his/her clothes (oh my goodness, we are going to be so incredible broke). Because, no matter what I'm going through right now, I know it's going to be completely worth it. So, little baby Gaddie...you may be making me completely, 100% miserable right now, but I love you anyway. :)

Thank-full

Last season, I fell in love with a new show on TLC called "Quints by Surprise." Before you start moaning and groaning, let me tell you that I had a similar reaction when I first heard about the show. I just knew it was going to be another Jon and Kate, "we did in-vitro and now we have a million kids," cookie cutter kind of family of multiples show. I never quite got over the heartbreak of the outcome of Jon and Kate + 8, so I was reluctant to watch a show like theirs. But curiosity got the best of me and I tuned into the pilot episode. I was blown away. This family wasn't your typical, fame-loving couple that wanted to expose their kids for their personal benefits. It was immediately evident that this family loved each other. They weren't afraid to talk about their faith and how they give credit to God for everything that he's blessed them with in their lives. It was incredibly refreshing to hear a young couple talking about their faith and quoting Bible verses that were getting them through some difficult times. For those of you that haven't seen the show, I'll give you a quick rundown: Casey and Ethan Jones are a cute little couple in Texas that, for one reason or another, couldn't get pregnant on their own. So they turned to in-vitro and got pregnant with their first little girl, Eliot. After a few years, they decide they want a sibling (or two) for Eliot and go the in-vitro route once again. This time, they end up with 5...four girls, one boy (Britton, Brooklyn, Ryan, Lila and Jack). They go through the expected, scared-to-death, how are we going to support this many kids stage and then they turn to God and thank him for blessing them with 5 healthy babies. Now you should be caught up :)
Unfortunately, TLC is in limbo about renewing this show for a second season (oh, don't worry, I've already written them twice letting them know that they should bring it back) and the lack of the Jones family in my life sent me on a Google search to find out what they've been up to lately. And I found their family blog. Talk about inspirational. They have tabs about giving thanks, faith, a link to their church's homepage. I start browsing through a few of their recent posts and I came across one made on Thanksgiving by Ethan, the father of the quints. It moved me to tears.
http://www.joneslife.net/2010/11/thankful-for-being-thankful/
It made me re-evaluate how I look at things in my own life. Do I thank God enough (I think I know the answer...)? Do I thank people around me enough (unfortunately, I know the answer to that one too)? And why not? I like it when people thank me for doing things....not that I expect gratitude, but it's nice to be recognized for the work you're doing. So why not reciprocate the feeling? I love the paragraph where he talks about his friend that makes a "Gratitude List" everyday and sends it to all of her friends. What a wonderful idea! While I won't be clogging your inboxes with my daily list of things I'm thankful for, I do think it's an uplifting idea to do on my own, even if it's once a week. I know I tend to have bad days, where all I focus on is the negatives in my life instead of the wonderful things that the Lord has blessed me with. So today, I'd like to make my own gratitude list.
I'm thankful for:

• clean drinking water (since I've turned into a camel and am drinking my body weight in water a day)
• my mom
• the idea that, this week, my dad got to realize and live out one of his dreams
• the fact that my husband hasn't killed me yet as I go through the miserable, all day sickness stage
• this miracle growing inside me
• the family that we're bringing this baby into
• Pandora radio
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• the fact that I'm going to see a few of my state officer teammates tonight for the first time in a year
• my organized desk and office space
• space heaters

I hope you all have a grateful day. :)