the one with the lovely

I have done some extensive research and study, and have come to the undeniable conclusion that Chloe Belle is the most beautiful little girl in all the world.

the one where I've got three weeks

I figured it's about time for an update on the Nugget. Being pregnant with #2 has been super different for me. Not physically, but emotionally. When little CB was inside me, she was all I could think about, prepare for, and she covered every bullet point on my to do lists. With the Nugget, things have just been different. CB still dominates my to do lists, as well as a super awesome and time consuming ministry, and the ministry of being an excellent wife and homemaker. So...I just haven't given the Nugget as much attention.

Even now I have a list of things to do to get ready for baby, but I have a feeling I'll use CB's naptime to blog and then take a nap of my own...

My c-section is scheduled for Monday morning, May 2. I'm excited. I'm really really hoping and praying the little one stays inside till then. CB was born at 37 weeks, and I'm just not ready to have a baby next week. not.ready.at.all.

Since I haven't done anything cute at all on this blog for the Nugget, here's a cutesy blog update for you:

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain: I'm hanging in at about 28 lbs, where I've been for the last month. I gained about 7 with Chloe Belle, so this is a BIG change for me.

Baby Bump? are you kidding? I'm enormous.

Maternity clothes? are getting too small...

Cravings: pretty much anything I can put in my mouth.

Symptoms: uncomfortable, swollen, huge. Putting on my shoes and walking up more than one flight of stairs now classify as exercise.

Sleep: not so great. Peeing every 2 hours and waking up at other times when the Nugget decides to have a dance party. I'm pretty sure last night it bruised my spleen while doing the dougie.

Movement: reached that point where other people can see the movement, not just feel it. My stomach will randomly jet out to one side and occasionally it pokes it's booty out so far you can tell what kind of superman underoos it's wearing.

Gender: no clue. I will try to refrain from disrespectful comments at this point because I love my husband dearly. However, we have multiple friends who are pregnant and they seem to all be having girls, which makes me think we're having a boy. And, random people tell me I'm having a boy. So, boy maybe? who knows.

Belly Button in or out? flat.

What I miss: sleep and pants that zip.

Best moment this week: spending Saturday with my husband getting ready for the baby. Big thanks to Beth for taking care of CB. I love my husband. Time with him is always the best moment of the week...

the one with sweet words

Two times lately my husband has whispered sweet nothings to me:

He's a high school teacher this year, so he's got to go chaperone the prom. I was really excited and offered to go get a prom dress at the thrift store so we could go together and bump and grind at the prom like high schoolers. He looked at me and said, "you would look trashy in a prom dress right now. I'm not taking you."

The other night I came in from Worship + Study around 10:30 and he was still awake, which is rare. I'm so amped afer W+S so I was chatty cathy. Finally he says its time for sleep and I beg for one more minute. Then I launch into this deep discussion of one of our college students and the overwhelming sin that's plaguing their life. When I get done he laughs at me and tells me its time for sleep, that we can't talk all night. I reminded him that when we were in college he was all too happy to stay up all night long talking just so he could be with me. He leaned close to me and said, "yeah, but now I've got you so I don't have to work for it anymore. night night." And he rolled over and went to sleep. (by the way, the night night was an imitation of Chloe Belle, so at least that was kinda cute and not as lame as typing it out makes it sound.)

This is just for you to know the romance is still alive at the Keel household!

the one about movies

I found a blog of a girl who I went to high school with-we were just acquaintances, but I gave it a look just to be a stalker. You know how it goes. Anyway, she's hysterical and it's become one of my favorite blogs over the past year. She recently posted about some project she's doing to do 1001 things in 101 days [or something like that] and one of her goals is to watch all of the Academy Award winners for Best Picture. So fun! I decided to join.
Here's my list. The movies are listed by year. They're red if I still need to watch them, and black if I've seen them already. I've got a looooong way to go:

1928: Sunrise Wings
1929: The Broadway Melody
1930: All Quiet on the Western Front
1931: Cimarron
1932: Grand Hotel
1933: Cavalcade
1934: It Happened One Night
1935: Mutiny on the Bounty
1936: The Great Ziegfeld
1937: The Life of Emile Zola
1938: You Can't Take It With You
1939: Gone with the Wind
1940: Rebecca
1941: How Green Was My Valley
1942: Mrs. Miniver
1943: Casablanca
1944: Going My Way
1945: The Lost Weekend
1946: The Best Years of Our Lives
1947: Gentleman's Agreement
1948: Hamlet
1949: All the King's Men
1950: All about Eve
1951: An American in Paris
1952: The Greatest Show on Earth
1953: From Here to Eternity
1954: On the Waterfront
1955: Marty
1956: Around the World in 80 Days
1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958: Gigi
1959: Ben-Hur
1960: The Apartment
1961: West Side Story
1962: Lawrence of Arabia
1963: Tom Jones
1964: My Fair Lady
1965: The Sound of Music
1966: A Man for All Seasons
1967: In the Heat of the Night
1968: Oliver!
1969: Midnight Cowboy
1970: Patton
1971: The French Connection
1972: The Godfather
1973: The Sting
1974: The Godfather Part II
1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1976: Rocky
1977: Annie Hall
1978: The Deer Hunter
1979: Kramer vs. Kramer
1980: Ordinary People
1981: Chariots of Fire
1982: Gandhi
1983: Terms of Endearment
1984: Amadeus
1985: Out of Africa
1986: Platoon
1987: The Last Emperor
1988: Rain Man
1989: Driving Miss Daisy
1990: Dances With Wolves
1991: The Silence of the Lambs
1992: Unforgiven
1993: Schindler's List
1994: Forrest Gump
1995: Braveheart
1996: The English Patient
1997: Titanic
1998: Shakespeare in Love
1999: American Beauty
2000: Gladiator
2001: A Beautiful Mind
2002: Chicago
2003: The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King
2004: Million Dollar Baby
2005: Crash
2006: The Departed
2007: No Country for Old Men
2008: Slumdog Millionaire
2009: The Hurt Locker
2010: The King's Speech

the one with my two favorites

snuggling in bed watching Baby Einstein

snuggling after wrestling on the den floor

enjoying the last night with a bottle together

opening daddy's presents from New York

the one about perspective

Can your attitude change pretty quickly, depending on what's going on in your life? Mine does, a trait I find frustrating. I woke up today, ready to conquer the world and feeling like I was going to get so much accomplished today! I felt great! Then I dropped the bowl of grits as they were coming out of the microwave. No big deal, I thought. As I was cleaning it up I realized the bowl shattered the glass ceramic stove top. Big deal.
All of a sudden instead of feeling like Mrs. Conqueror, I feel like hopping back in bed and sticking my head under the covers to ignore the huge mess I've just made.

So I turn to trusty Google Reader to distract my thoughts. The first three posts I read are from friends who went on really cool vacations over Spring Break. I'm starting to turn green with envy. All of these thoughts start going through my head: "We can't afford a vacation..." "I wish I looked good in a swimsuit like she does..." "Look at all they did! I'd like just one nice meal out..."

The next two posts I read are from a dear friend who is living and serving in South Africa. I read about her joy of being invited to a local home, and the delight at a nice relaxing meal at home with a friend.


The sinfulness of my mind and heart have been utterly exposed this morning. My attitude changes with what I perceive my circumstances to be rather than my attitude being fixed on the truth: I am a child of God, lavished by His love, and covered by His grace. I have great abundance and all that I need.

Going to go and try to live a day marked by grace, gratefulness, and truth.

If you're one of my friends who went on a super fun vacation this past week I hope you know I'm not judging your life, I'm judging my own. Hope your vacation was restful, fun, and taught you something awesome about Jesus!!

the one about Spring Break

Hi. It's been two months since I've posted. Been busy, sick, and busy. The life of a pregnant/wife/mom/homemaker/minister is harder than I thought. But, I'm realizing this is the new normal. Adulthood is hard and busy.

Anyway, I was going to give this whole blog thing up, but thanks to the handful of you who told me you missed me-I'm back. Mainly it was Melanie Dill, seeing as how she was 50% of the reason I started this blog in the first place.

Sunday morning Adam left for a five day mission trip to New York. We had spent the two days prior in Beulah and after church on Sunday I left little Chloe Belle with her Nana so I could have 48 hours to myself. The goal? Clean house, prepare for Nugget (because we've done nothing), and take multiple bubble baths.

I pulled out of the driveway of Adam's parents' house and was absolutely elated. For the first time in a year I was on my own with no responsibility. I was headed to Montgomery to spend the afternoon with my awesome Kate. I called her, proclaimed my complete excitement, hung up the phone, reached the end of Adam's road, and all my happy feelings evaporated. I looked behind me into the backseat: no smiling baby girl. I picked up my cell phone: couldn't call my man. It was horrible. I spent about 20 minutes in an absolute panic. Should I turn back and get her? Had I made a terrible mistake?

Since it wasn't quite Holly's kids' naptime yet, and my sister wasn't answering her phone, I spent the next 45 minutes alone in the car, thinking. I came to a deep realization that filled up every inch of me with gratitude.

My life is grafted into the lives of two people who I absolutely adore. I am married to a man that I don't want to escape, even for an afternoon. He is my best friend, my favorite companion, and my love. I have a little girl who I pour the very best of me into, and it is food for my soul to watch her grow, flourish, and love in return. To say that God has blessed me with these two is a trite understatement. Their presence in my life is a physical manifestation of His goodness.

I spent two days alone with a miserable cold. I'm glad I was alone, as it gave me some time to rest and recover. I spent the next two days cherishing every second with my little one, and I spent last night not sleeping until the 2am arrival of my beloved.

So grateful for a God who loves me, and is in Himself enough. So grateful for these two that He's given me. Just so so grateful.

Happy St. Patrick's day from Chloe Belle!