My 23rd Birthday!

It has been the most exciting and joyful past few weeks, including putting on offer on our first house and shortly after, celebrating my birthday. We found out very quickly that our offer was accepted and now we are just waiting or the contract to be accepted and the bank loan to get approved. We are going crazy with anticipation, especially me. I'm not very good at waiting. I'm not going to lie though, this couldn't come at a better time nor be a better birthday present!

My birthday celebration started over this past weekend and Joey and I did a lot of fun things!  Friday night we used our free pair of movie tickets that a student's parents gave to me for Christmas. I begged Joey to let us see No Strings Attached with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. It was absolutely hilarious and heartfelt! I loved it!!! Then on Saturday, I met up with one of my closest friends, Becca, at Cafe Intermezzo for brunch. We both enjoyed yummy coffee and Eggs Benedict! YUM!!!! She's already spoiled me with clothes for Hartley, and for my birthday brought me two more of the cutest outfits for her and a Target gift card. I am going crazy collecting Target gift cards since that's where we are registered for Hartley. It was so wonderful catching up and enjoying a nice meal at one of the cutest little cafes!

Once I got back from brunch, Joey and I decided to go to Home Depot to look at a few things for the house, like paint colors, chandeliers and such. It got both of us sooooo excited for everything we will get to do to make our new house, our home. When we were finished browsing, we decided to go to one of our favorite Italian restaurants,  Caprese. MMMM!!! We had Pizza and Pasta and no doubt, they have the best!!! To end the night, Joey prepared my favorite discontinued cake from Olive Garden called Chocolate Lasagna. I had found the recipe online and he spent hours making it. It tastes like chocolate heaven with cherries on top!


On Sunday, we woke up and had a relaxing morning and then headed to celebrate at my parent's house. My mom and dad got me a delicious cookie cake, just as I had requested. hehe. I had also requested my mom cook her Shells and Cheese Casserole, my favorite, which is absolutely delish! It's basically spaghetti but in the form of a lasagna with layers of shells, meat/sauce, sour cream, and cheese. Oh and Joey also added his homemade garlic bread! MMMMMmmMM!! After lunch I opened presents and enjoyed dessert and more time with the family. It was such a wonderful day!!!!

Monday, my actual birthday, was phenomenal. I expected it to be kind of a downer, considering I had to go to work. Boy was I wrong......little did I know I would be surprised with flowers from both my parents and my amazing hubby, Joey. I felt so special! My best friend Sam, from California even sent me flowers too! All of my bosses and coworkers even signed a card and gave me another Target Gift card, which couldn't have made me happier! One of my closest coworkers/friend Nicole, was so sweet and gave me the prettiest wall decoration for our new house, sour gummies, and a bath and body works gift card! WAHOO!!!  To top everything off, my wonderful brother Matt treated Joey and I to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Fuego's, which was absolutely delightful! After we finished dinner I even talked Joey into letting me go spend my gift card at Bath and Body Works. It was one of the most special birthdays I've ever had and I loved how simple and heartfelt it all was. I have the most wonderful family and friends in the world!!!

We Put An Offer In....

It's crazy when you feel like little things start happening and you begin to notice a pattern of what seem to be "God things"...well, this has been one eventful week. I was completely shocked and ecstatic to be told by a close family friend that there was a steal of a deal on a house (that just so happened to have everything on my list) for sale right here in Buford. We immediately fell in love with all of the pictures we saw and ended up going to see this house the next day. And- of course, we fell in love with it in person.

Right now in this tough economy, we didn't expect to be looking at houses for a while, so it seemed so perfect (a little too good to be true) that we would find an opportunity like this that fit our needs. It felt amazing when we found out that we were prequalified from the bank and that we could go ahead and put in an offer on our first house. WHAT?! I still feel like i'm dreaming. With our precious little one on the way, the though couldn't make me happier of having a real home.

Now we wait....praying super hard that they'll accept our offer. Hopefully we will find out today if not by Monday. I don't think I've ever wanted something so badly. We'll see! Here's the gorgeous house:

Getting Anxious...

I cannot believe how fast my pregnancy has flown by. Sometimes I still catch myself saying "wow....I'm really pregnant." This week I will be six months pregnant (24 weeks). I cannot even begin to describe how amazing the whole experience has been. More and more each day, Hartley spends her time kicking her way around inside me and it is unlike anything I've ever felt before. I can feel her turn completely over, upside down, and even kick me as hard as she possibly can and each day her strength grows more and more.

It's crazy how you become so paranoid about the safety and health of your unborn child or maybe it's just me...but, I wonder and worry about how she's doing 24/7. The times that reassure me just so happen to be at 6 a.m. when Joey's alarm clock wakes me up and I know I still have more time to sleep. Hartley however, thinks it's her alarm to wake up to and then begins her morning hour work out. And of course, this makes it almost impossible to go back to sleep. She does seem to have a routine now...or somewhat of one. I just hate freaking out if she's not moving for a long period of time. I can't wait until this period of worrying about her and not being able to see her or do anything to help, will end. I know, I know, as a parent, worrying will never go away, but you know what I mean.

So...as you can tell, I'm getting anxious. I feel this growing need to fill up Hartley's nursery and I am just waiting for that moment when Joey says we can. I am wishing and hoping that I will be able to start on my birthday, but we'll see. I just hate to do things last minute...I always do everything, and I mean everything, wayyyyyyy before I should. I like that about myself, it makes me feel accomplished and organized. I'll also be glad to not have to stare at my registries anymore and actually see those precious items in person that will soon make up her room.

So...I'm sure you'll be seeing me count down, annoyingly, I might add. But, that's just me. As it gets closer to time, I also think more and more about being able to stay at home with her full-time. It breaks my heart thinking that it's so hard in this economy. I want Hartley to have the most amazing childhood like I did- with a mom who was always there. Most of you know that being a stay-at-home mom is my dream. It may not be a dream to many women these days, but I will pray every single day for that to happen. I know it truly is my calling, my purpose, and nothing makes me happier than to dream about it and to hope someday that it will come true.

A Little Note to My Little Princess:

I feel you...
tiny, precious, innocent one inside me.
I think about you constantly...
wondering if you're okay, if I'm taking good care.
I dream about meeting you...
looking in your eyes, holding your hand, giving you kisses.
I love you...
even though i've never seen your face, or looked in your eyes,
or held your hand, or given you kisses- because,
You are the gift I've waited for my whole life, my little princess.