Baby R Update....and some Pumpkin Muffins!

I am actually sitting at my mom's office as I am typing this (the benefits of having a Physician Assistant as my mother are nice!) and thought I would fill everyone in on Baby R. I am waiting on the results of my glucose tolerance test. Hopefully I will pass this one-hour test with flying colors and not have to do the three hour test. :( It wasn't as bad as people make it out to be; just a REALLY sugary drink that tastes like Sunkist with extra sugar in it. Baby R is doing great; measuring in right where he or she is supposed to. Unfortunately, I am measuring bigger than I would like in the weight department :) I know I am alot taller than most women, but I had my pity party about my weight and decided that my body needed some of it but that I need to kick it into gear about being better with my exercise and eating.
I cannot wait to meet this child! Last night, Wylie and I were laying in bed and he leaned over to kiss me goodnight and there was silence. Then he said, "Doesn't it feel like there are three of us in this room now?" I wanted to cry.... so sweet! I said, " Yes, it does honey." It's such a neat feeling to be bringing another human being into the world....scary but thankful God has allowed me the opportunity to become a mother. I have always wanted children and would play for hours with my baby dolls. I even pretended to be pregnant and would stuff blankets under my clothes and then momma would find me dozed off during nap time with my belly bulging like I was pregnant :) Just simply cannot wait to see, smell, hear and hold this baby......
Pumpkin Muffins......I am so ready for fall! I have been trying to find an easy, heathly recipe for some pumpkin muffins and I think I found one. This is from http://www.cooks.com/. Hope you enjoy....I am trying this one out this week!

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

3 1/3 c. flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 3 c. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon,1 tsp. nutmeg,1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Mix dry ingredients and add:
1 c. oil, 4 eggs, 2/3 c. water, 2 c. pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Prepare muffin tins by greasing with vegetable oil or butter and sprinkling lightly with flour. Shake out excess.
Fill muffin tins three-quarters full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Days of Sadness...

I write this entry with a very heavy heart. Our dear bud Santiago Snellgrose has gone on to a much better place. I don't know where to begin because I have never experienced such a loss before in my life other that my grandfather. Santi was in a boating accident over Labor Day weekend and God decided to bring him on home. Santi or "Sandman" as we lovingly called him was one of my brother's best friends. They were always goofing off, laughing at one another or reciting some crazy joke or movie line. That is what I have been trying to remember these past few days...the good times that we had with him.
Sandman was a great kid. He truly had a passion for soccer and for his family. They were everything to him. He gave his best in all that he did and had a drive for life that steered him everywhere. Santi had the best eyes....so beautiful and clear. He was a cute little dude that could make you smile or light up a room in an instant.
I was looking at his baby pictures just the other night and hope that our sweet baby will come out with the same head of thick, black hair that Sandman had. We shall see in a few months ;-) I just ask that everyone join with me in lifting this family in prayer. They need it. These days that are ahead will be hard for them and they need us as friends and family. ~LR

Random...Belly Buttons and Updates

Hello all! I am such a slacker...it's been a whole month since I posted last! Lots of things have been going on so I guess I am going to give a somewhat "brief" update ;-)........

Baby R is growing!( Just take a look at the picture and you can tell!) I will hit 20 weeks next week and pretty much be at the half-way point. It is so hard to believe that this baby will be here in approximately 20 more weeks!! We are slowly but surely preparing to bring this baby into the world. Wylie and I have been clearing out our spare bedroom for preparations of it becoming a nursery. We decided to keep it the color that it is (chocolate brown) and add in cream accents. This will be perfect for our gender neutral plans for the room. Most of the bedroom furniture that we have is actually Wylie's from when he was an infant. Everything is in super condition and I thought it would be great to use his baby furniture.....sentimental reasons of course!

Tomorrow is our big ultrasound! Can't wait to see the baby....I guess if things are clear enough then we will just have to turn our heads so we don't see what it is :-) Lots of friends and even some family have been disappointed in us not finding out what we are having but we figure it's one of life's few surprises. I made a deal with Wylie though: this is the only child we will not find out! I am too much of a planner!

Last night I was putting lotion on my tummy, a nightly ritual now, and sat down on the couch to look at my growing bump. I started looking at my belly button and began thinking about when it may pop out...hopefully not any time soon! I would prefer to have an "innie" as long as possible.

But, the longer I examined it the more I thought back to when I was inside of my mother's tummy. Of course I have no recollection of those 39 weeks and some odd days I was developing inside of her, but I thought about how I was attached to her. She nourished me for that period of time, was careful of the things she ate, and how much she exercised. She protected me and did what she could to make sure I came out happy and healthy. My belly button is a memento of my "womb" time.....and I thought...."our kid gets to have a memento too!" So, I won't look at my belly button the same ever again. Our belly buttons are all different shapes, sizes, etc. but we all have them as reminder of that special time we were growing in our mother's tummies :-)

Last Friday, I FINALLY got to go out for a girl's night with some of my dearest friends! We met up in Cleveland at Chili's for some good food and catch up time. All of these girls are so precious to me (all were in my wedding!). It's hard, but we all try to make an effort to stay in touch and keep up with one another. We decided to start a monthly night out (ie. going out to eat, just vegging at someone's house, etc) so we can make sure we don't loose touch. I was the first to get married and now the first to have a baby....I told these girls they need to get one the ball! :-) We had a really great time and can't wait until our next gathering. ~LR

Summing up the past few weeks.....

So... the past few weeks have been super hectic, but great. I have been pretty tired and plan on recuperating this weekend and catching up on some well needed rest ;-) It's amazing since I have been pregnant how exhausted I am by 3 o'clock in the afternoon. My brain wants to keep going, but my body tells me I need to stop.
Wylie and I had the "honor" of teaching 3 year olds for vacation bible school at our church. Let me tell you...they were angels! We had a sweet little class of about 9-10 kids each night. They all played great together, listened (as well as 3 yr. olds can!) and learned about the word of God. We also learned lots of fun kiddie songs for the musical they performed on Sunday after the week was over with. I told Wylie on several occasions that we needed to get ready for this type of thing. His reply was " well our kids will learn these kind of songs AND learn some George Strait, too!" Go figure...my husband the biggest George fan ever WILL teach our kids his songs. Our son or daughter will be singing " I cross my heart...." before we know it!
This past weekend, I traveled to "C-Bus" aka Columbus, Ohio for my little brother's graduation from The Ohio State University. We had a really great time and enjoyed his big success of graduating college. Ryan took a job back in the fall with The Pinnacle, an upscale golf course in Grove City, which is just a few minutes outside of Columbus. He majored in Turf Grass Science and Management. His dream is to own and operate a golf course one day. Let me tell you, anything you want to know about growing grass, or weeds, etc....Ryan can tell you ;-) I am very proud of him and all of his accomplishments. Hopefully he will come back this way eventually because I miss him a lot AND he will have to be around to teach his niece or nephew how to golf :-) Pictures coming soon!
Wylie and I have this week off (free of other duties or extra-curricular activities) before we fly out to Idaho for his family reunion. I am excited but nervous to travel right now. I know we will have a great time once we get out there!
Have a super week everyone! ~LR

Baby Richardson....ETA: January 7th, 2010!!!!

Ok...most people have heard by now but I wanted to cover my bases for anyone who may read the blog. Wylie and I are finally expecting our first baby!!!!! We are thrilled, happy, scared, elated, nervous, etc. etc. all rolled into one ;-) There is so much to think about and do in the next several months that it can get overwhelming if you think or ponder on it alot. It is a remarkable thing to know that I have a human being growing inside of me for the next 7.5-8 months. This is totally a God thing because there is so much happening from day to day inside (and out!) of my body and these are only things that God can make happen. The baby is growing pretty rapidly over a 9 month span and there are lots of details that occur. Our prayer has been that we have a heatlhy and happy baby who will grow up to know and love Jesus with every ounce in them. Boy or girl....we really don't care....we just want to have a sweet, healthy baby in our arms in the end. Please pray for us as we adjust to the upcoming journey of parenthood. Some of you have already experienced this and have many, many years under your belt! I am so excited to become a mother for the first time and want so many things for my child already and he or she is not even here yet! ;-) I already love this baby so much and I can't wrap my mind around the fact that God created him or her in His image; from every finger and toe to the hair that will grow on their little tiny head! Praise be to God for our precious gift from above! ~LR

Amber "Bam" is Getting Hitched!!

My dear friend Amber, or "Bam" as we lovingly call her ;), is getting married in three weeks! I am so excited because I am actually doing her flowers/bouquets for her. It is so fun to put together floral creations....and I am honored that she let me do it for her! This picture is from the shower that my mom, Kim, Jona Garrett, Michelle Crafton, Kate Bledsoe and I threw for her at Keith MUMC. We had a great afternoon and she and James got some really super things for their house. She is such a beautiful young lady and I know that she and James are perfect for each other. Her wedding is quickly approaching on June 6th and there are lots of things to be finished and accomplished before the big day. Please say a prayer for her and for everyone that is involved...most of us remember the stress that came with planning our own "perfect" weddings. No doubt she will be stunning and have a handsome husband to grow old with when it's all said and done! ;-)

Recipes Galore!.... AllRecipes.com

Here is a new website I found while searching for an easy meatloaf recipe.....totally great for dinner menus or finding an appetizer for a party or gathering. The neat feature that I found is you can enter how many servings you need above the recipe and it will re-calculate the amount of ingredients to coordinate the amount of mouths you have to feed! So cool! This is great especially for people like me who usually cook for 2 but then may have a party and need to increase the recipe. Check it out; you will not be disappointed ;-) www.allrecipes.com