You're On My Facebook Nerves!

This blog post from Mama Laughlin cracked me up this morning. It's so true... especially the comments about picture poses. I died.

Please read!

Baby Stanfield- 16 Weeks Daddy Guest Post

My husband is guest posting... he needs his own blog! {My opinion is in green brackets}

---------------------------------------------------

Guest Post: Holly’s Husband

It’s been a while since Holly has asked me to write on her blog, which means that my last few were not that good. So, I’ve planned to work my way back into her heart by writing a blog post that makes fun of her.

I will first declare that no man could be pregnant. We enjoy a cramp-free life, controlling our emotions by not crying at shows like The Voice or when Oprah gives a woman with no arms new cabinets. But when my wife has pregnancy symptoms, it seems that she feels them worse than anyone has ever felt them. Haha.

I have been asked to fill out the pregnancy chart…from a man’s perspective.

How Far Along: I couldn't even tell that you were pregnant, you definitely haven’t mentioned it every minute of every day ;) {16 weeks!}

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Loss of at least 10-15 pounds…(I’m not falling for that trap) {Still +3, although I've been eating like it's the only way into Heaven}

Maternity Clothes: Waist band jeans…um yes please. Shirts that cost $40 that will be thrown out after a few months in a fit of rage. Sign me up. {Guilty!}

Best Moment this week: When it was thundering and you said the baby was scared…very cute. {I talk in my sleep- oops}

Gender: I will be happy with whatever, but I will feel a new level of nervousness with a girl. {I'm still feeling boy... Truman Louis, after my 2nd favorite President and my brother}

Movement: By my wife? None. Unless snapping for pizza rolls counts. Heyo! {I'm feeling little kicks at night and it's the best feeling... and the baby loves pizza rolls! HA}

Food Craving: KFC sides, ice cream, whatever we don’t have at home. Honey mustard: One time the good people at Arby’s forgot to put honey mustard in the bag and she threw my part of a sandwich to the dog. I thought, making me hungry will not encourage corporate Arby’s to pay workers more, ensuring that a higher quality employee who would not forget your honey mustard. {I haven't been prejudice against any food this past week; it feels good to feel normal again}

Aversions: Me, the dog, the usual. {Chris was dead-on}

What I miss: Bar hopping and getting crazy…wait, we never did that. {My mom and sister... Does that count?}

Sleep: Mentally asleep by 7, physically by 8. {Very accurate, Stanfield}

What I am looking forward to: When she has the baby…and I can stop doing the dishes and laundry. Jk. {Our ultrasound and really getting organized!}

Symptoms: I know that nausea is the worst but, every time she has to get sick, there is zero effort to make it to a spot that would not ruin things we own. Like when she doesn’t feel good in the car, Bam! it just comes out on the dash and on the floor. I always think to myself…you do know the windows roll down? Or at my aunt’s funeral, right in the casket! (ok, that last one was made up) {Extra saliva... I can't explain it without crossing comfortable internet boundaries... but it grosses me out, so I have a spit cup in the car}

(cue the sweet viola music) Men joke about their wife’s behavior but, hopefully the women know how grateful we are that you go through this to give us a happy family…and we don’t have to do it. {Carrying a Stanfield is never easy!!}

4th of July Cookout Recipes

We're hosting a cookout this year for the 4th... Does anyone have any tried and true favorites that you want to share? I feel like I always make the same ol' thing.

By the way... I'm re-doing the layout of my blog {finally}.... hopefully, I'll have a new layout soon. :)

Steve Martin!

{My FIL snapped this photo}


Last week, we made the voyage to Effingham to see STeve Martin perform with his bluegrass band.

He was so, so funny. And the music was very good, too. He wrote all the music and the lyrics, even though a member of the banjo band sang most of the tunes.

The best part was that he knew we weren't there to hear blue grass music. He thanked the crowd for coming and said something along the lines of, "I know you didn't come for the bluegrass. It's kind of like seeing an ad for Jerry Seinfield playing the bassoon... You just have to check it out!" And it was so true. Everyone was just there to see him and he was just as funny as you would imagine.

Baby Stanfield- 15 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

I have a little bump. I had my appointment yesterday everything seems on track. He took a listen to the baby's heartbeat and said it was in the high 160's.





How Far Along: 15 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +3... my appetite is finally coming back.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet... How long can I put this off?

Best Moment this week: Thinking about finding out the gender next month.

Gender: I thought I wanted to be surprised, but I don't think I can take it any longer. Lately, I've been feeling boy. I'm really on the fence. I think it's natural to want one of each... but I really love everything "boy" with Haven and would be over the moon if he had a brother.

Movement: In the middle of the night when I roll over, I feel a little baby rolling over too. :)

Food Craving: I'm pretty much BLT'd and french fried out. But I'm making meatloaf this week with home made mashed potatoes... and it's all I've been dreaming about today.

Aversions: Driving or riding in the car. The smell of a car. The sound of a car.

What I miss: 3rd week without soda and I still miss it.

Sleep: Asleep by 9pm and up by 5am, with a bathroom break in between.

What I am looking forward to: Steve Martin tonight! Post to follow...

Symptoms: Morning sickness dramatically improved... Hopefully, I'm on the upswing from here.

Also.... How do you feel about "Gender Reveal Parties?" Have you ever been to one? Are they obnoxious or fun? I was thinking that if we did find out... then maybe we'll have our family and friends together for a cookout. I would have the ultrasound tech put the gender in an envelope and I would just give it to a cake baker without knowing what was inside... That way we are all surprised together!

Father's Day Cookout & Swim Party

No... I didnt' get in a swimsuit. I spared everyone that visual.

We went up to Peoria for Father's Day and Barry's daughter, DeDe, hosted a swim party! There was an overcast and the water wasn't very warm, but that didn't stop the boys from swimming. we couldn't keep Haven away from the pool.

And this is little Jersye. Barry's younger daughter, Holli, takes care of her... and she has the sweetest summer glow and big blues eyes you'll ever see. I wanted her to leave with me.

Cannon balls!

Anytime I want to get Haven to smile in a picture, I have to say, "There's a snake in my boot," in Woody's tone of voice. I used to have to fake sneeze 10 times in a row, so this is easier. Ha.

All in all, it was a great Father's Day!! Haven even borrowed some money from me to get his dad a new grill! ;-)


I have my 15 week appointment today! I'll have a Baby Stanfield post tomorrow. Chow!

Summer Chicken Salad

I make this for Chris all summer long and most recently made it for a bridal shower at work.

Here is what you'll need:

3-4 chicken breasts, baked and seasoned
1 cup of mayo
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup of grapes, halved

1/3 cup of shredded cheddar
1/4 cup of pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon of vinegar
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix mayo, sour cream, vinegar, and brown sugar in a bowl. Shred chicken with two forks, add grapes, pecans, celery, and shredded cheese. Add mixture to mayo mixture... Serve on a fancy croissant.

Baby Stanfield- 14 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

I still don't have a bump. At my last appointment, my doctor said that my uterus was retroverted, meaning the baby is more tipped towards my back than towards my stomach. It's fairly common after having a large delivery and the uterus will naturally tip itself towards the stomach in a few weeks. So until then... I'm just feeling puffy.

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I was up four pounds... but between the morning sickness, unpacking the house, and no appetite, I've lost a few. So now, I'm +1. It should also be noted that I gained 70lbs with Haven... so my only goal for this pregnancy is to gain less than 70lbs and not consume a Philly cheese steak sandwich, smothered in mayo, from Hot Shots, everyday.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet... I bought a pair of shorts over the weekend and I just bought one size up for room to grow. I'm a cheater.

Best Moment this week: Having the house in working order. Things feel back to normal, all around.

Gender: It will be a Christmas surprise! (I know, I'm nuts)

Movement: Sometimes I think I feel something, but I know it's too early.

Food Craving: BLT's (on white bread, not toasted)!! Coleslaw (only made with mayo), french fries (with honey mustard), sub sandwiches (on white bread), oranges (peeled, not sliced), and popsicles. I have to have a small combo of each of them. Daily.

Aversions: Taco Bell and the smell of Chris' car.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and Diet Coke. I've been Diet Coke free (soda in general) for 10 days and it hasn't been easy.

Sleep: I can't get enough sleep- 10 hours at night... and at least a two hour nap on the weekend.

What I am looking forward to: Going home this weekend for a family swim party to celebrate Father's Day.... and leaving with a bunch of my mom's cooking.

Symptoms: Just the usual morning sickness, which usually happens between 3-7pm... and fatigue. Nothing major, I'm feeling a lot better this week.

Father's Day Story

I follow this guy on Twitter... his dad is so funny.

This is a letter he wrote to/about his dad for Father's Day.

Enjoy!

House Tour Part 2

Thanks for the sweet comments yesterday... We love it here. My dream house is next door. When I see the owner leave, I'll be creepy and take a picture of it... You'll drool.

So this is Haven's room. It's a little smaller than his last room, but since there is a finished room in the basement, we've just made the downstairs his play room.

Random: I bought this plate from Cracker Barrel two years ago. I just had to have it. It's been in the basement ever since because my previous kitchen had a wine theme. I don't even like wine... so I told myself that my next kitchen will be full of color! Plus, I just love the reminder; I need it often.

Chris' grandma has a huge collection of these glass chickens... Every time we go visit her, she always sends me home with a new one. :) And man, oh man, I clearly need to dust up there.

This is the kitchen... very bright and open... and it leads to the backyard.

The bathroom... Kind of small, but behind the door is a built in wall cabinet that holds everything we need.






Our very yellow room. I wanted to paint it when we first saw the house, but now, I love the sun shine color... I'm going to browse Etsy for some fun pillows.

The playroom downstairs... Haven's boy cave.


This is the unfinished part of the basement... and this is all of our stuff that hasn't found a place yet...

And our favorite... The fenced in backyard!! We are patio furniture shopping this weekend... I could spend the whole night out there.

And that's our new house!

House Tour Part 1

I snapped a few pictures when we got most of the boxes emptied and broken down. The house, built in the 1920's, is in the Historic District of town. The outside is okay, but the inside is full of charm.



This is the living room and dining room when you first walk into the house. In every room, the windows just kind of take over... I've been intimidated to put anything on the wall because I don't want to distract from the windows and indoor shutters.



The original hardwood floors were just refinished and go throughout the house with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom which have ceramic tile.





I love the round chandelier in here with the pendant/plate that is time appropriate. We went shopping yesterday to find a round rug for this room and a window bench... and came home with everything but a rug and window bench.



The original french doors (with key!) go into Haven's room. I bought sky light curtains to go over the windows on the doors. The front of the curtain look fine, the creases came out, but the back, still clearly needs steamed.

We have a good sized eat-in-kitchen, so we decided against putting a dining room table in here. We were trying to find a round one, but everything was too big for the space with the piano and just walking through. We decided just to find a round rug and a window bench, to make the room feel more open.

I'll post the rest of the pictures tomorrow.

Back to Normal {Finally}

The house is almost unpacked and hot dog diggity damn, it feels good. My mom came down and just took over. She had the kitchen unpacked, every plate and glass hand cleaned and put away, organized the cabinets, picked us up dinner, gave Haven a bath, went and got us some groceries, and then wanted to leave. I felt like a 3 year old being dropped off at day care... I just wanted to throw my hands up in the air and run after her saying, "no Mom, don't go!!!"

The cable technician came out yesterday and hooked up our cable and Internet. I never thought I was a t.v. person until I went three weeks without it. I sat down as soon as he left and turned on an Oprah re-run. The Internet ordeal didn't bother me so much because I have Internet at work and on my phone... but man, I missed Wheel of Fortune, Oprah, and HGTV {especially Sandra!}.

Speaking of phones... The Stanfield's never just have a normal day. Chris started his summer school job, in the heart of St Louis... He was all giddy, probably reading Mice and Men out loud and doing all the little voices... when he noticed that one of the students took his phone off his desk. Little snake. We had it deactivated and all that... but he is just bummed. Who leaves their phone out on their desk?? But it's just stuff, right?

I'll post pictures on Friday of the new house. It's my goal for every little item to find it's home... or it's way in the car to the Salvation Army. Between packing, moving, unpacking, cleaning, and organizing... a garage sale just isn't in the deck of cards of projects I want to take on.

No Longer a Pregnant Nomad

We sold our house and closed 2 1/2 weeks ago. The deal with the house was "iffy" based on the buyer's financing and a permit that was pulled to fix a retaining wall. Literally up until three days before we were to close, we still didn't know if the deal would go through. We ended up renting a POD and moving everything, except a few outfits, into storage until we knew what our next step would be. We were also pessimistic about the closing and just assumed we were going to be unloading everything back into the house in a few days anyway. So if you do the math, I've been recycling the same few outfits for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I'm throwing these clothes away as soon as the POD is unpacked- I never want to see these shirts again.

My Aunt Denise was nice enough to let us stay with her. She made us homemade meals, nightly, with yummy dessert. Isn't she pretty?



Anyway, we found a new house!! It's in St. Charles and just so nice. I'm in love. I've already said that we're never moving again. We did all of the paperwork last week and the POD gets delivered today. We have some nice friends {and my mom} coming over to help us unload. I spent the weekend shopping... Why is it every time you move that you just want new things? I can't move without buying a new trash cans, mop, towels, rugs, etc.

I'll post pictures when we get settled in this week. It's so dreamy, like a little doll house.

Now this mama can finally sleep on her own bed!! Hallelujah!!

On a side note: Watch this video. It made my morning. I love stupid, drunk humor though. Fair warning. And while you're there... Read all the posts on DOOCE. Heather is nuts... in the most glorifying way.

Comments Not Working

UPDATE: Summer was nice enough to leave me a comment about the comment problem. She said that you have to uncheck the "stay logged in" to blogger button when you sign in. I did this... and now my comments are working!! :) I hope this helps you too.

Since last Tuesday, I haven't been able to leave comments... Every now and then it will work, but 9 out 10, it isn't.

I thought I was the only one until April posted this yesterday. I just checked her post again this morning to see if other people mentioned they were having problems too- but there weren't any comments. HA. Probably because we can't leave any right now.

My problem is when it asks me to list my profile and I try to click Google. I hope this gets fixed soon.