World Series!

The perks at being at Yale are endless. We know so many wonderful people who happen to have wonderful connections. Think about it? It's Yale. The Yale University--so many influential people went to this school.

Check out the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Yale_University_people

The cool thing is that most of these people have a deep love for Football and the incredible tradition that 150 years as brought Yale University. After all, we are the birthplace of Football.

I can't say WHO gave us the tickets to the Game 1 of the World Series, but he is about as influential as you can get in terms of baseball. I truly can't even put into words how amazing the game was at the Yankee Stadium. I felt so lucky to be invited and to be able to witness something that most people will never do in their lifetime. I especially loved experiencing it with Mike....who is a baseball FANATIC!

Our head coach this is just the beginning of some really cool times! I'm think Saturday Night Live next ;)

Here are some pics:

Attacking my closet...

I going to attempt at 8 months pregnant to attack my closet today in hopes to get it organized. If you could see this closet, you would gasp! It is soooo unorganized and needs some major help! Wish me luck!

32 Weeks!

Peyton and I had our 32 week appt today with Dr. Roth, the head of Pediatrics at Yale University. He was so warm and made me feel at ease. He wanted me to ask him lots of questions, and because he asked, I took our my big list:

1. Swine flu shot? He told me I will be getting it Friday and it will not contain mercury. Third trimester pregnant women are first in line, so I'm very excited to be swine flu free pretty soon! Means more trips to NYC!

2. Can I be induced if I'm late? NO! Basically, if I'm a week late, he will check me. If I'm ready, then he will induce, but if I'm not he will let me go as far as two weeks, but will monitor the baby every day. Since we have so much family coming and going, we really wanted to make sure that Peyton arrives when all are here. I guess I can't play God.

3. Are the breastfeeding and newborn classes at Yale University the same as the ones at Yale New Haven hospital? YES! Thank God, because mine are free!

4. Will I be having a third trimester ultrasound? No, because Peyton looked very healthy at her 20 week ultrasound. I guess the next time I will see her is when she is in my arms!

5. Do I need to give a birth plan? I can if I want to, but don't need to. I just want to make sure all the peeps know I was DRUGS!

He took Pey's heartbeat and it was so funny because he was lopped over on one side. She loves my the right side of my tummy for some reason. She's so darling and already making everyone laugh.

I can't wait to meet her. I think about her every second of the day and pray for her just as much. She is going to be so loved.

I'm no June Cleaver...

I'm trying to memorize scripture to create more discipline in my life but to grow in the Word.

My Bible verse this week is:
"Whatever you do, work it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. For it is Christ you are serving."
Colosians 3:23-34

This move to the East Coast has been one where my identity has really changed. I'm working only about 10 hours a week and I'm really trying to find my new role as someone who stays at home. Soon I will become a stay-at-home Mom which I swore I'd never do. I always thought I'd work, even if it was part time. God has really worked in my heart to embrace my new role and a part of that is really hard. I don't particularly love cleaning the house and making dinner and looking it as my "job." I'm no June Cleaver.

Before I moved, someone gave me some great advice. She said to me, "AnneMarie, make sure you spend at least 15 min with the Lord every morning or you aren't going to make it." At first, I thought that was a little extreme, but now I find it to be so true! I find that if I don't start my day in the Word, I am not myself. I'm crabby, homesick, self-centered, and mad at Mike for moving me here. Sometimes I even feel that way when I am in the Word, but when I give Jesus a portion of my day, he really does sustain me.

My memory verse for this week is more like my new life verse. When I'm sweeping the floor, or cleaning the toilet I must remember that I'm not doing this for men, but for the Lord. For it is Christ I'm serving. I know this verse will really come in handy when Peyton is here.

Peyton's Nursery

Here are some early pics of Pey's nursery. I put up curtains and a couple other stuff I haven't taken pics of yet...those are to come. I love her room! I love going into it in the morning and spending time praying for her. It's such a special place and I know she is going to really enjoy it. It's filled with lots of love!

My Projects

Since I have some time on my hands not really working, I have been thinking of creative ways to make Pey's room extra special. I love decorating and I love projects! My cousin Meghan is incredible with the paint brush and a glue gun and she taught me so much when I was out visiting here this Summer.

My first project: Make Pey a lamp. Pottery Barn Kids makes this beautiful rose lamp and its about $150.00. It has little roses up and down the shade:



Okay, I can't pretend to know how to do that, but Meghan did get the inspiration from Ikea and Michael's to do one like it with a special twist. It was so easy and all under $25 bucks! I tweaked mine a little differently to make it my own, but all you need is a pink lamp shade from Ikea ($5), a hot glue gun ($2), 5-6 Fake roses from Michael's ($1.99), and a lamp base from Ikea ($9). I took off the stems from the roses so the flower was flat. I measured them out around the shade because I knew I wanted them to touch. I glued them on the lamp shade and thats it! You have a beautiful, girly lamp for any room! It is also fire resistant because they are on the outside of the lampshade which is heat resistant!




Second Project: Mirrors for Pey's bathroom. I really don't love buying art for the bathroom. Especially a newborns bathroom-she is very spoiled! They have these awesome wood framed mirrors at Ikea for $2.99 each. I bought three of those, got some acrylic pain, and painted each one a different color. I attached beautiful ribbon to them so they would hang and in about 1 hour and for less then $12.00 I had art for her bathroom!



Third Project: Peyton's name: I have been looking everywhere for letters to hang up in Pey's room. Everywhere I went they were so expensive! PB had one color letters for $10.00 each. Um, no thanks. As I was browsing through my new fav place to shop, Michaels, I saw standard, paintable letters for $2.00 each! I bought each letter, already had acrylic paint and painted each one butter with pink and green dots! It was so much fun and such a creative outlet for me. The whole project cost me the price of one letter at PB Kids.



My next project is to paint the knobs on her dresser. I will upload pics once those are done!

...Had such a great time

The reason I haven't been posting is believe it or not I have been one busy girl. My Mom was here for 10 days and my dad for 3 days and we had such a great time. I can't believe all my Mom and I got done! We basically finished Peyton's nursery, cleaned our closets, and made a huge dent in shopping! She was such a blessing to me as I couldn't have done any of this on my own. We also got to spend a day in Rhode Island and NYC.

Unfortunatly, Yale hasn't won in the last couple of weeks, but we have been playing tough schools. This week should be a win under our belt and I'm anxious to get this thing rollin'!

I get to see my Mom today!

I'm so excited for tonight! My Mom comes for 10 days and I'm so excited to show her CT and NYC since she has never been!! There's nothing like having your Mom come visit :) Especially my Mom since she is so helpful!!!!!!!! My Dad comes next Thursday for 5 days which will be such a blast. YIPEE!!!!

Yale vs Georgetown!

Mike had his first game of his coaching career yesterday! He has been coaching for 4 years, but this is the first year that he is an accountable coach. He has such a great group of players called the F'n Y's (tight ends/full backs). I just love all the guys he coaches and we feel so honored to be a part of a football program that is rich in tradition and its love for football. I can't tell you how blessed Mike and I feel with our boss, Tom Williams. Because of him, I am able to see Mike during the season! He really values family and makes sure that coaches are home to tuck their kids into bed at night. With this big of a move and with all the changes that are happening with me, I can't tell you enough how HUGE it has been for Mike and I. It has so helped our marriage and my outlook on football. I hope we are with Tom for a very LONG time.

Mike and I are were able to drive down to D.C. on Thursday together since he had to recruit on Friday. I love the East Coast in the fact that in just five short hours we went through Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia! I felt like I saw so much of the country and boy is it beautiful!

The game was great. Mike's tight ends had two touchdowns and it was a great Win for us!! Another great win was my Father in Law's win at UNLV! The beat Hawaii and we were ecstatic!

Trip to Hotlanta!

I haven't blogged in a while--maybe due to my growing belly which makes it very hard to sit down for long periods of time. Anyways, I wanted to update everyone on what has been going on in our family!

First things, first--I had a great time in Atlanta! I learned so much about newborns from my cousin Meghan! I can't believe how good baby Elle is and I know its due to her being put on a schedule. Meghan is such a good Mom, and has done a lot of research in the field of scheduling and it is remarkable! I never knew how to quiet a crying baby (that is if she is not hungry or gassy), and I learned through this book she read (Best Baby on the Block) that the sounds of a hairdryer could actually get her to stop crying and fall asleep! It worked every time. She bought the CD w/ the book and even put it on her cell phone so when they are anywhere she can put it on near Elle and she will stop crying. Incredible!

Atlanta is such a cool place! I love where they live and their little neighborhood. It was so good to see Taryn and it felt like the old days! We cousins really grew up like sisters, so it was really special to be able to see my sisters again.

Did I mention how cute Gavin is? OMG!

Here are some pictures:

Leaving on a Jet Plane...again

Tomorrow I am headed out to see my cousin Meghan and her family in Atlanta. They just welcomed their second child, Elle, and I can't wait to meet her. My other cousin, Meghan's sister, Taryn will also be there visiting from Bakersfield. I'm looking forward to some girl time, but also to learn all about newborns, since I have no clue. I have never been to Atlanta and I'm anxious to check it out since I watch way too many realtor shows on HGTV and they are always in Atlanta! Looks like such a fab place!

26 weeks...

Mike took this picture of me at 26 weeks and I just can't imagine how bigger I'm going to be by December.

I am starting to really enjoy my pregnancy. I feel like I have more energy and way more of an appetite than I did in my first and second trimester.

My new craving: French toast.

College Football is HERE!

Mike and I have been waiting for September 3rd to come since, well, last Sept 3rd! Tonight, Mike's alma mater, Boise State will be playing The University of Oregon. We are so excited to kick of football season with a great game, but also to relive our glory years back in Boise.

The City of Boise and Boise State Football holds a very special place in our heart. Many life changing moments happened for us in the great state of Idaho, and we think back very fondly on our time there. Truly, Mike would say it was the best 5 years of his life, and the best 2 years of mine.

Tune in to ESPN @ 10:15p EST and see one of the best college game day atmosphere's in College Football!

Hi, My Name is Anne-Marie

...and I'm addicted to Babies R Us.

I really don't want to view Peyton as an accesory and I really think I'm doing a very good job at it, until I go into Babies R Us. I am truly getting stuff we need, but holy---there is a lot of STUFF!

I feel like it keeps multiplying and I can't seem to determine if it is a want or a need. Basically, right now its a need.

No more shopping there for a while. I'm sure when Mike comes home, I will be put on probation.

19 and counting...

For those of you who are obsessed with watching multiple family reality shows-this blog is for you.

Did you hear that the Duggers from the hit TLC show, "18 Kids and Counting" are expecting yet another? What on earth? I can't help but just LOVE these people because they are so nice and so innocent, but they are totally out of their mind when it comes to birth control. Not to mention that the Mother will be having a child 5 months after her oldest has his first child. Thank you, but I would rather not be raising babies with my Mom. For some reason, I would feel like she is stealing my thunder.

I have one child in the womb and my uterus is already had enough. Sure, I intend to have more babies, but after 3 or 4, my body is going to be DONE. I can't imagine giving birth to 19 children. She probably doesn't even push when she's in labor. Yikes, that gave me a BAD visual.

Anyways, check out the article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/01/duggars.new.baby/

I Made It!

I'm back in beautiful Connecticut and had a great flight. Its so good to be back with Mike and I can't believe Peyton comes in only three short months. We are working hard on her nursery and I can't wait to have it all up and ready for her arrival.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...Again

I have to get on another airplane today, and I guess I have no other choice. I wish there was another way to get to CT, but there isn't. I would appreciate the prayers and good thoughts my way because I don't think there's anything worse than being scared to fly. If I knew the minute I got pregnant that I would develop a fear of flying, I might have rethought all the trips I would be taking pregnant. All worth it, if course, but a big glass of wine would at least help.

Signing off...see you on the flip side!

Peyton is GROWING!

I feel like overnight, Peyton grew 10lbs. Okay, not that much, but I now cannot fit into anything I used to fit into. I was so proud of myself for being able to wear my regular jeans and then literally overnight, I can't fit them around my big, fat body. My belly is now not letting me even wear my normal shirts, and if I do, I dare not go out in public. I figured this out about 2 seconds ago when I had a shirt on that I adore, and my Mom took one look at me and started laughing.

Pictures to come....

Great Website

My sweet friend, Kristen sent me this link for this super cool website!

Check it out. It's addicting!

www.playgrounder.com

My Favorite Song

I love the Country Music Group-Sugarland, and this is my new favorite song. Reminds me a lot of my life right now :)

Enjoy!

Very Last Country Song - Sugarland

Such a Tragic Story

This story was on E60 tonight and I thought I would share it. Please take the time to watch. It really has rocked my world, and made me so thankful for coaches like Ed Thomas was. It made me so appreciative of being in coaching, because of the lessons learned, but made me keenly aware that our days are numbered.

You've Got Mail

I watched this oldie but a goodie last night with my Mom and forgot how much I love the movie, "You've Got Mail." It is such a classic movie, and I never get tired of the story or the ending. I love Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly. Isn't she just so beautiful and classy in the movie? It made me want to wear turtlenecks and work at the "Shop Around the Corner." She leads such an enchanting life in NYC, and I could just imagine what it would be like to be her. Another thing I love about her, is her PJ's. I love her PJ's in that movie. I want to own them and wear them all day! Isn't that so strange? 

I love the quote in the beginning of the movie by Tom Hanks, "Don't you just love New York in the Fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. If I knew your name and address I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils."

You've Got Mail is a must see year after year.

Meet My Three Main Men

Thats right, I have three very important men in my life (Mike, my Dad, and my brother go without saying). They are the men of College GameDay! Every Saturday morning, these guys wake me up from a deep slumber and instantly I'm in a good mood and the College Football world is right. They are funny, they are energetic, they are no non-sens

e and I love them for it. They have been invited into me and Mike's living room since we started this crazy business and they have never let us down (only one time-when they said we would lose to USC, but what were they going to say). 

In case you have NO idea what I'm talking about, please go to www.collegegameday.com

Let me introduce you to the commentators of College Game Day and these men are in PARTICULAR order.

My #1 Main Man: Lee Corso-Lee's annoying, but I love him for it. He's an Ol' Ball Coach and thinks he knows everything, but he is like a strong cup of coffee in the morning and I need that. Every week the boys visit a college town of the biggest game of that week and at the end of the show Lee picks who is going to win by taking out the head of the schools mascot and wearing it. Usually he head butts Kirk, which is HILARIOUS!

My #2 Main Man: Chris Fowler-I'm sure you are SHOCKED that Kirk is not my #1 or #2, but I will explain that later. I love Chris. I love how steady he is and he is really funny in his own way. He kind of reminds me of Stone Phillips and lets just he is my Main, Main, Main Man. He does an awesome job at the player stories. You know, the ones that have a very sad but triumphant ending? The stories that make you proud of be a college football fan. Sometimes I will look over and Mike might have a tear in his eye. If Chris can make my husband cry, he deserves to my #2.

My #3 Main Main: Cutie Patootie Kirk Herbstreit. If we were going of

f just good looks, then he'd be #1. I like Kirk because he is aesthetically pleasing and he's a good commentator. Sometimes he likes being the Devils Advocate, which is fine, but he has made me very angry in some instances. He's just doing his job, I know. 

My # 4 Main Main: Desmond Howard. I like to call him Dezzie. He's the anchor man and does a great job at getting the fans fired up. He's done nothing wrong to be in #4, just not as special as my three main men :)

There you have it! Check out College GameDay Septemeber 5th 10a EST LIVE from MIAMI!

A Mothers Prayer

My dear friend gave me an incredible CD for my shower--Songs to celebrate Peyton Jean. There is this one song called, A Mothers Prayer by Rachel Aldous. It is such a beautiful song and it has meant so much to me. Research has shown that if you play music to your little one in the womb, they can actually hear it and remember it when they are outside of the womb. Peyton listens to this song every night before we go to bed. Its a wonderful bonding experience.

I hope you enjoy listening to the words:

Tweet-Tweet

Follow Yale Football and Head Coach Tom Williams on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/yalebulldogfb

My new gadget

I think my Mom thinks I'm going crazy! Today at Babiesrus I picked up this little gadget called the KickTrack. Basically, it helps you track the babies kicks. My Dr told me I need to start tracking Peyton's kicks, and I have to be honest, I'm not a very disciplined person. I not only need to track them, but I have to have a log so I can notice if there's a sudden change in her pattern. I swear, there is so much to be fearful about when your pregnant, but that's another blog. So, I researched online for how exactly are kicks supposed to be tracked. I came upon this site, www.babykick.com where this gadget is sold. I'm not going to explain it all, because its too confusing. Basically, ever day when your baby is most active, you need to count the kicks. Peyton should kick 10 times in 2 hours. It has to be the same time every day and this little gadget tracks it for you. It will alert you if there is a sudden change in the pattern, or if she is not kicking enough....

This is either going to be lifesaving or a big, huge hassle. I'm hoping it will be a reassurance for this very concerned Mommy-to-be!

Football is here!

Mike starts football camp today! I can't believe we are embarking on our 4th school. It has been such a wild ride with a lot of ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I get to be a part of Mike's career which is such a pleasure and so much fun! We are a team and we do it together and there is no bigger honor than that! He has worked hard, paid his dues, and its fun to see what this season of life will bring.

I always try to hug Mike before a big game...here's some pictures of those special times:

I'm having a great time!

I've had a great week so far. I've been able to see dear friends I haven't seen in a while. I took a walk with my friend Natalie and had a great breakfast with her. She's such an incredible person and I just cherish her friendship so much. I've been able to take great walks with my Mom which is always so much fun. I went over and saw all the Stanford wives tonight which was such a blast. They are such a great group of people whom I adore. Tomorrow, I'm going to spend some time with my friend, Gina, from Facebook. She is due any day so we are going to pamper ourselves and get a manicure. Overall, it has been a great week seeing friends and getting some much needed rest.

I was a little nervous today because I hadn't felt Peyton as much as I had been in CT. Tonight, I got home and laid on the couch and she went NUTS. My Mom, Dad, and sister all got to feel her which was so much fun! There is nothing better than being able to feel your daughter move inside you. I love when I feel her because it makes me feel so close to her. 

Off to bed...

Baby Shower #2

Yesterday was my Bay Area Baby Shower and it was so incredible! My 4 Aunts gave it to me and they did such an outstanding job! The food, the flowers, and the fellowship were all so amazing and I felt so loved. We had it outside in my Mom's backyard, and we couldn't have ordered better weather! There was also a time of sharing by my Sister, my good friend Natalie, and my Aunt Kathy. I so loved everything they said about Motherhood and I know many times I will look back and remember their advice and words of encouragement to me.

I also got a ton of loot for Peyton (55 women in attendance)! She is going to be one stylish girl! Overall, it was a fabulous day and I couldn't have asked for more.