Welcome Lil Man - a baby shower recap

If you know me even just a little, then you know how much I love to plan and host a shower/party to celebrate any occasion. This time it was my turn to be on the other side. A couple weekends ago 3 of my BFF's hosted a fabulous (our fav adjective) shower to celebrate Lincoln's upcoming arrival at our house for me and my girlfriends. I had the best time visiting with everyone and am so grateful to have had such a special day with so many of my friends. Thank you to everyone who came, joined in the fun and spoiled Lincoln! I'm excited for this weekend's upcoming final baby shower with another group of friends and family from Dennis' side. We are both VERY thankful for all the love and support we're getting from everyone and know Lincoln is entering into the world with lots of love from all areas.

Onto the recap:

The theme was set with this cute invitation

Cute banner

Love the sign for the food table!

Each menu item had a cute sign that I want to share 1) because I just love all the details and 2) I may need a refresher in case I want to duplicate this shower theme in the future!

• "Wet Your Whiskers Lemonade" they catered to my tart cravings with lemonade and limeade garnished with fresh fruits. Served in decorative mason jars with mustaches attached to the straws for extra fun and good photo-ops!
• "Lil Man-Wiches" Baked ham and swiss on warm buttery rolls
• "Oh Boy Fruit Kabobs" with chocolate and cream cheese fruit dips
• "Bow Tie Pasta Salad"
• "Little Man Veggies"
• "Munch-Stache Treats" Rice Krispie treats cut out into Mustache shapes!
• "Whisker Lickin' Chicken Dip" Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Assorted Cupcakes from The Cupcake Collection: Sweet Lemonade (my all time favorite!), Coconut Key Lime and Wedding Cake

Everything was so tasty!

Mustache shaped Rice Krispies-how cute?!?!

Drink station

Precious cupcake toppers!

As party favors the ladies set up a "Cravings Station" for guests to pack a to-go bag of my random cravings I've had all along the way.

Here's what they got to choose from (Left to Right in pic below): Pepto (No I don't crave this but made for a good joke!), pickles, mustard, sour patch kids, Cheese Doritos, Snickers, Lucky Charms and Chewy Sweet Tarts.

Cravings Station (Favors)

I had to add the separate picture of Katie's awesome DIY banner! I'm keeping it! (Although unless I host a similar shower, I have no idea how I could reuse it. Too good to toss!)

KK you're the next Martha Stewart!

The next thing is probably my favorite part of the whole shower, Wishes for Baby cards:

Each guest filled in their wishes and hopes for Lincoln. This is so special to me and I've read them all a few times already. They're in a photo album that Dennis and I will bring to the hospital with us to read as we await Lincoln's arrival. Some are funny responses like "I hope you aren't afraid of dogs" or "I hope you don't dislike spaghetti". And some tear jerkers like "I hope you get your dad's music ability and your mom's big heart" and "I hope you never forget God's promises". I love that my mom wrote hers to me "I hope you don't get upset at his muddy feet in the house" and "I hope you aren't afraid of his crying" to give a few examples. I have extras that I want guests to fill out at the shower this weekend too.

Here are photos of some of the ladies who came to show our growing family some love.

Mom, her daughters and 2 almost grandchildren

Nancy my MIL and me (she had just become a Gran the day before!)

Everyone had fun with the mustache props!

There were 4 other buns in the oven in addition to myself at the shower: 1) my sister in pics above is due soon, then from left to right below 2) Rachel, 3) Jenn and 4) Heather.

We lined up in order from R to L

Here's a group of some ladies I have been friends with for MANY years! (Griff left right before this and Danielle was unable to attend but there in spirit!) I've felt blessed to have each of you in my life for so long. It's pretty exciting to know in less than a couple months (7 weeks to be exact-eeek!) Lincoln will get to meet some girls who have been there through it all (the good & the bad, the proud & the pretend-that-never-happened moments).

Katie, Jenn, Jenny, Kara, Rachel, Amy (Peyton's barely in it!)

Here's a pic of 3 wonderful women I've been lucky to meet and form friendships with through Dennis' work. It's nice to know they understand the sometimes hectic schedule that comes along with it. We've had some great times together and I can't wait to introduce Lincoln to his extended "road family"! Katie and I already say her youngest Sophie will be his girlfriend and Barbie's twin boys can show him the ropes of life! Another wife, Ansley, was unable to attend because her sweet boy came just a wee-bit earlier than anticipated. I've already asked her random questions about newborn baby boy care while it's fresh on her mind and I know the boys will make good playmates being so close in age. Being able to see how each of these families are able to succeed even with daddy away at work has been comforting to us as we enter into parenthood ourselves, we've got some great examples!

Katie, Barbie and Megan

And last but not least, here's a picture of me with the 3 fabulous hostesses! Thank you girls for everything you did for this day!

Hostesses with the mostess-es: Katie, Rachel and Jenn

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Love,

Denisse

32 weeks

32 week Update

How far along? 32 weeks down - only 8 to go!
Baby E’s Size: App says about 3.75 pounds

Jicama (about 16.7 inches long)

Gender: I love this nursery rhyme line: "What are little boys made of? Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails, That's what little boys are made of!"
Maternity clothes? Still mixing it up! I bought my last (I hope) maternity item this weekend-finally a pair of shorts that doesn't have the full panel, that extra layer adds too much in the TN heat!
Weight gain: I'm up to 23 total at my Dr appt Monday morning. According to the Baby Center pregnancy app I'm "gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb."
Stretch marks? Not that I can see, but I also can't see much anymore ;)
Sleep: Lacking in this area the past few days..
Best moment this week: Dennis coming home right when I was feeling my worst. He's been so supportive during the entire pregnancy (no surprise to anyone who knows him) and I've recently caught a cold that has knocked me off my feet. He got home at 3 am Monday morning and I was wide awake. Having him home made me feel better and having him with me at our doctor's visits is always a plus. Me and Lincoln are lucky for sure!! He's been helpful the couple days he's been home although we're trying to somewhat keep our distance hoping he doesn't catch my funk. Also a great moment to have Dr D say that everything is on track, she's not worried about Dennis' upcoming trip across the pond and she recommended how I could get rid of this cold.
Miss Anything? raw ahi tuna with spicy mayo and cream cheese wrapped in seaweed and rice (nothing new..trying to word sushi differently-ha!)
Food cravings: lots of bananas, pickles and icecream-and Chocolate Coca Cola cake from Cracker Barrel!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I wish I could continue on the "no" pattern but I have had a few episodes over the past few days. Dr D thinks it's due to my cold and thinks it will pass again once the cold goes away. It really isn't too bad, just another part of the plan to get us prepped for what's to come with the baby :)
Symptoms: Everything tastes SO GOOD these days-best symptom of all!
Belly Button? OUT!
Wedding ring on or off? On
Looking forward to: I have a prenatal massage this week AND our last baby shower to celebrate Lincoln's upcoming arrival. Lots to look forward to in baby prepping land. Plus Next week is a short work week with the 4th and I'm taking a couple days PTO to spend time with Dennis before his long trip.
Hope everyone is having a great summer!!
Love,
D, D & L

Week 31

How far along? 31 weeks - 7 months!

Baby E’s Size:

He weighs about 4 lbs!

Gender: Boy oh boy!

Maternity clothes? OH yes!

Weight gain: Averaging about one pound a week now

Stretch marks? not that I can see..

Sleep: Hit or miss, I either sleep solid through the night or toss and turn.

Best moment this week: Technically it was last week..but my girlfriends hosted an awesome baby shower celebrating Lincoln. (Recap coming soon-need some photos first.) We are extremely thankful and feel REALLY lucky to have the support and love from so many different friends and family in mine & Dennis' - and soon to be Lincoln's - lives. I had a lot of fun sharing all the details with Dennis when he got home.

Miss Anything? I don't really "miss" it but I can no longer see my toes without leaning over -ha!

Food cravings: Bananas, sour candy (thanks to some leftovers from the shower), pickles - I must say Dennis and I tried the fried pickles at Jonathan's Grille that recently opened here in Mt Juliet and they are the best I've ever had! They're lightly breaded SPEARS (not chips) and Dennis agrees they taste different/better than others we've tried. Highly recommend them! And we're happy to have another local option to eat at too.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Happily-NO!

Symptoms: No new symptoms just enjoying the nesting phase.

Belly Button? It's mostly out!

Wedding ring on or off? On

Looking forward to: I'm enjoying the gradual change in my work life happening now until Lincoln's arrival. I've started working part-time at home and the rest of the time I'll still be working at the office. I definitely need and appreciate the transition phase, but as you can imagine Sasha adjusted immediately to the working from home part!

thank goodness she can catch the afternoon sun while I'm working

we brought her bed upstairs so she's comfortable as she keeps me company

Enjoy the rest of the week and stay cool-it's officially summer!

Love,

D D and Baby E

30 weeks

How far along? 30 weeks-WHOA!
Baby E’s Size: Measured Lincoln Monday morning - he weighs 3lbs 4oz with a heartbeat of 143.
Gender: Boy, oh boy!
Maternity clothes? Not in today's photo - hoping I'm not stretching out my regular skirts too much so they can maybe still work for post-baby.
Weight gain: Dr says 5lbs since last month - total of 20. 
Stretch marks? Nothing new to report...same routine of loads of oil/lotion. My skin has been a lot more dry this summer.
Sleep: I'm starting to stay up later than I need to but still wake up at the same time. Hoping to fix the staying up late part this weekend and get back on track.
Best moment this week: My monthly doctor's appointment kicked off a fantastic week with all good news. Goodbye to the monthly visits- we've started going every 2 weeks now! Following Monday was the birth of a sweet, precious baby boy on Tuesday (my friend let me get a little practice in holding her perfect & brand new son). And currently we're awaiting the arrival of another June baby boy! Too many moments to pick a "best"for this week-God is good!
Miss Anything? I miss my hubby but can't wait to welcome him home on Father's Day this coming Sunday. I have a little treat in store for my favorite daddy-to-be!
Food cravings: I've had Dennis' favorite cereal Cinnamon Toast Crunch twice for dinner this week! And still drinking lemonade and LOTS of water!
Anything making you queasy or sick: NOPE!! :) :) :)
Symptoms: Leg cramps are pretty regular now in the mornings but nothing too major.
Belly Button? If I eat a lot at night & lean just right it will poke out-but technically still an innie.
Wedding ring on or off? ON
Looking forward to: My fabulous girlfriends are hosting a baby shower for Lincoln this weekend. I cannot wait to celebrate with everyone-I'm so excited for Sat!! And I'm especially ancy to see Rachel and her bump :) It's been since March when I last saw her. Our past-time weekend activities will be different this time for sure! Another highlight coming up: I'm getting set up to work from home tomorrow. This will be a big transition/change for me. I'm still working at the office mostly until baby comes and will continue to work full-time after maternity leave, the change will be not seeing all my work fam every day. I'm super grateful to be able to make this transition in my career and find the balance I'll need as a new mom.
Happy almost weekend!
Love-The Edwards


Side note: We LOVED working with Matt Andrews for our wedding and engagement and called him to do a session of maternity photos. Here's a couple pictures he took for us a couple weeks ago.

29 Weeks

29 weeks! (can you find Sasha??)

How far along? 29 weeks - the clock is ticking!
Baby E’s Size:

Butternut Squash: about 15.2" long & weighing 2 1/2 lbs

Gender: Got another confirmation Wednesday - All BOY!!

Maternity clothes? Mixing it up with maternity pants, tops, dresses and some regular (stretchy) skirts and dresses. I go to the nearby Old Navy a lot since they're constantly putting maternity clothes on clearance!!
Weight gain: I'll find out next week at my monthly doctor's visit - my guess from home is a total of 20lbs.
Sleep: I have found the perfect pillow/Boppy pillow combo to get comfortable for the whole night. Sleeping like a rock...for now ;)
Best moment this week: We went back to Focused4D yesterday morning to have a 3D/4D ultrasound. We LOVED seeing Lincoln - he looks so real now!! We think he has Dennis' nose and my mouth but will see for sure in a couple months. We got quite a few printed photos and a 30 minute DVD of the ultrasound (yes we've already watched it!). We had such a great time getting to watch all his movements, plus like Dennis says I get to feel him everyday so he really loves getting to see him! Another highlight of the week was this morning we met with a pediatrician and fell in love with her-she is awesome!! It was very comforting to meet her ahead of time, we got familiar with the doctor's office and the practice's philosophy of medicine, etc. Plus she's a first time mom herself of a 6 month old so I feel even better about her views going forward. Big relief that we both liked her so much and now have a doctor to list when Lincoln gets here. I got a little teary eyed walking in the clinic realizing that our role in life is about to change. I said to a couple friends today that I thought "When did my mom stop bringing ME to the doctor? Soon we'll be bringing our baby here... what's happening?!?!"  A silly but surreal moment where I stopped and soaked in the reality that we're on the eve of our new journey as parents - we are thrilled! All joyful tears I assure you!!

Miss Anything? Sushi!! This has been pretty consistent throughout my pregnancy and I know it will taste sooo good once I can have it. 

Food cravings: Bananas, lemons/limes, ketchup......I feel like I could just go ahead and copy/paste these cravings into every week's update here on out. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Thankful for that!!

Belly Button? Not out yet but I just know one morning I will wake up with an outtie!

Wedding ring on or off? On

Looking forward to: This coming weekend marks the 3rd weekend in a row of my full blown "nesting" phase. I'm hopeful to finish up some of the organization/cleaning projects around the house and I know we'll finish Lincoln's nursery. I only have 1 more thing I'm waiting to get in the mail to hang up, then we're shampooing the carpet and the nursery will be done! We're also painting my home office (and slash Dennis' music room) because next week will start my first phase in the transition to work from home part-time. Here's a sneak peek at one of my favorite things in the nursery so far:

Waddie's hand crafted rack w/Lincoln's first hats

And here's a picture of Sasha in what she believes to be "her" rocking chair.

Big Sister Sasha

The rocking chair in the nursery is the rocking chair Dennis' parents used when he was a baby. We love having it in Lincoln's nursery where we will soon rock him. Better pictures to come once nursery is complete.

Have a great rest of the week/weekend!

Love,

Dennis, Denisse and Lincoln

UPDATED Recipe: White Cheddar Pimento Cheese

White Cheddar Pimento Cheese
I've been on a big Pimento Cheese kick the past couple months. I've tried a few different recipes and have come up with my favorite from Food.com <---link to original recipe. I replaced the monterey jack with white cheddar, threw in all 8 oz of cream cheese instead of the 6oz this calls for & skipped the red wine vinegar. It's an easy make and there's only a few ingredients you have to run to the store to buy.

Blend the following ingredients until creamy and well mixed. Serve with crackers, wheat thins or as a sandwich:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise  I've started using the kraft mayo with cracked pepper and then you can skip adding black pepper, I love this taste!

• 4oz chopped pimentos (use the juices)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• hot sauce to taste (I use about 8 dashes/shakes)
• ground black pepper to taste