The Buerglers

Eric, Evie and I are going tomorrow to find out the sex of the baby!  We're going to tell our family over Thanksgiving and then reveal the news to the Internet on St. Nick's Day. In the mean time, place your bets!

How far along? 19 weeks today, baby! How big is baby?   Total weight gain? 3 whole pounds.  This puts me right on the line on the low end of the weight gain range for my BMI. Maternity clothes? You betcha.  Gap had a 60%+20% off + free shipping sale yesterday. I bought a casual dress, a workout top, and a sweater.  I also went to the Pea in the Pod outlet and got some fabulous $50 leggings for like $8, and a tshirt dress.   I know some people take pride in buying little to no maternity clothes, but I love it.  I feel like a house by about week 10 and as much as I love the smuggled basketball look under a tshirt, I just feel prettier in well fitting maternity clothes.   Stretch marks?  Nothing new! I just got Honest Company's new Belly Balm for the dry winter months. It smells so delicious and it's easier to use than pure cocoa butter. Belly button?  It looks like a Creature from the Black Lagoon Exercise  Looking ...

If you didn't know there is a special hospital in the middle of nowhere Georgia where the Cabbage Patch dolls are born.  At this hospital there is a little self-guided tour of the history of CPKs and a museum of some vintage dolls over the years. But the real reason you go out there is to witness the birth of a hand made, soft faced doll.  If you've never been, there is a giant room full of adoptable babies.  Some of them are in cribs waiting for their mommy or daddy to adopt them. Others are still in cabbage leaves also waiting for a home. In the center of this room is a tree. The magical birthing tree.  It's under this tree that the cabbage babies are born.  With a full audience and a nurse in scrubs, the group cheers PUSH and other such nonsense. Since we were invited to go as part of our friend Zoe's fourth birthday, all the girl and their mommas stood patiently under the birthing tree to see what baby cabbage would be born that day.  It was a boy...

How far along? 17 weeks 6 days (photo from exactly 17 weeks) How big is baby? 5 inches and 5 ounces, accounting to Baby Center.  About the size of an onion Total weight gain? 2 pounds, at this point with Evie I'd gained 14. Maternity clothes? Why, yes.  I've had it with the Belly Band non-sense. I'm so jealous of women that it works for.  For me, it rolls, bunches, gets tangled, falls down, slides up, what have you. I'd rather spend the money on a few pairs of maternity pants than deal with that.  Especially since I show really early and carry so low.  I'd rather be comfortable than save the money. Stretch marks?  Nothing new this pregnancy! Belly button? Oh my, it's saggy like something fierce. It looks so weird I can't even describe it. Exercise:  No. I have been SUPER bad about this. I think it's why I've been having RLS at night. Though even with extra hours at my desk job, and a nap, I'm still managing 5000-8000 st...

Over the course of the year I've had small families, cousins, new borns, and 3 month olds. I had an engagement shoot scheduled. The only thing missing to practice on was a pregnant mama. Before I had a client ask me to do it, I wanted to practice. Baby bellies can be tricky, but oh-so-lovely.  I called Rebecca and asked if I could use her family for a practice shoot.  I'm so glad she said yes! We did the shoot on a Saturday morning in downtown Norcross, Georgia.  I've learned the importance of open shade and had recently scoped out the treelined area as a good starting point.  It was also an in between meeting place for us.  To our surprise was this great red wall and the brick wall just across the street. The other photo Rebecca desperately wanted was a silhouette shot, but not a super black/white one, but one with enough some shadowing.  I had a ton of fun reading about how to set up the shot, and then how to follow up in Lightroom to really...

I'm learning the trend.  When you have kids holidays don't last a day, they last a week, or two. I'm totally fine when it comes to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, heck, even Fourth of July (bring on the watermelon!) But Halloween.  I can't handle this holiday in the first place, but stretch it out over the month.  Kill me now. I did find a moment of joy between all of my Halloween-Grinchness.  Evie loved it, and that's all that matters, right? Evie's Aunt Leeann was generous to make her a Halloween costume again this year.  Eric and I chose for Evie to dress up as "Monkey George" since we figured this is probably the last year we'll get to pick her costume. Evie was a rock star.  She had fun at her school party, which included a glow-stick dance party and a costume parade for parents.  She even did great with the Halloween song sing-a-long their preschool did after the parade.  After school we drove home with the in...

Such a gift in our lives!  We love you sweet Evie :)

One. I am writing this on Thursday to link up on Friday. I'm so behind on blogging I'm actually ahead. Or something like that. Two. Tomorrow we embark on our largest Confirmation retreat to date.  We have 209 candidates on retreat out of a class of 219. Not a bad ratio AT ALL.  We have 35 group leaders, a full band, 3 staff members, a nurse, and some clergy going with us.  I'm so overwhelmed, but I'm actually caught up on preparations (this NEVER HAPPENS) that I'm actually at peace....except.... Three.  Satan has been attacking.  Usually, it's that I binge eat or engage in other indulgent behaviors that result in me being super grumpy and moody.  Today I am feeling super down because our little baby Albert was due a month from today, which means in the original plan I shouldn't have been going on the retreat this year.  It's giving me feelings of doubt as to why I need to be there this weekend, but Satan is also making me fearful that so...