Life is like Coffee!

Life is like Coffee Movie:


"Life is like Coffee. Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general? Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them"? Often, the happiest people in the world don’t have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything!"

This was a great reminder for me... just wanted to pass it along.
It's a wonderful life!
-Sara

Merry Christmas!!! Visit from Papa Joe and Nonna :)

Merry Christmas everyone!!!! Hope all is well with you and your family and you are filled with the spirit of the season! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Ok... one early Christmas present came this week! A glider with an ottoman. :) My parents were wanting to get something for baby and we said that we hadn't 'shopped around' or found the brands of things we want. Then I got to thinking....wellll I know we'll be want one of these. We were NOT expecting this at all because we had been pricing them and they're pretty expensive and we weren't sure we had found exactly what we wanted.

Can you tell I love it?!?! Probably will be spending many a late night and early morning in this thing!

Even Ryan loves it... he says in the meantime while we wait for baby - it will be his 'recliner'. haha

Papa Joe and Nonna (Italian for Grandma) came in town Dec. 23 just for the day. We're spending our first Christmas apart and it's a bit weird! Wonderful visit and great dinner with the four of us. I am 17 weeks here.

New tradition Ryan and I are doing - we are getting each other an ornament each year! I was really wanting our Christmas tree to grow with memories when we set it up with ornaments - so this was the best way to do it! I found this at a kiosk in the mall and just personalized it with a thin Sharpie at home. :) Too cute right?! Ryan loves penguins. :)

It's a wonderful life!
-Sara

PS- still taking pics with my camera on my phone...still searching for battery charger for my Canon.

PSS- Dec 25th is my year anniversary for blogging! I wish I was a super cool blogger and had a giveaway or something. hehe

Christmas! 16 wks! White Elephant!

Here are just a few pics of our cute little Christmas tree, Moose (6 month old puppy), and the little peanut starting to make it's (I hate saying 'its') appearance.

I got my sweater @ Old Navy...it was buy one get one FREE! Great deal :)

Look how cute the Moose boy is!

So at my work Christmas Party we did a White Elephant gift exchange. This is the gift I got. A Ballerina Pig Piggy Bank. Everyone thinks it's "telling our future". I thought it was cute, plus I was a ballerina in my former life. ;) We'll know in about a month!

Isn't hubby a cutie?!

Baby is the size of an avocado this week. Crazy to think baby is that big...and I'm also CRAVING avocados like never before! Very fitting for this week. I just wish I could get some good ones at the store - they're all not very good and I guess not in season. Bummer.

It's a wonderful life!

-Sara

This Kind of Love

This Kind of Love

Sister Hazel

This kind of love makes me feel ten feet tall

It makes all my problems fall

This kind of trust helps me to hold the line

I'll be there every time

This kind of love is what I dreamed about

Yeah it fills me up

Baby it leaves no doubt

This kind of love is why I'm standing here

It's something that we can share

I can't get enough of this kind of love

This kind of hope is what I tried to find

And now I can't deny I believe

And this kind of faith is so unshakeable

It's unmistakable

It's bigger than me

This kind of love is what I dreamed about

Yeah it fills me up

Baby it leaves no doubt

This kind of love is why I'm standing here

It's something that we can share

I can't get enough of this kind of love

Your love can move a mountain

It makes my world go round

It's always there to guide me

I'm so lucky that I've found

This kind of love is what I dreamed about

Yeah it fills me up

Baby it leaves no doubt

This kind of love is why I'm standing here

It's something that we can share

I can't get enough of this kind of love

This Kind of Love

 

Today is our 6 month anniversary! The lyrics throughout the pictures came from our first dance song. The words perfectly describe our love for each other. I am the luckiest girl in the world!!!!

It's a wonderful life!
-Sara

14 & 15 weeks

Hey all! I tried to upload this picture so many times and I guess today is my lucky day! It's up! I have a little belly now. I'm wearing my new favorite maternity jeans. (Gap Maternity has great jeans. I was told to check out Old Navy and Target too)

This was after Ryan's work Christmas party. It was a neat party (wow that sounded dorky) at a bar on 6th street called SIX. Apparently it's Lance Armstrong's bar...anyways - I wanted something fun to drink besides a water SO I ordered a cherry sprite. As soon as I asked the bar tender for that - I got the WeIrDeSt look from him. He even asked again, "A cherry sprite?" (I guess I felt silly saying Shirley Temple) He goes 'sure'. I'm thinking.."yeah with a cherry on top dude! back off" haha but I didn't.

I heard the heart beat last Tuesday. I wish I was able to put into words all the emotions I felt when I heard that little heart beat. Relief that everything was ok! Excitement for the little life! Love - so much love before I even know Baby Corl. Immediate tears of course...and then there were other noises besides the rhythm of the heart beat. I asked the midwife what that was and she said, "Oh that's movement. The baby is kicking, squirming, moving it's arms and legs." SO AMAZING!

2nd Trimester is sooooooooooooooooooo much kinder than the 1st. My energy is up and my nausea is pretty much gone. I still have moments where I'll get queasy... like making dinner and preparing raw meat. EEK! I'll leave the kitchen and tell Ryan I can't do it. haha I'm still craving tons of water which is good and I seem to always want avocado or chocolate. Gotta watch it! I've gained 3 pounds and they said that was 'good' and 'normal'. I was glad to hear that. I have also read that in the 2nd trimester it's normal to gain one pound per week - yikes! I want to do that slowly and healthily (is that the right word?)

January 11 we are going to find out the gender. I get mixed signals from people about this. Some are surprised we're finding it out and some are like "it's hard to wait isn't it?!"

We really appreciate all your love, support and prayers!

Until next time...It's a wonderful life!
-Sara

Thanksgiving and 13 weeks!

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Just got back from a great 5 day weekend at home with family. :) Here are a few snap shots of our Thanksgiving, mom's birthday, annual Christmas Tree Chopping (always the Friday after Thanksgiving), a wedding and my 13 wk side pic!

**Note- I am actually 14 weeks now, however I always seem to post the 'weeks' picture at the end of that week. Just a heads up..hehe***

Pretty Thanksgiving table :)

Brother making fun of us trying to take a 'baby/belly picture'

Ryan had just played football and I was slaving in the kitchen...hehe

My beautiful mom and her beautiful cake! (compliments of Sweet Spot Bakery - aka Heather! :) )

Making a wish...

Our little family at the tree farm :)

We tried to get this pic right so many times...

Mom and her sweet puppy Ellie!

Heather and sister Jenna! Pretty pretty girls

My adorable parents

:o)

The men

Pretty barn I can't wait to see each year...hasn't changed a bit

BEAUTIFUL BRIDE - Mrs. Maria Bratton! :) YAY

First maternity dress and 13 week picture!

12 weeks

And so it begins... I wanted to start taking all those sideways pics to watch my tummy grow! Give an update on the week and the symptoms I'm having. Just really wanted this journey documented!

So I look super tired and exhausted here... took this Friday night after a lonnnnnnng week! I'll take a better picture next time - I just couldn't let this week pass by!

Not 'out there' quite yet...but I feel different. "Pudgy" has been my word for how my stomach feels lately. I think it feels more different to me than it looks. My mom and friends who have had babies are like "Ohhh just wait til you REALLY change." Eek!

Symptoms:

Extreme exhaustion - my energy has picked up and gotten better as the trimester has gone on. But this kicks you like nothing else!!! I would come home from work, sleep 2 hours, barely make a decent dinner and then go back to bed before 8! I'm not that way any more, I just need energy to start working out again.

I'm not quite like this, but I thought it was a funny picture...

Food Cravings - At first I was craving things like carrots and ranch, pretzels and hummus, fruit, and now it's all sweet tooth. I have to watch out! I bought those sugar free jello pudding - like 60 calories, those usually do the trick.

Water - I cannot seem to drink enough water. I know I am drinking enough, but my thirst is never quenched. It's like unbelieveable how much water I'm drinking. Seems to me like pregnancy gets you to be healthier (except all those sweets) because water is the only thing I really want to drink and you know you're in charge of your little one's health already!

• Emotions - I definitely have had those moments where I'm crying and it's 'just because'. I'm more emotional than I ever was before. A song on the radio, commercial on tv, something at work, someone giving me a hug and asking how I'm doing. It's unreal how quickly tears can form! Ryan will just hug me and tell me everything is ok. 

This week the baby is the size of a plum! There are cute little 'fruit timelines' for the size of your baby. We called it gummy bear, blueberry and peanut for a while, but that won't work anymore really. Crazy to think how quickly it is growing!

So I'm not sure if I said this in my last post but we have a hunch it's a boy. Ryan just really hopes it is, and I just hope it's healthy. But I've had dreams it's a boy! More than once. I was thinking maybe because so many girls have been born recently (my friends babies). But now my friend's theory is about the babies heart rate. 170  bpm .... her little girl's heartbeat never went below 150 and all our friends with boys have been lower heart rates. Hmmm interesting - we won't know until around Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

It's a wonderful life!

- Sara and baby :)

So - we have some newsss.....

Yes - it's probably what you were thinking based off the title of this post! I'm pregnant! We're having a baby!!!!! So here goes the few stories about how we found out we were expecting and the first obgyn appt where we saw our precious little peanut!

So it was around the middle of September and we were on our way to church. Ryan and I were just talking like we normally do...and he said, "I have a weird hunch that you're pregnant." Immediately my mouth dropped open and I said something not so polite. "Shut your mouth! Don't say that...how would you know?!"

Ry knew when my cycle was supposed to start and said I wasn't showing any 'symptoms' of PMS - not like I'm moody or mean! (except he might have thought so with what I had said earlier) He said I normally complain of breakouts and soreness, little more irritable, cramping etc...

Well later that week I was just a day late. Our conversation Sunday had really planted a seed in my mind and I began to really wonder. I waited another day and still wasn't showing any signs of starting - so I took a test. I was home alone. I was so scared I even left it in the bathroom and didn't go check it until a few minutes later. I couldn't just sit and watch the line(s) appear. Well minutes later ....two pink lines showed up and I burst into tears. It was a mixture of disbelief, fear, shock, anxiety and then denial. The 2nd line was faint but it was there...

I text Ryan (he had to work late that night) and asked if he could come home early. He said that he couldn't cause they were short two sales guys...and of course he asked why. I said... just wondering cya later. HA he knew right then what it was about.

I went to Target to and bought two more packs of tests. Lines, words, crosses etc... I wanted all the different types cause I just did not believe it! Well below you can see all the tests - and they're all positive. Ryan got home and saw my face...red, splotchy, tears streaming down my face. He said.."Is this what I think it is..." I showed him all the tests. He gave me a big hug, kissed my tummy and said, "Well I guess we should go buy a mini van." Haha He knew I needed a good laugh.

We told our parents about a week or two later. This is VERY unlike me to not atleast tell my mom! I still was scared of something happening and my gyno who I had visited soon after I found out I was pregnant said that 1 in 5 women have miscarriages. Yeah so totally freaked out and waited until I felt pretty sure things were ok. (Which I guess you never really know right?!) I found myself taking another pregnancy test just to see and the pink lines REALLY showed up quickly then. Apparently the hormone you have from being pregnant will make the lines show up darker and quicker the further along you are.

We text the picture of all the positive tests to our parents and said "Yep they're all positive! You're going to be a grandparent!!!" Both sides called so excited. :)

Finally, in October we went to my first Obgyn appointment. It was about 2 1/2 hours long! We talked with a nurse first about the office and all this pregnancy info, an insurance person, and then finally one of the Dr. saw me and did the ultrasound.

Of course I started crying talking to the Dr. just cause I was scared and worried, and hoping everything looked ok. She asked how long we were married and dating before that. I told her 3 months married, but 4 1/2 years dating and...she said "Oh yall will be fine!!" Anyways...she went ahead and did the ultrasound to calm my/our fears and this is what we saw!

It's amazing. You can even make out the head and little arm buds. This is when I was about 8 weeks. I am now 12 weeks so I'm sure we'll see much more during our next appointment.  Ryan and I were just in complete awe of what we saw on the screen...then we saw a little flicker - the baby's heartbeat. So amazing. It was beating about 170 bpm.  They said that was very good and the baby looked great. Ryan and I were holding hands and just started tearing up. He said, "that is the coolest thing I've ever seen."

Baby Corl's ETA May 28, 2011. The day after the last day of school! HAHA A teacher's dream! God was planning the timing for us there. And I won't be pregnant in the hot, Texas summer! :) Even though I was (and still can find myself) scared - I know that this is God's perfect plan for us. Even though we wanted to wait longer, there is a reason this baby will be born when it is born to carry out God's masterful plan. (a good friend reminded me of that) Even though I'm nervous about being pregnant and becoming a parent/mother... I know Ryan and I are teammates and we're in this together. 

We are so excited!!!!! We appreciate your prayers, love and support!

It's a wonderful life!

-Sara (and little peanut)

Love November!

Alrighty...here are some pics from last night!

Carving Saturday night...

My Haunted House pumpkin!

Looks awesome! I was very proud. (Ry wouldn't let me take pics of his...it was a spider)

Our pumpkins on the porch and my cute hubby in his Hunter Pence jersey. He actually dressed up!

Me with my pumpkin....I look like a pirate right!?

Us.

We had about 30+ trick or treaters! So many cute toddlers and kiddies, and then some scary middle school kids. Ryan and I traded off answering the door and I became like a kid each time. Excited to open the door, and then I got scared once and really wanted Ry to do the rest. haha Those crazy middle schoolers and scary masks! ugh!

Excited to see what November brings! Happy November everyone!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Hello Blogger World!!! I am SO glad I finally figured out how to fix my blog template and now I can start posting again!

I absolutely love halloween. When I was younger Halloween was in 2nd place after Christmas of course. Still to this day it does not feel like Halloween if: I do not dress up, carve or decorate a pumpkin, eat candy, and watch the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

I love the Charlie Brown movies. There's a movie set that has Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Thanksgiving one isn't that great but Halloween and Christmas are the best!

Last night Ryan and I carved pumpkins. He did a spider and I did haunted houses. They look pretty cool! We cannot wait to pass out candy. Our first time together, and in our new house! We asked our neighbors and heard we'll have LOTS of kiddos/halloween traffic on our street. YAY!

I'm going to dress up as a pirate. (If you've read my blog before I posted a pic in the summer of me as a pirate for VBS... yeah I'm wearing that again. No need to spend money again when I have it in my own closet!) Ryan said he's going to be nothing. LAME. I almost went and bought him a wig or something to put on! I guarentee you that kids will ask what "he is".

Quote of the (last) week at school:

Boy: "Mrs. Corl what are you going to be for Halloween?"
Me: "A pirate...arggggg" (yes I did do that sound affect and arm motion)
Boy: "Oh really...well what you should really be is a WITCH TEACHER and slap kids on the head with rulers!"

I thought to myself... is this how kids perceive me?! Surely not! (I hope) but a witch teacher REALLY?!?! Sometimes I do feel like bopping them with rulers. ;)

Alrighty... I'll post our Halloween and pumpkin pics soon!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN!!!!

I'm back!!!

My Blog is going crazy on me!!!! The template was fixed and then I went to post and this mess happens again! HELP!!!!!!

School has consumed my life once again. We are almost through the entire 1st nine weeks....ALLELUIA! Hopefully 'things' will slow down. Exhausted is my middle name. I have a class of sweet kiddos, and slowly but surely our classroom 'groove' will be underway.

Moose is SO BIG! He went away to 'doggie camp'...it's called All Dogs Unleashed. AMAZING training program. I was totally skeptical about it, but it's been wonderful. It got to the point where we couldn't stop his unwanted behaviors and I couldnt' enjoy him cause he was either biting us, jumping on us or doing business in the house! ugh! He's doing great! Can't wait to post a picture of him. He's 35 lbs now and his coat has become kind of wavy.

My husband Ryan is wonderful. We've been married 4 months now and couldn't be happier. He's the cheese to my macaroni, or as he says....the avacado to my guacomole. Hehe he loves guac!

Glad to be back! Hopefully I can keep this up!

Diaper Cake!

Happy Sunday! It's been a while..... school has started and I no longer have a 'life'. Well my summer life is over,and I can no longer do what I want when I want. However, I am lucky to say I LOVE my job. My class is sweet! They're a handful though. Our grade level is very boy heavy and I have 15 boyssss and 7 girls. I do have some great leaders and role models so that is helpful. It's quite a mix. Definitely going to have some challenges - but nothing I can't handle! I'll post classroom pics soon... some of the best quotes of the week were:

"Mrs. Corl...while I go to the bathroom will you finish coloring this for me?"

"Mrs. Corl...I've been to L.A. How do you spell L.A.?"

hehe I know there are more to come!

One of my closest coworker friends, Amber is having a baby girl! She is due Sept 12 and we hope she can make it to her school shower on Tuesday! I really wanted to get her a diaper cake. I've never seen one in person, only in pictures online. Well we found out someone who makes them and they're veryyy expensive. I had no idea how expensive diapers were! I decided to take on the task of making one! I love crafts...and I figured it would be a fun project and gift for Amber.

Her nursery, and our shower theme, based off of a pattern from pottery barn.

Too cute right?! Well I bought over 60 diapers and then little "its a girl" knick knacks from Hobby Lobby. I decided to take pics step by step incase I wanted to make one again. Here's how it went....

Gathered all of my materials (I sound like such a teacher...) Tons of diapers, rubber bands (assorted sizes), baby lotion, and a cookie sheet. So each diaper is rolled from 'butt' to front. From the bottom of the diaper to the openning and then secured with a rubberband. Then using the baby lotion...put all the diapers around it and secure with a bigger rubber band. Hub was a super help here. You really need 4 hands to do this! I found it easier to roll and band all the diapers first and then it was quick to assemble...with help of course. Here you can see I made a 2nd and 3rd row. About 30+ diapers here... wish I had counted!

Now you use some double sided tape and add a 4 oz. bottle on top! Oops..forgot to add those to my materials list. I thought it was so genius to use baby products to be the base of the diaper cake tiers. So many smart people out there I stole ideas from!

Now you make two layers around the bottle...
One more layer around the very top of the bottle! And you have 3 tiers!!! Now real fun begins...

TA DA!!! This is her finished diaper cake. I added thick ribbon first around all three tiers. The top is a birdie car toy...so she can use that later along the with 2 binkies, and hair bow/barettes. The barettes didn't make this picture...but they were easy to clamp onto the diapers and ribbon. I made green boy accents, and the other girlie knick knacks came from hobby lobby. They had all the homecoming mum stuff out and this came from the 'baby mum' section. Too cute. I hot glued the stuff to the ribbons. I made sure to not get it stuck to the diapers! The whole point is so she can unroll and use these diapers later! Just take your time and be careful! It really was so much fun! I think I impressed Ryan with my 'crafty' skills. hehe Maybe I could make another career out of making these for people! I'll take orders ;)

I have other close up pics...but having trouble arranging them. Blogger pros I need help! Do you really have to drag everyyy pic you upload from the top of your post down to the spot you want it in? Am I missing something here? Help!

Have a great week everyone!

It's a wonderful life!