It's the final 365...

...of my 20s!

Via

Yep. I've officially been living for 29 years. Can you believe it? I can't. I feel like I celebrated 21 just yesterday. My, my how time flies when you're having fun.

No big plans for my birthday this year. No big gifts either, which is perfectly OK with me. The mister and me are moving to our hometown in a matter of days and we get to meet our daughter in a matter of weeks. These are the best gifts a Birthday Girl could ask for, really.

So, here's to 29 years of living, learning and loving. Can't wait to see what the future brings for our little family of three and a half (Alfie is the half, in case you're wondering).

Third Baby Shower!

Saturday, my BFF, Lori (along with her pretty awesome husband, Charles) hosted an amazing baby shower for Jonathan, Elena and me. This was the BIG one, folks. We invited my mom's family, my dad's family, my stepdad's family, Jonathan's family and all of our closest friends. More than 50 people attended, spoiling Elena with lots and lots and lots of goodies. It took an hour and a half just to open gifts! The generosity of our family and friends was pretty overwhelming. Jonathan and I feel so very lucky to have lots of people in our lives who care about us and our baby girl. We're incredibly blessed.

Here are a few photos from the shower...

Jonathan and me before everyone arrived

My dad (Elena's Papaw) and me

Gwen (my second mom), me and Lori Beth (my best friend and fabulous hostess)

My mom (Elena's MiMi) and me

My good-looking grandmothers! Seriously - aren't they the prettiest grandmothers you've ever seen?!

The Collins family: Steve (Elena's grandfather), Gail (Elena's GiGi), Jonathan's brothers Cameron and Thomas (best uncles ever) with Jonathan and me

My Mamaw Smith and me

Representing my college friends, the one and only Brittany

Amber, Shawn and me

The boys: Chuck, Baby Ty, Chris, Andrew and Jonathan

The girls: Laura, me and Jill

The grandfathers...

Our first "let's see how many generations we can fit in a photo" picture

Delicious cake!

Opening gifts

This is the face I make when I see something with Elena's name monogrammed on it.

More gift opening action shots...

An hour and a half later, the gifts were opened and Lori's hallway looked like this...

Good thing we're moving to Knoxville. It would have taken multiple trips to get all these goodies back to Nashville!

 Thank you, friends, for a beautiful baby shower! We are so appreciative!

Second Baby Shower!

Earlier this week, my boss hosted a super sweet baby shower for Elena and me. All of my co-workers came and brought the sweetest gifts. Man, that little girl is getting all kinds of goodies. She's so cute and spoiled already. I'm actually beginning to feel a little jealous of her wardrobe. Seriously, my kid will look like a total fashionista while Mommy Melinda runs around wearing sweats and over-sized t-shirts. Sheesh!

Needless to say, Baby Girl racked up once again with the most adorable clothes, toys and accessories.

Mama Collins racked up too, consuming approximately 15,000 calories thanks to the most delicious baby shower food ever. Shrimp salad, cheesy hash brown casserole, cucumber sandwiches (shaped like flowers, of course) and amazeballs miniature chocolate chip cupcakes. I ate three plates of food. And I am not ashamed.

Here are the only photos from the shower (I don't know why, but I always feel a little awkward playing paparazzi around colleagues)...

Most of the Marketing and PR team; Ramona, Natalie, Mindy, me, JoEllen and Mackenzie

Delicious food!!!

 So, so fun! Thank you, ladies for a beautiful shower for Elena!!!

Bump Watch: 32 Weeks

What the heck is going on with my hair in this picture? And, notice the missing picture that used to hang on the wall. The reality that we're actually moving very soon is beginning to set in.

How Far Along: 32 weeks!

Size of baby: Squash Baby! Weighing in at 3.75 pounds this week.

Total Weight Gained: Not much change from last week (yes!). 19.5 pounds gained. Not too bad, I suppose.
Maternity Clothes: With spring officially here (and since it's baby shower season!), I've been wearing dresses more often. I recently discovered the awesomeness of maternity Spankx. The ones I have aren't actually Spanx brand, but they're a pretty sweet knock-off. They're surprisingly comfortable and smooth things out in just the right places.

Gender: Sweet little girl!
Movement: I'm beginning to feel lots of weird elbow and knee jabs this week. Sometimes it hurts, but I gently nudge my belly and ask Little Lady to scoot over. Most of the time she complies with my requests. Such a good, obedient girl already.
Sleep: I am so, so tired lately. With everything going on in our lives, I dream about to-do lists a lot.

What I miss: My brain cells. After baking lasagna the other night, I added freshly grated parmesan cheese to the top, and then placed the cheese back in the refrigerator. Or so I thought. A few minutes later, Jonathan needed the parmesan to add to our salads, but we couldn't find it anywhere. We looked in the fridge, the freezer, the dishwasher, the bathroom; no parmesan. After searching high and low, we found the cheese in a kitchen cabinet. I think it was the first time Jonathan realized that pregnancy brain is a real problem. He said he hopes Elena gets all the brain cells I am losing.

Cravings: Deli sandwiches! Lately, I can't get enough McAlister's and Subway. I think my body needs protein and fresh veggies.

Aversions: Nothing, really.
Symptoms: Mama Collins is sweaty! Since the weather is warmer outside and my blood volume has increased 40-50 percent as a pregnant lady, I am hot all the time. I thank the good Lord that Baby Girl is due in May and not August. I can't imagine being pregnant in the summer.
Best Moment this week:Finding a place to live in Knoxville definitely tops the list. Jonathan and I couldn't stop smiling on our way back to Nashville last weekend. We instantly felt less stressed and more focused on creating a home for our little girl. We're so incredibly grateful that things are beginning to fall into place for us.

Home Sweet Knoxville (Folks, we have a house!)

A couple of weeks ago, Jonathan and I learned a tough lesson. When it comes to renting, you basically get nothing for your money. We looked at a few places in Knoxville, only to be completely disappointed and, frankly, disgusted. For $1,400 a month, you can live in a (pardon my language, but it's completely necessary here) shithole. 

Granted, Jonathan and I are particular when it comes to our home. You've seen our house tour. We're neat freaks, and we like for things to look just right. That said, we are also able to look past bad paint choices and dirty carpet. Those things can be remedied pretty easily. We're not willing to fork over $1400 bones a month for a house that is practically unlivable though. Do you know what kind of mortgage you can get for $1,400 a month? A good 'un. That's what kind. For that much cash we could basically buy our dream home. In our preferred neighborhood. Crazy, huh?

So, why aren't we buying our dream home in our preferred neighborhood, then? Well, that's easy. 'Cause we already own a home. In Nashville. Duh. And floating two mortgages isn't too appealing to us. Plus, if you have a $1,400 monthly mortgage then you probably dropped a pretty hefty down payment on a pretty sweet casa. We're still working on fattening up our down payment potential. Our philosophy: when we buy another house, it will the house we want to live in for a long, long, long time.

All that to say, our initial search for a rental home in K-town left us pretty dang discouraged. 

We were so discouraged that we started looking at apartments.

Can you imagine (I ask, sarcastically)?

Call us snobby, but there's a bit of a stigma associated with apartment dwelling. Especially at our age. And especially when you're already a homeowner. It's hard to go from living in a house you own to living in an apartment you rent. Feels like a setback, for sure. But it was something we were willing to do in the short term to save money for afore mentioned dream house down payment. After all, sometimes you have to make sacrifices in the short term in order to get what you really want in the long term. (We'd like to think we're not members of our generation's "I want it, and I want it now" club. We tend to think that working for what we want in life is far more rewarding than being given everything on a silver platter.)

So, apartment hunting we went. Actually, we sent my mom on a wild goose chase to every apartment complex in Knoxville. Bless her heart. I know we drove her crazy.

Then, suddenly, our search for a place ended. Last weekend, in a whirlwind adventure, Jonathan and I found a house to call home in Knoxville. 

The weekend went a little something like this...

Friday night, the mister was up late scouring Craigslist. Creepster, I know. But apparently there are actually a lot of property listings on Craigslist. Weird, right?

Late Friday night, someone posted a house for rent in Knoxville. Three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, two car garage, oversized bonus room, hardwood floors on the main level, wood-burning fireplace, a giant front porch, 1.5 miles from Turkey Creek. There was one photo of the exterior of the house.

 
Not too shabby, right? No other photos though. The price: less than we'd pay for a two bedroom apartment. I kid you not.

Naturally, we thought "what's the catch?"

"At that price, the interior must be gross, right?"

But we ignored our skepticism and decided to check it out anyway.

First thing Saturday morning Jonathan was on the phone with the property manager, scheduling a viewing for my mom see the house. (Good houses rent fast. We knew we had to move quickly.)

Mom saw the house Saturday afternoon, and called us with an update. She loved it! With a little cleaning and fresh paint, she said the place would be perfect for us.

Half an hour later, Jonathan and I were packed, in the car and headed to Knoxville to see the place for ourselves.

By Sunday afternoon we had toured the house, paid a deposit and made plans to get the keys the first weekend in April.

Whew.

What. A. Whirlwind.

We're tired. But we have a place to live. It's big. It's clean (and will be even cleaner once I get my hands on it). It has character. And it isn't going to cost us a bazillion bucks a month.

Hip, hip hooray!!! We have a place to live!!!

More photos coming soon, of course. Once we get moved in and settled, I'll definitely post before and after pictures!

It's not personal, it's Facebook

Via

Remember when I wrote about National Unfriend Day? 

Well, I did it. I "unfriended" approximately 100 people from my Facebook account. And it felt good. Really good.

It felt so good that I am considering adding "National Unfriend Day" to my calendar every year. It's like virtual spring cleaning. And, in my opinion, it needs to happen at least once annually. Just as you would clear the clutter from your closet; one should also clear the clutter from their Facebook newsfeed.

Here's the weird thing about unfriending people though; they come back.

Seriously, y'all. It's awkward.

Since National Unfriend Day, I've received at least a couple dozen re-friend requests. And at least a few "why did you unfriend me?" messages.

Oops. I really didn't think they'd notice.

But, apparently, I was wrong.

I've totally been busted. And it's so very awkward.

I swear I didn't unfriend people with the intention of being mean. I really, really didn't mean to be mean. (Honest.)

I unfriended all those people because...

• I didn't know them at all
• I barely knew them
• Or, I knew them in a previous life (i.e. elementary, middle, high school or college) and we have no common interests or mutual reasons to remain in contact. Chances are we only accepted each other as Facebook friends because we were just dying to know what the other was doing with their life (i.e. Facebook stalking).

I know. I sound like a total meanie. But c'mon, man. I'm trying to shrink my virtual circle of trust. It's not personal. It's Facebook.

And, yes, I am aware that shrinking my virtual circle of trust is completely ridiculous, considering that I like to chronicle every moment of every day on this lil ol' blog. I never claimed to be brightest crayon in the box.

Perks of being a Pregnant Lady

I love pregnancy. Seriously friends, this gestation gig has a lot of perks. Granted, pregnancy has a lot of negative aspects too. But I am not the gal to complain about those (backaches, swollen feet, puffy face). Carrying a baby is such an incredible blessing, and I'm trying to soak in every positive aspect and forget about the negatives.

These are my five favorite perks...

• I can eat whatever I want (for the most part), let my belly spill over and you can't judge me! After all,  I'm creating a person in there.
• Goodbye, Aunt Lucy! No "monthly gift" from Mother Nature for me! Sorry male readers (i.e. Dad), I know you don't really want to hear about my visits from "Aunt Lucy" (as I like to call her), but saying "so long" to that biotch has been pretty awesome. It's definitely worth mentioning.
• People are so ridiculously nice to me. They want to know how I'm feeling, how I'm sleeping, if I'm hungry, if they can get anything for me. Apparently, people love a pregnant lady. Who knew?
• I never have to wait in line for a bathroom. So many women are so very kind and let the pregnant lady with a yorkie bladder cut in line!
• My husband has a new found adoration for me and his baby girl. He takes extra special care of us, and I love it!

Moms and moms-to-be: What did you/do you love about pregnancy?

Bye Bye, Bruce

Via

I'm not gonna lie; when Lane Kiffin jetted out of Knoxville in early 2010, I (along with every other Tennessee Volunteer fan) felt totally betrayed.

It was like we finally got a date with the dreamiest boy in school, only to find out it was all a big fat joke at our expense. It hurt our feelings. And it was certainly humiliating. Nobody likes being dumped.

But even in the midst of all the drama with pretty boy Kiffin, we Vols fans still had our main man. Our boyfriend. The man who won our hearts from the moment he arrived in Knoxville. The man who would never leave us in the middle of the night. The one who called just to say "I love you." The one who adored us for us, embracing our redneck ridiculousness. The one who charmed us with his wit and orange and white painted chest. We didn't mind that he isn't exactly the best looking shirtless guy in the world. To us, he was the most handsome man in the room. Because he loved us, and we loved him (and because, as Tennessee fans, we clearly know that looks aren't everything). So, yes, we were hurt by Kiffin and his betrayal. But we knew everything would be OK (at least during the long winter months). We still had hope, because we still had basketball. And we still had our true love. You know, Bruce.

The University of Tennessee fired Bruce Pearl today. After a long, fairytale relationship, it's over.

Just like that.

Over.

It's a loss that has left fans feeling completely devastated. It's like we're 16 again, and our parents have forbidden us from dating the boy of our dreams. "He used to be a good kid," our parents (i.e. Mike Hamilton and the stupid university) say."But he's gotten himself into some trouble, and we don't trust him anymore."

We're being forced to cut ties with Bruce, and we don't like it one bit. We want to rebel. We want to sneak behind our parents' backs, run into Bruce's arms, and tell him how much we love him. How much fun we had with him. How he made us feel alive, helping each and every one of us realize that there is life after football season.

But Bruce isn't our boyfriend anymore, so we'll probably never get the chance to express how we truly feel.

Tonight (after we're all home from work, of course) we'll go straight to our rooms, slam our bedroom doors, bury our heads in our pillows and sob until our chests hurt. We might light a candle and listen to moody tunes. Or, we might listen to the songs that remind us of better days.

"Rocky top, you'll always be..."

Our voices will crack, and we probably won't even make it to the "woo!" in the lyrics before we begin sobbing again.

We'll mourn. Oh, we will mourn.

Goodbye, boyfriend. Goodbye, Bruce. It's been a lovely six-season love affair. Your spark, sweat stains and bright orange suspenders will be truly, truly missed.

Oh yea. And, goodbye, Tennessee men's basketball program, too. Winters in Knoxville will once again be long, cold and undoubtedly uneventful.

Maternity Photos (Downtown Nashville edition)

Last week, Jonathan and I met up with our friend Amanda for the first of two maternity photo shoots.  Amanda is an amateur photographer with a super sweet camera. She asked if we'd be her willing subjects for her first maternity photo shoot, and we I said "heck yea!" I'm a complete ham, so I rarely shy away from a camera. Poor Jonathan doesn't exactly love having his picture made, but he's always a good sport when I ask him to say cheese with me.

Since Jonathan, Amanda and I all work downtown, we decided it would be fun to take advantage of the lovely Nashville skyline for the photos. Here are my favorite shots...

 

 

 

The photo shoot was so, so fun! And we are very grateful to Amanda for her willingness to capture this special time in our lives. Such a sweet gesture!

Thank you, Amanda!

Maternity Photos (Choosing THE Outfit)

While I should focus every ounce of energy and attention on the logistics of our upcoming move to Knoxville, I can't help but spend a little bit of my precious time daydreaming about our maternity photo shoot instead.

Yes, folks. I said "our" photo shoot. The Mr. gets to have his picture taken too! You know he's excited. And by "excited" I really mean less than thrilled.

I, on the other hand, can't wait to get dressed up and pose for pretty pictures. I imagine it will be just like America's Next Top Model (pregnant edition). There will be hair, makeup, flash bulbs and fashion. 

Oh, there will be fashion. 

Preggo fashion.

Which brings me to the dilemma that haunts my daydreams (you know, when I'm not thinking about things that are actually important; like when we're going to move, where we're going to live, who will deliver our baby). The burning question lingers: What the heck should I wear for my maternity photos?

(Good thing I have my priorities straight, huh?)

Our photo shoot will take place at a local park our photographer recommended. I've never been there, but she described it as having a rustic/nature vibe (picture an old, paint-is-chipping-away building, railroad tracks and the token brick wall that everyone must have their picture made in front of these days). Sounds sort of country chic, I guess. Totally cool with me. I don't have time to over-analyze the location. 

I do, however, have time to over-analyze my outfit selection. I'll probably wear something casual and cute. To save money, it will probably be something I already own, paired with fun, new accessories. Here are a few spring outfits that inspire me...

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

The big photo shoot is tomorrow morning (which means I'll spend all night choosing the perfect outfit). What do you think?

Note: Because we're the luckiest people on earth, Jonathan and I already had our first of two maternity photo shoots. Our friend Amanda has a fancy pants camera and offered to take some pictures for us for FREE! Um, yes please! Don't worry; I'll share them in an upcoming post!

Bump Watch: 31 Weeks

How Far Along: 31 weeks!

Size of baby: Our little lady weighs three pounds and three ounces (we learned her exact weight during an ultrasound earlier this week). She's the size of four navel oranges.

Total Weight Gained: Let's just say I am pushing the 20 pound milestone in the weight gain department. I know the extra weight is a temporary sacrifice, but I must admit that the number on the scale is beginning to mess with my self-confidence.
Maternity Clothes: I still feel underwhelmed by my pitiful little maternity wardrobe. But with only nine more weeks (give or take) of pregnancy, I hate to buy new clothes.

Gender: Jonathan and I can't wait to meet our daughter!
Movement: Baby Girl is a scrunchy monkey. We didn't get any great photos during the ultrasound this week, because our little girl likes to put her hands and her feet in front of her face. Flexible little thing, apparently. We learned that she's already head down in the "go" position though, and we're hoping she stays that way until it's time for her world debut.
Sleep: I have to run to the bathroom several times each night. Getting in and out of bed is quite interesting now that I'm bigger. I feel like a roly poly. 

What I miss: Giving 100 percent. Between pregnancy, moving and finishing things up at my job, I can't commit 100 percent of myself to anything. And I hate it. I'm a 100 percent kind of gal.

Cravings: Lately, I'm loving bananas.

Aversions: Back to hating barbecue. Jonathan said something about barbecue the other night, and I gagged. 
Symptoms: I still get heartburn, and I'm eating a lot of Tums. I never took Tums before I was pregnant. They're awesome! And kind of taste like Smarties.
Best Moment this week: There were a lot of great moments this week. Elena's first baby shower in Roanoke was definitely a highlight. And seeing our little girl again during an ultrasound was also great. Our little lady looks healthy and beautiful. I cannot wait to meet her face-to-face!

The End of a G-Funk Era

It's a sad day for the rap community. 

My boy Nate Dogg died yesterday.

Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, Warren G
Via

If you're a white girl from the suburbs and listened to Nirvana instead of gangsta rap unfamiliar, Nate Dogg was a friend and collaborator of the one and only Snoop Dogg. He was best known for the 1994 hit "Regulate" featuring my favorite early 90s rapper, Warren G. 

Anyone who knows anything about me at all knows that "Regulate" is my all-time favorite tune. Nothing -and I mean nothing- makes this girl from the ghetto happier than listening (and rapping along) to "Regulate." For my generation, it's a classic.

"Regulate" takes me way back to '94. I was in middle school, and I had just discovered the power of curse words and the even stronger power of hairspray. I thought saggy pants and Starter jackets were cool, and I couldn't decide whether I looked cuter in a red do-rag or a blue do-rag. Forget East Side vs. West Side. It was clearly all about choosing the cuter do-rag.

At the time, had no idea that my musical preferences and wardrobe choices were products of growing up in the ghetto of Knoxville. How on earth did I survive the G-Funk Era of my life, go to (and finish) college and become a productive citizen? What happened to the young, naive girl who just wanted to hit the Eastside of the LBC? I should probably thank my strict parents and Jonathan for steering me in a different direction. (Thank you, strict parents and Jonathan!)

  

These days, I'm just a typical middle-America white girl living in the suburbs. With a husband. A job. A baby on the way. Responsibilities. A closet full of cardigans. And a Pottery Barn catalog on the coffee table. In my typical late bloomer fashion, I even like Nirvana now. I don't think I own a single do-rag anymore. And if I do, I doubt it's red or blue. It's probably hot pink paisley.

I still have "Regulate" on my iPod though (along with other 90s rap tunes from Dr. Dre, Snoop, TuPac and Biggie). And no matter how old I get, or how classy I'd like to think I've become, nothing -nothing- will ever take away the days of my youth when rythm was life and life was rythm. Like I told my mom when our family moved to the West Knoxville 'burbs in 2002; you can take the girl out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the girl.

Goodbye, Nate Dogg. Thanks for the tune. And the memories too.

First Baby Shower!

What a whirlwind weekend! For real; I am beyond exhausted. 

After a quick pit-stop in Knoxville to look at a few potential houses last Friday (more on that later), Jonathan and I traveled to Roanoke, Virginia to visit his extended family and celebrate Elena's first baby shower. The shower was so much fun and a very welcome distraction for me. Lately, I feel like our lives are spinning out of control. It was nice to stop, breathe and enjoy a couple of days with family.

Here are a few pictures from the baby shower...

The most delicious cake of all time. Seriously. It was so good!

Beautiful decorations! Jonathan's grandmother painted the letters for Elena's nursery. The sweet hostesses even bought tulips for the centerpieces! Tulips are my most favorite flower!

Jonathan's aunts (Leslie and Tracy) and me. I love that everyone wore pink and gray for the shower (the colors of Elena's future nursery).

My sister-in-law, Grace (Elena's favorite aunt) and Jonathan's cousins Kendall, Shannon and Meghan.

The hostesses and me (Jonathan's grandmother, Barbara and his aunt Leslie).

Barbara's sweet friends who all knew Jonathan when he was a little boy. They were all so generous, spoiling little Elena with the cutest baby clothes, blankets and toys!

The baby shower was so, so wonderful! Jonathan and I are lucky to have so many people in our lives who care about our little girl!