Five

Five Years ago today, I married Mr.Pate. It was cold and snowing that day. I can not believe it has been 5 years already. Time has gone so quickly, and yet at the same time it feels like we have been married forever. I was very calm on our wedding day. I wasnt nervous about the event or the thought of forever. It seemed completely right to me to commit myself to this man. God knew exactly who I needed to be my partner for the rest of my life. 

Mr.Pate and I are a lot alike. A Lot! We are both strong personalities, task oriented, very practical, and sarcastic. I love that we think the same way about money, possessions, giving and spending. It amazes me how we enjoy each other more as the time goes. We come down on the same side about most theological issues and so far parenting ideas. I love that. 

Mr.Pate and I are also very different. God knew I would need a man who would challenge me in my weak areas. I needed someone who would call me out when I was wrong. And that Mr.Pate needed a wife that would do the same. 

Our life is not perfect, in fact it is far from it. We have been through job loss, church hurt, medical issues and money troubles. The man has worked three jobs to keep us afloat and would do it again in a heartbeat. We have called 3 places home and loved all three for different reasons. We have had two roommates, a cat and a dog. And we are soon to add a crazy little human to the mix. 

It has not been all butterflies and kisses. We have fought, been apathetic and neglected one another. Marriage is not a bed of roses. But if I was to go through this journey with anyone, I would pick him all over again. He, for better or for worse, is the love of my life. And I couldnt feel more blessed. 

Happy Five Years Pate... here's to another 70! 

Wednesday thoughts

::: Sometimes when I pass the mirror in my work bathroom I do a double take bc of my belly. It just catches me off guard. Ha.
::: I have been in a blur all day and I have no idea why. I can't seem to wake up or focus. Ugh.
::: My dentist's office called today to let me know that my insurance will not cover a crown. Yay! So now I have to go in and see if there are any other options that will work, or if we will just have to pay out of pocket. Have I ever mentioned on here how much I hate insurance??
::: We listened to Baby Pates heartbeat again last night! Sounds good. But we always find the heartbeat really low on my stomach, and that puzzles me. If the baby is all the way down there, what is in this growing bump towards the top of my stomach??
::: I have gotten used to this belly band and like it a lot now. I feel better in my pants than maternity pants at this stage.
::: Brooke got married on One Tree Hill last night, and I am totally bummed that Peyton and Lucas did not come back for it. It felt wrong! But it was a sweet episode!
::: I am so ready for Spring I can't even stand it. This weekend was a total tease.
::: I think I have only worn contacts twice this month. I am down to my very last pair and my eyes have been too dry for them anyways! I go to the eye doc this Sat morning though, so hopefully I will be restocked.
::: Breaks over, time to go back to work. Peace out homies.


- Mrs.Pate via my iPhone

Meal Plan Monday

• Monday: Chicken n' Dumplins in the Crock Pot
• Tuesday: Baked Salmon, Couscous and Green Beans
• Wednesday: Dinner at Dustin's
• Thursday: One Dish Chicken Bake
• Friday: Not sure (Anniversary but Mr.Pate is working...)
• Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Got any recipes to share??

18 Weeks and Counting....

• How far along: 18 Weeks
• Total Weight Gained: 8 lbs 
• Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants, regular pants with the belly band thing and regular shirts mostly.  
• Sleep: Finally sleeping well!
• Best Moment of the Week(s): Feeling the baby!! Yay! And I love how my youth girls always rub my belly when they see me, I know some women hate that but I love it. 
• Movement: Yep! I have felt a few taps most nights. Cant wait till Mr.Pate can feel it too! 
• Food Cravings: Salmon, mandarin oranges (which I wasnt a fan of before) and nutella (uh oh- are my WW friends reading this?). 
• Food Aversions: None this week. 
• Morning Sickness: Still none so I hope I am past that.  
• Symptoms: Tiredness (but a little better this week I think), nosebleeds, headaches, hungry all the time, thirsty a lot, heartburn!  
• What I miss: The absence of heartburn and energy. 
• What I'm looking forward to: Feb 17th we will hopefully (as long as baby pate cooperates) find out the gender! Our birth classes start in February. Planning the nursery and registering! 
• Other news: I keep reading on my message boards that people hate when other people touch their bellies, but I love it. I have been trying to research baby gear like pumps, car seats, cloth diapers, etc so I am more prepared to register. I find myself rubbing my belly a lot, ha! I just absentmindedly rub it or rest my hands there. Is that weird? 
• Names: 
• Boy name- Griffin Alan Pate 
• Girl name- We decided on Adalay/Adalei/Adelay and now we need to figure out the spelling and a middle name. Progress... 

Milestones:
According to Babycenter.com : Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. 

A Tale of a Nursery...

We have two and a half weeks till we find out what the gender of Baby Pate is, but that has not stopped me from constantly thinking about what his or her room will look like. Nurseries are addicting! Ha! So, while nothing has been decided on color or bedding etc, we do have a few things for sure....

This canvas will be our base point for the whole room. It has a funny story really. We bought this picture from Kirkland's last May... I got pregnant in October.... Yep we bought it before we were pregnant. And we were not even specifically trying to have a baby. But I saw it and knew that if I ever had a baby I would want this, so I begged Mr.Pate to let me get it (it was the last one on clearance). We actually bought it the night Mr.Pate's grandma passed away, so it reminds me of her every time I see it and I think thats pretty neat. Anyhow, it is the color scheme that we always gravitate towards in our house and it is babyish but with a modern look to it. Very us. I LOVE IT!! And it has funny animals like a---

 Narwhal! Ha!

We also recently bought these two pieces from Kirklands bc they were on clearance and seemed to fit.

So thats a sneak peak into the makings of our nursery so far. Colors that are being talked about for the wall are a light yellow, greenish blue or slate blue. I have no problem with a blue room for a little girl, but I am not sure the rest of the world agrees with that. We shall see!