16 weeks

I am 16 weeks (4 months) now. Here are the shots from today's board & a little bit more about the pregnancy at this stage.

From Baby Bump

From Baby Bump

From Baby Bump

How far along? 16 weeks (4 months)
Total weight gain? 0 pounds. Huh? Let me explain. 3 months before I got pregnant I gained about 5 pounds and my body started changing. I really feel like my body was preparing itself for pregnancy. So my beloved size 6's that I have worn since my senior year in High School were starting to fit tight. Then I got pregnant & got awful sick. So I lost all the weight that I had gained and now I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight with the added 5lbs that I picked up this fall.
Maternity Clothes? YES! Over the last 2 weeks my belly has really popped. I cannot wear any of my old pants. This past weekend I was on a maternity clothes hunt. Come to find out- they're hard to find and some are NOT cute. I found a bunch of stuff at Old Navy (go figure!) and I have enough to get by for the next few months until we move into the bigger stage.
Sleep? Like a log, ALL the time. New normal bedtime is 8:30p. I see NO reason to be awake past then. I feel like my body is catching up on its sleep now because it's knows its about to be sleep deprived for the next 18 years!
Best moment of the week? Realizing that I've become a Baby Diva. Swore I wouldn't do it but it's happened. I've become so picky about the cribs & furniture I want. I even sent out a detailed email to my friends this week about all the things I'd like to have at my Baby Party because girlfriend isn't satisfied with a regular ol baby shower. I even offered to plan it myself. Who have I become? Or who am I kidding? I've always been this way.
Miss Anything? An occasional glass of wine and a good 'ol beer after a long week at work
Movement? Not yet but hopefully within the next week weeks
Food Cravings? Made Todd go to TWO grocery stores last Saturday because Harris Teeter didn't have E.L. Fudge cookies
Anything making you quesy or sick? Not really
Gender? Who knows? We'll find out in 2 weeks. Everybody thinks it's a boy. I do too since I want a little girl so badly. I'd hate to not be able to put my mad Texas poof hair styling talent to use.
Labor signs? Gosh no
Symptoms? I am SO thankful for the morning sickness to be gone. I have moved into the next phase- headaches. Had a really bad migraine a few weeks ago that just wiped me out. Ever since, I have been waking up with really bad headaches every other day. I normally don't get a lot of headaches so this is new. I'm taking children's liquid Tyenol now because swallowing a pill in the early morning makes me gag.
Wedding rings on or off? Unfortunately they are already off. I have excema and ever since I got pregnant my hand has been going crazy with an itchy rash under my rings. Went to the dermo this week & he said it's common and to lay off my ring for awhile. Figures that I waited almost 30 years for a diamond ring & now I can't wear it!
Happy or Moody? I'd like to say happy but I'm sure my husband and co-workers would say moody.
Looking forward to? Finding out what the sex of the baby is in 2 weeks! I wanna know NOW so I can start getting the nursery ready.

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The Story of You & Me

My friend & co-worker, Mama Karen, gave me a MOTHER/BABY journal in October. I wasn’t pregnant yet and she knew of my struggle to get pregnant and had been praying for us for months. She said God told her to give it to me that day and I have to be honest and thought it was a little weird since I wasn’t an expected mother yet. Little did I know, I would literally conceive a baby THAT VERY WEEK. Since then I have learned to never question Mama Karen’s sanity (haha) and I’ve written a little bit about my experience as a pregnant woman in that journal. But there is something that isn’t in the book that I want to write about- the story of me and this unborn baby and how he/she got to be here.

There aren’t any pictures on this blog entry. Just a bunch of writing for my unborn child. So if you skip this blog entry, it won’t hurt my feelings. This is just a reflection of all that God has done in my life to get me to this point today. I wanted to write this down and really capture the story of me & this person that I’ll meet in July. So here goes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven”

 Dear Baby Craig,
Over the last few years, Ecclesiastes 3:1 has become one of my favorite bible verses. There is such truth in it and I feel like for you to appreciate how you came into this world; you need to know a little bit about your mother’s different seasons of life. It’s these seasons of my life that made me the person, woman and eventually the mommy that I am today. So here is the story of you & me even before you were born.

My desire to be a mommy started when I was 4.5 years old. That’s when my little sister Nichole (your Aunt Colie) was born. When Nichole was little I pretended like she was MY baby. I’d help my mom changes her diapers and feed her. I’d always hold her and LOVED to make her laugh. I remember doing stupid things like playing “Alf” where she would say the word Alf and I drop down on the ground and pretend I was dead. No clue why that made her laugh but she loved it! Once I was a big sister, I knew that one day I wanted to have a baby of my own.

Mommy was fortunate to have LOTS of babies around growing up. Your grandmother (Momma T) is one of 11 children which meant that I have 30 first cousins. I was # 15 so that meant that there were always new babies being born when I was little and it also meant that eventually there would be new babies when my older cousins starting having children. I remember when my older cousin Kristi had her first child in 1999. I went to the hospital hours after Lee Lee was born. As a 19 year old, I remember thinking there’s nothing else I want than to be a mother. I had no boyfriend & certainly no chance of becoming a mother then (Thank God) but these feelings would eventually change and I would move into another season of life.

Once I got to college and into my mid 20’s, my heart started to change. God would eventually take that strong desire/want to have kids away because He knew that the season of actually having children wouldn’t come for awhile. College didn’t come easy to me so I had to study really hard. My college friends were all getting engaged our senior year and again I had absolutely NO hope of marriage so I just focused on school. After graduation from Texas A&M, I reluctantly moved across the country to upstate New York which turned out to be one the BEST things I could have ever done. I had never really lived far away from home and there was such a different culture in NY. In Texas, if you’ve graduated from college & don’t have marriage on the horizon, then there’s something wrong with you. But not in NY! New Yorkers didn’t marry until their 30’s and the lived it up! I had some of the best experiences, traveled the world and met some of the best people in NY. The thought of having a baby during that time never crossed my mind. I just focused on me and all the fun things I was doing. I suggest the same for you. Everybody needs a time in their life where they can live in a different state/city, travel and just have fun. I can’t actually believe I’m saying this but I will encourage you to move across the country and try something new. You’ll learn so much. You’ll grow as a person. You’ll meet great people that you would never meet otherwise. And hopefully it will shape you into an independent, strong man or woman.

Although NY was a great for me, there was a downside. I had broken up with Jesus when I got to NY. I kind of did my own thing and my relationship with the Lord suffered. When it was time to move again, I knew that I needed to get my life back on track and rededicate my life to the Lord. So when I moved to North Carolina, I started to go to church again. I found the most amazing church and it took me about a year, but I eventually got plugged in and that’s when things started to change.

Although I was in church, there was also a season of waiting and lots of pain. I yearned for a husband and a family so badly that it made me down right depressed. I cried and prayed for years for God to send me a mate. Often times I felt like God was saying NO when actually he was saying “WAIT”. It’s not time for that yet. It’s not the right season. I didn’t know that at the time and it was only through the continuous prayers of Momma T and the support of the most wonderful friends in the world, that I made it through what I like to call “a very dry season”. You see, I wasn’t ready to meet my mate yet. I needed to do some growing and just work on trusting the Lord. It was during that difficult season that I managed to change my view about God. I no longer saw Him as someone who was withholding good things from me but I saw Him as someone who truly loved me and wanted the best for me.

That very difficult but very necessary season ended in August 2009. Convinced that I would never meet anybody, I wanted to try my hand at missions so I took a mission trip with my church to Belize in Central America. NEVER did I believe that I would meet my soul mate & your daddy on that trip but I did! Six months we were married (yes I said 6 months and NO you cannot marry someone you have known for 6 months so don’t even try) & I was the happiest girl in the world. God had finally given me my heart’s desire and I was a wife!!! But the desire to be a mother was something that stayed suppressed for awhile. I felt like I had waited so long for your father that I didn’t want to share him with anybody else (sorry! Once you’re married, you’ll understand). I loved being his wife & having his full attention. We traveled a lot during that first year of marriage and had a ton of fun getting to know one another. It was that first year as a married couple that I got to see your daddy with all of my Sunday school girls and his nieces & nephews and I saw how wonderful he was with children. (P.S. You’re really gonna like your daddy. He’s super funny (comedian funny) and he’s really a 5 year old at heart so yall will do lots of playing together. I can already see that he’s gonna be the one you like the most. I’ll be the disciplinary one & he’ll be the fun one. Oh well) I also saw daddy’s heart & his strong desire for kids and if you think I waited a long time for you, just ask daddy how long he’s waited for you in his life. My wait doesn’t even compare. Gradually my heart began to change and after our first wedding anniversary, God gave me back that desire to be a mother that He had given me when I was 5 years old.

So after our 1st wedding anniversary, we made up our minds that we were going to start working on having a family. After 8 months of lots of practice & lots of prayer, you were conceived in October 2011.

So why do I tell you all these things? Because I want you to know that I have wanted you since I was 5 years old. I have waited 27 years for you to come into my life. So when mommy is mad & upset with you one day, I can look back on this story and it will remind me that I brought this on myself and that a bad day as a parent beats a good day as a single lady without you in my life.

Seasons are a part of life and they will happen to you. You need to learn at an early age to embrace the good ones with the bad ones because they will shape your personality & character. Daddy & I hope to teach you that. And no matter what season you will endure in your life, always know that I will be right beside you during the good and bad times. Because like I tell daddy, you guys are “stuck like chuck” and I’m not going anywhere. Because you’re mine! My very own gift from God.  A sweet reminder that God's timing is perfect and good things come to those who wait.

I love you BIG BIG like the world! Can’t wait to meet you in July!
Mommy

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14 weeks & growing

This past Friday, I was 14 weeks pregnant (3 and a half months for us normal folks who don't count by weeks).

Baby Craig did LOTS of growing this week which meant so did I. Thursday morning I went to work in my regular work pants that have always been a bit lose. By the end of the day, my pants were SO tight. I vowed to not wear those pants again. Friday morning I was taking a shower and something was in my way. I looked down and it was my boobs! I have waited 31.5 years for my boobs to be so big that they were actually in my way. Unfortunately my boobs grew about the same size as my belly did. Oh well. It may be time for new bras & some new maternity clothes soon.

Here are the shots from yesterday's 14 week board.

From Baby Bump

From Baby Bump

From Baby Bump

Thanks again to the creative board maker- Mel- for coming over and not only making the board but also taking pictures. Love ya!

From Baby Bump

Hope everyone has a good week.
Candice

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Dreams, Memories & Reflections 2011

A little over a year ago, I received a gift that I believe would literally change my life. I asked Santa for my very first DSLR camera. My friend Nat had gotten into photography in 2010 and I stood back as she learned. She made me realize that normal people could take breath taking pictures. I wanted to learn too since I loved taking pictures my whole life. Right before we were headed to FL for Christmas last year, I got this. A Canon t2i. Actually, this wasn't the camera I got at Christmas because I had to upgrade due to a focusing issue this summer so this is my camera now- a Canon t3i.

From A Look at 2011

I thought it was a really cool camera but I had NO idea how to use it. I had no clue how to take a picture out of AUTO mode & definitely had NO clue on the basics of photography. So there was LOTS to learn and like I always do, I dove in!!! 2011 was a great year of tackling the photography learning curve (believe me, its a steep one).

Nat told me about a thing she did last year where you take a look back at the past year in what is called Dreams, Memories & Reflections. Nat's photographer friend, Ashley Sisk, asks her followers to take a look at the photos they have taken during the year and share them with others. It's fitting that I end 2011 doing something Nat suggested since she's the reason I got into this in the first place. Here's a look back of 2011 in 25 photos.

1. Me! I am most proud of being serious about learning photography. With 2 beginner classes at Wake Tech Community College, a group of photography friends and lots of tutorials, I learned how to really take a picture! And I look forward to learning more in 2012.

From A Look at 2011

2. I Love You- Who doesn't love this goofy guy??? We have had such a good year together and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with this jokester.

From A Look at 2011

3. Still Laughing- Speaking of jokester, who doesn't remember the entire story of the Allison Kraus concert & Husband of the Year. If you missed it- check it out here. Get ready to laugh. I still laugh about it today.

From A Look at 2011

From A Look at 2011

4. Winter Wonderland- We spent our 1st wedding anniversary skiing in the beautiful Park City, Utah. It was such a great trip! I hadn't been skiing since I left NY and Todd hadn't skied in longer than that. It was like riding a bike though and quickly came back. The skiing was incredible and fresh white powder everyday was a great way to end our 1st year as a married couple.

From A Look at 2011

5. Birthday- I took lots of pictures of my neighbor Tylan this year and this was his 1st birthday cake. This cake was so cute and was freakin delish!

From A Look at 2011

6. Friends- There were LOTS of celebrations this year with LOTS of weddings and time to get together with friends. This is a picture of my closest friends in Raleigh at Kaleena's bachelorette party. It was a great day spent with the Carolina Food Tour in Durham. I highly recommend going on a NC Food tour if you've never done it and I highly recommend getting you some friends like these!

From A Look at 2011

7. I was Inspired- This year we added two babies to the Craig crew. When my sister-in-law Lisa was about 6 months pregnant, she asked if I would take her son's newborn pictures. Like with any project I get myself into, I got obsessed with newborn photography, newborn blogs, newborn hats & props all thanks to this little thing we call Pinterest! I was definitely inspired and think I found a little passion of my own.

From A Look at 2011

8.Spring Fever- I absolutely love this flower that I shot at Duke Garden's this spring.

From A Look at 2011

9. Travel/Vacation- This was one of my favorite pictures from our trip in Park City. This was downtown Main Street where there were ton of cute shops.

From A Look at 2011

10. Summer Days- What says summer like bathing suits on little bottoms like these??? We went to upstate NY late this summer for Kaleena's wedding and we got to spend a few days with my friend Geraldean, her husband Greg and their twin girls Augusteen & Ida. I love these little girls- they are SO funny- even at 1.5 years old. Makes me sad I don't get to see G or the girls as often as I'd like.

From A Look at 2011

11. A Day In My Life- Seems like a day in my life is ERRANDS. I run errands EVERY SINGLE DAY after work. If there is a day where I don't have something to do, it feels weird. There were lots of parties that I planned this year and lots of travel, so the only way I got through it all is lots of STICKY NOTES!

From A Look at 2011

12. All Smiles- I swear I'm surrounded by comedians which bothers me because I like to be the funny one. My mother has got to be one of the funniest, craziest people I have ever met. I swear this chick takes happy pills. It's rare to see her in a bad mood and being around her just makes me smile. I was so happy that she agreed to come up for the 2nd ever annual Brew-A-Que this 4th of July. Cause lets face it- a cornhole tournament without Mother Therese as the judge just isn't as fun.

From A Look at 2011

13. Autumn Harvest- I got my first non-friend gig this summer taking pictures at the Historic Oak View Park in downtown Raleigh. The park was looking for somebody to take pictures to update their brochure and our sweet friend Heather Tart recommended me. It was a great experience and the park is GORGEOUS and this is my favorite picture from that day.

From A Look at 2011

14. Family- This is a picture with 3 generations in it. Me, my mom & a picture of the ultrasound that we gave my mother as her Christmas gift. That is a true picture of family!

From A Look at 2011

15. Celebrate! We had lots of things to celebrate in 2011 with 5 weddings!!! This is a picture of our friend Sheri who got married in October. I absolutely love her dad's face while they were dancing. A true celebration indeed.

From A Look at 2011

16. Lets Do It Again- My friend Mel & I attended the NC Hot Air Balloon Festival this year in Statesville, NC. It had been on my bucket list for awhile and I was so happy to find someone who wanted to go. We spent the whole day taking pictures and watching the balloons. It was great day trip and great time spent with a friend. Definitely something I'd like to do again.

From A Look at 2011

17. I Miss You- Speaking of my friend Mel- she will be leaving me soon. Either to NY or Europe for a job. So her time in Raleigh is limited. Earlier this year I prayed for God to send me a photography friend that I could just hang out with and do photography. I had NO clue that when I signed up for my 2nd photography class at Wake Tech, that I'd be sitting next to one of my closest friends. Melanie has been such an answer to prayer and unexpected blessing from the Man upstairs! Even though her time in Raleigh is short, I know I met Mel for a reason. And she & I have built a foundational friendship that I know will surpass time & distance. She hasn't even left yet but I already miss her :-( Can't imagine 2012 without her here in Raleigh.

From A Look at 2011

18. Beautiful- This fall my friend Nicole asked if I would take pictures of her & her family. After several weeks of going back & forth about times (her schedule is crazier than mine is) we finally met up. I enjoyed taking pictures of the family of 4 but my camera was drawn to her 12 year old daughter Hayden. I just couldn't stop taking pictures of this beautiful young lady and you'll see why once you see the pic.

From A Look at 2011

19. Dress Up- Who loves to dress up more than my husband? Last year he let my Sunday School girls dress him up as a princess. This year he let them paint all over his face while he rocked his Rockstar outfit. This is one of the MANY reasons why I love Todd Craig. Who wouldn't want to have a children with this man? Can you imagine what kind of father he'll be?

From A Look at 2011

20. Macro- I went through a stage this year when I wanted/NEEDED a macro lens. I borrowed one from our friend Rusty and even rented one for Benton's newborn shoots. I love macro photography and would eventually love to own my own macro lens but I've realized that it isn't my passion. However, macro can make the most ordinary things like a tip of a leaf look cool.

From A Look at 2011

21. Holidays- This year we spent Thanksgiving in Destin, FL with my in-laws. I was awful sick from morning sickness and just didn't feel good. This isn't your typical holiday picture but it's a shot that I got while on the beach of my brother-in-law Marcus with his 3 month old son, Marcus Benton Craig. I just love the sun flares and the color of the setting sun. That's what holidays are all about- FAMILY.

From A Look at 2011

22. My Favorite- I don't know why but this is one of my favorite shots from 2011. This was taken this summer during the Food Tour in Durham and it's of my sister touching a mural. Maybe it's the colors, maybe it's the fact that it is actually in focus she was only there for half a second, maybe because it has my sister in it. Not sure why but I just love it.

From A Look at 2011

23. Don't Ever Change- Sorry these pictures are husband heavy but he's my best friend and I take lots of pictures of him plus these titles just fit him. One thing I don't ever want to change about Todd is his willingness to help. He is a true partner to me. Whether it's dressing up like a Rockstar and playing Rockband til midnight with twelve 10 year olds or it's going to a nursing home and getting felt up by some 80 year old women or it's helping out with the chores on our TX farm so that it gives my 84 year old grandfather with cancer a break- Todd is always willing to help me and be apart of the things I love. That's why it was a no brainer to have a child with this man. I know he'll help and I know we'll do it together. Because whatever he does, he does with all his heart. And though I may argue with him that he really isn't a rancher just because he got himself 2 pair of cowboy boots, deep down I love that he thinks he's a rancher. Because no matter what he does, he does it with HEART and LOVE is his ultimate goal.

From A Look at 2011

24. Just Because...So There! This picture was an assignment in my 1st photography class. I think I've come a long way since then but I still love this image and it pretty much sums up 2011- lots of cherries on top!

From A Look at 2011

25. Hopes & Dreams- Last but not least, a picture of the hopes and dreams I have for 2012. There will be a BABY in 2012 and I cannot tell you have happy, excited & nervous I am. The whole reason I got into photography was to learn to take a picture so that way when I had kids of my own one day, I could capture every important moment. I can only imagine what this baby will look like and how it will change our lives. One thing is for certain, it better get use to a camera in it's face because mommy is gonna take lots of pictures of it!

From A Look at 2011

2011 was an exciting year and I look forward to all the NEW things 2012 will bring my way. Thank you for checking my blog every week and for leaving comments. But most of all, thank you for being apart of my life. I think all the 71 blog entries that I blogged in 2011 have been a great way to capture all that has happened in our lives this year & I hope to continue it for years to come.

Wishing you & your loved ones a Happy 2012 with lots of cherries on top!
Candice

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12 Week Photo Session

I had a doctor's appointment this week because they are monitoring a pretty large cyst on my right ovary. They say it's common to develop cysts while you are pregnant but they watch it closely just in case.

While they were up there, the technician did a little photo session of the baby. I haven't seen the baby since it was 7 weeks and it literally was just a dot on the screen. But this time, it actually looked like a real BABY!

This was the first shot that I saw & I immediately begin to panic. I asked the technician why it had a hole in it's head. She asked if this was my first baby and reassured me that it was just the ultrasound and not actually a hole in it's head. Thank God! I thought for a second that the baby would take after me.

From Baby Bump

The next 2 were done in 3D which I think is a bit creepy. Cool but creepy.

From Baby Bump

The baby was really moving around in there. It was kicking it's feet and it was moving its hands around. The tech was so sweet and was like "look it's waving HI to us". I just kept thinking no it's not. It's my child so it's probably saying 'get that big freakin wand out of my head lady'.

From Baby Bump

It was so cool to see the baby. I often think that it's really not in there since I can't feel it but once you see pictures like these, you know it's in there! Still amazes me how God takes a bunch of cells and makes a baby. Technology also amazes me that we can actually see it and in 3D! This baby better get use to all these photos because it's gonna have a camera in it's face the second it gets here!!! I can't wait.

Much Love,
T, C & BC (Baby Craig)

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Happy New Year!!!

2012 is upon us! Can you believe it??? We rang in the new year with a "We're not having a New Years Eve Party, Party". Yep, you read that right. I told Todd NO more parties this year so he invited 20 people and called it a "casual get together". We had 10 friends that came over, ate food & played games as we brought in the new year.

Today my friend Melanie helped me make an idea that I saw off of Pinterest come to life. All handwriting is hers and if she takes a job in NY & leaves in a month, then this will be the cutest board you'll see from me. I was SO happy with the way it came out.

From Baby Bump

From Baby Bump

From Baby Bump

2011 is gone & we are excited about all that 2012 will have for us. I'm not big on New Years Resolutions but there are a couple of goals that I have in mind. I've got to really learn as much as I can about photography & mostly EDITING in the next 6 months as I can. It's still so weird to think that I will have a baby to photography in just 7 months! This is why I got into photography- so that somebody I could take good pictures of my kids. Pretty soon I'll have that opportunity! I would really like to do a 52 week project where I document the baby week by week. I'd also like to jazz up this blog but that may take the help of a professional.

Thank you all who followed the blog this year. Yall made it fun and I hope more will join us in 2012.

Love,
Candice

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