Dollar Rides and Holiday Fun

The hubs and I celebrated our very last Christmas together as a family of two last week! We were so blessed to be able to drive home (sooo much better than those icky christmas eve flights we had to take the last two years) and spend the holiday week with our family and friends back in Georgia. I know that with being a part of the military this may not always be possible, heck next year for all we know we could be celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus in Alaska, so we both really soaked up the time we had at home and ease with which we were able to travel to see everyone!

We were also able to reflect on how different the holiday season will be next year with our little one being almost 9 months old!! It's such a crazy thought to me and doesn't even seem like it's going to be a reality that we will have a little miracle to tote around this time next year. It was incredible to see how genuninly excited most of our family members were to know that next year Baby Charlotte will be among all of the Etheridge clan and celebrating the holiday season with us. We can't wait :)

Winston was clearly not as excited as we
were about the car ride home..I think
 he was happy to not have to spend Christmas
alone again this year though ;)

Love this man!

25 week bump!

Sisters!

All the "kids"

In other exciting news my stud of a husband had his dollar ride (aka first flight) in the Raptor right before we came home! I was lucky enough to be able to go and snag some photos of his flight which was an incredible experience. For those of you that have been with us from the beginning, or at least following the blog for almost a year, know that this has been a long journey for us. From being accepted to the Air Force Academy to dropping a Raptor after pilot training he's come a very long way and it's taken a VERY long time to get to where he his now. I couldn't be more proud of his dedication and determination to make it to this point. As I was standing up in the tower taking pictures I was incredibly excited and nervous for him and overwhelmed with emotion at the thought of all the hard work that had gone into that very moment he took of in the Raptor for the first time! You can blame that on the pregnancy hormones if you'd like though, I'll allow it.  I sure am one lucky lady though to be able to stand by his side throughout this incredible adventure ;) 

Love, 

The Etheridges

Photo Update 12/13

Life around here has been pretty quite since we got back from being home for Thanksgiving, hence the lack of posting. However I was perusing through the hubs photos on his phone yesterday and came across a few that would make for a somewhat satisfactory post...so here ya go ;)

We found this deadly friendly fella on our walk
with Winston last week! Yikes! 

In case you haven't heard we have bears here on base! These
guys love to get into the trashes and cause all sorts of problems
for the housing company. I've yet to see one, only the "evidence"
they leave behind, but the hubs snapped this photo on the way
to work the other week.

Yes this photo is from Halloween. Yes it's December.
But hey, better late than never right? 

Baby Charlotte already has her stocking ready to go for next
years holiday festivities ;)

Also, (as you can see above) we finally settled on a first name for our sweet little girl, Charlotte! It was the first name that we both really loved and it just seemed to stick. We're still stumped on the middle name, so I'll get back to you on that later, but hey, at least we're half way there with figuring out what to call the little munchkin! As far as a baby update goes, I had my 24 week appointment this week and everything looks great! Baby Charlotte is very healthy, growing right on track, and is VERY active...like her daddy! We didn't get to see her this last time but I'm hoping at my next appointment we will get more photos of her!

Love,

The Etheridges

Pregnancy Products I Love

If you aren't pregnant, planning on being pregnant, or a man, this post is probably not for you. However, I know when I first jumped on the train of being pregnant  I personally LOVED any and all posts that had product reviews for first time mom's and women who were dealing with changing and growing bodies, hence this post. I'm obviously not full term so I'm sure there are even more things that will come to mind the closer we get to April, but here are a few things that at week 24 I can honestly say I love and am so glad I spent the extra money on...

Earth Mama Angel Baby Products (stretch oil and lotion), $13-$16:

* I've been using this stuff since I found out I was expecting and love it! It smells great, is all natural, and helps keep away those pesky stretch marks. It's worked great for me so far (fingers crossed/knock on wood) but I'll be sure and update if things start going south within the next three months. I bought this cute little trial pack for a friend when I found out she had a little one on the way and she also attested that the other products are fantastic! Iv'e also been using cocoanut oil at night which doesn't seem to hurt.

Gap Maternity Workout Clothes, $30-$60:

* My amazing mother-in-law gave me some spending money for maternity clothes (you know, since my belly has tripled in size and all). I was very hesitant, and still am, about spending money on maternity clothes, and find that I feel like it's a total waste of money to buy something you'll only wear for a few months. However, after investing in a workout top and workout jacket I'm in love! Seriously, if you plan on working out while you're pregnant nothing will make you feel better than some workout gear that is made for your growing belly. This particular top and jacket I can vouch for and wear almost every day! The best part is is that these will also help you transition back into your pre-pregnacny workout clothes during the 4th trimester when things still aren't fitting perfect, win win! I also got mine on sale for 50% off, so keep an eye out for those clearances!

CamelBak Water Bottle, $16:

* I was given one of these for Christmas last year and we have been inseparable every since. Once I got pregnant though it was literally attached at my hip. These things are amazing, not to mention their customer service is out of this world (I had to have a top replaced and they sent a new one no questions asked within 5 days). When you're pregnant staying hydrated is incredibly important and this thing makes it so easy to take on the go or lug around the house with you. Best part is it's nearly indestructible and is great for taking to the gym or in the car as well! For those of you with military base access you can also find them at the BX usually, so tax free, yippee!

Heating Pad, $20:

*This thing was such a lifesaver for me! During my entire second trimester I've had awful lower and upper back pain, specifically a muscle spasm when I sit up straight for more than a few minutes at a time without laying down or standing up. I literally lived on this heating pad. We took it in the car with us, used it on the couch, and in bed every night so I could get some relief. Another added bonus is that many people use these in babies crib to warm it up before placing them in it to keep them asleep (disclaimer: make sure and REMOVE before placing baby in crib).

Brahh Extenders $8:

*This may be TMI for some of you (again, if you're a man I warned you earlier to stay away), but many know that with pregnancy comes some ahhh how do you say "enhancements" and ribcage expansion. These things have helped me stay in my normal sized undergarments a little longer and prevented me from having to go out and spend $40+ on a new bra that may no fit in a few months time when I have a nursing baby. If your cup size increases drastically by all means splurge on some new undergarments, you deserve it anyways, otherwise I'd highly recommend these for those in between times you just don't fit comfortably anymore.

Things that DIDN'T Work for me:

*Pregnancy Pillow: Yuck, this thing was awful. At $60 a pop, we sent it back after one failed attempt at using it. If you want something similar I'd recommend just purchasing a regular body pillow from Target or Wal-Mart!

*Preggie Pops: I had awful nausea during the first trimester and these suckers did absolutely nothing. However, some people swear by them.

If you have any other pregnancy recommendations I'd love to hear from you! Just leave

a comment below the post!