Texas Baby Shower

My parents threw an amazing baby shower for Sam and I in my native home Dallas, Texas!

My sister in law and her husband, Beka and Brandon came with us to celebrate. We arrived a few days before the shower to hang out with my family. We antiqued in Downtown McKinney, ate at the Gaylord Hotel and swam in the warm Texas sun!

The day of the shower was a blast. My parents had a company that comes and makes custom flip books of whoever is at your event set up shop for all of us to make fun, crazy memories of the day!

Us at the Gaylord for lunch.

Sam on a huge chess board. The Gaylord had a special themed display throughout the entire hotel based on Alice in Wonderland.

We decorated with brown glass, mason jars and wild flowers.

Organic food, catered from my mom's favorite place, Whole Foods. The organic mega-super store! :)

We got some little note books for people to write little scribbles, prayers and any words of advice on being a mommy.

My AMAZING parents are the best, and most fun set of folks in the world!

This is the flip book stage! You record a 7 second video and the turn around print it out, cut it and create your very own, old school flip book! They are AMAZING! It was the biggest hit! Everyone got to do a couple and laughed so hard!

Click HERE to check out Flip Books!

Close family friends of mine, who have a daughter named Kathryn who is like my little sister, gave me her favorite childhood story books to read to our little adventurer! I told her, when she gets married and has kiddos I would pass them back to her! Those kind of gifts are my very favorite!

Kathryn is 14.

We had a present toss, that was more fun to watch than anything! :)

We were so blessed by our friends!

These appeared from somewhere, couldn't resist.

Aroma

Rugalach-traditional Israeli rolled pastry with chocolate filling.

So, there has been this looming craving in the depths of my little pregnant soul since last night!

Aroma.

Aroma is an AMAZING coffee cafe in Israel that leaves Starbucks crying in the dust miles back. There actually aren't any starbucks in Israel because Israelies prefer freshly made foods compared to frozen, heated up junk. They have the yummiest, freshest sandwiches, salad and AMAZING coffee.

I found out that the only place in America where you can find Aroma's are in New York. So, I'm trying to find a reason, and way to go. SOON. :) Ha!

Here are some of my favorite things. If you ever are in New York stop by and grab a bite or a cup for me.

My FAV! Halumi Cheese sandwich...sigh.

This seriously makes my mouth water...Aroma Mocha. Yes, those are little melted chocolate bars at the bottom of that glass.

MMMmmmmmm Israeli salad!

ICED AROMA! Better than ANY frappachino.

Carrot/Apple Juice

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AROMA

Work It Sista

Sitting at one of the weight machines.

Exercise. Love it. Despise it. Do it. Plan on doing it...

My third trimester has been pretty awesome so far. I'm 30 weeks and biking approximately 10-12 miles 4+ times a week plus my weight training (which I'm utterly addicted to.)

I love working out and being pregnant. It's been interesting to see what my body can still do this far into my pregnancy. I guess we'll see if and/or what kind of difference it will make in my labor/recovery.

Oh, and did I mention swimming! Ah! SO amazingly fabulous! Never before have I appreciated the feeling of being weightless. Give me a pool noodle and let my feet dangle in the deep end-I'm in heaven. It's like a message without hands!

Side stroke and breast stroke have been my favorite pool exercises lately. One thing I've been experimenting with are the yoga moves that tone the rear and the thighs-trying to do them in water. It's been nice! :)

Tomorrow will hopefully be a day of wonderfulness at the pool. Toasting my belly and turning it into a coco bean and toning the bod with some laps. :)

I don't know about anybody else, but I love being pregnant in the summer.

Overwhelmed Over Things Overrated?

Baby Showers, Parties...Registries, the Perfect Baby Room. Sigh. Are these things I'm overwhelmed with overrated?

"They" say pregnant women are more emotional than your average female. Before my incubation process I was like, "Na, that won't be me." WRONG . No matter how incredibly hard I've tried I have found myself at countless times in the middle of a swamp of emotional reason. It's like for a brief moment of sane enlightenment I will think, "Jess, why in the world are you thinking this? What's wrong with you? Chill out." Haha.
You know how you get on your period? Multiply that by a couple hundred, for nine months solid. Don't misunderstand me, I LOVE being pregnant and I LOVE the fact we have our little mister on the way. BUT, a journey is a journey no matter the ups and downs. It doesn't make the destination any less beautiful by acknowledging the truth of the matter and the sometimes difficulty of it...it can be an emotional whirlwind.
I can hear the hormonal weather forecaster inside me, "Yes, today in the Jessica Gatlyn county, we have sunny skies, with a just a few clouds and...oh, wait, there is a sudden tropical storm that seems to be blowing in from absolutely no where, effecting the entire region surrounding it! Oh, no I think our territory is being "overwhelmed" by some winds of "unrealistic" proportions.'"

Oh dear me. You have to laugh at yourself at times, you truly do.

But getting back to the overwhelmed and overrated part of my thought process. I've never been to a baby shower. Ever. Ha! How that is possible I know not. Before I got married, I had never been to a bachelorette party. I'm not really used to people planning things for me, I'm always involved somehow helping out, doing something. So, the thought of having someone plan something for me felt so strange. (Honestly still does.) My beautiful friends had to tell repeatedly at certain points before my wedding, "Jess, you've done enough, go back to the house and relax." Or when asking, "What can I bring, can I do something?" The quick reply was, "No, Jess, just show up and enjoy yourself." haha you'd think that would be easy?

Sure, Bride parties and Baby parties aren't the center of the universe. So, there is no reason to be overwhelmed by it all. BUT, there is something in hearts that love each other and love the seasons life brings us to that loves to celebrate one another and the accomplishments and stages we are at. There is nothing selfish or terrible about it. I'm sure that's a no brainer for most, but for me after stressing in bed last night about planning a baby shower I'm supposed to have when I have my first baby so someone else didn't have to, my husband helped me get out of my pregnant "tropical storm" and chill out to the point of relaxing. haha

I have been blessed beyond understanding by the friends I have in my life. One of my newer mommy friends took me to show me the ropes of baby registry, anther giving me tips on how do different things for the baby when I bring him home. Letting people in to love you removes all feelings of being overwhelmed.

My mom is planning us a shower the weekend of the 12th and we are so excited! We are all going to fly out to Dallas and have a fun weekend with my fam! :) Hello Dallas sunshine!

Enjoy it all. Relax, breathe, chill. Let people celebrate your life, whatever season you are in.

Illit Said

"learning about nicknames, Illit asked "Is it ok if I call God George?"

"Upon seeing an older woman in the locker room Illit whispered, "Why are her boobies barely attached?"

"Trying to help Lahav like her green cup: "Trees are green, grass is green, green is a very famous color. Everybody knows about green."

-Illit Ferguson 5 yr. old

Jerusalem, Israel

If there is one Twitter everyone should follow it's the twitter of Illit (Ee-leet) Ferguson. These quotes above are only a smidgen of humorous wonder from this little 5 year old.

She is the oldest daughter of one of my dear friends in Israel. She and her little sister where my flowergirls and she is the biggest hoot I have every known!

Whether you want the answers to the worlds most confusing political questions or her take on God, Mommy-hood or the ever present reality of being a big sister-"Illit Said" is THE most authentic bit of laughter you can get.

The Twitter was started when she was 4 she just turned 5 and it is THE most entertaining bit of sunshine you will get each day!

So click HERE and follow IllitSaid

Illit has two little sisters, Lahav and Neveah. Lahav is pictured above here.

Don't forget to vote for us on "Top Baby Blogs!"

Y Time

I have gotten more than a few smirks and smiles from friends who after hearing my obsession with working out, even during my third trimester find it entertaining. I love to bike and do weight training. It relieves stress to me.

So, about 3-4 times a week I trek up to my YMCA and bike anywhere from 7-12 miles each day. All the ladies who work behind the counter smile, wave and get a kick out of the "happy pregnant girl" who bounces in always snacking on something before putting in her ear phones.

Since we don't have cable, I indulge in Food Network for about an hour on the various machines I use up there. It's fabulous.

Yesterday it stormed all day and the motivation to go and kick my own behind in the gym was dissolved by the desire to curl up with a fuzzy blanket on the couch with my husband. But, today is a new day and it's not romantically storming outside.

A day of calorie burning possibilities perhaps?

I suppose the end of the day shall tell.