The Daily Duncan

The new hotness!

2011-04-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

This door is the new hotness in our house! We bought it for $15 from a mommy in Mooresville and Molly is IN LOVE!!!! Several of her friends have it so she knows exactly what to do! I brought it home this evening and she's been playing with it for about 30 minutes straight!

First Easter Egg Hunt!

2011-04-20T13:46:00.001-07:00

Molly went on her first Easter Egg hunt at a friend's house. She is just starting walking so I held on to the basket and she held my hand. She did a great job picking up the first egg and putting it in the basket. At the second egg she realized they could be open and all she wanted to do was sit down and play with them! She could have cared less what was inside (which means chocolate for Mommy!). :-D
This is my favorite picture of the year so far! (It also causes me to have camera-envy because a friend took this with her Nikon D90.)

15 Month checkup

2011-04-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Molly had her 15 month check up last Wednesday! (I know, I'm late in posting) Anyway, Nana got to go with us since Daddy couldn't get off work. She got to see exactly how much (and it's a lot!) that Molly hates the doctor. I think it's because the last 2 times she had her finger pricked and then they did it again this time! She totally freaked out when the nurses and doctors tried to use stethoscopes or look in her ears. My poor baby.

Molly is growing! You're probably saying, 'Duh, Emily!' but it's still exciting! She finally broke 20 lbs (she's actually 20lbs 2.5oz!) and she's a little over 30" tall. That's about 10-25% for weight and 25-50% for height.

At the appointment she still wasn't walking and the doctor said that we wouldn't be concerned until she turned 18 months. The past 3 days, however, she has decided that walking might not be such a bad thing and she is attempting it more and more!

The other good news is that they rechecked her iron and the count was much better than the last 2 times. As long as I keep her eating iron rich foods she should be good!

All-in-all it was a good report!

I want it!

2011-03-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

So The Vintage Pearl is having a birthday giveaway! She is giving away $100 gift cards to 5 lucky winners! I MUST HAVE THIS! I just love her stuff but haven't had the extra funds to get what I want.

Our friend, Greer, gave Molly one of these spoons when she was born and it is so precious!

If I win this giftcard I am going to get a necklace, no doubt!

We're getting closer..

2011-03-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

I really do think Molly is much closer to walking today than she was a couple of days ago. She is finally proficient at standing up in the middle of the floor without using toys or furniture to help her. Yesterday she spent most of the afternoon standing up then sitting down then standing up again. And she took 1-3 steps a couple of different times yesterday! I'm so ready for it to happen!!! (Though I know that once she starts walking I'll start wishing she was crawling again!)

It's about time...

2011-02-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

...I post again! I often think about sitting down at the computer and writing posts but then I get distracted! Good thing we don't have too many updates at the Duncan household.

Molly is sick right now. She seems to just have a little virus that is causing lots of runny noses and a yucky hacking cough. Hopefully she will get better soon because her being sick means Mommy doesn't go to the gym!

She is talking up a storm. And I am proud to say that she finally, last week, said Mama! You'd think that after I carried her in my womb for almost 40 weeks, nursed her and cared for her for 13 months, Mama would be high priority but not for Molly.

Other words she says: Dada, up, down, more, food, rock (for either the rocking chair or the swing), go-go, Blue (bwoo), jump

Words she signs: more, food, finished

Animals sounds she says: Dog (uh uh), cat (leeeoow), lion (roar), elephant (aaaaa with her arm up in the air like a trunk), cow (moo)

She will clap on command, esp if you're singing If You're Happy And You Know It, and she will try to whistle

Though don't ask for her to do any of these things for an audience, then she just gets her coy little smile.

And she is obsessed with the swing set we have in our back yard. I love having it but not when she wants to go out before 8 o'clock in the morning!

I'm a sucker for free..

2010-12-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that Shutterfly is giving away free Holiday cards if you blog about them. Well luckily this is easy to do because I was already looking to Shutterfly for my Christmas cards. All you have to do is blog about them and you get 50 free cards! When Molly was born I decided to hand make her announcements. I'm really glad I did but this Christmas I decided I have too much on my plate, what with an almost-11 month old and buying a house and whatnot, that I knew Shutterfly was the way to go.

Here are some of my favorites:

Wouldn't this one look so cute with Molly's face smiling back at you!
I think our family picture would look so cute in this one.

I think the last one I would use if there were more than 3 of us, I mean 4 (sorry Blue!) but with just Molly and Blue as our children, we will do something more simple.

I also like the idea of 'photo gifts'. Every year my sister does a photo calendar for my mom and they are soooo cute! But Katherine has already cornered the calendar market so I have to think of other ideas! :-D

I think the canvas wall art would look exceptionally cute in our new home! But I have so many pictures of Molly that it is hard to pick the perfect one for something like this.

So many to chose from! You'll just have to wait and see what we go with!

Discovery Place Kids

2010-11-03T10:50:00.001-07:00

"Next time let's leave the kids at home and come play!"

That was a quote made by my friend Amy. Amy and her son Owen, our friend Jessica and her son Evan, Molly and I all went to check out the new Discovery Place Kids that opened up in Huntersville, NC. Her quote pretty much sums up our experience there. I know our kids had fun but they are so young that there was only 1 area that they really enjoyed. The mothers, however, kept running from room to room saying "Have you seen this yet?" and "Look, there's a boat!" and "Watch me milk this cow!" I'm not sure that we're going to spring for the annual membership yet....Molly is under a year so she is free right now.....but it is definitely something I'm going to consider in the future, especially because it is so close by!

Molly checking out the brain coral

Who's that pretty girl in that mirror there?
The boys loved the water table but Molly wasn't so sure.

Sweet Evan!Owen thinks he's so cool just cause he has a sweet ride!

Say cheese....

2010-10-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

Or rather, please do NOT say cheese!!!!! That's right, my October outlaw is....wait for it......cheese! I am rather stubborn so I think I'll be able to do it but this is going to be hard!

Last month I gave up desserts/sweets. That is still in effect and I will have 2 cheats. This month is cheese but I'm giving myself 4 cheats (though I might try not to use them all) It's already been harder than I thought and it's the second day of October! I am a cheese fiend! I eat cheese in almost every meal of every day....and that is the problem!

Yesterday I decided to have some tomato soup for lunch since it was feeling quite 'fall-y' outside. What goes perfect with tomato soup?? Grilled cheese, of course! Nope. Second best pairing with tomato soup? Tuna Melt, of course! Nope. Bummer. So I made up some tuna salad and ate that with some Saltines and my tomato soup. It was actually quite tasty. I know I can do this, it's just going to be hard!

But something that is helping me keep it up is that Todd has joined on this crazy plan. Like I posted before, last month he gave up French Fries. This month he has gone crazy! French fries are still in effect (a little more strict than last month, now homemade chips are included) plus he is no longer ordering soda at restaurants. The soda thing is more of a monetary sacrifice to see how much of a difference it makes. But not only french fries and restaurant sodas, he is also giving up fried chicken!!!! No chicken nuggets for Todd during October??!!? Crazy.

Also, I was telling some of my friends about this plan of ours and I got a text the other day saying that one girl is giving up Ranch for October. I am actually inspiring people!!!! Which is inspiring me to stay strong! If you decide to give something up for October too, let me know!

I'll be bathing suit ready just in time for turtleneck season!

September sacrifice

2010-10-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Since having Molly, I have been on a quest to get back into shape. Not just back into pre-pregnancy shape, but pre-pre-pregnancy shape. I was doing alright and the numbers were dropping, sssssllllloooooowwwwwlllllyyyyyyy. I'm good with the exercise but the eating right is not really my think. I have a sweet tooth. If it's not in front of me, I'm good. I don't typically order desserts at restaurant, or even bake them often at home. The problem is, when I do bake them, I don't just have a slice, I eat the whole darn cake! And I can't just eat one twizzler (I don't know anyone who can!) But I can eat the whole bag in 20 minutes! I think moderation is the key and that is just not my strength.

So, I decided to give up desserts for September but it actually turned into sweets in general. I was going to allow myself 2 cheats for the 2 weddings we were going to. And let me say, I impressed myself. Of course, in the beginning, all I could think about were sweets! The first wedding we went to was early in September and we ended up having to leave the reception before they cut the cake so Molly could take a nap!!!! Not cool! I had my mom bring over some homemade peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to make up for it (and they were delicious!)

I will admit, I cheated once when my friend and I went to the Greek Festival and I don't regret it one bit! I mean, really, who can pass up Loukoumades?!?! Next year I plan to have a Baklava Sundae!

In support of my sacrifice, Todd decided to give up french fries for September. He did a great job though did allow homemade chips to be permissable.

October I've decided to give up something new. But I'm also going to keep the dessert thing going, with 2 cheats again. Todd is also keeping the french fry ban but including homemade chips. He has also added something new. I will post about October outlaw soon!

Another meatless meal?!?!

2010-09-28T07:53:00.001-07:00

This spring my mother-in-law bought some chickens on a whim. Who does that?!?! Oh yeah, I have done that too. Whereas my chicken turned out to be a rooster (I miss you, Myrtle!) Page's chickens turned out to actually be beautiful egg-laying chickens. So when she came to visit recently she brought me some fresh-out-of-the-coop eggs! Truly organic!

I decided to make a yummy meatless dish. I forgot to take a picture of the veggies I used but in this dish I have caramelized onions, orange peppers, and possibly squash, I can't really remember cause it was last week. I laid the veggies in my greased baking dish and then covered them with some shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, straight from Wisconsin! (thanks Dad!)
I beat the eggs (though I don't think I beat them enough) and then covered the veggies and cheeses with the eggs.
As you can see, the yolk and egg whites seemed to separate and I wasn't expecting this.
But it tasted oh so delicious! I probably should have used a different color plate but oh well! It was perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
As always, my meatless meal was inspired by my sister, Katherine.

me?!?! meatless?!?!

2010-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

This dish was inspired by my sister, Katherine. If you haven't checked out her blog then you MUST. She is so talented and creative. She has been writing a series on Meatless Mondays and it really gives you food for thought. :-D Anyway, I have decided to try to incorporate some meatless meals into my menu. This is not easy for me. I, for some unknown reason, feel that I must add chicken or ground beef or any other kind of meat to a meal to make it filling. When Katherine first posted her one-meatless-night-a-week challenge I was very skeptical. But I am seeing the errors of my ways!

Those of you who know my husband know that Ragu is a staple in our home. I actually believe it is one of his main food groups. I don't like spaghetti when it is just sauce and noodles but it is one of his favorites! So I decided I would adapt. As you can see below, there is "More than a Full Serving of VEGGIES" in the sauce...I guess I decided that wasn't enough...
Sorry bout the angle of the picture below. Those of you who know me from childhood might not believe that I'm serious about all the veggies below. I was such a picky eater when I was a kid. My sweet mother would make a smaller dish of what she was cooking and leave out the onions or whatever else it was that I was refusing to eat. But I have grown in my palate! Below is a mixture of onions, zucchini, squash, yellow and orange peppers, and a mighty heaping of mushrooms! Really it's whatever veggies are leftover from other dishes. They are being sauteed in olive oil and minced garlic, with some oregano and a dash of cayenne pepper. I shock myself!
Then I add in the Ragu. I love this dish because there is no recipe! I just throw in whatever I feel like. And a secret ingredient? Throw in some brown sugar!!! Delicious!

A friend of mine makes Inside Out Lasagna so I've kind of adapted my recipe to be similar to hers. After putting the sauce over whatever kind of pasta you chose (last night it was Whole Wheat Penne) then you can add in a dollop of Ricotta or Cottage cheese and some grated Parmesan cheese. Mix it all together and Voila!I didn't include a picture of the final product cause I didn't want anyone to see how much cheese I used! But it was fabulous and I have leftovers for tomorrow. Happy meatless eating!

Going...going...gone!

2010-09-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

the fun of 8 months!

Todd's job

2010-07-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I will finally post about Todd getting a job! As you can see in the image above, Todd got a job with Lowe's Home Improvement. He is working in their corporate office in Mooresville, NC as a Marketing Specialist!

When we first went down to Athens, Ga for Todd to go to business school, he thought he would probably go into real estate because that is what he was familiar with. But as time went on and he took more classes, Todd realized that marketing, more specifically product development, was just the thing he was looking for. When it came time to interview we decided that he would look into all aspects of business, be it marketing, finance, operations, etc because in today's job market we didn't know how picky we could be. We knew our ideal locations were Charlotte, Mooresville, or Winston but really we thought we'd end up somewhere like Atlanta. Finally, after many interviews, Todd kept being invited back to talk to more people at Lowe's and it looked like it was going to become our reality! I mean really, in this market, who would have thought we could have landed a Fortune 50 job in the small town that my parents live in!?!?! It seems that prayer actually works! :-D

So Todd started his job about 6 weeks ago. He lived in my parents' basement for the first couple of weeks until Molly and I moved up here and we moved into our apartment. We now live in Cornelius, NC and absolutely love it!!! Moving was an adventure (that blog will come later) but I'm so glad that we're here and getting settled in (still accepting offers to come help me organize this place!)

Hopefully in a year or two we will be ready to buy a house, probably in Mooresville. But in the mean time, I am loving staying at home with Molly and learning the area better. We are also starting to meet some new moms up here but I'll post about that later too!

It's been awhile!

2010-07-16T06:20:00.001-07:00

For some reason I seem to think that the only things worth posting involve Molly (and I'm sure some of you agree!) Of course she has done post-worthy things which I, of course, have not yet posted about, but also so much has happened for our family. I really need to get on the ball with this thing! From now on I am going to try to get better at posting in a more timely manner. We'll see how that goes!

Ok, where to start?!!? Well, Molly is now a solid food eater! We were originally going to wait until after we moved (that blog will come at a later date) but I knew Todd wanted to be there for her first meal so we started on Father's Day! I had given Molly the spoon pictured below (our favorite, the Boon spoon!) a couple of weeks before we started food just to get her use to it. She loves chewing on it!
Here is Molly taking her first bite of rice cereal mixed with breast milk! Her Daddy got to feed her first since it was father's day. It's hard to tell by this face but she actually loved it! Since rice cereal, she has eaten oatmeal, avocado, banana, squash, and peaches. All went over well except for the peaches. I don't know if they are too tart or what but she makes the most awful face after each bite. The funny thing is, she continues to open her mouth for more. Silly girl!
We are taking a family trip into Charlotte tomorrow to the farmer's market there to get some fresh veggies so that I can make some more baby food for her for the upcoming weeks. I love being able to pick out the veggies and fruits and making her food by hand. I'm sure I will use canned food on occasion, already have some Earth's Best Organic Peas in the cupboard, but for now I'm enjoying making her food myself!

5 months! (2 weeks ago!)

2010-06-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

So I'm doing a good job taking the pictures on time....but not so good at posting them on time!
Molly is getting so big! She has overtaken the bunny in length, though they have similar bellies!

Molly was better at sitting up than the bunny!

Ouch!

2010-06-12T13:14:00.001-07:00

I have played sports my whole life so I've had a few injuries. I've been lucky enough to avoid the broken bones (other than my pinkie finger, which really did hurt!) but I've had my bumps and scraps and aches and soreness. But this morning I really did a number on myself!

When I reached to put Molly into the exersaucer it seems I pulled my back out. But not my lower back; it was the muscles behind my left shoulder blade. OMG it hurt so bad! It got to the point where I got really flushed and everything got brighter like I was about to faint. Quite scary actually. Luckily, I had my phone right next to me and was able to call Todd. (He was upstairs asleep and couldn't hear me when I yelled to him)

I have to tell y'all: I married the most wonderful man in the world. Todd starts work on Monday so of course he has the 'new job jitters' (sounds like a dance!); not to mention the stress of moving up to Mooresville a few weeks ahead of Molly and me, and the final, complete move from Athens to Cornelius. Add on top of that the horrible cold he has. Not just your normal sniffs and sneezes but pure, utter exhaustion! So keep all of that in mind when I tell you that I have never heard Todd get out of bed faster than he did this morning. And I didn't even have the chance to tell him that I was hurt. All I said was, "I need you to come downstairs." I'm sure he probably heard some panic/pain in my voice but he was downstairs faster than I imagined possible!

So, we spent the morning in Urgent Care. The PA thinks I torqued the trapezious (sp?) muscle in my neck/back and that is causing my pain. Unfortunately, I was suppose to go to a beautiful wedding in Lake Lure, NC but right now I cannot drive. I also cannot pick Molly up because of the pain. Now, remember all that I described about how Todd feels and imagine him having to be the primary care giver today (on his day to sleep in!) And Molly has been her crankiest today!

So, now we are hanging around Athens and headed to NC in the morning. Hopefully I will be able to drive my own car separately, and hold Molly. But we will just have to wait and see!

p.s. If you can't tell, I am so in love with my husband! :-D

The best Mother's Day I've ever had!!!

2010-05-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the best Mother's Day ever!!!! Ok, so I understand that I'm a little biased since it was my first Mother's Day, but still....I was pretty impressed.
This Mother's Day was the best ever! The day before I had bought myself a jogging stroller at a yard sale as a MD gift to myself. And then, MD morning I woke up and Todd brought Molly to me in bed so that I could nurse her. I wasn't really in the mood to go back to sleep (Eric was visiting and I wanted to see him some before he left) so we got up and went downstairs. My fabulous husband cooked me pancakes and bacon! Then I came across a table full of gifts. Molly helped me open them of course. She had gotten me a pedometer. Now I know that may sound like an odd gift but it is something that I requested. This pedometer is awesome! I calculated my stride and input my height and weight and it not only counts steps, but calculates distance and calories burned! It is fabulous! I wore it at work and realized that I need to step it up (pun intended)!!!!
Todd had also gotten my pushing present engraved. When Molly was born, Todd got me a new charm bracelet with a silhouette charm of a little girl. He got her initials and birth date engraved on it. I love it!!! He also got me a gift card to a local salon so I can get a massage or treatment of my choice! I love presents!!!
After breakfast and presents, Todd, Molly, Eric, and I went on a walk. The weather was absolutely fabulous and Molly loves being outside. I can't wait until she can sit in a stroller facing forward, instead of in her car seat.
Todd took Eric to the airport and Molly and I headed to church. Now Molly has yet to let me sit through an entire service and MD Sunday was no exception. But an awesome thing did happen while we were there. During the childrens' service, 2 people in the congregation were recognized. They gave a rose to the oldest mother, who was in her 90s! And they gave a rose to the newest mother in the congregation. As you can see in the picture above, I got a rose (and it wasn't for being the oldest!) I was so glad that I had Molly there with me.
After church Molly and I went to a cookout to celebrate our friends, Elise and Jon North, because they both recently graduated! We had a great time: Molly loves being outside!As you can see, our allergies are starting to get to us:
The rest of the day was spent just hanging out with Todd and Molly. That is one of my favorite things to do. But it was even better than normal because Todd took the lead on all fussing babies and dirty diapers!

Todd has set the bar high for Father's Day!

Eric came to visit!!

2010-05-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

Todd's Wake Forest freshman year roommate, Lord Eric, came to visit us from New York this past weekend! We had a great time showing him around Athens and UGA, and just hanging out. We miss Eric now that he thinks he's a big whig attorney in NYC.

Molly is taking after Todd and me in her love for reading!

Eric brought Molly her first Dr. Seuss books and Cat in the Hat stuffed animal. Of course they had to have story time!

We headed out to a local brewery, Terrapin, for a wonderful evening of music and beer (for the non-nursing folks). Molly absolutely loves being outside!
She even made an attempt at sitting up! She did pretty well for a few seconds and then tumbled. I'm excited about this new development, especially since we head to the beach in a few weeks!

Todd has an MBA!

2010-05-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Todd graduated from The University of Georgia last weekend!!! Of course, he had exams the week after graduation, but it was still exciting! His parents, Page and Clayton, and his great-aunt, Margaret, came to join in the festivities! Todd is now done with classes/exams and I know he is so thankful for it. He just told me he made a 4.0 this semester which is pretty impressive seeing as we have a 4 month old!!! But I've always known that Todd is sneaky smart!
Molly is very proud of her Daddy. She hopes to one day follow in his footsteps......but as a Tarheel! :-D

late Easter post

2010-04-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!!!! (super late, I know!)

My sister, Katherine, made the cutest Easter buckets for her kids and she made one for Molly too!!! She is interested in selling them so contact her on her blog if you'd like one!!! I've never seen finer quality work!!! Katherine will have a table set up at a craft show in Chapel Hill this weekend so if you're in the area, be sure to stop by!

Katherine also made Molly's Easter dress!
We had a great time with family over Easter. We went down to Birmingham, Alabama to visit our cousin Will! It was great to see all the cousins and cousins' girlfriends and aunts and uncles. I couldn't have asked for a better Easter this year!

3 months!

2010-04-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

3 months!!!

Finally!

2010-04-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I have posted! Each time I sit down at the computer I'm like, 'I don't know what to write about!' and then as soon as I walk away I have a list in my head of things to share! This morning is not going to be a super long post because I have to leave for work soon but I was just so proud of myself that I wanted to share!

I have a loft goal of getting back into shape. I know the saying, "It took 9 months to gain the weight, give myself at least 9 months to lose it." But it's really hard to be patient! I had told myself that after I was cleared (ahem, 8 weeks ago!) that I was going to regularly go to the gym and start eating healthier, blah, blah, blah. Well I started out alright but that slowly changed. There were other things that were of more priority than going to the gym. Yes, spending time with Molly was a good excuse but then it was, 'I forgot to take my gym clothes to work with me so I have to come home' or 'Let's just watch one more TV show and then I'll go right after'....yeah right! And food....oh food....how I love thee! For a while I was good and then someone started shoving cookies and cakes and candies down my throat!!! Ok, so that someone was me....:-/

So I've made a plan....I'm telling you all so hopefully you can keep me accountable. I have given up gluten, except for whole grains. I don't have a gluten-intolerance but saying I've given up gluten seems an easier feat for me than giving up sweets. This way I can still have a treat every once in a while in the form of chocolate or ice cream and I can still get my favorite Subway sandwiches as long as I use whole grain bread. (I am allowing special occasions such as wedding cake to sneak in there every once in a while!) And I have already shown myself that I can do it: Yesterday I turned down a donut....and I LOVE donuts!!!!

As for the gym....I have contacted a trainer at my gym. I have 5 sessions left from before I was pregnant so I'm hoping to use those and she can set me up with some good routines that I can do on my own. The reason I am so proud of myself this morning is that I got up at 5:15am, pumped (cause no one likes to run with full balloons!) and then I went to the gym....I did 30 minutes on the treadmill (10 walking, 10 running, 10 walking) and then I came home and showered and got ready for work. I have a girlfriend who goes to the gym before work M/W/F so hopefully I can tag along at least once or twice a week. And since Molly is pretty regularly sleeping 11 hours at night, I can get to the gym and back before she wakes up for breakfast, IF she wakes up before I head to work.

Alright, speaking of work....time to go earn some dollars!

The rolling progression...

2010-03-20T19:45:00.001-07:00

Wilson and Henry's party!!!

2010-03-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Molly and I went up to Winston-Salem for Wilson and Henry's 4th and 2nd birthday parties! She got to meet so many people who love her so much! Anna Jane and Wilson were so excited to meet their new cousin that they could hardly contain themselves!

Nana and Papa got a picture with all 4 of their grandchildren!

The Campbell kids are getting so old!

Bobbie Quack is singing the duck song to Molly. Molly is paying close attention!

We love family!!!

2010-03-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Duncan household has had a lot of family visiting over the past 2 months (thanks Molly!) Here are pictures of some of our visitors!

She's so strong!

2010-03-20T19:21:00.001-07:00

I know I brag, but that's what moms are suppose to do, right?!?! I think Molly is soooo super strong. One of her favorite things to do is stand, as evidenced in the picture on the left. Her legs are so strong and quite active. She is also a pro at holding her head up. I think the picture of her sitting propped up in the Boppy was a fluke cause she hasn't wanted to do it since, but I was still impressed! My little 9 week old is on the fast track to being a super athlete; though if she would prefer Mathletes over athletes, we will support that as well! :-D

Photo Shoot

2010-03-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

We had a photo shoot with my friend Tricia and this is one of my favorites! Molly was quite cranky because it was nap time so we got the best pictures after she fell asleep! I can't wait til we do it again and get her when she's super happy!

Just a little longer...

2010-03-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

I have so much to blog about: Molly, end of maternity leave and back to work, and other stuff that I can't remember right now but I think you'll all have to wait until the end of my first week of work before you get to hear any of it! If I get a second wind one night, I'll post some stuff, but don't hold your breath! I can't wait to share!!!!

but I will leave you with: we learned that Molly is not a porker, she is exactly average being 10.6lbs in the 50th percentile for weight. She IS a porker, however, because she's only in the 25th percentile for length, at 21 1/2 inches!!! She's so compact that I think she will either be a good libero (volleyball) or a good soccer player....or maybe both!!!

2 months old!!!

2010-03-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

I'm really bad at being 'wordless' but I'll make this quick! Today is James Champion Wilson's birthday. My grandfather passed away almost 6 years ago. He was a wonderful man and I wanted to honor him when we chose Molly's name. Hence Molly CHAMPION Duncan. I am sad that he will never get to meet my husband or my children but I plan to tell them all about him! I miss you Granddaddy!

p.s. How cute is my daughter?!?! Those smiles just make me melt!

New 'do!

2010-03-10T19:53:00.001-08:00

I got a new haircut!!!! And I love it!!!

I decided that it's time for something new. Hopefully the new hair cut/style will keep me motivated to work out and get myself back into shape. I want to buy new clothes so bad but I'm trying to hold off until I'm closer to the size I was before I got pregnant. Santa was so sweet and put a gift card to Ann Taylor Loft in my stocking and it is just burning a hole in my wallet! I can't wait to spend it!!! But for now, the new 'do will tide me over.....Todd hopes!!! :-D

Warm weather....come back!!!

2010-03-10T19:41:00.001-08:00

On Monday we had our first warm day in quite a while. The temperature got up to 70 degrees and it was glorious! Early that day, my mother-in-law, Page, had asked me if Molly liked being outdoors. I truly couldn't answer that question because it's been so cold lately that her only experience with outdoors is the brief time it takes to put her in the car. So I decided to take advantage, knowing that it probably wouldn't last long.

Molly and I met our friends Greer and her daughter Laine (4 months) and Stephanie and her daughter Azalee (2 months) at Memorial Park to walk around the lake. We also walked up to their Wildlife Trail that houses rehabilitated bears and wildcats and a bald eagle. I wish I could say Molly soaked up every minute of it but really she slept most of the 2 1/2 hours we were there!

Here are Molly and Laine checking out the bears!

And Molly and Azalee lounging on a bench. (Azalee was not happy about being woken up to play!)

Of course all the rest of the week it's rainy and yucky so we haven't had any more outside time but I look forward to the sun making more appearances hopefully in the not-too-distant future!

Sweet Tea and Strollers

2010-02-15T11:20:00.001-08:00

Make sure you check out my 'baby blog' that I write on with 4 of my friends. 4 of us have already had our babies and the last is due this month! We write about everything from products we like to problems we have. There's a lot about my nursing problems with Molly on there, if you're interested...

Sweet Tea and Strollers

Milestone!

2010-02-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Molly doesn't appear to have read the manual concerning appropriate milestone ages. She rolled over once at 3 weeks old but I thought it was a fluke. Then, yesterday, on her 1 month 'birthday' she rolled over FIVE times!!!!! The video shows lots of screaming, she's not a big fan of tummy time. It actually took about 5 minutes but we edited it down so you don't have to sit through it!

Hope you enjoy!!!

1 month!

2010-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

My plan is to take a picture of Molly on the 13th of every month in this chair, with this bunny, on this quilt (handmade by Nana!!!) Here she is 1 month old!

18 days and counting...

2010-01-31T18:03:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I know it's been a loooooong time since I've posted on my blog. It's been over 18 days. How do I know it's been that long? Because I have a daughter who is 18 days old and I haven't posted since before she was born!!!

Meet Molly Champion Duncan. Born January 13, 2010 at 5:06am. 6lb 15oz, 20in long. 9 hour, drug-free labor.

We picked Molly because it just happens to be a name that we both like. Though it was Todd's top choice (my 2nd) so I like to tell her that her Daddy named her. Champion was my grandfather's middle name and his mother's maiden name. Duncan because, well, because it's our last name too!

Labor was pretty intense but I know that 9 hours really can be seen as a marathon compared to other stories I've heard. The whole no epidural thing was interesting....and by interesting, I mean PAINFUL! But I'm glad I did it. During labor I informed Todd that we would be using a surrogate for any subsequent children and then I decided that I just wouldn't 'go natural' for any other children. Now that I'm almost 3 weeks removed from the experience, I might consider going natural again but don't hold me to that!

I will definitely try to post more often so that you can get to know Molly more as we get to know each other. I have many tidbits and pictures to post about and will try to post those when she's napping (if I'm not asleep too!)

Nursery is finished!!

2010-01-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

My dad and Todd put up the decals, under the direction of my mom and me. I think they look great!

Just above the changing table will be the letters that spell her name. I finished painting them today and they will go up later tonight but no pictures til after she's born!!!

Our reading nook! I love the brown corduroy chair because it was my Mema's.

To get the full effect, you all will just have to come visit!!!

I love thanksgiving!

2009-12-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

How handsome are these 2 men?!?!

This picture is one of the main reasons that I love Thanksgiving. Family time is so important to me and when the kids crawl right up to cuddle, I just can't resist! FYI, I'm rubbing the bridge of Wilson's nose (at his request), not suffocating him!

The great pistachio throw!

2009-12-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

Check out the pistachio headed straight into Anna Jane's mouth! I'm almost more impressed that I caught this with my camera than with the throw itself!

MBA Winter Formal

2009-12-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

AKA MBA Prom
Todd and I went to his Winter Formal and had so much fun. The girls in the picture above have become such good friends of mine over the past 2 years! (Erin on the left and Elise on the right....I just realized we all have E names!)
Here's the crew that often hangs out: Michael Todd, Erin McCrary, Bobby Courage, Elise North, Jon North, me, and Todd. We have so much fun...
...having fun!
And of course I love my wonderful husband!

The finished dresser!

2009-12-22T18:49:00.001-08:00

Here's the dresser I bought at a yardsale for $10! This picture is the dresser when I first bought it. The picture above is after the first coat of paint. I was so proud of this purchase and wanted to do something so that it would fit into our nursery theme.
Look at the drawer pulls I found at Babies R Us! I matched the brown paint to it and I think it just turned out perfect!

Love it!!!!!! (Thanks for being my inspiration, Katherine!)

Darndest Things....

2009-12-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

Today in our 7th grade math class, the math teacher expressed that she would like to go teach in Mexico. (she knows no Spanish, but that's another story) Anyway, she asked 2 of the Hispanic students if they would like to go to Mexico with her and help her teach.

Immediately one responded, "No."

Shocked, the teacher said, "Why not?!"

He responded, "Cause then we couldn't come back!"

Upcoming Project

2009-11-24T16:43:00.001-08:00

As I continue to be inspired by Katherine and her blog, I have not only been cooking, but also yard sale shopping for good deals. I found this dresser at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago for a mere $10!! I have plans for it to be a part of the nursery!

I've bought the sandpaper and plan on that being part of tomorrow. All I have to do is get the paint and get to work. I have an idea for it but who knows if it will work out. My mom and sister and aunt, really every female (and many males) I know, have better eyes than I do for this sort of thing but I'm going to give it a shot. I will post on the progress as it is being made!

The Nursery has begun!

2009-11-24T16:36:00.001-08:00

The nursery has begun but it is no where near finished! I'm already loving what it has turned in to though.

Because Todd and I hope to be moving out this upcoming summer, it doesn't make sense to paint the walls since we would have to paint them back to white before we move. That's a little bummer but I really think the nursery is going to come together anyway!

We are so excited!!!!

I love our bedding. Giraffe's are a favorite but we're trying not to go too overboard!

The crib is very special because it is the crib that Todd slept in as a baby. But don't worry, we have checked to make sure that it still satisfies all of the current crib requirements.

Big babies!!! Todd and Dad were so sweet to put the crib together. And mom helped me clean the room (by helped me I mean she did most of the work!)

Cooking!

2009-11-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my sister, Katherine, I spent the other day in the kitchen. (Where Todd says I belong.....hehe just kidding!) Anyway, I had been looking at Katherine's blog and got inspired to do some baking.

Here is an awkward picture of Katherine's delicious Pumpkin Balls. She's right, they are soooo easy! I put some cream cheese icing in a plastic baggie and cut the tip off so I could pipe the icing onto my cupcakes. The one you see is in honor of Team Jacob! (any Twilight Saga fans out there?!?!!)

Todd had requested some chocolate chip cookies so I went a step further and made chocolate CHUNK cookies. They are delicious! One of the many treats I'm taking for Thanksgiving dessert!

This is one of my favorite recipes that Katherine makes. I even asked her to make them for my baby shower!!! They are called Spinach Brownies. I know the name is weird, and no, they are not brownies in any way other than their shape. But they are DELICIOUS!!!! Even if you don't like spinach, I recommend you trying them. They are extremely kid friendly too!

Soon, I will be doing all of my cooking for Thanksgiving dessert. Since most of what I'm bringing is going to be a surprise, I'm not going to post about them until after Turkey Day. But I'm very excited about a few new recipes!

Darndest things...

2009-11-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been using lots of sick leave at work. Not because I'm sick, but because I now go to the baby doctor every other week for regular appointments. I also had to take time off during the day to meet with pediatricians. (We found one and he's awesome! Dr Henry Garrard and he went to WFU undergrad!!!)

Anyway, yesterday, upon returning to work from an appt, my 7th grade student said to me, "No more subs. I miss you too much."

I just thought that was the sweetest thing for a 13 year old boy to say to me! I'm not quite sure he realizes that in January I'll be gone for more than a couple of hours at a time!

Props to Todd

2009-11-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

I just want to take a moment and say how amazing I think my husband is! Not only does he still take me on dates, he also takes me on surprise dates!

And he cleans the kitchen and vacuums.

And gives me feet and back massages.

But the most impressive thing Todd has done recently was this morning. If you know Todd, you know he likes to sleep! Waking up early is not one of his strongest attributes. Also important to note is that on Mondays, Todd normally wakes up around 10:30am at the earliest. Another important fact is that Todd hates being cold. All of that being said, this morning around 7am, as I was getting ready for work, I heard Todd trudging down the stairs. Not too much conversation transpired but Todd walked himself outside in the cold to check and see if my car windshield needed scraping! Isn't that just the sweetest thing ever!!!!

I love my husband!

Surprise Date

2009-11-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have the most amazing and loving husband, ever!!!
Todd took me on a surprise date to the Botanical Gardens!!! We had a picnic and then got to walk around and look at all of the beauty that is Fall. I know this picture looks odd but we tried to use the delay function of my camera but it only had a 2 second delay!! Made for some interested, yet fun, picture attempts!

We love each other!!And Daddy loves his little girl!

I love my family!

2009-11-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

The grandmothers, aka Nana and GramPage!!! These women are so inspiring to me and I hope that I am half the mother that they both are!
Page, aka GramPage, is so excited about adding a second granddaughter! Check out her blog sometime, GrowthChart.
Todd's great-aunt Margaret stayed in NC later than planned, just so she could come to the shower!
This is one of my favorite baby gifts we've gotten! This is the christening gown that Anna Jane wore but it's even more special because my sister, Katherine, made it!!!! She is just sooooo talented!
The young grandparents with their grandsons!

Baby bellies and friends!

2009-11-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

My best friend Brittany threw me a FABULOUS baby shower last weekend! Just 7 1/2 months ago she had a little boy of her own and now she's looking Smokin'!
Another baby belly!!! My friend Andrea is one of the co-writers of the Sweet Tea and Strollers blog that I am a member of. She is due 6 weeks after I am with a handsome little boy!
Joey made it into the blog! He is a friend from college who is in the Army. This picture was last week when he came through Atlanta on his way to Ranger School! The plan is for him to be heading back through in time to meet my daughter before he deploys again!!!
dAlexis and Debra aren't too sure about all this pregnancy stuff. My belly weirds them out!! :-D
Greer is one of my best buds in Athens. She is due in 6 days!!!! This picture was taken at a joint, co-ed shower that the MBA kids threw for both of us! It was so much fun and everyone has been so sweet!

Giraffes galore!

2009-11-08T13:05:00.001-08:00

Here is our precious giraffe pattern!!! It's now a discontinued Graco pattern but we got most of the things we needed before they all sold out.
Above you can see that Salem, the dog, is ready for her meal!
Todd's parents got us our stroller which was so sweet! And my parents got us the matching car seat so now all we need is a baby!!! I love my parents and in-laws and how supportive they are!!!!

The Cat Who...

2009-11-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

More wedding fun!

2009-11-08T13:01:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Todd and I went to my friend Alexis' wedding at a beautiful plantation home in Auburn, GA called The Carl House. We had a great time and I even got to do a little Greek dancing!
Here are some of the lovely ladies that I work with! I love my Athens peeps!

Wedding Fun

2009-11-08T12:55:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, Todd and I went to Charlotte for his cousin, Caroline's, wedding!
Here we are with Todd's cousin Chase and his fabulous fiance, Whitney!!

Here's a pic from the Rehearsal dinner the night before at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. Thanks to Katherine for the loan of a beautiful maternity dress.

MBA Baby Shower!

2009-10-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Some of Todd's MBA classmates through a joint shower for my friend Greer and me! Greer is due in just 2 weeks!

It was hosted by our friends Rachel and Elise and it was so much fun! The theme was "Babies and Beer for Emily and Greer!" Don't worry, the beer was for the boys. It was a co-ed shower where the boys drank beer and grilled burgers and dogs and the girls talked about baby stuff!

We had such a great time, ate delicious food, and got the most adorable gifts!

More Literary Pumpkin pics...

2009-10-28T16:58:00.001-07:00

Literary Pumpkins

2009-10-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

The 6th graders at my school were given the assignment to make Literary Pumpkins. They did all of the work at home and then just brought there pumpkins in on the due date. Some of them aren't as literary as I thought they should be (I saw about 5 Sponge Bobs!) but I did take pictures of the ones that I thought were the cutest!

Sweet Tea and Strollers

2009-10-21T10:52:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

I just wanted to let you know about my new blog, Sweet Tea and Strollers. I got the idea from Todd's mom, Page. She sent me an email about a blog she found that is several mothers writing on one blog about things pertaining to children and whatnot. I decided to invite my friends Greer, Melissa, Amanda, and Andrea to join me in creating a new blog.

We are all soon-to-be first-time mothers. Greer and Melissa are due in November. Greer and her huband Joe (live in Athens) are not finding out the sex of their baby and Melissa and Joey (live in Charlotte) are having a little boy. Amanda is due in December and she and Tom (live in Atlanta) are having a little girl. I (live in Athens) am, of course, due in January with a little girl. Andrea and Adam (live in Charlotte) are expecting a little boy in February.

One of the cool things is that I am the connection between all of these women. None of the women have ever met each other but I hope to change that next summer after the babies have arrived!

We have all introduced ourselves on the blog and have already started asking advice and posting stories. The idea is to grow in this experience together but also use the knowledge that we gain throughout the experience to help each other.

I hope you will check out Sweet Tea and Strollers and feel free to comment if you have anything you want to add.

The Proposal

2009-10-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

I wish I had more pictures to post....well, I do, but I need Todd's computer for that and he's out of town right now. So you'll have to settle for just my words!

I don't know if any of you have seen the movie, "The Proposal." I recommend it, not only because it was a funny movie, but really for just one line in the movie. Now that I've seen it, I remember my mother telling me about the line but I had completely forgotten until I heard it again! (Don't worry, this doesn't give anything away.)

At one point Margaret (Sandra Bullock) says to Andrew (Ryan Reynolds): "What am I allergic to?"
Andrew so easily responds, "Pinenuts."

PINENUTS!??!? Really!?!? I can't believe how excited that made me. Most of you already know that I am deathly allergic to pinenuts and have to carry an epipen with me where ever I go and can't even eat in any restaurants that use pinenuts/pesto sauce in their kitchen. I have NEVER EVER in my life met another person who is allergic to pinenuts so you can imagine my surprise when I heard it in the movie. I'm sure it's foolish but it made me feel not so freakish once I heard Sandra Bullock say she is allergic to the same thing I am (I know, I know, she was just reading the script!) Throughout the rest of the movie I would just randomly say 'pinenuts' and Todd just laughed at me.

It's not easy being the reason that your friends and family have to go to the same restaurants over and over again. Or never being able to eat at weddings because most caterers use pinenuts. And I know it won't get any easier just cause I've watched a movie about a person with the same dilemma, but it did give me a slight surge of hope that maybe I really am not the only one out there! :-D

More Darndest Things...

2009-10-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today in PE a 7th grade boy said to me:
Student: "I can get any girl in here." ('get' as in date)
Me: "Any girl?"
Student: "You pregnant. I can't get you."
Me: "Honey, even if I wasn't pregnant, you couldn't get me!"

Kids these days...

Darndest Things....

2009-10-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today one of the hearing students said to my hard-of-hearing student: "You hit me again and I will knock the hearing back into you!"

I got flowers....

2009-10-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

But not from Todd!!! Today at work, one of the students I interpreted for last year (my favorite!) came up to me at breakfast and presented me with flowers! He gave no reason, just a sheepish grin.

I love my job and the kids that I work with!

Baby bump pics!

2009-10-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

25 weeks 1 day!!!
Headed to the UGA tailgate!
Go Dawgs!

25 weeks 2 days!
Todd says I look like a house :-P
(he's right!)

Family sickness!

2009-09-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted!!!! But here is an update on what has been happening in the lives of the Duncans:

Thursday, Todd flew down to New Orleans to attend the National Black MBA Conference. Yes, you read that right. From what I understand, and have been told, the conference holds meetings that are just for its members, and also holds a convention that brings in many businesses, that is open to the public. While there, Todd scored an interview with BB&T concerning their Leadership Development Program. He feels very good about the interview and we will just have to wait and see.

Upon his arrival back into the great state of Georgia on Saturday, Todd noticed he was not feeling too hot. His friend, John, dropped him off at our apartment Saturday night, with a fever of 101!!! After a trip to the student health center on Sunday, we confirmed that Todd had H1N1, better known as Swine Flu. We, of course, immediately quarantined Todd to the guest bedroom. Blue has had a hard time accepting the fact that she cannot cuddle with her Daddy.

After talking with my doctor, I decided I would not start Tamiflu unless I started to show symptoms. Well of course Monday morning I started with a cough and that evening I started Tamiflu! I took Tuesday and Wednesday off work but luckily never contracted H1N1 myself!!! Seems I just had a cold. Odd that I would get a cold while Todd had H1N1. We were quite the pathetic bunch at home!

Now we are both feeling better and both plan on going back to school/work tomorrow!!!

Anyway, I don't blame you if you didn't read all the way to the bottom of this post but I wanted to let y'all know what was going on with us! Thanks for the well wishes.

Nursery Bedding

2009-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Baby Bedding!

Many people have been asking about our nursery so I thought I'd share with you a picture of our bedding! We are doing giraffes and are super excited! I'll post some of the pictures that we're framing, courtesy of my friend Tricia Smith, as well!

2009-09-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

(P.S. Don't worry, this isn't a new laundry pile, it's the same one from before....we've stopped such nonsense!!)

Book Club!!!

2009-09-19T18:35:00.001-07:00

I have joined my first ever real live Book Club!!!! I am so excited about this venture! The BC was put together by my friend Sara, who's the new speech language pathologist at work. She's fabulous and invited me to join her book club after we had only met like twice! I am grateful to her for that.

Anyway, we had our first meeting at Sara's house last week.

It was potluck so everyone brought something. If you notice the top right of the picture below, you will see what I brought. It was a new recipe for me which I got from my sister. It's her now famous Ice Cream Bread!!!!! And it was utterly delicious! The Edy's Max Peanut Butter Chocolate was good for the most part but a little dry. The Dove Toffee Caramel Moment was delectably moist and delicious!!!

Anyway, we voted and decided that our first book will be The World According to Garp, by John Irving. Now I am a big John Irving fan, specifically A Prayer for Owen Meany, but I have never read Garp before so I'm quite excited.

I'll keep you posted as our book club meets and how I like the book!

Slacker

2009-09-18T09:06:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

I know I've been such a slacker about posting! And I'm truly sorry. I definitely have posts that I want to write, and pictures that I want to post but just haven't yet. So I guess you have that to look forward to!

This weekend is a hectic one for me. Work all day today, then I pick up an injured volleyball player and a scorekeeper and we head to Atlanta for the Lovett Block Party which is a volleyball tournament. Tonight we play at 7:30 and 9:30 PM!!!!!!!!!!! It makes me tired just thinking about it!

Then our lovely athletic department will be putting us all up in the Doubletree Hotel (I get my own room!). Tomorrow we will continue in the tournament and then we'll be back home to Athens sometime tomorrow.

Then on Sunday I have my lovely friend Greer's baby shower! and then the Panthers play, and then Todd and I tour St Mary's hospital. Hopefully by the end of next week we will have decided on a hospital to birth our daughter!!!

And then, the work week starts all over again. So the whole idea of catching up on sleep seems to elude me.

So, this is all I have to post for you right now. Hopefully at some point during the hectic weekend I will be able to post pictures. We can all keep our fingers crossed.

Darndest Things....

2009-09-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

While trying to define the word 'bulge' in class today, one of the 7th graders gave the example sentence, "Mrs Duncan has a bulge!" Lovely I tell you.

The Cat Who...

2009-09-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

2009-09-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

Typical Sunday

2009-09-03T19:21:00.001-07:00

Of course I was suppose to post this blog on Sunday but the week got away from me! I just wanted to let y'all know what our typical Sunday has become! While I know this won't happen every Sunday, I do like to have a routine. 2 weeks ago we were at church and our minister was talking about past events of the church and he mentioned a barbeque that they had recently had. Well of course, our little daughter heard BBQ and had to have it! So we went to Sonny's! And then we went back this past Sunday and of course I had to get pictures of our delicious lunch!

I got a delicious meal of pulled pork, with sweet sauce, homemade mac and cheese, and garlic bread!

Todd's meal....yes, Todd likes barbeque!!!!

The Cat Who...

2009-09-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

a series by Lilian Jackson Braun.....That series of books use to be a favorite of my mom and mine and we still like to pick one up every once in a while for an easy, entertaining read. The titles are always something silly like The Cat Who Could Read Backwards or The Cat Who Said Cheese. The main characters in the series are 2 siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. They assist there lovable owner, Jim Qwilleran, in solving mysteries that seem to occur around the small town they live in.

Anyway, the point of this blog is not to tell you about these books, it's to tell you about how they have inspired a blog series. I have a lovable siamese mix kitty named Blue. Blue is going to become the star of this blog series. I plan on taking pictures of Blue at her finest and not-so-finest and I would love YOU to name the book that she would star in!

So, for her first photo shoot...

Volleyball

2009-09-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

I thought some of you might be interested in hearing a little more about the volleyball team I'm working for this year. I don't have too much to say but wanted to include an article that was recently run in the Athens Banner Herald featuring our head coach Nikki Chester. Too bad our little girl isn't due during the season or I might have been featured as well! :-D

Here are a few other recent articles about some Saturday playdates that we have recently dominated:
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/081609/pre_482220037.shtml
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/083009/pre_487702000.shtml

Darndest Things....

2009-09-02T10:44:00.001-07:00

Today a 3rd grader asked me:

"When is your baby going to hatch?"

Southern Devils!!!

2009-08-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Little did I know, that when we moved to Georgia, we would be facing creatures the likes of Southern Devils!!!!
I went out one morning to find the little sucker on our left hanging out right next to my car door. About an inch long, I thought it was dead. Todd later learned that these guys actually 'play dead.' When I returned home it was gone so who knows what really happened.

Southeastern US scorpions are often called 'Southern Devils.' Everyone keeps telling me, don't worry, they aren't dangerous, there sting just feels like a wasp sting. But I'm wonder, have these people ever been stung by a wasp!?!?!? No feel good! And with our lovely Blue having free reign of the house, it made me a little nervous to have a scorpion right outside our house!

AND THEN...

Here is the next friend that showed up. As you can see, I found this southern devil right next to Blue's food bowl!!!! I can guarantee that it's a different one because it was smaller. Todd took control and got rid of the little guy. Poor Blue was subjected to a full body scan to make sure she hadn't been stung and she seems fine.

I contacted our landlord and he said he would check with the Homeowners' Associations to see when they last sprayed for bugs/scorpions. I forgot about it and didn't realize that I never heard back from him with the results!

I forgot, that is, until this past week when Todd woke up and found a scorpion in our house AGAIN, this time next to the sofa (no photo, sorry)!!!! And of course my baby Blue was playing with it! It seemed to be dead but maybe that's cause it was under duress. So, once again, Todd was the hero and got rid of the scorpion! He checked Blue over and see seems to be fine.

So that's 3 scorpions in the course of about a month and I'm not cool with that! Todd followed up with our landlord and it seems he forgot about our little issue and doesn't have an answer for us about de-scorpioning so he's supposed to get back to us on that.

When we planned our move to Georgia I didn't know we were actually moving to Texas!!!! (I can't tell you how many armadillos I've seen sleeping on the side of the road!

It's a Girl!!!!!

2009-08-30T08:18:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-08-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Pictures from party!

2009-08-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Girl!!!

2009-08-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

So I know most of you have already heard (no thanks to me being a slacker with my post)....but....we're having a little GIRL!!!!!! I'm sorry I haven't posted before now. We had our fabulous gender party on Thursday night. I was so physically, and especially emotionally drained afterward that I was in no shape to post a blog or pictures. (I'm at work now so you'll have to wait a little longer for the pictures.) And then I thought I was getting sick on Friday so I went to bed early instead of going out to celebrate my wonderful husband's birthday. And then I spent 14 hours on Saturday with my lovely volleyball team kicking butt at the Play for a Cure Volleyball tournament which raises money for the Susan G Komen Foundation.

So after all of that, I'm finally getting around to posting! Our party was absolutely fabulous! We had all of our friends wear either pink or blue, depending on what they thought the gender would be and then the winners got to have their picture taken with me! (just me cause Todd was wearing blue!) I can't even describe the excitement and anxiety as we waited for everyone to arrive! It was so hard not to cut the cake as soon as it was in front of me. But the wait was worth it!!! Todd and I cut the cake and were tickled pink when we saw the inside was pink!

Now Todd is dreading our next trip to the baby store! I plan on showing lots of restraint but all of those little girl clothes are just so darn cute! We'll register whenever we have a free Saturday (those are few and far between).

Now comes the struggle of picking out a name that our daughter will have to live with for the rest of her life! Who knew it would be so hard! But our biggest struggle was going to be agreeing on a boy's name so at least that task is not in front of us quite yet.

Our plan is to follow the trend laid out by my sister, Katherine. We plan to keep the name a secret until she is actually born. I know it's going to be a struggle but I have a feeling I'm going to be able to keep quiet! (Just don't ask me what her name will be!)

Check back often because I hope to post pictures soon!!!!

Darndest things....

2009-08-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

7th grader on Friday:

(Her) "I'm not really a people person."
(Me) "You're talking to me..."
(Her: matter of factly) "But you're life is almost over; you're an adult. Mine's just started; I'm a preteen."

Same girl:

(Her) "What's your husband's name?"
(Me) "Mr Duncan."
(Her) "What's his first name?"
(Me) "Todd."
(Her) "Todd Duncan......that sounds like a cereal box."
(I think she must have been thinking of Duncan Hines)

Needless to say....it was an interesting conversation...

A Poem About Me

2009-08-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Don't worry...info about this evening will come after the party happens....but I wanted to share a poem I wrote. The kids in one of my class had a poem template and they asked me to write one about myself. The underlined parts are what I added to the existing template. I thought I would share:

A Poem About Me

by Emily Duncan

I am curious.

I wonder where the future will take my family.

I hear my cat purring.

I see my loving friends.

I want a healthy baby.

I am curious.

I pretend to be silly.

I feel happy.

I touch my growing belly.

I worry about the health of my family.

I cry when people disappoint me.

I am curious.

I understand my husband loves me.

I say life is good.

I dream about raising my children.

I try to make people feel special.

I hope for a life full of travel.

I am curious.

If any of you are interested in writing your own version of the 'Poem About Me' I would love to see what you write.

I thought she said Wednesdays would be Wordless...

2009-08-19T17:30:00.001-07:00

.....so I lied!!! Today is too exciting a day to not post!

First off, Happy Birthday to the most wonderful husband in the world!!!!! (of course I'm talking about my husband, Todd) Today he turns the big 2-7. Hopefully he won't actually read this blog cause I think he's still telling people he's 25! Most of Todd's day was taken up with school work and class but I think he still had a pretty good day. He came home this evening and we had his favorite dinner....I mean brinner....don't you know, breakfast for dinner....brinner!!!! Eggs and bacon and pancakes....it was delicious!

Todd hasn't opened all of his presents yet but I will go ahead and tell you about one he already knows about. Todd is going to be taking piano lessons this year! Of all the years I've known him, he's always had a keyboard in his apartment but because life always got in the way, he never had the time to practice or play. Well know we're going to make piano a part of our life!!!! As mom said, now he just needs to work on perfecting the lullaby genre!!!

I would say that the best part of his day today (and mine) was this afternoon! We had our 'big' ultrasound!!! Unfortunately, Todd was not able to go to the last appointment so he hasn't seen our baby in about 3 months (other than in the form of my growing belly)!!! But today we got to see (almost) it all! Baby didn't have as much room to dance around as last month but that didn't stop him/her from waving those arms! S/he looked like s/he was trying to hide from the paparazzi!! We got to see all the arms and hands and toes and eyes and ears and nostrils and lips and belly and stomach and heart chambers and teeth buds and anything else you could think of! Every time our technician would measure a different section, she always used the adjective 'perfect'!!! I'm already proud of our child and s/he hasn't even entered his/her first spelling bee!

Once Aly (our fabulous technician) finished showing us the belly, she turned off our tv screen and we weren't allowed to look anymore. Because Aly is so awesome, she continued talking us through most of the ultrasound. We got to hear her describe the femurs and feet and count toes and look at kidneys and bladder. Then she got quiet as she learned the secret information. We also got to hear the heartbeat (140) which was awesome cause the baby had the hiccups!

So, Aly has called the bakery and everything is all set to pick up our cake tomorrow evening for our Gender Party! I'm hoping to record the cutting of the cake and post it tomorrow night. We were planning on webcasting the party but we've been having computer issues. Instead, I am going to record the cake-cutting on my camera and then post it on Facebook and my blog tomorrow night. And tomorrow I will post pictures from our ultrasound.

So, now that you've read my novel (hopefully you're still with me!)...I am going to sign off. Hopefully you will all be back to visit tomorrow evening or Friday. Feel free to post comments so I know that you're there!!! Can't wait to talk more about my son or daughter soon!!!! :-D

Giveaway!!!

2009-08-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

I know many of you already read my sister's blog. It is absolutely FABULOUS! If you don't already read it, or even if you do, please make sure you check out one of her more recent posts. As many of you know, I have an extremely creative sister! Her blog shows many of her recent endeavers, including cooking, sewing, reupholstering, etc... She has now decided to try a giveaway!

I am a little hesitant to tell you about this giveaway because the more of you that respond, the less chance I have to win!!!! However, I would love to see your posts on her blog and read about everyone's most memorable or favorite birthday.

Now, I'm not going to tell you what you win in this giveaway...you're just going to have to check it out yourself!

So, please check out this link and I look forward to reading your comments.

Wordless Wednesdays....on a Sunday?

2009-08-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

So my sister, Katherine, had a really good idea. I have seen people post pictures for Wordless Wednesdays but I never thought of actually doing it myself. She had a good point that with the occasional frequency of my dailyduncan posts, I could use all the help I could get posting out there.....so while this post isn't exactly wordless, it will be the beginning of more pictures!

I found this parking spot in the Kohl's parking lot this morning:

You wanted pictures?!?!

2009-08-16T16:56:00.001-07:00

I know I've been a slacker and several people have asked me when profile belly bump pictures are going to be posted. I finally took one and then forgot to post it! So here it is, 16 weeks pregnant (over 2 weeks ago!)...as you can see, my butt seems to be the thing that's growing the most....

It seems I forgot week 17 existed and skipped straight to week 18...this was Saturday night when Todd took me to Outback to celebrate being done with my first week of school!...

I found my first, ever elusive, Expectant Mother parking spot! Target used to be full of these but they seem to have gone by the wayside. Todd and I found this one at Best Buy. Now normally, at this point in my pregnancy, I wouldn't take up one of these spots. There are plenty of women way more pregnant out there that need to park closer than I do. But since it was 15 minutes before the store closed, I took full advantage!

Darndest Things

2009-08-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Most of my day is spent in a middle school. That being said, there are a lot of similarities and a lot of differences between the middle school, and the experiences that I've had in the high school and elementary school settings. I'm not going to get into all the similarities and differences but I hope to catalogue some of my experiences here, some of the 'darndest things' that the kids say, and some of the interesting people I meet. Most of the blogs pertaining to this may only be a sentence or 2 but I'd like to give you a glimpse into the caliber of students I come across:

Last week, in science class, a 7th grade girl asked her teacher, "Are we going to digest frogs this year?"

Today, I talked to a (different) 7th grade girl whose goal for the year is to read The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

On an unrelated note: Today I am 18 weeks pregnant!!!!

Waddling

2009-08-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

I like to think that I'm a pretty tolerant person. I don't tend to get easily insulted and most things just roll off my back. Even in pregnancy, I've only had one episode of manic crying which was the result of me hurting myself and laughing so hysterically that I was sobbing. That one really confused Todd. Otherwise mood swings have really been absent. All of that being said, there is one thing out there that really gets my goat! 3 times this past week people have commented on the way I walk. The first comment was made by a friend; I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse! But he told me that I waddle. Now whether or not I waddle is not my point of contention. I very well may, though I like to think that I'm not at that point. Anyway, the next was a man at work who told me I waddle. I don't even know that guy's name!!! Despite the fact that penguins are one of my favorite animals, I do not aspire to be a waddler. Then, today at work, a woman told me that I am 'getting that pregnant walk.' I do admit that this sounds much better and I probably wouldn't have been as sensitive to it if I dind't have waddling on my mind.

So it seems that the point of this blog was to get the waddling off my chest (and hopefully out of my feet!) Warning to all, feel free to comment on my belly all you want. But please, let's not mention the waddling! :-D

Misnomer?

2009-08-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I know we've named our blog thedailyduncan and that's not exactly what's happening. This is a message that I got on facebook from a friend:

P.S. The blog says daily, but by my observations, it appears to be closer to weekly. I understand Daily Duncan sounds better than the Weekly Duncan but lets be honest with your audience.

Now I know excuses are just that, but here are mine:
Volleyball has started! While I'm very excited to be coaching at a new school, Athens Academy, we have started full force. It's a different experience than I've had in the past. My past 2 seasons, I've been the head JV coach. This year I am the assistant varisty coach. While this job comes with less responsibility, all in all it's more of a commitment. When I signed up for the job I didn't realize that 9 out of 13 of the next Saturdays will be taken with volleyball. That being said, I love the other coaches and I love my players! I have already, and will continue to, learn a lot from my new head coach (she played on scholarship at UGA!). Ok, excuse #1: check.

Excuse #2: Job #2 (really it's job #1 but for the purposes of this blog, it's listed as #2). Summer is over, teacher workdays are now over. Our students come back to school tomorrow! While it will be nice to get my hands moving again, I was enjoying a carefree summer (once summer school ended!). I have trouble with the fact that teacher workdays started in July (you NC people don't know how lucky you are!!) I just found out that this year I will be at 2 different schools. Despite the fact that I only wanted to be at the elementary school, I am coming to see the positives of traveling to the middle school as well. Each day that I've visited the middle school, I have come to appreciate this move more and more. The people at BHL Middle School really are quality and I think I'm going to have a great time there!

So, my current schedule from now until the end of October will look like:
7:40-9 Cleveland Road Elem
9-3:40 BHL Middle
4-6:30 Athens Academy Volleyball
and then let's go ahead and add on a 24/7 pregnancy!!

As taxing as my new schedule may feel, I think the rewards of the day will outweigh any negatives! Though I'll report back on that as the semester/season progresses!

On a super happy note: We have our pink vs blue appointment in 2 weeks!!!!!!

Pink or Blue?

2009-07-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

So I had another Dr's appointment yesterday (Wed). It was just one of the routine ones with weight, blood pressure, baby's heartrate, etc. The heart rate was 142 which the nurse said was perfect! :-D

The exciting part of yesterday was that we set the appointment for our BIG ultrasound! Sooooo, in 3 lovely weeks (Todd's birthday of course!) we find out the sex of the baby! Let me clarify: by we, I mean the doctors. Todd and I have decided to do a gender party!!!! That means that at our appointment the doctors will not tell us the sex of the baby. Instead, the doctors will call our local bakery (that is, Publix) and tell them the sex of the baby. Why, you ask? Because they are going to make us a cake! The inside will be either pink or blue, depending. Then we are going to have a party, invite friends over, and cut the cake! That is how we plan on finding out the sex of our baby! So sit tight, if I remember I'm going to take video of it and post it that night!

More proud than embarrassed.....

2009-07-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

...much to my mother's dismay I'm sure! So Todd had been living in Birmingham and I went on a 2 week trip through North Carolina. This led to an abundance of laundry to be done when we both returned home. Our guest bedroom had always been the place to accumulate the clean laundry that needs to be folded. That is because there is a TV in that room and I like to fold while watching TV. Well, for a while, the TV did not make it back to it's normal home (Todd had it in B'ham during the summer). Of course I was unable to fold if there was no TV to watch! The pile was getting so impressive that Todd and I actually decided to see how big we could make it! Eventually, though there was still more laundry to be done, we decided that enough was enough. So what does that mean......laundry mountain!!!

Can you spot the elusive Mountain Blue?!!?!? You can just barely make out the sheets on the bed. Look in the bottom left corner and see the bit of yellow peeking out? That's the bed!!!

So eventually we got the clothes folded. This picture shows only folded clothes, does not include those waiting for hangers!

While it was a fun project (or just plain laziness), I think we will try to fold in a more timely manner from now on.

We're expecting!

2009-07-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Most of you already know this but....we're expecting! Todd and I will be 4 months pregnant (16 weeks) this Friday!!! Our little Gummi Bear seems to be growing at a fabulous rate and has had a very strong heartbeat at both of our appointments. I go back to the doctor tomorrow for a checkup. Mid to late August we will find out the sex of our baby and I will post it for all to know!

So far so good with the pregnancy. The morning sickness hasn't ended quite as quickly as I would have liked but things are starting to turn around.

Blue is becoming more and more cuddly so I think she knows that something is up. Todd and I are trying to show her plenty of attention but I know that's going to change some when the baby comes. So when any of you come visit us, please let Blue know you care!

I'm gonna try this...

2009-07-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I always thought that I'm not the blogging type. I was definitely never the diary or journal writing type growing up. I'd start a diary and last about 2 days. But....after reading my sister's blog and my sister-in-law's blog and my mother-in-law's blog and my great-aunt-in-law's blog, and of course my good friend, Greer's blog, I decided it was time to grow up and let the world know what's going on in the every day lives of the Duncans.

I'm not quite sure how well this is going to work out for me but I'm going to try. I already have lots of ideas in my head of what to write about. It will most likely not be anything super philosophical, more along the lines of what's happening in our lives. To those of you out there who also read my sister, Katherine's, blog....know that mine will probably end up sounding similar. I can't help that I love her blog and have always wanted to do things like she does....that's what comes with having a little sister who looks up to you (sorry Katherine!)!!

So this is my first entry. I will post a little more about our family soon (including Todd, Emily, Blue, and the unnamed child in my womb). I would love comments if you feel so inclined to leave them. I hope you enjoy all the mundane things I have to write about.

Blog you soon!
Emily <><

The Daily Duncan

The new hotness!

First Easter Egg Hunt!

15 Month checkup

I want it!

We're getting closer..

It's about time...

I'm a sucker for free..

Discovery Place Kids

Say cheese....

September sacrifice

Another meatless meal?!?!

me?!?! meatless?!?!

Going...going...gone!

Todd's job

It's been awhile!

5 months! (2 weeks ago!)

Ouch!

The best Mother's Day I've ever had!!!

Eric came to visit!!

Todd has an MBA!

late Easter post

3 months!

Finally!

The rolling progression...

Wilson and Henry's party!!!

We love family!!!

She's so strong!

Photo Shoot

Just a little longer...

2 months old!!!

Wordless Wednesday

New 'do!

Warm weather....come back!!!

Sweet Tea and Strollers

Milestone!

1 month!

18 days and counting...

Nursery is finished!!

I love thanksgiving!

The great pistachio throw!

MBA Winter Formal

The finished dresser!

More fabulous husband stories!

Darndest Things....

Upcoming Project

The Nursery has begun!

Cooking!

Darndest things...

Props to Todd

Surprise Date

I love my family!

Baby bellies and friends!

Giraffes galore!

The Cat Who...

More wedding fun!

Wedding Fun

MBA Baby Shower!

More Literary Pumpkin pics...

Literary Pumpkins

Sweet Tea and Strollers

The Proposal

More Darndest Things...

Darndest Things....

I got flowers....

Baby bump pics!

Family sickness!

Nursery Bedding

Book Club!!!

Slacker

Darndest Things....

The Cat Who...

Typical Sunday

The Cat Who...

Volleyball

Darndest Things....

Southern Devils!!!

It's a Girl!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Pictures from party!