The Olympic games start Friday, folks, and man am I excited.  I’ve always loved watching the Summer Olympic games!  I love the gymnastics, swimming, and diving.  This year, I may have to check out synchronized swimming, trampoline, table tennis, and badminton because…well…just because!

via

Since I’m still pregnant and it’s still hot outside, I plan on catching LOTS of the Olympic games this year.  I wish this girl was going to compete!

 Shawn Johnson –  gymnast – retired at age 20!

But seriously, let’s talk about my ideas for the Pregnancy Olympics.  It would be hysterically embarassing…and get amazing ratings on TV.  (Think Wipe Out or Bachelor Pad.)  Check it out…

Events where I’d would lose.  badly.

- potato sack racing

- remembering what day it is

- keeping my emotions in check (hello inappropriately loud and hysterical laughter!)

- chinese fire drills [I realize this is probably no longer a PC term, but I don't know what else to call it - I apologize!]

- sleeping

- walking

An olympiad, I’d be…Events where I’d KILL IT.

- turning on a gas stove…handsfree…with.ma.belly

- giving a urine sample without incident (this IS a sport – you CANNOT see a thang)

- leg shaving – again, without being able to see squat

- worrying

- toenail painting (there would have to be some serious censoring on this one as it is best executed naked!)

- Oreo-eating (duh)

- list-making

- not sleeping

What Olympic game would be your jam?  Which real summer sport?  Which made-up sport (these are just more fun to think about!)?  

Pregnancy alone IS a 40-week long Olympic trial, if you ask me…but, as usual, no one did.

xoxo

p.s. They replay Olympic events in the middle of the night, right?

p.s.s. All this London talk makes me reminisce about our royal wedding shenanigans!

Beach Count: 77  

Pool Count: 32 

High Temperature: 96° 

*Week 26*

CURRENT STATS

Percentage Cooked: 65%

Baby Size: A little bit bigger than last time.  Very specific, I know.  I can’t find a cute analogy this week!

Countdown to Baby: 14 weeks (182 days down, 98 to go!)

Symptoms: Raise your hand if you’ve got back cleavage.

I’m off balance.  Like fall-up-the-stairs kind of off balance.  Yeah.  Not good.  Mama needs to slow down to make time for her back fat to catch up.  Lesson learned.

I have started a waddle.  This is strictly due to my thighs rubbing together at all times.

Nose bleeds are back in action.

[whisper voice]: The leaking continues…

Cravings:  Double Stuf Oreos, ice cream, and anything strawberry.

Weight Gain: 20ish elle beez, fo sho

Related Purchases: 2 lamp bases from Target and some paper lanterns to take for a test drive.

Fear of the Week: Baby’s movement patterns have changed.  I’ve been a bit paranoid because I can no longer predict when Baby T. is going to shake his/her moneymaker.  Every time this stresses me out, he/she give me a good jab.  Regardless, I like me some predictability!!!

Relief of the Week: This is my final week of the 2nd trimester!  I passed my glucose test!  I have a doctor’s appointment next week!  (I’m clearly excited!)

Randomness:  We have started to receive shower gifts in the mail.  A cumulative post will follow to catch everyone up…and to publicly thank said everyone!  Doncha just love the internet? 

New York flights are booked – BAM!  (And OHHHH SHOOT!)

People who see me everyday have all of a sudden realized that I am, in fact, pregnant.  Um, have you seen me lately?  I’m also really short.  Not new either.  People respond in total shock when they learn of my due date.  ”Wow, you have a long time to go!”  Why yes, yes, I do.  And yes, for the love of my sanity, I’m sure I’m not having twins.  No really, I’m laughing on the inside.  (I’ll fight you.)

I have a small case of road rage.  Don’t you know that I’m pregnant and that you need to be über careful driving around me?  Uh-duh.  Yes Charleston, I am to blame for the increased local beeping.

I’m an emotional mess.  I cried while intermittently laughing during a sad movie the other night.  I’m pretty sure there was a nose bleed in there before or after a HOTTER THAN HOT snort.  I’m a mess and YOU may be an innocent bystander.  Equip yourself with tissues and a getaway car, people.

Scott’s Quote of the Week:  Scott – “You are a mess right now.  I have to pick up after you like…this is a pigpen.”  Oops – so true.  I’m so sorry!!!  Love you, babe!

May 1st, it is.  Who’s excited?!  

ME!!!  

May holds my Mom’s birthday, Mother’s Day, a Babymoon Staycation (more to come on this!), visitors from NY, and my Southern baby shower.  ALSO, the countdown until summer vacation IS ON!  

xoxo

p.s. Jessica Simpson finally had that baby!  Said best on the Twitter account for Chelsea Lately – “Jessica Simpson finally had her baby, a third-grader named Maxwell.”  bahaha

via here

Beach Count: 73   

Pool Count: 25 

High Temperature: 82° 

Attention: There will be no B-word usage in this post.  I repeat – NO B-WORD!

Here are some gems on the internet that I am loving right now…

1. This Craigslist car ad is a-maz-ing.  You are sadly missing out if you don’t click to enlarge this puppy.

I have to assume that this car was sold, on humor alone.

2.  I’m a huge Jimmy Fallon fan.  Mostly because he’s hilarious, but also because he attended my alma mater – The College of Saint Rose (he was a few credits short of graduating, but earned an honorary degree in 2009).  Here are Jimmy Fallon and President Obama slow jamming the news!

3. This is way old (like January), but I am still obsessed with it and have been meaning to share it with you all forever.  I never knew how super, insanely cute Kristen Bell was!!!  I promise a serious cry-laugh situation.  Side Note: I relate to her emotional scale, like woah.

Second Side Note: Doesn’t my friend Talia look like Kristen Bell, kinda? (circa October 2009)

No, my hair wasn’t really that short…just very layered!

4. Today, Boeing rolled out the brand new 787 Dreamliner.  This sleek new airliner was built right here in North Charleston and it’s the very first ever to be unveiled.  It’s kind of a big deal.  It’s good for Charleston’s economy, morale, and overall future.  I mean, look at what’s written on the front of this ginormous piece of machinery  - “Made With Pride in South Carolina” with the SC flag and all.  Thank you, Boeing!!!

From ABC News 4

That’s all for now!  Scott and I are off to Blackbaud Stadium to watch a Charleston Battery game (soccer).  Let’s see if I manage to catch any of the game while busy making out with my extremely large and salty soft pretzel (that they better have)!  Beach tomorrow, then catching up with awesome friends at a BBQ.  Sunday – church and maybe Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival in Mount Pleasant?

What’s everyone up to this weekend?  Enjoy!!!  

p.s. No mention of the B-word throughout this entire post…I’m proud!

p.s.s. Have fun at TAP NY, friends (still my favorite beer festival ever).  We wish we could be there!!!

Beach Count: 72   

Pool Count: 24

High Temperature: 86°

So we’re not huge Halloween people.  Deal with it!

We will spend our Halloween evening tending to 8ish trick-or-treaters, eating candy, sipping on mulled hot cider, and flipping back and forth between Dancing with the Stars and Monday Night Football.  Festive?  Works for us!  Party poopers?  Maybe.

Trust me – we make up for Halloween letdown with intense Thanksgiving and Christmas cheer!

Enjoy the extent of our Halloweeny-ness through this video.  Yes, a few celebs joined in on our fun.

Notes about this video: This is not a political statement of any kind, my high-kicks have certainly improved since my cheerleading days, Kim’s dance moves have definitely improved since her DWTS days, JT looks good in anything, and Scott looks GREAT in gold.  ;)

Happy Halloween, loves!  

And yes, I live vicariously through your Halloween costumes, parties, and creativeness.  Thanks!

p.s. My favorite Halloween costume as a child was when I was Miss America.  I couldn’t find the picture – but believe me – it was amazing!  What was yours???

p.s.s. GO GIANTS!!!

Beach Count: 62   

High Temperature: 62°

I am newly obsessed with the Zac Brown Band.  Scott got me their newest CD for my birthday and I cannot.stop.listening.to.it.

Where have I been, you ask?  Living under a rock?  Wasting life away watching reality TV?  Eating popcorn?  That there are some good questions [insert Southern accent].   (For the record: No. Yes. and Yes.)  

I’ve always enjoyed their radio songs, but never enough to pursue listening further.  U-N-T-I-L “Knee Deep” hit the radio waves and I wondered how they stole my innermost thoughts from my innermost gray matter.  Are they some sort of ninja mind readers or something?  Seriously, these lyrics came from MY brain…

Okay – truth be told – I would never say “champagne shore” (I’m more of a beer and wine girl), but the rest is spot on how I feel when I’m at the beach.  And sometimes that tide can sneak.up.on.ya!  (Sorry local library – I am totally guilty for the waves in that one book.  Oops!)

Well, in an ironic turn of events, Zac Brown Band came to Charleston last weekend for their Southern Ground Music & Food Festival.  It was a 3-day event right on Daniel Island at Blackbaud Stadium filled with gourmet food and over 30 musical artists.  LemmeRephrase…It was a 3-day event right on Daniel Island at Blackbaud Stadium filled with gourmet food and over 30 musical artists and no Trottiers.  Boo.  The good news?  We had an awesome weekend in Asheville with awesome friends (and 4 hours each way to compulsively listen to Zac Brown Band).  No regrets here.  Word on the street is that there will be a 2012 edition.  I WILL NOT miss that one.

Enjoy this quick recap of the festival that I found on ZBB’s Facebook (while listening to one of my favorite songs!)…

Seriously, I love every song on their newest CD!

Did anyone go to the festival?  Was it worth the money?  Was the food way better than other festivals?  

Wanna go with me next year?

p.s. The Coastal Carolina Fair is going on right now.  It’s only 25 minutes from where we live.  We have no plans to go, but are impressed by their musical guests – Colt Ford, Crystal Bowersox from American Idol, John Michael Montgomery, and more!  Are we missing out by skipping it?

p.s.s. We ARE going to the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island with my parents, though.  DVR’ing it – maybe we get on TV again like last year.  ;) 

Beach Count: 62   

High Temperature: 80° ← aka: NOT SNOWING (unlike the weather in my hometown!)

So much South/Charleston-specific stuff to catch y’all up on!

1.  SEEN - Darius Rucker and Bill Murray as team captains at the Slim Down the South‘s 2011 Celebrity Softball Challenge at The Joe downtown – October 1st

Darius Rucker was born, raised, and currently lives with his family in Charleston.  Bill Murray is part owner of the Charleston Riverdogs minor league baseball team and owns a home in Charleston, as well.

2. SEEN – Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in downtown Charleston at the City Market and running around the Battery – October 7th

from here

Also, SEEN - A ginormous yacht in the Charleston harbor.  Welcome to Miami Charleston!

3.  This past Sunday, NBC’s “Football Night in America” spotlighted Summerville High School‘s football coach, John McKissick in a piece called “An All-American Homecoming.”  He’s been the coach there for over 60 years!!!  10 of his former players have gone to the NFL – so crazy!  Click here to see highlights from the episode.  I couldn’t find the actual clip – boo!

from here

4. THIS is our current weather forecast.  LOVE! ♥

Last but definitely not least…

5. Charleston has finally done it.  Sorry San Fran, your 18 year streak of number one is OH-VA.  Welcome to number TWO!  Conde Nast Traveler has announced that its readers have voted Charleston the No. 1 Tourist Destination in the US!!!!!!  YIPPEE!

So I ask you, best friends and family – why haven’t YOU made the trip yet?!  

Do it, do it, do it!!!

p.s. Stay tuned for blog posts about both Charlotte Oktoberfest AND Southern Living’s Taste of Charleston events this past weekend!!!

Beach Count: 61  

High Temperature: 73°