on the night before you were not born

Saturday night my sister and her husband were in town.  We were all sitting around and I happened to come upon a post on Baby Center that mentioned Scalini's famous labor inducing eggplant parmasean. Remembering that a friend had recently mentioned it to me as well I thought I'd look it up.  Low and behold it was 12 miles from our house! It didn't take much convincing for me to get Bekah to agree to go out with me at 8:30 on a Saturday to eat this famous dish. 

Rumour has it that over 300 women have gone in to full blow labor and delivered their babies within 48 hours of eating this dish. Being that I'm over 41 weeks pregnant at this point, I'll try almost anything!

So we went and it was a complete blast. Our waitress was amazing.  She said her sister ate the eggplant when she was due and went in to labor 30 minutes after.  She said there are some nights where all of the tables she is waiting on are full of only pregnant women and their husbands.  

The restaurant is full of pictures of babies and testimonials of the eggplant.  If you deliver your baby within 48 hours of eating it then you get a gift card for the restaurant and your baby gets a Scalini's onsie.

They have a baby book there that you sign if you eat the eggplant and according to the book I was the 10th pregnant lady there that night! And as my sister and I left there was another one walking in right in front of us for the eggplant.

Man I want that onsie...10 hours until my deadline is up.

ch ch ch changes

A week or so ago my sister let me de-flower her luscious locks. I have been waiting 23 years for her to let me do something to her hair. She is not the kind of person who likes a whole lot of change so this was a big step for her. Me...I thrive on change. I love it. I need it. It's the spice of life for me.

So, we used Em Dickson's Ombré hair tutorial and got this girl a new do! I love how it turned out and she does too. (Even though almost two weeks later she is still getting 'used to it'!). I'm so glad my little sister let me fulfill a life long dream of dying her hair, I can finally check that off of my bucket list.

This was so easy and a perfect new look for fall.

Fall !!!!! I'm so happy you're here!

parkers baby shower

Mr. Parker is coming to join us in just a month!  Remember when this happened?? 

That feels about 10 minutes ago.

But now he is coming to this world and I can't wait to be his auntie!

Thanks to Ashlyn for a few extra pictures!  (more pictures here...I found the foot ruiner...do I get a cookie for real??)

After everyone left we stayed outside until it got dark, and then we stayed outside some more and made a fire.  I don't think my feet went inside until 11:30pm.

I can't wait to meet that tiny baby!

This weekend

So looking forward to my sisters baby shower this weekend! EJ is getting a little cousin SO soon!

another baby!!!!

Remember this? 

If not, go now.  It will make you smile...or cry...or laugh...most likely laugh because I am sporting the ugly cry.

Well finally at 28 weeks this girl has a baby bump.  It took a while for that thing to get on out there but now its the cutest bump around!  She has the most ACTIVE little boy in there. I love him so much already and can't wait to have another little baby around.

I told her she has the pregnancy glow. 

She said, "No, its just the toaster effect on Instagram..."

No pretty sister, you've got your glow on.  

Now give me a nephew.

christmas in 10 pictures


christmas eve waffle house dinner before the midnight service
some sweet and low
paninis with mom's homemade potato soup
husband scoring a christmas gift home run---my new moby
pregnant sisters in our annual christmas pose on the stairs
christmas temple date with hubs
a love gift from a dear friend in South Africa (thanks taryn!)
an after christmas lunch date with a lovely lady
9 month pregnant woman in front of a tree
christmas night dinner at the zimmermans


...and it was good

perfect ten

10 things that gave me joy this season:

1. My husband bringing me his evergreen tree soaked hands and letting me take in deep breaths for as long as I'd like.

2. New York style pumpkin cheesecake ice-cream from Kroger.

3. Fresh clean warm sheets just on the bed on a cold winter night.

4. Being pregnant with my sister, every girls dream.

5. Picking oranges fresh off the trees and making Christmas wassail with them.

6. Feeling our baby girl roll from one side of me to the other and watching John's eyes get as big as silver dollars when he feels her too.

7. Seeing people with Christmas trees a top their cars.

8. An unopened pack of Christmas cards waiting to be written in and sent off.

9. Homemade ornaments on the tree.

10. The anticipation of adding a new little person to our family and trying to imagine how beautifully different Christmas will be next year and all of the rest of the years to follow.

(graphic)

there are 5 people in these pictures

Congrats little sister (& Joe!).  

We can't wait to meet your baby boy in May.

being pregs

(me and my tuttah)

Why I love being pregs:

There is really a real tiny little human person inside of me, really people...thats mind-blowing

I feel beautiful

Mr. Murphy affectionately calls me the Pregnant Princess.  It never gets old

The naps.....OH the naps!

That glow that everyone talks about, I feel it on the inside and it makes me happy


Yesterday I got free ice-cream from these random precious black girls at work.  The conversation went something like this:
me: "Ooooo girl, that ice-cream looks REAL good."
girl 1:"Oh, it was for free.  Listen up, if you go to Burger King and get a value meal, they'll just give it to you."
me: "Hey now, don't tempt a pregnant woman."
girl 2:"She just said 'Don't tempt a pregnant woman'. Haaaaa"
girl 1: "You know what?  I have an extra one in the car, let me go get it for you."
girl 2:"Consider it an early baby shower gift."
I hope I get more baby shower gifts like this...really. 

I get extra back rubs. Sometimes really special ones with Love Spell. :)

People touch my belly, most women would complain about this but it's one of my favorite parts.

My hair is growing leaps and bounds, thanks baby EJ.

I haven't had PMS in almost 6 months.

I love feeling our daughter move and squirm. It's magic and I've never felt so alive.

I get random packages from sweet friends filled with beautiful baby girl clothes. (Thanks Kalene!)

Mr. Murphy talks to EJ and tells her goodbye through my tummy every-time I leave the house.

I finally have some thing to blame my emotional crying fests on...preggy hormones are the bomb, no?


Mr. Murphy and I get to try cool things together like Hypnobirthing.  It probably would have gone a bit better last night if I hadn't burst into laughter 5 minutes in to the session.  Poor hubs was giving it a real shot for me and I was the one who ruined it with my giggling...sorry dear, lets give it another go.

A Bachelor Party

Today my *tuttah and I went over to our parents home to surprise our mother with dinner.

*a tuttah is an endearing nickname for a lady of whom you share the same mother

She came up with a diabolical plan to surprise our mother with an afternoon of watching The Bachelor and giggling while eating the most scrumptious food.

We made: 

Poppyseed Chicken Salad with Red Grapes and Toasted Almonds on Homemade Bread

and

Raspberry and Lemon Sorbet served in Sparkling White Grape Juice

Mid way through the most horrible, trashy, and WONDERFULLY entertaining t.v. we had our dessert.

I love the companionship of women.  

There is nothing in the world like it.  

You can laugh together, cry together, dream together, and tell each other secrets that no one else in the world could understand.  It is always something that I crave.  I love the safety that is found in the unit that my mother and sister and I have.  We have an unbreakable bond and an unconditional and eternal love for each other...

...even if all we are doing is watching Brad Womack breaking hearts.