Seasons of Love

Love this Pic

2012-02-04T18:06:00.005-06:00

B is lucky and blessed to have 2 great grandparents in her life. A couple weeks ago we went to visit her sweet great grandmother. This is my favorite pic from our trip - so candid and precious and worthy of sharing...

Organizing Part 2

2012-01-31T12:10:00.000-06:00

This weekend I went to H-town to visit my fam and friends. In addition to celebrating my Dad's birthday, I got to see my maid of honor's adorable 1 month old baby girl (she's so tiny!!), and B had 2 stellar play dates at the park with her friends Davis and Everett. Needless to say, I've lost a little focus on organizing the pantry. I think I mostly feel the need to write this post because I promised a "part 2" versus actually having made substantial progress on my original organization plan. I can say that SOME progress has been made, so we'll just go with that...

I decided to take advantage of TCS's annual elfa sale, and bought the back-of-the-door pantry unit to install.

The baskets are convenient, although sometimes lethal. B has walked into them head first a couple times and I've slammed my shoulder into the upper baskets a time or two. Other than that, I like that they can store oddly shaped packages and small random items that can get lost amongst the vast shelving.

I also put on my engineer thinking cap and decided to make my own compartmentalized box out of B's gerber graduates cardboard container. I cut off the sides and used them as dividers to store ketchup, CFA sauce, saltines, and other random condiment packages. Not as pretty as a $4.99 basket from TCS, but equally as functional.

As for the rest of the pantry, I have grand plans to separate everything into different sections - a baking section, a canned goods section (organized by food type like beans, fruits, etc.), a pasta section, a chips / cracker section, etc. I'm choosing to focus on the fact that I still have 4 months until baby boy gets here. We'll see what happens between now and then...

Garden Prep

2012-01-24T13:12:00.004-06:00

It's that time of year again - time to get our Spring garden ready! And this year - we've completely upgraded our backyard to accommodate a serious array of veggies. Last year we planted everything along the side fence, and it looked something like this:

This year, K built 3 awesome raised beds that look like this:

They'll keep everything much more organized and will allow us to better utilize the space in front of the fence. We'll also put down weed block which will hopefully keep out the pesky briar vines that threatened to overtake our peppers and tomatoes last year...

We got dirt delivered today - a special vegetable blend with organic compounds that will surely provide enough nutrients to help the soon-to-be-planted seedlings grow and thrive.

Keeping our fingers crossed for a year of bountiful harvest!!

Belly Shot

2012-01-20T10:16:00.001-06:00

The 537th thing that's more exciting than finishing organization around the house? Taking pictures of my pregnant belly to post on the internet.

This time around I'm not really keeping track of weeks, or anything pregnancy related for that matter. It's funny how all-consuming your first pregnancy can become while the 2nd is something that's just "there." I write down my doctor's appointments on the calendar and show up when they tell me to, I take a second to reflect on the miracle of life when I feel little man's kicks, and the rest of the time I'm chasing around our 20 month old and trying to keep the house in order.

That being said, I think I'm around 21 weeks. I kinda hope I'm off by a few weeks because I don't think I was nearly this big at 21 weeks with B. Here's a recent belly shot:

And just in case it's not clear that I'm with child, today I decided to wear a bun-in-the-oven shirt that I found in a maternity wardrobe a good friend graciously let me borrow. Yes - it's short sleeved, yes - it's supposed to be 79 today - in the middle of January...

Organizing

2012-01-17T14:54:00.001-06:00

This post is pretty incriminating, only because I'm revealing how cluttery and messy certain areas of our house are. I take full responsibility for this insanity given the fact that the house is my job, but really - going to the park with this sweet gal is SO much more fun than organizing!!!

BUT - I finally decided to stop procrastinating today and made a morning trip to The Con.tainer Store. Normally I would never shop there as I think it's ridiculously overpriced. Why pay $4.99 for a plastic basket when you can get one at Wal-mart for $1.97? But desperate times call for desperate measures. I think my nesting must be kicking in early, and instead of ignoring it I'm going to hold on tight and ride the wave as long as it lasts.

Stop 1: the spare closet in our study. The study itself is a tornado. Every weekend both K and I vow to tackle the piles of mail that have taken over the desk and floor, but that never seems to happen and we continue to make excuses for the wreck. I decided to start small and pick 1 area that needed serious attention - gift bags.

I'm pretty sure I have enough gift bags to open a gift wrap shop. To begin, I sorted them into 5 categories: Christmas, wedding, baby shower, solids, and birthday / random gifts. A before shot of them all over the floor in their respective piles:

And here is the after, demonstrating the solution of a double-sided hanging tote organizer:

Really I think I could've used 2 as this thing is insanely heavy loaded up, and the hook that holds it at the top is bent downwards from the weight. But I have only 1 door, only 1 closet that's "mine" for stuff like this, and so pushed the limits to get it all to fit. In the grand scheme of things it's WAY better than what it was beforehand.

Stop 2: the pantry. To be continued...

It's a...

2012-01-12T12:22:00.000-06:00

BOY!!!!!!

Yep - a baby brother for Miss B! We are very excited to have one of each! With both B and this baby I had dreams. More with her - maybe 2 or 3 times? - dreamt that she was a girl. And with this one, only once that I clearly remember - dreamt that it was a boy. We also have a gender predictor at my Mom's group that has been proven freakishly accurate. It's basically a gift bag with burp cloths inside, tied with either pink or blue ribbon. When you reveal that you're pregnant, the drill is to draw from the bag to see what you get. I don't know the exact stats, but over 4 years and tons of pregnancies it's been wrong maybe 3 times? I drew out a blue burp cloth over a month ago. Go figure!!!

The one thing that I am so excited about - like want to jump up and down relieved about - is that I don't have to pick out BOY bedding!!!!!!! Going gender neutral with most of B's things was the best decision we ever made. Who has time to re-decorate a nursery when you have to focus on potty training and getting together a big girl room for your existing toddler? We even have some clothes - the standard green and yellow (mostly pj's) - that we'll be able to use for baby boy. Admittedly I did already go shopping for his first little man outfit the day we found out...I couldn't resist! But again - knowing that all I have to do is get a couple blue changing pad covers, a blue lamp shade, and blue letters for his name for his room to be complete makes me one happy Mama.

To end on a random note - my doctor told me that white males take longer to cook, so there IS hope of having a few more days between baby #2 and Miss B! We can't wait to meet you sweet boy!!!

A Typical Weekend Day

2012-01-09T08:52:00.001-06:00

This picture makes me laugh out loud, not only because I think it's hilarious, but also because it makes me joyfully appreciate the simplicity of our beautiful family. To depict, it's B reclining on the back porch in her A&M chair watching Daddy pick up dog doo in the back yard.

Here's a front view, wearing a Target sticker she got from the cashier on a trip with Mommy earlier in the day.

When that gets old, she decides to eat dirt from a dead potted plant.

Most days when the weather is nice, we go out to the front porch and B runs up and down, watching the cars go by and sometimes pushing her doll for a walk in its stroller.

And then when it's cold outside, we sit in the garage with Daddy drinking Jamba Juice while he works on projects.

His most recent project is building this awesome step stool for B to use in the bathroom or to get up into her soon-to-be big girl bed.

This is the finished product. I love having a handy husband!!

Thank you, Lord, for our cherished family-of-three weekends filled with silly little moments like these that make my heart full...

Breakfast, More Zoo Pics, and a Big House

2012-01-03T19:12:00.000-06:00

To begin, I have to say that I've never been a big breakfast eater. Or maybe it's just breakfast foods that I'm not a fan of. I think I've mentioned before that once my old boss got me PB crackers and Slim Jims as a Christmas present because these were 2 things I frequently ate in the morning at the office (with Cheez-its being a close 3rd).

Because we planned to get to the zoo right when it opened last week, that meant we were forced to have breakfast on the road. We each grabbed our respective food choice and set it on K's center console while loading up the car. I took a picture before consumption. Can you guess which is which?

Yes, mine is the chocolate cake. I'd like to blame it on pregnancy cravings, but if I'm 100% honest with myself I have to say that I'd choose chocolate cake over Greek yogurt for breakfast any day. We did each have a Boost before leaving the house, which means I got SOME nutrients to start the day. I'm going to have to turn my diet around pretty quickly before B starts thinking it's normal to have chocolate at every meal.

As for the zoo itself, I have to post a few more pictures - mostly of the animals because they were so incredible. My favorite was the gorilla. The kids next to K and B were eating apples and I swear he was giving them the evil eye through the glass, about to break through for a bite.

And who doesn't love a baby monkey?

The elephants and giraffes were equally amazing. And yes, it was worth paying $5 for 3 pieces of lettuce to feed the giraffes. They came right up to us!!

All in all, we were thoroughly impressed with the Dallas Zoo.

Last - about the big house...check out what monstrosity is being built on our old lot. Wow!!!

Christmas Recap, Random Style...

2011-12-28T21:31:00.011-06:00

It's hard to believe the holidays are almost over! There is waaaay more excitement that happened over Christmas that's not documented below, but these are a few highlights:

--B got some great presents and she loved opening everything - both tearing the wrapping paper and pulling out tissue paper from bags. Santa said she was nice this year, so brought her a wooden kitchen, a new doll cradle, and a doll house. She also got a new purse, lap top to help practice her ABC's, stocking, microphone to practice singing, building blocks, etc.

--We ate some seriously good food. My Dad has a Big Green Egg, which deserves its own post. These things are absolutely amazing, and the grub that he produces is out of this world tasty. In addition, we indulged in the 3 essential sides to every Christmas (and Thanksgiving!) meal: potato casserole, green bean casserole, and deviled eggs.
--B got to spend some time with her Uncle Bubbie who was in town from Cali. He's growing a mad ZZ Top goatee!

--B almost burned down the church on Christmas Eve. K decided to give her her own candle at the end of the service while we sang Silent Night. After the last verse, he momentarily took his hand away from hers and she took the opportunity to toss her LIT candle onto the pew in front of us. My entire family gasped, the entire row in front of us turned around to look at what such drama might be occurring, K yelled "get it!!," and I watched in slow motion as the plastic champagne-glass-type holder spun around in a circle with the glowing flame rotating in the middle. Thankfully I was able to grab and extinguish the flame before any permanent damage was done. Oh my!!!
--Sophie, the great dane, is now 4 months old and weighs 55 pounds. She eats 4 cups of food TWICE a day and still has a lot of puppy in her. She's adorable, even in her "hurricane" state.

--B got to hang out with a few of her cousins which was awesome.

Are we really all this old now? We used to play kick ball in my grandma's front yard and made many a trip to the VFW together to play Bingo. The most spectacular event was when we were old enough to upgrade from the boarded cards to the Bingo dabber. Those were the days...

--K grew a beard beginning during "No Shave November." I love it. Sadly, it's since been shaved off. B also got a really stylish panda hat to keep her warm this winter.

--B went to the dentist for the first time. Although it might look like the visit is going well based on the picture below, I can assure you she cried the whole time. Despite her chipped front teeth (she lost a battle with the tile on our bathroom floor back in her crawling days), everything looks good for a 19 month old.

--We made our first trip to the Dallas Zoo and it was great! B loved seeing the animals, especially feeding the giraffes and riding the bronze elephant.

--Despite the fact that I think New Years is tooooooootally overrated, I hope everyone has a wonderful time ringing in 2012!!

Playtime - old school...

2011-12-22T15:19:00.004-06:00

One of the great things about heading home to my parents' house for the holidays is the fact that everything is the same as it was the day I left for college. In fact, my high school homecoming mums are still hanging on my bedroom wall. For whatever reason, this oddly comforts me and I love the reminders of days past. Since having B, even MORE reminders of days past have arisen in the form of old school Fisher Price toys that my bro and I used to play with.

Little People School Bus

Then:

Now:

Record Player (now CD Player)

Then:

Now:

Other great and wonderful toys that have been up in the garage all these years?

The Cozy Coupe:

And the Little Tykes slide:

There are Barbies, My Little Ponies, GI Joes, Ninja Turtles - the works - that have yet to be brought back out. When I told my Mom I couldn't believe she kept all these, her response was, "I can't either - I must've been out of my mind!!" I LOVE her for being out of her mind and holding onto these toy treasures, and so does B!

B has an announcement to make...

2011-12-16T20:39:00.002-06:00

Yep - she's gonna be a big sis...which means - I am pregnant!! This announcement has been a long time coming, and we've had to wait a little longer than we originally thought to spread the news. When I went in for my supposed 8-week initial sonogram, my doctor told me I was only 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Her theory is that I ovulated late, although when I went back a week and a half later supposedly I was 8 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Regardless of the timing, I was just excited to make it to 12 weeks and hear the heartbeat so we could share the news.

Only we went for our 12 week appointment and my doctor couldn't find the heartbeat...

It was the most scary feeling as I lay there on the table while she went back and forth across my stomach with the Doppler. The only sound it was picking up was MY heartbeat. Kevin grabbed my hand and a million thoughts started racing through my head. There are days that I still haven't really even processed the fact that we're having another child, so the thought of losing this potential child was a seriously foreign concept to grasp within a time span of 2-3 minutes. My doctor seemed a little worried, but casually said, "we'll just go look." So we got up, changed rooms, and I lay back down on the table for a sonogram.

THANKFULLY - baby was in there jumping around like a little bean. As it turns out, my placenta is on top, and the baby's back is towards my back, which means that because of the positioning and the thick placenta there was no way for the Doppler to pick up the heartbeat. As it stands, my due date is 6/1/2012, but because B was a C-section I'll have a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks...

Or so my doctor thinks.

I'm weird about wanting to keep baby inside as long as possible. With B, after my failed induction I carried her almost 41 weeks before I finally gave in and scheduled a C-section. I figured if she was happy in there, I might as well leave her in there since I felt great up until delivery [with the exception of PUPPS - horrible pregnancy rash - which I'm PRAYING I don't get again]. Plus - B's birthday is 5/24, and it is VERY important to me that our children are far enough apart to be able to celebrate their birthdays independently. The reality of it is that I'll likely be planning 2 parties in the same week [yikes!!], but I refuse to combine celebrations as I want to show each child that they are individually cherished in their own way.

So I asked my doctor if I could carry till 6/1 and she said no. :-/ Apparently 2nd babies tend to be bigger, and with B being 9 lbs. 4 ounces then I could have a baby Goliath growing in my stomach. She tentatively checked the 2012 calendar and decided that 5/28 would be a good day; however, she wasn't certain if that was Memorial Day or not. IT IS!! "If it is," she said, "then we would probably have to do it 5/30 or 5/31 based on my call schedule." Thankfully she is very understanding of my desire to have the 2 babies as far apart as possible, so she's pretty much ruled out the prior week.

Did we plan it? Kind of, but not really. Can you really plan when you're going to have a baby? Mostly we are just joyful and excited about our new addition. While it will be a challenge to have 2 so close in age, let's be honest - we're not getting any younger. The older I get the more I value my sleep, which means I'm ready to get the sleepless nights behind me sooner rather than later! AND - I haven't really been motivated to lose the baby weight from B knowing that I'd be gaining 30 pounds with baby #2, so now's the perfect time to just keep eating Taco Bueno, Chick-fil-A, and Whataburger.

It was hard to keep the secret initially as my belly bulge started early. With a stretched out uterus from B and an extremely short torso, baby has no where to grow but out. This pregnancy is definitely different. I've had no morning sickness, but been more nauseous, and have also been surprisingly less tired. With B I went to bed at 8:30 almost every night during the first trimester. This time, I've made it up till the start of TMZ at 10:30 almost every night. :-)

Please pray for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. It still feels surreal, but we are so thankful for God's precious blessing of another child!

Santa? Not so much...

2011-12-13T10:27:00.004-06:00

In an effort to avoid the mall madness this weekend, we opted to take our sweet daughter to Home Depot for a visit to see Santa. No princess dress, no tights, no black patent leather shoes, but instead jeans and her new Converse one stars. [Yes, one day this girl will know how to throw a baseball and like the outdoors.] Needless to say, she didn't really bond with the giant jolly fellow, and pretty much reached her arms out to us and started crying the instant we put her in his lap. When I asked her what Santa says, followed by, "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!!," her response was "Da-dee." Maybe next year?

Thanksgiving Firsts

2011-11-27T18:50:00.004-06:00

This was a great Thanksgiving for us - one that provided the opportunity for several new experiences outside of the annual feast that we're used to indulging in. I'm still stuck on small lists after my last post, so here are the firsts - one through three:

1) I made a Christmas wreath. And it looks AWESOME!! [in my humble opinion :-)]

K's cousins M and D stayed with us over the past few days, and D is seriously talented when it comes to crafting. I could not have made this wreath without her and cannot take much credit for how beautiful it turned out. The best part about it is that the silver and red go perfectly with the green lights K got for our porch. Talk about some festive decor!!!

2) K processed his own venison.

Rather than take it to Kuby's like usual, K decided to learn how to cut and package his own game after going hunting last weekend. This was a multi-step process, and we're saving the most fun part for last - the grinding, which will be done via an attachment on my beloved KitchenAid mixer. I'm very skeptical about it on multiple levels, but have chosen to trust that my hubby has watched enough YouTube videos to know what he's doing...

3) I made homemade tortillas. And they were AMAZING! [in my humble opinion :-)]

You know how D is a master crafter? Well - she's also a master chef. Again - I can't take much credit for the tortillas, but mostly just appreciate the time and effort she put into teaching me how to make new things. With her encouragement and guidance I was able to do stuff that I previously viewed as completely out of my realm.

Happy (late) Thanksgiving!!

Officially enthralled...

2011-11-22T13:48:00.007-06:00

...with 2 things:

1) NBC's The Sing-off. Have I written of my love for this show before? It is incredible. Especially this season's Pentatonix from Arlington. My FAVORITE performance of theirs is as follows. The bass and beat boxing are amazing!!!!! Can you say dance party in the living room??

2) Our new chairs. We inherited these from K's grandmother, and when we got them they were a lovely celery green velvet. I remembered to take a "before" shot as K was loading them up into his car to take to our design guy for a face lift.

Here is the after. Only one is complete as of now, but the final pair will go in the master bedroom. Am loving the update, especially the pattern!!!

And can you believe Thanksgiving is this week? Where has this year gone???

Today

2011-11-11T10:01:00.003-06:00

Today is Friday, y'all. Fridays are usually dubbed as "no clean" day in my book. It's like my day off from household chores, although sometimes I've been known to do a load of laundry here and there on a Friday. But today - I got a mini cleaning streak in me. It's been brewing for a while. I really want to have a clean house, and I feel better after I clean knowing that everything's in order, but I get so DISCOURAGED because I know I'm just going to have to do everything all over again in a week. And that's just a downer. Ugh.

But back to today.

So instead of cleaning our hardwoods, shining up the stove, or doing something that would noticeably impact the cleanliness of our house to the naked eye...I decided to do something that no one will ever see or know about, but that will make a big difference in the cleanliness of our laundry room.

I cleaned our washer!!!

While surfing the home decor section of pinterest, I became inspired by a blog post that had been done on cleaning out your washing machine. I don't think ours has ever been done. Like as in EVER. I do laundry all the time, but really - who thinks about cleaning something that cleans? I was so inspired that I even took before and after pictures to see if it would really work.

First I lifted the lid to see if it REALLY needed to be clean. I think there was part of me that was still secretly hoping I could suppress this weird cleaning desire that cropped up on a no-clean Friday. But alas - take a look at exhibit A for proof that indeed, our washer needed some TLC:

So I loaded it with hot water and put in 2 cups of white vinegar. It didn't quite fill to the top of the center spin thing, so I used a measuring cup to add in a lot more water. I thought that was probably a dumb idea at the time because surely the washing machine knows its own water limit, but the grossness on the spin thing was still exposed and I knew it needed to come in contact with the water / vinegar mixture to get clean. I set our kitchen timer for 60 min and let the solution work its magic.

After an hour, I let the washer finish the cycle. I put it on the shortest one to speed up the process and get to the next step, which was to fill the washer AGAIN, and this time put in 2 cups of bleach instead of 2 cups of vinegar. Did you know that bleach goes bad? That's what K tells me, and I think it's true - because once I spilled tea on the white shower curtain in B's room and when I washed it with old bleach the stain was still there. So I opened up new bleach and put it in the sink with the stained shower curtain and it came right out. That was a while ago, and I used the same beach in today's cleaning process, so I hope it hasn't since expired - but I digress....

Because of the length of time involved in this project, I definitely lost steam midway through. When I saw the grossness was still on the center spin thing after the vinegar cycle, I started to think, "seriously? why did I even get started on this? I need a nap."

But I somehow mustered up the strength to forge ahead.

I decided to take a sponge and put white vinegar on it and see if I could scrub some of it off. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult. The bleach might have taken it off, but I felt it better to jump the gun to ensure it would be gone once and for all. In retrospect - instead of going through the entire process, I think I would've just taken the sponge with vinegar to the center spin thing from the get go. Maybe next time. Here is the finished product:

Wow. This is the longest post I've written in a long time. And it's about cleaning our washing machine. Just go with it...

Our Lil' Strawberry!

2011-10-31T15:33:00.008-05:00

So for Halloween this year, B was a strawberry. Wasn't she a strawberry last year, you might ask? Yes, yes she was. This is what happens when you wait until the last minute to buy a costume, and the only thing left in Old Navy's $5 bargain costume bin in her size is the exact same thing you dressed your child up as the prior year. Except this year she's a RED strawberry versus a PINK strawberry. Big difference, I promise.

On Saturday we celebrated Halloween early at our neighborhood block party. You know you're getting old when you actually look forward to such events. They had a petting zoo and pony rides in addition to a fire truck, food, costume party - the works. We're all about trying new things with B even though she's not so excited sometimes to branch out. Case in point - she doesn't like horses yet. I'm not really sure if it was the horse that actually scared her, or the strange man right beside her that was walking the horse. Either way - she was not having any of it.

Was feeling experimental so decided to try antique finish in iPhoto for this shot:

On Halloween, I took her to the Arboretum during the day to take a few pictures with the pumpkins. We didn't stay long as it was surprisingly crowded and hot. She gave some adorable smiles this year, along with a couple signature gazes off into nowhere while holding her BFF, Mr. Wocket.

Dad got home early from work and we carved a pumpkin on the back porch, then went trick or treating. I didn't have time to get a pumpkin for B this year, so she used her purse to collect candy. What girl wouldn't love having a purse full of candy on a regular day?

When we got home we took a festive picture on the porch with Abby and our pumpkin before B had a past-her-bedtime meltdown. All in all it was a memorable holiday. Happy Halloween!!!

Meet my new sister!!!

2011-10-18T07:51:00.005-05:00

I have a new baby sister!! Her name is Sophie, and she is the most adorable great dane puppy you'll ever see. My parents brought her home last week and have been enjoying her playfulness and curiosity since then. :-)

The word "baby" will not be applicable for long, as Soph will likely grow to be 150 lbs or so. Cannot wait to make a road trip to Mom and Dad's to meet this sweet new addition before she grows up!!

State Fair of Texas!!!!

2011-10-04T08:53:00.004-05:00

Okay y'all - you know how much I love the State Fair. So you can of course imagine how excited I was to go this week with my fam for our annual outing. The best part about it was seeing B experience the greatness. From her first corny dog to seeing the animals at the petting zoo to walking around the car show, she loved every minute of it!!

Mini Photo Shoot

2011-09-28T21:18:00.004-05:00

Even though it's almost October, B and I had a summer photo shoot in our yard this week. I think it will always be okay for a lime green dress and giant pink flower bow when it's 90 degrees out. Besides, we don't really have seasons in Texas anways...

Guess who's walking?

2011-09-12T19:25:00.004-05:00

Finally!!! At her 15 month appt, the doctor told us she was "neurologically capable" of walking, but apparently wasn't ready to branch out on her own. A couple weeks later she's finally decided it's time to take off. And you know my rule about not talking in baby voice on camera? Well. I broke it this time. I figured it's okay since walking is such a monumental occasion.

Check out her feet after hanging out on the front porch. I'm teaching her young that going barefoot outside is the only way to go. I can't wait to walk barefoot across the lawn at the Arboretum with her. Or on some good Saint Augustine. Just so you know, going barefoot in the grass is near the top of my "I Love" list...

And this is her hair after lunch today. She gave a good squeeze at the roots then ran her fingers to the tips to make sure the ketchup and meat sticks were nicely embedded.

A dirty, yet wonderful day!

15 Months Old!

2011-08-25T13:13:00.006-05:00

Delinquent in posting again - I know. Am going through another introverted phase. But I can't not share these!! This girl melts my heart.

With "Mr. Wocket" - her version of a security blanket or lovey. Perhaps an indication of her spunky personality to come? She LOVES this guy.

Thanks to Grammy for the cute outfit...

Do Everything

2011-08-07T17:16:00.008-05:00

Heard this song on the way to Wal-Mart today. Needless to say, the words spoke to my heart...

Do Everything by Steven Curtis Chapman

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor for the 15th time today,
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost Cheerios that got away.
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips and head out the door,
And while I may not know you,
I bet I know you wonder sometimes does it matter at all.
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you..

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause He made you to do every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do.

Maybe you’re that guy with the suit and tie, maybe your shirt says your name.
You may be hooking up mergers, cooking up burgers, but at the end of the day
Little stuff, big stuff, in between stuff, God sees it all the same.
And while I may not know you,
I bet I know you wonder sometimes does it matter at all.
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you..

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause He made you to do every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do.

Well maybe you’re sitting in math class,
On a mission in the Congo,
Maybe you’re working at the office,
Singing along with the radio,
Maybe you’re dining at a five star,
Or feeding orphans in Myanmar,
Anywhere and everywhere you are,
Whatever you do, it all matters,
So do what you do and don’t ever forget to...

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause He made you to do every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace as you do everything you do
To the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do.

Aquarium

2011-07-24T18:57:00.001-05:00

B is 14 months old today, and to celebrate we went to the Children's Aquarium. Plus - it's the weekend, and now that B is getting older I've really been desiring more active family time. So we put her avocado-crusted hair up in her signature top knot and were on our way. Some friends of ours went a few weeks back and recommended it to us for being the perfect size with really cool exhibits. I can vouch that their assessment is correct and B loved seeing all the fish.

This is my favorite action shot of B and her Daddy on the way to the entrance. [As a side - the ferris wheel in the background gets me excited with anticipation of the State Fair.] After we downloaded and reviewed our pictures, K stopped on this one and proclaimed, "I look like such a Dad." I said, "I know!! I love it!!!" And I do. It makes me so proud to be married to a man who is so involved with his daughter. K looks like a dad because he IS a dad - one who gladly pushes around a bright red stroller wearing a diaper bag on his back. It doesn't get any better than that.

We saw all kinds of fish. Lionfish:

Jellyfish:

An albino alligator:

A sea horse:

A turtle:

B loved running alongside the sharks in one of the larger tanks on display, and also enjoyed watching a group of kiddos feed the sting rays. All in all it was the perfect afternoon jaunt - not an all-day field trip, but just enough time to get in some family fun. Love this girl!!!!

That Didn't Take Long...

2011-07-19T20:40:00.001-05:00

Random

2011-07-14T09:14:00.003-05:00

--Recently I made crock pot granola. Mmmm. I got the recipe from my Mom's group. You put oats, maple syrup or honey, and veggie oil in the crock pot and stir until oats are crispy golden brown. Then add slivered almonds, dried cranberries, etc. once it cools and serve over Danon light and fit vanilla yogurt with fresh blueberries on top. Way better alternative than a Slim Jim or Cheez-its for breakfast.
--I am so tired of balls on my shirts. Like little tiny fuzz ones near the chest / armpit area. I mean seriously, what causes these? Is it from my arm rubbing against my shirt? Is it from carrying a baby around? Am I just buying cheap shirts? Surely Ann Taylor Loft and Zara are decent quality, no? I googled "balls on shirt" to see if I could find a solution to get rid of them. Let's just say...censored!!!
--My car will be 8 years old in September. K wants to eventually get a Ford Explorer, but I'm totally holding out for a mini van. I think the practicality outweighs any un-coolness associated with driving one. How can you go wrong with a red Honda Odyssey?
--I think my favorite part about B going to Mothers Day Out is that I get to listen to the music really loud in my car when I drive around town running errands. My current favorite is the Rent soundtrack. Did you know that my blog was named after 525,600 minutes? You measure a life in seasons of love!
--And to close on a sad note, it looks as if the end is in sight for our old house. This is the current scene, which means that tomorrow (or maybe even later today) I will drive by only to find an empty lot. We know that selling to a builder was the right choice for us in the long run, but it still is sad to lose a home that held so many "firsts" for us.

Notice they took off the sea green shutters. I bet the builder is preserving them for the mansion that he's about to build since they were such a lovely color...

We took "It" out on the water

2011-07-08T20:22:00.010-05:00

"It" being the boat. K tells me you don't name ski boats as it's bad luck. But sometimes I really wish ours had a name. Or even a gender. Regardless, this was the first time we've been out to the lake in a looooong time. So long that the gauges on the boat didn't work, which meant we couldn't wakeboard. :-(

The occasion? My bro is in town from Cali for his annual summer trip to the Big D. Here we are snappin' into our Slim Jims:

Wearing his amazing gas station sunglasses. Are those Ray Bans?

Random fun fact: K and I each have our own koozies. We typically don't bring these prized possessions out on the lake, but this trip we did. His is awful - 80's rock chicks with big hair in leather.

Mine is from Christies - in honor of many late night outings playing photo hunt when I lived just down the street in Uptown.

I love this man:

So they have concerts on the lake on Thursdays. Really the concert is on land, but boats pull up near the shore, throw out their anchors, and float to the tune of awesome cover bands.

It's great fun until the police boat comes up and tells you that you can't swim in the water. I have no idea what city ordinance they're referring to, but they sounded really professional belting out violations from their microphone over the water. Any fear instilled in me by their position of authority diminished when I noticed them smoking cigars as they lazily floated by.

Mimi and Pop came too, to celebrate my bro's birthday this week:

Loved watching the sunset as we relaxed outside. Can't beat the beauty of being out on the water...

These are the days...

2011-07-02T12:47:00.001-05:00

-The days when I go in to check on my baby after she wakes up from a nap and one side of her diaper is undone. And she's pooped. And it's everywhere. And there's an undigested lima bean stuck to her heel.
-The days when she eats dog food off the utility room floor as I put her dirty clothes in the washing machine. And then she knocks the picture frame off the table by the couch onto the floor. And then she opens the forbidden drawers in the kitchen - the ones that give me a heart attack every time she slams them shut and her fingers are millimeters away from the closing gap.
-The days we have company and there's a maxi pad on the end table. A sample one that my baby pulled out of People magazine. One that Daddy opened and let her play with in support of her desire to explore and learn.
-The days that I step in dog doo on the way to check on my garden and nearly get dive-bombed by a mockingbird protecting the 2nd nest of babies born in our back yard.
-The days we watch Sesame Street while she stands at the coffee table and eats goldfish until Abby's Flying Fairy School comes on and she gets bored.
-The days that my baby's clothes are gray and covered with dog hair from army crawling on the floor, indicating the need for me to conduct my weekly sweep of the hardwoods.
-The days she spits out her food onto her already crusty bib and then rubs her hair and eyes with her dirty hands before knocking her milk on the floor for the 10th time.
-The days that we go swimming in her pool on the porch and she eats the water hose and a leaf, dressed in her adorable swimsuit with pigtails and all. Abby supervises as life guard while I snap photos with our camera.
-The days that we excitedly wait outside for Daddy to come home, watching cars pass by in the meantime.
-The days I can hear her sucking on her paci through the monitor as she naps, I'm sure with her arm around her "Wocket."
-The days that she lays her head on my shoulder for just a sweet minute before squirming around and trying to peek over the edge of the chair at her car seat.
-The days that she pulls up on my legs and laughs.
-The days that I wouldn't change for anything.

I love...

2011-06-22T21:41:00.005-05:00

...this commercial. Ha. Makes me laugh every time, even though I still loathe AT&T...

Look what I can do!!

2011-06-14T16:53:00.006-05:00

B can crawl on her hands and knees - finally!!!!!! While she's been able to pick up a fine piece of grass off the floor with her thumb and forefinger for ages, gross motor skills - specifically crawling - have been a little harder to master. I think honestly the problem lies in that we spend most of our time on hardwoods. She has mastered an army crawl that allows her to propel herself forward on her stomach with her toes, sliding on her clothing while avoiding contact with her knees. Much more comfortable than putting weight on all fours on a surface as hard as a rock, I assume. I took this video today - on her way to "read."

She's always loved walking - not on her own, but gets super excited to practice while holding onto our fingers. Now, she gets jazzed at the sight of her lion. [Forgive the darkness - forgot to turn on the light.]

Needless to say, my days have now become fully devoted to baby proofing and following this child around to make sure nothing dangerous is in her path. Such bittersweet milestones!!!

Waiting for Daddy to come home from Work...

2011-06-08T17:00:00.001-05:00

In my Head

2011-06-06T09:02:00.006-05:00

Most of my close friends know that since I've had a baby, one of my new favorite shows has become Sesame Street. I mean seriously - it is so clever, fun, enlightening for kids, and I don't think I've seen a single episode where I haven't laughed out loud.

Currently, this song is stuck in my head. B loves it. I play it for her on my new laptop while she stands up and bounces on the edge of the couch. And okay fine - I love it too. Listen to the whole thing - it's catchy!!!!

Party Time!!!!!!!!

2011-06-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

B is one!! Holy moly. This year seems to have gone by slow, but fast. I know that makes no sense to anyone except for everyone who has kids. So many changes since the day this sweet girl was born!

We threw a small party for close family and friends to celebrate her 1 year birthday. I was all up in a tizzy about having it the weekend before her birthday since she technically wouldn't be 1. And then the weekend after her birthday was Memorial Day when half the world has plans already. So we decided to celebrate on her actual birthday during the week at 4:30. The unfortunate part was that not everyone that we would have loved to be there could make it, but it worked out great at the end of the day. B was in upbeat form and did really well opening gifts and smashing her delicious cake.

I told myself I wasn't going to go all out, mostly to save myself from suffering a massive panic attack trying to plan and host an over-the-top kid party. Have y'all seen the frenzy from random 1st birthday blogs online???? In a perfect world I would've loved to have a perfectly themed birthday bash with matching decor and cupcake topper and invites, but that's just. not. me. So I chose to focus on 2 main decor items with no theme. 1) a birthday banner that I made for B and hung over the fireplace:

and 2) birthday balls that I hung from the ceiling in the dining room to add color and zest:

The banner I started weeks in advance, so had the luxury of taking my time instead of making it all in 1 day. I figured this is something I can hang every year. This website was my inspiration. I started the balls a few days before also, which were hung by my Dad and K on the day of. Even though mine look nothing like the pictures, this website was my inspiration.

For the food I kept it simple. We picked up an assorted wrap tray from a nearby deli, had baked corn dip, 7 layer dip and salsa, fruit salad, and cupcakes. I also set out a few small bowls with goldfish, pistachios, and PB M&M's, and we had lemonade, wine, beer, and water to drink. I found some crazy colored daisies at Sams that I put in a vase as a centerpiece, and called it a day.

For B's smash cake, I ordered Wilton's giant cupcake pan from Amazon and made it in advance. I also made 2 dozen more cupcakes the week before and froze them so I wouldn't have to worry about anything except icing them the day of. For B's cake I used Cool Whip with sprinkles on top to help minimize the chance of an insane sugar rush before bedtime.

She was very cautious and observant of the giant mound of food sitting on her high chair tray, as she is with most new things.

Eventually she had a taste then dug in.

Here she is with her Grammy and Grandpa - feeding Grandpa cake!

And with Mimi and Pop:

With her friend Grace:

Opening presents with 2 bows on her head, thanks to Dad:

Love this precious baby. Happy birthday, B!

Our Lives are about to Change

2011-06-01T08:38:00.003-05:00

Last night, K came home from work with this:

Oh my.

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this. For starters, I have always been a PC gal. Windows? Know how to use it and like it. This might be a slight exaggeration, but I feel like the last time I used an Apple computer was when I played Oregon Trail in the computer lab at school in 2nd grade. And now. I'm a Mac user. Is it really as great as everyone says it is? I don't know. But I guess we're about to find out...

Harvest

2011-05-25T20:50:00.004-05:00

Mmmmmmmmm!!!! The time is here to enjoy the fruits of our labor when it comes to the garden!!! Tonight we harvested the onions, and a big ol' pile of green beans.

As you can also see, we have a bell pepper and grape tomatoes in the works.

Unfortunately, squash isn't doing so hot likely due to poor pollination. Must find a cure for the bee colony collapse disorder most immediately. Next year will work on adding more organic matter or compost to the soil to enhance fertility as success comes when you "feed the soil instead of feeding the plant." Now must go plan our dinner menu for the week to incorporate these homemade veggies into each meal. How far removed I've become from my banking days. :-)

ONE YEAR OLD!!!

2011-05-24T19:39:00.003-05:00

We had a party today to celebrate our sweet baby girl turning one year old. My how time flies!!! More to come. :-)

Miracle of Life part 2

2011-05-10T14:05:00.007-05:00

Okay so remember the miracle of life I discussed in the prior post? Well.
I don't really consider it a miracle having to dodge the protective wrath of mama mockingbird every time I go into the back yard these days. This is a new development, and she has become increasingly protective as her baby birds grow and thrive. I am embarrassed to admit that I ran into the house screaming this afternoon as an attempt to inspect my garden was thwarted by a flapping, chirping, mockingbird headed right towards my FACE. Am I really talking about how I'm scared of birds on this blog? I am very scared of being dive bombed. Abby's not. This one got her right on the rear end.

And this one too. Poor dog was ambushed out there, all while I stood under the protective shade of the porch taking pictures at her expense. Bad mom, I know.

But - let's just stick with this whole miracle of life theme after all. Because my cousin, who's like my sister, just birthed a sweet baby girl. She weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz and was born on Friday. She was the tiniest cutest baby I've seen in almost a whole year!

I forgot all the grunts and baby noises that precious newborns make. I even forgot too how to change a diaper on a baby so small. Although technically I've never changed a diaper on a baby that small as my baby was 2 pounds bigger when she was born.

In addition to her new baby cousin, B also got to see her cousin Clare. These 2 are a week apart and I have a feeling will eventually become bff's.

Speaking of B's friends - here she is at the pool with Savannah. A great new favorite summer activity to beat this Texas heat!

Although really the best way to beat the heat (and get a mad morning jolt) is to drink a Red Bull. Like father like daughter...

Miracle of Life

2011-05-03T20:38:00.005-05:00

God continues to reveal the beauty of His creation to me through nature - first, the garden, and now, baby birds!!! While sitting on the back porch with B over the past couple weeks, I've noticed a pair of mockingbirds building a nest in one of the trees near our fence. Today we were all in the yard checking out the garden and K took a peek at the nest only to find a trio of yellow beaks opening wide for food. Look!!!

Isn't that amazing???????!!! Love little moments like these. Makes me appreciate the many blessings in life, especially the ones that I'm often too busy to notice...

Best Hubby in the World

2011-04-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

I know every girl thinks their husband is the best hubby in the world, but really y'all - mine is, no doubt about it. Although I haven't really processed this milestone, I recently turned the big 3-0. In order to celebrate, K planned a weekend getaway.

Prior to having kids I was all like, "Yeah, whenever we have kids I'm gonna be like - see ya later!! - and go on lots of trips while the grandparents keep them." Well. Then I had a baby. And my husband told me we were going on a trip. And I started crying. Not tears of joy. I mean, I tried to hide them and pretend to be excited about spending some much needed quality time with him away from our sweet, precious baby. Our first born daughter. Our only child!! But it was too hard to keep them in. No sobbing - just trails gently streaming down my face as I calmly asked multiple questions like, "who's keeping B? how many days are we going to be gone? can we get back quickly if something happens?"

Needless to say, that definitely was not the reaction that K was hoping for. After hearing my emotions were "normal" from other Moms who had been in the same situation, I pulled it together and tried to focus on the fact that we'd be much better parents for having time away to recharge and strengthen our foundation as a couple. There were a few tears in my eyes as we pulled out of the driveway waving “bye bye” to B in her Christmas pj’s (yep - in April. what can I say? they fit.), but I pulled it together from that point forward. Despite some mild insomnia, I truly enjoyed the time away. K did an amazing job planning and made me feel so special and lucky and loved on my birthday...

We went to Houston - and we drove (no risk of plane crashing - another irrational travel fear that's apparently magnified now that I'm a mom.). We left Friday morning and when we got there, had a private photography lesson to learn how to use our new camera that we got for Christmas. LOVED it and learned a lot about shooting in manual. Lots of trial and error involved and practice required to master the correct exposure, but I feel like I have a much more solid foundation to work off of now. This is the picture from our session that makes me the most proud, even though the duck is frighteningly ugly. It's all about the blurry background, folks.

WAIT. I take it back. THIS is my favorite one. Except I took this before the photo session while we were waiting for the guy to arrive. You can see me and the trees in K's eye!!

After the photo lesson, K left me with my college roommate, Cathy, who took me shopping at the Galleria. I don't buy clothes for myself often, so he instructed her to spend the entire wad of cash that he gave her on new clothes or me. For once in my life I just went with it and didn't buy one thing on sale. GASP!! Loved having my own personal fashion assistant (Cath has some serious style), and was awesome to spend time with one of my best girlfriends.

After that, she took me to a restaurant called The Raven Grill where 7 other of my closest girlfriends were waiting. K left me with them for the night, and got a suite for us at Hotel ZaZa where we stayed. He had them each write me a card with their favorite memory from our friendship and a picture to go with it. My heart just about exploded and I felt so fulfilled by just being with them and reliving our most precious life experiences together. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that we went to bed at 12:30 that night and were all up the next morning by 8:15. I guess that's what happens when you turn 30...

The next morning K brought us breakfast tacos, and then the girls left and I had a massage at the spa. The rest of the trip was for me to decide what to do - just me and K spending quality time together. We grabbed lunch, relaxed at the hotel, then went to the Museum of Natural Science and saw an IMAX movie. Had a causal dinner, then went to the hotel bar and slept in the next morning. We made it back Sunday afternoon to see B. Missed her like crazy, but really needed both - time with my friends and time with K. Thank you to my sweet husband for being so thoughtful and loving while celebrating this milestone in my life!!

11 Months Old

2011-04-24T13:01:00.002-05:00

Daddy's Girl

2011-04-20T14:44:00.005-05:00

It's short and sweet, but here's a quick video of B saying her new favorite word!

Best Friends!

2011-04-14T10:18:00.001-05:00

Garden Update

2011-04-07T15:50:00.005-05:00

I know you are all dying to know how our garden is doing, specifically the green bean and squash seeds. A week and a half of anticipation has lead to pleasant results so far, although I don't want to jinx anything!!!

At the risk of sounding extremely corny, I would like to express my awe over the fact that this little tiny seed that we planted in the dirt will grow to make something that will nourish our bodies. Kind of like growing a baby, but waaayyyy different. I mean, you can't compare the birth of a human with the birth of a plant really, but the whole process in both instances reinforces the fact that our Creator is pretty dang amazing. That's all I'm trying to say.

So - here are the green beans. I love how they unfold from the ground. And it's like the seed opens up and the leaves magically appear. It's the little things that get me excited in life. :-)

And here is the squash. We planted one "hill" - a circle of 6 seeds. Once they grow a little bigger, we will clip out 2-3 of the smallest seedlings leaving behind 3-4 to grow and thrive and bear fruit.

We also have a beautiful iris in our garden that bloomed the other day. This is why I love the spring!

Abducted by Aliens Part Deux

2011-03-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

The insanity continues as does my apparent alien abduction. This time it's related to yard work instead of baking bread. As a permanent disclaimer, almost all gardening / landscaping / planting activity has been inspired by by my Dad. He has been a great teacher along the way, and I hope one day to put to use the master skills he's passing on to me.

There are 2 main projects we've undertaken at the moment: 1) the garden and 2) the front yard. This time, I'll focus on the garden. The front yard, 116 plants and all, is another post.

As you might recall, last year I had a tomato plant in a pot. It yielded a pleasant harvest, and I decided to be adventurous this year and go for a small garden. To start with, we planted onions.

Not too long after that I planted a couple green bell pepper plants.

A couple weeks ago it was time for the tomato plants, one of which we lost to a tomato cut worm. What is that, you might ask? I have no idea. I just know that when I went out to check on my plants the morning after planting them the evening before, one of the tomato transplants was completely chopped off at the base near the soil. My Dad tells me that this worm wraps himself around the stem and chews it off. BAD worm, bad!!!

Back to the nursery to get another plant. This time, we cut up a straw and wrapped it around the stem of both the new plant and the existing plant to prevent the worm from eating any more tomato seedlings. I am learning so much!!!

K and I decided to take advantage of the amazing weather this weekend and extend our garden even further. So much for "small." We (mostly he) worked up the soil, we made a run to Home Depot for some soil conditioner, fertilized, then planted both green beans and squash - from seed, as you can obviously tell by the pictures.

And now all we do is wait. And water twice a week. And fertilize once a month. And wait. But mmmmmm I want some fresh veggies now!! Must be patient...

Ten Months Old

2011-03-24T12:06:00.005-05:00

Abducted by Aliens

2011-03-06T16:41:00.003-06:00

So I haven't talked to my dear friend Susan in a while. She happened to call this past week and we caught up on life in general. Oh how I miss her and wish we lived in the same town! Throughout our conversation, I heard myself saying things like:

--"I get kind of excited about cooking these days and the other day I made homemade pimento cheese. I can also make steak now - both broiled and chicken fried."
--"I have a garden that has onions planted so far, and this weekend I'm going to plant bell peppers and cilantro. I also got this coupon from Groupon for a nearby nursery, but I have to wait till the last freeze passes before shopping for tomatoes, etc."
--I started laughing out loud as I said this one. After replaying everything I'd just divulged to her, I found myself thinking - who AM I?? Here it is: "I have dough in the refrigerator that I made from scratch earlier this week and I'm going to bake some homemade bread."

After a long, quiet pause, she said to me, "I feel like my friend Stacy has been abducted by aliens and I have no idea who I'm talking to now." Ha.

Abducted by aliens or not, I did indeed bake some bread this week. Like homemade, as in I bought yeast packets from the store, put it into my Kitchenaid mixer with flour, water and salt, used what I thought was the dough hook (only it was the wrong tool - but it still worked), and let the finished product rise in a corningware dish for 2 hours. I even brought the dough back to the bathroom counter to remind me to put it in the fridge after I brushed my teeth so it wouldn't sit out all night and go bad.

Once baking time rolled around, I was completely unsure how the bread was going to turn out and had NO idea what I was doing. In fact, I was kind of dreading making it for fear of how disastrous it could potentially end up. I mixed the dough up on Tuesday, and it sat in the fridge until Sunday when I finally overcame my procrastination.

This is the book that I got the recipe from:

Lauren - you should get it!! It really does give such easy instructions and talks about the effect on the dough if you use too much water, more flour, etc. There is NO KNEADING involved, and once you let it sit out for a while before baking then it only takes 25 min to cook. The rest you can keep in the fridge for up to 14 days and supposedly the longer it sits in there the better the flavors get. I don't have a baking stone, so just used a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and it worked just as well. This is what my bread turned out looking like:

After my first bite, my response was, "it tastes like bread." Let me just tell you that after that statement sunk in, my apathy turned to pure excitement as I realized the magnitude of this baking victory!! Coming from a girl who knew how to make ONE dish coming out of college and was happy eating Lean Cuisines and Spaghettios every night for dinner, I'd consider this a delightful accomplishment. I'd also like to give thanks to The Pioneer Woman as she has greatly inspired me. While others have known about her for quite some time, her blog and recipes are still new to me and have taught me many great things about being creative in the kitchen. :-) But seriously y'all - if you like bread, go get this book and make you some, because if a cooking impaired mama like me can do it then ANYONE can do it!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Nine Months Old

2011-02-24T13:10:00.005-06:00

3 things I am REALLY excited about!

2011-02-16T08:21:00.000-06:00

1) Our new can crusher.

This thing is amazing. Kevin mounted it to the wall in our garage this weekend and it's the best!!!! We had one growing up, and my parents would always let my bro and me split the money we made after we took the crushed cans down to the recycling center. I have no idea where the closest recycling center is in Dallas, but I'm going to find it. And crush LOTS of cans. Because it's fun and I'm helping save the earth by doing so...

2) Our new garden. Here we are getting down and dirty while planting onions - 3 butts in a row.

As you know, I had a tomato plant this year which yielded quite the harvest. With some encouragement and guidance from my Dad, I've decided it's time to graduate to a small, manageable garden this year. In a month's time we'll also be planting 2 tomato plants and 2 peppers - probably 1 green bell and 1 banana. I'd also like to plant a pot of herbs - some cilantro, and maybe basil or parsley if the timing is right?

3) Our new piano.

This is from my Granny's house which makes it incredibly special. It needs some work, but once in tune and spiced up I know it will be just perfect. Sometimes I play for B while she's in her high chair and she absolutely loves it. Is mesmerized by the sound. In fact, she's quite the little maestro herself...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-14T08:08:00.002-06:00

XOXO

Snow Day

2011-02-04T16:36:00.012-06:00

If you haven't heard, we got a little bit of snow in the Big D.

Okay - maybe more than a little bit. Coming from a family of low-key homebodies, I'm fine with having been stuck inside for 4 days straight. I've got a baby to play with, furniture to dust, laundry to do, books to read. My stir-crazy hubby, on the other hand, is out braving the cold with his BFF as I write this post. During a brief phone conversation he tells me he saw a car do a 180 in front of them. Oh my. I'm compartmentalizing my worry and praying that God brings them home safely, trusting that this outing will be restorative for him despite the danger of traveling on the icy and wintery roads. Plus we really need marshmallows from the grocery store. There's only 1 left and we'd have to fight over who gets it to roast a s'more in the fireplace tonight.

We took B out in the snow today, and Abby too. I took a lot of great pictures, and learned how to download off our new camera when Pop was in town last week - finally!!!!

Here is my daily snack. I know - not an exciting picture, but I wanted to test our camera's ability to take close-ups. And really - come to our house if you ever want PB M&M's. We stock up regularly.

One of my favorites of Abby in the snow. She loves the cold and gets super frisky and playful when she's outside. Open wide for snowflakes!

This is my other favorite of Abby (and of course, K and B). When I saw it I started laughing hysterically. I wish I were creative enough to come up with a hilarious caption. She looks like a wired cartoon character. Ha.

Mommy and B:

Best buds. These 2 tolerate each other so well. :-)

B: What are you doin'?
A: Sniffing the snowflakes and counting the seconds until Dad tells me I can get up and run around and play some more.

Family photo in the snow:

Precious snow angel:

And finally - the reason why today was just so darn great: I got to wear my FAVORITE shoes - my hiking boots!!!

G.T.L.

2011-01-19T20:05:00.005-06:00

K gets a pay stub every other week in the mail from his company. Every week I file said pay stub away in a file without really looking at it; however, this past week I happened to take a closer peek. I am ridiculously embarrassed that we had the following conversation when K got home from work that day:

S: We got your pay stub today.
K: Okay.
S: So what does G.T.L. stand for?
K: Uhhh. Gym Tan Laundry??
S: THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING!! I'm so glad you said that because I was really ashamed to admit that I thought of the Situation while looking at your pay stub. I mean we don't even really watch Jersey Shore.
K: Yeah. We don't watch Jersey Shore at all. I think it stands for General Tax Ledger or something like that.
S: That would make sense. General Tax Ledger. I wonder what's going to happen on Thursday when J-Wow goes home to Tom. I mean, like I said we don't watch Jersey Shore or anything. I just saw it on the previews the other night...

Closing tangent: I have 2 new favorite songs this week that I've been listening to non-stop as they put a giddy smile on my face and make me dance around the house. They are 1) Hey Hey Hey by Michael Franti & Spearhead, and 2) Let it Ride by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

What you've all been waiting for....

2011-01-14T13:55:00.004-06:00

...will have to wait. What do you mean what we've all been waiting for? You've been waiting haven't you? Oh yes, you have. For the one thing that really matters on this little here blog of mine. And that is not verbiage from yours truly, but rather pictures of my offspring. She has officially stolen the show that's for sure. And I can see why as she's absolutely the most adorable baby in the world!! But - you're stuck with boring old me until I figure out how to download the pictures from our fancy new camera onto my computer. Pictures of her laughing, playing on the hardwoods underneath the barstools as she rolls off her play mat, opening Christmas presents and chewing on bows, flashing her 6 pearly whites. This girl has been up to a lot lately!!! And I promise - photo proof is coming...

I have a blog?

2010-12-30T20:59:00.002-06:00

Oh yeah. I do. Except I've neglected it for the past month. Yikes. I've gone back and forth between a) not knowing where to start since so much has happened between now and the last time I posted and b) regressing into an "I don't want to be vulnerable on the internet" phase. While yes, this blog is a great avenue for sharing my life, I am wary of potential random stalkers. Somewhat of an irrational fear? Maybe, especially when I read other blogs that document every last detail from where the author lives to what his or her kids' names are to when he or she was born, etc. At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure I only have about 5 faithful readers (hi Mom!), none of which are anywhere near being considered crazy.

The holidays were absolutely wonderful and amazing - both Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially seen through the eyes of a child. Okay - that sounded good, but really B had no idea what was going on. NEXT year maybe we'll be able to experience the joy of the seasons through her excitement once she's able to focus on more than just crinkly paper and bows that taste extraordinarily delicious.

My New Years resolutions this year are pretty much the same as they always are - work out more (I mean, start working out), get more organized, focus more on my faith which has been sadly neglected amongst all the busy-ness and distractions in my life, learn about photography, and start cooking more. I will say that I made an amazing meal last week - chicken fried steak and these potatoes plus a side of broccoli. The potatoes were to die for, and I have a battle wound in the form of a blister on my chest that I got when the oil splattered out of the pan as I began frying the steak. I was so proud - oh the sacrifice...

And lastly - I would like to happily announce that this blog has become www.stacybowen.com. My tech-savvy bro in-law purchased the domain name as a Christmas gift (awesome!!), which means that now you don't have to remember all of those dashes in between the really long title of this blog. In case you're one of my 5 readers who happens to be away from the favorite links on your own personal computer - have no fear, just remember my first and last name and you're good to go. How's that for anonymity? :-)

Naptime

2010-11-21T19:43:00.004-06:00

Dear God,

Thank you for our precious daughter. Please teach K and me to better identify her sleepy signs so that we can put her to bed before she becomes an overtired maniac.

Amen

3-Month Photos

2010-11-16T09:30:00.004-06:00

Now that B is almost 6 months old, I decided it's about time to post her 3 month photos. We had them done at Sears, and they did a surprisingly good job. While it took an extensive amount of time to get these photos due to editing drool off B's chin in one shot, they compensated by providing extra prints which we appreciated. Here she is!!

High Chair Cutie

2010-11-12T20:14:00.002-06:00

FOR THE LOVE!

2010-11-11T10:06:00.006-06:00

When I married K, I was fortunate enough to inherit what he likes to call, "Luck of the Bowen." Luck of the Bowen is a very real phenomenon involving none other than bad, bad, bad luck. This phenomenon occurs on a regular basis, and can be magnified during big events. For example, during our move it rained the entire day. Luck of the Bowen. During the middle of washing sheets / towels to use the first night we moved in, a belt popped and the dryer completely stopped working. Luck of the Bowen. This "luck" is even contagious. The morning of the move when my Dad woke up to transfer a load to our new house, his pickup wouldn't start and was out of commission for the rest of the move. LUCK OF THE BOWEN!

You can only imagine my absolute disgust, frustration, and exasperation with this stupid luck when I began to see 3 signs of RATS / MICE in our BRAND NEW HOUSE! FOR THE LOVE!!!!!! Wasn't the rat problem at our old house enough? Compounded by roaches and snakes?? That is all the vermin I can stand for one lifetime. Really, it is. Yet - oh how the signs point to the fact that we're going to have to face this problem all over again. (Insert desperate sigh).

SIGN #1:
On multiple occasions, I've heard a pitter patter overhead while both sitting in the study and hanging out in B's room. This is where the denial begins, and instead of thinking about rats in our attic, I blame it on cute squirrels prancing around on our roof with lovely acorns in their mouths. Surely it's just squirrels running along the shingles...

SIGN #2:
B and I like to sit outside on the back porch sometimes. One day last week it was raining and I had her all snuggled up in a blanket while we sat at the patio table. There really are a LOT of squirrels in our yard since we have pecan trees nearby, so we were watching them play in the trees and along the top of the fence. I'm pretty sure our conversation went something like, "B - look at that squi - AAAHHHH!!!!!" as I saw a MOUSE running along the bottom runner on the fence. It went all the way across the back, then turned the corner and went up towards our house. Needless to say we promptly ran inside and I said a prayer that the rodent was not running for cover into the same house that I was running to for cover. This one is much harder to deny, so I had to get creative and blame it on the neighbors. We've lived here for 2 months. SURELY we don't have rats or mice. Surely it's just the neighbors. Poor mice-infested neighbors...

SIGN #3:
I have an AWESOME tomato plant growing this year. It makes me so proud to know that I've kept it alive by remembering to water it regularly. I can't take full credit as my Dad's the one who pruned it back this summer, fertilized it, and selected appropriate placement in the sun to encourage it to grow. I mean really - LOOK at all this fruit and foliage!!!!

SO - in the process of getting out a little fertilizer from the garage as a snack for my tomato plant, I noticed that both corners of the bag had busted. I tried to think it was a coincidence (must just be an old bag?), but then noticed that Abby's dog food that had been sitting in the garage had a few tid bits of food laying on the ground beside the bag. Another coincidence (another old bag?), or a rodent looking for food?? SURELY a coincidence.

Everything came to a head last night when K claims he saw a rat running in our garage. On a 2nd occasion later that night when going to put out traps he said, "I just saw it jump from your golf bag to the trailer." This A) really makes me want to NEVER use my clubs again ever and B) makes parking in the garage a NIGHTMARE instead of a luxury!!!!!!!!!!!! B) makes me very sad and angry as this was one of the things I was MOST looking forward to about our new house! And need I remind you that in our old house we had a detached garage, meaning there was substantial separation from the rodents. In our new house? Oh yes - attached. Meaning you better make darn sure nothing runs inside behind you as you enter the house. FOR THE LOVE!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

2010-10-31T19:48:00.004-05:00

B was a strawberry for Halloween this year. We took her to the Arboretum for the mandatory new parent pumkin patch photo shoot this past weekend. Unfortunately we went during what could've been naptime, and she was having no part in smiling. The first picture is the first shot we took, and the only hint of a grin that we got.

When I said, "B - tell me how you really feel," this was her response:

You might've figured out by now that she likes her sunglasses. Really? I promise, she does despite her expression:

Daddy's little girl:

In other news, we started rice cereal this weekend. B took it like a champ, and did much better today learning how to swallow.

Ohhhh the days of vienna sausages, lima beans, and smelly poops are on the way!!!

5 Months Old

2010-10-24T09:42:00.001-05:00

Update on the Insanity

2010-10-07T16:12:00.007-05:00

Oh yes, the insanity continues; however, it's dwindling down slowly but surely now that we're in our new house. The move is over and done with for the most part, although we still have a few things at our old house that we need to move over. Pictures will be forthcoming. We hope to have curtains in the next week or so which will make a big difference. Of course the decor is still far from perfect, but I'm accepting the fact that it's going to take time to get things the way we like it.

We have managed to have some fun in between all of our recent craziness. It's October, which means State Fair time, which means that I'm one happy camper. We introduced B to Big Tex this year and pushed her around in the Bob. She was a champ and looooooved her first corny dog.

This is one of my favorite pictures and totally shows who she is - laid back, taking her paci out of her mouth to chew on it instead of suck on it, with her tiny toes curled around the stroller bar in front of her.

For K's birthday we made our first mini vacation to Possum Kingdom Lake. While B did have a breakdown on the way out there, for the most part she stayed on schedule and took great naps and slept really well in her pack and play. I'm sure you can tell by my really tan skin that we've been out in the sun a lot this summer. I hope my golden glow stays through the winter.

And lastly - here's a close up of her 2 teeth that are popping in. Yowza.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!!

2010-10-04T11:24:00.000-05:00

4 Months Old

2010-09-24T16:18:00.005-05:00

Height: 26 cm - 95th percentile
Weight: 13 lbs, 7.5 oz - 50th percentile
Head circumference: On a piece of paper in her diaper bag in her room where she's currently napping. To be honest I've never understood the significance of this stat...

--B's 4 month doctor's appointment went well, although her vaccines left behind some serious welts this time.
--Surprisingly, her bottom left tooth is already in with the adjacent tooth about to pop through any day now. She continues to drool nonstop and puts anything and everything into her mouth.
--Her hair color is turning a little lighter, and her eyes are still beautiful blue!! Mine were blue until at least 18 months (maybe longer?) then turned hazel-ish.
--Still loves bright colors. Is becoming increasingly aware of her surroundings and reaches out for toys, books, anything in front of her unless she gets distracted by something else.
--She's rolled over from tummy to back, but not back to tummy quite yet. I get so excited when she reaches each milestone, but a feeling of bittersweetness follows as I realize once again how quickly she's growing!!

Picture Update

2010-09-21T10:38:00.004-05:00

New favorite chew toy? Her toes:

Love this spunky grin!

Talking to Uncle Bubbie on Skype while sitting on top of the computer desk in her Bumbo. He missed seeing her in her sunglasses!!

Tummy time and drool - the perfect combo:

Love that grin when she wakes up from a nap!

Random

2010-09-08T21:18:00.005-05:00

1. I need to get my hair cut. K likes it short. I do too, but miss being able to put it in a ponytail if it's too short. Plus I can't stand the stage where it gets half stuck in the back of my shirt collar.
2. I think Luvs are the best diapers out there. We've tried Pampers and Huggies, but Luvs are extremely absorbent and are my running fave at the moment. While they do not have the dirty diaper indicator line, I have to say that the quality for the price is superior to all other brands.
3. B and I spent some time in the hall closet tonight for fear of a tornado striking the big D. After she started coughing I realized said closet was likely full of who knows what kind of mold and dog hair, so exited promptly. Thankfully the tornado missed us.
4. Moving puts me in a bad mood.
5. My new favorite breakfast is Boost. Yes, the drink for old people. Is super easy, tasty, chock full of vitamins and minerals, and fills me up. We've been out for a while, so I've resorted to Lara Bars. Still satisfying, but not nearly as much as a Boost. Both are usually supplemented by a glass of tea and a mid-morning brownie.
6. I am obsessed with putting frames around the plate mirrors in our new house. Don't ask me why. One night I lost a whole bunch of sleep over it. K tells me it will be 6 months before he's able to work on this project as it is not a priority relative to the rest of the items on our new house to do list. He is a good man for managing my expectations, but still - oh how the mirrors need frames!
7. Can you believe that ATT U-verse is not available at our new house? Oh darn.
8. My new favorite discovery is the drive thru teller line at the bank. I don't think I've ever used this feature until now. It is the BEST. Especially when you have a baby. And there's something so gratifying about hearing the whooshing sound as you hit the send button and the cylindrical container flies up the tube into outer space. Love it.
9. I made meat loaf and corn on the cob last night for dinner. And it was GOOD! I don't think K was as proud of it as I was, although he assured me he liked it. The secret to boiling the corn is to put sugar in the water along with some salt. And for the meatloaf I used a glaze of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Mmmmm.
10. Is it weird that I burp almost every time I'm trying to burp B? I'd like to answer yes to my own question. Burping aside, she's still my favorite:

B's reaction...

2010-09-05T20:03:00.001-05:00

...when I told her we were almost out of peanut butter M&M's:

Time to make a Sam's run!!!!

A Smile :-)

2010-08-29T12:30:00.003-05:00

The Bowens are stressed. I'm not gonna lie - having a baby, renovating a house, and having a husband switch jobs all at once is too much. K thrives under pressure; however, he admits he's reached his breaking point. Did I mention we have too much on our plate? Yet there's nothing we can do about it now as we find ourselves in the thick of it all except to persevere and endure.

And cling to the edge of the cliff with our finger nails.

I'm exaggerating - a little. In retrospect we couldn't really have changed the timing on any of it, and once we get settled things will be worth it. We are both so ready to have a clean and organized new home. We started packing this weekend. By started packing I mean loaded up a whopping 2 boxes of books. At least that's 2 less that we'll have to pack in a week when our house is done...

In the past I kept a journal. In Microsoft Word. Typing out my thoughts is way simpler and quicker than writing with pen and paper. I've said this before, but documenting my life in general provides a written reminder of the ways in which I've grown and changed over a year's time. I used to look back and think, "What did I do this year? What did I learn? How did I change and grow as a person?" Not having a good answer to those questions often made me feel like I wasted a whole year. Being able to read my thoughts and see the obstacles God brought me to / through and how He changed my heart provides much comfort and encourages me to continue trying to live life to the fullest for another year.

SO - all of this said, I went back through the archives in my blog, mostly to see how far we've come. Instead of finding deep, heartfelt lessons that I'd typically write in my journal, I found several great posts that made me laugh. Smile. Not think about all the things on our to-do list at the moment. Just what I needed. In no particular order, these are my top 3 favorites:

"Arbuckle Wilderness...Wow! What a Difference!"

Calling All Verminators

Who says dogs don't smile?

And of course, this little girl always brings a smile to my face!

3 Months Old

2010-08-24T08:54:00.006-05:00

Our sweet daughter is still growing like a weed and is 3 months old today - can you believe?? A few likes and dislikes at this age:

LIKES:
--Eating
--Attempting to stick her entire fist in her mouth
--Her swing
--Kicking her legs while cooing in her pack and play
--Her paci
--Being held while walking around
--Riding in the car
--Bright, colorful toys

DISKLIKES:
--Afternoon naps
--Tummy time
--Being hungry and overtired
--Losing her paci

She's mastered Zoolander's blue steel look:

And also enjoys sitting up like a big girl in her bumbo:

Her squeals of delight when she sees me peek over her crib in the morning and the way she holds onto my finger when she's nursing are 2 of the many priceless moments that I am so lucky to cherish while being at home with her all day. Thank you to my wonderful hubby for working so hard to support our family. This baby girl is the joy of our lives and we love her so unbelievably much!

P.S. Happy Birthday today, Mimi!!!

La la la!

2010-08-19T16:41:00.004-05:00

This little girl loves to sing. I think she's going to be a soprano one day. :-)

A soprano with long beautiful eyelashes...

...and a stellar mo-hawk!

Like Uncle Bubbie...

2010-08-14T11:58:00.004-05:00

...like BG! These 2 loooove their sunglasses!

Another House Update

2010-08-05T09:26:00.004-05:00

Progress continues to be made on the new house, which means that my freak-out level has intensified dramatically as I realize that decorating doomsday is rapidly approaching. While I am excited for the grand finale of this stressful project we've embarked upon, I am terrified at the idea of furniture placement throughout multiple empty rooms, drapery selection for all the windows, and really just decorating in general. Oh how I wish I had even just one tiny decorating gene in me...

I have enlisted the help of my college roommate as she's quite talented at interior design, but I'm still anxious about the end result and just want so badly for it to look like it's from a magazine!!

Updates include 1) kitchen granite and backsplash, 2) stone around the fireplace, and 3) almost completed bathrooms. We are clinging to the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

And of course - what would a post on a baby blog be without a picture of baby? Here's B in a hat - what a cutie!

First Laugh!

2010-07-28T12:13:00.002-05:00

B has been talking up a storm lately. We spend lots of time partaking in "changing table chit chat" which entails conversation, song and dance, typically following a diaper change. B has some great stories to tell and loves to coo and kick her legs while we chat.

She's been pretty camera shy, meaning that every time I try to capture one of her stories on film she becomes mesmerized by this silver object in front of her face and goes radio silent. I thought I would try again today to see if she'd cooperate.

As a disclaimer, I absolutely do not have what it takes to post a video of myself chatting in "baby talk" to my child. I respect others who choose to share this online, but personally just cannot bring myself to do it - hence the silence in the background in the video below. If you listen carefully, there is a small gasp after what I believe to be B's first laugh, and I almost - ALMOST - busted out with high-pitched praise to her for giggling right there on camera (don't worry - the moment I stopped recording my voice escalated 10 octaves and I was a baby-praising Mama). It happens right after the first hiccup. Wait for it, wait fooorrr it....

Correction

2010-07-21T13:32:00.006-05:00

So did anyone notice that I called B's new paci an orthopedic paci in the previous post? By orthopedic, I mean orthodontic. And the "something different" that I thought was a great lifesaver has become much more work than anticipated. It's required a grand total of about 20,001 trips back and forth to B's crib in order to re-insert paci after she spits it out repeatedly and starts whining. That being said, it's hard not to melt when she gives me a huge smile from her crib and looks at me with those big blue eyes after I sweetly chastise her for not sleeping. What a little stink pot!

8 Weeks Old

2010-07-19T09:40:00.006-05:00

Ta daa!! The last of the weekly updates is here! I will certainly continue to post pictures of B, but have decided to switch to monthly updates from here on out. Her hair is especially out of control this week, and her expression in the first photo makes me smile. "Seriously Mom? Another photo session?"

Girlfriend B continues to do great. I think she's gone through a growth spurt this week as she's been rather fussy, especially before naptime. As a parent you learn that if one thing doesn't work, you try something different. The "something different" that seems to have worked (at least temporarily) is a new pacifier. She's graduated from the newborn soothie to the playtex orthopedic paci. Has saved us from having to walk around the house while doing multiple squats in an attempt to get her to stop crying when she becomes overtired.

On a positive note, I think she might have slept through the night once this week. I put her down around 11:15 and she didn't wake up until 5:30, although in my book I wouldn't really consider night to be ending quite that early...

Mimi and Pop came in town for a visit this week which was a wonderful treat. We took B to the Farmers Market and picked out some fresh veggies - green beans, squash, the best peaches I've ever had. It's a place I've always wanted to go since living in Dallas but never seemed to get around to. Will be going back for certain.

In other news, B has mastered the art of blowing spit bubbles:

And this is her reaction when I told her we were going shopping at the mall:

I about died laughing when my brother responded back, "Whatever, I bet that was her reaction after you told her Aber Daber just farted!" Ha.

7 Weeks Old

2010-07-12T11:58:00.006-05:00

Documentation of B's 7th week of life is in the form of pictures versus words this week as my thoughts are on another subject at the moment: WORK.

Today I gave my notice of resignation, meaning I will soon officially be a stay at home mom. While I know in my heart this is the right decision, I must admit that I'm sad and will miss working. Of course I will miss only the good things - the times when I felt like I was adding value, learning, being a trusted advisor to my clients. It's easy to forget the bureaucracy and politics and 1980's technology that so often caused headaches and apathy.

Mostly I will miss the people that I worked with. I have never really felt fulfilled by my career itself, but rather by the relationships with coworkers that have become friends over the years. I feel better about leaving knowing that I can continue these friendships regardless of whether or not I go back to work.

And while I'm referring to my prior professional career as "work," I can attest to the fact that I'm still working indeed, only in a different industry. Instead of a banker / underwriter we'll go with "domestic engineer specializing in human development." B is worth every bit of it!

6 Weeks Old

2010-07-05T11:28:00.004-05:00

My how time continues to fly. I feel like I say that every week, but kids provide excellent tangible evidence of how quickly the days pass due to their ever-changing nature. I look back at pictures of B on the day we brought her home from the hospital and she's a different baby now - still tiny, but constantly growing and evolving into who she was made to be...

Along with her 6 week old birthday comes an attempt at some sort of schedule implementation. Perhaps schedule is the wrong word - maybe more of a routine so to speak. My primary concern revolves around an early bedtime and the impact on our social life. By "our" I mean Brooke's as she has become quite the social butterfly. Our primary goal is for her to sleep through the night eventually. At this point I'm up for experimentation, so we'll see what works and what doesn't - as if I have any real control over her sleeping patterns. :-)

We're getting more experienced at running errands and meeting friends out for lunch, although I did drive away from Rusty Taco with my drink on top of my car in the pouring rain. If that's the worst that happened I'd say we're doing okay. We even left her with her first babysitters this week - Cody and Jen. She thanked them by peeing on Cody - quite the little lady. She met lots of K's family this week over the 4th of July, and even got to celebrate her great grandpa's 90th birthday. All in all - a wonderful 6th week of life!!

House Update

2010-06-30T15:54:00.007-05:00

New framing - check!!

New windows - check!!

Insulation - check!!

Hardwood floors and sheetrock - check!!

Cabinets - check!!

Homemade tomatoes growing in the backyard - check!!

And on a totally non-related note, this is my new favorite indulgence. Dangerous when you're trying to lose post-pregnancy weight, but oh so delightful...

5 Weeks Old

2010-06-28T11:24:00.005-05:00

This has become a baby blog like I warned you. Yep - a baby blog. Guess what? We just had a baby! Yep - a baby. And our lives for the time being are filled with baby and figuring out how to parent our baby, resulting in a baby blog. With that being said, here's a proud mama and her precious baby:

And the perfectly imperfect pink polka dot letters this proud mama painted for her sweet baby's room:

And this too-cute-for-words, happy, smiley baby on her 5 week old birthday:

SMILE for the camera!!!!

2010-06-26T16:16:00.001-05:00

1 Month Old

2010-06-21T13:38:00.005-05:00

So here's our adorable little 1 month old munchkin in a 3 month old dress. I keep telling myself that her clothes are shrinking in the washing machine which is why she can wear sizes that are seemingly WAY larger than her actual age. She now weighs 10 lbs., 4.5 oz. and is very LONG. She's going to be tall like her giant parents (enter sarcasm) I'm sure.

I took her on my first solo outing today. Let me just start by saying that babies + their car seats are very, very heavy. So heavy that I think by the end of the summer I might look like this from carrying B around everywhere:

Ah one can only hope, right? But really - in all seriousness it was good to get out of the house and gave me a boost on my first full day "home alone" to prove that I CAN do this stay at home mom thing.

Happy 1 month birthday, B. We love you!!

This crazy cat...

2010-06-19T16:48:00.001-05:00

...is too cool for school!

So...

2010-06-17T17:36:00.009-05:00

...let's jump right in and talk about post partum. In the grand scheme of things, I think I've been relatively cool and had what I would consider only 2 breakdowns since delivering our baby. The first one was a few nights after we got home from the hospital and I totally over-did it. Nevermind that I just had major abdominal surgery, I was up and about taking care of our kid and had things to do around the house that day. This somehow made me realize that I still desperately need time with K. I need his affection, his companionship, I need him to talk to me and ask me if I'm doing okay, I need "us," and I apparently needed to tell him this through a fit of tears after I'd gone to bed that night.

My 2nd breakdown [which is kind of ongoing but not really] revolved / revolves around 2 things: 1) The departure of Mimi and Pop and 2) Our new house.

In regards to Mimi and Pop - both my parents came up to the Big D for B's birthday. My Dad stayed a few days after she was born, but let's face it - he wasn't too excited about sleeping on a blow up air mattress for an extended period of time, sitting around the house taking care of a screaming baby all day, talking about milk and boobs and poop, plus his garden needed tending to. So he left and my Mom stayed for a couple weeks. She brought me water and Ritz crackers with pb during the middle of the night, rocked B to sleep when I'd been up with her for 2 hours already, did laundry for us, cooked us dinner, ran errands for us. It is a desire of my heart to be as good a mom to B as she is to me. Needless to say when my Dad came back to pick up my Ma and they both went back home, I was one very sad and distraught daughter.

In regards to our house, I've been having "I don't want to move" feelings. This doesn't really mean that I don't want to move, but instead means that I will miss our old house, that I am sad to leave the first place that K and I ever lived in together, that I will miss our bathroom that K tore down to the studs the week we got married, that I will miss the comfort of being here. The reality is that it's too small and we have too much stuff so we don't have much of a choice, but I'm still sad about it. Mostly sad because I think this is what will happen. This picture was taken 3 days ago and is 2 houses down from us:

To offset the aforementioned breakdowns, I've been trying to focus on the positive. K has taken off work and been home with me all week which has been amazing, Mimi and Pop are only a car ride away, and even if they do bulldoze our house and replace it with a giant McMansion we'll still have a pretty stellar new living space. The best part about it all is that we'll finally be able to use K's coffee table from Pier One which has been hiding in a cardboard box in the corner of our dining room since it's purchase date of 1/9/06 [as noted on the "hold" tag that is still taped to the top]. Yes - 4 years later.

And to top it all off - check out that hair!!

3 Weeks Old

2010-06-14T15:23:00.005-05:00

It's safe to say that B is growing like a little weed. She had her 2 week appointment last week and the doc reported the following stats:

-Weight: 9 lbs, 2.5 oz - 97th percentile
-Head circumference: 38 cm - 97th percentile
-Length: 22 1/2 inches long - off the charts

Clearly there are not many 2 week old babies that weigh in the "nines." And she was 20 1/2 inches when she was born. Did she really grow 2 inches in 2 weeks? All I know is that I don't have to wake her up at night any more every 3 hours to eat which I'm praising Jesus for. She was nearly impossible to wake up, and equally as impossible to get back down after being stripped to her skivvies and bombarded with cold paper towels. We had many late night parties during her 2 hour marathon feeding sessions, which typically included girl talk with Mimi, rocking, a dose of Gripe Water to help with potential gas, more rocking, swaying, and more rocking. This girl is a trickster too. Just when you think she's asleep you lay her down in her crib only for her eyes to pop wide open. Except for in this case. She's o-u-t.

Abby has been an amazing big sister so far. We brought home a blanket from the hospital before B's grand homecoming to give the dog time to get used to a new scent and prepare for our expanding pack. She slept with it for a while until our maid washed it with our cleaning rags. She'll sometimes give B kisses and is occasionally curious, but is pretty disinterested most of the time and minds her own business. I think she'd rather be sleeping or playing with her tennis ball or duck toys...

I think B in the swing is just about the cutest thing ever. I could watch her in it and smile / laugh all afternoon. She's so tiny and it's so big!! Her poor little head drops to a 90 degree angle to the right or left when she can't stay awake any longer. She's focusing more on things and stared at the mobile above the swing for a while when we put her in it earlier this week. What a doll!

Time flies...

2010-06-11T19:55:00.008-05:00

...when you have a newborn. Our days and nights are becoming seriously blurred together, and I have no idea what day it is today. I DO know that we celebrated our 3 year anniversary this week. We'll be the first to admit that our 1st year of marriage was rather challenging, but we've come a long way and God has worked wonders with His love and grace in our hearts and through our marriage. Oh how things have changed!

Then:

Now:

Mimi and Pop babysat B while we went to Prego Pasta House for dinner to celebrate - an annual tradition. Another annual tradition:

Wearing my wedding shoes every anniversary - my "something blue." Love these fancy kicks!!

And speaking of shoes, my crafty friend Erin is at it again. She and her precious family stopped by for a visit this week bearing this wonderful gift:

And yes - she MADE these!!! Love her creativity as always. She is so talented and I admire her ability to express her inner spirit through her craftiness.

As far as B goes, this is my new favorite pic. Imagine we're in Colorado in the winter time instead of in the 100 degree Texas heat:

2 Weeks Old

2010-06-07T16:58:00.001-05:00

1 Week Old

2010-05-31T18:31:00.003-05:00

Dear Brookster -

You are officially 1 week old today. It's hard to believe how quickly time has gone by since we brought you home from the hospital! So far:

--You seem to have your days and nights confused. You love to party from 3-5:00 am and hate waking up for feedings in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's even hard to wake you up during the day. We washed your full head of dark brown hair this afternoon and you slept through the entire beauty session!!!
--You've had tons of visitors and people that love you come by to say hi this week. You've been VERY well behaved for the most part, and seem to get mad only when you're hungry or gassy. You have quite the temper and some serious lungs. We sometimes try to quiet you by swaddling you, rocking you, or sticking our finger in your mouth. That works temporarily until you realize that nothing is coming out of said finger...
--You are surprisingly strong for a newborn!! You can almost lift your head, and we think you'll be rolling over early as you tend to shift from side to side in your crib.
--Your facial expressions crack us up. From lifting your brow to pursing your lips, when your big blue eyes are open you look like you're concentrating like crazy. Sometimes I wonder what's going through your little brain.

Our lives are so much richer with you in it. We get so excited about what the Lord is going to do with you and are loving you more and more every day!!

First Outing

2010-05-29T17:06:00.003-05:00

We made our first outing today - to B's first doctor's appointment. She is still doing great and is a healthy baby girl - thankfully she's gained 2 oz since her hospital discharge. The doctor thinks she broke her collar bone, likely caused by contractions during my induction, but it's healing quickly and is apparently pretty common during labor. Despite the lack of sleep, we've had a fun few days and made it through the first night home. We're figuring things out one step at a time!

On our way to the doctor:

Sleeping in Daddy's lap:

Sporting Air Jordans from Uncle Bubbie:

Hanging out in the bouncer with Uncle Riggs:

Pretty princess:

Brooke Noelle

2010-05-28T11:53:00.004-05:00

She was born at 11:56 am with a full head of hair and weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces, measuring 20 1/2 inches long. We survived the first night home and are figuring out this new adventure one step at a time. She is already wrapped around our fingers and we love her more than words could ever describe!!

Happy Birthday BG!!!!

2010-05-24T08:38:00.001-05:00

After 40 weeks and 6 days, it's time for this little munchkin to come into the world. We will not be leaving the hospital without a baby this time. Happy Birthday to our precious new daughter!!!!!

Dancin', dancin'!!!!

2010-05-19T20:51:00.006-05:00

K and I are both wondering why Weber Grill did not contact us to be in their new commercial. Clearly we would've been great candidates.

BG Bowen has no idea what she's in for...

Baby Update

2010-05-17T17:08:00.002-05:00

Welp. Another week has gone by and baby remains extremely comfortable in her beach ball environment also known as my uterus. I went to the doctor this morning and am still not dilated. Baby also remains very high and has not dropped – same story, [insert whatever number – I’ve lost count] verse. Apparently my pelvic structure is small which could also be prohibiting baby from descending into the birth canal. Go figure...

SO – we scheduled a C section for next Monday, May 24 at 11:30. In response to the questions I’m sure you’re wondering:

-What about inducing again instead of opting straight for surgery?
Been there done that. The only thing that’s different now from when we tried inducing 2 weeks ago is my term. In theory my body could be more responsive to the induction drugs, but it’s not likely specifically since I’m not dilated any more than I was back then. My doctor also pointed out that recovery after laboring for hours and then ultimately going to a C section is more difficult and obviously more trying on your body. Had I been dilated today or had baby settled into my pelvis, I might feel differently, but at this point it makes more sense to me to just get her out!!

-If you want to just get her out, then why are you waiting so long to have a C-section?
Well. Let me tell you why. Because I want to wait that long!!! Really – we all know that I’m stubborn. Even though a C-section is the likely outcome (and I am mentally prepared for this to be the case), it is important to me to give my body every last chance to go into labor naturally on its own. Yes – it will suck being pregnant another week, and yes – we could get baby out sooner, and yes – I will probably have to have a C section no matter what because my pelvis is small and baby is not dropping. BUT - I am okay with all of those things and feel good about this decision. As long as baby is healthy and I’m not dying, then I can do anything for 1 more week even if it ultimately ends up being a week in vain.

Despite the fact that I lost 4 pounds this week (likely water weight), my maternity wardrobe is down to slim pickings. I went to Ross Dress for Less during lunch today and bought me another $9.99 maternity shirt to wear over the next few days. I could only laugh when the younger, buzzed Hispanic dude at the register told me I looked like I was about to “blow up.” Another favorite came from the cheesy Sam’s security guard who said, “I bet you have 9-1-1 on speed dial har har,” as I exited the store last Thursday…

And so begins another week of work, another week of waiting, and another week of making extra 100% sure that everything is done before baby arrives. At least there is a definitive light at the end of the tunnel and BG will finally make her grand appearance next Monday at the latest. Who says there’s anything wrong with being fashionably late??

Let the demo begin...

2010-05-15T14:16:00.004-05:00

They're not wasting any time destroying our new house, that's for sure. The workers pretty much demo-ed the whole inside in 1 day, have since hauled off all the mess, and are now framing the inside based on our new design plan. New windows and a new roof will likely begin next week. Here's the first of many "before" pictures.

And P.S. - still no baby...

Ha

2010-05-13T17:43:00.002-05:00

Made me laugh today. From Erin - thank you, friend!!!

Is this working???

2010-05-12T19:53:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately I don't think so. Baby still feels sunny side up and has yet to drop. Guess she's still not ready...

Definitely still cookin'...

2010-05-10T12:51:00.003-05:00

As an update from yesterday's post, unfortunately my doctor's appointment this morning was rather uneventful. No change in my cervix, and baby is still floating high. My doctor thinks that I'm not dilating because of the baby's position - she's putting pressure on my cervix and not allowing the muscle to relax and open. I'm now 39 weeks, and apparently data shows that 80% of women in my situation are at risk for a C section; however, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'm in the 20% bucket!!

The plan going forward is just to wait and see what happens. I go back next Monday for a regular check-up again, and if she's still not ready to come out yet we'll talk about another potential induction as I'll be going into my 41st week at that point. My hope is that baby turns and drops. I've read a couple doula websites and have been practicing inversion, a technique that's supposed to help posterior babies rotate. It's quite the uncomfortable position, but I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Mom and Dad left to go back home today and I'll probably go back to work tomorrow. I really don't want to waste a week of my short term disability leave, and my lack of desire to sit around twidling my thumbs for the next week remains. I find myself getting surprisingly more excited about baby. I think this weekend I was still in a daze - going through the motions and not really processing what I thought was about to happen. Now that attempt #1 has come and gone, my anticipation is greater and I'm more ready and anxious to be a mom. I know that God has a plan for getting this little one out, and I'm ready to fully embrace His will whatever that may be!

Still Cookin'

2010-05-09T16:49:00.007-05:00

Friday's agenda:

1) Sign the closing docs for our new house - CHECK!

2) Head to the hospital to begin induction for BG Bowen - CHECK!!!

Saturday's agenda:

Go into labor and have baby....

Revised Saturday agenda:

Receive pitocin beginning at 9:00 am, have contractions all day long, eat 6 popsicles and 7 peanut butter M&M's complimented with ice chips, take multiple naps, sit in rocking chair and read magazines, watch TV, chat with nurses, and finally -

go home as labor is not progressing and BG Bowen is clearly not ready to come out yet.

Oh man. I thought I would be a mom on Mother's Day holding our precious new daughter!!! Yet here I sit having just gone to Sears to buy double ovens for our new home and preparing to potentially go see a movie this evening with my stretched belly still the size of a watermelon.

I can't say that I'm super frustrated or disappointed or upset really. I mean yeah, it was a waste being at the hospital for 24 hours this weekend, but I feel a peace about not having a baby just quite yet. As some of you know, the induction was mostly scheduled due to my extremely irritating PUPPS rash and the potential liver complications resulting from my pregnancy. I found out on Wednesday that my liver is just fine (amen!!), and thought long and hard about not being induced after all as the reason switched from "medically necessary" to more of a "comfort decision." Yes, my rash is still incredibly itchy [and worse today than it was last week after being suffocated by contraction / baby monitoring devices for an extended period of time], but it's still bearable.

After a long conversation with my doctor [who is AMAZING by the way], I went ahead and decided to go forward with the induction. I will say though - I did have some "what if I wait?" feelings in the back of my head, and was mostly concerned with the risk of having to have a C section. Because baby is floating and sunny side up, my chances of having to have a C section are high anyways according to stats from my perinatologist, so I thought - might as well go have baby now!!!

So we went to the hospital on Friday night at 9:00. They checked us in and placed cytotec on my cervix at midnight and again at 4:00 am to help soften / dilate my cervix. At 6:00 am we moved down into labor and delivery. At that point I was having regular contractions (and had been all night - even when I first checked in); however, wasn't dilated at all. They finally started me on pitocin around 9:00 on Saturday morning.

They're supposed to be able to up the dosage of pitocin every 15 minutes; however, because my contractions were so regular they had to hold off to avoid overstimulating my uterus. In fact, I only received half of the normal dosage all day because there wasn't enough down time in between each of my contractions to warrant giving me more meds. My doctor came in and checked at noon - no dilation - ugh, and again at 3:00 - a small change, maybe 1 cm dilated, but nothing to write home about. At that point she gave me 3 options. 1) Continue the pitocin for another 3-4 hours to see what happens, 2) Turn off the pitocin, eat some dinner, and try again tomorrow, or 3) Go home. She mentioned the C section option, but didn't really feel like it was the right thing to do. Had I been dilated 3-4 cm and not progressing or had baby been in distress, that would've been a different story. Baby's heartbeat was perfect and she wasn't stressed out at all. What it pretty much came down to was that my uterus knew what to do [she even called my contractions "beautiful!" and "text book"], but my cervix was clearly not cooperating.

At that point I decided to keep going on the pitocin. The slight change in my cervix at 3:00 was a little encouraging, and I was hopeful that labor might still kick in at any minute. I mean really - how can you have consistent contractions ALL DAY LONG at regular intervals and still not have a baby?? The thing about my contractions though is that they weren't painful. Not hurting at all. Mostly just causing my stomach to be rock hard. Apparently no pain = no gain, as pain would've indicated that my labor was actually progressing.

From 3-6 I will say that my contractions were a lot smaller according to the monitor, but there were a couple that hurt and were noticeably more uncomfortable than the ones I'd had earlier in the day. I felt them in my back, and also felt a slight crampy feeling in my abdomen. I moved to a rocking chair with the hopes that the rocking might help open my pelvis, yet when the doctor came in at 6:30 to check me again, I still was dilated only 1 cm, if that.

So she discharged me. Could she have done a C section, yes. She was on call that weekend and the timing would've worked out perfectly to just get baby out, yet she was still hesitant to even give me that option [did I mention she's amazing???]. So they turned off the pitocin, unhooked my IV, and I was on my way home.

The plan for now is to go back in on Monday for a check-up. My doctor is on call again Wednesday and mentioned giving my body a couple days to relax then inducing again mid next week. I might be on board with that if I go in tomorrow and I'm miraculously dilated 3 cm, but if I'm still hardly dilated with no greater that 50% effacement then what's the point? Clearly BG Bowen is on her own schedule!! I'm right at 39 weeks, so maybe she needs another couple weeks to finish cooking, or maybe the dry run this weekend will be enough to give her the boost she needs to come out on her own sometime within the next couple days. Either way, looks like she's inherited my stubbornness. :-)

Is there a doctor in the house?

2010-05-03T18:15:00.002-05:00

K tells me sometimes that he wish he'd been a doctor instead of a finance major. I used to want to be a physical therapist, but this week I kind of wish I were a doctor too. I think it's mostly because my body is doing all these weird things related to the pregnancy. It's fascinating to me how everything works together, and I have such a curiosity about what's going on with my DNA and baby's DNA at the moment.

I had my 38 week check up this morning. The plan as of now is to induce on Friday night - just in time for Mother's Day! Doctor says baby is floating pretty high, so pray that she drops this week. Am a little nervous about the potential of a C section, but am coming to terms with the fact that it's a possibility and even if it does occur I'll be okay and so will baby. Apparently she's grown and is at around 7 1/2 pounds.

They drew more blood this week - this time to test for bile acid levels. Last week it was liver function. I'm certain that the doctor wants to rule out ICP - a pregnancy related liver disorder. Everything came back okay last week, but it is possible to have normal liver enzymes with elevated bile acids. Mostly I think they want to confirm that my itching is related to PUPPS and not ICP. [See - how can you not want to be a doctor too after wondering what all these weird acronyms mean and what rare and crazy things they're doing to my body???]

Am continuing to work this week, and probably will do so through Thursday. At this point having something to keep me occupied is better than twiddling my thumbs waiting for our child to be born. I'm nervous about delivery, mostly for baby's health and my ability to endure the pain of labor. Women have been giving birth for millions of years obviously, so I know I'll be fine, yet it's hard not to be a little anxious. Friends and family have been SO supportive and for that I'm grateful. Mostly I just can't wait to meet baby and see what she looks like.

In closing, K just informed me that my labor must be done by Saturday night so we can watch Betty White host SNL. Keep your fingers crossed that all will be well come 10:35 pm so we can see this hilarious old lady on TV...

Life-in-General Update

2010-04-22T17:48:00.007-05:00

Has been quite some time since I've posted, primarily due to the house purchase described in the prior post. Have I mentioned too that we're having a baby? As the time gets closer, our ability to procrastinate is seriously dwindling. At some point we'll need to pick a name, I'll have to pack my hospital bag, and the car seat will need to be installed. In the meantime, I'm another year older and my belly has expanded to the size of a watermelon complimented by a lovely pregnancy rash known as PUPPS. There will be no more bare belly pictures posted from here on out. I know - tragic.

K "surprised" me with breakfast in bed comprised of Sprinkles cupcakes and a glass of milk for my birthday last week. This has become an annual tradition - one that I truly love. Usually he only buys a couple days' supply; however, this year he splurged for 10. I have been eating a cupcake for breakfast every morning for the past week. It is delightful...

That afternoon at the office my coworkers threw a surprise baby shower that I was completely thrown off guard by. The usual "you have a package downstairs waiting for you" excuse was put aside and exchanged for, "there's no trick this time - we have cake downstairs for your birthday." Lo and behold, when I opened the door to the boardroom everyone was standing there, including K!!, yelling, "SURPRISE!!" My face turned the color of the red shirt I was wearing that day and then we all partook in cake, punch, and a baby word scramble. They even got us our car seat! The last big item on our registry that we needed. How appreciative I am to work with such great people!!

As far as the pregnancy goes, I'm becoming more and more uncomfortable mostly due to the aforementioned PUPPS in addition to carpal tunnel that flares up at night. There will be times when I wake up and the tops of my hands ache like crazy. At my 36 week appointment on Monday my doctor reported that my cervix has softened, but there is no official dilation as of yet. I've been getting Braxton Hicks at night too - right when I lay down to go to sleep. My stomach gets as hard as a rock. This is the latest belly shot taken by Mom who was in town yesterday helping wash clothes, buy last minute registry necessities, and continue working on the nursery. I couldn't have done it without her. We were extremely productive and it was a lot more fun having her as a partner to keep me focused and on track.

And lastly, these are the latest nursery shots. Bird mobile has officially been hung, but otherwise have yet to decorate the walls. Will hang the quilt that matches the bedding above the rocking chair, baby's name above crib, and am still searching for the perfect diaper organizer to hang above the changing table. More to come...

Home Sweet Home

2010-04-11T19:14:00.005-05:00

It is with both great excitement and great apprehension that I come to announce that K and I have purchased a new home! Excitement over the fact that we'll have BIG CLOSETS (his and hers!!), a laundry room, and ability to park in the garage!!!!!! Apprehension over the stress related to moving and remodeling with a brand new baby. Although - I liken this experience to K's decision to tear our only full bathroom down to the studs the week before our wedding. No, we could not take a shower the night we got home from our honeymoon - but if we can make it through that surely we can make it through this.

We weren't really looking for a new home, although it's been on our wish list for a while. We knew we'd have to move sooner or later, and had pretty much settled on the latter of the 2 options. There are very few houses that come up for sale in our neighborhood, and when they do, a) they've either been redone to the 9's and are ridiculously expensive, or b) they're only 1,800 sf and haven't been remodeled since their origination in the 50's or 60's and are STILL ridiculously expensive. In the back of our mind I think we both realized that while we'd hate to leave the area, really the only way to get more for our money would be to move to the burbs up north.

Well. During one of my many internet breaks at work on Tuesday, I went to realtor.com and entered in my regular search for our zip code - 4+ bedrooms, 2,000 sf minimum, 2 car garage, and max price range. To my surprise, I came across a new listing that had been posted 22 minutes prior. It's in our same neighborhood, maybe 1/2 a mile away, and is nearly twice the size as our current home. So I sent the link to K and we spontaneously decided to go look at it that night...

We were impressed not with the house itself as it is a dump that needs to be completely gutted, but with the potential end product. I don't really have a vision for any type of interior design whatsoever, but felt good about what it "might" look like should we add our dream touches and completely redo the layout.

Enter Eddie - a friend of a friend who happens to be an architect and has his own design firm. I called him the following morning to discuss the potential and he encouraged us to place an offer to hold the house should we be truly serious about buying. So we did. And we won. There were 11 showings the day the seller accepted our offer, and there is a full cash offer that's been formally submitted as a back-up should ours fall through. Here's where K and I praise God for His timing and provision and the way things have all seemed to fall into place thus far.

Many pending items remain - financing, design, etc. We plan to stay in our current home until the new one is move-in ready, then hope to rent it out. In theory we could fix up the new home and live in it while we tear down and rebuild on our current lot like we've always planned, but we'll probably save something like that for when baby #2 comes around to maintain our track record of embarking on insanely stressful situations in the midst of big life changes.

Here are a few pictures of our new diamond in the rough....

For the Expectant (or Existing) Mama

2010-04-01T19:05:00.007-05:00

So even though I'm not technically a mom quite yet, I have made some amazing finds over the past few months through random internet research that I'd like to share with other expectant or existing Moms. As if there aren't 30,000 other blogs or websites that outline similar opinions, these are MY personal favorites. Take them for what it's worth.

1) Baby Bargains - a must-have book that will save your life when it comes to registering and researching baby gear.

Let's face it. There are thousands of options out there when it comes strollers, high chairs, cribs, bedding, etc. This book is written by a couple who has compiled tons of reviews and displayed their results with honesty and a sense of humor. Is entertaining to read - not like a text book - and ranks products with an A through F based on price, functionality, quality, etc. Got mine from walmart.com shipped straight to the house for around $12. Love it.

2) Petunia Pickle Bottom outlet - Offers 30-50% off way cute and stylish PPB diaper bags - items are either discontinued or certified seconds. They only have sales semi-annually and you have to pre-register to receive notification of when the sales will be. Came home yesterday to this on my front door step. Can't wait to use it! For what it's worth I also hear that JuJuBe Packabes are amazingly practical as well.

3) Baby Steals and Kid Steals - Offer 1 deal a day beginning at 10:00 am CST. If you don't get there fast then whatever is for sale that morning will likely be gone. They mostly offer higher end boutique type products, but at half price. Got my Hooter Hider from here, and have also seen BabyLegs, BuggyBaggs, Aden + Anais blankets, etc. Again - GET THERE FAST.

4) The Little Elephant Company - Brought me great relief!!! I've been struggling for months to find a way to hang the quilt that came with our bedding on the wall in baby's room. Of course there's sewing a ribbon, or loops then threading through a rod, etc. - but let's face it. I do not know how to sew, plus I wasn't excited about putting holes in the quilt itself. Solution: quilt clips!!! I'm thinking 3 of these to hang baby's quilt (will go along with the safari theme - think sun rising in the Lion King) and 1 of these to hold the ribbon that all of baby's clips are attached to. Another idea for bows (credit goes to Em for this one) - clip them to the ribbons of a memory board and hang on wall as decor.

5) Posies Accessories - My newest fave thanks to Leah. She tells me these are the BEST stretchy headbands out there - they stay on and don't dig into baby's head. Today they're having 45% off everything AND if you use the coupon code THANKS it will save you another hunk of change.

Other money-saving faves:

-Check retailmenot.com for coupon codes every time you order something online. Really I just go to google and type "coupon code (insert store name you're buying from)." Retailmenot typically has the most accurate info. Have gotten free shipping from Land of Nod, Lands End, aforementioned coupon code for Posies, etc. from here. Never hurts to look!
-Woot.com - Similar to Baby and Kid Steals, they have 1 deal a day beginning at midnight CST. Also always check Kids Woot and Wine Woot.
-Dealnews.com - Daily specials and discounts from random stores all across the board. They tell you where to find bargains on everything from computers to mp3 players to health and beauty products to home goods to kids' toys. Worth checking once a day or especially around Black Friday / holiday weekends to get a good idea of sales that are going on.

Happy Shopping!!!!!!!!!

Showered with Love

2010-03-28T16:33:00.008-05:00

Over the past few months, 2 things have been very evident to me: 1) Pregnancy and the miracle of birth and how God created a woman's body to bear life in general all continue to absolutely AMAZE me, and 2) I have been blessed with some seriously awesome family and friends. Baby girl (BG) Bowen (who honestly remains nameless at this point) has had some pretty stellar celebrations in her honor recently. Each of these outlined below have brought so much joy and happiness to my heart. Relationships with these people - our closest friends and family - are what fulfill me as a person, and words cannot express how much I appreciate all of their love and generosity!

Celebration #1: Dallas shower for mostly Bowen family relatives and Bible study girls hosted by these beautiful ladies - Aunt Susan, Debbie, Aunt Kathy, Gan (holding Eli), Liz and Mary:

The shower began at 11:30 and we had a sit-down lunch - sour cream chicken enchiladas, salad, and rice followed by Lake Highlands Rock Cake from Sweet Temptations (to DIE for!!!). The tables were decorated with adorable centerpieces made of items from my registry: sippy cups, receiving blankets, cute toys, etc. all arranged in baskets decorated with animals corresponding to our safari-themed nursery decor. The hostesses also hand made these bows and headbands for baby Bowen to wear when she gets here - so stylish!!

Baby got lots of great gifts, including her bedding, a precious lamb rocker, and "vintage clothing" - 2 dresses and my baptism gown that my Mom saved from when I was a baby. Oh how I love such sentimental things!!!

There were also baby pictures of both K and I donning the coffee table. I wonder who she will look like and what her little personality is going to be. Such curiosity and many unknowns yet to come!

Celebration #2: Houston shower for mostly my family relatives and H-town girlfriends thrown by these beautiful ladies - Erin, Susan, Meg and Cath:

The shower began at noon on a Sunday, and we had brunch consisting of quiches, fruit, veggies, salad, muffins, etc. followed by Erin's version of Sprinkles cupcakes (also to die for, ESPECIALLY the icing!! - can you tell BG Bowen likes sweets?). These girls are way creative and the decor was perfect - from the handwritten messages on diapers for BG, to the clothesline of onesies, to the diaper cake with hand painted animals that exactly match our bedding, I was in awe!!

Unfortunately I was rather delinquent about taking pictures, but thankfully Erin was wonderful about capturing the moments and posted more about the shower, along with the delicious cupcake recipe, on her blog here. Another fave of mine - Meg asked K 21 questions about the baby over the phone earlier in the week (i.e. how did you know S was pregnant, how many kids will you have in the future, what has been K's favorite part about the pregnancy so far, etc.), and after she read the question I had to guess his response. I have to say I did pretty well overall and got 17 out of the 21 right. Go team!

Celebration #3: Dallas shower for "the group" in addition to other friends of mine that live in the Big D hosted by these beautiful ladies - Katie, Jen and Leah:

The shower started at 2, and we ate tasty afternoon h'ordeauvres including stuffed mushrooms, my favorite corn dip, spinach dip, orzo salad, fruit, and cupcakes (mmmmmmm - again, lovin' the sweets). The hostesses also arranged a basket of books from each guest to start BG's library along with a cute frame displaying maternity pics from the beach, a clothesline of dresses and outfits, and a beautiful diaper wreath that we'll take to the hospital with us to put on the door of our room once BG is born.

There were 3 sweet babies there, Davis, Nolan and Grace, all 3 of which provided great entertainment. Davis and Grace hit it off and have the potential to one day date in my opinion. He was absolutely mesmerized with her and she was flirting away like crazy!

As far as gifts go, baby Bowen stocked up on LOTS of cute outfits (she's going to be a little miss fashionista), fun toys, and this WONDERFUL quilt. I have to brag on my friend Mandy - she MADE it!!! Talk about some serious talent - I told her she should quit her day job and sell on etsy. I wish I were this crafty!

Unfortunately I was also somewhat negligent at taking photos at this shower as well; however, Leah was on camera duty and took a lot of great pictures. More to come...

To make an already long post even longer, I have to keep it real and admit that in spite of all of these celebrations and excitement revolving around baby, I still have fears about being a mom. I was reading through a friend's blog - one of my closest friends - who has always been a few steps ahead of me in life. I always say that she's my guardian angel and God placed her in my path to help guide me with her wisdom - i.e. she goes through college heartbreak, I follow 3 months later; she meets amazing new man and gets engaged, I get engaged 6 months later; she gets pregnant and her baby is born on my EXACT due date 1 year earlier. The parallels in our friendship are so strong that she often seems to take what I'm feeling right out of my heart and put it into words. Specifically this, which I found on her blog a little over a year ago:

"i go to the doctor monday for my first of my final 4-5 prenatal appointments every two weeks. kind of crazy. scratch that - it is crazy. the days are flying and although i'm so excited to begin this new chapter, i won't lie and say that i haven't had a few moments of either freak-out, sadness, or denial. freaking out because of the insane amount of unknowns heading my way, sadness over the loss of "just the two of us", and denial over how much my life is really going to change. sometimes i actually think i make the "life is about to change part" too big of a deal and [my hubby] has to remind me to think positive, remember it will be an adventure and a JOY. i recently heard a woman talk about how sleepless nights are draining, yes, but when it's your kid you don't have any regrets about doing it - it's just natural. it's comforting to remember that this won't be just anyone, but OUR little one."

OUR little one indeed...

Sometimes...

2010-03-15T18:48:00.008-05:00

...I like to eat standing up in the kitchen. Like tonight. I had a PB&J sandwich, blackberries, Greek yogurt, a tall glass of skim milk, and brussel sprouts. I made myself eat the brussel sprouts. They were pretty gross, but I'm attempting to eat 1 vegetable per week minimum given baby. You'd think I could hold myself to higher standards seeing as how our unborn child's health is at stake, but I'm banking on the fact that my prenatal vitamins (which I take religiously) contain sufficient nutrients.

Sometimes I iron my clothes with my Chi when I'm in a hurry in the morning. Not like a full-on iron, but just if I see a wrinkle or 2. It's hot, easily accessible, and way more efficient than whipping out the ironing board and iron when I'm already running late. Is that bad?

And sometimes I am still in disbelief that I'm about to become a mom!!!!!!!! I'm around 31 weeks (gasp!!) and am now going to the doctor every 2 weeks. Baby's head has been down the past 2 visits, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she stays that way. Instead of sharp jabs, her movement is now more like an entire arm or leg scraping against the wall of my stomach as she twists and turns. She's gotten the hiccups a few times which is the most amazing thing ever. I still can't begin to imagine what it will be like once she's here, and in the meantime am making the most of each precious moment that K and I have together with each other, family, and friends before this monumental change occurs.

Below is the most recent belly shot. Thanks to my insanely short torso, she has nowhere to go but out. Contrary to popular belief, my doctor specifically said at my last appointment that baby is "not huge," rather she is average size and measuring right on track. Breathing is becoming somewhat of a challenge at night when I lay down and I'm on the verge of adopting a full-out waddle, but otherwise all remains well...