Saturday, December 17, 2011

Two Weeks Off...

What to do?!?!

Oh, I plan on doing a whole lot of nothing. Other than wrapping a few presents, this girl is parking it in the relaxation zone.

http://ardenpruchablog.com/
We took maternity pics last weekend with Arden Prucha at a park near the lake in Fort Worth. She did an amazing job and I can't wait to see the rest.  Here's a sampling... http://ardenpruchablog.com/bm-maternity-peek/

I've got 9 weeks to go! Yikes...will I be ready? I mean emotionally, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. But right now I'm more concerned about the glider arriving on time and hanging art on the walls. The room just isn't quite finished. That's all I talk about these days...baby and baby's room. I am certain Mitch is over it. We're taking a child birth class tomorrow. I'm not really sure there's much I'm going to learn that I haven't already read about, been told about from experienced moms, pregnancy apps or seen on the latest "Baby Story" on TLC.  I just think it'll happen how it happens and I'm not going to stress about it. So off we go tomorrow to practice how to have a baby (like you can actually practice) and all that jazz. Mitch needs more insight than I do. I'm around babies often enough to have a clue. Next class...breastfeeding. My mom laughed when I said I was taking this class. She said something along the lines of, "Well you just stick your boob in their mouth and that's about it." I'm hoping it goes that easy.

Hoping my brash comments never offend anyone, but then again...do I really care?!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Month 7

Only 11 weeks to go!!! EEEEEKKKK!!!! So excited :)

at Rebecca & Jonathan's Wedding recently
realized how NOT fun it is when you can't have a drink
but the wedding was fun & the bride was gorgeous of course

So Stella's measuring a little over 3lbs and however many inches long (I can't remember). That's about a week or so ahead. She moves around all the time, which is a delight. Sleep is getting a little more uncomfortable, especially with two dogs fighting over who's sleeping right next to me. My hips are killing me!! I'm a stomach sleeper, so there's nothing more to say than it sucks :/     Otherwise I feel pretty good.

Here are some recents...what's up with me not using a camera these days?! I never take one with me anywhere and then I end up with phone pics. Oh well. Goal of the week...start taking pics again.

A few weeks ago...month 6

The Star of the Show at 28wks
She's got a set of cheeks on her & a round belly

I'm busy from now until the middle of January, so if you want to make plans...I'm booked...except the week before Christmas, in which I will probably fill my time with last minute holiday details and completing the baby's room.

Who's ready for the holidays and my two weeks off?? This girl!!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Onion Rings & Cheesecake

That's pretty much what I had for lunch today...and some loaded cheese chips from Champps. I swear I'm pretty easy to please, but today it didn't seem so. They wouldn't make my 1/2 Cobb that I ALWAYS order. The waiter said they'd kill the cook if he made one?? "We don't do 1/2 salads" he says. I even threw in the "I used to work here back in the day" line (I really did). So not about to settle for a regular side salad, I changed my direction and ordered a cup of chili. It SUCKED! or so my pregnant taste buds thought. I ended up snacking on a few cheese chips, some of Mitch's onion rings and topped off my lunch with a slice cheesecake.

What? Don't judge. I get all of my vitamins at other meals.

Went for my 24 week appointment this week. Only one more month and I'll be going in every couple of weeks. I have a feeling this holiday season is going to fly and then she'll be here!!!

The one and only...

Not much different than last time. But it's so fun to get to see her!!!!

Best pregnancy feeling - baby kicks. So much fun! She's a mover, that's for sure. Possibly will enroll in tumbling classes upon birth. She'd be at the top of her class.

On a clothing side-note: I was perusing the mall and saw a 70% off sign at Ann Taylor, so I high-tailed it over there. Upon entering it occurred to me...I can't fit into any of my regular clothes at home...which means I probably can't fit into anything here either. I turned around and walked out. Kinda sad. Maternity clothes are overrated. Or maybe it's just that I've worn everything I've already bought and am over those items.

Status of Stella's room: Rug arrived and the rest is still to come. The rug is my inspiration for the whole room, so I hope I can get it together now that it's here. She's got a dresser and I've pretty much ordered the rest. Who knew that choosing fabrics would be so challenging? My indecisiveness has only gotten worse in the past few months, so deciding on bedding, chair fabric, curtains, paint, etc. has been a nightmare. Why can't I like anything that comes prepackaged in a box, easy to open and simple?!?!

To top that off, I feel like I settled on a dresser/changing table...I couldn't find a decently priced antique that I was really hoping for, so I compromised with a reproduction. Then I went to an estate sale last weekend and found EXACTLY what I was looking for and it was a steal!! Not a minute before I told them I'd take it, someone else had laid their claim. DARN IT!! I still left with two fun chairs and a couple of lamps. Gotta love Vintage Sales :)

Halloween Extra:
We ran out of 12 bags of candy by 8:00! The entire street was lined with cars with their flashers on. We'll be prepared next year. Our four-legged children had a great time!



Saturday, October 15, 2011

Half Way There

We're halfway there!! Here I am at 22 weeks...black isn't all that revealing I guess, but there's no doubt there's a baby in there.

Hello Stella Kate

Ms. Stella Kate is doing a lot of kicking these days.  Her feet are definitely down because I only feel her tapping on my bladder and no where else. She's pretty active when I eat & late at night. It's kind of amazing!! I'm ready for full-on movement. The sporadic kicks are cool though.

We registered this weekend. It was pretty fun, but also a reality check that she'll be here before we know it. I'm getting closer to room decisions. I know which crib we're getting & we picked up her dresser today, but that's about it. I love this amazing rug from Anthropolgie, but I haven't made it to the fabric store to pick bedding fabric. Once I get to that point, I'll be more on track. It's not surprising that I am having trouble deciding on what I want. I'm trying to be as reasonable as possible, but reasonable is not really in my purchasing vocabulary.

All of the stuff I said we were doing in my last blog...none of it happened. No Adele...she's not coming...skank. No Thursday concerts at the Arboretum...I've been too stinking busy/tired. Race for the Cure...it just didn't work out. Slacker is what I'm feeling like. I have been so sleepy that by 8:00 I'm ready to call it a night. I couldn't even start, much less finish my book club book, so I powered through it in one week on audiobooks (thank god for 6hrs in the car to Austin & back). I really feel good during the day and have energy, but when I stop, that's it!!

One of our good friends gave us some baby stuff...it's now Roxy approved. We might have jealousy issues or they'll be best friends.

I turned it on and everything...she's down with it :)
Dogs and baby...I really hope they don't flip!!

Monday, October 3, 2011

It's Confirmed!

Baby Girl Williams it is!!! Not much to report except that we're doing great at 20 weeks! Been feeling little kicks for a couple of weeks now (just little flutters & bubbles).

This baby needs a name...Daddy, just agree to whatever mommy says :)

No doubt...it's not a boy

I'm super excited that I can finally start putting things together for her room...Name to be announced as soon as we agree on one. Which could be today...or...the day she arrives. My vote is...if I have to give birth to her and go through pregnancy I should get my pick!

I'm loving this fall weather! Lots of outside time to come. Thursday concerts in the garden at the Arboretum, Adele in a few weeks, and Dallas Race for the Cure are a few of our upcoming events. I hope to throw in a little ATX time next weekend. Haven't been down since Mother's Day :/

Congrats to my sister on her new job with the American Red Cross as a Disaster Services Specialist! Katie moved to San Angelo this past weekend.

Until then...

~Ciao

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Baby Williams

So I'm actually feeling GREAT!!!! So unexpected after such a crabby first trimester :)

We went for an almost 16 week sonogram/ultrasound (never know which word to use)...and boy was Baby Williams giving us a show of everything EXCEPT the goods! We spent half an hour just trying to figure out what "it" was!

Words to describe movement: Wiggle Worm, Feisty, Leg Crosser, Hiccupper, Difficult, Puncher, Kicker

After several decent views, our sonographer Judy (love her!) said she felt 95% certain it was a GIRL!!!! So of course I'm completely ELATED...I really don't care which it is, but somewhere deep down I want a little girl. I know I can figure out a boy, but I already know girl.

My mom came in town just as we got home from the doctor and we shared the news. She had made little Williams a quilt this summer at the Colorado cabin. It's adorable.

Could go Boy/Girl
We watched the sono video again and after seeing the whole thing blown up on the big screen, Mitch and Mom are not completely convinced it's a girl. I didn't see any plumbing hanging out there, but there sure wasn't a great view between the legs either.

Either way, we'll be happy, but I can't lie...fingers are crossed that at our 20wk appointment we'll confirm GIRL :)

I'd post a sono pic, but we never seem to be able to catch her profile. We see the face right from the front, and I hate to say...Right now we have an alien baby. What I love to see - Baby Fingers & Toes...makes my heart smile.

Pretty happy that I'm spending time with family this weekend. Haven't seen my mom in a while and we'll spend Sunday at my grandmother's. Then Monday, it's just me and the main man. Perfect holiday weekend...and they keep saying something about cooler temps next week, but I certainly won't believe until I see it.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Because Doggies Love Cupcakes Too...

...and they do!!

It's not their first cupcake or anything, but I'm sure they prefer Sprinkles to everyone else (same as me).


Beau was so excited he couldn't stand still

Not much to report right now. Ready or not, the kids are back tomorrow! My house is still a disaster area. My sister does have specialized knowledge in disaster response, but hasn't given me pointers on how to deal with moving messes. My mom is coming in a couple of weeks, so maybe she'll know what to do? or maybe I should actually consider putting things away before she gets here? Either way, it'll get done eventually...just don't think I'll be having anyone over until at least Thanksgiving.

On a preggers side note...
My appetite is back!! No more nausea...just in time for work! and...I have more energy!! I have had some random cravings. I'm completely embarrassed to say that yesterday I REALLY wanted Panchos!!! If you're from Funkytown, then you know which Panchos I'm talking about. Yep. I really should be ashamed, but at this moment I give the belly what it wants. Did I eat flautas and cheese sauce? Damn straight! ...and it was good!!

The day before I did the unspeakable. I ate an entire Double Barrel Baked Potato from Soulman's BBQ (another place I wouldn't even normally consider driving past). It's contents - extra large baked potato loaded with butter, sour cream, bacon and chopped beef. I usually take two bites and I'm done. I sat with my team at lunch while having a rather hilarious discussion and chowed down. The words "chowed down" are exactly what I felt like I was doing. Who eats that crap?!?!

I really hope I can sneak a few vegetables in, but right now they might just have to come in the form of V8 Splash. The sound of healthy makes me gag.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

I've Been Waiting All Summer for This

I haven't posted almost the entire summer! Not because I didn't want to, but because up until the end of July I had nothing to talk about. I seriously did NOTHING until we went on vacation to Turks & Caicos...also, because I'm terrible at secrets...Must read on to find out...

Recap of the fun stuff from this summer...

Mitch went skydiving...He LOVED it!

What a blast! I'll jump next time.
Jumped from 13,000ft! Yikes

We went to Turks & Caicos for vacation. It was exactly what we wanted...Relaxation. The people were super friendly and we loved our hotel. The beach was amazing...pure white baby powder. The gin clear water...deep down you can still see your feet. I took so few pics because we really just didn't do much besides hang at the beach, pool or go out to eat.

This pic sums up the entire week
view from our room
emjoying a Turks Head beer...mmmm
my day everyday
Chalk Sound 
one of the beaches on the south side of the island

We moved to Dallas from Plano! Yippee! No more suburbs. No more long drives to work. No more commutes to see friends. We found a good neighborhood close to everything we wanted. I've unpacked about half of the kitchen...and the rest of the house is still in boxes. We moved in last Monday and lazy me still hasn't really lifted much of a finger. I guess I thought the unpacking fairies would arrive, but they haven't.

Want to know why I didn't do a darn thing from the day school got out until vacation? Well...

It's because I was so stinkin' tired, exhausted, nauseous, etc...all that comes with the first trimester of pregnancy!!! Before you read one more thing...no FB postings please. I don't care if you comment here, but nothing on FB right now.

It's official...We're expecting Baby Williams in February and couldn't be more thrilled :)
It's been a long time coming and a rough road, but I feel comfortable enough (with reassurance from the doctor) that I can finally share our happy news. Although nothing's a sure thing, this seems to be it. I'm now a little over 12 weeks and don't even care that elastic is my new best friend. The first trimester is an entirely separate blog, but let's just say, it really sucked. Prayers for a healthy baby and good pregnancy are certainly welcomed.
*Pregnancy...NO skydiving, beer, scuba diving, snuba diving, boats or snorkeling (only b/c I was nauseous), energy to lift a finger
*Pregnancy...Something I'm incredibly thankful for, but hoping I get to enjoy it this next trimester

A couple of other things from the summer...it was like Animal Planet at our house in Plano. Three hawks decided our backyard was their new place to hang, hunt & kill. I was not a fan...It was a mom, which I couldn't get a good shot of & her two teenagers. Pics of the kids...SO loud...she certainly wasn't teaching them the quiet way to hunt.



Rest assured, this squirrel was not hawk breakfast...he was just cooling off in the dirt around the big backyard tree. These temps are soooooo miserable that even the animals are desperate.

Everyday he was either belly-up or belly-down in the dirt to get relief from the heat

What else is there? Beau had surgery Friday to repair his ACL and meniscus. Poor little bugger. He's a trooper though and already feeling better. 6 more weeks of down time for him :(

and tomorrow...Back to work. I'm never sure if I'm ready, but never the less, the time has arrived and I WILL be going to work tomorrow. I've not stepped foot in my classroom this summer, so all of those days that I thought I had even an ounce of energy...I should have spent at least one of them in my room prepping...but I didn't, so I know there will be a reality check and a bit of overwhelming panic when I arrive and realize I have one week to get it together...after the hours of inservice we'll be in all day.

Ciao for now...probably no more updates until my next sono in three weeks! There's a possibility that we'll know what we're having by then! I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Happy Summer

I really don't intend to turn this into a food blog, but since I love to cook and eat...I guess I'll be sharing. I really could do this everyday - get up and think about what I'm going to make today. And since it's summer, I've got the time. My perfect job - somewhere between food blogging, trying out recipes and checking out restaurants...now, if I could only figure out how to get paid since I already do this...I've looked into it. I guess I'm hoping one of my journalist friends will hook me up.

Utilizing some herbs this week:

Super Delish Melon Mint Slush
Honeydew Melon, Ginger Ale, Mint, Sugar, Ice
So Refreshing

Turkey Burgers with Rosemary Mayo & Brie


Mitch topped his with pepper jack instead of brie & loved it
This week's recipes courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. I can rarely take credit for anything I make (except I that physically prepare the food). Why reinvent the wheel when someone else has got it down perfectly?

So this week I've gotten up way earlier than I intended. I assumed I'd be sleeping in until at least 9 everyday, but I haven't even come close. I'm up by 7 at the latest. I love coming to the computer every morning, looking up recipes and being entertained by the rabbits and squirrels in our neighborhood. All the babies are out and about, so it's kind of hilarious watching them play. They are so not sure of themselves or each other yet.

Friday we're going to an event to support Free & Fair Elections in the Congo. Check out Falling Whistles.

~Ciao

Monday, June 6, 2011

Moan, groan, or grunt?

Tell me that got your attention ;)
I've been watching a lot of tennis lately...So, which one is it?!

I can't decide what to call this loud painful porno sex sound that women tennis players make (and some of the guys too...Nadal). Sharapova is the worst. I realize that it's tough...that's probably why I don't play, but REALLY???? Is it necessary to groan so long & loudly that I can barely hear the ball hit the court? So Mitch called it a grunt, but I say it's a moan/groan because the sound lasts longer than a grunt. What's your take?

I seriously had a hard time naming this blog. There have been so many funny moments over the last couple weeks that I didn't know where to start. Just this Saturday we were walking out of Neimans and Mitch says, "What I like most of all is that it has a rhinestone pearl snap!" This is in reference to a new shirt he got...little did I know my husband was into rhinestones or pearl snaps! Bahahahaha!!! (upon closer inspection, I did not find a rhinestone...just a pearl snap...you should've seen the disappointment on his face). Should the title have been "He Likes Rhinestone Pearl Staps?!"



We celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary this past Saturday. I know it's old to say this, but time really does fly by. We couldn't do much because I've been a little under the weather, but we still went out to dinner. We have this thing for steak places on our anniversary. It's not like we don't eat steak the other 11 months of the year, because we do! This time we tried Ocean Prime. It was pretty good, but I don't agree with its D Magazines' #3 spot in the Steak! issue. I'd put it somewhere past #5. I think we'll do one new place a month so we can put our own Top 10 together (D Magazine did 20...I'm not wasting my time at some of the places on the list). We've conquered about 9 of their 20 already...only two that we won't go back to. Pappas Bros. still ranks #1 in my book. Not sure that anyone can top it. And next time I go somewhere with "ocean" in the name...I'm getting fish.

I felt pretty wretched last week. I'll spare you the details...I promise you don't want to know. Mitch has been my support though. He helped me shop for games for my kids. He got a mani/pedi with me. He came with me shopping (NEVER happens). Because by Sunday I couldn't pull myself off the couch to go anywhere, he even went to a Ann Taylor 40 minutes away to pick up a dress that they didn't have anywhere near us. I LOVE HIM!

School's out for summer. Nuf said!

First Monday off - I have to get up early and go to the doctor. Blah. I guess the positive about that is, she's right by Northpark, so I treated myself for feeling so awful. Now, I've gone to the doctor, Nordstrom, Sephora, Barnes & Noble, & Starbucks, made lunch at home, then started blogging and it's not even noon! What will I do with myself this summer?!
(by the way friends - that's my self invitation to all of you who have a pool)

My lunch - Mini Caprese Salad...this will probably be my lunch everyday! I love mozzarella & basil. Isn't my little herb garden coming out nicely? I guess you can call it a garden. I can't put it outside because not one inch of our gardens see sunlight, but the window box it the kitchen is perfect. The dill & flatleaf parsley may not make it. I can't figure them out. The rosemary, just stays the same. The basil and mint are doing great though!



Another reason to love summer - It's full of fresh. I mean fresh herbs and food specifically. I love cooking in the summer. It's all about straight from the garden, grilling and ingredients that I get at the store the same day. My summer cooking inspirations - Giada and Ina (and sometimes Bobby)...as always.

We just booked our vacation for July. I know we've been going back and forth between Italy and Hawaii, but when it came down to it...we didn't want adventure after all. Relaxation is on the books for us in Turks and Caicos! Airfare isn't booked only because I'm always on the lookout for another deal...which I probably won't find because I'm not one for waiting around at numerous different airports. I want to get to my destination as quickly as possible. Check out our digs...Gansevoort. We weren't feeling the mega resort this time, so boutique hotel it is. Anyone up for a villa rental next year? If you're interested in something like that, let me know...We're serious!

That was really long right?! Hopefully you made it this far down! Yikes.

~Ciao

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

We Needed That

There's not much to say except that we had an incredible weekend in Playa del Carmen. We were down for our dear friend Jacob's wedding and then it occurred to us....we couldn't believe how much time had past since we had seen some of our friends! Almost 6 years! We hadn't even actually met Sonya yet (the bride)!

I don't care how selfish I am...I won't even begin to feel guilty about taking a mini-vacation 10 days before school's out. This weekend was so needed. If not for me (who can make it another 6 days), then for Mitch who hasn't seen the light of day since we went to Fayetteville last September! I promise you we are still counting down til he's actually going to be off for week in July.

What's better than an all-inclusive, worry free resort with no children? Not much as far as I'm concerned. Most people have taken some sort of vacay of the sort, so no need to go into detail. Typical resort restaurants (mostly delicious), endless drinks/ing by the pool or on the beach. What makes a getaway like this even better?? GREAT Friends old and new!!!  I'll let the pics do the talking...

How to get a girl outta bed and to the airport...
Give her Starbucks and tell her she'll be on the beach in 4 hours
Beach bags for the guests...came in super handy
A view of the resort...this is just one section...it's kinda huge

Here's how the rest went down...

I drank a lot of champagne...
I can't help it...it's my favorite!

We did a lot of this...
Nothing
While doing nothing...
we watched parasailers...
...and I harassed the wildlife for photo ops...what's new.
If we weren't on the beach...we were poolside with the gang...
Day 3 of Caribbean Sun = t-shirts on in the pool
Sunburns unwanted!
...and we loved every minute of it!

Occasionally we got out of suits (the bathing ones) to eat dinner...I forgot to pack Mitch close-toed shoes, so he trekked over to the Mexican Super Wal-Mart (for real) for a pair that could get him through the night...then we saw a few guys in flip-flops at dinner...WTF...our friends were turned away the night before for not having the right shoes on.

Mexican food was yum...but so was every other meal we had

I took some randoms here and there...


We did actually go for a wedding...

Us and Jacob (groomy)
The Beautiful Bride...
...and the Gorgeous skirt to her dress...kinda in love with it

The best part to any wedding though is the obvious...Reception on the beach with unlimited amounts of laughter and dancing! We all look kinda crazy in most of the pics, so I can only offer a little glimpse...

post wedding cocktail hour with of course...champagne
followed by a beachside reception
one relaxed, happy dude
Going out in style on our last night in Playa
some of the guys 
some of the Michiganders

It was sad to go so quickly, but we had a perfectly fun and relaxing time. 

last day :(

Did ya see a theme?
It was purple...I had NO IDEA that their wedding would be full of purple...and I showed up with a purple swimsuit and a purple dress for the wedding...probably the only two purple things I own. I also packed for like a week and a half and wore about 2 days worth of stuff because we were in the pool or on the beach the whole time. Oh well...had I packed light, I would've needed more clothes. Better be safe than sorry.

As for moi...
6 Days of School left for the 2010-2011 School Year!!!!