I had my very first wedding dress fitting this evening. It was a little surreal to be trying on gowns while my two year old was at home with the sitter (ha!), but I had a good time and may have found *the* one.
I don't watch any of those wedding shows on tv and I'm not your typical girl that has been planning her wedding for years. I would much rather plan a nursery than a wedding ... is that weird?
So when my consultant asked me how I wanted to feel in my dress, after much hesitation, the first word that came to mind was, "comfortable." Ha! I think she was surprised by that answer because she then went on to say... "Some brides say they want to look sexy... others say they want to look like a princess..."
I then told her that I want to look elegant, and I think that answer was more appeasing.
I'm not going to put up any pictures of the maybe dress, but here are a few that didn't make the cut...
LOVE the back in this one but didn't love the front as much - sad face
Haha - poofy much?
This one was like a very expensive costume to wear at a toga party.
Is it already Wednesday and the last Wednesday of January?!? Is it pathetic that I have been falling asleep basically, ummmm, every.single.night when I lay down with G?
Anywho, I am happy to link back up with Jamie and share this week's loves.
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I am loving my slow cooker. Seriously. I am using it on average three times a week, mostly with this awesome cookbook...
I am loving these two Paleo recipes that I made this week...
Mango coconut chipotle chicken over cauliflower rice Via
I am loving these Target dollar spot Valentine's finds...
I am loving these Pinterest funnies...
And, I am loving my sweet boy and this article that a friend posted on FB this morning. It helps to keep things in perspective and to remember what is more important at the end of each day.
Why did you have to be so good this season and be over already? My Tuesday nights will never be the same, and you better be picked up for season five!
Sincerely,
A devoted fan
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To my new trainer,
You have been kicking my butt for two weeks and my sore muscles thank you. My scale weight also thanks you now that I have someone that I am accountable to again. Five pounds down in four days?!? I'll take it.
Love,
A less chubby mama
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Dear Pottery Barn Kids,
Your furniture is cute, albeit expensive, but my co-sleeping toddler is now happily going to bed every night in his new big boy bed! Even though I am still sleeping with him, it's definitely a step in the right direction (Now I miss my tempurpedic mattress ... first world problems, le sigh).
Kind regards,
A sleep deprived mama
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Dear Ikea,
Thank you for showing R that cheaper furniture doesn't have to be bad. Our house is finally on its way to being completely (for the most part) organized and we didn't have to break the bank. Also, you sell some odd things, such as stuffed rats, that are weirdly cute. My child loves his "rap" and he goes everywhere with us.
Cheers,
A swiss furniture lover
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Dear G,
You are the only child I know that loves Zurg, and this love has reached an epic obsession. You ask dada to print you a new Zurg everyday on the printer (at least one) and you then love to spread every.single.paper all over the floor. It makes you so happy but drives me crazy. I am hoping this phase ends soon.
Love,
Your OCD Mama
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Dear January weather,
Yes, it is Texas and I know the weather is typically all over the place. We went from in the low 30's not too long ago to low 80's. I am not complaining because while I love my coats, I also love to get outside with my active little guy. A few weeks of "winter" is enough for girl. Please stay this beautiful all the time.
Sincerely yours,
A native Texan
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Dear friends with cute newborns,
My empty uterus is cursing me each time I hold one of your sweet little babes. I think I've been bitten by the baby bug and may be ready to try. Ahhh... hold me.
I have dropped the ball on my Wednesday love posts as of late, but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things!
Without further ado, I'm linking up with Jamie for WILW.
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Truth be told, I was rooting for Peyton Manning to win one more ring right after his comeback, but I am loving that former Longhorn player Justin Tucker had the game winning kick to send the Ravens to the AFC championship game. I am a total dude when it comes to sports, I know.
Horns up!
I am loving that none of us are sick with flu or RSV. ***Fingers crossed*** I am seeing so many people on FB whose kids are testing flu positive even though they received the flu shot months ago. I know that the vaccine doesn't cover all flu strains, but I never expected so many people to still get it. Better to be safe though... I hope I don't jinx myself with this!
I am loving that I finished our Christmas book on Shutterfly. With over 500 pictures (don't worry, I didn't use anywhere close to all of those), I thought a separate book for just Christmas would be better, but now I'm thinking about incorporating it into G's yearly memory book. Either way, I did a lot of work and got a head start!
I am loving Parenthood this season. This week's episode is still sitting patiently on my DVR, so no spoilers, please!
We started with a new trainer this week, and I am loving the soreness my body is feeling. CrossFit is great, but I have missed the more intense cardio/plyometric type work-outs. Most of my battle is eating healthy, even though I know that it is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. I am going to a sample sale at a bridal salon in a few weeks, so I am using that as my motivation to eat right.
I am loving that my back is feeling better, little by little. I wish I was feeling 100% and could run and sprint like I was able to prior to my granny fall. I know I will get there, so for now I am working on getting stronger and not over-doing it.
G started gymnastics again last week, and I am loving that he has the same teacher as he had last spring. She is really great with the kids and G loves her.
I am loving that I am almost done looking at potential preschools for next year. We want someplace that is much closer to home, so I have been going to tours and looking up reviews online. It's kind of crazy to me that some of these places require you to sign up a good eight months in advance because they are so popular.
My parents had a wonderful three week trip to Australia over the holiday break, and I am loving the souvenirs they brought back for everyone. Haha, only in my family...
Kangaroo scrotum bottle opener and koala poo (chocolate)
I am loving my city and its uniqueness.
More importantly, I am loving this video about two very special brothers. I wish everyone had the same outlook on life. Wouldn't the world be such a different place?
Umm, yes, why it is January 15th and I am still talking about Christmas. Sorry peeps. This is the last installment, I promise. Really, this little space is more for my memory's sake than anything else, so please hang with me and know that Christmas-less posts are coming. After this one...
After our visit in Connecticut, we drove back to New York because (a) we were borrowing R's step father's car and (b) we were flying out of NY back home. It was nice to end the trip with a couple more days in Rhinebeck because it is so relaxing there. They always make our visits so wonderful and really made this Christmas extra special since I wasn't with my family.
R was worried about the ice/snow on the roads coming back since a big storm was rolling through, so we left early that morning to head back. Fortunately, the roads were much better than we had anticipated, and we treated ourselves to a cozy breakfast at this cute little diner we had seen on the way out.
Happy to be reunited with two of his loves.. the "pad" and a blueberry muffin.
After eating, we drove through lots of falling flakes and made it back "home." Soo beautiful (as long as you don't have to drive in it, of course), and G was happy to stomp in the snow (his other favorite activity after "pad" watching and muffin eating).
Some very special grandparents were happy to have a certain little snuggler back in the house. G was happy to chase after Charlie cat, or "Chawdee," as he lovingly called him.
The big news of the trip is that we finally decided on a date for our wedding and settled on a church! It is small, beautiful, and brimming with history... basically perfect. Now that the date has been set and the church booked, the wedding wheels have begun to churn! :)
We sure do miss our Rhinebeck family and look forward to our next visit soon when we will fly back for catering and cake tastings!
I love this pic of G... typical two year old drama. "Life is SO unfair! Why must I take another picture?!?" Ha!
I'm a tad embarrassed to admit this, but I pulled a major granny move and fell down the stairs at two a.m. on Wednesday. Yep, f-e-l-l, as in I bit it hard. Hard enough that I was in enough pain to warrant a semi-quick trip to the ER to get x-rays and rule out anything serious.
You may be asking yourself how did I manage to fall? Wandering down the stairs at a wee hour in the morning and not turning on any lights is not recommend, folks. Nope, not at all. Also, it is probably a good idea to actually hold onto the hand railing if you are going to be that risky.
So, I fell the last two or three stairs but luckily (if there is such a thing) managed to turn around and fell on my lower back and saved my tail bone. Yay for that, but boo for having a really sore lower back now.
I am fortunate to have an awesome little sis that answered my pitiful call for help and swooped into the rescue to take me to the ER. My fall woke R up, but I really didn't want to wake G up at that hour. I am grateful for a zero minute wait at the hospital, for caring and understanding hospital staff, and for good pain meds. :)
R saved the day yesterday and juggled work and G while letting me sleep (and rest on the couch when I was awake). My dad brought me a bottle of white wine (he said to help me relax) and a nice heating pad for my back today. So even though I am still achy, I can't complain about the kindness of my family. They are good ones, I tell ya!
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We left a couple of days after Christmas to head out to Connecticut and visit with more of R's family. The roads heading out were semi-dicey because of the snow and we almost turned around. They did get better as soon as we turned on the major highway that takes you through Hartford.
R's grandmothers have lived a street apart for something crazy like fifty years or something. It makes for a quick drive when you go and visit. :)
Besides staying at one of his grandmother's (like we always do when we are there), we also met up with his half-sister and her littlest at the children's museum in Hartford and then drove to New London to see his dad and step-mom one last time.
I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking. It was great to see everyone and G had a blast with his three year old cousin!
At the children's museum * G would rather stomp outside in the snow than look at the exhibits indoors ... typical.
Before leaving for the northeast, I went back and forth on whether to bring G's car seat on the plane ... as in, install it on the actual plane seat.
In my opinion, the pros were to keep him safer and to keep him contained. Also, I figured he wouldn't make a fuss of sitting in it since he is already quite accustomed to being strapped in.
The cons? Lugging it through the airport (although I did score a GoGo Kidz from CL), installing it on the plane (and having to do the research to make sure each plane would accommodate the beast), and having to keep G from kicking the seat in front of him.
Ultimately we decided to check it and have G just sit in his seat. Easier said than done, but we all survived and luckily were seated next to {mostly} understanding people. P.S. This car seat cover is awesome for using at the airport. We have used ours several times now, and it has held up perfectly while keeping our car seat pristine.
The hardest part on the plane was the take-off and landing when you couldn't use any electronic devices, aka the beloved "pad" as G calls it. I brought lollipops, M&Ms, fruit snacks, and coloring/sticker books for exactly these "emergency" times when G was less than stellar. It also helped for me to hold him instead of attempting to keep the seat belt on him.
We were very glad to get there after one connection and settle in at Grandpa Frank and John's house. They have a beautiful, cozy place nestled on five very picturesque acres. Definitely not a hard place to stay at and Frank always goes above and beyond with fabulous meals.
Even though it was my first Christmas away from my family, they really made everything very special for us and it was even more wonderful to share my first white Christmas with G.
Cute toddler on the iPad * He fell asleep just before landing in Philly. Luckily the airport had these nice rocking chairs.
Beautiful table setting * Liquor/Dessert table * Christmas red & green soup * Breakfast table * Cozy by the fireplace * Yule log
G gets a pet tiger * Now that's a tree! * G with Grandpas on Christmas morning
Eating, eating, and more eating * Baby in the bath * Nap time
Christmas morning festivities * G "tried on" his stocking
R gets a new leather jacket from Florence * Lego tower building * The whole gang * Grandpas got each other the same shirt ... what are the odds?!?
Fun in the snow! * My grumpy little viking/lumberjack
Oh, heeeey! Remember me? I am slowly emerging from hibernation mode and will try not to bombard this poor neglected blog with too many Christmas pics (have I mentioned that I took over 500 during our, ahem, one week vacation?...)
2012 was very good to us -- a new {to us} house close to my family with more space to roam, a new job for R, four wonderful friends announced they were expecting, two babies were born {the other two are still "cooking"}, three getaways sans toddler, and everyone survived G's tear duct surgery.
We rang in 2013 silently while sleeping... hehe. Hey, a long day of flying and three flights later, we were all soundly asleep by 9:30. Ah well, there's always next year, right?
I don't know if 2013 can top 2012, but I am excited to see what adventures await us!
**** I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, so please bear with me as I backtrack through our holiday celebrations.
Before we left for the northeast, we celebrated Christmas here at home with R's mom. We went to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood, opened presents, and capped off her visit with a ride on the "Polar Express."
Second annual trip to decorate our Charlie Brown tree on the side of the highway {it's an Austin thing}. Don't worry, we went back yesterday to take the decorations off.
Cookies and milk for Santa * Looks like Santa came!
Opening presents the next morning. G preferred the opening to the actual presents... go figure.
The Polar Express! These tickets were purchased back in March because they sell out THAT quickly! I had high expectations and came away disappointed, but my niece was excited to see the real Santa and Mrs. Claus. :) Gavin wasn't impressed and had more fun playing with my iphone and eating chips and cookies.
