leap year...

So I know that today is leap day but when I think of leap day/leap year I think about the last 365 days... this past year has truly been a "leap year" for DJ and one where we took a lot of leaps of faith... Starting almost exactly a year ago where we made our cross-country move to Georgia... packed up our charming house, quit our jobs, got Ollie neutered (hah), and moved south.

It's been a year since our journey and the leaps just came on coming - I went back to my education roots and it was a year ago (well March 1st will be a year I guess) since I interviewed for my current job and I am still as happy about that choice as I was a year ago... I'm excited to be back in higher education and working with college students. I'm in an extremely conducive environment for my personal and professional development, I have great coworkers, work with phenomenal students and get to create and make an impact every day... sure there are days that are frustrating and filled with headaches but that's every job.

My love also has made some huge career leaps ove the past year - he did his own thing for the past year and really honed his design, development and marketing skills. Around six months ago he got picked up by a start-up and really helped take them to the next level, and most recently - today, he took his next leap and started his new job as Director of Marketing for all an international company based out of the UK... oh yeah, and he hasn't applied for a job in over six years - people just keep offering him jobs [yes, I picked a winner].  This current job is definitely a leap for him, he's really pushing himself with this position and going outside of his comfort zone and leaving a job, product and company he was extremely passionate about to take further steps to provide for his family... something I will not forget and something I truly appreciate him for.

Oh yeah, and we took our biggest leap of all this year when I decided to stop taking birth control and we started trying for sweet baby j... and well you know how that turned out!

So, I know 2012 is considered a "leap year" but when I think about my life and all the leaps we've taken in the past year - 2011 was definitely the leap year in our little family of three [almost four] [yes, four - Ollie counts, hah].

here's to our next year in Georgia... not necessarily a year that will be filled with "leaps" [well, who knows] but definitely a year of many changes... we'll become parents, welcome a sweet baby girl into the world, say goodbye to our sweet basement apartment and hello to city living....

all in all, as I think about where I was a year ago today - I was filled with anticipation, excitement and anxiety about starting our new life in Georgia... as I reflect on the past year since we made the move I am so happy we made our "leap" - and even more than that, I'm so happy that I made the one big leap 26 months ago and married my best friend.  I can't imagine taking this journey and these leaps with anyone else by my side...

...with that, thanks DJ for your love, support and all of the hard work and sacrifices. I'm so proud of you as you take this next step in your career and know you will be so successful in all that you do - you're one of the smartest, creative and hard-working people I have ever met.  even more important than that -- you make "leaping" that much easier because I know you'll always be there to hold my hand, jump with me and pick me up when if we stumble. 88 my love.

happy leap day everyone - hope you took a leap today, if not - you have tomorrow... trust me, take a chance, it's worth it.

...for more on our "leap year" all the adventures that came with it check out my 2011 year in review...

snapshots....

this is my life. 

so glamorous, I know. 

simple treasures....

do you own any treasures? I consider myself quite a lucky lady, because I do. now, when you think of treasure you might think of the monetary worth something brings in and while I do love my "fancy treasures" [wedding band, engagement ring, etc.] - to me I own a few "simple treasures" that are the most valuable things I own...

would I be devastated if I lost my rings? yes. can they be replaced. yes. even if I lose them, no one can ever take away the feelings that flowed through me when DJ asked me to marry him, or when he surprised me on the eve of our [second] wedding day with my beautiful engagement ring... those feelings are tied to my husband, to our love - not to the rings that I wear as an outward display of that.

the things that can't be replaced mean that much more to me -- one of the most valuable things I have to this day are little things that I've held on to over the years that money cannot replace - my senior year of high school yearbook [if anything only for what DJ wrote in it], pictures from my childhood and DJ's childhood, and probably my biggest "treasure" would be my box of pictures, cards, letters and emails from my dad. I go through them from time to time just to feel close to him and remind myself of his spirit and who he was - but I do have one thing that is a constant reminder.

on to one of my biggest "treasures" -- so I have this email printed out and hanging in my office that my dad wrote me 10 years ago [to the day actually]... I was a sophomore in college and I honestly don't know what it was in response to but I can tell you that the day I got it I printed it out and hung it on my wall right by my computer in my apartment in Northgate. It has since then moved with me to two different rooms in the UCF ZTA house, my office in Columbia College, my apartment at USC, two different offices in Wilmington, my home in Great Barrington and now back on my office wall in Atlanta. For ten years I hung that email up as a constant reminder to myself of the love that my parents felt for me. 

The email reads:

Subject: YOUR MOMMY AND DADDY ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU

Hi honey,

The subject says it all. We are very proud of your accomplishments.

Thanks for being you.

That is all.

Daddy

If you ever met my dad you know he's a man of very few words - but when he spoke, you listened. When he told you he loved you, you basked in it. When he told you he was proud of you, you felt like the most powerful person in the world. 

I hope that I can one day be the pillar of strength for my children that my father was for me - he wasn't perfect, but he was the best daddy I could have ever asked for. His birthday is coming up - he would have been 77 on Friday, crazy to think about that and the fact that it's been over five years since we lost him. Sometimes it really does feel like yesterday I was laughing on the phone with him and making him tell me that he loved me before he hung up. 

I guess the biggest thing I have to share in regards to this is tell the people you love that you love them, tell your kids [and significant others, family members, friends] that you're proud of them. This is the reason I love cards, letters and just taking the time to physically write to someone what they mean to you. It's so important to share these things with people and sometimes it means that much more when it's written down and you can physically hold on to and come back to... You never know when you could be giving someone a simple treasure that they will hold on to and love for the rest of their days.

Do you have any treasures of your own?

What are they?

sunday evening random rambles...

can this weekend not end? seriously. I can't believe it's Sunday night already... this weekend was just what I needed, nice and low-key relaxation with my love. DJ and I had a great dinner date at West Egg on Friday night [their PBJ burger = AMAZING. pimento cheese and tomato jam on a burger was even better than it sounds]. then we came home and relaxed with Ollie. Saturday was our errands day, we made our list and checked everything off - got the car washed, Ollie got a bath and manicure [and smells so good], did some grocery shopping and just relaxed. Today was even more relaxing - I cleaned for a bit and did loads of laundry and we watched some Big Bang and then [quazi] watched the Oscars... 

anyways, the lovely, sweet and adorable Sarah from A Lovely Little Life gave me a sweet blog award last week and I thought I'd play along tonight [and give her a shout-out of course - go check out her blog, she's awesome and is also pregnant with a little girl! :)]... 

so here are the questions that go along with the blog award.... 

What is your go to make up brand?

that's a tough one... my make-up case is full of all sorts of goodies [that I rarely wear, hah]. It used to be MAC through and through but I've branched out a bit. I've started loving Benefit, Smashbox and Too-Faced.

What was your favorite fashion trend of 2011?

real talk: I don't know that I can even name one fashion trend of 2011. 

seriously.

this is sad.

I guess need to start reading some more fashion blogs.

hah.

What is your favorite dessert?

just one? 

you can't be serious!?

I love all things dessert, I can't pick just one so here's a few...

creme brulee, french macaroons, key lime pie...

and...

CUPCAKES.

oh cupcakes. I love you.

What is your favorite color?

just one?

clearly, I'm very indecisive.

I guess red.

[though I love some pink, yellow and turquoise!]

What is your middle name?

well, it used to be Maria but now it's my maiden name... let's leave it at S. for the public blog purposes

The last song you listened to?

does the background music to the Oscars count?

last song played on my iPhone: Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers... 

random, but good song.

Dogs or cats?

[bull]dogs. duh!

Something you haven't told anyone (on your blog) yet?

let's see....

we're naming our daughter --

haha.... juuuuust kidding!

you'll find out in 11 weeks give or take... :)

but anyways, something not a lot of people know --

DJ is starting a new job this week!

it's bittersweet because he's been doing amazing work at his current [almost past] job for the past six months and he has become such a valued member of their team in such a short time... 

but the man is just too good.

I'm super proud of him as he's gotten recruited once again...

it was an offer and opportunity that he couldn't refuse and he starts his new gig on Thursday.

love you jiggs, thanks for all the hard work and sacrifices you make for sweet pea and me. 

88 lovie. you're the best.

in other news, I'm crying over Meryl Streep's Oscar acceptance speech.

damn pregnancy hormones.

on that note, time for bed... 

28 weeks!

28 weeks down, 12 to go [81 days]! I can't believe how close we're getting to meet sweet pea! this has been a great week - we're making huge strides in the nursery... it's pretty much done, I had a great visit to the doctor [no anemia or gestational diabetes here!], we bought our carseat [with a 25% off trade-in coupon], we got our first gift in the mail off our baby registry [yay for a swing for sweet pea!], I booked my mom's flight to come visit/for our baby shower! so yes, a great week.

we also took our first "childbirth/delivery class" -- it was interesting to say the least... I'm not quite sure it's going to be super informative but hey... it will definitely be entertaining. I'm pretty sure DJ and I almost got kicked out because I have the maturity of a 12 year old [and my husband is not far behind me]... we were definitely giggling uncontrollably during the "relaxation exercises"that we did not understand. next week during the class we're taking a tour of the labor/delivery wing of where I'll be delivering sweet pea - so I'm actually really excited about that!

here are the 28 weeks stats...

• Baby J is currently weighing around 2.5 lbs and measuring around 14.8 inches long... around the size of an average rutabaga [?!]
• Baby J can also blink her eyes AND has eyelashes... she wasn't wiggling too much over the weekend but the past few days she's been back to her active self! 
• Baby J is also developing "billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world"
• As I said earlier, the doctor this week went great - everything was normal as could be and I'm measuring right on track. Sweet Pea's heartbeat was great, all my blood tests came back normal, my blood pressure was great and the doctor seemed really happy with my progress.
• Now that I'm in the third trimester they've moved my appointments to every two weeks so we'll be going more frequently - which is exciting that we'll be able to check-in on Sweet Pea more often!

28 week bumpin' bumpin...

my 28th week in photos...

 adorable newborn bumgenius cloth diapers!

new lamp and table in the nursery

"sun-dex" aka orange sugary yuck

sweet pea's new ZTA legacy onesie that I got at ZTA day!

DJ surprised me with sweet macaroons from West Egg last Friday and they were AMAZING!

...how I celebrated passing my gestational diabetes test = key lime cupcake from yum yum cupcakes!

Ollie just being all sorts of adorable this week...

so there we are... another week closer to meeting sweet pea!

second trimester must haves...

28 weeks down and officially in the 3rd trimester -- so here is my list of second trimester "must-haves" also known as the things that helped me survive the second trimester...

1. Bra extenders - face the facts, your ribcage is going to expand which means not only are your boobs going to get bigger but your entire chest is going to grow -- for me, I bought some bras that were bigger but more than anything these helped me not have to replace my entire "boudoir" [I got a set of three from Target]

2. Cocoa butter - I've been lucky so far with no stretch marks... but honestly, I attribute that to good genetics not cocoa butter [but you never know]. Either way, I've had dry skin throughout the pregnancy so the cocoa butter has definitely helped!

3. Chapstick - not only was my skin super dry but my lips were as chapped as can be so do yourself a favor and grab some chapstick... or if you're super mature like me... strawberry lip smackers!

4. Body Pillow - I don't know why I resisted buying one of these for so long - do yourself a favor and do NOT make the same mistake I did, get one ASAP. It will help your ability to sleep comfortably through the night more than anything else [in my opinion].

5. Heating pad - if you're having back pain... invest in one of these, it will definitely help sooth your aches and pains. I kept one at my desk in my office since that was when my back seemed to bother me the most [sitting at my desk].

6. Maternity leggings - I would live in these if I could!

7. Maternity pants - since you probably can't live in maternity leggings, it's time to throw the towel in on the belly band or the hairband trick and buy yourself some real maternity pants... jeans, khakis, work pants - you want them all. You will not look back. I seriously don't know what I'm going to do when I have to zipper/button my pants again. I have become the epitome of pants laziness.

8. Men's sweat pants - there came a point where my sweatpants just wouldn't cut it... luckily I've converted my husband into a sweatpants wearer [can you believe he didn't own any before we were married?!]... this has definitely come in handy the past two months because I have been wearing them as much as him if not more. I don't know what I'm going to do when I don't fit in his pants anymore... seriously... it's probably going to happen soon!

9. Long maternity tank tops - I wear a maternity tank everyday to work under pretty much every top I own... the extra layer has helped me be able to wear some of my "non-maternity" tops for longer and they're just super comfortable [and make me feel less self-conscious that my tummy is going to poke out from under my shirt at some point throughout the day]

10. FBUs - yes. FBUs.... "full butt underwear," granny panties - call them what you will - trust me, you'll thank me when you make the change. I don't see anything else in my near future, these and these have become my new favorites!

so there you have it. 

basically I like things that smell good and comfy bottoms.

pretty simple.


[[you can find my list of first trimester must haves here!]]

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself...

I stumbled upon the article "30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself" awhile back and read over it and didn't really spend any time processing it, just kinda glanced over it. Then Candace posted a link to it today on twitter and I took some time to really read it and think about my life and the things I "do to myself" [and those around me]. 

I realized what great strides I've taken in the past few years to come into my own and put myself and my own happiness first. While at the same time, learning the ultimate meaning of compromise and what it means to live your life for and with another... oh marriage.

There are many items on the list that a few years ago I would say definitely applied to my life [and trust me there are still a LOT of items on the list that I need to continuously work on] but I feel happy about where I am and the amount of growth that I've made [and hopefully will continue to make]. 

Anyways, here's a condensed version of the list... 

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. 

2. Stop running from your problems.
3. Stop lying to yourself.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness.
11. Stop being idle.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else.
16. Stop being jealous of others.
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself.
18. Stop holding grudges.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
28. Stop worrying so much.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen.
30. Stop being ungrateful.

[via, see the full list with more on each item here]

All in all, I live a great life - and I feel like I've made great strides to becoming a better person, living in the moment, and just living life the past few years. Like many people, I've struggled with the idea of "self" and who I am/who I want to be over the past few years. I've given up many things that made up a huge part of my identity and at the same time gained many new roles which has changed that self-identity as well.  As I think about bringing a baby into the world and taking on my new role as "mom" I think about this list and the improvements I want to continue to strive to make - to make myself a better wife, friend, mother, and more than anything just better person.

2012 is already proving to be a great year and I know it's just going to get even better - here's to moving forward and to living in the moment.

Here are the 10 major items off the list that I feel like I need to stop doing to myself/want to work on this year:

7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. 

8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes.
11. Stop being idle.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready.
18. Stop holding grudges.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments.
28. Stop worrying so much.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen.
30. Stop being ungrateful.

what items on the list are on your list?

what do you need to stop doing to yourself?

snugglebug.

a few weeks ago I shared that Ollie has been acting out - well he must have known he was starting to make me nervous because he's definitely turned his 'tude around. he's been back to his sweet snuggly self and we started spending "family time" in the nursery with him and he's learned to leave baby j's things alone and just "be" in there and relax.

the other night I laid on the couch for a bit with him and of course he couldn't be on my lap or by my legs, he squeezed  his way up to my face and literally used my head as a pillow. he definitely fell asleep on my head for awhile and then woke up and started kissing me all over my face. such a lovebug!

last night he was laying half on DJ and half on me and I think all three of us were just in heaven. I'm trying to take in these little moments as a family of three and relish them because I know it's going to be different [better, clearly but definitely a little more chaotic when baby j comes around].

so that's that. the current excitement in our lives.

happy friday!

here's to a snuggly weekend...

27 weeks!

27 weeks down, 13 to go! we're officially in the third trimester and have less than 3 months [89 days!] until baby j's due date! nothing major going on this week - still feeling great and just moving along. DJ and I have been able to see sweet pea moving around in my belly and that is just insane... I've spent countless evening hours laying on the couch/in bed with my shirt pulled up staring at my naked belly to see the little movements/spasms as she moves around in there. so amazing.

here's this week's 27 weeks bumpin' bumpin - as usual, Ollie came over and wanted to be a part of our "photoshoot" this morning and looking through all the shots that DJ took this was my favorite. I love how Ollie has his little paw on my foot looking up at me like, "mom, I know there's a baby in there but don't forget about me..." - never my little prince!

sweet, huh?

27 week stats...

• baby j weighs almost 2lbs this week [head of cauliflower] and is measuring around 14.5 inches with her legs extended [I'm starting to feel her in two spots at once at the top and bottom of my belly, so she's definitely getting long... and punching and kicking at the same time! we have a little athlete on our hands!]
• this is the week that I sighed a sigh of relief because even though it would take a lot of medical intervention - this is the point where the rate of survival is a lot higher if I were to go into preterm labor and sweet pea was born early.... but on that note, I'd like her to stay in there longer and get stronger!
• as of this week, more of her brain tissue is developing and her brain is very active. 
• leg cramps = still cramping my style. I woke up from them four times on Tuesday night, not fun!
• number of heart shaped cookies baked and iced: around 50 [for my coworkers and student assistants]
• number of sodas drank: ZERO. [that's right. even though my doctor said I could have a coke/glass of caffeine a day - I felt like the soda was adding to my excess weight gain and probably not too good for sweet pea]. so - no more, not going to lie it's been hard, especially working in downtown Atlanta where Coca Cola is plastered EVERYWHERE]. it's crazy too - I hadn't drank soda in years [other than with a little jack mixed in...] and after I got pregnant I started craving it and wanting it like crazy?! oh well, no more.

sugar cookies that I baked for my students... DJ helped me decorate them with royal icing... he even made me a sweet one of my one... 

ollie and I had some "tummy time" on Sunday... [see, already getting in mom/taking care of an infant mode]. then he decided he had enough of laying on his tummy and sat on mine. I was waiting for sweet pea to kick him the rear but he got off before that happened...

our friends Cord & Sarah were driving through on their way from Florida back to the Berkshires and stayed the night with us on Monday night, they were so sweet and brought these adorable goodies for sweet pea from Marco Island!

and then of course, sweet pea's first [in utero] valentines day... hope everyone enjoyed their wine/champagne with their loves... I thouroughly enjoyed my apple cranberry sparking cider!

so that was our 27th week.
nothing too exciting but one week closer to meeting our baby girl...

on to the third trimester! 

I suck: the valentines day edition

remember that time that DJ and I were having a baby and trying to save money... 

I do! 

I'm currently living it. 

to pinch a few extra pennies DJ and I decided we would be doing a frill-free valentines day this year.. aka no gifts, no nada - just a moderate dinner out [which we're doing tonight to not deal with the crowds]. so I was going to be sneaky and make him a little gift but I said something to him about needed to get a few little supplies and he goes into the whole "we're trying to save money, no gifts, I'm not getting you anything, no no no..." speech so I back down.

...and I do precisely that. 

nothing.

so let's rewind to yesterday... I get in the car and my love has a dozen beautiful red roses sitting on the passenger seat for me, which he then quickly follows up with a sweet card, a box of chocolates and [one of my all-time favorite things in the whole wide world] cotton candy.

I then have a slight freakout saying thank you and showering him with kisses and then I say "but we weren't supposed to do gifts or anything this year..." his response, something along the lines of - "well, I knew you weren't going to listen and that you'd do something so I did too"  I stare blankly and respond "no, I didnt!?"

the one time I listen. of course, he laughs it off and says that valentines day is really all about women and he doesn't care but I feel like a big ole ahole. I didn't even have a card for him [in my defense we're supposed to be celebrating tonight].

I know it wasn't a big deal, it was just such a sweet sentiment and I really was caught off-guard. who knew $20 at the grocery store could get a man so much street cred.

so there you have it. my valentines day failure...

and here is his sweet valentines day success...

I'm a lucky girl...

so excited to have a nice relaxing Italian dinner out [yay carbs] with my love tonight.... 

...and now the clock is ticking - what can I buy/make him in the next 5 hours?! 

....wish me luck! 

10 things we love about marriage...

Source: s928.photobucket.com via annahita on Pinterest

happy valentines day!

so this morning Nikki posted her and her husband's "10 things we love about marriage" list on her blog Perpetually Engaged... I loved her and her husband Bryan's lists and was inspired to write my own list... and then convince DJ to write his... so here it is what we love about being married to each other...

me:

1. I love that I get to spend the rest of my life alongside my best friend.
2. I love that you know just how to bring a smile to my face [even when I'm mad at you].
3. I love what a great puppy-daddy you are to Ollie and what an amazing daddy you're going to be to our daughter!
4. I love you scrape the ice of the windshield every morning for me.
5. I love that you know exactly what spot on my back I want/need rubbed when I ask you to.
6. I love that you put up with my tears, fears and mood swings.
7. I love that you are my family.
8. I love that you challenge me to be more engaged and invested in the world around me.
9. I love that you understand who I am and accept me for better or worse.
10. I love being held in your arms.

him:

1. I love walking up next to you.
2. I love going to bed next to you.
3. I love.......... [yeah, I'm going to censor that one] ;)
4. I love that you are my best friend.
5. I love spending every minute with you.
6. I love knowing at the end of the day no matter what happens you will be by my side.
7. I love that you do my laundry.
8. I love that you fold my laundry.
9. I love that you make me do things I normally would not do.
10. I love that you have made me a family man.

thanks nikki for the inspiration.

thanks DJ for making my the happiest girl out there.

happy valentines day friends!

DIY fabric embroidery hoops!

here's another fun and easy project that I made for our nursery that I thought I'd share, I kept seeing these pop up on pinterest in nursery pins and I loved the look and though they seemed easy enough. well, I was right - it was easy as could be and I made four fabric embroidery hoop wall hangings for the nursery wall [now I just need to hang them up, ha].

items needed:

embroidery hoop(s)

fabric scraps [I got a set of five different fabric square that coordinated from our local fabric store]

scissors

hot glue gun & glue

[also thread/string needle if you want to add stitching or sew fabric shapes on]

step 1: iron your fabric, clearly I didn't do a great job but it's a lot better than the starting product!

step 2: loosen the embroidery hoop and put fabric around smaller hoop and tighten back up - make sure to pull the fabric nice and tight so it's taut and there is no slack. then cut out the fabric so you have a enough of a border to be able to glue down.

step 3: using a hot glue gun, glue down the fabric edges to the embroidery hoop!

that's pretty much it for the basics - now there are plenty of ways you can personalize these even more - you can paint the wooden hoops (clearly before you put the fabric in - and let it dry first), or sew pieces of fabric in different shapes, etc. I decided to stitch a few little patterns/shapes into the fabric in other bright colors that I wanted to incorporate so I got some tapestry needles, embroidery thread and a spool of sparkly thread. I then just free-handed some patterns into the hoops - next time I think I'll try sewing on other shapes  and/or putting rosettes on!

so there you have it a quick, easy and fun weekend project! 

now onto the biggest task of all... 

deciding where to hang them! 

26 weeks!

26 weeks down, 14 to go! a little over three months until sweet pea is here [or who knows, maybe even sooner... or later]. this week has been a really good one - I'm feeling great. surprisingly, my back and chest pain have gotten a lot better the last few weeks [fingers crossed it stays that way]. although. I am finding new things super challenging all of a sudden - like getting up off the couch, shaving my legs, and putting my socks/shoes on in the morning. awesome. My center of balance is definitely out of whack, oh yeah and I have a basketball shaped belly. Speaking of basketball shaped belly - I got measured at the doctor yesterday morning [for the first time] and I'm measuring on schedule... which I wanted to tell [along with a few other choice words that I shared on twitter yesterday] to the asshat that asked me yesterday when I was due and followed up with "wow, you're big for having so long to go - is it twins?!" I just smiled and said no and let the elevator doors close. people?! really.

all in all, a great week - the nursery is coming together, my husband is uber supportive, I still fit in my shoes and wedding rings, sweet pea has taken up water aerobics in my uterus and keeps me company all day long, oliver is sweet as can be and being better behaved this week. life is good. now, I'm excited for a relaxing weekend with my lovie and lots of cuddletime with him and the pup. last night was just what I needed: couch, sweatpants, cuddles, and Big Bang Theory on DVD. today and tomorrow hopefully will be right up the same alley....

26 weeks bumpin' bump...

26 week stats & photos:

• baby j is the size of an "english hothouse cucumber" aka 14 inches and weighs in at around a pound and two-thirds. she's also starting to inhale and exhale amniotic fluid... aww. 
• I think I felt her have hiccups the other night - there was this repeating "thumping" going on in a very set pattern for a few minutes... not going to lie, it was pretty cool.
• I've also seen my stomach move from the outside a few times with her big kicks - INSANE.
• my doctors appointment this morning went well - everything was normal and on track... and I get to go back in two weeks for my gestational diabetes test, fun fun fun!
• I got new prenatal vitamins - gummies... they're the best tasting vitamins I've ever had and I'm quite sad I didn't have these for the past 26 weeks. I love them!

glider nook in the nursery 

big bang for the win

falafel wrap = heaven 

my favorite smushface

one more week down, 

one more week closer to meeting sweet pea! 

what I'm loving...

happy wednesday! so excited this week is halfway over... I feel like this past weekend flew by so I'm excited for this weekend to lounge and do a whole lot of nothing [now let's see if that actually happens].  so many things to be thankful for this week, nothing overly exciting - just lots of little things that make me a very happy girl! for example...

I'm loving... this ridiculously sweet text that my husband sent me. 

he's a keeper.

I'm loving... that our little temporary basement nursery is starting to come together, I love all the little pieces that we've found that have brought it all together!

[Ollie clearly needs to learn to pick up his toys, excuse the lime green bone - not a part of nursery decor]

I'm loving... this amazing yum yum cupcake's cupcake that I had after lunch today!

I'm loving... buying clothes for our baby girl. the website zulilly has been an extremely bad influence in my life, I keep buying these adorable snuggly clothes, including a sleeper with strawberry buttons... might be the sweetest thing I've ever seen!

I'm loving... that my diaper bag came last week and it's super cute/just the size I wanted and seems durable. check and check!

I'm loving... 90s on 9. I'm going to be really sad when our 3 month free trial to sirius is over for that one reason. I could listen to it all day, every day!

...as always, I'm loving my two boys. they're the best. :)

so that's that.

nothing too exciting, weekly "bumpin' bump" coming tomorrow or friday [might delay it a day since we have our doctors appt on friday and I should have more to report after that]. 

happy wednesday!