for the love

friday funny

2012-01-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

My sister sent this to me and it cracked me up so I had to share.

Happy Friday!

chit chat

2012-01-24T17:19:00.001-05:00

*Banana Republic has some cute stuff lately! I'm loving all the stripes and color. I picked up a nautical inspired wrap dress, this fun printed blouse (in pink) and a great basic a-line skirt. They're running another 30% off sale right now and I'm tempted to pick up a few more things. They had some really adorable accessories at my local store but unfortunately I'm not finding most of it online. (Sadly, the Banana didn't bribe me to say any of this. But I'm totally open to that arrangement.)

*I'm so tired. I know complaining about being tired after having a baby is like going swimming and complaining about getting wet but holy crap, I am tired. It seems 6 hours of sleep is just not going to happen anymore. Even when B sleeps through the night, I can't seem to get everything done and get myself into bed before 12:30am. I might need to buy an alarm clock because the temptation to throw my iPhone against the wall when the alarm goes off each morning may one day become too much to resist.

So, I know the "Sh*t ... Says" videos are a bit tired but I think fans of Downton Abbey might appreciate his one. Sh*t The Dowager Countess Says is just too funny. Maggie Smith is the absolute highlight of the show for me.

B needs some new headbands. Girl moms, do you have any favorite Etsy sellers or websites for hairbows you can share?

Need a quick, semi-healthy weeknight dinner? Try these:

Source: mamalovesfood.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I made these using reduced fat crescent rolls and they were very tasty. You could easily sub in different deli meat and cheese to suit your preferences. (I hate swiss so I used muenster.)

Okay, that's all I've got today. Happy Tuesday, everybody!

5 months

2012-01-23T23:27:00.000-05:00

My baby girl,

You are five months old today. I can tell you without hesitation that these have been the best months of my life. You are so much fun! You are such a happy, hilarious little girl. Daddy and I are amazed that each day we love you even more than the one before. We are so proud of all the milestones you've reached.

You are such a roly poly these days! When you're on your mat playing with toys you are constantly rolling from your back to your belly. You're happy to stay that way and play for a while but when you're ready to lay on your back again you start fussing to let us know. You haven't mastered rolling from belly to back yet.

You're wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes now and size 2 diapers. You have more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and have worn one pair, one time, for approximately 2 minutes. Hopefully you'll grow into some of them soon!

Sleep was a bit tough this month. Most nights you slept about 11 hours but about once or twice a week you've been waking up in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. Sometimes we can rock you back to sleep, other times we feed you and we're up for a few hours. As sleepy as we are during these unexpected late night sessions, it's hard not to smile when we go in to get you and are greeted with a giant grin. Still, I hope you go back to your great sleeping ways soon and save those sweet smiles for morning. :)

You've recently started a hilarious little "trick" of panting like a puppy dog. Sometimes when you get excited you stick out your little tongue and pant. It's too funny. I think you like that mom and dad laugh when you do this and it encourages you to do it more often.

You still love bath time. Sometimes when you're sleepy you suck your thumb in the tub and try to fall asleep. SO cute.

We put you in your activity jumper for the first time this month and you really like it. You aren't quite tall enough to touch the floor yet so we put a box underneath so you can bounce. I'm sure you'll be tall enough to bounce without the box very soon.

You celebrated your first Christmas this past month. We spent the holidays in Bradenton with your grandparents and aunts and had such a great time. We bought you a special "Baby's First Christmas" ornament and so did your grandparents. We'll put them on the tree every year and remember our first Christmas with you.

When I kiss your tummy you laugh as if I'm the funniest person on Earth. That laugh is the best sound I've ever heard.

We FaceTime with your Grandma & Papa all the time. They're happy just to watch you lay on your mat and play with your toys. Your Aunt Jilly comes over nearly every day to see you because she loves you oh so much. She spoils you rotten. I am quite sure the day will come one day when you tell me you're running away to Aunt Jilly's house. I don't think you'll ever hear the word "no" from your Aunt.

My sweet LuLu Bell, I hope that you always know how very much you are loved.

xo Mommy

weekend update

2012-01-17T11:49:00.000-05:00

I wish it could always be the weekend. Spending time with my family sure beats working for a living! We had a fun, relaxing weekend that went by too quickly. We watched a lot of football, ate some yummy food, and went out for walks in the beautiful weather. I sometimes complain about the Florida weather (particularly in August when it's 90 degrees and 90% humidity) but you can't beat the weather in January. The sun was shining and it was in the 60's all weekend.

The 49ers had a big game on Saturday against the Saints, so Blaire and I got dressed up to support our team. (Daddy is a Patriots fan.) I was born in San Francisco and have been a Niners fan for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a Niner family and can remember watch games with my dad as a kid. It's so fun to watch them with Blaire now. I hope she grows up to be a big football fan like her parents.

The Niners won the Super Bowl the year I was born. I hope they will this year for Blaire's first season too! The game Saturday night was a great one and the 49ers came away with the win over the Saints. The Niners are 2-0 since Blaire started wearing her 49ers onesie her Papa bought her. It's now been dubbed her "lucky onesie" so she'll be wearing it again this Sunday when the Niners take on the Giants. (Hooray for the Packers losing - love that homefield advantage!)

On Sunday we went to brunch with some friends. We're always taking pictures of Blaire but we rarely remember to take pictures of ourselves with her. We took some quick photos before we left and I just love this picture of Blaire with her daddy. I could not love these two more!

B was so good during brunch. She sat in her car seat and entertained herself by playing with her toys. I am so thankful that she's such a happy, easy going girl. I know it won't always be so easy to bring her out places so I'm grateful for this time.

After brunch, we came home and watched more football. We were pretty full from brunch, so dinner was just some appetizers during the late game. I made these Southwest Egg Rolls with avocado dipping sauce and they were so tasty.

(I used this recipe but lightened it up a bit)

I had to work yesterday but Brian and Blaire had a fun day at home together. I'm already looking forward to Friday. Hope you all had a great weekend!

the thursday dress

2012-01-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, if I knew that many of you read blogs on Friday afternoons, I never would have posted my outfits! I thought I'd sneak that post in without too many people noticing. Guess not!

I do, however, appreciate the nice comments on my Thursday dress. A few of you asked where it was from. I picked it up at the Banana Republic outlet about two months ago. I have to tell you, it was a steal! It was on mega clearance and I think I paid about $25 for it. Don't you just love a bargain?

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

"do you prefer fashion victim or ensembly-challenged?"

2012-01-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I feel like a dork for even doing this post. But here it goes. I took pictures of what I wore every day this week and now I'm going to share the pictures with you. You know, like the fashion bloggers with the super cute clothes do. Except sub "super cute clothes" for "boring business casual attire."

Why am I doing this? ~~I have no earthly idea~~. I've been dressing a bit like a bum lately. I've been tired, lazy and uninspired in the wardrobe department and it shows. Before this week, I hadn't worn heels to work since NOVEMBER. That's just ridiculous. Especially for a girl who has a closet full of adorable heels just waiting to be worn. Personally, I blame Tory Burch. If her Eddie flats weren't the most comfortable shoes on earth, maybe I'd wear heels more often. Anyway, I digress. I've been wearing the same boring black pants multiple times a week, which, if we're being 100% honest, are maternity pants. Seriously. It's that bad. Even worse, I've lost the baby weight. All of it. Yet I'm still wearing the maternity pants. Not okay.

So, I decided for better or worse, I'd take pictures of my outfit every day this week and post them, in hopes of encouraging myself to dress a bit less frumpy. I even ironed some clothes Sunday night so I'd have more options available in the morning. (Along with the heels, I've been boycotting anything that required ironing.) I definitely didn't come up with anything inspired and I am not even close to fashionable, but here are the outfits I wore this week.

Oh my God, why am I doing this?

I'm stalling...

Okay, enough. Here it goes.

Monday

(No, I'm not pregnant. Yes, I know it looks like it.)

Tuesday

Wednesday

(gah, that hairband on my wrist looks tacky)

Thursday

(gratuitous baby OOTD photo)

(Doesn't B look like one of the Wizard of Oz munchkins with the flower pot on its head in that picture?)

Friday

(love me a jeans day)

Okay, so that was my attempt at a week of somewhat put-togetherness on the clothes front. I was clearly phoning it in on Tuesday and Wednesday and I obviously need to work on accessorizing. But I wore heels three times. And ironed! Most importantly, I ditched the maternity pants. It's a start.

This might be the most lame post I've ever written.

Can we still be friends?

baby toes...and a bit about the blog

2012-01-11T10:09:00.001-05:00

I've been working on the obligatory baby gear post, as well as a long overdue Christmas recap, but Blogger was being a pain in my arse last night and wouldn't let me upload any pictures. I had already uploaded some pictures of B into a post for another day but I'll go ahead and share them today. I realize I just did her 4 month update with tons of pictures so this is probably photo overload but my mom reads and grandmas never get tired of pictures of their grandbabies. This one's for you, Mom.

Hi Mom!

Fingers are tasty.

Wait...what are these?

Toes!

Toes are delicious!

So glad I found these!

If you hadn't realized it already, this blog is quickly becoming a photo album for the little one and most of the posts are baby related. I'd been feeling badly about this for a while because I realize this isn't of interest to everyone. But I don't anymore. This what my life is about these days. It's what I share because it's what I do. When I have time to read or see a good movie, I'll still tell you about that. And if I stop dressing like a slouch and make some fun purchases, I'll share those too. Great products I come across will still show up on the blog. It's just not happening as often these days. If you're interested in sticking around and reading, that's wonderful. If not, I completely understand. I just wanted to share how I was feeling and what you can expect to see around here for a while.

4 months

2012-01-04T23:19:00.001-05:00

Blaire Harper,

You are growing up so fast! You're now four months old (and have been for a week and a half - Mommy's a bit behind). It seems like every day brings a new development or milestone. You are such a sweet, curious, active little munchkin. You have the best little personality. You're constantly making me laugh with your silly faces and sounds. Daddy and I think you are the smartest, prettiest little girl and we are so proud to be your parents.

Your fourth month brought a lot of changes. You started daycare after Thanksgiving and are doing just great. You seem to like your teachers and they adore you. You go on walks, play on the mat with the other kids, and enjoy the swing and jumper chair. Mom isn't adjusting nearly as well. I come visit at lunch nearly every day and my heart breaks a little every time I leave you at school but it helps to know you're happy and doing so well.

You've grown a bunch this month. At your 4 month appointment you were 25 1/2 inches long and weighed 12 pounds 14.5 ounces. You've finally got a little meat on your bones little girl. You have the sweetest little chubby cheeks that I can't help but kiss every chance I get! You wear some 0-3 month clothes and some 3-6 month clothes. You wore a size 1 diaper but it's time to move up to size 2 now.

You're a hungry girl! You drink 5-6 oz of milk every three hours during the day and a 7oz bottle at night. I'm not able to pump quite enough milk to keep you happy and we've already burned through the freezer stash I built up, so we've started supplementing your milk with a little formula. You're such an easy going girl - you don't mind a bit.

You rolled over for the first time on December 7th and haven't stopped since! You roll from back to belly very easily and will occasionally roll from your belly to your back. Once you're on your belly you kick your arms and legs wildly as if you're trying to swim across the carpet. It's too cute! We have about a hundred videos of you doing this, of course.

You still love to put your hands, and anything else you can manage, in your mouth. This includes your feet. You discovered them this month and think they are just great. You love to play with toys and they too end up in your mouth before long. Your favorites right now are a set of colorful rings, your bunny rattle (Belly Bunny), and Sophie the Giraffe. You also love your play mat.

You are still a great sleeper. Dad and I couldn't be more grateful for that. You usually go to bed between 8:00 and 8:30 and wake up around 7:30. We stopped swaddling you a few weeks ago, which you seem to like. You're happy to be able to suck your thumb as you sleep. You still wake up every morning with a huge grin on your face. It's such a joy to go in your room and find you so happy every morning.

You got your first cold this month. It was so sad to see you so stuffy and your little sneezes and coughs were both pitiful and adorable. Luckily, the cold didn't seem to get you down for long and you were your usual happy self through most of it.

You're smiling and laughing at Dad and I all the time, which is just the best. You love when we make silly faces and sounds, so of course we do this all the time.

You are over your phase of hating the car and now will ride happily in your car seat. Thank goodness! We take you out to eat every once in a while with varying degrees of success. Usually you're an angel and will sit quietly and happily in your seat but every once in a while we have to ask for our check a little early to get you home where you can play and "talk" without disturbing the rest of the restaurant. Recently, we were seated at a table directly next to our United States senator. Luckily, this was one of the meals where you were a quiet, happy girl.

We like to listen to Disney songs and dance around the house and you love to be sung to. I hope you continue to love music.

You still love to cuddle, which makes me so, so happy. When you get sleepy you like to be held and rocked. You'll rest your head on my shoulder and throw an arm around my neck in a hug. It doesn't get any better than that!

Blaire Harper, you are the light of my life. Being your Mom is the best thing I've ever done. I love you, always. xo Mom

2011 books

2011-12-30T13:19:00.001-05:00

Looking back on the books I read in 2011, I can't help but notice it's a mixed bag. Biographies, fiction, so called chick-lit, mysteries, and baby books. Some were memorable, others were not.

I laughed (Bossypants & Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?), I cried...tears of boredom (Maine & Between Sisters), I found enjoyment and entertainment in unexpected places. Who knew a book about DNA could be so engrossing? (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) Or that I'd find myself gripped by another young adult dystopian series? (Divergent) Frank Bruni's memoir, Born Round, about his struggles with and love for food, as well as Ann Patchett's State of Wonder, were other favorites this year.

2011 was also the year I first explored the world of e-books. I received an iPad for my birthday in March and read my first e-book shortly thereafter. I'd avoided the Kindle and Nook on the assumption that I'd prefer a paper book to its electronic counterpart but I was mistaken. I love the convenience of multiple books stored on my iPad and the ability to read in bed at night without need for a light. I was happy to learn that I'm still able to take advantage of free books from my library, as they have a large selection of e-books available for borrowing. In fact, with the exception of the baby books, only Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? was purchased (and well worth the money!). All the other books I read this year were checked out from the library or borrowed. We're pretty tight on storage in our little house so this has been a great benefit.

I read 23 books before August - but managed to read only three more through the end of the year. It's certainly a challenge to find time to read in this new phase of my life as a working mom but I'll read as much and as often as I can in 2012.

What were your favorite books this year?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

Sending wishes for a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

*the tree was added to hide the last name

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and that Santa was good to all of you!

If you're on our Christmas list and found a different card in your mailbox this year - yes, I did design more than one card. We got our photos from our photographer in two sets and I couldn't help but order another card when I came across some new pictures. (I'm crazy, I realize.)

3 months

2011-12-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

My baby girl turned three months old...about three weeks ago. With Thankgsiving and returning to work, I'm afraid this post is very, very late. However, the pictures are too sweet not to share.

Happy belated 3 months, baby girl! Your momma loves you to the moon and back.

magic pants

2011-12-11T22:53:00.000-05:00

Buy these pants.

Gap Really Skinny Pants

I'm sorry to be bossy but you just have to buy these pants. They're magic pants. I lurve them. A skinny pant that actually makes me look skinny. Oh so comfy and oh so flattering. Do you like looking thin while also being comfy? Yes? Then buy these pants.

That is all.

*A million thanks to Buckhead Belle for telling me about these magic pants. Also, Gap has never heard of me and did not compensate me in any way to write this post.

still here

2011-12-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in weeks. Things are busy. Life is crazy. So much to say but so little time! Perhaps I can ~~distract~~ entertain you with pictures of a cute baby while I attempt to catch my breath?

Back soon with more to say - I hope!

hipster girl

2011-11-16T15:55:00.001-05:00

There's a little area just a few blocks from our house that is just lousy with hipsters. Really, they're all over downtown but they like to congregate in an area known as the Milk District. It's full of hipster-y places like thrift shops, dive bars, and independent coffee houses. There is nary an unpierced eyebrow to be found and people travel on two wheels (bicycle or scooter) rather than four.

Despite the fact that I'm not nearly cool enough to hang in the Milk District, I do find myself in the area on occasion. A few years ago, I wandered in to the hipster hub to pick up lunch at a Milk District sandwich shop. I made the grave mistake of asking for lettuce on my sandwich. The hipster behind the counter looked at me through his thick rimmed glasses (which I'm sure aided his vision in no way), breathed a faint sigh of frustration and informed me that they did not have lettuce, they had mesclun. Dude, whatever. Put the green leafy stuff on my sandwich and quit looking at me like I work for Enron and drive a Hummer.

Point being, I don't fit in so hot in the Milk District. (Even though I probably share common political beliefs most hipsters. But they don't see that. Not that I blame them. My Volvo SUV and pearl earrings are a pretty good cover for my crunchy granola liberal core.)

Well, I found something that might help me fit in a little better on my next trip to the Milk District. Allow me to introduce you to Hipster Girl.

You can create your very own hipster alter ego. It is awesome. You can choose your own hipster hair do, sport eyeglasses you don't need, rock a fedora or a full sleeve of tats. Skinny jeans with Chucks or flannel and leggings - totally up to you, hipster girl!

Here's my hipster girl:

I like to think she's a librarian by day and spoken word poet by night. Or maybe she's part of an all girl punk band. Regardless, my hipster alter ego is definitely much cooler than I am. That girl knows to order mesclun rather than lettuce. And she definitely doesn't drive the Mom-mobile.

What will your hipster girl look like? Geek chic glasses? Skinny jeans? Anti-establishment tee?

Many thanks to my sister Jill for bringing Hipster Girl into our lives. That's a (very entertaining) half hour I'll never get back.

announcing b

2011-11-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

It only took two and a half months but I finally got Blaire's birth announcement mailed out. Here it is!

(edited to remove our last name)

I know I'm her momma so it's a given but oh my goodness, I love that sweet face.

With as long as it took me to get these done, I should have just combined her birth announcement with our Christmas card. Oh well! Some of you will see B's face in your mailbox again soon!

Photos by Jenny Peppers Photography

confession session

2011-11-15T17:08:00.000-05:00

It's time for another edition of Confession Session. Sometimes you just have to get some things off your chest.

I haven't blown dry, curled or flat ironed my hair in nearly a week. I get out of the shower, throw it up into a bun and let it air dry. When I take it out of the bun I'm left with this wavy mess of long hair. I like to think of it as homeless hippie chic. I could use the "I have a new baby" excuse... but my baby sleeps through the night. I only look like a tired, haggard momma.

I've eaten PB&J at least once a day for the past four days. It's fast. It's tasty. And I tell myself it's healthy because it's reduced fat peanut butter and fruit (ahem...raspberry preserves) on high fiber bread. Please don't ruin my illusion by telling me otherwise. Did you know it tastes better if you cut it into fourths? Scientific fact.

If you drop by my house on any given day, you're likely to find me in PJs. I simply don't understand the point in getting all dressed up to sit around the house. Most days Blaire and I play, read and take walks. I cook dinner and do a little housework. All of that can be done in a t-shirt in yoga pants. So that's what I wear. If we're meeting someone for lunch or running errands, I'll get dressed. Otherwise, comfort is key.

I'm tired of hearing people bitch about Christmas decorations. If you prefer not to decorate until after Thanksgiving, don't. But does it really ruin your Thanksgiving to see Santa in the mall in November? Don't we all have bigger problems? I mean, they cancelled Community for crying out loud! (Okay, it's not technically cancelled but it's not being aired in the spring. Not a good sign.)

To be completely honest, I've been throwing myself a big ol' pity party about going back to work. I have a great job. I work with good people. I should be thankful that I have such a good job to return to. I know all this. But I can't stop myself from being so sad about the thought of leaving her five days a week. I have LOVED being home with her. I'm so sad it has to end. This Thanksgiving is going to be very dangerous. I'll have to resist the temptation to eat my feelings because most of my work clothes still don't fit. How many days in a row do you think I can get away with wearing black dresses before people start asking whether I'm a witch?

This confession is particularly shameful for me. I have started watching daytime television. This alone is probably proof I need to get back to work. I find myself turning on the Today show and leaving it on in the background. (We won't get started on what passes for news on that show. Pippa Middleton getting dumped is NOT NEWS. Okay, sorry...couldn't help myself.) I've seen more episodes of Regis and Kelly than I care to admit. If you're wondering, the Regis farewell tour is in full effect. And the new daytime cooking/talk show The Chew has even made an appearance on my DVR.

Oh, and I started watching episode 1 of Revenge on the iPad the other day while I was feeding B...and now I'm hooked. It's so bad, it's good.

That's quite enough confessions from me. Anything you need to get off your chest? Feel free to leave your confession in the comments!

it's all relative

2011-11-11T09:09:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited for the (relatively) chilly day ahead! Remember, I live in Florida. Our idea of chilly is a Canadian's beach weather. It's currently 49 degrees and I'm positively giddy! That might not sound chilly to you but it was 81 yesterday. To me, this is cold. I can wear a scarf without looking like an idiot. You bet your tail I'm taking advantage of this opportunity! I have a drawer full of scarves that rarely see the light of day unless I'm traveling. I'll pick out my favorite and wear it with a smile on my face all day long. I'm making a big pot of chili for dinner and might even stop by the store for a log for the fire.

Just one small problem. The sun is shining and it's expected to reach 67 degrees this afternoon.

Sigh.

Such is life for a Floridian. Guess I better cancel the fire. But the chili is happening.

Hope you have beautiful weather today, wherever you are.

I'll leave you with a picture of my sweet girl. She's the happiest part of my day, every day!

blaire bear

2011-11-10T11:48:00.001-05:00

Aunt Jill informed me that the last post was okay, but lacking in pictures of Blaire. So sorry to disappoint. A few pictures for you, Aunty Jilly.

Lunch and shopping with the girls

those cheeks kill me

sweet smiles

"trying on" her Christmas jammies from grandma

Hugs & kisses from Blaire!

*Sorry for the crappy Blackberry pictures. I'll take some new pictures with the camera soon.

the good life

2011-11-10T11:21:00.001-05:00

Nine days since my last post...whoops! Sometimes life is just too full and too fun to stop and blog about it. Blaire and I have been filling our days with snuggles on the couch, lunches out with friends and walks to soak in all the sunshine and beautiful weather we've had. These days, life is simple. And good. I couldn't ask for more. Except maybe an iPhone. And a pair of Tory Burch wedges. Okay, scratch that. I can always ask for more. (I'm kidding, of course.)

Speaking of asking for things, my family never does. Getting a Christmas list from anyone in my family is darn near impossible. My mom (Hi Mom!) starts threatening me sometime around September each year, "Don't buy me anything for Christmas. I don't need a thing!" Of course, I never listen. I started brainstorming ideas for gifts months ago. I even keep a word document on my computer called "Christmas Gifts" where I make notes of gift ideas throughout the year. Nevertheless, it's the middle of November and I find myself still searching for the perfect gift for everyone on my list.

I did check one small thing off my Christmas to-do list - Blaire's stocking! Brian and I have matching stockings, but they are simple and traditional. I thought B might like something more fun and whimsical. You know, in a few years, when she understands what a stocking is. Here's the one I chose:

(From Pottery Barn Kids, found here.) Now that it has arrived, I can't wait to decorate for Christmas. I'm not one of the people who dislike Christmas decorations and music before Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday and I like to celebrate as long as possible. I would love to get my house decorated the week before Thanksgiving so that it's all done when we get back from visiting family. I go back to work the Monday after Turkey Day (I don't want to talk about it) so it would be nice to get it all done before I start back.

Boo. Now I'm depressed thinking about the end of maternity leave. Let's talk about something else. Something happy. Ooohh, I know. My wedding ring fits again! I've missed wearing my rings so I'm happy to have one of them back. My engagement ring still doesn't fit but hopefully soon. I still have some weight to lose (that's a whole different post) so hopefully my engagement ring will fit when the extra weight is gone.

There is absolutely no segue between this next thought and the last one, but have you ever found a product you love and wanted to buy a thousand of it, for fear that it will one day be unavailable? I always worry that my favorite things will be discontinued. For example, if Restoration Hardware ever stops carrying the Luxury Plush Throw I will be absolutely beside myself. I even wrote a post about it. I have a spare, unused blanket on reserve just in case. No joke. My latest product obsession - Panera's Asian Sesame dressing. They sell it in a bottle at my local Super Target and I loooove it. It's relatively low calorie and is so yummy on romaine lettuce and spinach with grilled chicken and sliced almonds.

You know what else I'm loving? My husband. This morning he made the bed and brought me a Starbuck's latte before going to work. Such a sweet, sweet man. I'm a lucky girl.

Blaire will be waking up from her nap any minute so I should probably go get some things done around here. Dishes and laundry await!

Shutterfly Winners

2011-11-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Three winners in fact. The Shutterfly giveaway has ended and the three winners have been chosen.

Congratulations to Megan, Laura, and Julie! You are the lucky winners of 25 free holiday cards from Shuttterfly. E-mail me at forthelovemel@gmail.com and I will give you your code for the free cards.

Everyone else, check back later this week because I have a new giveaway coming up!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T17:37:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everybody! Since Blaire won't be trick or treating this year, we decided to have a little photo shoot to show off her costume. Little miss is a ghost this year! And I have to say, she's the sweetest little ghost I ever have seen. It's hard to find costumes for teeny babies so I made this little get up. I'm not crafty so it's probably the last Halloween costume I'll make but I'm happy I can tell her one day that I made her first costume.

{warning...photo overload. grandparents love pictures.}

Just for laughs, I thought you like might to see how our attempt at a photo session at the pumpkin patch went. Trying to take pictures of a baby who cannot sit or even hold her own head up is quite the adventure.

Doesn't her face just say "I'm not so sure about this..."

"How long do we have to do this?"

"Quick Dad, I'm tipping!"

Dad's solution - just dangle her over the pumpkins. She must think her parents are total morons. Poor kid.

Hope you all have a great Halloween!

the ghosts of pumpkins past

2011-10-31T10:56:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch until Friday so our pumpkins this year remain sadly uncarved. Probably for the best as we got three - one big, one medium, one wee little baby pumpkin. I can't help but think of them as Brian, me and Blaire. Hard to plunge a knife into gourds you've made symbolic of your family. (Yeah, I probably need help.)

Instead, I thought I'd share pumpkins from years past.

2009

2010

I'll be back later with pictures of my favorite little pumpkin in her Halloween costume!

*Don't forget to enter my giveaway for 25 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. It ends at 5pm EST tonight.

blaire: 2 months

2011-10-25T23:57:00.001-04:00

My little Blaire Bear,

You are two months old. And what happy months they have been! Being your mom is the best thing I've ever done. You are the sweetest girl and I have so much fun spending my days with you. I love you to the moon and back baby girl.

xoxo momma

Here’s what you've been up to in your second month:

At your two month check-up, you weighed 10 pounds, 4.5 ounces and were 23 1/4 inches long. That's 50th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height. You got six shots and were so brave.

You are much more alert this month. You are aware of your surroundings and watch your Daddy and me very carefully. I think you recognize our faces and voices. You have started to notice the TV too. This makes Daddy so proud when football is on and your eyes are glued to the screen.

You smile! It’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. When we make silly faces or noises, you will give us a big smile. I can’t get enough of your sweet little grin.

You like to blow spit bubbles with your mouth. I’m sure to most people there’s nothing cute about drool. But to your momma, it’s adorable.

The cooing has begun. Sometimes you look like you have so much you want to say, but for now you’re “talking” to us with your coos and noises.

You sleep through the night! What a great gift this has been to us. We put you to sleep at about 9pm and you sleep until about 9am, waking only once to eat. We are so thankful that you are so well rested and we appreciate that we get to sleep too. Thank you baby girl!

You wake up so happy. When I go into your room in the mornings you greet me with the sweetest smile. You stretch your arms up over your head and wiggle around until I scoop you up into my arms. Getting you out of bed in the morning is one of my very favorite things to do.

We play lots of games and sing songs. Some of your favorites are Patty Cake, Itsy Bitsy Spider and This Little Piggy. After you eat you are the happiest girl. We sit and talk and sing our songs. You laugh when I blow raspberries on your feet and make silly noises and faces. These are some of my favorite times.

You finally like your swing. It’s one of your favorite places to nap during the day and sometimes you are happy just to stay awake and swing. It will even calm you down on occasion when you are upset.

You still LOVE to suck on your fingers. You aren’t interested in your paci but when you’re upset nothing calms you down like a finger or four in your mouth. You prefer the thumb but you’ll take any finger that finds its way to your mouth.

You are our long & lean girl. At two months old, you have finally started to fit into your 0-3 month clothes. You’re long enough for them but still have plenty of room to grow. We have so many sundresses that I fear you’ll never get to wear because you won’t be big enough until it’s cold outside. I better start shopping for sweaters and tights to put with them. You can still fit into a newborn diaper but size 1 works also.

Just like your momma, you love the water. You are so happy and peaceful in the bath tub. You love to float in the water as I bathe you. Getting out of the tub, however, is not your favorite thing. We wrap you in the towel as quickly as possible to keep you warm and happy.

And to keep Grandma and Aunt Jilly happy, here are a few more pictures of the little muffin:

monday thoughts

2011-10-24T22:22:00.003-04:00

*Blaire turned two months old yesterday. I swear I gave birth to her yesterday. I'm afraid to blink and find out she has a driver's license.

*I could spend all day reading Mindy Kaling's website. The girl is hilarious. Her book (released November 1) is next on my reading list.

*Kelly Clarkson's new album "Stronger" is so good. I listened on Spotify this morning. I'm sure I'm the last one to the party but how cool is Spotify? I'm still figuring it out but so far, it's pretty great.

*The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. Low 80s and sunny, blue skies. I want to spend every minute outside. Blaire was a little under the weather today after her shots so we stayed inside but tomorrow we're going to for a long walk.

*Despite a garbage week, my fantasy football team managed to squeak by with a win. Chris Johnson remains a useless sack of crap. I'd trade him but I doubt anyone would be willing to give me a second string kicker in exchange for his sorry butt.

* The most recent editions of Southern Living, Food Network Magazine, InStyle and Entertainment Weekly are sitting on our coffee table, waiting to be read. I suppose if I got off the computer I'd have time to read them... So I will.

Happy Monday to all. I'm hoping to get Blaire's two month post with pictures up tomorrow. Until then - goodnight!

it's about that time...

2011-10-21T17:01:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's already time to think about holiday cards? Actually, if you're like me, you've been thinking about holiday cards for a few weeks now. The photographer is booked and outfits have been selected...I think. All that's left to do is choose a card.

Luckily, Shutterfly makes the process of selecting a holiday card easy. They have so many great cards in a variety of sizes, styles, and designs. The only hard part is choosing which card is your favorite!

I used Shutterfly to design our holiday card last year and was so happy with the final product. (Except perhaps for my decision to use a picture of me wearing sunglasses. I'm still not sure that was the right call.) The design was perfectly suited to our beach picture and the cards arrived so quickly. As a perpetual procrastinator, I really appreciated the quick turnaround. Thanks to Shutterfly, I was spared the embarrassment of sending holiday cards after Groundhog Day.

I'm so excited to design our card this year because it will be Blaire's first Christmas. You better believe baby girl's face will be front and center on our card! I can't lie, I'm pretty excited I won't have to search for a picture of myself that I don't hate to put on the card this year. You know what I'm talking about... "Oh, that's a cute picture - but I've got a bit of a double chin." "I love this one - but my arm looks fat." "This one is great of me - but your eyes are closed. Think anyone will notice?" Surely I'm not the only one who takes hours trying to decide which picture is least objectionable for prominent placement on the holiday card... am I?

Once you decide on the perfect picture, Shutterly has a great selection of cards to choose from. Whether you're looking for something classic, contemporary, or whimsical, Shutterfly has a card to fit the bill.

I think I'll wait until I see our holiday photos to make my final selection, but here are a few of my favorite cards this year:

How cute would this be with a wedding picture?

It's going to be so hard to narrow it down to just one card!

Shutterfly also has some great photo gifts.

How sweet is this picture ornament? I know a few grandparents who would love this.

Here's the good news. The people at Shutterfly are incredibly generous and have given me three promotion codes for 25 free holiday cards to share with three lucky readers!

If you'd like the chance to win 25 free cards, just leave a comment on this post and tell me what's on your Christmas (or Hanukkah) list this year. Or, if you'd rather, tell me what gift you're most excited to give this holiday season. All entries must be received by Monday, October 31, 2011 at 5:00pm EST. I'll choose three winners using the random integer generator. If your email isn't linked to your profile, please be sure to leave an email address in your comment.

Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q

pretty in pink

2011-10-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

Blaire and I had a little photo shoot this afternoon. Grandma asked for new pictures and I was more than happy oblige. My baby girl gets bigger every day so I never pass up an opportunity to capture this moment in time with pictures and video. She's already changed so much. I went to pick up dinner the other night and when I came back, I swear, she had grown. She should really stop doing that.

Oh how I love this little girl.

weekend update

2011-10-17T18:36:00.000-04:00

We had a good, low key weekend. Low key probably goes without saying because that's just how we roll these days.

Friday night we had dinner at home and caught up on some TV shows we'd recorded throughout the week. I'm loving Parenthood, The Good Wife, Harry's Law, and Parks & Recreation. And I've watched this week's episode of The League at least three times.

That show kills me. If you're a fan of really inappropriate humor and fantasy football, you have to watch it. I realize that probably applies to about three of you reading this. And you're probably already watching. Okay, plug for The League over.

On Saturday, I snuck out of the house for a little while to do some shopping while Brian and Blaire watched college football. Typically, I'd prefer to be on the couch watching football too but I was in desperate need of a trip to the mall. I've been wearing dresses and yoga pants because really, that's all that works right now. (I tried on a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans and wanted to cry. Not pretty.) I need some transitional pieces that I can wear while I work on getting back into my old clothes. I bought a pair of jeans in a larger size, which I hope to only wear for a short time. I will be so happy to send them to the Goodwill when they are too big! I was also looking for some tops with sleeves to cover the arms, tunics, and long sweaters to cover the lumpy middle section.

The trip was fairly successful. I tweeted the picture above because I wasn't sure about the striped sweater but everyone seemed to like it so I picked it up. I think it will work with black leggings (it's long) or skinny jeans, if I can ever fit back into mine. Plus, it's comfy. Win, win. I also got a couple tops with sleeves to hide the flabby arms. Hopefully the things I picked out will hide the mom body without making me look like a soccer mom. (Did I just offend the mothers of soccer playing children? I'm sure there are lots of actual soccer moms who dress far better than I do. Sorry soccer moms. Nothin' personal.)

I got home in time to catch the end of the UCF game, which was really nothing to see. We played like garbage and lost. Blaire and I were hopeful that the Gators would fare better.

They didn't. Our offense couldn't get going with our back-up freshman quarterback and our special teams were anything but special. Oh well, at least B looked cute. Thanks to Leah of Oh Sew Sweet Bowtique for the adorable onesie.

Sunday was another big football day at our house. After a morning run to Target with Aunt Jilly, we settled in to watch more football. My San Fransisco 49ers won a big game against the Lions and my fantasy team had a big win too! Football wise, Sunday was a much better day than Saturday.

We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch for pictures and pumpkins with Blaire, so that's still on our list. I also need to get to Hobby Lobby so I can start on her costume. As you can tell, I'm a bit behind on the Halloween preparations. I'm going to try get caught up this week.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

my girls

2011-10-13T22:12:00.001-04:00

I recently read an interesting article* titled The Fine Line Between Marriage and Divorce. On the whole, it offered a rather bleak outlook on marriage. The great majority of the women the author spoke to had contemplated leaving their marriage at one point or another and many contemplated divorce on a regular basis. To me, this was surprising and, frankly, quite disheartening. The author claimed that "who stays married and who doesn't is a question not always about commitment or deep abiding love -- it's about endurance."

While I'm not sure that I agree with the author's conclusions on marriage, I did find one of her points very interesting. She says that "the wives with the highest marital satisfaction have a tight circle of wild women friends with whom to drink, travel and vent about their husbands." If that's true, I'm confident I'll be a happily married lady for some time.**

I am blessed with amazing girlfriends. We drink, we travel, and yes, on occasion, we even complain about the men in our lives. If that increases my marital satisfaction, great news. One more reason to love my hilarious, kind, supportive, fun, and amazing friends.

Allow me to introduce you to my "tight circle of wild women."

Love you ladies! So glad our crazy, boozin' ways are good for something other than a good time!

Also, you're all welcome. I came darn close to posting a series of hilariously embarrassing pictures of all of us. There was some good stuff. McD, you should be especially grateful. Half of them are of you dancing. :)

*Thanks Katie for bringing the article to my attention.

**I'm confident of this for other reasons. Namely, I married an amazing man whom I love very much. Not just because I've got fun, boozin' girlfriends. Just sayin'.

the best part of waking up

2011-10-12T23:31:00.000-04:00

I have never been a morning person. It used to take a Diet Coke, a gallon of coffee and an act of God to get me out of bed in the mornings. Not anymore. I can't wait to wake up each morning and get my girl out of her crib.

This is the sweetness that waits for me each morning.

Waking up to this sweet face - how could I not be a morning person?

what's cookin'

2011-10-05T21:58:00.021-04:00

When I was pregnant, I used to daydream about how amazing maternity leave would be. I pictured my house sparkling clean - who wouldn't have time to clean if they didn't have to leave to go to work? I'd think of all the books I would read while up at night with the baby and the amazing meals I'd make while I was home all day.

I have no idea what the hell I was thinking.

Turns out, maternity leave IS amazing - but not for any of those reasons. It's amazing because I spend my days with my sweet girl. I feed her, play with her, sing her songs, and read her books. I bathe her, calm her cries, and do her laundry. And I love every minute of it. But it doesn't leave much time for the book reading, meal making and house cleaning.

I tell you all of this to say that I'm not spending much time in the kitchen lately. Every minute I spend cooking is time I could spend with Blaire. And really, there's nothing I'd rather do than be with my girl. Because I need to lose this baby weight, take out isn't the best option. I find eating healthy is much easier when I cook for myself. So, I've been looking for quick, healthy meals to prepare. Here are a few good ones I've tried recently.

Chicken Pot Pie Biscuit Cups

Source: between3sisters.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I almost vetoed this recipe without even trying it because it includes an ingredient I'm not crazy about - canned cream of chicken soup. I have an aversion to cream of anything soup. It just says icky casserole to me and it's pretty high in sodium. However, I took a leap of faith on this recipe and I'm glad I did.

These were so easy to make and relatively healthy with the reduced fat biscuits, soup and cheese. I did modify the recipe slightly by adding a little skim milk to the soup to thin it out - maybe 1/4 cup. Also, I found that using half a biscuit for each cup allowed for a much better biscuit to filling ratio. I just tore each biscuit in half and stretched each half into the muffin tin to form a crust. Tastier & healthier! These are a great way to add veggies to your diet. I think you could probably even get picky kids to eat some veggies when they are inside these cute biscuit cups.

Asian Turkey Burgers with Broccoli Slaw

Source: passthesushi.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Danielle at A Day in the Life introduced me to this great recipe - thanks Danielle! If you're looking for healthy recipes, check out her blog. She's a great cook and is always whipping up nutritious, creative meals for her family. And oh my goodness, are her boys cute!

I made some modifications to the recipe to make it healthier and to suit my preferences. Here's my modified recipe:

Turkey Burgers

1 lb of ground turkey, extra lean
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ginger, grated
1 t. chili paste (I used sambal oelek)
2 T. cilantro, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
1 t. of lime zest
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Form ground turkey mixture into patties. Grill or pan fry until cooked through and juices run clear. Serve with broccoli slaw as a side or on top with toasted buns.

Broccoli Slaw

1 bag broccoli slaw
1/4 cup light mayo
Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 t. chili paste (I used sambal oelek)
1 T. sesame oil
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes so that the flavors mingle before serving.

Southwest Chicken Wraps

Source: melskitchencafe.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Another good Pinterest recipe. These were delish! To be fair, they're really just quesadillas folded into wraps but regardless, they were tasty and took about 10 minutes to make. A great weeknight meal.

Wu-hoo

2011-10-04T15:43:00.006-04:00

Move over, Missoni. Target has announced its next bargain-priced designer collection.

Jason Wu is creating a limited edition line for Target, which will be in stores February 5th. If you recall, Jason Wu became famous after First Lady Michelle Obama wore one of his gowns to the Inaugural Ball. The line, which will feature items priced $60 and less, is reported to be 60's inspired.

Other than the gowns worn by Mrs. O, I'm not too familiar with Wu's collections but I'm interested to see what he puts together for Target. I wonder if the First Lady will make a return trip to Tar-jay to scoop us some discount Wu?

Do you think the Wu collection will cause the same crazed reaction the Missoni line did?

tuesday chit chat

2011-10-04T11:37:00.001-04:00

Nothing important to report today, just a few random thoughts and tid bits to share.

I have to ask, how is it that the Prius doesn't make a sound but my breast pump sounds like a dump truck? If they can get an entire car to run silently, surely they can figure out how to make the tiny motor in a breast pump a little less loud. It's so damn obnoxious.

One thing that makes me feel better about neglecting my highlights for so long: I've discovered that I'm not yet going gray. Thank you baby Jesus. I don't think I could handle this pudgy post-baby belly and gray hair all at once. (Fear not, I got my hair done Saturday. I'm blonde-ish again.)

Yesterday, B and I met my sister for lunch.

I wish you could see B's outfit. My mom bought it for her and it is adorable. It has a matching cardi - cute overload. It was so fun to get out of the house and see Aunt Jilly, even if I did have to hold baby girl all lunch long. I ordered chicken fingers off the kids menu because I could eat it one handed and still didn't manage to finish. Babies are great for diets! Until I had Blaire, I never forgot to eat or was too busy. Now it happens all the time.

I've decided to ~~attempt to~~ make Blaire's first Halloween costume. My mom made many of our costumes when we were kids and we loved them. I would love to do the same for Blaire, but I'm not at all crafty so this is probably a fool's errand. I'm going to start right away, so there's time to order something if it doesn't turn out. I want to go to Hobby Lobby today to get supplies for the costume but I'm pretty sure it's been a bit too long since my last shower to be venturing out in public. Being a new mom is glamorous. :)

I made my favorite pumpkin muffins last night (recipe here) and added salted pumpkin seeds to the top. It was amazing. The little crunch and hint of salt with the sweet pumpkin muffins was delicious. Give it a try! (You can find salted pumpkin seeds at the grocery store. They're usually called pepitas.)

Daytime TV is crap. I usually have the TV on in the background most of the day while I'm feeding Blaire, folding laundry or catching up on blogs and Twitter. Slim pickings, let me tell you. 75% of the time, I keep the TV on ESPN but after you've seen the same episode of SportsCenter three times, it gets old. There's a new food-centered talk show called The Chew which is pretty entertaining and Lifetime runs Will & Grace reruns in the morning. And that's about it.

I'm trying to plan outfits for our holiday photos. Where's Rachel Zoe when you need her?

Okay, gotta run. Nap time ends soon and the laundry isn't going to fold itself. Happy Tuesday!

BabyLog

2011-10-02T23:16:00.000-04:00

I want to share something that has been incredibly helpful to me as a new mom - the Baby Log app for iPad.

This app allows you track all of the baby's feedings, diaper changes, sleep, baths and other activities. It tracks and records all this information so that you can refer back to it days, weeks or months later. It also puts the information into a visual display so you can see patterns in the activities from day to day.

I had no idea how incredibly helpful this app would be until Blaire was born. The nurses in the hospital were constantly asking us when was the last time she nursed or had her diaper changed. Without this app, we wouldn't have had a clue. We were elated, overwhelmed and sleep deprived - we certainly couldn't recall details of the last feeding or diaper change. Luckily, we were able to refer to the information we had input to BabyLog. After we brought Blaire home, the pediatrician told us that the best indication that Blaire was getting enough to eat was plenty of dirty diapers. By tracking her feedings and diaper changes, we were confident she was well fed. The app has functions to track information for nursing, bottle-feeding and pumping, so it's helpful regardless of how you feed your little one. You can track almost anything through this app. It's also convenient that it's accessible on your iPhone or iPad, so you always have the information at hand.

I can't tell you how helpful this app has been to me. I like that I can look to one place and get all the information I need. More than anything, it gives me peace of mind. And as a new mom, that's priceless.

*I wasn't compensated in any way to write this post. I just wanted to share something that has been really helpful to me in the event it might be helpful to some of you.

life lately

2011-09-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

I know I haven't been posting very often lately but it's not for lack of material, but lack of time. My head is full of things I want to blog about but I've had a hard time finding the time. The time I do find to spend on the computer is usually with Blaire in one arm and one hand on the keyboard. It's not easy to get a post together when you're typing one handed.

Hopefully I'll have more free time on my hands soon because Blaire has slept 10-11 hours the past four nights, waking to eat once and then going right back to sleep! I can't tell you how huge this is! Daytime naps are still a work in progress but I'm thrilled to have a baby who sleeps through the night. We're following the Moms on Call program (mostly) and it's going pretty well. I'm so happy we're all getting sleep at night. I'm hoping to write a post about our experience with Moms on Call. It's on the list...

I have a hair appointment on Saturday. FINALLY. The root situation is getting desperate. I like to say I'm unintentionally rocking the ombre look but in reality, I've got white trash roots. It's hard to appear as if you're a natural blond when you haven't had highlights in 9 weeks. Can't wait to remedy this situation. I should probably get the eyebrows waxed while I'm at it. My eyebrow girl moved to Miami and I haven't picked up a pair of tweezers in a looonnnggg time. Basically, I'm a hot mess. Minus the hot part.

This week, I had my first glass of wine since November 2010. Oh my word, it was good. I look forward to getting reacquainted with my old friend vino.

Five weeks after giving birth, my rings still don't fit. I'm so frustrated. I'm wondering whether they'll ever fit again or if I need to have them resized. I still have a bit of weight to lose before I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight (and a LOT of weight to lose to get back to where I want to be) so hopefully they'll fit when I'm back to my pre-baby weight. Here's hoping that day comes soon.

It's still 90-something degrees in Florida but weather be damned, I'm welcoming fall. I made pumpkin muffins, lit my Autumn Harvest candles, and look forward to painting my nails with Lincoln Park After Dark. (Don't worry, I'm not going to start waxing poetic about Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I think we're all tired of hearing about them. And honestly, I don't like them. I know, I know.) I can't wait to take Blaire to the pumpkin patch. I'm already envisioning the pictures. I'm trying to find her a Halloween costume but she's still tiny and I can't find anything small enough. I'm not at all crafty so making something is a last resort - and let's face it, a really bad idea.

There's more to say but I'm going to follow the advice of moms everywhere and sleep when the baby sleeps.

Goodnight!

one month

2011-09-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

My baby girl was one month old on Friday. It's hard to believe a month has already passed since we met our beautiful Blaire. I've never been more exhausted or worried - but that pales in comparison to the love I have for my daughter. She's the sweetest little girl and I couldn't love her more. She's already full of so much personality. It's so fun to see little glimpses of the person she is becoming. She is changing and growing bigger each day. I wish I could pause time and enjoy her at this sweet age just a little longer but I know there are only wonderful things to come.

A few things about your first month...

You LOVE your hands. You like to keep them up by your face, preferably in your mouth. Sometimes you suck on your thumb, sometimes a finger or two, and sometimes as much of your hand as you can manage to get into your mouth.

You have the most beautiful golden hair. That you were born with hair at all was surprising to us but the gorgeous golden color was even more shocking. It is stunning. Everyone who meets you comments on your beautiful hair color. I hope it never changes!

Your eyes are the prettiest blue. Your dad and I wonder whether they’ll stay blue or change. Momma thinks they’ll be green like hers.

At one month old, you are still wearing newborn sized clothes and diapers. For a girl who loves to eat, you're a bit of a skinny minnie!

You are not too impressed by your swing and bouncy seat. We hope you’ll grow to enjoy them but for now you usually prefer to be held or lay on a blankie with someone nearby.

You LOVE to eat. You're eating every 2 - 2 1/2 hours and would eat for 45 minutes at a time if I allowed you to. (The pediatrician told us to try to limit feedings to half an hour.)

Bath time is hit or miss with you but you LOVE to have your hair washed. You lay very still and are happy to let Momma wash your hair.

You are quite the little tooter! You have a gassy tummy and it cracks us up how such a tiny girl can toot so loudly. You also make the cutest pooping & tooting faces. (Thank goodness you can't read yet. Mom's already embarrassing you on the internet.)

You are an impatient little one! Once you’ve decided you’re hungry, you let us know by crying with urgency. We’ve learned to move quickly to avoid meltdowns.

You made your first trip to the mall with Mom and Grandma and your first Target trip with Mom. I'm sure there are many more trips like that in our future.

We love you to the moon and back little girl!

For Grandma, a few more pictures and outtakes from your one month photo sesh:

*I planned to have this post up on Friday but a flat tire turned our 2 hour trip from Grandma's house into a 5 hour trip. Blaire was a trooper through the whole ordeal but I didn't think she was up to a photo shoot after our long day.

smitten

2011-09-21T11:12:00.000-04:00

I know I'm biased, but this might be the cutest thing I've ever seen. Blaire giggles in her sleep.

I could watch this video a thousand times. Love my sweet, happy girl.

emmy thoughts from a tv junkie

2011-09-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

I look forward to writing my Emmy post every year. (Okay, the two years I've had this blog.) I usually make my predictions before the big show, then do a wrap up post after the show with highlights on fashion and the winners and losers. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to do a prediction post this year but I did watch the show and decided to share my thoughts. Aren't you lucky? (Don't answer that.) Sorry there are no pictures this year. I'm doing this one on the fly.

As for fashion, Lea Michele looked gorgeous, as always. I loved the sleeve detail and low back of her gorgeous red dress. And she is working those bangs. Kate Winslet was another lady in red. She and her boobs looked fantastic. Amy Pohler - love her, not the dress. Gwyneth Paltrow, what were you thinking?!?! You are a grown woman with children. I do not need to see your belly. I don't care if bare midriffs have been all over the runways. It's just not right. Sophia Vergara looked amaze-balls but I'm sure she could make a best dressed list in a paper bag. And Rob Lowe - holy smokes, can that man wear a tux.

My thoughts on the opening number? To quote Randy from American Idol, "It was just a'ight for me dog."

Wilmer Valderama was there. For a minute, I thought it was 2001.

Tina Fey had a baby one month ago and looked absolutely fantastic. I adore her but seeing her look so great so soon after giving birth made me want to smack her just a little.

A few thoughts on winners and losers: Love the love for Modern Family. Such a great show. I have no idea how they decided which of the four male actors to give it to. I probably would have gone with Cam again because he kills me. But Phil Dunphy is a hoot. I'm also glad Jim Parsons won for the second straight year as Sheldon on Big Bang Theory. That character is genius. (Literally.) Yay for Coach Taylor! I'm just sad Tammy didn't win too. Connie Britton is so beautiful. I wish I could scalp her and wear her hair as a wig. (Too much? Yeah, I think so.) I'm very disappointed Mad Men won AGAIN. Am I the only person who finds that show mind numbingly boring? I want to slit my wrists when I watch, just so I'll have something to do. And that's really saying something for a show with Jon Hamm's gorgeous face.

Favorite moments of the night - The presentation of the award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. What a hilarious group of women. I was pulling for Amy Pohler or Tina Fey but I was really happy to see Melissa McCarthy win. She's hilarious in Mike & Molly and it was well deserved. (Does anyone else watch that show? It totally cracks me up.) The Modern Family acceptance speech for Best Comedy series was great. Sophia Vergara & Rob Lowe presenting together was the most beautiful 30 seconds of television I've ever seen.

And the best line of the night was delivered by Jane Lynch: "A lot of people are curious why I'm a lesbian. Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of Entourage."

Did you watch the Emmy Awards? What did you think?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

it's me again

2011-09-13T23:34:00.002-04:00

I hope you all haven't given up on me - I'm still here! Blaire is three weeks old today and I'm finally starting to get the hang of this mom business. (I said starting - I have a long way to go and a LOT to learn.) Friday was my first day home alone with Blaire and we had a great day, but I'm still trying to figure out how to take care of her while getting anything else done. Showers are a luxury and sleep is in short supply. It's hard to put together a blog post when you can't recall the last time you brushed your teeth. (Keepin' it real...)

I think I'll ease back into this blogging business with some random thoughts. It might be a little scatter brained but that's what happens when you're up half the night with a little one who sleeps during the day and thinks night time is party time. I have got to watch this Moms On Call I've heard so much about. I need my sleep!

This morning, Blaire and I ventured out on our first solo trip out of the house. I jumped on the bandwagon to CrazyTown and made a run to Target this morning for Missoni madness. (If you were on Twitter today, you've already heard all about the insanity that was the Missoni for Target collection release.)

I got to my local Target at 9:45am and much of the collection was already picked over. There was very little clothing left and limited shoe sizes. I did score a pair of the flats I had my eye on and a small case for my makeup brushes.

(I got the small purple case in front.)

Unfortunately, I was sleep deprived and not on my game and completely missed the baby girl clothes. I suppose it's for the best. Miss B's closet is full and I probably would have ended up with a cart full of clothes she doesn't need. Luckily, Target's website has been crashed all day because my attempts to load up a virtual cart with baby clothes was thwarted too.

I am so happy that my tv shows are starting to come back. Sons Of Anarchy and Rachel Zoe started last week (am I the only person who loves both of these shows? One can be into bikers and fashion, yes?) and Parenthood starts tonight. Pretty soon all my shows will be airing new episodes and my DVR will be full again. Between new TV and football on the weekends, it really is the most wonderful time of the year! If only we could kick this 90+ degree weather. Summer seems to last an extra month or two in Florida. Fall should be here by November.

In other news, I would give my left foot for a bowl of ice cream. In an effort to shed some of this post-baby weight, I've gone cold turkey on the cold, creamy stuff. Oh how I miss it! If only I had the willpower to keep it in the house and not eat it every night. But I don't. So I can't.

What have I been eating? Peanut butter and jelly. Not exactly the healthiest option but so tasty and it's fast and easy to make while B is napping or happy in her bouncy seat for 5 minutes. (I've heard the swing and the bouncy seat are lifesavers for some parents. So far, Blaire is not impressed.)

We had Blaire's newborn photographs taken when she was five days old. The photographer posted a few pictures on her blog last night and they are beautiful. I am so excited to get all the pictures back and to design the birth announcements. Here's a little sneak peak.

I could not love that little girl more if I tried. Her sweet face makes my heart so happy.

Hopefully it won't be as long between posts next time. And I promise to be better about commenting on all of your blogs. You'll just have to forgive me for the misspellings I'm sure to make. I'm usually typing one handed with Blaire in the other arm. I'm getting better at doing things one handed though!

Off to watch Sons of Anarchy. Jax Teller - swoon!

Happy Labor Day

2011-09-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe Labor Day!

meet blaire

2011-08-28T20:58:00.000-04:00

Blaire Harper was born on August 23, 2011, at 11:50am. She weighed 8 pounds 4.5 ounces and is 21 inches long. She has the most beautiful golden hair and blue eyes. She has completely stolen our hearts.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to let you know of Blaire's arrival but this mommy thing is hard work! I've been so absorbed in loving Blaire and taking care of her that it was hard to find the time to sit down and write this post. In fact, I've written this entire post one handed, as B is sleeping in my other arm. I will try not to stay away so long next time, but my daughter is a beautiful distraction.

update on le bebe

2011-08-18T21:46:00.000-04:00

I'll spare you any details on the status of my cervix. (You're welcome.) Let's leave it at this: there has been no progress since the last appointment. Little missy is apparently very comfortable where she is and appears to have no intention of budging anytime soon. In fact, she is so far from ready that the doctor was making jokes about her being born with a driver's license. That might sound insensitive but I appreciated his sense of humor. What else can you do but laugh when your child takes up permanent residence in your uterus? The sense of humor was appreciated even more so when he said "Let's give this kid her eviction notice." Music to my ears.

He tried to get us in tonight but it was a no go. We are scheduled for an induction Sunday evening. Because there has been no progress, this is not a standard induction and may take a little longer. We're hoping to welcome Blaire into the world on Monday, possibly (pleaseohpleaseno) Tuesday.

I'll probably blog again soon because, well let's face it, I've got plenty of time on my hands. But if not, I'll be back next week with news and pictures of Blaire!

41 weeks & a post-pregnancy list

2011-08-18T06:00:00.009-04:00

I've made it to a milestone I never thought or hoped I'd reach - 41 weeks pregnant. Miss Blaire has now been cooking for a full week past her due date. I have to be honest and tell you that I am beyond ready to meet my little girl. It feels like I have been pregnant forever.

But no one wants to hear from Debbie Downer.

To keep my mind off the fact that I'm still pregnant, I thought I'd put together a list of things I'm looking forward to post-pregnancy. (My pre-baby bucket list is here.) Other than spending time with Blaire, of course, I can't wait to...

...enjoy my first cocktail since November. I've been dreaming of a glass of cold, white wine since the weather started turning warm. I've already got a bottle of vinho verde chilling in the fridge.

...wear heels again. And really, every other pair of shoes I own. I can't wait to slip my feet into something other than the same pair of silver J. Crew flip flops I've been wearing for weeks. (They're all that fits. Seriously.)

...rejoin the Y. It's been so long since I've exercised. At this point, rolling over in bed is physically challenging. And painful. I can't wait to start working some of these pounds off.

...get back on the Weight Watchers wagon. I know the Weight Watchers program works for me so I'll be counting points again soon.

...wear my wedding rings. It might be a few weeks before the swelling is gone but I am so excited to wear my rings again.

...get back into my old jeans by Christmas. This might be a pipe dream considering how much weight I have to lose, but it's good to set goals.

...drink a giant, guilt-free fountain Diet Coke with lemon. And then maybe drink another. (I should clarify - I have not stopped drinking Diet Coke altogether - just cut way back. I look forward to over-indulging in a ridiculous amount of DC.)

I have a doctor's appointment this morning. Last week we were told that they'd schedule an induction if we made it to 41 weeks, so I'm expecting to get an induction date at the appointment. Hopefully we'll know Blaire's birthday very soon! I'll keep you posted!

"It's too damn hot for a penguin to be just walking around here."

2011-08-16T13:36:00.001-04:00

Now that it's over, I can laugh about it.

Allow me to set the scene. Florida. August. Heat index of 100+ degrees every day. Me, 40.5 weeks pregnant.

Saturday night the house started to get warm. I told Brian I thought we might be having a problem with our AC. He told me it was just me "being pregnant." You can imagine how well that went over. By the time the temperature inside the house reached 84 degrees at 10pm, I knew we had a problem. The AC unit in my college apartment used to run low on Freon and ice over frequently, causing the same problem so I assumed that's what we were dealing with. However, our AC unit is in the attic crawl space so I couldn't get up there to verify for myself. (At this point, Brian is still operating under the assumption that I'm a crazy pregnant lady. I didn't bother to ask him to climb up there to take a look.)

First thing Sunday morning I called out an AC repairman and he was at the house by 10am. I assumed he'd pump in some Freon, de-ice the unit and save the day. Instead, he dropped a bomb. Our compressor was fried. If you're like me and don't speak air conditioning, this is bad news. Very bad news. He recommended we get an entirely new A/C unit to the tune of $6,000-$8,000. I recommended he get his head examined. Plan B was to replace the fried compressor for about a third of that. Yes, please!

Unfortunately, the parts suppliers are all closed on weekends. We were told we'd have no air until at least Monday when they could get the part and come out to repair the unit. At this point it's about 85 degrees in the house and I'm starting to panic. Luckily, I have the best sister ever who let us crash at her place on Sunday night to escape the heat.

Yesterday, the company said they couldn't be out to start repairs until 2-4pm, so I spent the day running errands and shopping for things I didn't need. (Sure, why not buy more outfits for the kid who has more clothes than she can ever wear?!?) Of course, the repairman had to send me to the brink of panic and didn't show until 4:10pm. At this point the house was an unbearable 91 degrees. I thought I would literally melt sitting in there waiting for them to complete the repairs. The Wicked Witch of the West "I'm melting, I'm melting" scene from Wizard of Oz kept running through my head. If not delirious, I was certainly dramatic!

Four hours later, the AC was fixed. Sort of. We turned on the air and left to grab dinner. When we got home it was down to 84 degrees. And honestly, it felt fabulous. When I woke up at 4am, it was 76 degrees. I nearly cried tears of joy.

They came back out this morning to do godknowswhat to the unit but we seem to be in business. It's still a heavenly 76 degrees in the house and I am no longer on the verge of an overheated pregnant lady nervous breakdown.

Despite the heat and unexpected repair bill, I can't help but think how lucky we are. What if Blaire had been born on time and we'd had a brand new baby in a house without air? I can't even imagine the nightmare of packing up everything we'd have needed for her and trying to learn the ins and outs of a newborn at a hotel. Thank you Blaire for being late! The house is cool now so feel free to join us when you're ready.

*I'm sure my tales of air conditioning woe aren't of much interest to most of you, but I just had to get this down for our own memories. Not that I'll ever forget it!

**Bonus points if you know where the quote in the blog title comes from. Actually, strike that. You lose points if you don't know. It's a classic, people!

baby update

2011-08-13T10:09:00.001-04:00

No baby yet!

My due date was Thursday but that date didn't work for Blaire. She's quite happy where she's at and seems to have no interest in coming out anytime soon. The doctor said we hadn't made much progress so we're going to give Blaire another week to decide if she'd like to come on her own terms. If she hasn't arrived by next Thursday, we'll schedule an induction.

At this point, every morning feels like Christmas morning. I wake up full of excitement, wondering whether today is the day. I'm so excited to meet Blaire but not upset that she's not here yet. I know she'll come when she's ready.

That said, I have tried many of the old wives' tales said to induce labor. I've had a pedicure, ate spicy food, walked and walked and walked... all to no avail. I've had other suggestions which I don't plan to try, including castor oil (definitely not that desperate), macaroni & cheese with A-1 (eww), jumping on a trampoline (more likely to break the trampoline than go into labor) and a special salad at a local restaurant (not objectionable, but they have the world's best pancakes so I'd probably get those instead). A woman at my office is convinced I'd go into labor if I would just vacuum the floor. People have lots of ideas about labor!

I'm looking forward to meeting my daughter but until that happens I'm going to keep busy and enjoy the weekend. Brian and I had a great dinner at a local Mexican restaurant last night (for the locals, Cocina 214) and I'm going to see The Help with my sister this afternoon. I've got a stack of books and magazines to read, research to do for my fantasy football team, and Brian and I may just go out to dinner again tonight while we still have the opportunity.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Saturday!

new look

2011-08-13T09:18:00.000-04:00

How adorable is the new blog design Lindsey of Sweet Simplicity Blog Designs made for me? I loved my old design (also by Lindsey) but thought it might be fun to make a change. I'm loving the new colors and roomier layout. Hope you do too!

Thanks Lindsey!

what's cookin'

2011-08-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

There are so many good recipes on Pinterest. Here are two of the latest I've tried.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I knew these would be a hit even before I made them. Brian will eat anything I make but it's the simple, unpretentious recipes that always make him the happiest. And if it resembles fried food or anything that would be served at a bar? Bonus points. Just as expected, these were a hit with him. They aren't fancy but they are tasty and relatively healthy. (I used light cheddar and cream cheese and white meat chicken to cut out a few extra calories.)

The best part - this recipe makes a ton of chicken bites, so I froze most of them for later. Instead of baking them, just spread them on a tray and flash freeze for about thirty minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Easy peasy. I love cooking once and getting three meals.

Tonight's dinner was also found on Pinterest and originally from Cooking Light. It was a great weeknight meal - quick and healthy.

Chicken Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Source: myrecipes.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Of course, I can't leave well enough alone and had to tinker with the recipe a little. This time, I ended up making it less healthy and doubled the dressing and goat cheese called for in the recipe. But honestly, what's not better with more goat cheese? I also subbed out the orzo for bowtie pasta because I had it in the pantry. I think the leftovers will be great for lunch tomorrow served cold.

My food photos are proof that a fancy camera does not mean great photographs.

Have you found any great recipes on Pinterest? If so, please share!

39 weeks

2011-08-04T10:58:00.001-04:00

Another pregnancy update. I know what you're thinking.

I love it. So true, right? But you try growing a human. It's hard not to let it consume your thoughts. Something about the repetitive punches and kicks to the gut from the inside tend to keep that baby on your brain. But we're in the home stretch so the end is in sight. However, pregnancy updates will soon be replaced by gratuitous baby picture postings so really...nevermind. It will never end. Consider yourselves warned.

I had Brian take a couple pictures of me this weekend to document the progress of "the bump." OH MY WORD. It was not pretty. So, you don't get to see those. But I did snap a couple pictures in the bathroom mirror last night and I will share those. Something about the grainy, crappy bathroom pictures seem to hide the full horror of just how big, swollen and puffy I am. (I hope.)

Okay, on second thought, those pictures aren't hiding a thing. But there it is. The ugly truth. Pregnancy isn't glamorous people. But my reward is coming!

How Far Along: 39 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: Who knows! My guess is 8lbs + but what do I know? We'll find out soon.

Total Weight Gained: Ha! At this point, I wish I didn't know the answer to this question. I'll ~~admit the shameful truth~~ tell you after I lose it all.

Maternity Clothes: Over them. The yoga pants you see pictured above? I wish I could live in them. I just might for the few weeks after she's born.

Movement: She's moving quite a bit. And rearranging my internal organs, from what I'm feeling. Poor thing is running out of room so she has to make room. Sure feels strange!

Sleep: Sleep is getting tough. I wake up many times a night to turn over and try to get comfortable. More nights than not, I'll wake up for a couple hours in the middle of the night. I almost always get back to sleep after so it's not so bad. Certainly nothing compared to what lies ahead!

What I miss: I wouldn't trade a thing I'm missing for Baby B! But I do miss my face. It's buried under three chins and puffy cheeks. Looking forward to getting that back. And ankles too. Oh how I miss having ankles. And wearing my wedding rings. Can't wait until they fit again.

Cravings: I had been craving Jeremiah's Italian Ice for a while. Brian and I went last Friday and it was sooo good. I might just go again this weekend.

Aversions: Humidity!

Symptoms: The usual - swollen hands and feet, achy legs and the inability to get up or roll over in bed without groaning like an old man.

Best Moment this Week: The excitement that comes each day with knowing that this could be the day we meet our daughter!

I'm heading to the doctor's office this afternoon. Hopefully they'll have an update for me on what progress, if any, we're making toward Blaire's arrival.

etsy love

2011-08-03T07:00:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Etsy, my mailman and UPS guy have been working overtime lately. Coming home and finding a package on my doorstep just makes my day and getting pregnant has only intensified my Etsy obsession. There are just so many adorable, hand crafted baby items out there. I've found some really great things (not just baby items) and wanted to share some of my favorite finds with you.

If you're looking for custom stationery, you have to check out Preppy Paper Girl. She made the thank you notes I sent out after Blaire's baby shower and I absolutely loved them! The design was perfect and the notes are made from thick, high quality card stock. And oh my goodness, PPG could not be any sweeter to work with. She's such a doll. I cannot recommend Preppy Paper Girl enough.

I ordered first birthday gifts for two sweet boys from Simply Stella Studio. I got each a custom melamine plate and they came out so cute. These plates made great gifts for the little ones but would also be a really nice hostess or holiday gift.

As soon as we decided on Blaire's name, I ordered a monogrammed gown and hat from Studio MCA Designs. The gown is so soft and the embroidery is beautiful.

Along with everyone else under the sun, I'm loving chevron print. I wanted to incorporate the print into our house but didn't want to invest in anything too expensive in case I grow tired of it once the trend has passed. The chevron pillow I ordered from at Castle Creek Designs was the perfect solution. It was super affordable and well made and looks great in the living room.

I had intended to purchase some onesies and have them embroidered with Blaire's monogram at a local embroidery shop. After calling numerous companies, I realized that embroidery is expensive and very few companies in my area do small embroidery orders. Posh Designs by Marilyn was the solution to my problem. I was able to order custom monogrammed onesies and have them shipped to my house for cheaper than I could have them embroidered locally (and for much less hassle). I love how they turned out and will be ordering more in the future. How cute would a red and green monogram be for Christmas?

Do I really have to say anything about the adorable sunsuit I ordered from JenoaHP? The picture speaks for itself. I can't wait to see Blaire wearing this. The ruffles are too cute!

With all the thank you notes I'm writing and birth announcements we'll soon be sending, I wanted to get a return address stamp to save myself a bit of time. Save the Date has great prices and a wide selection of designs.

Naturally, I plan to torture my daughter with regular photo sessions, so as not to miss a moment of her early days. Would you expect any less from a crazy first time mom? To mark each passing month of Blaire's life, I bought these stickers from Lil' Baby Bumblebee. Hope she's not camera shy!

Bella's Bowtique has a HUGE selection sweet headbands and bows for little ones. I could have ordered 25 but limited myself to two. For now. If you plan to order, I suggest "liking" them on Facebook because they frequently post sales and discount codes.

I wanted ruffled bloomers for Blaire's newborn photographs and found hundreds of options on Etsy. These were among the cheapest I found. I was a little worried the quality would suffer but was really pleased when I received them. They are beautiful and will be so cute in her pictures. If you're looking for something similar, check out Caca Baby.

I love supporting small businesses through Etsy. Hopefully some of you saw something you liked here and will support some of these wonderful Etsy sellers, too. Just think of it as doing your part to stimulate this rotten economy. :)

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I purchased all items featured and was not given any discounts or free merchandise in exchange for mentioning any of the Etsy shops.

a room for our girl

2011-08-01T07:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Blaire's nursery!

I made this flowered "B" for our wedding more than two years ago, so it has such a happy association for me. I love that it now hangs on Blaire's door.

I love this little reading nook in the corner. I can't wait to rock Blaire and read her books in this comfy glider. I think we'll spend lots of time with our sweet girl here.

I found a great Etsy seller to make this seersucker pillow to match the crib bedding.

This dresser was in our guest room before it became the nursery. I switched out the knobs and now it feels new. It's will also double as a changing table - the height is perfect. We've got all the diaper essentials stored in the top drawers within easy reach and the bottom drawers hold clothes, blankets, burp cloths and other baby necessities.

The closet is full of my clothes (old house = very limited closet space), so we got an armoire to hang some of Blaire's clothes. (The diaper cake on top is not a permanent fixture - it's just up there until I dismantle it and put away the diapers.)

I'm so excited to see little B in all the sweet outfits we have for her. Hope our girl likes to play dress up!

At long last - the crib! After all the trouble we went through to get a crib in the nursery, it makes me oh so happy to see it in her room. It's not the dream crib I waited on for months but I know it will work just fine for Blaire.

The frames above the crib are currently filled with patterned paper, but they'll be replaced with pictures of Blaire after she's born and an Etsy print. (Don't worry - they're firmly affixed to the wall and will be taken down before she can stand up to reach them.)

A close up of the crib bedding - pink seersucker.

Blaire's grandparents got her this little chair. She's going to love it. And I'm going to love propping her up in it for pictures. Poor thing!

So, there it is, the full tour of Blaire's nursery. I know it's quite pink and girly, maybe a bit more so than I had intended. However, it's sweet, soft, and comfortable and I think Blaire will be very happy in there. We are so excited bring her home to her nursery. We love her so much already and cannot wait to meet her.

goodbye july

2011-07-31T23:24:00.000-04:00

July has come to an end.

It looks like Blaire has missed her window of opportunity to have a July birthday. I know she'll come when she's ready but I had sort of hoped she'd make her appearance at the end of July. I figure she would have preferred a ruby to a peridot for her birthstone. Sorry little one - just ask for the diamonds instead. ; )

And, selfishly, I was hoping to meet my girl a little early. Of course, we'll be every bit as excited to welcome Blaire on her August birthday. September, however, is not an option! : )

I also failed to recognize the two year anniversary of the ol' blog on Friday. For The Love turned two on July 29th. I'm so happy I decided to start blogging two years ago. I've had so much fun documenting our lives on this little corner of the Internet and have "met" so many wonderful people. Blogging has provided me with an endless source of support, advice and entertainment. I'm so glad I hit publish on that first post two years ago.

Today is also the three year anniversary of the date we bought our house.

We've made so many great memories in this house over the past three years. We got married shortly after we purchased this house and my husband carried me over its threshold. We've celebrated birthdays, hosted parties, cooked Thanksgiving turkeys, and decorated Christmas trees within it. Soon, we'll bring our first baby home to this house. I'm sure there will be more houses in our future but this will always be our first home. I love this little old house.

Goodbye July, hello August. I know you've got great things in store.

No baby yet!

2011-07-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

I suppose someone who is 38 weeks pregnant probably shouldn't take a week off from blogging without explanation, as I'm sure I've caused some of you to think Blaire had arrived. Alas, she has not. She's still cooking, as we like to say.

While I've been away, I've been busy checking some things off my pre-baby bucket list. I've finished decorating the nursery (a post with pictures to come soon!), stocked the freezer with post-baby meals, assembled a swing and bouncy seat, installed baby monitors, enjoyed some dinners out with Brian, and read a couple books. Between checking things off the to-do list and a bed time that keeps getting earlier as the days start to feel longer, I haven't found much time to blog. Actually, that's not true. I've just been too pooped at the end of the day to put together coherent thoughts!

This weekend's to-do list is pretty short so I hope to get some posts written for next week. I'm excited to share Blaire's nursery with you (get ready for pink overload) and I'm still working on a post with all the great Etsy shops I've come across. So, unless Blaire decides to pay us an early visit, I should be back in the swing of blogging next week. However, an early visit from Baby B would not disappoint this momma-to-be one bit. I'm so excited to meet her! However, my intuition tells me she's going to cook a while longer. Heaven help me, I have a feeling she's going to be a big baby. Guess we'll see!

Other than blogging and a few errands, we're planning to see Crazy, Stupid, Love this weekend and meet up with a group of friends for a going away dinner (& drinks for most of the crowd) for some very good friends of ours who are moving away. Other than that, lots of relaxing in the air conditioning! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

2011-07-22T10:45:00.002-04:00

I made an easy, delicious dinner last night and wanted to share the recipe.

Source: myrecipes.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I was going to take my own picture to use for this post but while delicious, this meal does not photograph well. The recipe is from Cooking Light, but I made some modifications, so I've reposted it below.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided (Shredded my own jack & cheddar cheese and used closer to 2 cups)
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute (I used one egg instead)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I omitted)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White) (I used Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. (Closer to 20 minutes is better to avoid a soggy bottom.) Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and black beans; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

What Kind of Day Has It Been *

2011-07-21T13:50:00.001-04:00

This kind of day:

That's my bathroom. And that's a stool. I had to drag it from the kitchen and sit in it while I did my hair and make up this morning. Seriously. After my shower, I was just too tired to stand up and get ready. I finally made it into work at the shameful hour of 9:45am.

After a few hours at the office, I went to my now weekly doctor's appointment...and nearly fell off the exam table trying to sit on it. Brian caught me as I stumbled down. I then proceeded to sweat my arse off as I sat there waiting for the doctor. I'm pretty sure I left a puddle of sweat behind on the paper covered exam table. Classy.

After the appointment, Brian took me to Chick-fil-A for lunch. It was delish. But not so delish that I didn't stop at Krispy Kreme on the way back to work. Because that's what you need after fast food for lunch.

It's now 1:42pm. I've been awake for approximately five and a half hours and all I want to do is go back to sleep.

FOR SHAME.

Why am I telling you all this? I have no idea. Exhaustion? Stupidity? An attempt to put off work for a few more minutes?

Or, as Murray says, " 'Cause I'm keeping it real."

Hope you're all doing better than I am today! Although, come to think of it, I have donuts. (Yes, plural.) My day is looking up!

*10 points if you caught the reference to the greatest television show ever made.

Wednesday Morning Gem

2011-07-20T09:41:00.000-04:00

Middle of the week getting you down? This should help.

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake present "The History of Rap, Part 2."

In case you missed it, click here to watch "The History of Rap, Part 1".

deep thoughts

2011-07-20T09:26:00.001-04:00

...or not. Quite the opposite in fact. Just a few random things on this Wednesday morning.

* Anthropologie needs to get on board with every other online retailer and offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount. It frustrates me to no end that I am ordering nearly $200 of merchandise yet still have to fork over $14 for shipping. Particularly when I know it is costing them about $3 to mail me three lightweight tops in a small box.

* I forgot to get Blaire a baby book. Bad mommy! Operation Find Non-Tacky, Non-Cheesy Baby Book has commenced. It's harder than you'd think.

* We watched the first episode of the new season of Damages last night. So glad it's back! Looks like it should be a good season.

* I'm in the middle of Divergent by Veronica Roth. It's good but I think it's been a bit over-hyped. I saw so many glowing reviews before I picked it up that I think it skewed my expectations. I'm enjoying it but keep waiting for the "OMGthisissogoodIcan'tputitdown" moment.

* If not for face wipes, I might never wash my face. Sad but true.

* I tried Ben & Jerry's new Late Night Snack flavor. I was underwhelmed. It was missing the salty-sweet combo I was hoping for. The chocolate covered potato chip clusters tasted more like rice crispies to me. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty. But for that many calories, I need something amazing.

Okay, time to get to work. Happy Hump Day!

Pre-Baby Bucket List

2011-07-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

As I near the end of this pregnancy, I have been thinking about all the things I want to do before Blaire arrives. The time is short and the list is long. Here are a few items from my pre-baby bucket list.

Bake. I have a very narrow window in which I can bake and eat some delicious treats without (too much) guilt. The only problem - how do I choose from so many yummy possibilities?

Source: culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: annies-eats.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: pink-parsley.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: smells-like-home.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Clean. The entire house. Top to bottom. Unfortunately, I don't think my swollen feet are up to the task. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to call in help on this one.

Read. I've finished Babywise. I've yet to start Happiest Baby on the Block. I'd like to finish it before Blaire's born. I've heard a rumor that a Happiest Baby dvd is out there...might just have to watch that instead.

Eat. Brian and I love to go out to eat and try new restaurants. I suspect dinners out will be few and far between in the months after Blaire is born, so I'd like to make an effort to go out to dinner at least once a week until she arrives and enjoy a good meal.

Also, I have to try this:

Does this not sound like the ultimate sweet & salty treat? No matter how delicious, I can't usually justify the 12 billion calories in a pint of Ben & Jerry's. But for this, I will make an exception. I just have to try it!

Decorate. Finishing Blaire's nursery is obviously at the top of the list. We're waiting on the crib & chair to arrive and I need to add in some decorative details. I'd also like to get some pictures and artwork hung in the rest of the house. I'm sure decorating will not be a priority after the baby, so the more I can get done now, the better.

Sleep. This one needs no explanation.

Cook. I'd like to prepare some meals to store in the freezer so that we can eat something other than take-out in the hectic days after Blaire first arrives. Here are some good resources and tips I've found for freezer meals.

Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: thriftynorthwestmom.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: annies-eats.net via Melissa on Pinterest

Me Time. Pedicures, reading, blogging - I'll squeeze in whatever I can.

Looks like most of this list is about food. No shock there. You don't pack on the pounds like I've done in the past 9 months without a healthy appetite and a sincere love of food. I know what the first item on my post-baby bucket list will be - Weight Watchers!

What else should be on my pre-baby bucket list?

Good Day

2011-07-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today will be a good day.

First stop, a much needed manicure and pedicure. My puffy piggies need a good rub and a fresh polish. Lordy, I feel sorry for the poor lady who gets that job. Can you say big tip?

Mani/pedi time will be followed by an even more necessary visit to my hairstylist for a highlight touch up. Oh the time and money I could save had I only been born a blond! My hair has taken on an unintentional and not-so-awesome ombre look which must be rectified. Hopefully hair lady can work some magic and fix my locks.

Truth be told, I'm only excited for these first two stops because I can spend most of the time at the spa and salon reading. Throw in an iced latte and I'm in heaven.

After my morning o' beauty, Brian and I are going to see the final Harry Potter movie.

I'm sad to see the Potter era end but I'm so excited to see the last part of the story play out on the big screen.

After the movie, we're going to check some more items off our long to-do list. We might go shopping for a video camera or make a run to Babies R Us to return duplicate gifts and buy some things we still need. And I'm sure dinner will be part of the plan.

Should be a busy but fun day. What are you up to today?

Crib Update

2011-07-15T14:06:00.002-04:00

*From the comments I'm getting, I think I came off as unhappy or extra whiny in my 36 week update. (I shouldn't write posts at midnight - my exhaustion shines through.) In reality, I am doing just great and have so little to complain about with regards to this pregnancy. I've been feeling great, Blaire is healthy and we're both doing well. Sorry if I came across as Debbie Downer!

On to the crib update, for any of you who want to know how that all turned out.

If you follow me on Twitter, you've had the misfortune of hearing my incessant whining about the situation we've been having with Baby B's crib. We ordered the crib back in February and were told it would take quite a while to arrive. Given the very long wait, I was conflicted about ordering the crib (as evidenced by this post) but did so anyhow, hoping that the crib would arrive earlier than promised.

It didn't. (Those of you who advised me to find something else when I asked your advice back in February - now is the time for the "I told you so." You were right.) As of Monday, the crib was already a week later than promised and had yet to ship. I contacted the retailer for an(other) update and was told the crib was still not in the country and might not be in for another 3 weeks, plus 2-3 weeks shipping time. (Things I was not told - the word "sorry" or any sort of apology for failing to deliver the product as promised. But that's neither here nor there.) After being told for the last few weeks the crib was coming in "this week," I'd lost all faith in the company's estimated shipping dates - and was quite peeved by the lack of customer service from both the retailer and the manufacturer of the crib.

On Wednesday, I cancelled the order. While I'm sad I won't have the beautiful crib for Blaire's nursery, I'm happy that I'm no longer giving those companies my business.

Obviously with Baby B expected to arrive in the next four weeks, we're still in need of a crib. And no, I wasn't dumb enough to cancel the crib without a back-up plan. Enter Pottery Barn Kids. They saved the day! Talk about great customer service. I found a great crib which will actually work out better than the original plan. It's the perfect color to coordinate with the rest of the furniture, it was on sale(!) for a great price, and most importantly - ships for free in 5-7 DAYS!!! We will have a crib in B's nursery by the end of next week!

I'm so relieved. It looks like we'll be able to have Blaire's nursery finished before we bring her home. Obviously not a necessity, but as a first time momma it makes me so happy.

Here's Plan B:

Once the crib arrives I'll take pictures of the finished nursery to share!

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I'm just incredibly grateful to PBK for offering a crib that ships so quickly.

** Update: I've gotten a few questions on who the companies are that I had problems with, but some of you don't have your email connected to your comments so I can't respond to you. The crib manufacturer is Bratt Decor. Pretty cribs, if you can wait 21+ weeks for the crib to come in stock. Perhaps order the crib, then start trying for a baby. (I kid, of course.) I won't put the retailer's name on the blog yet because I'm still waiting on them to process my refund. They're currently ignoring my emails. Jerks. But email me if you want to know.

9 months

2011-07-14T23:39:00.001-04:00

The weeks are flying by at this point. I'm 36 weeks today - 9 months pregnant! I'm sorry, but all I have this week are the dreaded Blackberry pictures. I'll try to get Brian to take a real picture of me and my giant belly this weekend. I'd like something other than a fuzzy phone picture to look back on one day.

How Far Along: 36 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: Approximately 18 inches and 6 pounds. (Does that sound crazy to anyone else? That's a full size baby. Guess that's why I look like I swallowed a watermelon.)

Total Weight Gained: I'm not ready to talk about that just yet. Just know, it isn't pretty. I'll confess the number one day. Probably after I've lost at least half of it. :)

Maternity Clothes: I think I hate every item of clothing that currently fits, with the exception of my maternity yoga pants. Wish I could just live in those. I feel like I've worn every maternity dress I own 100 times each and it's getting harder and harder to put together outfits for work. Some of my maternity items have gotten too small or too short but I can't justify buying more clothes with such little time left. So I wear the same boring dresses every week. Now with flip flops. A fashionista I am not. I can't wait to get back into my old clothes. (It's going to be a while. See above. haha)

Movement: Baby girl is active! She's moving often. It has to be getting crowded in there because now when she moves it feels like she's rearranging my internal organs. I wasn't going to share this picture because it's just plain creepy, but I thought some of you might think it was fascinating - in a carnival, freak show kind of way. (If it grosses you out, sorry. And join the club. It's my stomach. Imagine how much it creeped me out!)

That would be my pasty, white stomach. And the large protrusion on the right side? My kiddo. Sticking what I imagine is her bum way up and out so that my entire stomach is lopsided. She does this pretty frequently. And yes, it feels as strange as it looks.

Sleep: Comes and goes. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not so good. I wake up many times a night to roll over. (It takes way too much effort to do while sleeping.) And the night time bathroom breaks are getting more frequent.

What I miss: Feeling comfortable. Regular clothes. My ankles.

Cravings: Pancakes! Who wants to go get pancakes? Call me!

Aversions: The sweltering heat and humidity. Standing for extended periods of time. The sight of my wide rear end in the mirror. (Is there a baby in there, too?)

Symptoms: Ridiculously swollen, puffy feet. Intermittent grumpiness. Warm just about all the time.

Best Moment this Week: My assistant organized a really sweet shower for me at the office. My coworkers spoiled Blaire with gifts and we had some delicious cake. And we solved the crib debacle! More on that to come.

Weekend Update

2011-07-11T22:12:00.001-04:00

Weekends are pretty tame around here these days but that's just fine with me. I don't have the energy for too much excitement. The essential ingredients of a good weekend are plenty of naps and a decent meal or two. This weekend had both so I'll call it a success.

Friday night after work I made a trip to Ulta and picked up a few fun things. I snagged the Naked Palette by Urban Decay:

and the Bare Minerals Starter Kit. I've been hearing good things about Bare Minerals for years but finally decided to give it a try.

Thanks to my girl Pink Lou Lou for recommending the Naked Palette - I love it! I also picked up a rat tail comb, so I could attempt the Pink Lou Lou poof tutorial. Lou Lou, you would be so proud - I did it! I achieved "le poof!" It looked great! And then I went and sat on the couch with Brian and watched Dateline. Fancy hair and no place to go! Such is my life these days. :)

Saturday morning Brian took me out to breakfast for pancakes. I had been asking to go out for pancakes for a few weeks so I was pretty darn excited about breakfast. We tried a new (to us) breakfast place in town and the pancakes were amazing. Huge and fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. Soooo good. I may just angle for another breakfast date this weekend. What can I say, sugary carbs are the way to my heart right now.

I spent the rest of the day finishing up thank you notes for all the sweet gifts we've received for Blaire and snuck in a little nap before attending a bridal shower for my friend Beth Saturday evening. After the bridal shower, I made a brief stop at a going away party for a great friend who is moving away at the end of the month. McD, we are going to miss you! The going away party had an 80's theme but since I was coming from the bridal shower and not staying long, I didn't dress up. The girls were decked out in their 80's best (worst?) and looked great.

Who can spot the pregnant girl in the bar? Classy, right?

I spent most of Sunday working on the nursery. I did heaven knows how many loads of laundry and organized all her drawers.

The nursery is really starting to come together. Once it's finished, I'll share pictures.

The rest of the day was spent watching the World Cup, reading Ape House and grocery shopping. And there may have been a Sunday afternoon nap. It was a quiet, relaxing day. I wish Mondays could be as great as Sundays, but sadly they never are.

It's only Monday but I'm already looking forward to next weekend. Brian and I are going to see the final Harry Potter movie and I am not ashamed to admit that I am super excited. I also have a hair appointment and plan to get a much needed manicure and pedicure. Don't worry, a significant tip will be involved for the poor woman that has to massage my puffy piggies and cankles.

I'm hoping the week flies by and the weekend rolls around as quickly as it seemed to pass.

USA!

2011-07-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

Was anyone else glued to the television today, watching Women's World Cup soccer? The USA team played Brazil this afternoon in the quarterfinals. Before the game started, ESPN did a piece recapping the USA team's amazing World Cup win in 1999. Remember Brandi Chastain's game winning penalty kick? And her even more memorable sports-bra baring celebration that followed?

I found myself tearing up as I watched the recap of that history making victory. I blame pregnancy.

The game against Brazil was nothing short of amazing! Despite some terrible officiating which caused the American team to play a man down for nearly half the game, we pulled out an amazing victory against Brazil. The game was so exciting and thrilling to watch.

Also, I might just have a new girl crush.

Hope Solo, the goalie for the US team, is an incredible athlete. And drop dead gorgeous.

I'm already planning a long lunch for Wednesday, when the US team will play France at 11:30am EST. Go USA!

I've got nothing...

2011-07-07T15:07:00.000-04:00

...for a title. But I do have some random stuff to tell you about. Will you all forgive me if we do this in bullet points? Time and brain power are limited today. Better save most of that for work. I know you all are more forgiving than my employer. They actually demand my time and organized, coherent thought. Go figure.

Anyhoo, here's what's going on in my neck of the woods:

* Houston, we have a problem. My feet, which currently resemble the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, are very nearly too wide and puffy for my TB flats. This is a big problem as my TB flats ~~are~~ were the only work appropriate shoes I had left in my closet that I could wear. I'm currently sporting a work inappropriate pair of sandals at the office. They fit, they're comfortable - they'll have to do for today. Not sure what I'll wear for the next 35 days or so until this little bun in the oven is done cooking but I can promise you I'm not wearing orthopaedic grandma shoes. I may be pregnant and hardly able to see my feet but I draw the line at ugly footwear. Can't do it. It's against everything I believe in.

Be thankful I used this picture, rather than a photo of my cankles. It's not pretty, friends.

* I've had the theme song for Growing Pains in my head for 5 days. It goes away occasionally but always finds its way back in. I'm humming it in the shower, singing it in the car - this has got to stop. I haven't seen an episode of Growing Pains in years so I suppose my Family Ties post with reference to TV theme songs is to blame. I might have to start rapping the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme to get rid of it once and for all.

* Today, I'm 35 weeks pregnant and there are 35 days until Baby B's due date. Cue panic. And excitement.

* I had a chili cheese hot dog for lunch. Just wanted you all to know to that. (For the locals, we went to Frank & Steins for lunch. The hot dog was tasty but the menu overall didn't knock my socks off. The beer list, on the other hand... I'll be making a trip back for one or two of their 300 craft beers in a few months.)

* Retailers of baby products everywhere hate me. Of this I am certain. The crib, which I ordered in FEBRUARY, has not shipped. The absolute latest date on which they assured me it would ship by? Monday. Has it shipped? Nope. They promise it will ship this week. I have no faith in this. The upholstered chair for the nursery I ordered from Pottery Barn Kids was supposed to have shipped on Sunday. Now they say next week. Zulily, a consistenly slow shipper, has yet to mail the package I ordred June 21st. And to top it all off, I ordered an adorable romper for Blaire from an Etsy seller located in Florida. (If you're just joining us, I also live in Florida). The USPS tells me the package containing said romper is currently in North Carolina. I give up.

* I'm making this Buffalo Chicken Pasta for dinner tonight.

Source: howsweeteats.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I suspect Brian will love it and that sweet man deserves at least a good dinner for all the sweet things he's done for me lately. Don't know what I'd do without him. I'll let you know how the pasta turns out.

* This has been a bummer week for television. It's Kid's Week on Jeopardy and The Daily Show is airing repeats. This leaves my DVR very sad and empty.

We'll stop the train of random thoughts there. Happy Thursday!

Showered With Love

2011-07-04T23:50:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, my sister and friends threw Blaire and me the most adorable baby shower. The theme was backyard barbecue, but with a girly twist. The decorations were all in pinks and greens. It was precious and so much thought was put into every detail.

Aren't these mason jars adorable?

My sister, who knows my love of bbq, had the food catered by my favorite bbq restaurant in town. The food was phenomenal! Brisket, pulled pork, mac & cheese, beans, fruit salad - it was all delicious!

The girls enjoyed their "grown up" Arnold Palmers. Sweet tea vodka - yum! Or so I remember.

Me, Sis & Mom

How cute is this picture? My friend Lauren is expecting baby Eli about a month after Blaire. I can't wait for the two of them to become the best of buddies.

I know self deprecation is annoying but I have to say it just once - holy cow is my face fat. I had no idea how bad it was until I saw these pictures. Blaire is so worth it but I can't wait to go back to having just one chin.

The book I'm reading - Go The F**k to Sleep. Absolutely hilarious, if you're not offended by profanity. There's a narration by Samuel L. Jackson floating around the internet that is amazing.

Each guest went home with a bottle of Blaire's BBQ Sauce.

The best friends a girl could ask for. I hope that one day Blaire will be lucky enough to have an equally amazing group of women in her life.

It was a wonderful day and I'm so grateful for all the sweet friends & family who came to the shower and spoiled Blaire with so much love - and a mountain of beautiful gifts. Special thanks to my sister Jill who spent months planning each thoughtful detail. I appreciated each and every one. You're the best Jilly!

And thanks to my dear friend Jenny for taking all the beautiful pictures in this post and many more. You're too sweet, JP. Thanks for capturing the day's memories in pictures I can one day show to Blaire.

Sha la la la

2011-07-01T23:38:00.001-04:00

I was searching the Netflix Watch Instantly titles the other night and stumbled upon something that made me squeal with glee.

The entire series of Family Ties! I was pretty young when the show originally aired so I haven't seen all the episodes but I did love this show. And Alex P. Keaton. And who doesn't love the theme song? It's a classic. (Sidenote: I miss TV theme songs. Television shows used to have great theme songs. A few of my favorites: Cheers, Growing Pains, Full House, Golden Girls, and Friends. Why don't shows have theme songs anymore?)

I'm so excited to watch the show from the beginning. Seven seasons of the Keatons should keep me entertained for quite a while.

"There ain't no nothing we can't love each other through. What would we do baby, without us? Sha la la la."

34 Weeks

2011-06-30T14:09:00.001-04:00

Baby Blaire,

You've been with me now for 34 weeks. Sometimes I feel as if the time has flown by. Other times I feel as if I've been pregnant forever. All I know for certain is that I cannot wait to meet you!

We were given a beautiful shower this weekend. Everyone is already so in love with you and has spoiled you with lots of presents. You have a very full closet of precious clothes waiting to be worn - I sure hope you like to dress up, my girl! You've got more dresses, rompers, bows, shoes, and hats than any little girl could ever need.

I think you've decided that it's getting boring hanging out in my tummy because you sure do quite a bit of wiggling, rolling, and moving. You're an active little one and your dad and I just love to watch you as you squirm around. I wish I could hold you in my arms so you had more room to move but I know you'll come when you're ready. Hope you're comfortable in there, little one.

xoxo Your Momma

I know it's not a "bump picture" but I wanted to share my one maternity photo. I decided against maternity pictures, but my friend (an amazing photographer) wanted to take a few pictures at my shower this weekend. This is what we got in before the rain started to pour down. She did just what I asked and disguised just how big I am these days. Thanks so much JP for hiding most of my jiggly bits & making me look so much better than I do!

Now on with the update.

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: According to my BabyCenter emails, she's approximately four and three quarters pounds and 18 inches long. It boggles my mind that she's that big!

Total Weight Gained: I think it's time to stop answering this question. If you saw my post on the four cartons of ice cream in my freezer, you understand why.

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes, I've even started to outgrow some of them. That's quite a hit on the ego when a maternity item starts feeling snug. I swear some of that stuff is not meant for the 3rd trimester. At least, that's what I tell myself.

Movement: She's moving so much now and it feels so strange. One night I was quite certain she'd had enough and had decided to claw her way out through my belly button, Alien style. It was hilarious - and just a little bit creepy.

What I miss: I wouldn't trade a thing I'm missing for Baby B! But I do miss my face. It's buried under three chins and puffy cheeks. Looking forward to getting that back. :)

Cravings: I'm not consistently craving anything these days. Still love my cereal and ice cream. I'll miss having those every day when I get back on the WW bandwagon.

Aversions: With the exception of the swampy Florida heat, not a thing!

Symptoms: A sore lower back. Feet that puff up by the end of the day. Disappearing ankles. Unjustified, occasional crabbiness. Nesting.

Best Moment this Week: The amazing shower my family and friends hosted for us. It was so fun to spend time with everyone and see how much they love Blaire already.

Confession Session

2011-06-28T09:59:00.002-04:00

I did a bad, bad thing at Target this weekend and for once, it has nothing to do with the amount of the bill on the way out.

In this week's ad, Target has cartons of Edy's ice cream on sale for $2.99. They're usually about $5.00 at my grocery store. Score - great deal on something I buy ~~all the freakin' time~~. But even better (worse?), if you buy five (FIVE!) cartons of ice cream, you get a $5 Target gift card.

Knowing all this, the rational thing to do would have been to avoid the ice cream aisle altogether or, at worst, buy one carton of ice cream.

What did I do? I bought five cartons of ice cream. Of course.

Does it help at all that they are all light ice cream and that I gave one to my sister? No? Yeah, I didn't think it would...

Need Your Two Cents

2011-06-27T14:50:00.001-04:00

Help! My brain is going a mile a minute with baby related thoughts and questions. Things are getting down to the wire - or so it seems to this first time mom-to-be. The reality is that we have 45 days until baby girl's due date and LOTS still to be done. Heaven help me if she decides to come early. Or late for that matter. I honestly can't decide which is scarier at this point.

Anyway, I need advice.

I was given a beautiful baby shower this weekend (a post to come as soon as I get pictures from my amazingly talented friend Jenny, who photographed the shower). We were given so many generous, beautiful gifts and I am beyond grateful. However, a few things remain which we have not yet purchased or been given. Problem is, I'm not sure which of those things are necessities and which I should wait to purchase to see whether I'll actually need them. I know there's no right or wrong answer but if you have any advice from your own experience, please share it. I'd be grateful for the opinions.

Things to buy (or not):

Swing
Nursing Cover
Breast pump - Some say buy it and bring it to the hospital, others say wait and see how nursing goes. What's your advice?
Nursing bras - How on earth do I know what size to buy?!?! I'm guessing they'll get bigger. (GAH!)Should I buy one or two to get started or wait?
Diaper changing pad cover - I know it's a must but how many do I need?
Crib sheets - I have two. How many more do I need?
Toys - How early will she be entertained by toys hanging from her car seat or stroller? When will she need/want toys to grasp? How many do I need to start?

Is there anything you needed right away but didn't think of before hand? Babies R Us is right around the corner but I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

On a different note, what is your opinion on taking a childbirth class? We've heard from some friends that it wasn't very helpful or informative and had decided to skip it. I've read lots of baby books and figure the doctors and nurses at the hospital will help us through the process. But now I'm starting to feel like a loser parent. For $100 and a Saturday, maybe we should just suck it up and go on the off chance we learn something. Did you go? Was it helpful?

I've been warned that being pregnant comes with lots of unsolicited advice, but in this case it is very much wanted. Please send your opinions & advice my way. Thanks for the help!

on the bright side

2011-06-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

Things That Make Me Happy: Pregnancy Edition. (Other titles considered: Wherein I Take Some Crappy Blackberry Pictures and Call It a Post and Diary of a Lazy, Hungry Girl)

half-caf vanilla lattes

expectant mother parking

comfy flats

peanut m&ms

What's making you happy today?

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T14:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dads!

While Brian isn't a dad quite yet, I couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging his dad-to-be status. Brian is out of town this weekend, so I gave him his Father's day gift on Friday.

What was in the bag? Well, you might remember that my husband has a fondness for a certain condiment. More accurately, the man LOVES ketchup.

His 30th birthday ketchup cake.

I thought that love might pass from father to daughter. So, I ordered this onesie for Blaire as a little Dad's day joke/gift.

If you look closely, the label says "Blaire" and "11" - the year of her birth.

Brian loved his gift. I know there are so many things he can't wait to share with Blaire. I'm sure a love of ketchup is somewhere on that list. :)

32 Weeks

2011-06-16T07:36:00.002-04:00

Holy moly, where has the time gone?!?! Today I'm 32 weeks pregnant with little miss Blaire. I can't believe she'll be here in just about eight weeks.

There's still so much to do! Her crib and glider were ordered ages ago but won't arrive for a few more weeks. The crib bedding arrived on Tuesday but it was wrong and had to be sent back to be changed. We have to find a pediatrician, finish reading the baby books, and do about 100 other things I'd list if it didn't stress me so to see what I've already mentioned.

My stomach is growing and so is everything else. I hardly recognize the puffy face I see in the mirror. My lower back is in a constant state of achiness and it's getting harder and harder to hoist myself off the couch and out of bed. I'm drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. Consequently, I spend half my days at the office walking to and from the bathroom. Some days my wedding rings fit, other days they feel tight so I leave them at home. My belly button is still an "innie." This makes me happy, though I'm not sure why. Overall, I feel so lucky to have had such an easy, uneventful pregnancy. I hope I can say the same about these last eight weeks.

I'm incredibly excited. I cannot wait to meet the sweet little girl who has been rolling around in my belly for the last 8 months. I'm so in love with her already and can't wait until she's in my arms. I know she still needs to cook a bit longer so I don't wish for her arrival just yet but I am counting down the days.

Here's a little peek at Blaire and me this week.

Bathroom self-portrait strikes again. This one was taken at the hotel during our girls' staycation this weekend, which I should probably get to blogging about one of these days.

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: According to my BabyCenter emails, she's approximately three and three quarters pounds and 16-17 inches long.

Total Weight Gained: At last check (four weeks ago) it was 24 pounds. There are still 8 weeks left so I'm scared to see how high that number will climb! Weight Watchers and I have a date for September.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely. I wear dresses almost exclusively, as they're just more comfortable. It is too hot in Florida to wear pants while 8 months pregnant!

Movement: She's quite the little mover! When we went in for an ultrasound at 30 weeks, she was breech. We went back in a week later and she had flipped to head down. In some of the ultrasound pictures she has her feet behind her head or in front of her face. She's always moving back and forth between my left and right sides. I'm sure eventually she'll run out of room to be so active but right now she's moving quite a bit.

Sleep: Hasn't been too bad lately. I wake up a few times a night but I'm sure that's about to become our new normal.

What I miss: I wouldn't trade a thing I'm missing for Baby B! That said, I miss my back not aching constantly. And a cold beer sounded so good on Memorial Day!

Cravings: I'm still a big fan of cereal but I haven't been craving anything specific lately.

Aversions: With the exception of the swampy Florida heat, not a thing!

Symptoms: A sore lower back.

Best Moment this Week: Seeing Blaire on the 3d ultrasound. So fun!

crabby pants

2011-06-15T22:29:00.002-04:00

Crabby pants.

No, not those. Those are lobster pants. Totally different. And completely ridiculous. What would you do if you showed up for a first date and the guy was wearing those pants? Can you imagine? I'd die laughing. (If your husband/boyfriend/brother/dad owns these pants, please don't hate me. Surely we can agree to disagree about the merits of lobster pants, yes?)

I'm talking about me. I've got a major case of crabby pants. I'm feeling like a big, fat grump. I know blogs are supposed to be happy and upbeat. It's usually all puppies and sparkles and rainbows. And that's fine. I like that. No one wants to read about someone whining all the time.

But today, I don't feel like talking about puppies or rainbows or sparkles. I'm thumbing my nose at convention and I'm going to complain. I feel like bitchin' so I'm going to do it! Nothing major or even particularly serious, because honestly - life is good. But who doesn't have a few things on their bitch list now and then? So, let's talk about what's chapping my ass today.

*I ordered the bedding for Blaire's crib six weeks ago and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival. It came yesterday and it was wrong. Unfortunately, it was a custom order so they can't just send another immediately. I have to send it back and wait a few more weeks it to be fixed.

* I had a client ask me today "How much weight have you gained since you've been pregnant?" (My vanity requires that I tell you that he asked me this over the phone, so luckily it wasn't my giant arse and puffy face that inspired the question. I might have cried had he asked in person.) But seriously, are you flippin' kidding me, mister? How on earth is that your business?!?! When I told him I'd gained "an appropriate amount" in an attempt to end the questioning quickly, he acted insulted I hadn't offered up a number. And brought it up twice more before the conversation was over. Jackwad.

* Some people need a lesson in Bathroom Etiquette 101. Particularly, the rule which shall henceforth be known as the "One Stall Buffer." (Many thanks to my friend Shana for perfectly labeling this important issue of the day.) As I am sure you are all aware because you are not weirdos, there is an unspoken rule that whenever possible, you do not select a bathroom stall directly next to an occupied stall. Because that's just creepy. In a full bathroom - sure. Take whatever stall is available. But when a person walks into a large bathroom and selects the stall directly next to the only other occupied stall in the restroom, they have issues. It's like getting on a nearly empty bus and choosing the seat next to the only other person on the bus. I'm considering posting a sign in my office bathroom explaning the One Stall Buffer rule to those few who clearly need the lesson.

* I'm still bummed they cancelled Studio 60 - four years ago.

* Why do I see so much bad, bad baby clothing? I swear some of this stuff looks like it's made for baby prostitutes. You know, if there was such a thing. Maybe I'm a prude, but some of these lacy romper things I'm seeing on Etsy and in baby photographs look like lingerie. Throw in some leopard or zebra print and you've got a baby streetwalker. And I hate the onesies with the stereotypical sayings on them, like "Born to Shop" for a little girl or "Lock Up Your Daughters" for a boy. As if all girls are destined to be shopping ditzes and boys will become womanizing jerks. I know it's just a shirt so really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it just frustrates me how early gender roles and stereotypes are put upon kids. (Reading that last sentence sort of makes me hate myself. I sound like one of those jackasses who can't take a joke. Gah! But that's the way I feel, so there it is.)

* It's been approximately 912 degrees and 318% humidity for a solid week now. Florida and I are over - until November.

* I drove around for two weeks with the A/C in my car not working properly because I assumed it was "just me." I'd get in the car and crank up the air and wonder why the heck I was still sweating when I got home. I figured it was just taking me longer to cool down because I'm pregnant and, well, huge. This weekend, my sister rode in the car with me and confirmed it was not just me and that the air definitely wasn't working right. So I brought the car in and sure enough, a leaky valve and low coolant. Who knows how long I would have driven around sweating my butt off if someone else hadn't confirmed the A/C wasn't working.

* The word epic is chronically overused.

Okay, that's more than enough bitching. I do feel a smidge better getting some of that off my chest. Complaining about things of very little consequence is quite therapeutic. Try it! Leave me a comment and tell me what's bugging you today. We can all whine together!

If you found this post obnoxious, I don't blame you. My apologies. I'll be back in the morning with a better attitude.

Stationery Situation

2011-06-12T20:03:00.000-04:00

Friends, I need your help. I need some etiquette advice and there's no time to write Miss Manners. My question is related to stationery. Specifically, flat vs. folded note cards. Here's my etiquette query:

Are flat note cards appropriate for thank you notes?

I've seen some adorable flat note cards but I wonder when they'd be appropriate to use. Can you send a thank you note on a flat card or should they be reserved for more casual correspondence?

How cute are these flat notes from Preppy Paper Girl?

Love these classic note cards from Minted

A second question, which I think calls for opinions rather than etiquette guidance, but maybe not... I'm ordering thank you cards to send friends and family for all the sweet gifts we're receiving for baby Blaire. I was considering putting her monogram on the thank you cards. Is this appropriate? Strange? Can a baby have her own stationery?

If you have any answers or advice for my stationery quandary, please help!

Perplexed by paper,

Mel

Happy Feet

2011-06-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

First, I just have to say a big "thank you!" for your sweet comments on Baby B's name. I'm so glad so many of you love it as much as we do - or that you were sweet and polite enough to pretend that you do - even if you don't. So thank you!

We have a huge deal closing at work tomorrow and it's swallowing me whole right now, but I want to quickly share a few things that are making my feet very happy right now. And at 31 weeks pregnant in 90+ degree weather, that's no small feat! (Terrible pun not intended.)

Essie's California Coral Polish

I love this coral shade for summer! It's getting harder to see my feet but when I catch a glimpse, I remember how much I love this color.

Tory Burch Eddie Flats

After lots of searching for a pair of versatile, comfortable flats to wear to the office, I finally caved and bought the pair I'd had my eye on all along. And I am so glad that I did. These might be the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. The leather is incredibly soft and the soles feel like you're wearing slippers. Worth every penny!

Happy Hump Day!

B stands for...

2011-06-06T22:36:00.001-04:00

To say that we thought long and hard about our daughter's name would be an understatement. Like many women, I've been thinking about what I'd name my future children for quite a while - long before we were ever contemplating a family. To be honest, long before I was ever married. Middle school, maybe? What girl hasn't engaged in a purely hypothetical round of "What would you name your future children?" with her girlfriends? It was always fun to think about and seemed so easy to choose the perfect name.

Choosing a name for our non-hypothetical, very real baby was much harder! We wanted something we both loved and hopefully a name she would like too. (We knew we'd never find a name everyone would love and that was just fine by us. We just wanted something the three of us would be happy with.) We both like fairly traditional names but agreed we didn't want anything too common or trendy. However, we also didn't want to stick our daughter with an unusual name that would get her teased or constantly questioned about its origin or pronunciation. I never had the experience, but I imagine having to explain or pronounce your name on the first day of school every year (or later, at every job interview or cocktail party) grows tiresome.

We made lists of names and pored over them repeatedly. We'd take turns vetoing names suggested by the other for various reasons. Some of my favorite reasons given by my husband for disliking names I'd suggested: "Sounds like an old lady," "I had a drunk fraternity brother with that name. No way can I name my daughter that," and my favorite, "That's not a name, that's a beer."

After months of discussion, we finally decided on our daughter's name. It should be pointed out that my husband knew what he wanted to name her and didn't so much require the lists and the discussion but indulged me anyway. Bless his sweet, patient heart. He never once complained about my list making and never pressured me to decide. He knew I'd get there eventually. And finally, I did.

Our little girl has a name.

Blaire Harper

We just love it. I think it's beautiful and I know she will be too. We can't wait to meet Blaire in just about 9 weeks.

Menu Monday

2011-06-06T17:41:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to get a post together announcing Baby B's name today but didn't get to it. Instead, you're stuck with my menu for the week. Sorry - I know that's no where near as fun as baby names.

I'll get my act together tonight and write the baby name post while I watch my Gator's women's softball team compete in the College World Series. (If you don't follow me on Twitter, you may not know that I've developed quite the ~~obsession~~ interest in college softball. Strange, I know. But these ladies are amazing. So talented. I love watching the games, even more so because my Gators have been playing so well and are now playing in the Championship Series against Arizona State.) Anyway, Go Gators! Name announcement to come tomorrow.

Without further ado...and by ado, I mean rambling, the menu for the week:

Monday: Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado Sandwiches and Ina's Tomato Feta Pasta Salad (minus the olives)

Tuesday: Lemon Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

Wednesday: Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Polenta (I'm combining two Cooking Light recipes for the chops and winging it on the polenta. I'll share recipes if it turns out.)

And that's it. Thursday we'll do left overs because I'll be working late and I never cook on Fridays.

Yeah, I really just posted two recipes and called it a post. Pathetic. But I just had to get something up - I felt bad about not getting the name announcement done.

Hope you're all having a good Monday!

New York State of Mind

2011-06-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

I can't get NYC off the brain. At a time when most people's vacation thoughts have turned to white sandy beaches, palm trees, and frozen tropical drinks, I'm yearning for the concrete jungle. Don't get me wrong, I love a resort pool and a cabana boy just as much as the next girl but living where I do, I can get that 9 months out of the year. It's been warm and sunny here since March. I've had lots of pool days. What I'm craving is an amazing meal, a Broadway show, a shoe department a city block long, and a day spent wandering the Met.

I'm dying to see The Book of Mormon.

I've heard fantastic things about this show and must see it.

And at the top of my list for amazing meals, I'm craving Angelo's Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce.

Forget what you think you know about pasta with vodka sauce. This is something entirely different and far superior to any dish I've ever had bearing that name. Next time you're in New York City, I insist you go to Little Italy and eat at Angelo's on Mulberry Street. And after dinner, go around the corner to Ferara's and get a cannoli.

Also on my NYC dream list, a cupcake from Crumbs...or two.

Crumbs really needs to expand into Florida. They do ship their sinfully good cupcakes - unfortunately the shipping is twice as much as the cupcakes themselves.

Seeing as how I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant, I don't think my husband is going to agree to take me trekking through the streets of NYC but a girl can dream...

What vacation destination are you dreaming about?

Somewhat Random But Mostly Baby-Related Thoughts

2011-06-02T11:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry if things are getting a little one-note around here, but the truth is that other than work, my thoughts tend to revolve around all things baby these days. I know this isn't of interest to some of you...but it probably won't change any time soon. In fact, I suspect it will only get more baby-centric around here once she arrives and I have pictures. You've been warned. :)

* I may or may not be dressed like a pregnant skank today. I thought I looked okay when I left the house this morning but upon arriving at the office I started to feel like my dress is a bit too short. Lesson learned: belly gets bigger = dress gets shorter. Add in a somewhat borderline-acceptable neckline (the bump isn't the only thing getting bigger) and, well, you have a pregnant skank. And....I just got word I have to attend a business meeting tonight. Someone's going home to de-skankify at lunch.

* On Saturday, I'm taking my little sister, Jill, to see Taylor Swift for her birthday. My "little" sister is 29. I'm 30. Judge if you must, but we are going and we are excited.

We may also be the only people there over age 18 not chaperoning tweens... With what we expect will be a largely teen audience and the occasional supervising parent, Jill is excited at the prospect of finally waiting less than 20 minutes for a beer at a concert. I can't say I blame her.

* We had our 3D ultrasound yesterday. Most importantly to her daddy, we confirmed she is, in fact, a little girl. However, Little Miss B was a stinker and did not cooperate with having her picture taken. She is currently breech and the sonographer said that usually makes it very difficult to get good images. She kept her left arm over the left side of her face the entire time and would not move it. We think maybe she prefers to be photographed from her right side - such a diva. We never saw her left eye. (Perhaps our girl's a pirate? Or hiding a Mike Tyson, Hangover II inspired tattoo?) At other times, she had both hands and feet in front of her face. Silly girl! We did get a couple pictures of 2/3 of her face and we think she is just beautiful - of course! Luckily, my doctor's office said we could come back and try again to get a better picture of her entire face.

* I need a lesson in food photography. I have made some awesome dinners & desserts which I want to share with you but my pictures come out so terribly, I'm embarrassed to post them. I'm sure I can Google for some tips, but does anyone have a website, blog or other tutorial in food photography they recommend?

* This is the latest delicious recipe I tried and failed to photograph with any success - Strawberry Summer Cake. (If you want to see amazing food photography, follow the link and check out Smitten Kitchen's photographs. Unbelievable the difference between her picture of the cake and mine.) This cake was a breeze to make and so yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It's the perfect dessert for a summer bbq.

* My list of "must have" etsy items is a mile long. There are some seriously adorable baby items out there. Maybe one of these days I'll put together a post of all the cute shops and things I've found.

* Maternity photos - yes or no? I'm inclined to say no for the following reasons: a) I feel like a whale. b) what the heck do I do with them afterwards? I don't need a framed photo of my large self in my living room, thankyouverymuch. and c) I'm an awkward duck when it comes to having my picture taken. That said, one of my good friends is an amazing photographer and I'm confident she would take some very adorable, non-cheesy maternity photos. Will I regret it if I don't do them? (You should know, I'm not super sentimental. Exhibit A, I sold my wedding dress. Without a second thought.) Advice is appreciated.

Happy Thursday!**

**Though, for me, not quite as happy without Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, and The Big Bang Theory. With very little new tv to watch, I need to get my summer reading list prepared.

Memorial Day Weekend: Three Movies, Two Magazines and a Book

2011-05-31T22:12:00.001-04:00

Can someone please explain why we don't have three day weekends every week? Three days off in a row was heavenly. Waking up Sunday morning and realizing I had two full days of whatever I darn well pleased in front of me was an amazing feeling.

We spent the weekend in town, relaxing and generally doing whatever sounded fun. For me, that included three movies, two magazines, one book, a shopping trip and a pedicure. For Brian, that included a whole lot of golf. We also had some yummy meals and spent Sunday at a BBQ with friends. Again, I say, heavenly.

Friday night I saw Water for Elephants with some girlfriends.

For a movie based on a book I really liked, I thought this movie was very well done. The acting was good and they stayed fairly true to the story line of the book. I thought it moved a bit slowly but I tend to get bored easily in the movie theater so that's probably just me. (I like almost any movie better if I can watch it on my couch with a magazine or the computer on my lap.)

Saturday night after dinner, Brian and I watched Tangled.

I've been telling B I wanted to see this movie so he added it to our Netflix queue and was sweet enough to watch it with me. We both really liked it! I'm a sucker for a good Disney movie and I thought this one was adorable and fun. I'll have to get it on DVD so Baby B can see it someday.

Sunday, we had lunch at Cheesecake Factory and I resisted the urge to get a piece of their amazing Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel Cheesecake. (Where's my medal?) After lunch, we saw The Hangover, Part II.

Yes, it was the exact same story as the first movie. And yes, I laughed my butt off. I thought it was hilarious.

I also started and finished Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison. (It's not hard to finish a book rather quickly when you find yourself wide awake from 4am to 6am most days.)

This was such an entertaining, engaging read. Not knowing a thing about life inside a women's prison, I was instantly drawn into the story. I also appreciated the fact that the author was able to tell her story without shirking responsibility, placing blame or forcing the social agenda of prison reform down the reader's throat.

The two magazines, if you're wondering, were Entertainment Weekly and Southern Living. I think I tore nearly every recipe featured out of this month's Southern Living. If you haven't read it yet, get your hands on a copy for the recipes alone!

Did you see or read anything good this Memorial Day weekend?

Spokesperson For Hire

2011-05-25T13:57:00.000-04:00

Edy's....are you out there? It's me, your biggest fan. Have you noticed your stock climbing steadily over the past few months? You're welcome. I'm certain it's due the (giant) bowl-of-ice-cream-per-day habit I've acquired.

First, I sung the praises of your Slow Churned Drumstick flavor. Delicious.

But there's a new favorite in my freezer.

We're on carton number two of Triple Cookie Fudge Sundae...this week. Even Brian, much to my dismay, has helped himself to a bowl or two of this ahhh-mazingly delicious ice creamy goodness. There just might be a carton number three in my future before I move on to another flavor. Perhaps my old favorite coffee? Time will tell.

So, Edy's, if you should need a spokesperson - give me a holler. All set on spokespeople? How about taste testers? I could definitely do that. If nothing else, please send coupons. I fear I'll spend my future daughter's college tuition on ice cream before this pregnancy is over.

Your biggest (and now widest) fan,

Mel

*This post was not compensated in any way. But I'm open to that. Edy's - Seriously. SEND ICE CREAM. xoxo BFF

Bits & Pieces

2011-05-24T14:22:00.002-04:00

Happy Tuesday! Since I'm eating lunch in the office (an all too rare occurrence), I thought I'd take a little break to blog ~~and play on Pinterest~~. Hope you don't mind if this is a bit random and all over the place - I have to make it quick!

* I saw Something Borrowed this weekend. It was okay, fairly entertaining. It's been years since I read the book, so the departures from the original story didn't bother me as much as they might have had I read it more recently. John Krasinski was definitely the high point. However, the exaggerated faults of both Darcy and Rachel made me want to smack them both throughout the movie. I wasn't expecting much so I wasn't disappointed but if you haven't seen it yet, I'd say you could definitely wait to rent it.

* The circus is in town. The Casey Anthony trial started this morning and my office is a block away from the ~~circus tent~~ courthouse. It's pretty crazy out there! The major news outlets have all arrived in town to cover the spectacle and there are tents, news vans, and cameras everywhere. The news is reporting that people have traveled to Orlando from all over the country on "vacation" to witness the trial and people were lined up at 5:30am (the earliest they were permitted) to try to get one of the 50 available seats in the courtroom. To put a cherry on top of the crazy sundae, apparently a woman was removed from line this morning for being drunk! For the love! I feel sorry for the litigators in my office who have to go to court while this is on-going. I'm happy to be able to sit in my office and avoid the insanity. However, I am hoping to run into Anderson Cooper* about town...

* By happy accident, I created a really yummy side dish the other night. I had some leftover bruschetta toppings in the fridge (tomatoes, basil, garlic & olive oil) and didn't want to waste them. I boiled some orzo, threw in the bruschetta toppings and stirred in some goat cheese. It was delish! I'll definitely be making Bruschetta Orzo again.

* I spoke too soon in my last post about shoes. It seems being pregnant is affecting my footwear options after all. Saturday, I went to the mall to try on the adorable strappy TB wedges from the last post and it did not go well. The opening for my foot was fairly small and I was struggling to get my foot inside. It's pretty difficult to bend over these days, even while sitting, as I've got a giant belly in my way. I was so embarrassed as I struggled to get my foot in the darn shoe. By the time I got them on, I was sweating. No lie. Luckily, the sweet saleslady did not laugh at me and we agreed that while cute, they were not the best option for me.

* I gave in and joined Pinterest. As expected, it is a total time-suck. And quite fun. Like I needed another distraction.

* We scheduled a 3D ultrasound to get another look at Baby B. I was initially opposed to this idea as I find the 3D images a tad bit creepy. To me, the babies seem to look squished and a bit alien-like in those pictures. I didn't want to see our little girl looking squished or scary - I know she's beautiful! However, the sonogram tech at our 20 week ultrasound made the mistake of saying these words to my husband: "We can never be sure with girls. We've been wrong before." That was all he needed to hear to worry that they had called it incorrectly. For peace of mind, he wants another look. I'm happy to indulge him if it makes him feel better. Not sure what we'd do with all the monogrammed clothes, dresses and pink bedding though...

* I finished two books recently - If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster and Stories I Only Tell My Friends, Rob Lowe's memoirs. Unfortunately, I found both rather "eh" and lackluster. I'm a fan of Jen Lancaster's previous books so I was disappointed I didn't enjoy her first attempt at fiction more than I did. And, it turns out, a love for Sam Seaborn was not enough to make Lowe's memoirs a fulfilling read. There were some interesting bits but overall, nothing great.

Better get back to work. I've made some progress in the decorating department so I'll have to get some pictures and blog about that soon.

*I'm pretty sure Anderson Cooper is in Joplin, MO covering a legitimate news story and not this goat rodeo we've got going on down in Florida. Way to go, Anderson.