Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday- Nursery Inspiration!

  It's been too long since I linked up with Michelle for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday! We are right in the middle of setting up and decorating Connor's nursery so here are some of my favorite pins that I have used as inspiration for our little man's room!    

Lime Green, Navy and White are the primary colors for his nursery....and we have added in some gray here and there to tone it down a little. 

Love these prints and colors!

I have started collecting prints and items to use for a gallery wall similar to this one. This will go over his crib.

LOVE these IKEA spice racks made into book shelves! And this is the perfect size for where I want to put them in his room.  They just need to be painted white.

One of my favorite things I have ordered for the nursery.  We are doing a golf themed room and I came across these cute prints and knew they were perfect!

I want to make a canvas with this quote on it :) One of my favorite childhood books!

I love this cute alphabet print and it happens to be in the colors we are doing.  Might just have to order this too!

25 Week Bump Update!

How far along?  25 weeks...15 weeks to go!!   How big is baby?  Getting closer to 2 lbs and the size of an eggplant   Total weight gain/loss?  Lost 1/2 lb in the last 2 weeks...so total gain is 6 lbs My stomach (uterus) is huge but luckily I have not gained too much anywhere else...YET!    Maternity Clothes?  That's all I can wear these days!   Stretch Marks?  Yes...on my sides and boobs.  Boo.   Sleep?  Not so great the past few days.  I feel like I wake up to switch positions about 20x a night.    Miss anything?  Not really   Movement?  All the time =)   Funny thing though...I think Pizza puts Connor to sleep for a loooong time.  I have eaten pizza twice in the past 8 weeks and each time, after I eat, I will barely feel him move for almost 24 hours.  After the first time it freaked me out, then it happened again after we ate pizza on Friday night.  I did not feel him again until late Saturday.  Pizza is the only thing that affects him this way though.  Anyone else ever had something like that happen??     Food Cravings?  So random....cuban food and grilled plantains!  There was a restaurant I used to go to in Florida when I lived there that had the best cuban food ever... I came across some pictures of me in that restaurant yesterday and ever since then I have wanted it so bad!    Anything making you queasy or sick?  Red meat and mint gum   Have you started to show yet?  Oh yeah...big time.       Gender?  Baby Boy!  Connor Christopher :)    Labor Signs?  Braxton Hicks every once in awhile but no actual labor signs    Belly Button in or out?  In, but it is getting shallow   Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy, happy!!  :)    Symptoms?  My tailbone pain is a lot better these days...I have had 2 chiropractor appointments and it is helping A LOT. Still having the pubic bone pain but it is bearable.  And just in the past week my heartburn prescription is not working so well.  I take it, but am still getting heartburn late in the day so I take a Zantac and that helps.     Best moment of the week?  Getting the nursery furniture delivered and all set up!  It looks so good and I can't wait to share pictures soon!       Looking forward to?  My first baby shower in a little less than 2 weeks! :)         

{Friday Baby Thoughts}

I have a few baby things to chat about this morning...   1.  Let's talk about having "pregnancy brain."  Y'all, I have it and I have it bad.  I can't seem to remember anything these days and I get side tracked way more than ever before.  I will completely lose my train of thought in the middle of a conversation and often I walk into a room and have no clue why I even went in there.  I have gotten really, really good a making very detailed to-do lists these days.  This isn't the worst of it though... here are a couple BIG, really dumb things I have done in the past couple of months- - I walked out of a store without paying for my stuff.  The poor guy had to chase me down and tell me I had not paid AND I left my credit card laying on the counter.  He said he felt bad because he knew I was pregnant and didn't want to upset me. Poor guy... - I dropped my Iphone in the bath tub, TWICE - I have walked all the way to the other side of our neighborhood to get the mail only to get to the mailbox and realize I did not even have the key with me.   2.  Thank God for Chiropractors and why did I wait so long to see one?!  As most of you know I have dealt with terrible tailbone paid and pelvic pain the past few months and recently it has gotten a lot worse.  Monday afternoon I couldn't walk so I decided it was time to see a chiropractor.  My friend Sarah recently told me about her experience with these pains during and after her pregnancy and the chiropractor she saw so it made me feel much more comfortable going to one.  So, I saw one on Tuesday morning and it was probably the best decision I have made in this whole pregnancy.  I could barely walk when I got to my appt. and when he had my lay down before he adjusted me, I was almost in tears.  After one adjustment on my left side I was able to roll to my right side without crying out in pain.  It was a miracle! Basically, Baby Connor is extremely comfortable hanging out really low in my pelvis and he managed to pop my tailbone out of alignment. So, because my tailbone was all messed up that was also causing a lot a strain on my SI joints  But all is right in the world now....my tailbone has been re-aligned.  Hallelujah! It has been 72 hours since I got adjusted and I am feeling a hundred times better.  He just told me if I started feeling the severe pains again to come back in and get adjusted. He did not feel the need to put me on a 3 day a week treatment plan like so many chiro's do when you go see them.  So, I will just go see him when I feel like I need to.  Seriously, amazing.    3.  I had my first baby related nightmare 2 nights ago.  I had Connor a few weeks early and my husband was out of town and could not get back in time.  My mom was with me and as soon as I gave birth we had to go to some party.  At the party my baby was kidnapped.  Ugh.  I woke up scared to death.  I hope I don't have any more nightmares like that...   4.  And for happier news...the nursery furniture is in and being delivered on Sunday!! I got the side table, lamp and fabric all ordered this week too so we are making big progress.  Can't wait to share pictures once it's all put together! But in the meantime, this is what the furniture looks like (the crib we ordered is a flat back not rounded)-

    So happy it is Friday.  My poor husband has been on 6 planes and in 3 time zones in the past 5 days and he is exhausted. Other than our friend's couples shower, and a date with our favorite pizza restaurant tonight, we have zero plans!    Happy Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!     

Weekend in Vegas with Raw Fusion Foods!

Last Thursday I headed to Las Vegas to spend the weekend with my FIL and his fiance and help out with a pregnancy related project for their raw food company (I will get more into that later).  My husband flew in on Friday evening so we got to have a nice little weekend getaway!

Here is a little recap of our weekend:

First of all...let's talk about these views from my FIL's condo:

This is the view of the Red Rocks from the back side of the condo and our room...

And this is the view of the strip from the front side and living room area....

Pretty awesome huh? 

They live about 15 minutes from the strip.

So, here is a little bit more about this new project I get to be involved in...

My FIL's fiance, Meka, is the CEO of Raw Fusion Foods which she founded in 2010.  Her, her Mom and the rest of their team provide catering for events, create new recipes, have published books, produce instructional videos on their recipes and raw food techniques and much, much more. 

One of their next big projects is to write a book on pregnancy nutrition and a book on baby food.  And that is where I come in, since I am preggo!  I am kind of like a research project ( or my official title- Media Consultant ).  I spent all day Thursday and Friday trying raw food recipes, learning about the best nutrition for pregnant women and reading pregnancy books and raw food cookbooks.  I learned SO much! 

Then on Saturday, I spent the day with Meka and a video camera and recorded a series of videos about my diet, my pregnancy so far and raw food in general. 

Here are just a few of the recipes I tried:

Cauliflower Soup

Raw dips, crackers and chips ( the dehydrated beet chips are AAAMAZING )

 Raw Fettuccine Alfredo (restaurant style Fett. Alfredo is my weakness...if I could have one last meal before I died, it would be Fett. Alfredo.  So, I was very skeptical of trying it raw.  But to my surprise it was really yummy!! It was creamy, cheesy and super healthy.  The sauce is made from cashews that are soaked in water for a period of time and the "noodles" are summer squash and zucchini!)   I also tried a squash soup, curry beans, carrot salad, raw chocolate banana ice cream and several smoothies and juices.     If you are reading this you are probably wondering if I am planning on changing to a raw diet... The answer is no, not 100%.   My goal is to add in more raw foods (mainly fruits and veggies) to my current diet, cut back on processed foods, meats and dairy.  I see a lot of benefit and value in a lot that I learned over the weekend and I know it will only benefit me and my baby by making these changes.  I am TERRIBLE about eating veggies, especially raw ones.  But I learned a lot about other ways to add them into my diet without feeling like I need to eat a handful of raw carrots and celery....adding them to smoothies is my favorite way! So, will I still go to Chick-Fil-A or eat fettuccine alfredo at Carabba's?  You bet....but in moderation of course.  Will I be eating A LOT more fruits and veggies every day and continue learning about ways to incorporate more raw foods in my every day life?  Absolutely!   If you know me, you know I LOVE to read and I love to learn.  I have stocked up on nutrition books, raw food cook books and pregnancy diet books.  My goal this week has been to add in 2 more servings of fruit each day and replace my past snacks of goldfish and pickles with fruit.  So far, it has been a success.  Next week I plan on experimenting with more smoothies and veggies.    You will probably see a few changes coming to this blog over time...more diet/raw food posts and recipes, some links to the videos once they are edited and posted on You Tube and more.  I am so excited that Raw Fusion Foods wants be to be involved in this next project and I am looking forward to learning more about the raw food world and nutrition for pregnancy.    If you are interested in learning more about raw foods, their website can be found here.  Or head to Amazon and you can purchase the cookbooks that have already been published!  Or feel free to ask me and I can point you in the right direction! =)     After all the work was done, we headed to the strip for a little fun on Saturday night!   Crab and Shrimp Enchiladas...YUM!  If you want good Mexican food in Vegas, go to Javier's at Aria Resort & Casino.  It is awesome!     Then we went to see the newest Cirque du Soleil show, Zarkana, at Aria.  One word- AMAZING.  I didn't think there would be anything better than O at The Bellagio...but I was wrong.

   And we ended the night at Hyde in The Bellagio.  I love the Bellagio fountains and I wanted to make sure to see them while we were there.  Well, my FIL has quite the connection and got us the best table in Vegas...we were feet away from the fountains on the patio of Hyde.  I could watch the fountains over and over again :)  We got there around 9 before Hyde turned into a nightclub and had intentions of only staying for a little while.  A little while turned into 3 hours.  This pregnant lady was exhausted!   Note:  If you want to be judged and get strange looks from people, go to a nightclub in Vegas at almost 6 months pregnant.  By 11, there were too many people smoking around us and my insides were vibrating a little too much from the music so I had to get out of there.  It was a lot of fun though....you CAN go to Vegas and have fun even if you are pregnant!  ;)

View from our table @ Hyde

The group!

Sunday morning it was time to head back home to Texas!  We wanted to stop by the famous Vegas sign on the way to the airport so I could take some pictures:

     And that is our weekend in Vegas!  =)    

23 Week Bump Update!

How far along?  23 weeks   How big is baby?  About 1 1/2 lbs and the size of a papaya   Total weight gain/loss?  6.5 lbs   Maternity Clothes?  That's all I can wear these days!   Stretch Marks?  Yes...on my sides   Sleep?  I toss and turn all night long and have to get up a lot to use the bathroom.  Sleeping with 4 or 5 pillows is helping though.   Miss anything?  I miss not being in pain!     Movement?  All the time =)      Food Cravings?  Nothing new...still carbs and fruit   Anything making you queasy or sick?  Red meat and mint gum   Have you started to show yet?  Oh yes...I can barely see my toes when I look down.  I have started to get the random people (and even a couple people I know) saying things like "wow, your are going to be huge" and "are you sure you aren't having twins?"       Gender?  Baby Boy!  Connor Christopher :)    Labor Signs?  No labor signs, but at my doctor appt yesterday when I was telling her about the pains I have been having and some of my symptoms she said I am probably one of the lucky  not so lucky ones that can actually feel braxton hicks contractions this early on.  Apparently you have them thru your whole pregnancy but most people don't feel them until close to the end.  Not me though...I feel them every once in awhile and they hurt.   Belly Button in or out?  In, but it feels different.   Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy, even despite the pain!  :)    Symptoms?  For the past month or 2 I have been experiencing a lot of lower back/tailbone and lower pelvic pain.  It got a little bit better for a few weeks but now it is back and a lot worse.  Sometimes when I stand after sitting for a long time I can barely walk.  And during the day if I am up doing things or running errands, I only have an hour or so at a time where I feel ok before I have to sit down for awhile because the pain gets so bad. And something new....I feel like he is about to fall out sometimes!  The doctor promised me he isn't but I get that feeling because of how low he is and how much pressure he is putting on my lower pelvic area.  So, everything I am experiencing is completely normal my doctor says.  Just some people get this and some people don't.      Looking forward to?  Spending the weekend in Vegas!    

Weekend Happenings!

1.  We saw "Silver Linings Playbook" on Saturday and absolutely LOVED it.  We went into the theater not having a clue what it was about even though I have wanted to see it for a month now.  Who doesn't love Bradley Cooper?  And of course Jennifer Lawerence?  I knew it had been nominated for quite a few Gold Globes so I figured it would be good...and it was!  It is a little "different" and quirky but so worth seeing. 

And congrats to Jennifer Lawerence for winning best actress last night! 

2.  My little (but not so little) brother was deployed over the weekend so it was pretty emotional for everyone.  I am so proud of him and all he is doing but please keep him, my sister-in-law, nephew and the rest of the family in your thoughts and prayers!

   3.  I am over this weather here in Houston...one day it is 78 and the next day it is 40 and raining.  I feel like I have not seen the sun in weeks!  My skin needs some Vitamin D and color and I am ready to live in Maxi Dresses.    4.  Baby has a check up today!  Can't wait to hear his heartbeat and talk to my doctor about the insane amount of pain I am in....praying there is some kind of miracle relief out there.  23 week bump update and what the doctor says coming up tomorrow!   5.  Pre-natal massages are my most favorite thing lately.  Luckily I got some gift cards for Christmas so I am able to get quite a few "free" ones over the coming months.  I started Friday off with one and it was heaven.  If you are pregnant and you haven't gotten one yet, you are really missing out.  I want one every week!   Cheers to Monday! Have a great start to the week!        

2 new books, some exciting news and nursery update!

Looking for a new book to read?  Check out these 2 that I read this week...

Amazon Description:

"Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies...

That's what Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he's nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn't at all who he's been claiming to be. When the secrets he's been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky's life will change forever."

My thoughts:

  LOVED this book.  It is intense and emotional but it is a great story with a great ending. I couldn't put it down. 

After finishing this book you will want to read something much more light hearted and funny so the book below would be perfect!

Amazon Description:

"Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.
Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick...
In her third novel, Alice Clayton returns to dish her trademark mix of silly and steamy. Banter, barbs, and strutting pussycats, plus the best apple pie ever made, are dunked in a hot tub and set against the gorgeous San Francisco skyline in this hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight."

My thoughts:

First of all...thank you Lia Joy for recommending this book to me.  It. is. HILARIOUS. I read it in 2 sittings and laughed all the way thru it.  The author's writing style is fun and made me want to read all of her books!

And for some exciting news.....

Next Thursday I am heading to Las Vegas for the weekend!

  But this preggo lady is not going for the pool parties and clubs this time. 
I got offered a really exciting opportunity to be part of my Father in Law's fiance's company, Raw Fusion.  They are in the beginning stages of writing a baby food book and a book on nutrition during pregnancy, along with adding more instructional videos to their website and You Tube.  And that is where I come in! I get to help with the videos they will be filming and the information they will be using in their books.  Whohooo!  I will be there for a couple days to film and work on some other things related to the books then my hubby is coming in town for a couple days.  I am so excited for this fun little opportunity and for a quick weekend getaway!  Stay tuned for more...I will post a full recap and link to the videos when I get back! =)     And finally....Connor's nursery is almost completely painted and I am so happy with it!  We have picked out fabrics for the bedding, windows and pillows and I have ordered some really cute golf prints off Etsy.  Now we just need the furniture to get here! I will post pictures once we get the furniture and start decorating.    Happy Friday!!     

Tasty Tuesday: Quiche Florentine

Quiche is one of my husband's favorite dishes (and mine too!) but I have always been too scared to even try to make it on my own...until now.  My Mom has made recipe several times and after each time my husband begs me to make it for him.  I finally gave it a try over the weekend and not only was it so yummy, but it was super easy!

So, here you go:

Quiche Florentine

  Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 (4.5 oz) can mushrooms, drained 1 (6 oz) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled 1 (8 oz) package shredded Cheddar cheese Salt and Pepper to taste 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust ( or 2 regular...that is what I used) 4 eggs, beaten ( if you do 2 pie dishes, use 6 eggs) 1 cup Milk ( 2 pie dishes- used 1/5 cups)   Directions: 1.  Preheat oven to 375 2.  In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.  Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon mixture into pie crust. 3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour into pie crust, allowing egg mixture to combine with spinach mixture. 4.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.  Then sprinkle top with remaining cheddar cheese, bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until set in center.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.   **Like I mentioned, I used 2 smaller pie crusts so I just put half the recipe in one and the the rest in the other.  That way we had enough to last for breakfast for both of us for the week!**   Enjoy!  

22 Week Bump Update & A Little Catching Up!

 Hi friends!! Merry (late) Christmas and Happy (late) New Year!! The last time I blogged I was going thru some major changes (refer to the last post for details) then the holiday traveling and craziness started and I never managed to find the time to read your blogs or do any posts myself.  BUT, I am back.   Here is just a little of what I have been up to the past month.... -Officially became a stay at home wife/future mom - Went to my little sister's college graduation in Statesboro, GA, then spent a weekend in Savannah with my family and celebrating an early Christmas. - Spent a few days in OKC with my husband's family celebrating Christmas -  Celebrated Christmas in Texas with family - Am officially past the half way mark! A little over 18 weeks to go!  -Ordered the baby furniture and registered   And now for the way past due bump update....   22 Weeks  

(Pic taken on Christmas Day- 12/25/12- 20 weeks)    How far along?  21 weeks and 6 days How big is baby?  About 1 lb and the size of a Spaghetti Squash  Total weight gain/loss?  As of last Wednesday, 1/2/13-  4 lbs.  I feel like I have gained about 20 though!  Maternity Clothes?  Oh yes, all the time  Stretch Marks?  Yep, on my sides.  Boo.  Sleep?  Waking up 3-4 times to use the bathroom and usually wake up between 4 and 5 and can't go back to sleep for a long time. Every time I switch positions it causes a lot of pain.... Miss anything?  Not being in pain all.the.time!  Movement?  YESSSS!!!!! Best feeling ever :)  The first time I felt little kicks was at 18 weeks.  In the past 2 weeks they have gotten much stronger and my husband can feel them now.  Over the weekend I finally saw my stomach moving from the outside.   Food Cravings?  Carbs and fruit.  Yesterday I would have killed for a hot dog but I did not feel like going anywhere to get one ;)  Anything making you queasy or sick?  Red meat and mint gum Have you started to show yet?  Um, yes.  I feel like I am the size of a house.  I regularly get asked when I am due by strangers.   Gender?  Baby Boy!  Connor Christopher :)  Labor Signs?  Nope!  Belly Button in or out?  In, but it feels different. Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy :)  Symptoms?  Lower back pain and lower stomach/pubic bone pain.  The ultrasound tech at last week's anatomy appt said that he is sitting really low so that is what is causing all the "lower region" pain.  It hurts the worst when I am laying down and have to move or if I have been sitting and I try standing up.  Holy cow...painful.   Other than that, I feel great!  Looking forward to?  The nursery is getting painted this week and we are finalizing the fabrics for the bedding, pillows and window treatments.  Yippy!  And we booked our Baby Moon last week!  We will be spending 4 days on the beach in Mexico at the end of February!     I am so happy to get back to blogging...I missed this little world! Hope your new year is off to a great start! xo