Leaving Texas and a Pictli Discount
Friday was the first day I had internet on my computer since we moved two weeks ago, and I'm gonna say what you already know, moving is hard! The day the moving truck got to our house I was on a plane heading to Florida. That was the easy part (for me), and I recommend all women leave their husband to do the dirty work while his parent's watch the kids haha. Honestly, the bachelorette party I was heading to was for a close friend and had been planned well before our move, so the timing was just a little bit of God smiling down on me and giving me some relief.
I used to go to Florida every year, but hadn't been much since moving to Texas. Let me tell you, if you haven't it's a must. The white sand and emerald water are heaven on earth! I flew back Sunday and went to our empty house to get the last few things and video a little bit so the kid's can see where they used to live. The following week, Matt drove our car up (and plants that I am sure will die in the cold), and I flew with both kids a few days later (it was a feat).
My parent's took the move pretty hard, so when Pictli contacted me about trying out their service, I knew just who I would send a framed picture to. You can choose to upload a picture from your computer, facebook, or instagram which made it easy since my mom walks around showing an instagram picture of them and the kids all the time. After I selected the picture I just chose a frame and I was done with my easy, customized gift. I will say that I wish there was a little more of a square frame selection since most instagram pictures are square...I'm sure that will come with time.
My mom loved it! The quality of the print was good and best of all, she was able to take it right out of the package and display it. It would be a great house warming, wedding, or new baby (to the grandparents) gift. Pictli was nice enough to give my readers a 20% discount until the end of May with the code: NT1504.
Have a great week!
Nikki
8 Months
I have officially hit 8 months {I'm actually 37 weeks now} and crossed the threshold into pure discomfort. I've also kicked nesting into overdrive now that I am home all day. I'm not sure why the arrival of a new human in your family makes you want to purge through all of the "things" you thought were important in the past. Our garage is full of goodwill/habitat donation items.
If you follow me on instagram, you may have noticed that we got new carpet this past weekend too. We really wanted wood flooring in the Master and stairs, but the quotes we got were way over the cost of just replacing the carpet in all bedrooms, gameroom, and stairs. Finally, after 6 years in this house we have comfy, non-stained carpet. We have thoroughly enjoyed rolling around our bedroom floors every night.
The dizziness is still going strong and my anemia is being tended to; trying to get my levels up. My feet are the size of melons and Abram thinks my belly is a mountain that he must climb and conquer every day. It hurts. He has also taken to Matt and become quite attached lately. It hurts my feelings so bad, but I tell myself that it will be a good thing when the newest member arrives and needs me. It wouldn't sting as much if he wouldn't call him Momma :/...we have been working on this issue.
Stretch marks? None yet. I'm using Burt's Bees Belly Butter every morning
Sleep: I toss and turn all night long and feel very anxious. I'm so sleepy, but most nights I am so uncomfortable I cannot wait to get up in the morning.
Belly Button in or out? Poor thing.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired
Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery, home organization, and mirrors. Maybe resting for a week and then meeting our girl! {I accidentally called her "he" at my appointment Monday}.
A friend from Junior League through me a sweet Sprinkle Tea. It was the perfect way to celebrate our baby girl! In a pregnancy that has been flying by, this sprinkle made me stop and take everything in. I got to catch up with the girls, eat some amazing food, and baby "Pixie" got headbands made for her by everyone that was there. There were even gluten-free cupcakes that I may or may not have taken home and eaten one every day since. Yikes...
Matt's 30th | Summer Fun
Matt turned 30 this weekend. I had all of these grand plans on how to celebrate, but work and nesting has been running our lives lately. Then, I got put on modified bed rest Friday...I basically can't drive because of the dizzy spells I keep getting that come out of no where. Chalk it up to pregnancy anemia not being cured by iron supplements because of my Celiac disease; bummer. I'm hoping we can get a handle on it now that we know the cause...and maybe I won't be so tired.
7 Months
Total weight gain this month: +28 pounds
Stretch marks? Fingers crossed, none yet
Sleep: I am starting to get pretty uncomfortable. I am also sleepy ALL.THE.TIME. Nothing will pull me out of it.
Belly Button in or out? It stayed flat last time...this time it is holding on for dear life, but I'm afraid it won't make it another 8 weeks
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both. Not having energy always puts me in a foul mood. I do get to laugh at Abram every day which is such a blessing.
Looking forward to: Finishing the projects, our birthdays, and the 4th
We celebrated our Anniversary last weekend by heading out to a steak place Matt had been wanting to try. My dad watched Abram and could not get him to come inside the entire night. They explored and watched some birds dive bomb a cat which fascinated Abram. Finally they came in and Abram passed out on his knees, leaning on a chair, talking to Bijou. He literally did not move when we took him to bed...success.
I got to get a little pampering at the hair salon, Saturday morning while Matt watched Abram and cleaned. Then we worked on the nursery.
Sunday we headed to the zoo. I was determined to take Abram this year because he is laughing animals and their noises right now. He has the Land of Nod animal pillow and every night we point to the animals and make their noise. I knew it would only get hotter so we wrangled my dad and some friends to join us and headed out there. Abram never tucked his pointer finger in his hand...I'm pretty sure it lost blood flow by the end. He was amazed, and I could see his wheels turning that these were REAL animals and not just a character in a book. He loves monkeys so he kept making the noises when we saw any type of "monkey". Second favorites were the elephants and sea lions. Have a great weekend!
xo,
Nikki
Father's Day Weekend & Nursery Update
When I met Matt in high school I knew he was a good person, but had no idea whether or not he would be a good dad. Then I saw him with our dogs. He is the doggy daddy that randomly brings home treats and toys because he sees something they "need", and yes they have always had a stocking for Christmas. Matt is as soft-hearted as they come. He hates that Bijou {our 65 lb hound} sleeps with us, but doesn't have the heart to kick her out of the bed. It sometimes gets to me that I am more of the disciplinarian, but having a loving husband who truly cares about everyone around him makes me feel so lucky! He has been the same way with Abram as he is with our dogs, and I know he will show "Pixie" how much a dad can love a daughter.
He "never" {his words, not mine} gets to go fishing anymore now that we live in Texas, so I let him spend Friday fishing with his brother and dad while I worked...easiest gift ever ;). Truth...Abram had bought him a fish fryer and cajun cookbook for Father's Day and wanted him to be able to use it. Me wanting homemade fried fish had nothing to do with it...maybe.
Saturday we dove straight into the rest of the celebrations with a 1st birthday party for one of Abram's future best friends. It was at a beautiful little park and all the kids LOVED running around playing. I loved the ice cream...
Afterwards we made our way to Ikea. Abram passed out at the store while Matt and I searched and searched for some shelves/storage for the nursery. I swear this has been the HARDEST room I have ever put together. It felt good to stock up on items I may or may not need...just to feel like I accomplished something felt great! Abram rode his sister's shelves out of the store. Today I decided I didn't like them anymore, then decided I did...see what I mean...pregnant women shouldn't design their own nurseries; it is bad for everyone involved.
After our 1.5 trip to Ikea, which felt like we broke some speed shopping records, we needed a refresh so we headed to meet my parents for the last crawfish of the season and a little live zydeco music. We chowed down and danced until the place shut down. Abram had his first crawfish and danced his first Cajun dance. He spent the rest of the night throwing rocks and strutting across the lot to pick them up. He is amazing us by how fast he is learning the world around him, and by how fast he is learning to control those around him.
Progress:
All the walls are painted {including the focal wall}
The fan has been installed
We primed and put the first coat of paint on the dresser/changing table
Picked out shelving {hopefully it will stay}
Moved the rocker and crib into the room
Still To Do:
Finish picking/buying/painting artwork
Finish painting dresser
Install shelves
Pick/make rug, curtains, bedding
Finishing touches
....
Daily life week 6 & Summer Plans
This past weekend we played catch up and spent most of our time in the nursery or folding laundry. We did manage to get to our neighborhood pool for an hour, on Sunday. It's a kid's pool with a small slide; Abram was obsessed and after the 6th time down and us carrying him around while he lifted his feet in the water like he was on a ride, we called it quits. Sorry if Abram is in every pic this week...he is sort of my world.
It is officially the point in the summer where the heat and humidity are so high that my hair stays up and we only go outside when the sun is low, or we can get in the water. I have been trying my hardest to take advantage before it gets to the point of deathly hot; the kind that makes you sweat at night and the water doesn't even sooth you. It should be showing up about a month before baby girl "pixie" arrives. You will then find me parked inside with my feet up and a snow cone in hand.
We have also reached the point in toddlerhood where Abram has so much energy that his toys don't entertain him. He gets grouchy when sitting around the house for too long. We are trying to start planning at least one big activity a day during our weekends. There will be regular pool days scheduled and I'm trying to think of some things we can get for the backyard to entertain him and keep him cool. I'm also on the hunt for creative indoor activities that we can do for the second half of the summer. I would love to hear games, activities, and projects you have done with your kids; feel free to leave your tips and tricks in the comments or email me!
Having a child who is starting to understand the world around him has made me appreciate and want to celebrate each season that comes our way.
Here is our summer to-do list so far...it is pretty packed already:
- Get snow cones {Abram's first}...fun fact: my mom owned a snow cone stand when I was younger. I took the orders and made change, AND made the kid's snow cone menu with my own flavor creations.
- Go to the zoo
- Visit San Antonio
- Swim A LOT
- Make homemade ice cream
- Celebrate our birthdays and anniversary
- Visit the Kemah board walk
- Go out on the boat
- Finish the nursery
- Sparklers for the 4th
- Head to Louisiana to visit
- Welcome our baby girl!
Vacation Recap
We headed over there with one of my best friends and her family. They used to live there, so her 3 year old is a total beach bum. She also has an 8 month old that will be Abram's best friend...he just doesn't know it yet. We brought a tent and pack-n-play to the beach {yes we were those people}, and it helped us to contain the little ones and stay out there ALL day without getting too hot.
Abram LOVED the sand. Within the first hour he managed to face plant right into the sand and come up with a smile. The water will take some getting used to....
Most of our time was spent relaxing at the beach, but we did manage to make it out to Lulu's to listen to the live music and go to the zoo.
It was a fantastic trip until about 10 minutes into our 9 hour drive home when we had to pull to the side of the road for me to throw up. Yup folks, I had a stomach virus for all NINE hours. An hour later Matt got the aches, chills, and fever along-side me and we moaned the whole.way.home! Luckily, it was a 24 hour virus.
Part 2 up next...
The Journey to My Pre-Baby Body
Not really, but according to my sources, that day is the day you feel it the most. They were right.
The actual truth is that this challenge encourages lots of eating...just the healthy foods. Still that doesn't stop me from wanting to snatch the chocolate syrup from the fridge door and drink it. It is not like Abram would tell anyone, but Matt and I are doing this together as a commitment to get back into a healthier way of life.
Let me back up a little.
You may or may not have noticed that I did posts all about pregnancy and now baby, but never mentioned postpartum weight. There was really no need. I was very smart during pregnancy to keep active and eat right, most of the time. I was encouraged by my doctor who said that delivery and weight loss would be easier if I stayed fit.
I did boot camp until 5 months, ran until 6 or 7, biked until 9, and did modified versions of Matt's weight training from 5-8 months. After it is all said and done, I can tell you that my doctor was right! I had 10 minutes of pushing, and was 2 pounds over my pre-baby weight by 6 weeks postpartum. My body just seemed to bounce back naturally.
The thing that none of us counted on was that I would have a colicky baby. A baby that we could not figure out what was wrong until he was 3 months old. A baby that would not sleep more than 4 hours until around 5 months old. I was exhausted and stressed to the max. I sat around watching him play...or in the beginning lay there with him sleeping on me. I grabbed whatever food was eatable and would miss meals frequently. I went from working out about 4 times a week with a baby weighing me down, to maybe once a week...maybe.
I started to gain back my baby weight; about 6-8 pounds.Technically this was not the weight gained during pregnancy, but I still call it my baby weight...don't judge. I was so frustrated that I worked so hard and had nothing to show for it {weight wise, not baby wise...and I am not talking about the book}. I would cry myself to sleep several nights a week. This was not good for me or Abram.
Then my sister started the 24-day challenge and started dropping inches, leaning up, and her diet changed for the better! I was so hesitant. I did not want to pay all that money and have it not work. I also didn't want a temporary fix.
Well skip to day 21 {today...and 6 months postpartum} and I can say I feel great! I am back to my pre-baby weight, but more importantly I have lost 3 inches and my clothes fit better. This is not supposed to be a diet, but more like a lifestyle change. Instead of eating right and not seeing results, then getting frustrated and giving up...I have tons of energy and am more motivated than ever! Matt and I have been eating clean for the most part, and plan to continue {we did eat healthy pre-Abram}. I have also given myself the goal to work out 3 times a week and I am doing it! Almost all of my family has gotten on this to get more healthy and all of us are seeing the reward for our efforts. I am so excited to tell everyone about this golden nugget we have discovered. My goal is to become a healthy me that can sit in a swimsuit on the beach, and play with my baby {with out being self-conscious}. Feel free to contact me if you have questions...
We are having a....!
Yay, now I can go shopping and start decorating ;).
Well Hello There...
Friends...
Since our wedding we have been busy. Most of this has taken place in our very own home; cleaning and organizing before school starts (it rules my thoughts unfortunately). We were able to get away three weekends though...not for our birthdays (we stayed at home for those).
Birthday Cake...
Kristen, who is now our 3rd roomate, and I got rained out of the pool the Sunday before Matt's birthday. He was golfing so we went and bought ingredients to make the ultimate birthday cake...neither of us LOVE to cook, but we both really enjoy baking. It was a yellow butter cake with strawberries, chocolate chips and had a fudge icing (Matt loves fudge)...we were ambitious and went for two layers with a cream cheese icing in between (he loves cream cheese). We then used our decorating sense (her's from doing actual cakes at a bakery and me just being me) and put cut strawberries on top with chocolate chips around the sides. Happy Late Blog Birthday Babe! Exactly one month after our wedding, he turned 26.
Cabinet Doors...
We have missed you, but now you weird us out a little.
We recently decided that we're giving up on the staining the cabinets ourselves and are saving the money for someone to do it after putting only one coat on all the doors that need two. (Probably gonna take a while) So this year when your thinking of Christmas gifts, think cabinets! Since they prob. won't be finished until next summer, I started to put the doors back on...I was sick of the cluttered look after 2 years. Waiting for Matt's help this weekend with the tall doors...
Weekend Fun...
First is was the 4th at False River with Ashtyn and Derrick.
Next Kevin and Denise's Wedding July 24, 2010 in Lafayette. Congrats you guys...you were both beautiful! This pics of Matt and I at the wedding are on a different camera. :(
Last weekend was our last summer bash at Lake Sam Raborn in Texas. It was awesome...we will def. be going back! Me, Matt, Ashtyn, Derrick, Garrett, Leslie C, Matt M, Kristen, and Brandon rented a lake house and took Derrick's boat out for some wake boarding and tubing from Thursday to Sunday. We got a spa treatment every day as we walked through the wet, clay/mud to the boat from the house until we realized we could roll out a dock that sunk into the mud and stayed suctioned for the last 2 days.
I am almost back to wake boarding like a normal person again after falling on my face too many times last summer. (when am I ever normal anyway?...). Matt was mastering his many tricks he is trying...including his infamous back flip where he throws his body upside down in the air and hopes for a good landing.
I love my friends...Ashtyn helped me to discover that I can eat marshmallows, hershey's bars, snickers, potato chips, and tostitos on my new Gluten-free diet. Thanks for giving me reasons to eat junk...on occasion. We also managed to run out of gas, but seriously licked out that we were so close to a camp. The boys got out and pushed/pulled the boat while Kristen and I swam and hiked the rocks to the camp to ask for a gas can. A man just so happened to have a can with Gas...ooo ya! He saved the day!
The rest of the weekend details are on a need to know basis, this includes: cave woman, mud fights, beer pong, smores, etc.
Wedding,Wedding, and more Wedding
I haven't been doing much of anything besides final wedding planning since school got out.
However, I was able to get a weekend away to ride some boats in tickfaw with Matt and some friends. I hadn't been out there since the Boat Bash in 2008, when Kristen made an entire ice chest of jello shots. Ashtyn and I attempted to be Kristen and make our own (I have never made them before)...but when getting the jello powder out, we realized we forgot to buy the little cups so I had to settle for crystal light and vodka and Ashtyn drank her Michelob Ultra.
M
Viva Las Vegas
What do you think of when someone says "Las Vegas"?
One might think scandalous, bad decisions, gambling, heavy drinking, and "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas"
My family thinks..."Yay!...A family vacation!" haha. This vacation might involve some of the above mentioned attributes, but with the family there...what happens in Vegas definitely does not stay in Vegas.
Kristen and I don't mind going with our parents because typically they will just go wherever to continue to explore parts of Vegas they never knew (I mean hey...they are good looking enough to get in anywhere)... I know they are reading this ;)
We joined each other in OKC on the flight to Vegas and most began having fun on the plane.
That night we ate at Tahiti Joe's at our Condo...def. do not recommend this place unless you want to good entertainment from the sing along piano. In our decision making time on where to go that night, we ended up falling asleep...we were just getting rested for the rest of the trip...a whole week.
The condo had a nice pool that we tried to spend some time at each day, especially while the guys played golf two days in a row. Thursday night we went to the Hard Rock and played around...sort of like us kids did when we were young...there was just some gambling added.
Friday, my dad was tired so he went to bed and the rest of us desparately headed out to find the carousel bar. We were so exhausted that we had to stop to get a coffee at the Venetian which gave us a chance to see it as well. Although the bar no longer spins, the band playing was AMAZING. They did all the popular club songs, and sounded really good. They had so much energy and never took a break which woke most of us up and made it a fun night.
Saturday, after pooling and golfing, we decided to try and meet up with Matt's cousin from California. He was taking us out to Vegas's hottest new club called, XS, at The Wynn. Little did we know that in Vegas you must get to the club early to get stamped and then come back because the line is so long you may never get in if you go past 10:30. We stood in line for an hour and then (because we are from smaller places and NEVER wait in line) left, cursing this stupid club. We tried to make it a good night still, but for most the deed had been done so we left with the tires squeeling on the mini-van (literally).
Sunday, my parents, Matt, and I went to the Hoover Dam because Matt had never seen it. We saw the dam bridge being built and the dam tunnels and even went into the dam museum. That night we went to a horrific comedy show that I felt so bad at I made myself sympathy laugh...never take an offer of free tickets! Then we went to New York New York and clubbed a little and gambled.
The next morning, my mom left because of work stress and worrying about Jake starting High School. We went to the lazy river and then found out that XS was open and we decided that just because we couldn't get in before, we HAD to see this club that was so "awesome"! We went to downtown Vegas and learned how to play craps from my dad and ate an amazing Italian meal and then headed to the club around 9:30. We got in!...and it was a really nice club with expensive, weak drinks (as one might imagine). I just danced the night away!
Tuesday was our last day in Vegas so we pooled it, went to Cirque de Soleil Mystere, and then my dad, Matt, and I went downtown to lose all of our money at craps and blackjack until 3 am...I am officially addicted.
It was a fantastic trip and no one missed any flights. Now back to reality with school starting this past Monday. I am a little overwhelmed beacuse our design build is still not finished so we will be working Fridays on top of our toher classes until it is finished. We also have 16 more students added to the 14 old...making it a total of 30 people in a studio that normally holds 20. I feel like I have to prove myself and meet new people all over again (like I am at a new school AGAIN). I figure God wouldn't put me in this situation if I wouldn't learn or gain something from it so I am just taking it one day at a time. Until next time...
Niks
Summer in the Bayou
Last weekend we went to Lafayette for Matt's dad's birthday and father's day...and to go wake boarding on the water with our friends. It was a lot of fun, although I didn't do so well on the wake board this time. Sina just bought a new boat so we decided to go out on it and bring all of our friends. Sunday we grilled for Father's day and I worked on homework and called my dad. We still owe him a trip up to Oklahoma for his Father's day. We got home at 1 am and I had school birght and early.
This week we started fabricating the things we have been drawing for the past two months. It is so nice when you start to see parts of your design come together and REALLY get built. On top of fabrication, the guy that OSHA 10 certified us came and gave us a fork lift training class so now I am a licensed fork lift driver haha. I think I was a natural. (pics to come of me driving it) We began cutting my wood fromwork for the concrete cistern and cutting steel for the pavillion. Today I welded steel together for the first time. It is a little nerve racking, but I think I can get used to it. Although we are working 8 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday in jeans and steel toe boots in an un-airconditioned shop in the 100 degree weather...I am actually REALLY enjoying doing the physical work and the day passes by so fast.
Tomorrow Matt and I are going to look at venues for our wedding...wish us luck!
p.s. I accidentally started a wedding website when I signed up for theknot.com, so then I HAD to really make it so if people looked at it there would be info...here is the link: Sweet Happenings
Nikki
The Summer of Craziness begins...
The weekend after my last blog I took off to Oklahoma to suprise my mom for mother's day. It was so hard not to call her the whole time, but my sis helped organize it so I just stayed in touch with her. When I got to their house, I rang the doorbell and had Kristen answer. She told my mom that she had a package that was too big to pick up. When she came to the door we yelled suprise and she was shocked. We kept it from it for more than a month! We kept busy with going out, sushi, and the facial and massage Kristen suprised my mom with on Saturday.
The next weekend Matt and I headed to Lafayette for Leigh Ann's Bridal Shower and Sina's graduation. That Saturday night after the shower, the girls (my 3 best friends and I) headed to go out for Leslie's Birthday which was in April. She said she wanted to go out like old times so we organized a scavenger hunt taking her to all the places we used to go to. It was so much fun to go out dancing with them! The next morning Matt woke me up at 8 AM to go wakeboarding (very hard to peel myself off of the bed). I finally got up after trying once before which I think has a lot to do with Sina's new skiing boat that he named Cold Koos Koos (he is a huge LSU fan)
I stayed the week with Erika and Leslie since my school was out and I would just have to go back for the Bachelorette Party. At Erika's I was roomates with baby Isla...cutest little thing ever...but she taught me a lot about baby's. It was a pretty relaxing week.
This past weekend we went to Gulf Shores for Leigh Ann's Bachelorette Party while Matt was in a fishing tournament in Cocadrie. The forecast said rain ALL weekend, but you can never trust the weather on the Gulf Coast. Saturady we laid out by the pool because of the wind and then went out. We had a scavenger hunt for Leigh Ann as well. This was one that made her do things that might be embarrasing because of her soon to be married status. We got stuck out on the Florida line when the cabs were no longer running and had to call 911 to get a cab to come get us. Sunday we relaxed on the beach and boiled crawfish. Monday I headed back to Houston.
This coming weekend Matt and I are going back to Lafayette for the annual Boat Bash and will be coming back Sunday just in time for me to start Summer School on Monday. I will keep in touch,
Nikki
Matt mulching the front beds
Kristen, Lindsay, and I out in OK
Sushi and dinks for the girls...Mother's Day
Leslie's B-day Celebration
Sina and Garrett on Cold Koos Koos
My first time up!
And down...notice the foot that flew out of the boots as my face crashed into the water like a wall of bricks
Leslie and Erika at our Bachelorette Beach Bonanza
Me and Les
BFF'S after a rough night
Celebrate we will...
In honor of Dave Matthews I decided to start off this blog with some lyrics from the song, "Two Step". It was one of the many songs they played at the concert last Friday, and is one of my favorites! Although we couldn't take pictures, it was an experience to remember with so many different instruments and each person an expert at the instrument he played. The violinist is def. someone to follow, and the guitarist played my exact guitar for his solo. Now I know I can do it! haha
Matt decided that it is that time of year...time for some boating. Since he has not brought his boat from Louisiana yet, he and some friends decided to rent one in Kemah, on Sunday. We loaded up the truck with the wake board, tubes, and sunblock and headed that way. Matt was of course the captain and he did a great job of taking it easy while I was on the monster tube just wanting a relaxing joy ride. Of course, the other guys were not so lucky haha. The rain forecast was not looking good, but it held off while we were out on the water. Matt and another friend of ours wake boarded, but it was getting pretty wavy so I held off until next time since I am still trying to get the hang of it.
Afterwards we went to the BEAUTIFUL Kemah Boardwalk and enjoyed a lake full of seafood! I am pretty sure I turned into a fish by the end of that meal.It was a relaxing weekend with A LOT of fun and I cannot wait to do it again! We also realized that the next FIVE weekends are booked by things outside of Houston so I am sure there will be more posts soon! Here are a few pics...
Niks
