Life Lately

Anyone see a dairy theme?  All I seem to want is milk, ice cream and cheese lately...

It's been very difficult to pick out what to wear these days.  The weather here is seriously nut-so.  Although the forecast looks like this:

(Depressing right?)  We end up getting random sun breaks which brings us sun-deprived Pacific NorthWesterner's outdoors in droves.  Unfortunately, because the weather is so erratic, we usually end up getting soaked within the hour. 

This weekend I went out with my friend Rachelle to some children's consignment stores...omg, I couldn't handle the cuteness overload...so many cute, tiny little pink things.  

I got a surprise visit from my dad this weekend.  He flew into Portland to visit his cousins because his Uncle just passed.  Portland is just a couple hours from Tacoma, so he rented a car and came up.  It was just a quick overnight trip, but he got to see our house for the first time and we got to give him a mini tour of our town.  We went out for a ridiculously amazing breakfast the next morning and then he was off. 

Sweet Augustus.  Isn't that face irresistible? 

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21 Weeks

I'm finally getting over that horrible cold that my entire family caught on our family reunion and have been able to get back to work.  I haven't bought any new maternity clothing, except for 2 pairs of jeans (which I looooooove).  I'm curious how long my regular tops will fit before I have to buy some new work clothes to be presentable.  I love my work from home days when I can stay in my bathrobe and not have to comb my hair.  

We've been so thrilled since finding out we're having a baby girl; I'm now finally starting to think about the nursery and slightly overwhelmed at all the projects Andy and I need to complete before she arrives.  We do have a name picked out...can't wait to share that with ya'll soon.

According to my BabyBump App, baby girl is 10.5 inches...the size of a banana and 12.7 oz.  I feel her wiggling around pretty constantly now.  She likes to stay right on top of my bladder which makes bathroom trips an often occurrence (and man are we going through toilet paper like a village).  I'm concerned about my lack of exercise.  A combination of morning sickness, cold rainy days, and just plain tiredness has kept me from really doing any form of exercise in the 21 weeks I've been pregnant.  Not to mention that I huff and puff just walking up and down my own stairs.  I really want to make a point of just going for a minimum of a few 20 minute walks per week.  (Come on sunshine...motivate me!).  Other than that, us two gals are doing quite well. 

Bird Themed Baby Shower

Last weekend was the second baby shower I've ever thrown; ironically, the two baby showers I've put together are the only baby showers I've ever gone to!  I have nothing to compare my showers to, but I've had so much fun doing them...they've completely inspired my creativity taste buds and have encouraged me to start doing things for my own nursery. 

For questions about how to make any of the projects, youu can find my DIY instructions for the bunting, bird garland, birds nests, and paper bird painting.

Gender Reveal!

I really, really wanted to throw a gender reveal party; however, I'm incredibly impatient.  There is no way I could've not torn into the results before waiting hours or days to dig into a cake to reveal pink or blue.   I saw so many cute reveal options though, that, had I been patient, would've loved to do.

I recently started following Lindsay's blog; she had an adorable gender reveal party...you can view more of her pictures here. 

{Via}

{Via}

Instead, Andy and I waited patiently through our ultrasound.  When it came time to reveal the sex, our little nugget decided it would be a good time to put the umbilical cord between its legs.  It's like he/she knew we were trying to find out.  Fortunately the little thing was super wiggly and after a few minutes decided to show its goods.  

Cue tears of joy. 

20 Weeks--Half Way There!

Week 20 has been rough.  I caught a nasty cold and it's been 5 days of hacking, sniffling, sneezing and peeing myself.  I feel like I dislocated a rib and completed a million crunches from all the coughing. Even though my OB said it's safe, it's scary to take medicine...so I've been taking it sparingly.  I went to a walk in clinic this week because I was worried this cold might be something worse, and the Dr. totally freaked me out saying I should not be taking any medication at all.  There is so much conflicting information out there on what you can and can't take while pregnant. Ugh. 

On the bright side, my 20 week appointment is in 2 hours.  2 HOURS!!!! I get to find out if we'll be having a baby boy or girl and I'm so excited! 

Oh, yeah...because I know you were wondering...yes, I'm wearing rain boots and a scarf, because, it's still winter here in the PNW. 

My First DIY Nursery Project--Paper Bird Painting

I haven't even begun to think about the baby's nursery, but because I'm throwing a baby shower this weekend, I came across the cutest project on Pinterest that I wanted to try and make.  It's perfect for the bird themed shower I'm throwing, but I just loved how it turned out and can't wait to hang it up in the nursery. 

Isn't this just adorable?  The link to make it is here. 

I had picked up a simple window frame from a thrift store months ago, and this was the perfect reason to use it.  Instead of canvas, I used white poster board for the back ground.  

I wanted a different bird image in each "window," so I Googled "bird silhouettes" and found 4 that I wanted to use.  I bought a bunch of different card stock from Joannes, cut out the birds and leaves and organized them on the poster board.  

Then, with pencil, I drew in where I wanted the branches to be.  

I used Modge Podge on the backs of the birds and leaves to adhere to the poster board, then with a paint brush I lightly went over the entire poster board with Modge Podge to seal everything.  

I let it dry over night and then with acrylic paint, traced over the penciled branches I had drawn in.  

Once the paint dried, I put it in the frame and, voila!  Can't wait to hang this up!

The Not Good Stuff

When I wrote about our family reunion yesterday, I couldn't bring myself to share the not so great stuff.  The day before we arrived to New Orleans my dad called and said he wouldn't be able to make it because he was passing a kidney stone.  Ouch!  I was bummed I wouldn't see my parents, but alas, I was still excited to see the rest of the fam.  Upon arrival we found out my grandfather was in urgent care because of a bad case of bronchitis...no bueno.  Two days into the trip, my aunts, uncle, step grandmother, nephew and sister were hit with a bad cold.  Andy and I seemed to escape the bug until our layover on the way home in Dallas.  The cough hit me, and by the time I got home I was miserable. Being pregnant and sick at the same time is no fun...all I want to do is down a bottle of NyQuil,  but instead I'm sipping on tea and taking Tylenol to keep down my fever.  Coughing fits and a baby pressing on your bladder is also something that creates somewhat of a disaster.  Let's just say that I will be faithful and do my kegal exercises from now on. 

So far Andy has escaped the clutches of this thing going around and has been a wonderful husband--he even cleaned up my vomit after a coughing fit...I think he's more prepared to be a daddy than he thinks!

Me, being pathetic.

New Orleans Family Reunion!

My sister organized a fantastic, food and fun filled few days in her hometown of New Orleans.  Our visit happened to coincide with the French Quarter Festival, so there was tons of things to do and see. 

Andy and I started our mornings walking to the French Quarter and having coffee and beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde. It was soooo delicious.  You can't tell, but in the last photo I was covered in powdered sugar. 

Then a tour on the Natchez!

Scenes from the Big Easy

 My beautiful niece, Ashley

Crawdaddies!

Lovely night out.

And guess what, my sister is the lead singer in an Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath cover band.  Her husband plays bass, so the family (including my grandma!) went out to see her rock out. 

We also celebrated my sweet niece, Juliet's 2nd birthday!  Isn't she adorable?  

Can't wait till the next reunion!

19 Weeks

Week 19 has been an exciting week for many reasons!  I took this pic right before I took off to a family reunion in New Orleans.  I've got lots of great pics to share in a later blog post about that trip, but in the mean time I'll fill you in on lil nugget and me.  We're doing great!  Appetite is back in full swing (minus chicken still), and he/she is growing at a fast pace.  Baby Taylor is 6 inches, about the size of an heirloom tomato, and about 8.5 oz.  My belly officially does not fit into regular jeans...I finally bought two pairs of maternity jeans, one from H&M and the other from Motherhood, and they are ooooooooooohhhh so comfy.  Me and elastic are currently bff's. 

THE BIG NEWS?!  I felt the baby kick over the weekend...it's been very subtle; it just feels like little bubbles popping, but it's the first time I've actually felt the baby and I was so excited!  The other BIG NEWS? We find out the sex this Friday and I'm counting down the days!!

Post Easter Seafood Boil!

Last Easter our sweet little community group had a great retreat that ended with an amazing seafood boil.  We were planning on going back this year, but schedules didn't match up for everyone, so the Monday after Easter we gathered together and had a seafood boil in town! Clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, sausage, potatoes, green beans, zucchini...it was a feast! It was so delicious and soooo much fun. Andy was the master chef who deserves much praise!

 

Discussion flowed about how we've grown in our faith over the past year and how grateful we were of this sweet community.  Oh how blessed we are.  Thank you Jesus. 

Strawberry Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

I was looking for something light to bring to the Easter feast that Andy and I attended and settled on a modified version of a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I do have to say, I loved how this tasted and I'll be making it again soon

 Here's what you need (for 2):
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

½ cup cubed strawberries
½ cup cubed ripe mangoes
½ cup cubed cucumbers
Optional: 1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries
Optional:  1/4 cup chopped walnuts

For the lemon basil dressing
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 Basil leaves, chopped finely
Salt and pepper
(I added a spoonful of strawberry jam--but that is also optional). 

 Place the quinoa and water in a medium skillet and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or till the quinoa is cooked. Remove the lid, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.
While the quinoa is cooking, combine the fruits in a bowl and refrigerate till you are ready to serve the salad.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, except the chopped basil. Refrigerate till you are ready to serve. Chop and add the basil to the dressing just before serving.

Assemble the salad just before serving – toss the quinoa, fruits and cucumbers together. Serve other half of the dressing on the side. Serve  immediately.

Easter Recap

Church, Jesus, family, fellowship, food.  Oh Lord, my Savior,  I'm so, so, thankful.