21....

If you have kept up with my blog at all, you would probably get the idea that my post today would be about gambling, BUT it isn't.  The Baby has been cooking for 21 weeks now!  It is less than half way done!  WHOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I felt bad that I didn't do a acknowledge week 20, since that is exactly mid point, but with the sadness of last week, I just didn't feel up to making a post about it.  So, I thought it would be better to start this week off with a post about Baby R. 

The Baby is the size of a pomegranate now.  I LOVE pomegranates so it makes week 21 even more great!  Normally, the anatomy sonogram is done at 20 weeks, but for some reason the appointments worked out to be put that at week 18.  There was pretty much nothing out of the norm that the sonogram tech couldn't see, but said it was still a little early to see some of the stuff needed.  The Doctor said she wanted to wait eight weeks to do another sonogram.  I am not sure why she would want to wait until week 26, but I am not the one that went to Medical School to be an OBGYN, so I will trust what she says is best.  Too be honest though, I would think it would be better to do the sonogram at the next appointment which is actually next week.  Oh well,  I know if the Doctor thinks a sonogram needs to be done, she will do it.  I really love her!  She is a really great Doctor who is so popular that she doesn't even take new patients.  It pays to know people in high places!!! 

So, before Baby R was created, I was reading tons of books and articles about being living a more healthy lifestyle.  I do believe that everything should be consumed in moderation, but I also believe that a number of things we consume are toxic.  I first started doing all my grocery shopping at Whole Foods and changing a lot of the things I bought into the house to eat.  I rarely eat fast food and try to read labels of what is in the things I eat.  I know this sounds crazy, but I have a great life and don't want it to end shortly with all the toxic things out there in our foods.  With that said, I am not going to give up wine though!  Not happening EVER!!!!  I will get rid of all other toxic food though!  I even bought a non toxic deodorant and LOVE IT!!!  My Husband even loves it and I drive him nuts with the things I tell him are bad!  PEOPLE, LISTEN........those store bought deodorants are HORRIBLE!!!!  Don't do it!!  Just stop now!!!  Run, don't walk to your computer and buy yourself some Primal Pit Paste.  You'll thank me later!!! www.primalpitpaste.com.  This stuff has changed my life!  I know you are all skeptical of this, but I am telling you, IT WORKS!!!  It will be the best $8.95 you will ever spend.  I mean EVER!!!!

I am sure you are asking what this has to do with Baby R, BUT I want to live a healthier lifestyle for my Child.  I don't want my child exposed to any more toxic things than necessary. 

So, with that said, I have been doing tons of research on formula.  A lot of it has toxic stuff in it, but I have found one that is better than the rest and guess what???  Yes, you all guessed it.....I will be buying it for the Baby!  I found out about all the toxic things in the foods we eat everyday and the things we use that are just toxic from my newest obsession......Food Babe.  I have been following her for a while and I think most people know her now from exposing Subway (YUCK, don't understand why ANYONE in their right mind would go there anyways) for using a material used in Yoga mats in their bread.  Anyways, if you care about the health of yourself or your children, you should check her out.....www.foodbabe.com. 

Ok, I will get off my soap box now and move on to Baby R's room.....It is kind of hard to not be in the new house to put together the room, but it is going to be a clean slate when I get to that point.  I LOVE the way the room is taking shape though.  The little windows in the front are SO cute!!  It is going to be perfect!  I am going to put plantation shutters on the windows and probably drapery as well on the big picture window on the side of the room.  I think I have decided on a paint color for the room, but I want to wait until the bedding comes in to be sure.  I found the PERFECT crib at Bratt Décor.  It black distressed iron and just what I want!  For the rocking chair, I didn't even know they made wing back rocking chairs, but I found one at Pottery Barn!  This is what I always wanted.  I wonder if they read my mind or something!  YIPPPPEEEE!!!!!  Both of these items take 10-12 weeks to deliver, so I am holding off until I know more of an exact move in date to the new house.  Good luck to me trying to get that date nailed down!!! 

The most perfect crib EVER!!!

This chair is going to look FAB in the room!!!!

There is so much shopping to do!  I MUST make more time for all the shopping!!  Good thing their is online shopping!  What did Moms to be do before the internet???? 

So, I told the Hubby with my crazy schedule, I have to get a Maid again.  We had the Maid when I was working full time, but when I quit my full time job, I thought it was kind of wrong to keep a Maid.  But, as the house progresses, I spend more and more time at the new house with Contractors and driving all over town all day, everyday for all things house.  So, I don't have time to clean our house or for that much, even find the time to do my laundry. 

I had Jason call the Neighbors to inquire about their Maid and the next thing I knew, she was coming over here to look at our house.  I told her that we have to keep this house super clean in order to sale it.  (One day, we will get all the things done to this house, so we can HOPEFEULLY, sale it before we move into our new one).  I talking with her, I told her that we were having a Baby in September and she looked at my stomach and looked back at me in complete confusion.  It actually made me laugh, which rarely happens when things are brought into the picture of me not being the one pregnant.  All I can say is, this wonderful morsel of a woman is going to be my new best friend!  I can stop worrying about making time to clean and spend more time on all the other things going on.  Now if only I could trust someone else to do my laundry.  Not going to happen anytime soon.......

Bye Little Kramer Boy......

Yesterday started off as most of my Monday mornings do.  I wake up, read my emails, and get ready for the day.  Then, I come downstairs and take care of the dogs.  This is what I actually do EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!!  But, Kramer (The Hubby's little dog that I inherited through marrying him) didn't want to get up.  He had been hurt since we picked him up at my Mother in Law's house the Sunday before Mother's Day after returning from Arkansas. Matt, my Brother in Law, had called that morning say that Kramer didn't feel well and was limping around the house.  The Hubby just said he would be fine and probably just pulled a muscle playing with Matt. 

Well, we watched his behavior throughout the week and one day he would seem to be ok, then the next day, he didn't want to move.  I told Jason he really needed to go to the vet, but Jason said he knew his dog and he would be ok.  I figured Jason knew his dog better than me, so I said ok. 

But, then yesterday when I came downstairs to take the dogs outside and feed them, Kramer didn't even move off his bed.  I didn't want to make him either since he seemed to be very comfortable there.  So, I left to go to my Sister's.  Jason called me a little bit later and asked about Kramer.  I told him, "Jason, you REALLY need to take him to the vet.  He isn't getting better and wouldn't even get up today."  I just knew by the look Kramer had, that he wasn't feeling good at all. 

Jason went home and took Kramer to the Vet.  The Vet didn't have a clue what was wrong with Kramer and ran some tests and did X-Rays, but he didn't have an exact cause as to what was wrong.  He said Kramer probably had Cancer based on his T-Cell count being so low.  I know when my Sister's cat had cancer, it was several days and lots of tests before they said it was in fact cancer, so I really think this Vet is CRAZY considering after the cancer statement was made, he then said he thought he had been hit by a car.   UUUUUUHHHH, ok let's go from cancer to being hit by a car.  What an idiot!!! 

The part to this whole ordeal that makes me so sad is that Jason didn't call me to get a rational view point that wasn't going off of emotions alone.  Jason LOVED that dog and was really in shock when they said cancer.  If I had been there, I would have really questioned things more and gotten a second opinion.  I REALLY feel this Vet is horrible!  I just don't think you tell a pet owner that their dog might have a day or two left when they REALLY are just making assumptions as to what is wrong with the dog and don't know anything for sure. 

So, anyways, Jason made a decision based on what this Idiot Vet told him and put Kramer to sleep.  The Vet told him that Kramer only had a few more days to live to Jason didn't want Kramer to have to suffer for two more days.  Whether or not that is really the case is up for debate.  I truly feel the Vet didn't failed!

In the end, we found out that Kramer had in fact eaten rat poison while at my Mother in Law's house while he was there.  I was never comfortable with Kramer staying there because of how she lives, but it was really Jason's dog and he felt different.  My Mother in Law LOVED Kramer and did LOVE when he got to stay with her, but she is a Hoarder and her house is not really a place for ANYONE to be at, much less a little inquisitive dog that can get into things it shouldn't, including rat poison.  She is really having a hard time with what happened and I know she never thought something like this would happen.  My hope is that this tragic event will make her realize the way she lives needs to change.  I am by no means trying to make my Mother in Law look bad at all.  I know she is truly a sweet, loving, genuine, caring person who really loves everyone in her life.  I feel horrible that she has to live with this guilt and hope she can find something positive out of a horrible accident. 

Kramer was SO cute when he got a haircut!  He was the happiest dog I have ever seen.

Even though it was no secret that I wasn't a fan of dogs being in the house, I dealt with it and had lots of sweet moments with Kramer!  He was a feisty little dog!!   

I would like the record to show that at NO time will my child be allowed to step foot in my Mother in Law's house.  I am in no way trying to be mean or hateful, this is just a fact and something that I am sure she is fully aware of and in TOTAL agreement about.  She actually knows the way she lives is wrong and completely unhealthy, but it is an illness and she has to deal with it in her own time.

My Distraction....

Like I said in yesterday's post, the new house build has been a great distraction for me while the wait for Baby R approaches.  I drive to my new house everyday and love to see all the new things that have gone on the day before.  I seriously go over there EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!!!  Most days I have to go there to check on things or meet Contractors, but there are days that I am just going by to check things out.  It is pretty amazing to see the floor plan come to "life" with each passing day.  I look at some things and think, WOW, that looks a lot smaller than I thought it would or that looks a lot bigger than I thought.  I have made some changes to the floor plans which is great to be able to do when you are the Builder.  Once you see things how they will be in the house verses on paper, you see stuff that can be altered for the better.  Obviously, nothing structurally can be changed, but there are little things here and there can be made.  I know the Framers are really glad to be done with all my "little" changes I made.  They were SO good to me through everything they had to do though!! 

So, as of today, there is only one thing that the Framers have left to do that was misses, but it is really not a big deal at all.  The roof needs to go on now.  That has been a little challenging to get the concrete tile roof guy to get what I want for the color of the roof.  I am really not sure why it is SO hard to get what I want.  It isn't like I am asking for something that doesn't exist.  Hopefully, they finally understood the colors I want for the concrete tiles and we can move on with ordering it and getting them one the roof.  Too be honest, I really don't know why I am SO focused on getting the EXACT colors I want since the roof is 28 feet in the sky and really not too noticeable, but in true ME fashion, it must be perfect!!! 

We are about another week and a half out from getting the windows installed and all the exterior doors put on in order to have the house totally enclosed.  This will make me SO happy for a couple reasons.  The first is that it will keep the nosey people that go in the house to "check" things out and for the second and most important reason, we will be able to put the "guts" of the house in.  Until the house is enclosed and able to be secured, we have to wait for the AC, foam insulation, flooring and drywall to be done thus holding up the progress on the house. 

The foundation before the concrete slab was poured

The start of the framing

 

The house is finally taking shape!!  They still have windows on the second floor to cut out.

One of my FAVORITE things of the whole house!  The staircase!!  LOVE IT!!!!

 

 

Trippin'

It has been an adventurous few weeks in my household the last few weeks going on vacations.  Well, I don't know that I would consider them all vacations, but we have been out of town three out of the last four weeks.  The weekend we were in town, was spent at a my Nephew, Luke, Sip and See Party.  

Our first trip was on March 20th to Vegas for March Madness.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to Vegas!!  The Hubby and I always have so much fun!   It has been over a year since I have been there and I SO missed it!!  We literally check into our room and immediately hit the tables.  I actually spent most of my time at the Roulette table!  I pretty much addicted to it!  We do leave the tables every once in a while to eat yummy food!  The food in Vegas is AMAZING!!!!  We ate at Comme Ca the first night and breakfast the next morning at The Henry.  They are both inside our Hotel we stay at, The Cosmopolitan.  On day two, Jason's college friend and his wife came for his 40th Birthday so we went to dinner at STK also in The Cosmopolitan.  The next day we actually ventured out of our hotel and went to Caesar's Palace and ate brunch at Serendipity and gamble.  For dinner we went to The Bellagio and at sushi at Yellowtail.  They have AWESOME sushi!!  My favorite one has pop rocks in it.  SO YUMMY!!!!  I really have SO many pictures from all the times that I have been to Vegas, I don't have any pictures to take because I have seriously taken a picture of everything in Vegas!

This is inside our limo The Cosmopolitan sent to the airport to pick us up.

The was the other picture I took in Crystals Shopping Center.  The blue flowers are hydrangea's which are my favorite flower! 

Our room faced The Bellagio fountains and this was the view!  So pretty!!!!

 

So, we got home from Vegas on Sunday and Wednesday we were off to our next vacay, Playa Del Carmen in Mexico!  We decided to stay at a Boutique Hotel rather than an All Inclusive so we could venture out for dinner.  We stayed at Acanto Boutique Hotel.  It was a very nice place that was only a block away from the beach and right at 5th Street, so for the convenience factor it was perfect!  But, I wouldn't stay there again.  The rooms smelled like sewage and was really overpriced for what we had!  But, it was worth staying at because we had the BEST food ever!!  When you stay at All Inclusive hotels you tend to stay at the resorts since your meals are included.    

 

This was by far my favorite trip for more than one reason, but the main reason was because it was our first wedding anniversary.  It was four days of fun in the sun and I was SO excited!!!  We started our trip off with massages next door to our hotel.  It was FABULOUS!!!!  Jason was very excited to find out that he could make bets on the March Madness games.  He was in total HEAVEN!!!  We spent our days at the beach and nights at The Tequila Barrel! 

The Living Room and dining area of our hotel room.

Our kitchen area which we did not use!!

The bedroom

The view of the beach from my lounge chair!  So relaxing!!

This was the book I read while laying on the beach.  I HIGHLY recommend it!  Very good message about losing weight through a spiritual connection! 

First drink in Playa!

Best shrimp quesadilla I have ever eaten, EVER!!!!   Café Adela was such a fun place!!

We went to this little Cuban place called La Bodeguita del Medio that was just amazing!!!  Seriously, these were the most amazing shrimp fajitas of my life!!  You need to run to this place the second you get to Playa!!  Trust me on this, just trust me!!!

Crazy girls dancing on the bar for free shots of Tequila at The Tequila Barrel!  I love watching these girls act crazy!!

Our Vanilla Latte's at Chez Celine.  These were pretty tasty!!

This is the almond croissant from Chez Celine.  This was scrumptious!!  So AMAZING!!!  I can't even describe to you how truly yummy this tasted!!  I can't wait to go back and get one!  You better run to this place too!!!  Then run all the way to the beach to burn off the million calories this thing probably has in it!!  Do you see a trend of the food being AMAZING!!!  Not kidding!!!!

Our Anniversary dinner on our First Year Anniversary, March 29, 2014!  This is also the only picture we have of ourselves from our whole trip.   I was WAY too busy taking pictures of the food we were eating to take pictures of us! 

 

Our last trip was this past weekend to Arkansas for Baby Luke's Christening.  We left on Wednesday afternoon after a Baby Doctor Appointment and the thousand things I was trying to get done for the house builds!! 

 

We stayed at a house on the river in Heber Springs that was SO cute!!  As much as I hate to admit this (Don't tell my Father in Law), it did make me want to build that lake house he keeps talking about!  Not because I like the lake because I actually hate the lake, but really just for the relaxation of it!  The guys fished and the girls drank wine on the porch.  Seriously, My Sister and I spent every waking hour on that porch.  It was really a much needed relaxing trip.  

The house on the River.

Our bedroom

The porch were we spent all our time!  This is a MUST for any lake house I have to own!! 

The kitchen.

The living room

 

It is sad that I don't have any pictures of Baby Luke's Christening from Saturday, but in my defense it was because I was the photographer at the event with my Sister's camera!  I will have to post pictures when my Sister gets back.  She is still at the house on the river until Wednesday.   But, I got this picture from My Brother in Law while we were driving back home in the monsoon of rain!! 

She was SO proud of the fish she caught.  Apparently, she had some fish blood on her white pants and she was SO proud!!  I told my Sister she probably won't let her wash those pants either!!  I LOVE my Little Buttercup SO much!!!  She seriously is me re-incarnated!!  It drives me Sister CRAZY!!! 

 

So, after the fun of the last few weeks, the weekend coming up will be a little "rest" from travelling for a few weeks at least!! 

 

Last but surely not least, things with Baby R are moving right along.  I still struggle with the things I can't control and the BEYOND RUDE things that people say and ask!!!  I want my little Baby to be here already!!!  I am secretly praying DAILY that Baby R will make an early (but healthy) appearance, just by a little bit!!  I don't think that is asking TOO much, right??!!!  Besides, I do need to be in my new house BEFORE the birth!!  I think I have seriously aged a few years!!  I may need an appointment with Botox by the end of the year for a little "pick me up" on this face of mine!!  I have learned I am not cut out for being out of control of ANYTHING!!!  I accept it and embrace it!!

 

I have started getting things in order for the arrival of Baby R too and that has been A LOT of fun!!  It is one of the very few things I do have total control of and LOVE it!!  I knew I was going to do a gender neutral nursery from the beginning so that it could get multiple use out of it.  I would rather decorate a gender specific room for when the kid is older and will get more years use out of it for any future Babies we may have.  I have spent hours looking at crib bedding and getting a plan of how I would decorate the nursery.  I FINALLY found something I absolutely love.  It is being custom made by a sweet Lady on Etsy.  There are so many things I need to order on Etsy with Baby R's Monogram.  I just LOVE shopping for Baby R!!  Going to register was WAY too much fun!!!  Some could say that I probably registered earlier than usual, BUT there was a reason to my madness in regards to that!!  Everything I registered for was gender neutral and totally perfect!!  There is so much stuff for babies that wasn't even thought of when Lily was born just a little shy of three years ago!  I am going to be IN TROUBLE with the Hubby for sure when this kid is born!!!

 

Building my new house has actually been just what I need to distract my time when I am not shopping for Baby R!  In fact, building this house actually consumes the majority of my time!  If I am not at my house, I am at the Duplex down the street that we are building too.  So, I spend my days meeting with contractors and making every single decision that has to be made on my house everyday.  Just today I spent two hours of my day learning all about appliances!  Good thing I am a Google freak and already knew some stuff.  Actually, the guy at the Appliance Store was quite impressed with my knowledge of stuff.  A lot of work goes into building a house and quite frankly I LOVE it!!  I was born to do this!  Seriously, I have found what I want to be when I grow up!!