here's to friday + an awesome weekend

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rain has been frequent here lately in our parts of texas and i couldnt be happier. our ground is nice and moist and the temperatures have cooled significantly.  yesterday we managed a whopping 86 degrees when in days past we were seeing things more like 108.  it was a nice relief.  this weekend should be no different. we are now seeing lower ninety temps and rain all weekend. perfect for movie watching and snuggling.

a handsome hearthrob now can be colored.

this guy wins dad of the year for sure.

best-ever brownies.

only online (for now!) for your cute little one.

we're being attacked!

laugh your butt off with these two wisecracks.

survivor needs this kind of game.. maybe they already do?

**and yes thats a lion wrapped in a cheetah print blanket getting a CT scan.

hope your weekend is splendid.

maybe meryl streep will celebrate too?



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 my heart putters and skips beats when i think of dear sweet julia child.  maybe its her cooking style or her cute little personality. but everytime i hear her name, i think of the goofy SNL skit with dan akroyd or 'bon appetit' saying. 

and today would have been julia's 100th birthday if she was still on earth with us. 

and in honor of that, i'm gonna try to convince husband that we should celebrate with an evening viewing of julie and julia, because i dont quite have the ingredients for boned duck or beef bourguignon.

happy birthday julia!

baby g: an update

this week marks 15 weeks along in the pregnancy with baby g.  we've had two doctors appointments and are going to our next one tomorrow.  husband and i couldn't be more excited.  maybe just maybe we can get a glimpse of what gender baby has decided on.  if not, it will be another 5 weeks before we find out and that to me, could equal to torture.  i'm ready to start buying fun stuff already. we did buy a crib this past weekend (yay!) but are going to wait until much closer to the due date to start really getting the nursery together.

the constant nausea and vomitting has subsided. thank goodness, but smells and some gross things since know how to make my stomach turn.  i've also finally gotten alittle more of my energy back, which i'm sure for husband is a miracle in itself.

cravings have been weird. well not really weird, but pizza and mexican food, i seriously can eat anytime of day, every single day.  plus its been nice being able to enjoy a piece of yummy sweet food every now and again. cheesecake particularly!!

i can tell my stomach is starting to show some, but i had a little extra fluff to begin with.  i really think baby going to be a back rider this whole pregnancy, leaving me to just look "fat" rather than pregnant as my back is already at its wit's end sometimes. but as long as baby is cozy, i'm all good.

and now to return to your regularly scheduled program..



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 it wasn't until a couple of days ago that i started missing my blog.  maybe its my mothering instinct kicking in or something.  but before then, i felt extremely burnt out on blogging. not really sure why, but i needed a massive break. and during that massive break, i didnt do much. except be with child. 

i've decided my blog is taking a new turn.  as our family is growing, its going to be more about our family, adventures, "what we're loving" lists, etc, rather than trying to "run with the joneses" per say.  advertising is taking a back seat as well as the swap.  i enjoyed the swap for the one month i did it, but with work & pregnancy, i need one less thing on my plate right now. plus i just want to enjoy every blog post, picture snapshot, etc, before our lives change forever.

hopefully these minor changes dont deter readers from sticking around, but possibly attract new ones.  regular posts, such as favorite recipes, will continue, so hopefully no one is too disappointed.

i hope everyone is doing well & hope to catch up with all of you in the next few days.

the record of my days are stuck on repeat

is it bad when you start getting emails from people wondering where the heck you're at because you havent blogged, tweeted, anything in over a week? is it worse when the desire isnt even there, so you dont exactly feel completely guilty?

well thats been the case with me lately.  its nothing personal or some kind of vendetta against anyone. i just havent feel like myself.  this pregnancy has really made me feel like crud & i'm anxiously counting down the days til the end of my first trimester so maybe these sickening feelings will go away. i can hope right?

and besides the battles of fatigue, nausea and vomitting, theres work. and lots of it. we have been beyond busy, so the last thing i want to do when i get home is crank up the computer for more typing. i'm sorry.

and birthdays. yikes for birthdays this month. husbands was yesterday. mines in two weeks. my grandmas is a week after that. its been what seems like constant celebrations & running lately and my poor self is feeling busted.

and whats worse? for my birthday, i'm totally content with a blue haired style dinner at lubys at like 5 so i can be home and asleep by 9 or 10. oh i'm such a loser anymore.

i promise here soon i will be back to normalcy and posting regularly will resume.

as far as the social swap -  i havent forgotten. well i kind of did.  pregnancy and business does that to a person. so i will send out the names for everyone, but lets push this out to use the august 15 deadline to get letters, trinkets, gifts, what have you out. plenty of time if you ask me. 

i will do a link up later this week or early next to all the participants from last month.  my super duper apologies regarding my lack of organization and getting these out sooner.