Halloween Costumes

So I'm quite miserable today. Not really feeling like doing much. But I have something fun to share with you. Last night, I realized something. Baby C will be here before Halloween! And I needed to buy some costumes! I'm almost positive we won't do anything. But I live in a "Family" neighborhood now. So I'm going to try and handout candy. There are so many kiddos around here. :)

But I thought it would be fun to dress up. Even if it's just for a picture or 2. So I went hunting for something cute! This is what I found...



I really like this little flower. It's $49! But I figured, it's going to be my little girl's 1st Halloween. Oh, and Barracuda ended up buying it. He thinks Baby C will look adorable. I might be a little biased here, but I think she will look beautiful! :)



I'm was thinking about this bee costume for me. $20 isn't bad. And it covers everything! You know, I'll only be a few weeks postpartum. No need to scare people. I figure I can wear some leggings and my black ballet flats. So cute!

So I know, people are going to think I'm nuts for buying Halloween costumes. Especially this flower one. But this is Baby C's 1st holiday. And I think it's important to start fun memories right away.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of fun times in my childhood. And I want it to be very different for my little one. It was kinda funny. Last night, I was looking at these costumes. And talking to Barracuda. He didn't hesitate. He just ordered them. It was really sweet of him too! Because he didn't have to. Now I'm anxious for Halloween to get here. XOXO

38 Weeks

Dear Baby Girl,

I'm so excited! You are officially considered full term. And the doctor told me that you are ready to be born. Well, when you are ready to come. But you know what your Mommy is trying to say.

Your Uncle Barracuda and I have been working hard to put all of your presents away. We got so many amazing gifts from our Our Baby Shower. It's almost been a week. And I'm still trying to find places for everything. We're so lucky, to be this loved!

This week, well I've been trying to just relax. I hope that's making things nice and comfy for you too. I know that I haven't been sleeping much. But it's been hard to get comfy. I'm sure you're feeling the same way. I think we're starting to run out of room. But we don't have long to wait. So I think we'll be OK.

This week has been so nice. Spending lots of time with all of our friends. They love you so much already. Everyone is so excited to meet you! But no one is more excited than me. I really can't wait. I look at your nursery everyday. And I can just imagine you sleeping in your crib. And later, playing on the fun rug. :)

I can feel you move so much now. Every time you move, it's such an incredible feeling. And I look forward to all of your movements. It makes me smile so big! We've been reading more than usual too. And I think you really enjoy that. I'm glad.

Today, just seeing your gorgeous face made my day! You look so beautiful. And you were moving so much! Our doctor joked that you were having a party in your Mommy's belly. It sure did look like you were dancing around!

Well Little Girl, I can't wait to meet you! Your Mommy already LOVES you so much! I hope you know that. I'll always love and adore you. Baby Girl, you are my sunshine and my world! Stay strong and healthy. I'm counting down the days until I get to meet you!

XOXO Your Mommy

Baby Showers in Review

This past weekend, Baby C and I had our Baby Showers. Yes, we had 2! I still can't believe it!

My bestie and some friends had planned our Baby Shower for Saturday. I knew about it. And I was so excited! Not about getting presents. I had already bought, pretty much everything that Baby C needs. But I was so excited to see all of my friends. Especially my bestie! It seems like it's been forever since I've seen my friends. Living out here, I don't get to see them often. And that's tough.

I got to spend Friday with my bestie. And that was just incredible! We went to my doctor's appointment, out to lunch, and just hung out. We did some shopping. And I really enjoyed all of it! We even managed a mani-pedi too. :)

My bestie ended up making dinner for us that night. Because I fell asleep late in the afternoon. Barracuda and her Guy were working. And we were all meeting up later that night. The 2 of us really did enjoy ourselves.

I spent the weekend at my bestie and her Guy's house. That's where the Baby Shower was going to be. And Saturday morning, the house was buzzing! The guys left early in the morning. They had a way to go for work. And there were so many people helping to get ready for our Baby Shower!

I was really excited to share this with C too! She made the trip out here just for the Baby Shower. And it was nice to spend time with her. C and W were our only family that came. But it was such a blessing to have them here. Yes, I consider my dog family! C is so excited to meet her new niece too!

I honestly just enjoyed being around all of my friends. It was like a reunion of the "Wives Club." :) Yes, all of our husbands work together. And we all travel together. It was just nice to be with them again. We sat around laughing and talking. I got to change some diapers. Yes, some of my friends have newborns! :)

The pile of gifts was HUGE! I was feeling a bit intimidated. So many amazing things. I really do feel blessed. There were lots of beautiful presents. So many clothes! Baby C might not even get to wear everything! She could possibly wear a new outfit everyday!

But the most special gifts were handmade. My bestie and her mom made some of the most beautiful things. I wish I could find my camera. I took pictures of everything. I mean, these are gorgeous blankets, sweater sets, booties, everything! I even got my tutu for Baby C! :)

On Sunday, the guys were back. They actually got back late, late Saturday night. And my bestie and all the guys planned a "Surprise BBQ" for us! Yes, all the people I used to work with, were able to come on Sunday. It was another Baby Shower! I really have missed all of these people. It feels amazing to be part of their lives again. I'm so lucky and blessed, to have such amazing friends. :)

Sunday was really about just being with friends. We also got another mountain of gifts. And now that I'm thinking about it, I need to start writing out Thank yous. But it's so amazing to just spend time with my friends. I've missed them so much! And they love my Baby Girl so much!!!

After everyone had left, and all had calmed down, my bestie and her guy surprised me again! They put together an entire nursery in their home! For my Baby Girl! :) They're going to be Baby C's Godparents. And they are planning to steal away, my Little Girl, from time to time. Everything that a baby could possibly need, is in that nursery. It's beautiful! I can tell, they love Baby C as much as I do.

As you can tell, we are so lucky and loved! Life has not been too kind to Baby C and I. But God has sent us some amazing people. People that love us. And want to take care of us. We are truly blessed. I just wish I could find my camera. We took some amazing pictures! And I want to say a special and HUGE Thank you to my bestie! You are the best friend anyone could ever have! :) XOXO

From Uncle Barracuda

Barracuda went shopping for Baby C. When? I have absolutely no clue! We got back Sunday. And Monday when I got home from work, he was sitting at the front step. Dinner in one hand. A big pink box in the other. What was inside? Lots of clothes for Baby C! :)

A cute onesie type suit. :)

And a ruffley pink romper. So cute!

An orange bubble romper. I'm sure I wore these when I was little. :)

Just look at this butterfly outfit! Adorable!!!

This flower dress just might be my favorite! Don't be shocked if Baby C has her 1st month pictures taken in it. :) I just need to find some cute pink shoes to match!

Love how stinking adorable this dress is! I bet it would look so cute with red shoes and a red headband. :)

This dress totally reminds me of where I grew up! Love it!

How cute is this flower costume!!!

I'm totally loving the polka dots here!

I just LOVE this striped, hooded bodysuit. :)

And this pink, bear snowsuit!

And you can't forget about the polka dot, bear snowsuit!

Can you see how loved Baby C is already? I just love it! And love that she has a real male role model. I'm glad that Barracuda is in our lives. And I want my daughter to know that she can depend on men. That they won't all hurt her. It's also nice to see that other people, besides me, are exciting for my little girl to come into the world. :) XOXO

Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb

One of my friends, who just had a baby, gave me a whole basket of these! They're to add to my baby girl's bath. You are supposed to drop one into their bath. And it's supposed to relax the little ones. You know, when she gets here. And is probably a few months old. But they smell so yummy!

I put the basket on my nightstand. Because I was going to read a little last night. But the scent, it put me right to sleep. This morning, I made sure to put them in the nursery. :)

But what a fun little gift. I just wish that they were pink. I know. My favorite color is blue. But I want my little girl to have all the girly things she can get. These though, are going to be one of our staples! I can't wait!!! XOXO

Baby Monkey

Barracuda came by today. He was in a really good mood. I have a really good idea why. But it was nice to see him again. Almost weekly, he is coming over with dinner. I usually find him sitting on my porch, with some sort of takeout, when I get home from work.

Today he had a silly grin on his face. And a big pink bag next to our food. I was definitely curious. It was a monkey from Build a Bear!!!

It was so nice of Barracuda to do that. I keep telling him that he is so amazing. He's being more of a dad to my daughter, than her own dad. I still can't believe that he went to Build a Bear today. And made this monkey for my little girl. He included a special message and everything for her. She is a lucky little girl.

Right now, I have it in her crib. I just can't wait until my baby girl is in there. Sleeping away. Healthy and safe. XOXO

Deceptively Delicious

I'm not much of a cook. Lots of people could back me up on that one. But T and I did get lots of good cookbooks, as wedding presents. And this one, it interested me. My bestie makes lots of these yummy things. And I'm interested in sneaking in veggies to lots of good food.

I've flagged a few recipes. And I'm determined to make a few this week. I'm off of work. And I have a lot of time on my hands. Besides, the brownies really do sound good. And who doesn't like a warm brownie, with iced cold milk, on a cold wintery night? XOXO

Bubble and Brown...and Happy Cinco de Mayo

We got these for a wedding present. They're the Rachael Ray "Bubble and Brown" set. I wasn't sure what I was going to use them for. But like I said before, we finally getting settled in our new house. And things are finding a home. Which means, I'm trying all sorts of new things out.

So I decided to try my hand at enchiladas today. I called my bestie and she gave me a list of food to buy. Then she walked me through the process. I LOVE her so much! She is so patient and helpful. :)

By the time T got home, I had the enchilada casserole in the oven. I even made some rice. T made us some guacamole. And we had dinner. It was so good! And this "Bubble and Brown" was so good to bake our dinner in! It made everything so crunchy and yummy. I'm definitely going to be using this a lot more. Because it was so easy to use, made our food dinner, and was super easy to clean up!

If you don't have one of these, I think you should go out and buy one. Because they are incredible! And you can fit so much food in them! It's a bit ridiculous. But you could easily make a big casserole and invite 8-10 people over. :) This is a great piece! Oh, and Happy Cinco de Mayo! That was my inspiration for dinner tonight. :) XOXO

Compromise and Brownies

So I'm no big cook or baker. But even I can manage to make some brownies from time to time. Mostly because T and I really like them. And I can buy the mix and you only add oil and nuts! Easy peasy!

But both T and I only like the edge pieces. They're more crispy. Just taste better. Yes, the edge pieces just taste better! And we generally don't eat the middle. I know that's ridiculous. But we have enough friends that come around here. So they usually eat the middle part. And in a pinch, well the gooey brownies are good with vanilla ice cream and some chocolate sauce. :)

And after finally unpacking some more of our wedding presents, I found this little beauty! She makes all the brownies with crispy edges. Yummy! Now T and I don't have to fight over the edge brownies. We can eat the entire pan! I'm not sure if that's good or bad. But I made brownies tonight. And they were so yummy! Thanks to our amazing friends who gave us this perfect brownie pan. It's literally changed our lives! XOXO

Marriage and Cooking

I don't think I ever told you. But when we went to CA, my bestie planned a fun "Ladies' Night Out" for all of us. Nothing crazy. Just dinner, and lots of hanging out. We had our nails done. And got amazing massages. It was like a combo Bridal Shower and Bachelorette party. We had so much fun!

And she got me some fun presents. I got a big basket with a bunch of kitchen stuff. She made me some aprons, kitchen towels, and scrubbies. But she also loaded it with lots of yummy things. Like kitchen tools and these cookbooks...







Now that life is a little more "normal." And I'm going to attempt a yummy dinner for my hubs tonight. What am I going to cook? I have no idea. but I'm going to start looking through these books for a good recipe. Oh, and I still need to go grocery shopping... XOXO