Monthly Archives: May 2012

blowing out the candles…again

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monday was my dad’s birthday.  may is a busy month!  mothers day, my parents’ anniversary, my mom’s birthday, and now, my dad’s birthday.  lots to celebrate which is always fun.  in honor of the day, the whole family gathered at zinburger [last seen here] for a meaterrific party complete with fries and shakes.  yum.  after we consumed the deliciousness, we headed back to the ridley house to open cards, sing, blow out the candles, and indulge in some festively sprinkled cupcakes.  it was pretty over-the-top

a sassy face & a gopher face + zinburger…mmmm + the breezy entrance with bovine wall art + the amazing menu + bree and her man + one of three baskets of fries + the birthday boy sipping his bananas foster milkshake + my hubby’s turkey sloppy joe.  he said that it rivaled a real meat burger which is really saying something + my PERFECT samburger + the celebratory table complete with a platter o’ cupcakes + blowing out the candles

dear peanut

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this is starting to feel more real.  i am proudly sporting a little bump and i am spreading on the shea butter every day to help with all that stretching that is about to happen.  you are growing at a much faster pace now.  i am doing my best to keep up.  these next few months are going to be big ones…the excitement [and my belly] is growing.

your papa and i went on a little trip to look at some baby goodies.  it was pretty exciting to pick up tiny little outfits and know that a little one would soon be here to fill them.  so tiny and so sweet.  i naturally gravitate toward the girl stuff [because, well, that's what i am used to] but i am an equal-opportunity shopper who is also pretty enamored with tiny baseball hats and onesies with bowties.  we can’t wait to start buying you cute little clothes and all of the fun gear.  speaking of gear…i have been doing some preliminary maternity clothes browsing.  with all your growth, i know that i will be in new clothes anytime now.  thanks for the excuse to get a new wardrobe!

the rest of your family has been planning for your arrival as well.  grandma and grandpa ridley are already on baby store email lists and planning which high chair they want and grandma and grandpa whitehouse have set aside a little corner of their room that has been designated as “the nursery”.  everyone is so excited to welcome you and make you feel at home.

for now, keep growing and moving…i love feeling those flutters and your papa is excited to get in on it in the coming months when you really start kicking.  you are in our prayers and know that your Heavenly Father is doing a great work to prepare you for life outside my belly.  we can’t wait!

all our love to you, little peanut.

love, your mama + your papa

snaps & snippets & blurbs

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this was a big one.  dinners with family, a birthday celebration, car races, and memorial day.

here is the pictoral plethora to prove it…

the weekend is here + a game of scrabble + we used all of the letters!  such word nerds + quick stop at jimmy johns + my very handsome date + a tasty sandwich for him and a turkey, lettuce roll-up for me + can’t forget the chips and oatmeal cookie + our weekend entertainment…sherlock holmes season two and burn notice + the buddies enjoying some lap time + summertime sunshine + a refreshing pink drink for ben + homemade tostadas and enchiladas at the whitehouse home…sooo amazingly delicious + dessert: warm berries over graeter’s ice cream + off to the races! + some sunday brunch while we watch indy + hanging out with old family friends during our annual tradition + mr. charles being a good boy on his many car rides this weekend

a day for remembrance

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memorial day is a day we dedicate to the dead – to remember those who fell in defense of this country and the ideals which this country stands for. we may want, therefore, some drape of patriotism, some nod toward a higher motive more than mere circumstance, but not too much lest we trivialize the individual loss or somehow glorify the waste of youth and joy.

those who forfeited their lives, they chose, or were sometimes required, to live in a manner which brought them in harm’s way, and to that harm they fell.

our task is not to validate the sacrifice but to acknowledge it, to remember that it was made. we should do so, not out of guilt – what guilt should we own in surviving, in continuing as they laid down their lives to insure. but we should do it with humility – most of us have done nothing to earn that continuing. and if any validation is necessary, it is for we the living to prove that we are worthy of the sacrifice through dedication toward the peace that was purchased by these honored dead.

sleep, comrades, sleep and rest
on this field of the grounded arms,
where foes no more molest,
nor sentry’s shot alarms!
 
ye have slept on the ground before,
and started to your feet
at the cannon’s sudden roar,
or the drum’s redoubling beat.
 
but in this camp of death
no sound your slumber breaks;
here is no fevered breath,
no wound that bleeds and aches.
 
all is repose and peace,
untrampled lies the sod;
the shouts of battle cease,
it is the truce of God!
 
rest, comrades, rest and sleep!
the thoughts of men shall be
as sentinels to keep
your rest from danger free.
 
your silent tents of green
we deck with fragrant flowers
yours has the suffering been,
the memory shall be ours.
henry wadsworth longfellow

17 weeks

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i know.  not the most attractive of veggies…don’t worry, i am pretty sure our little one is actually way cuter.

cravings & such:  still…salads.  the bigger and crisper, the better.  i am also really liking sour things and chocolate.  i am trying to keep from diving head first into bowls of candy because unfortunately, the salad consumption doesn’t really cancel out the sugar consumption.  darn.

the bump:  here it is!  peanut decided to pop out even more right around the time of my big work event last week…the one where i had to wear dress pants that cut right across my tummy.  yup, i am feeling it now.

cool & cute things:  the baby’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone and the umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger…seems to me that peanut is preparing for some serious food absorption and growing in the coming months. the baby is about 5 inches long and weighs in at 5 ounces.  did anyone else notice that peanut has gained about 1.5 ounces since the last post? hmmm…that is a big percentage jump!  it is getting serious, folks.

new things:  baby can move his/her joints and sweat glands are developing [get ready baby, it gets hot here in the desert...]  as far as new things for mama…i am feeling some serious stretching.  that ligament growth is no joke!  but, no complaints, it just means that baby is growing as s/he should be.

meaningful moments:  feeling the baby bubbles more and more.  and planning our “reveal party”.  this is just too much fun!

the countdown:  161 days to go!

current size: a turnip

decor inspiration

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one of my very favorite blogs to check out on a daily basis is spicer + bank.  this blog is hosted by interior designer, allison egan.  she is lovely and fabulous!  each day, she fills her blog with beautiful images of vibrant interiors and interesting design elements.  i could get lost in her site.  it makes me want to paint walls and hang curtains and snag some kitschy knickknacks and lay down a fresh rug.  amazing stuff.  lately, i have been searching for some inspiration for our little peanut’s nursery.  and, allison did not disappoint.  plenty of good ideas to go around.  here are a few of my favorites that are inspired for any room of the house but that i am loving for our little one’s abode…

i love those chevron walls!

the cognac colored chairs with the big furry blanket…for a luxe nursery look

the pop of neon pink [if it is a girl, of course] with the golden velvet chair.  i am thinking crushed velvet curtains in a fabulous color!

the mint color + the yellow color + the geometric rug in that rich brown

those prints are fabulous!  clean, fresh, fun, and oh-so-cool.  it has a playful vibe that is appropriate for a baby without being too “baby-ish”

now, all i have to do is somehow put it all into cohesive plan and then make it a reality.  hmmm…

three things

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three things i am likin’ right now

artwork by lola donoghue.  you can buy her artwork here.

this super light, terry dress from jcrew.  light, flow-y fabric in my favorite color…with just enough structure yet plenty of room for a growing bump.

copper…everything!

dear peanut

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yup.  the bump is here.  it is so exciting but i am still not quite sure what to do with it.  i feel a bit outside of myself.  it is so strange to look down and see that tiny little bump and think “there is a tiny person in there!”  this whole pregnancy thing is kind of a big deal.  it isn’t just growing a baby…it is a new life.  a new adventure.  i am no longer someone’s daughter or friend or co-worker or sister or wife…i am going to be someone’s mother.  sometimes i am just overwhelmed by the thought that i am going to be a mama.  that not only do i get to watch as you develop inside but that very soon, you will be here and i will be able to watch you develop as you walk through life.  your papa and i are so excited.  we are so grateful.  we keep praying for the wisdom needed to train you up in the way you should go.  that our lives may point you to Christ.  that you may fall in love with Jesus and walk with Him.  ultimately, you are His.  you are a precious, precious gift to us.

i have been feeling happy and healthy…trying to keep up the exercise and stretching to help with blood flow, endorphins, and flexibility.  i know that you are getting ready for a big growth spurt in the coming months so i want to do all that i can to make that a comfortable experience.  take it easy on my ligaments, little one.

i am feeling your little baby bubble, butterfly flutters more frequently now.  it is so much fun!  i think your papa is getting jealous that he can’t feel you yet but i told him “all in good time” for those crazy kick attacks.  won’t that be fun!

all our love to you, little peanut.

love, your mama + your papa

blowing out the candles

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make a gif at gickr.com

sunday was my sweet mom’s birthday.  my parents were out of town for the weekend and ben and i picked them up from the airport ready to party…with hats and blowers in tow!  we escorted her to true food for a healthy, yummy, and celebratory dinner together.  lots of chatting about their travels, catching up, laughing, munching, and blowing out the candles.  and, the celebration will continue through the week since my mom and i are planning a little lunch date together PLUS we celebrate my dad’s birthday in a few days too.  whew!  what a fun week!

snaps & snippets & blurbs

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what a great weekend.  my week was so busy with my tasks and projects [culminating in a big work event that went really well and that is now officially behind me] that a relaxing weekend with my man was especially needed.  after the dust had settled from the event, i took a deep breath, met up with my hubby, and kicked off our weekend with some yummy food at bourbon steak.  from there, it was more or less just taking naps, watching movies, catching up on my home-duties, and recovering…nothing too snap-worthy, but it was perfect in my book.  here are a few pics from our evening at bourbon steak.

the swanky entrance + the cool decor + hubby, leading the way + i love the laid-back, modern vibe + so ready to relax with a big burger! + our beverages of choice…a beer for him and sparkling water for me + a little starter…short rib slider with slaw and horseradish dipping sauce + the quintessential burger

now you see them…

…now you don’t