Updates on My Sweet Second Baby

I'm now almost in my 19th week, and time has just flown by. Between keeping up with our toddler and work (which is very busy), I've barely had time to sit down at my home computer and update anything, which is why this place is turning into mostly weekend updates. It will get better!

I've been feeling my sweet baby kick since week 16. But these are not so much tiny bubble sensations this time around as they are rolling-fish-swimming-all-around-my belly that I don't remember with Jack until later on. This child is making its presence known.

I had an appointment last Wednesday with my doc and set a date of next Wednesday, October 3rd for our big sono to check this sweet child's development as well as hopefully learn his/her gender. I honestly can't believe we're already to this point!

We have a girl name picked out but have yet to decide on a boy name. I am determined that we shall agree by next Wednesday because there is monogramming to be done!

Not Quite Fall Weekending

This weekend has been so fun!

I had Friday off, so Jack and I slept in, then headed out to lunch together at Mi Cocina. He is usually so good at restaurants, and this time was no exception. He is his mother's son with a deep love of tortilla chips, so we had a great lunch. Afterward, we headed to the mall for a little bit of shopping before going home for a nap for both of us.

Saturday night, my dear newly-engaged friend Alisia came by to watch our boy while we headed out to the Pregnancy Lifeline fundraising gala. It was a western/after-five theme. Of course, it's always fun to wear cowboy boots in Cowtown. One feels so authentic, even though we are but city-dwellers.

{I have been reading the Anne of Green Gables series, and I feel it has affected my speech. Many pardons if it is irritating. Does this happen to you too?}

I feel the need to add that I wore a side pony after a failed side-chignon attempt. Sometimes I stick the landing on my chignon, and others, I land on the mat. Nonetheless, the side pony came through for me that night, and I have some photobooth pics that I will post because they are both terrible and funny all at the same time. We just cannot get ourselves together in a photo booth.


On Sunday we headed out to my Department's annual Family Picnic. This year it was at Great Wolf Lodge, and I have been so excited at the prospect of taking Jack there. It was his first time at something like that, and I daresay he would classify it as one of the best days in his whole 19 months if he knew how to express it.


Most of my pictures of him are with his mouth wide open, shrieking with joy. We were there from 11 AM to 5:30 PM because I was an event organizer and felt like I needed to be around in case of any issues. (There weren't any, of course.) He did so great for being there so long. We stopped in the lobby for a quick nap in my lap, and it was just enough recharge for him to make it.


There is just something about seeing things through a child's eyes. His joy and excitement over the wave pool, being sprayed with water, or putting his hands in the fountain--there is just nothing like the innocence and wonder of a sweet child. I kept wanting to capture every moment and commit it to treasured memory.

It was a great weekend, and we all tucked into our beds with a need for rest. I hope you have a great week!

What to Wear Where: Transition to Fall

Today I'm linking up with Melissa at I Pick Pretty and Amy at Forever 29 to post about fall transition wear. They have this great series that I've had great intentions to join, however laziness and otherwise life in general has been holding me back.

If there is a phrase that better described my wardrobe right now than "in transition," I can't think of it. I'm 16 weeks pregnant, and my normal clothes are already uncomfortable, so I've "graduated" on to more forgiving items. I prefer to invest in pieces wearable post-baby over making a limited time investment in maternity clothes. The key to this of course, is elastic, which fortunately many women's clothing makers include in even their skinny dresses.

I love this dress because the waist is elastic, although it's not obvious by looking at it. I bought a size to accommodate my current top half and will simply have it taken in after my shape changes post-pregnancy. And of course, a sweater is a must since my office is usually cold. This one adds some great fall color and will also go well with a long tank and my maternity skinnies. Now there's an oxymoron for sure.

As the weather cools off (perhaps by January, here in the good 'ol Lone Star State) I will add boots to it over my current flat choice. I'll probably trade off between my more traditional riding boots and my harness boots, but I like the bit of roughness these add to the "sweet."

And of course, I can't get enough of my Kendra Scott turquoise Danielles. They make the cut pretty much any season!

Hot Diggity Dog Weekending

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog
Now we got ears, it's time for cheers

If you have toddlers in 2012, you are probably all too familiar with this song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I watched a whole, whole lot of this show in my pajamas last weekend. This is all I have stuck in my head these days.

To be completely honest about my glamorous weekend, I came home from work on Friday (after long day) with a strong desire to eat carbs. It was a toss up between pancakes or pasta, but in the end, the baby wanted pasta. We came home, watched a movie, and probably were in bed by 9 PM Friday night.

The whole of Saturday was spent with both Jack and me in our pajamas. That's a very rare thing for me unless I'm sick, but we just needed a day, you know? Naps, laundry, and otherwise relaxing were the order of the day, plus Jack got a new fall wardrobe online.

Sunday was church, lunch out with friends, and a flying fun trip over to Northpark in Dallas with just my boy and me. How one goes to the mall without getting a cookie is beyond me. We sure can't!


I have high hopes to do a little documenting of this pregnancy starting this week. We'll see, but it's good to have goals, right? I'm 16 weeks so I better get moving! Have a great week!

SEC Weekending

This past weekend was my long weekend with an extra day off to spend playing with my little guy. We stayed in our pajamas until, oh, around one pm before we got dressed for his 18 month well check up. And due to that fact, I had Doc McStuffins "time for your check up, time for your check up" in my head all weekend long. Thank you, Disney Junior, for that.

We had friends over for A&M's inaugural game in the SEC. While probably all Aggies had high (dashed) hopes for a "W," we were fairly impressed with our freshman quarterback who played his first down of college football on Saturday at 2:30. (!!!) I bet his mama was so proud. I was for her.

Half-time fun!
We had a bunch of super delicious football food, including these, some dips, and petit fours. My husband questioned whether we were the only football watching party in the world to have petit fours. Even if we were, I wouldn't turn one down for any occasion, including football. (He also did not turn them down, as you can imagine.)

I wanted to make a healthy dip, so I thought Texas Caviar would fit the bill. After looking through a few recipes online (including the Homesick Texan's) I combined several to come up with the one below. I thought I would record it here because the blog is an easy way to keep up with my favorites. I used black beans, which look maroon enough to me, so I changed the name up a bit too.

Texas A&M Caviar
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained (I use Bush's)
1 14.4 oz. can white shoepeg corn, drained (any sweet corn would probably do)
1/2 c. canned diced tomatoes, drained (you might add more or less, depending on how you like tomatoes)
4 green onions, stems sliced
1/2 c. cilantro
3 t. minced garlic (I cheated and used the jar kind)
2 T. olive oil
2 T. lime juice
1 t. ground cumin
1 de-seeded jalapeno (optional - I forgot to pick some up and this was still good without the heat)

Combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeno. Separately, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, and cumin. Pour the olive oil mixture over the vegetables and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

If I know that face {and I do} he's saying, "'Gin?"
It is very difficult to tell those cheeks no.

I hope you have a great week!

Holiday Weekending

My household was off kilter last week as my husband had a last minute work trip, thus Jack and I headed south to stay with my parents for a week at the farm. Not only was it nice to have more sets of hands with my active little boy, but we also got a great visit, and I could work my normal schedule instead of abbreviating my days to keep Jack's normal care schedule. That's a Stephen Covey "think win-win" if I've ever seen one.

{That is one of the few Seven Habits that I can actually remember.}

But still, packing up a toddler plus my work wardrobe-dwindling too-many-donuts-or-is-she-? self was quite a task. Then living out of a suitcase for a few days with a child occasionally saying "Daddy?" just put me off my game for a bit. We did have a wonderful visit with my family though!

Big kid.

He even got to ride the tractor. Boy paradise.
Mr. G got home Friday and drove in to dove hunt before we three returned home on Saturday evening. It was the perfect weekend for a Monday holiday. Sunday was a great day listening to what the Lord did on mission trips that originated from our church this summer, and then we followed that up by lunching with the high school seniors. We are directing their department this year and really are excited about what the Lord has in store. Plus, hi, seniors are just plain fun.

We just restored the house to rights on Monday with laundry, lawn mowing grocery shopping, (online holiday sale shopping...shhhh), and hanging out with our little guy. He decided to sit in my lap and watch cartoons, and I'm not going to complain about that, ever. It was great, and I even found myself in bed on time, at work on time this morning and with a surprisingly not Monday-ish attitude. Maybe the second trimester truly is magical!