Over the weekend we celebrated our sweet baby boy with his first shower! It was so much fun to be surrounded by so many family and friends at my mom's house. Of course she (and some other sweet family members) worked so hard to make this happen and I'm so thankful! 

^^the cake was made by my super talented cousin, Sweet By & By Cakery!

These two gifts, the bib above and the book below were so special!

My aunt made me a bib out of my grandpa's old shirts which is a wonderful way for Solomon to have a little piece of his great grandpa! My mom-in-law gave me a book that used to belong to Peter when he was little and wrote a sweet note in it. 

Both so special and I can't wait to share them with our little man. 

So thankful for this sweet woman and my wonderful family!

Solomon is so blessed already and I can't wait for him to feel all the love

that everyone already has for him. It is a true blessing!!

Father's Day 2015.

This Father's Day was a special day, for obvioius reasons. It was so fun to celebrate my dad and my husband for the first time, together. Last year we started a little tradition of a manly meal of steaks, potatoes and a salad (my dad's favorite combo) and I was happy to keep that tradition going this year. Peter loves to grill so it is a perk for him also. A little, here honey - cook us some awsome steaks because you rock at it - the kind of gift that keeps on giving! I decided to stick to chicken since I can't enjoy a medium rare steak these days... sigh.

It was a great night and I loved celebrating both of these men this year. Of course thinking about next year and having little Solomon with us makes me want to burst with excitement, but until then I will rub my belly and thank the Lord for all He has done. Hope you all had a wonderful Father's day!

Pregnancy Post // month seven.

into my third trimester and onto my eighth month....

how is this happening?!?

Weeks 25 - 28

Some questions we've been asked

how are you seven months // a lot of people have asked this question and I guess it can be confusing since a lot of women use the nine month guideline for pregnancy but I decided to use the 10 month guide since that is really more accurate.

The 10 month guide says:

Month 1 = weeks 1-4 (when you are really not pregnant at all since this is based off of your last cycle)

Month 2 = weeks 5-8

Month 3 = weeks 9-12

Month 4 = weeks 13-16

Month 5 = weeks 17-20

Month 6 = weeks 21-24

Month 7 = weeks 25-28

Month 8 = weeks 29-32

Month 9 = weeks 33-36

Month 10 (full term) = weeks 37-40

I also love the fact that my midwife group will allow me to go to week 43 before intervening with any type of medicine to push this baby along. Most first time moms will go into natural labor between 41-42 weeks but I'm hoping Solomon will want to come earlier than that!!

are you having him in the hospital, or at home // well, neither. I was 100% preparing to have Solomon at the hospital with the Midwife Team but now that their birthing center (across the street from the hospital) is open, I will be having him there, as long as all goes as planned! I'm very excited for the experience of laboring at home with Peter and our doula, then heading to the BEAUTIFUL birth center once things start progressing. The rooms are spacious with a big bed, shower and birthing tub. We will learn more about the birthing center at the orientation session next month. 

double digits.

This week started the third trimester. I honestly can't believe it! It is so crazy to think how the past few months have flown by and I'm sure the next several weeks ahead will do the same. I love writing these little letters to our baby boy. I'm hoping to have a few more waiting for him before he arrives in September. I can't wait! 

The crib, side table, belly 

& some sweet shoes from his Auntie Whitney!

June 1, 2015

Dear Solomon,

As time is getting closer and closer I continue to think about how you will be ours. This little tiny human that we get to take home and love and cherish and enjoy once you finally arrive. I think that is the most exciting part for me, that I get to keep you! It may seem crazy since you have been with me all this time, but I can't wait to see you and hold you, and know you are truly ours. You are already so loved.

We are preparing for you in many ways. Making the plans to have your room ready, collecting all of your cute clothes and organizing all the little pieces that you will wear. Most of all, we are praying for your life and your heart. I already have so much love for you in my heart and I'm thankful every single day that God allowed me to feel this kind of love. I've never understood how He could love us so much until you became a reality. It amazes me that I can love your daddy and your little life so much, and then when I compare those feelings to God's love, it doesn’t even come close to the intensity of His love. Your life is a huge gift in that way.

To feel you growing and moving more every day is such a surreal feeling. To feel this connected and intertwined with a life is amazing and I love it so much. I love knowing that my body is sustaining you and helping you grow. Knowing that my life is giving you life and that the Lord made this happen. It leaves me feeling so incredibly thankful and in awe of life itself & so thankful for the God who made it.

You are on your way to us and we are less than 100 days away from meeting you, I can't begin to describe the amount of excitement I feel about that. Double digits, so exciting!! I can't wait to see what you look like, what features your daddy gave you and which are mine & I can't wait to see the little person that God made you to be. You are perfect, and we can't wait to love you!

Love,

Momma

roadtrips.

Over the weekend, my mom and I took a little road trip for some shopping! Road trips with my mom are one of my favorite things to do. It made me think about all the many things that you need for a succesful road trip and I thought I'd share them with you for this month's Circle Link-up!

snacks // these three are a must for me, something sweet, salty and sour!

water // staying hydrated while driving is a big deal, even if that means several bathroom breaks.

music // a must for a roadtrip right now is definitely Taylor!! (as long as Peter's not in the car!)

sunglasses // no need to squint from that bright sunshine with some cute shades on your face.

itinerary // this is one thing that I hate to leave home without when I'm taking a trip. I always have a set plan no matter how long or short the trip so we don't have to guess on what to do.

Some of the highlights from our little trip to Charlotte, NC are below! It was a great trip full of yummy food, laughing till we were both crying and all the wonderful things that a mom/daughter trip is made of! We started the morning off with The Flying Biscuit Cafe which is one of our favorite breakfast spots! 

After the shopping trips to Southpark Mall and IKEA we finished on a high note at this really neat pizza shop. My mom requested pizza but we both wanted to make sure it was a spot we've never been to before and we were so happy to find Fuel Pizza! It was so yummy and the perfect thing to fill our tummy's before drive home with our full car from IKEA!!

What is a MUST for you in the summertime? Something sweet to sip on at a picnic? A favorite book to read while sitting by the pool? Or maybe some flip-flops to throw into your beach bag? Create a moodboard or collage and tell us what your musts are for this upcoming sunny season!

hot weather with a cookout, a wedding and a pregnant belly.

The weekend was full of hot summer fun which included a cookout and a wedding on Saturday. All outside, in the 90 degree weather. Pregnant Woman + Summer Heat = Interesting. I've always said I never wanted to be pregnant in the summer, but God definitely had different plans for me! I'm trying to take the good with the bad and enjoy the summer while it is here. With an ice cold water in my hand at all times, of course!!


Peter's work had a summer cookout for all of their employees so it was nice to spend some time outside and eat a big lunch.

And the wedding for Jen & John was so beautiful. I've never seen her so happy, which made me extremely happy!!! She deserves every ounce of excitement she got on their special day!

nursery inspiration.

Things are finally starting to happen in the nursery and I can hardly stand it! After we set up the crib last night I actually said to Peter, "Oh my gosh, we are having a baby!" I just want to jump up and down all the time when I think about having our little human being here with us. Getting his room ready is just like a big cherry on top of everything. Here's the ideas that we have so far.... 

crib // daybed // dresser // nightstand

shelves // whale // lamp // rug

green // wood accents // navy

This weekend my mom and I are going to Charlotte for her yearly Birthday trip (early this year thanks to the fact that her and Solomon might share a birthday!!!) and we are going to do a lot of shopping for the nursery! We can't wait and I'm so excited to get all the details mentioned above set up in the little man's room. Of course I will be sharing the final product once it is ready!

Sights + Seats // Minero

I wanted to find a new spot for lunch while we were in Charleston and when we stumbled upon Minero, we stopped to take a look at the menu by the door. When I read "Queso Fundido -roasted poblano, chorizo, handmade tortillas", I told Peter we had to go inside! It definitely did not disappoint. The amount of thought they put into each item on the menu and the research on "the tortilla" blew us away. It was delicious!

Peter picked a couple of tacos to eat and a margarita to sip on. He said both were very good!

I chose the shrimp and grits since it was a completely different kind of dish. It was so good

and by far the most interesting shrimp and grits I've ever had!

We will definitely keep this spot on the radar for our weekend trips 

& I'm looking forward to trying one of their margaritas next time!!