Weekend Getaway - Addie's 4th Birthday Party

I seriously can't believe this little one is already FOUR years old!  I'm amazed at how FAST time flies.  It LITERALLY seems like yesterday that we were all waiting patiently in that hospital room with Christi (very appropriately watching Father of The Bride 2 by the way :) waiting for this little...well scratch that.. this BIG girl.. to finally make her appearance.  Crazy to think that you can blink just ONCE and so much time has gone by..

I love this girl.  Such spunk.  Such personality.  Four going on TWENTY FOUR it seems.. so mature and so dang smart for her age.  A girly girl through and through, she was the belle of the ball at her Rapunzel birthday party this past Saturday.. playing hostess to every single guest that came in the door and rockin' that little dress like no one else could. 

Happy 4th Birthday Addison Grace!!

Your Aunt Yvette and Uncle Chad LOVE YOU <3

Sweet Landrah enjoying the festivities..

With her sweet cousin Maya!  :)

LOVE THESE GUYS!!

The hubs, our sweet little nephew Andrew and my Pops <3 

Hahaha.. love the faces on these two.  :)

Party People

Me and my Dad with the Birthday Girl.. before her wardrobe change.  :)

That's one hungry dude!  :) 

Andrew, trying to figure out what the heck is on his sisters HEAD!!  :)

This cake was kinda, sorta ridiculously HUGE for a 4th birthday..

SOOOOOOO YUMMY!!

Proud parents :)

Weekend Getaway - Day 1

I love reasons to get away.  If only for a few days, I love the preparations, the mental distractions of planning and the chance to see good friends again.  This time, our 9 hour drive to the valley would take us to Little Miss Addison's 4th birthday party.  BUT first, a wonderful opportunity to cut the trip in half as we headed to Boerne, Texas last Thursday to visit one of my best friends Justin, his wife Jenna and their ADORABLE new baby Reed.  :) 

Before any road trip, Chad and I will always do a little research to see where we absolutely MUST STOP to eat.  This time, we'd gotten a tip from my co-worker Suzanne about an AMAZING little bakery in West, Texas.  As in the actual CITY of West, Texas.  :)  We still can't believe we'd never noticed this little place before.  Right off 35, right before hitting Waco... this little haven of goodness was just what we needed for a little afternoon pick-me-up. 

What they called Kolache's actually looked a lot like Danishes...

Not too sweet though but OOOOOOOOOOO Sooooooo yummy!! 

Czech Stop Bakery

heheheheehehe... Hot Chubbies... hehehehehe...

The immature kids in us got quite the giggle as we tried to figure out what these little guys actually were before we got there.. Their website had no description and lets just say that googling "Hot Chubbies" is NOT recommended.  hahahahaha... 

After about a five hour drive.. getting stuck in Austin traffic, we finally made it to the Hawkins house. 

Justin and Bo lounging around. :)

A little Father-Son bonding.. :)

Sweet, sweet little man.  So glad we could finally get a chance to meet this little guy. 

Thanks Justin and Jenna for giving us the chance to hang out.  It's been too long!!

Here, There and Everywhere...

So in between gestating and general over all Prego tiredness, I've managed to completely (well maybe not so "completely") but almost entirely abandon this blog.  :(  I have to say though, (in my own defense), that other than GROWING A TINY little HUMAN in my belly... I haven't been doing much at all, except trying to sit back and RELAX!  So far so good, I think... ;) 

So far, there's been...

Gorgeous sunsets while walking Macie on these gorgeous Spring afternoons...

When I'm not napping after work that is.. This baby making situation is EXHAUSTING!!  ;) 

Receiving SUPER cute pictures of my nephew Andrew... who's not so little anymore.. and has the most SQUEEZEABLE cheeks EVER!! :)  LOVE HIM!! 

There's been..EATING.. A. LOT. of eating.. ;)  Thanks LOVE for this wonderful Stuffed Pepper dinner...

My diet would be bland and boring without you...  

We've also been enjoying the Spring blooms around our house and neighborhood..

Love that our little entry gate blooms so brightly, but hate that it literally only lasts for about a week

I'm also kind of obsessed with these rose bushes I've seen everywhere. 

They are so bright and beautiful!! Anyone know what they're really called?  Home Depot had similar ones called Knock Out Roses???  Is that right?? 

And I've also taken this little cutie pie..

To see these little cutie pies.. lol..

And yes they really were hanging out in a large tub filled with water..

(They've since upgraded to a blow up pool... lol) 

Mmm... did I mention EATING???  ;)  ;) 

So, the only truly WEIRDO pregnancy craving I've had (so far) has been pickles. 

Oh but not just any kind of pickle, prepared any old way... Oh no...

HUGE movie style pickles sprinkled with..wait for it... wait for it..Lemon, Berry Crystal Light powder!!  :) :) 

Sound weird??  Yes, I'm sure.. Tasty?!?  YOU BETCHA!! Sweet and Sour-y goodness... Mmmm..

There's also been healthy eating too by the way..

Halibut with Kale and Sausage prepared once again by my own personal Chef.  ;) 

Although, my hunger has been absolutely NON stop lately.. (for the last two weeks it seems to be on overdrive).. I STILL (unfortunately) have to watch what I eat...

Diabetes and Pregnancy equals NO FUN, AT. ALL!!

Well there you have it!! The last two weeks.. in a nut shell :)  Hope your Spring has been as blissfully relaxing as mine has been!!  :)   

Baby Bear Kelley - 8 & 12 Week Sonogram :)

I have to say....

The first time that I heard your little heartbeat… going what seemed like a million miles a minute, my heart stopped. Well it actually didn’t stop….it took a flying LEAP straight up to my throat. My eyes INSTANTLY welled up with tears and I was, probably for the first time in a long time, at a loss for words. I felt Chads hand, as he sat there by my side in that dark room, squeeze mine, just a little bit tighter as we both just sat there and stared at that monitor above our heads. There you were.  Apparently we didn't even make a peep as the sonographer asked if we were excited.  Lol... Excited??!?!?! More like STUNNED and overwhelmed and overcome with emotion.  It all felt a little bit more real right in that one single moment.  :) We weren't just relying on our "magic stick" to know you were there.. we could actually SEE YOU!!   

Honestly, you didn’t look like a whole lot right then… A sweet little butter bean at most. Hard at work for the last 8 weeks though....you’d already developed from just a mass of cells into a tiny little being with webbed fingers and toes and only just a little semblance of that tadpole-like tail you started out with.  About half an inch long, you had gone from blueberry sized to the size of a raspberry AND growing... at about one millimeter each day.  ;) 

February 27, 2012

Already, you’ve been so good to your mama. No morning sickness… no REAL fatigue. No crazy hormone or mood shifts to scare your dad away ;)  I HAVE been taking a lot more naps though.. (thank you for that.. I really do enjoy those ;) and I’ve been sleeping like a log two seconds after my head hits the pillow. But other than that.. I’ve felt great.. I just hope it STAYS that way for the next 7 months ;) 

A few short weeks later.. we had our 12 week sonogram. I was so excited and a bit nervous to see you again. I’d heard so many horrible stories about miscarriages before this time… it definitely had me on edge. Since our last visit, I'd seen a nutritionist and had been put on Insulin to control my sugar levels that were still in the "normal range" for this diabetic...but on the higher end of normal for my pregnancy.  Wasn't as bad as I originally thought though.. the nutritionist actually made me give myself a REAL "practice" shot in her office.. just to be sure I'd be able to do it at home later.  Yikes!! Palms sweating.. and near panic (your dad covering his face and nearly passed out himself.. lol..) I thought of you and went for it.  Luckily, I. felt. NOTHING!!  It was amazing and relieving all at the same time.  :)  Whew!!! 

This time, when we saw you again, so much had changed!! You actually looked HUMAN!! We could see your little hands and legs... and when the sonographer zoomed in on your sweet little bear head, you looked like a REAL, HONEST TO GOODNESS BABY!!  :) 

March 26, 2012

Now the size of a PEACH (Insane!!) at about THREE inches long.. well 5.8cm she said.. you're developing your vocal cords this week and have already developed all of your new bodily stuctures as most of your systems are fully formed.  Your digestive system is starting to flex its muscle as it starts practicing contraction movements and the pituitary gland has started producing hormones and the bone marrow is making white blood cells. 

And because your dad was so great for remembering, we actually caught part of our visit on his Iphone (from a distance unfortunately).. the screen was high above our heads and he didn't want to waste any time trying to figure out how to "zoom in" at the last minute.  Oh...and if you turn up the volume real high at the very beginning, you can actually hear your little heartbeat!!! It comes out again at the end too by the way.. I asked the sonographer to play it again before she shut down.  :)  :) 

You totally made our day...  Can't wait to meet you!! 

Just a Tiny Speck of Life...

February 5, 2012 :) :) :) :)

It’s funny how much emotion can be conjured up from one little blue line on a stick.  It’s quite the “magic stick” though.. for in this "stick" lies our future.  A little window into what's going on inside my body at that very moment.  In less than one, single, solitary minute, our lives would change forever and our thoughts would instantly switch to you.  A speck.  Cells merging, converging.. creating life.  It’s hard to even begin to understand this miracle.  But in one instance… we knew you were there.  And in one instance, I knew you were meant to be mine.  I knew you were meant to be OURS.  

For the longest time I feared that I would never be able to have you.  Would my body cooperate?  Would we spend months trying?  Would you be ready for me, when I was ready for you?  So much time spent planning.. waiting for the right moment to bring you into this world.. Would God deem me worthy to even have you?? 

Your dad and I have loved you since before you were even created.  We've talked about you… thought about what you might become and even had a name picked out for you long before you were even a "speck" in my belly.  We can’t wait to hold you.  I have to admit though that even though I'm sooooooo incredibly excited to meet you... I’m nervous.  Will I be a good parent?  Will you come with a manual?!? ;)  I know there will be a lot of times where I'll second guess what I'm doing.. how I'm doing it and what I should do next.  But one thing will always be true.  I will love you all the days of my life.  WE will always love you.. Much more than I could ever begin to explain.  You were MEANT for us.  And we were meant for you. 

I can't wait to show you all the amazing things in this world.. All the beautiful places we will take you and all the adventures we will go on as one happy family.  BUT for now.. You and I have A LOT of work to do.  We BOTH have VERY important jobs to take care of..You keep growing, I'll keep protecting you in my growing belly and we'll see you in a few months!  :) 

Love,
Your Mom and Dad

And just to be sure you were REALLY, REALLY there.. we tested again, a week later.  ;) 

Oh and we also checked the EPT website OVER and OVER AND OVER again.. JUST to be SURE we were reading the stick right.. ;) 

Spring has SPRUNG :)

Spring has SPRUNG here in Dallas, Texas and I absolutely LOVE. IT.  Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming everywhere and once barren trees are starting to bud with gorgeousness.  After a VERY unusually mild winter (no complaints here by the way.. I HATE being cold..or HOT for that matter ;)  we are welcoming spring with WIDE open arms.  My fear is that this mild winter will only lead us into another blisteringly HOT summer.. YUCK!  Fingers crossed that this Spring lasts a LOOOOONGGGG time.  ;) 

Not sure what this tree is outside our window but it's GLORIOUS!!  :) 

The new, very eco-friendly water tower up in Addison.  :)

Sunset from our back patio.. :) 

Santiago Calatrava's Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge - Grand Opening Festivities

On a BEAUTIFUL Saturday morning a few weeks ago.. (I know, BAD, BAD BLOGGER for waiting so long to post!!) Chad and I took advantage of the gorgeous, over-cast but still glorious day to celebrate the grand opening of the new Calatrava Bridge near downtown Dallas.  Among hundreds.. dare I say... THOUSANDS??... of Dallas locals, we trekked our way over the bridge (which was lined with carnival type attractions, foodie trucks selling their goods and a band set up to entertain the crowd).  It was more than a bit chaotic at times.. when the hoards of people trying to pass through a two lane sized street decided to just STOP to hear the band.  Claustrophobia nearly setting in, we finally made it through unscathed. Whew!! (I was literally TWO SECONDS away from throwing some elbows just to get through..!!)   :) 

It was a great day none-the-less and we couldn't be more proud to have our very own Calatrava bridge gracing our city's skyline.  :) 

Part of the festivities included a "Parade of Giants".. honoring local Dallas legends.. :)

Bonnie Parker

(Bonnie of "Bonnie and Clyde")

Chef Chad Kelley STILL a hit at the Meddlesome Moth

He may no longer be present daily at the Meddlesome Moth, but Chef Chad Kelley's yummy creations still live fondly in the hearts of Dallas locals, as the Moth gets voted as one of the Best Brunch Spots in Dallas.  :)  His brunch specials, unchanged since his departure, are still getting rave reviews! :)

D Magazine.com - 2012 March - The Best Brunch Spots in Dallas

My Sweet Valentine :)

Throughout the entire time that Chad and I have been together… I can probably count on ONE hand, the number of times we’ve spent a holiday together.. on the ACTUAL HOLI-DAY itself. Especially Valentine’s Day. The day when the normally frugal decide it’s time to splurge… the day when most restaurants are to capacity and my chef is working like mad to make every celebrating couple’s dining experience special. This year.. having my husband all to myself… on this once-in-a-blue-moon-probably-never-EVER-going-to-happen-again occasion… I’m sure one would’ve expected a fancy dinner at a five star, Chef Chad Kelley rated, fine dining establishment. ;) Right?? Hehehe..

How’s sausage & banana peppers, thin crust, extra crispy Domino’s Pizza, with a side of cheesy breadsticks while we picnic on the living room floor for extra ooey, gooey romance?? ;) BEST. NIGHT. EVER. Oh.. and there was a movie too ;) and a card that made me cry, big fat ugly faced tears… and two of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts that I’ve ever received… (but.. more on that, later… ;) It took all of TWO SECONDS to decide that we would NOT be joining the masses by going out on this day.  Celebrating with my ALL-TIME favorite food, (recently been banned since starting our New Year's diet), was the best way I could think of to enjoy this quiet night at home.  ;)  I couldn't have been happier.  :) :) 

I love my husband. I think that’s been established on this blog before. He’s pretty damn great and I really can’t say that enough. Or mean it more, even if I say it a million more times. The greatest thing about him is that he’s NOT your typical macho male. He’s sweet and kind and romantical (yeah I probably just made up that last word.. I know;)… EVERY single day of the year. Not just on the day it’s expected. When every other man is buying last minute flowers and cards at the grocery store.. my sweet husband is bringing me mini babybel’s, peanut butter and nuts to work because I ran out of afternoon snacks. When every other man is picking out a cheesy, run of the mill, generic cards to just sign… my love has, in one sentence, captured my heart all over again (and produced those big, fat ugly faced tears). I don’t know what I did before him… but I do know that my life hasn’t ever been the same since.

There's so much to look forward to this year. Our lives are about to run on overdrive with so many fantastic things happening all around us.. I can't wait to see this year unfold. 

Lovey dovey enough for you?  ;)  Hope your Valentine's Day was as fabulous as mine was! 

Happy 4th Birthday Kenzie :)

Last Sunday (February 5th...for those keeping track ;) Chad and I took a mental break from all things restaurant to head up to Plano to partake in our niece Kenzie's, 4th birthday... which ALSO just so happened to be on Super Bowl Sunday!  No need for more excuses to get together and party.. Let the games begin!  :) 

On special request from the birthday girl herself... Uncle Chad spent the morning perfecting the most Pinkalicious "cupcake cake" anyone has ever seen :) 

Strawberry cake with strawberry frosting.. topped with strawberry malted whoppers and a cake ball to act as the cherry on top :) He even tinted some cream cheese frosting to make the loop-di-loops...All. By. Himself.  What a man!  :) 

Surprising the little one.. :)  Who actually isn't so little anymore!

Ready to Eat

Playing dress up with her friend Hayley :)