It's a . . .

G I R L!!!

I subtly mentioned this in the previous post, but wanted to officially announce the big news.

To say I'm excited would be a huge understatement.

Erik is also very excited :)

I just love all things girl and I am going to have to practice some serious self-control. Planning for Baby Girl's nursery is underway and so far I am inspired by the following. The turquoise/bright pink combo is really speaking to me. You may see a lot of blue in these pictures, but trust me this girl will have plenty of pink.

Oh my goodness, what fun this is going to be! Let's just hope Erik doesn't see this post. I think he's worried about me going a little overboard. I don't know why :)

Mother's Day

I had the most fabulous Mother's Day this year for the following reasons:
1 - I have such a wonderful mother and grandmother and I was able to celebrate with both of them
2 - I was spoiled by my cute husband
3 - Best of all, I now hold the wonderful title of MOTHER

Four generations (counting baby Ingy)

My sweet mom and Grandma Shumway. They are both such incredible examples to me and have such a wonderful mother/daughter relationship. I feel so luck to also have an amazing relationship with my mother. It makes me excited to create this special bond with my own daughter :)

These pictures were taken at afternoon tea that was held to celebrate Mother's Day where my grandma lives. We had raspberry tea, cucumber sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries and cheese & crackers. I felt like just like Fancy Nancy!

Earlier in the week Erik told me to keep Saturday night open because we had a date. I just love surprises and he had a bunch in store for me - what a sweetheart. The first surprise being these beauties:

Then he took me to dinner at Ruth's Diner. This is one of our favorite spots and the weather was perfect to sit out on their patio. It was just delightful.

After dinner he surprised me with a cute headband and some new sunglasses. I couldn't believe it. He really went above and beyond. We finished up the night with a movie. It was perfect. The pressure is on for Father's Day! 

Thank you Erik, for making me feel so special on my first Mother's Day!!! I love you!

Vegas

My next weekend getaway in April was to Vegas for a little girls trip with my dad's side of the family. We don't get to see all of my cousins very often so it was lots of fun to catch up. I was one of three pregnant gals, so we had a lot to talk about. My favorite part was spending time with my mom and sister. We always have a great time together. 

We had lots of delicious food, did LOTS of shopping, went to a movie, played games and went to the Beatles Love show. All of which were so much fun and just what we needed! Thanks for all the fun memories ladies - and we missed everyone who couldn't be there!

Texas

April was the month of weekend getaways and it was AWESOME! I finally made it down to Houston for the weekend to visit my dear friend Natalie and her cute family. They were such great hosts and it was so fun to see their beautiful home and have my first Texas experience. 

One night they were nice enough to get a babysitter so Natalie, Jackson and I could go downtown for some dinner and shopping. It's so fun to stay in someone's home when you're friends with their husband too. We had a blast and Jackson was kind enough to be our photographer.

Hello HOT MOMMY! I hope I'm this hot when I become a mother in a few months. Nat is so stylish and as you can see, has such a cute family. These two cute girls were both sick while I was there but were still troopers and took me around to all the great sites. I miss them so much!

I thought this duck had some awesome hair on top of his head. Hope it isn't the result of some awful accident. Either way - he was the coolest duck at the pond by far.

On Saturday Natalie and I decided to check out the butterfly conservatory at the Museum of Natural History. It was awesome and there was also an orchid display going on. I know I totally sound like a nerd, but I was in heaven. So this might bore you, but I'm kind of in love with flowers and these were BEAUTIFUL. The butterflies were amazing too, except that when we walked in, we were hit by a wave of hot, sticky humidity. As I was dramatically telling Natalie that I couldn't breath she said she was happy I could experience what true Texas weather feels like (they had abnormally comfortable weather while I was there). So, I now have complete appreciation for what they deal with during the hot summer months. I don't know how they do it! 

This place was awesome. I felt like I was on the movie Bio-Dome. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out (if you are a Pauly Shore fan that is).

The temperature was much more comfortable at the bottom of the conservatory. 

 And seriously folks, how were we supposed to walk by this perfect photo opportunity and not take advantage? It was just like we were 12 years old again :)

THANK YOU Natalie and fam for such a fun weekend! I loved every minute and can't wait to see you again soon. Although I loved Texas, it is still too far. I need Natalie time much more often. I wish I could make a monthly visit at least :) You just don't find friends like Natalie every day!