Second Sunday Brunch Bunch: CBD Provisions

For this month's installment of the Second Sunday Brunch Bunch, we met up at CBD Provisions. CBD is the new restaurant at the Joule Hotel in downtown Dallas and is described as a "modern Texas brasserie" with a "commitment to local and sustainable sourcing."

Everything was incredible, from start to finish. 

The non-pregnant ladies at the table started with some fun cocktails, including the Breakfast Martini, French 75, and Bloody Mary. 

And a couple of these drinks were free because the martinis took a little longer than normal to make. That is what I call great service. 

Even though I couldn't partake in the adult beverages, I did have the best orange juice ever. I have no idea how they make it taste so magical. And I can only imagine how marvelous it would be to have a mimosa made with this juice. 

We also started with the 'Nduja Pimento Cheese. It wasn't quite what we were expecting (a bowl of pimento cheese with bread on the side), but it was really good! They spread the pimento cheese on sourdough, toast it, and then top it with vinaigrette-coated arugula. It was cut into four sections, which was perfect for our group. 

Laura ordered the Sourdough French Toast, which is served with Texas pecan "nutella" and bananas. It was delicious and HUGE!

Erin got the House Made Strozzapretti with wild mushrooms, soffritto, fresh cheese, and a soft farm egg. She absolutely loved it and ate every bite. 

Jill and I both ordered the Smoked Brisket Hash with roasted salsa, potatoes, fresh cheese, and baked eggs (which I had to order over-hard). It was so good, and the salsa is what really put it over the top for me. 

And we clearly had to get a side of the House Made Shells to share…which was a very good decision.

Do yourself a favor and get over to CBD Provisions very, very soon.

Ava's Football-Themed Second Birthday Party

Our baby girl turned TWO on February 3 (more on that to come), and we celebrated the Saturday before her birthday with a football-themed party. 

I loved the idea of a football theme not only because it was Superbowl weekend, but also because it goes against the stereotypical little girl birthday party theme. Plus, we live in Texas, where football is pretty much a religion and even girls (myself included) are enamored with the sport. 

The party turned out just as I had imagined...

{Invitation: Etsy. Birthday Banner: Etsy. Chalkboards: Made with foam board, chalkboard contact paper, and liquid chalk markers. Balloons and Gift Bags: Party City. Thank You Tags: Etsy. Foam Fingers, Pom Poms, and Gift Bag Goodies: Oriental Trading.}

We had a plethora of food on hand, including popcorn, fruit salad served in a football helmet watermelon (that was expertly carved by Josh), mini-hot dogs, dill dip with veggies, chips and queso,  Frito pies, and of course, Chick-fil-uggats. 

{Football Field Popcorn Containers: Oriental Trading. Football Bowls: Party City. Football Field Table Cloth: Amazon.}

There were plenty of desserts as well, including cupcakes, cookies, Bluebell ice cream cups (which I attempted to display in a football shape…not so sure how that turned out), Reece's peanut butter footballs, and Cookie Butter Pretzels. Do yourself a favor and make some of those pretzels…they are ridiculously good. 

{Concessions Sign and Football Helmet Cupcake Toppers: Etsy. Cupcakes, Cookies, and Chocolate-Covered Strawberries: Panini Bakery. Wooden Spoons: Amazon. Reese's Footballs: Amazon.}

In sticking to my adult-beverages-should-be-served-at-kid-birthday-parties rule, we also had some "Grown-up Gatorade" (rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, sprite, limes, and a little green food coloring). Just because I can't drink doesn't mean all the other adults should suffer. 

{Paper Straws: Amazon. Chalkboard Tags: Michael's}

As evidenced below, both the adult beverages and the Frito pies were a hit. 

We had a wonderful group of family and friends join the festivities (and yet I didn't manage to get pictures of many of the adults).

I love that the cousins showed up in their jerseys. The eye-black stickers were also a huge hit with all the kids.

Even Grampsie sported some eye-black upon Ava's request :).

Despite the chilly weather, we all spent a good bit of time outside. 

{Football Games: Oriental Trading. Ava's Jersey: Etsy.}

Then it was cupcake time! Ava wasn't quite sure what to think when everyone was singing, but she certainly loved blowing out the candle (with a little help from Mom). 

And she really loved the cupcake…

As well as all her gifts...

This baby doll bed from Grammie and Papa is extra special, because it was built by Ava's great-great-grandfather when Betsy was a little girl. So cool! And so perfect because Ava loves playing "night night" with all her dolls and stuffed animals. 

It was such a fun party, and Ava loved every minute of it!

Finally, one of my all-time favorite pictures. Cracks. Me. Up. 

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Baby Boy Shep - 18 Weeks

While I posted bump pictures along with some details during my pregnancy with Ava, I really wish I had included a little more information. So, I am going to post more detailed updates every few weeks of this pregnancy along with a lovely photo of the growing belly.

How far along are you? 18 weeks...almost half way!

How big is the baby? About the size of a bell pepper.

How much weight have you gained? Five pounds. Which is waaaay less than I had gained at this point with Ava (I can't remember the exact number, but I know it was a lot more).

How are you feeling/sleeping? Feeling pretty great most of the time…gotta love the second trimester. Sleep at night is normally good, albeit interrupted on a regular basis by bathroom trips. And my energy levels are good in general, despite the measly-to-zero daily caffeine intake, but I definitely take a nap when Ava does on the weekends. And those naps are amazing!

What was the best moment of this week? Feeling the baby move for the first time last week. It feels like popcorn popping at this stage for me, and it is wonderful...while slightly odd at the same time :).

What do you miss the most? Wine. Definitely wine. Also, Diet Coke and sleeping on my stomach.

Any movement? I felt the baby move for the first time at the end of my 17th week, but it is still pretty infrequent at this point.

Any food cravings? Unlike the sweets I craved while pregnant with Ava, I crave mainly salty/carby foods this time around. Or sweet/salty combos. In particular, pancakes/bagels with bacon.

Is your belly button in or out? Still in, but barely! Which is odd because it never popped out last time.

What are you looking forward to in the next few weeks? The 20-week sonogram, which is scheduled for February 13. I can't wait to see this little guy on the big screen and make sure he is completely healthy!

How is Ava handling the pregnancy/impending big sister status? We talk about "baby brother" a lot, but I'm not sure that Ava completely gets it yet. She also talks about the "baby sissa" in her belly, which is so cute. One of the hardest things for Ava is the fact that it is harder for me to lift/carry her around these days. But it is nearly impossible for me to resist her sweet "hold you" requests. A couple weeks ago, I couldn't bend over to pick up something while I was holding her and explained that it was because of the baby in my belly. So, Ava now uses the baby in her belly as an excuse for not being able to pick up things :). I can't fault her for the genius that is that excuse.

Finally, for a comparison, click here to view my 18-week post with Ava. 

Friday Night Photo Dump - November, December, and January

It's that time again…time to post all the random pictures from the last few months that have not yet made an appearance on the blog. 

These first two pictures were part of our Christmas card, but I love how they turned out so much (we won the photo shoot in a silent auction) that I wanted to post them all by themselves. 

I can't tell you how much I love this one of Ava and Josh. 

A few cute pictures sent by Ava's daycare teachers…

And speaking of daycare, when bringing Ava home one day, I heard her repeatedly saying "uh oh" in the backseat. She had gotten ahold of a tube of my lipstick and it was everywhere! 

Looking so pretty in Mama's "yipstick" :). 

Sliding is serious business. 

Helping Dada bring in the groceries. #childlabor

A mother-daughter selfie (and a mouthful of cheeseburger) at the Truck Yard. 

She really, really liked that cheeseburger. 

Ava wanted to "share" her baby brother's blanket. 

A girls' night out to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. 

I love how sweet and snuggly Ava is right after nap time. And the bedhead and rosy cheeks make it even better!

 But don't let those pictures fool you, she is quite the character most of the time. 

Frozen yogurt date. 

Ava loves taking photos on my phone. And I must say that these two she took of Josh are quite good!

She also loves laying on my pregnant belly. I title this picture: "baby on top of a baby on top of a baby." 

Ava went through a (thankfully brief) phase where we would find her completely naked in the morning. She was so proud of herself :). 

Fun at the park on an unseasonably warm winter day.

It was a mistake taking Ava with me to the party store while preparing for her birthday festivities. Luckily, we only walked out of the store with a couple of these items. 

"Cheese, mama!"

Finally, one my favorite videos of all time. Ava didn't realize that my phone was on video mode when she was trying to take a "cheese" of herself. She said "no, Mama" when I tried to change it :).