Easter 2014

We had a very low-key Easter this year, but fun nonetheless. 

The festivities technically started the weekend before Easter, when we took a potty-training break to dye eggs for the first time. 

I'm clearly an egg dying rookie (as an adult), because the end results were not very colorful. We will do better next year. 

Ava received plenty of gifts as well, including a book and stickers from Grammie and Papa...

And a basket of goodies from the Easter Bunny :). 

The Easter Bunny left plenty of eggs as well. 

Ava loved hunting for the eggs, especially because some actually contained candy this year. 

But she wanted to open each one as she went. 

Score!

Enjoying her loot. 

The bunny marshmallows were her favorite. 

As were all the items in her gift basket, including the bunny ears and little stuffed bunny that she carried around all day (pictured above), the bubbles...

And especially the Piggie Paint nail polish. She is such a girl!

We capped of the holiday with a family dinner, complete with a visit from Aunt Hannah. So fun!

Baby Boy Shep - 30 Weeks

How far along are you? 30 weeks (technically 31 weeks now).

How big is the baby? About the size of a large cabbage.

How much weight have you gained? 24.5 pounds. Not too shabby…but I still have nine weeks to go.

How are you feeling/sleeping? I am feeling veeery pregnant these days, and have definitely reached the uncomfortable stage. This baby is hanging out way lower than Ava was, so my hips are constantly bothering me (as opposed to the back pain I felt while pregnant with her). I also feel like it makes me waddle a lot more…which is always lovely. It has also become quite cumbersome to bend down and pick up stuff. Thus the random piece of popcorn that fell way under my desk that I had to leave for the cleaning crew...

What was the best moment of the past few weeks? I feel like we accomplished a lot in the last few weeks...Ava is settled in her new room, the new nursery is coming along nicely, and Ava is potty trained (more on that to come)! I feel much more prepared now.

What do you miss the most? Due to the lack of good sleep recently, I am really missing the ability to sleep on my stomach. And wine, of course :).

Any movement? Baby boy is moving all over the place these days! He is most active in the afternoon and does more summersaults than kicking. I have felt a few episodes of hiccups as well, but not the near-daily occurrences that Ava had.

Any food cravings? My latest craving is an Angel Food smoothie from Smoothie King. I may have to make that happen this week.

Is your belly button in or out? Still out. But thankfully, I don't have any new stretch marks (yet).

What are you looking forward to in the next few weeks? I'm looking forward to finishing the nursery as well as my maternity photo shoot tomorrow (despite the 90+ degree forecast).

How is Ava handling the pregnancy/impending big sister status? It is getting harder and harder to pick Ava up, which she is not a fan of. However, she has done great with moving into her "big girl room" as well as with potty training. I'm so proud of her! Ava also had a blast helping us put together baby brother's crib...

Finally, I didn't take a 30-week picture with Ava, but click here to view her 32-week post. 

School Pictures

I have loved all of Ava's school pictures to date, and this year's were no exception (despite how her teacher fixed her hair/bow)…

I mean…it doesn't get much cuter than that. 

Second Sunday Brunch Bunch: The Place at Perry's

We had to drive through a crazy storm in order to meet up for brunch last Sunday, but it didn't put a damper on our wonderful meal at The Place at Perry's.

The restaurant has a super cool interior and is filled with large, plush booths.

We were seated at one such booth, and my beautiful friends ordered Wine Glass Mimosas while I sipped on the not-quite-as-exciting-but-better-than-regular-water cucumber water. 

In addition to the cucumber water, they brought out free jalepeno-cheese biscuits for the table, which were an excellent way to start off the meal. 

Laura and Sarah both ordered the Bacon Belgium Waffles, which include bacon baked into the waffles as well as extra bacon on top. Because one can never have enough bacon. 

They both loved the waffles, but I think Jill and I out ordered them with the Chicken and Waffles. 

These were definitely some of the best I've ever had. Fantastic waffles, topped with crispy and perfectly seasoned fried chicken, and served with both syrup and gravy…just the way it should be. 

And because the above plate of food was clearly not enough, I ordered a side of Homestead Gristmill Corn Grits as well. I normally require cheese in my grits, but these were truly amazing despite the lack of cheese.  

The other ladies were more than happy to help me finish them off. 

Overall, I definitely recommend the restaurant for brunch. Everything on the menu looked delicious, but it would be hard for me to pass up the Chicken and Waffles. 

Friday Night Photo Dump: February & March 2014

The last two months according to my iPhone photos...

Ava thought Elmo should sport some eye-black (leftover from her birthday party) while watching the Superbowl. 

Even fairy princesses have to stop playing to eat dinner. 

A surprise snow day in February.

All ready for her first swimming lesson.

She absolutely loves going every Saturday!

I was pretty pleased with how the valentines for Ava's classmates and teachers turned out.

Patiently waiting on her burger to arrive. We are so happy they opened a new Chip's location down the street.

Ava's first French braids thanks to her teacher.

Having fun with her cousins during Jack's pirate birthday party.

Arrrrrgh!

New paintings for the living room courtesy of my Dad.

Ava's first trip to Babe's. 

Ava had to bring a photo of her pets to school, and surprisingly, Stella was way more cooperative than Louie.

Banana Bread Pancakes. So. Good. 

Our little fish patiently waiting her turn.

Post-swimming milk and cookies at Celebrity Bakery. 

And a post-swimming three-hour nap. Mama took one as well. 

Flower arranging in honor of spring finally arriving.

The newest toddler fashion…a dress made from Dad's boxers.

A fun dinner with friends, complete with a fancy margarita for Diana.

Not quite the same as (copious amounts of) green beer, but delicious nonetheless.

March's daycare theme was "Stamps in the Passport," and Ava loved dressing up at school.

I can't wait to be one of Lauren's bridesmaids!

A fun playdate at the Arboretum with a few high school friends and their adorable kids. 

It was nearly impossible to get a picture of all five kids together, and this series of photos cracks me up.

Thanks for the bubble blower, Aunt Bee!

Sweet toddler feet.

And finally, the sweetest rendition of "Happy Birthday" ever :)

Baby Boy Shep - 26 Weeks

How far along are you? 26 weeks (technically I am 27 weeks as of this posting).

How big is the baby? About the size of a scallion (length-wise).

How much weight have you gained? 18 pounds. Definitely picking up some speed at this point…but I'm still hoping to avoid the 50-pound mark again.

How are you feeling/sleeping? The hip pain was temporary, thank goodness, so I have been feeling pretty good for the most part. But definitely starting to feel third-trimester pregnant...large and slow. I am also super grateful for the new mattress we bought last year as I think it has helped out with my sleep tremendously!

What was the best moment of the past few weeks? Seeing this little face at the 25-week sonogram...

Doesn't he look nice and cozy in there? He was measuring more on track at this sonogram, so my due date was officially set for July 3. And the c-section will likely be set for the week before. Which means we will get to see this adorable mug in person in approximately 12 weeks. Eek!

What do you miss the most? Wine, of course. And cold, white wine sounds delicious despite the fact that I am usually more of a red wine fan. A cold turkey sandwich also sounds fabulous.

Any movement? His movement has really picked up in the last couple weeks, and Ava even felt him kick one day. She thought it was the coolest thing ever and has been trying to feel the kicks ever since. I learned at the 25-week sono that I have an anterior placenta this time around, which can mask the baby's movements for a while due to the extra padding in front. So, that explains why, despite being my second pregnancy, I didn't feel him much until recently.

Any food cravings? Despite not craving sweets as much this pregnancy, I was DYING to have a chocolate chip cookie from JD's Chippery last weekend. I made it there just as they were closing, but they took pity on the poor pregnant lady :). I foresee a return trip in the very near future.

Baked goods, particularly cheese danish and muffins, are also my pregnancy kryptonite at the moment. So much so that some slightly-brown bananas called out to be made into Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread at 9:00 pm last week…which I highly recommend.

Is your belly button in or out? Out and about.

What are you looking forward to in the next few weeks? After reading Ava's 26-week post a couple weeks ago, I realized that we were already putting the crib together by this point in my pregnancy with her. As a result, I developed an extreme sense of urgency (i.e., pregnancy-induced craziness) to get Baby Boy's room together and ordered all the big nursery items in one night. Most of it has been delivered, and I can't wait to start putting his room together over the next few weeks.

How is Ava handling the pregnancy/impending big sister status? She talks about "baby brother" all the time and even asked the other day when he will be out of my tummy. Even though Ava has no idea what she is really in for, I think she is really excited to meet him. She also continues to maintain that she has a baby sister in her stomach. And tonight she put my hand on her stomach and said "baby sissa kick"…hilarious!

Finally, for a comparison, click here to view my 26-week post with Ava.