Monday, September 30, 2013

Weekend Recap.

Man, these posts are all I seem to write about lately. Life has kept me so busy!

Friday was such a nice day. I got a call from my mom at work telling me she would be cooking for us and to stop by to pick up dinner at her house. Hell yeah! We ate her delicious food and didn't have to go through the tedious and routine "Where do we go? I don't know. What do you want? Whatever you want?" Ugh! Jack and I do this every.single.time. Maybe because we aren't picky at all and can eat anything (I guess this explains my weight gain). My mom's food was sooo good. My best friend then came over to see Elliot (that's what happens when you have kids, you become secondary to your friends and family ha!) and we had a beer and talked, while she played with Elliot. Of course.

Saturday morning we had to be ready early to go get our inspection stickers because they were about to expire. I work on the military post and you can't get in unless you are current on registration and inspection. Hmm, maybe I should have let it expire so I could stay home :) So to the West side of town we headed and while Jack's car was also getting an oil change, we headed out for lunch. Jack wanted Middle Eastern food and so we went to the restaurant that my dad used to own. It was the weirdest, saddest, I-don't-know-how-to-explain-it feeling it the whole world. Kind of depressing actually. I had not set foot in it since my dad had sold it and didn't think I would ever, but since I had no idea who the owners were (if I had known them I wouldn't have been there) I gave it a shot. The food was okay although a lot changed. I can honestly say that my dad was the best cook the restaurant ever had.

The place itself, decorations, ambiance, etc, changed so much. Nothing looked the same (except for the music playing and I told Jack I should have taken those CD's since they were mine). Hearing the music brought familiarity back to me, and I just couldn't shake off the fact that I had painted that wall, I had stained those tables, I had hung that painting (or helped at least), I stood right there waiting for the food to come out, I cleaned those floors. It was also remodeled (which they did a horrible job at). You get the feeling. We worked so hard for a dream that quickly vanished when my dad gave up on everything. You can read what I'm talking about here.

Anyway, I went because Jack was craving it, but I think that will be the last time we go there. The food was definitely not the same anymore. After that, Jack saw that I was sad and kept asking me if I was okay. He said he would take me shopping after to cheer me up. It worked, ha, nothing a little retail therapy can't cure. I was happy that we took care of his craving too! We stopped by Bath and Body Works. Their candles? A-mazing! They have the best scents of all time for Fall! I am not a big fan of sweet or food/dessert smelling candles, I'm more of a fresh, fruity scents and I found this pumpkin apple one that is the perfect combination! Not too sweet but you still get that feeling of the holidays. They are also on sale right now!



I also did some more Fall decorating and bought some goodies for some DYI'ing I have in mind for Halloween! Jack helped me with some of it and we will start the actual decorating next weekend! I can't wait! Seriously, Pinterest has the best ideas and by tweaking them and adding your own ideas and touches you can make really awesome things. Check out some of my inspiration ideas here.





Sunday was the best day out of the week! We relaxed, did grocery shopping, front yard cleaning (well Jack did), cooking, cleaning and laundry but for some reason the day lasted for ages! It was the best. Spending all that time with Elliot and Jack just makes me the happiest and I already can't wait for next weekend.



In other news, Button has two teeth! Jack and I get a kick out of him because we see them every time he smiles or laughs. So cute! He's growing way too fast for us.



Hope you all had a great weekend! Happy Monday!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Life Happenings.

I didn't realize it's been almost a week since my last post. A lot has been going on lately!

A sick baby is all it takes to throw your whole week off which is exactly what happened to us. Two doctor's visits in one week, nebulizer treatments and sleepless nights. You can just imagine.

We did some more Fall shopping and got some really cool mini pumpkins on the weekend. I mean, ring holder right there, seriously. I cannot wait to get my hands on more!


We celebrated Elliot's eight months and he even got to sit in the cart for the first time! I think I took about a million pics of this moment. My big boy.

  This face kills me!!

On Tuesday it was our three year wedding anniversary. I couldn't be happier with this man, I love him more than words. Marriage is tough as shit but so worth it when you truly love the person you're with and you beat obstacles that life puts in front of you. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. I'm so grateful for this man! This was the toughest, most challenging and rewarding year all in one. We bought a house and had a baby both within days of each other literally while both of us were working full time, whew, need I say more?




I made him this cool little variety IPA pack (IPA is Jack's fave beer) and with the inspiration from an awesome girl, Jessica Garvin, I was able to pull this off. Jack loved it and we can definitely drink this beer together or I can on my own :). Dark chocolate, like really dark to the point of bitterness, is Jack's favorite as well so I threw that in there along with Altoids. He can't live without his mints. I got the four pack holder (I think it's actually a wine holder), beer and both mint packs at World Market and put it together the day before and hid it muahaha. I took it out the next day and placed it on the table with a card for him to find when he got home. He was totally surprised and said he had forgotten and hadn't had time to get me anything then went upstairs and magically appeared with a card and beautiful roses. Love this guy.





I wish I could say that I can smell Fall in the air since it was officially the first day on Sunday, but I can't! Today it will be about 90 degrees. Really? When will real Fall begin (still waiting on boot weather)! This little one is certainly ready for Halloween. Can't blame him.

Who dressed this kid??

Happy Thursday! 

Eight Months.

So on Friday our little button turned eight months old. When Jack is holding him, I look at him and think wow he's getting so big and get completely depressed. But, this is getting to be more and more fun now that he does so many more things that I can't wait to see what's in store.




Weight: 18.3 lbs


Clothing size: 9-12 

Diaper size: 3 still!
Feeding: Still the same although your portions are getting bigger! 

Milestones: The other day you were on your legs in a crawling position and all of a sudden you sat back up. We were impressed! Your two bottom teeth are right there and you look so cute. You also started saying dadadada which to us, is just dada :) You say nananana and we are pretty sure that it will turn into mama and I can't wait! You learned to clap and it is the sweetest thing, you let out a sort of sigh, smile, laugh when you do it, I don't know how to explain it but it warms my heart.

Loves: Well you love your chicken and veggies! I've been puréeing your veggies but I take the chicken out and cut it as small as I can and mix it with your veggies. You're loving it! You love when we hide from you and surprise you although my brother did this to you the other day and you got scared and started crying. You lasted a second and went back to playing with him. You also sleep on your belly and I know it's not the safest but even if I flip you you go back to it so I just left that one alone. You can munch on carrots and celery all day, I give them to you for your teething and you love them. 



Dislikes: Diaper changes. You flip and get on your belly and you arch your back, it's crazy. You don't like being on your back for too long before wanting to get into everything.


Adventures: You had your first virus called Bronchiolitis. Not fun. You were coughing and coughing so I took you to the doctor where she immediately diagnosed you upon listening to your little lungs. You're on nebulizer treatments and I took you back to the doctor yesterday and she said you're doing so much better! She still said you have to do the treatments but you should be all better by Monday. It hasn't been fun waking up at four in the morning but whatever we need to do to make you healthy we will do!


Mommy and Daddy could not get through the month without: Each other. We have a relay race with you so that we can get things done around the house! You can't stay still and you hate not being entertained.

Happy Eight Months Button!


Note to mamas- Trust your gut. I noticed Elliot was coughing on Sunday evening and immediately knew this wasn't a normal I-have-a-cold cough. It was a rougher, coarser sounding cough
 and I second guessed myself for a bit thinking I could just give him some home remedies to help him get over it but ultimately trusted myself and I took him to the doc right away the next day. Turns out it was a virus and he had to get treatment for it or it could have gotten worse. When you know something isn't right with your baby, trust your instinct! You will probably and most likely be right about it. :)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Boys Will Be Boys.

This is a "Boys Behind The Blog" link-up from Wifessionals done every third Thursday of the month with different questions and I thought it would be fun to ask Jack.

Here are some questions I asked him and his responses. My thoughts included.

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
A tiger...raaaaarrrrrr! (Scratching with paw) Just kidding I would be a hawk.

Me: Uhmmm. Ok.

2. What is your favorite meal?
Steak, shrimp and veggies.

Fancy.

3. Do you use any forms of Social Media? What is your favorite?
I don't.

He really doesn't. He's still on his Blackberry, but might take the plunge and get an actual phone soon IG and all. :)

4. Beer, wine, liquor, other, or none of the above?
Beer! All the way!

Yes, he's actually this excited about beer, as am I.


5. Complete the sentence: "Never have I ever..."
Sang karaoke.

So true! Great idea!



Thank you for being a good sport babe!

Yay for almost Friday!

Join in!


Never The Same Spice Twice

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fall Boy Style.

As I've mentioned twenty thousand million times before. I am so excited for Fall! With that said (again), I am triple excited about baby boy clothes! I've been browsing around and found some pretty cute stuff that is, again, affordable and stylish. I can't wait to put Button in some of these picks!

 
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 67 | 8

These are honestly not even half of all the stuff I'm loving right now, but for now they will do. I love pairing subtle, neutral tones with a pop of color, this way I can make the most out of his clothes without having to buy everything to match. I'm loving that fox hat and who doesn't need a pair of Freshly Picked moccs?! There's nothing like snuggling up with your warm, cozy baby. And with this Texas weather, these are perfect to handle the small amount of cold we get although it looks like this one will be a cold one! (I'm already thinking scarves and boots!)

To make your day even better, Old Navy is having a 20% off sale, just type ONTREAT and Baby Gap is having 25% off on their clearance AND regular priced items, GAPNEW for regular and GAPEXTRA for stuff on sale. Go!!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Weekend Fun-ness.

Naturally, with Fall weather and Fall almost here, the weekend began with a little bit of decorating. Now that we have our very own home, I told Jack there will be an explosion of decorations for every season there is. Tastefully done of course ;)

I couldn't have been more excited to see all the things that stores are coming out with for this season and I couldn't wait to snag a few of them. If you follow me on IG (@shadiabrown) I posted a pic of how I started. I've added a couple more things to it but wanted to keep it simple and somewhat neutral to be able to transition this into Halloween and eventually Christmas.





You know I had to add a button in there somehow. :)



I purchased most of this stuff at Hobby Lobby and Marshalls and used items I already owned as well. I made the banner with tags and twine I got at Hobby Lobby and wrote the letters with a white marker. I also added some dead branches from one of our trees to the white pitcher vase in the dining room. I still need to add a few more things but I'm sure a trip to Target will solve this.

Saturday was a shopping and relaxing day and we really didn't do much since we had to wake up bright and early on Sunday to go to The Color Run. It's a 5k untimed race that is done just for fun while getting showered with colored powder at different stations. It is so much fun. The only downside was that it started right at the time Elliot takes his first nap and he was not a happy camper since there was a guy with a microphone cheering the enormous crowd and there was a lot of noise. He just wasn't having it. Once we were able to move past the start line he fell asleep and was so good during the entire thing. He was happy, looking at everything although we did have to cover him good at every color station but he still got his white onesie along with his toes and hands full of color. He looked so cute. This is the first year I've done this (thanks to Jack's company for paying for it!) and I'm sold. Definitely doing this from now on.

I do have to say that I need to invest in a better stroller, one made for actual walks or for running (hint hint Jack)



I was a little bit bummed because we had to wear Jack's company's shirts and not the actual shirts they gave us for this but I got over it. I can wear it to the gym around the house ;)



It was hotter than a mother that day (after such beautiful weather we had been having) and Elliot ended up with no socks, no head band and ultimately in diapers for the ride home. We still stopped by to get groceries and I was more than exhausted. 5k is no joke. Who am I kidding, we walked most of the way but ran through the color stations to avoid so much color on us but ended up really dirty and not planning ahead. We didn't bring towels for the aftermath (as most people did) so we sat on Elliot's swaddles, changed our shirts and took showers as soon as we got home. After scrubbing for about ten million hours, we were finally clean and relaxed the rest of the day. We even got to watch a movie and have a beer to close the weekend.


Oh and I almost forgot to say that Button can now text ;) Send him your number for a cute duck face selfie! 


Have a great week!



Thursday, September 12, 2013

Good Read-ance.

It's been raining all day long for the past three days here in Texas. How crazy is that? This is a very rare occurrence and I feel like we need to make the most of it! It is so nice. Although being stuck in an office all day isn't a good way of enjoying it, I am sipping on some green tea while going through emails and starting my work.

This rain and my tea make me think of being at home in bed reading a really good book with the curtains drawn and the blinds open looking outside listening to the rain with a baby playing by your side. Can you picture that? I know I can.

With Fall almost here, I'm already looking forward to good books to read in bed, although I already do that, but it just seems so much better when it's cold out. Good read-ance to this hot weather! I hope we finally start heading into cooler days because I am over the sun beating down on us.

Jack and I (before I had Elliot) would always and I mean always go to bed and read for a little bit. He's also an avid reader but he is more into the mystery/horror/suspense kind of genre. He's a huge fan of Stephen King and I like him as well, but I would just rather watch the movies (ha!). I did read Dolores Clairborne (a suggestion he made) and I absolutely loved it. It's a great book that I didn't include in this mix but definitely a good one to pick up. I'm more of the good, real life plot, girly, makes you laugh and cry kind of books and all these are great authors in that genre.

I am always on the lookout for a good book and what I've found (as a graphic designer) is that most of the time, if a book has a good cover then it's more than likely a good read, it attracts me to it and you know they spent time planning for it. If they invested in that then it means it must be good right? I usually skim through the summary on the flap and it has to catch my attention right away. If it doesn't, I put it back and move on. My favorite ones are always the ones that seems to have a good, original plot. If they're too cliché, or too predictable then I definitely put it back. I also buy two or three at a time because sometimes I start reading a book and decide it would be better for another time and grab the next one to read. I don't know what it is, but I guess it depends on my reading mood.


If there is a book that I really enjoy, I try to stick to that author to read a couple more of theirs. Kristin Hannah is a great author. Her books are so easy to read and her content is deep. Emily Giffin is one of my favorites. I've read all of her books and her next one is in the works, I can't wait. There's a movie out for Something Borrowed and I haven't watched it! Because you know what they say, the book is always better than the movie (Harry Potter may be an exception since the movies are awesome). If you've never read one of hers go buy one right now! Or as I do, go to Barnes & Noble and head straight to the clearance section. I've found most of my favorite ones there (though I did order all her books online) or head to Amazon and you should be able to find a good deal on them. I'm currently reading The Island by Elin Hilderbrand and I'm liking it so far. I guarantee you all of these are page-turners. I have a lot more suggestions but I'll write a post on those later and for now, I'll leave you with these as some of my favorites. Some of these I guarantee will have you wanting to read the entire thing in one sitting. Now go get yourself some beer tea and start reading!


Happy almost Friday!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Our Weekend in Pictures.

Ugh, Monday. I hate you. It doesn't fail. I get the crazy blues every.single.Monday. Is this normal? I feel empty on Mondays.

You know that scene in SATC when Miranda quits her job because her boss is a jerk to her and she finally makes Brady's science fair and she says something like, "I made it, I never make it." Well, I don't want to be like that! I want to be able to make all of my son's activities so that is something I always think about. I've also just been wanting to be with Jack and Elliot as much as possible. I think that instead of Elliot dealing with separation anxiety I am the one going through it. Weird. I'm not being clingy, or needy I just love my family so much and I love spending time with them.

I also think it's a combination of missing Jack and Elliot and hearing and seeing so much bullshit and hypocrisy from people. Do you ever get that? You're almost at that breaking point but you decide you will be the bigger and better person and you hold on to that for dear life? I'm almost there. But I won't let it get to me. I won't.

I can't complain about the weekend though. College football season finally started for us and Elliot got to go to his first game with us. They are always so much fun and this year we get to enjoy them as a family. Besides, we get to go back to our old college stomping grounds and Jack and I always talk about how we met and how things were back then and how far we have come. We loved it there and still do.

Elliot did great, but after a while the later it got and as the crowd got louder he just wasn't having it. He cried every time we screamed poor thing. We ended up having to leave at the end of the third quarter but it was so much fun nonetheless.

 I know his looks are deceiving but I swear he had fun! (Ha!)

Our football field is in the middle of the mountains and the weather and view are perfect! I love being there. It's so pretty and peaceful despite the awesome, loud crowd. The sky was overcast and it rained for a couple of minutes before we even got there but it cooled us down. There was a fan of the opposing team among our team fans and if his team made a good play he would get up and start cheering and asking for high fives and we all just stared at him. It was hilarious.




My entire world.

Then of course some mama and baby fun the next morning. His first bottom tooth is finally coming in and he is getting whatever he can in his mouth to help the itching. He hasn't been complaining, yet. We can't wait to see his smile with his little tooth!


I found this beer while grocery shopping and with Fall here I couldn't pass it up! It's delicious! This will definitely be my go-to beer for the season.


This little one is almost officially crawling now. We have been practicing with him as much as we can. I say officially because he slithers and gets to where he needs to that way, but he's already getting on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth. So damn cute!


Happy-not-so-happy Monday! Go Miners!


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Weekend Recap.

So, it happened again...I cried on my way to work after leaving Button at daycare. How many times will this happen before it stops? Never? And he's only seven and a half months old. I'm in for it.

Wasn't this the most amazing weekend of weekends? It was. Until yesterday. We went out to eat with the family and we put Elliot with his car seat in a high chair, you know how you flip it over and it's wide enough to put the seat in there? But then the bottom is now narrow making it so unbalanced? This is something we NEVER EVER do. It just seems so dangerous. We always use a chair and put it against the table so that the car seat doesn't move at all. Well for some reason, against our better judgement, we just did it. We thought Elliot would be okay. I got up for only a second and that's all it took for me to hear a loud crash and Jack screaming "oh shit!" and find Elliot under the table face down. The Best Mama Award goes to...not me. Everyone was staring! I felt terrible!

Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought and after only crying for about 30.2 seconds he calmed down and only had a little bruise above his eyebrow. Not that this makes it okay but it's certainly much better than him splitting his head open. Never again, lesson learned. Whew, what a freaking scare. None of us could even finish our dinner. After that when we got home it took lots of kisses and snuggles with a full checkup from my mom and he was back to his normal little self. My poor little Monkey.

Okay, besides that, the weekend was great. It was so relaxing. Knowing that we wouldn't have to go to work on Monday was the best feeling.

We started Saturday night with beer and crossword puzzles. You know how I told you I recently discovered that Jack shares my obsession? Yup, call us nerds. They're just so much fun to figure out. Every time we complete one, we date it and write our names on it. So dramatic.



Saturday we started late and it felt damn good. No rushing out of the house early, no pressure getting ready, no projects to start or finish, we just let time make the calls. A quick trip to Target also happened ;)

Sunday we had a little cookout for ourselves. Burgers, brats and homemade guacamole. We completely stuffed ourselves. There's nothing like the sun coming in through your window, your hubby on the grill, and you preparing everything else with a beer in hand, a happy baby in his high chair, and some good food cooking waiting to be demolished. I love days like these.


With these in hand :)


And this baby boy was there too. Because playing requires so much concentration.


Then Monday rolled around and we got that feeling of, oh-shit-we-gotta-get-ready-for-work-and-daycare and it just sucks. You know what I'm talking about?  Our only consolation was that at least it would be a four day week and we will get to the weekend soon again. Till then, we work.

Yup, I know the feeling Button.

Also, I ended up ordering this crib in this espresso color in case you were wondering :) Finally Elliot will have an actual little bed to sleep in.


Hope your Labor Day weekend was great!




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