a few pictures from florida

we went on vacation to Marco Island, FL.

it was a great trip and we got to spend some much needed time away from our crazy schedules.

here are a few pictures we took along the way.

baby's first time on a plane, it counts right?

 

saltwater sandals, my favorite!

banana slurpee!

felt right at home with this "sand snowman"

it may have started out a little rough..

 we may have forgotten our luggage. . and we may have lost nick's wallet.

but we have the best family in the world and it all worked out! here is to hoping my tan last more than a week :)

it's the most wonderful time of the year

i finally have hit the halfway point.

i am getting so excited to meet this little man.

i am promising myself not to wish away this pregnancy, but to enjoy it.

my bump slowly but surely seems to keep growing. which means baby is growing and that is just the most wonderful feeling in the world.

another wonderful thing has been feeling baby move. all around and doing back flips and getting the hiccups and those 2 am jabs to wake me up just to say hi.

halfway there to meeting our baby.
going on vacation.
christmas.
doctor appointment and getting to see baby & hear his heartbeat.
seeing family.
the new year.

it is the most wonderful time of the year!

puppy & santa

^me and my human

^ me and santa

hi everyone! it's me mac!

the other day mom took me to see santa. there were lots of my friends there too, other puppies, cats, and even a rabbit.

i had a hard time at first keeping to myself but i could tell mama was sweating and getting quite anxious at my behavior because she kept pulling my leash to stand closer to her and giving me treats.

i had to wait a long time to meet santa, and once it was my turn he kind of scared me! he smelt different.

when he was looking away i snuck a few licks of his starbucks smoothie that was in his cup holder. that was a tasty treat while i waited for the photographer to get the perfect shot of me and the big man.

i told him all the things i want for christmas this year! like a new bone, dirty socks to chew on, a brother to play with, and rolls and rolls of toilet paper.

i think i have been a pretty good boy this year, i mean i am not even 1 years old yet, what do humans expect!?

merry christmas to you all!

woof,
mac

happy tuesday

i guess one good thing about having a dog is you never have to eat a meal alone. . .

^^ how can you say no to that face?!

i don't know if it's my hormones or what, but i have been such a push over when it comes to Mac lately. he has been a handful, he turns 1 in just two weeks and he has been so naughty, but i can't help but give in to that sweet face.

in other news the salad pictured above is amazing. . . arugula, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, couscous, salami, feta cheese, with a olive oil/lemon juice dressing- yum! it is about the only healthy thing i have been craving, so i went and bought all the ingredients last week and finally made it.

 ^ started a stickygram collection. I ordered these on black friday, it is a company that turns your instagram photos into little magnets! they showed up in the mail today and it truly made my day :)


i need to start packing for our trip next week ( we are going to Florida) but i just can't bring myself to do it. . . i don't know if its partially because i may not have any warm weather clothing that will fit me or i'm just being lazy. but here goes nothing, going to go pull my swimsuits out of storage.

happy tuesday.

the weekend

this weekend marked the end of my 18th week of preganancy. i just can't believe i'm just about halfway through.

i decided to wear professional clothes to a class i was attending for work. . . this is a rare occasion for me, as a bedside nurse i pretty much just change from scrubs to my pj's and back again.

^^ ignore my dirty mirror please.

^ wedding selfies. congratulations mr & mrs ross! we had so much fun celebrating with you guys!

^^ sunday was painting day. i didn't feel like much help as the fumes got a little strong so i was pretty much on mac sitting duty (which i failed at because he ended up with paint on his nose anyways)

and if you know me. . . it is no surprise we decided to paint the nursery white.


thanks to my mother-in-law for helping us! i can't wait to start decorating it piece by piece.

between squeezing in to professional clothes, celebrating weddings, and painting a nursery & dresser it was a pretty uneventful weekend in our neck of the woods.

have a good week everyone!

it's a. . . .

^^ mac's face after i told him he is getting a BABY BROTHER!

it's a boy and we couldn't be more excited :)

mac & the vet.

i do not feel like i am paranoid or over bearing when it comes to mac.

this puppy can not keep himself away from the vet.

mac was itching himself so hard he was breaking skin. everytime he barked he shook his head like he had water in it. he was chewing his paw pads so hard he made sores under them.

i called the vet and she said "yes of course bring him in, that sounds like it could be mites or ringworm or fleas or a tick infestation, could be he is allergic to his food etc" she listed off about 20 things she thought it could be.

so of course i am worried, i deep clean my house, wash all the rugs, pillows, comforters, throw blankets, put away all his cloth toys. ( i convinced myself through online research that it was mites) the internet can be your worst enemy.

well i bring him in. . . and they acted like i was some crazy dog mom who brought their puppy in for everything.

the diagnosis: dry skin & seasonal allergies. just give him some benadryl.

the vet kept making comments like "he must of missed me, he just can't seem to stay away from this place"

anways, so i now feel like the crazy lady who brings their dog in because he sneezed.

thank goodness mac is healthy & i can bring back out my blankets! (its December in MN, i mean come on i need my fur blankets on me at all times)

this week.

this past week was one of those that flew by, but seemed to drag on.

^^ this boy got a holiday haircut, don't tell him, but in a few days i am planning on taking him to see santa at the mall.

 ^^ nick caused this horrific accident. . . bleach on my favorite rug doesn't mix, so long beautiful kitchen rug, i've enjoyed the many hours spent standing on you washing dishes. :(

 ^^ i've been loving grapefruit in the mornings for breakfast, so fresh and tart! 

^^ was able to sneak in some morning prenatal yoga. i needed some serious relaxtion as i have been excited and extremely nervous about my upcoming anatomy ultrasound this week. (is it just me or do baby bumps look so awkward when you are sitting down?)

^^ thursday was my anatomy scan. being a rn in the nicu i always hear from parents that the 18-20 week ultrasound scan was when they first diagnosed a problem, so i was so nervous/excited to have this done.

thankfully baby is very healthy and growing right on pace. baby even stuck out its tongue and was smiling for us. it truly is amazing having this miracle going on inside me. i can't even wrap my head around it sometimes.

(and yes we found out the gender! We have shared with family and a few close friends, but stay tuned if you are wondering if baby is a girl or boy!)

Off to spend the weekend painting the nursery, attending a good friends wedding, and hopefully getting some quality time at home with my sweet tiny family of 3, soon to be 4.

Holiday Gift Guide for Him.

when coming up with these gift ideas i thought about what nick loves to get for gifts. he would probably love it if  i gave him a bottle of laundry detergent so he is pretty easy to shop for.

i hope this list gives you some inspiration for those of you shopping for a man in your life.

1. what's better then a comfy pair of pj's, i like these from H&M. they are cotton lightweight and preshrunk, having a 6' 6" husband has taught me good laundry skills (sorry nick for shrinking all your clothes that first year of marriage).

2. Pascot Waterproof Boots not sure if most men like shoveling/removing snow, but Nick loves it! (and i'm not complaining) these boots are the whole package- practical & cute!

3. let's face it, men love gadgets, this would make a great gift- leatherman pocket utility knife

4. the lexington shaving kit in lemon is something i've had my eye on, it smells amazing and the art of shaving company has some amazing products! although i don't mind a scruffy beard every once in awhile ;)

5. eat like a man - this cookbook would be man's dream come true!

6. nick requested this Ralph Lauren Polo Black cologne. i personally love it and i am pretty sensitive when it comes to scents.

7. this bow tie.