Today

I am so thankful that today is a new day!  I woke up this morning and already heard the birds chirping in the back yard (even at 5:00!)!  I got ready, put on a dress, put on a good face of makeup, and decided that I am going to get out of my funk!  My hair is shinier, thanks to my new shampoo, and although it still sticks up I am thankful for some shine.  My complexion is already clearning up and my face stayed moisturized the whole day yesterday!  We got some things done around the house last night, had a great dinner, great family time, a lot of time outside, watered the new flowers, and a good nights rest!  I am so thankful for this new day! 

(And a few cute pictures to add to it!)

He has an obession with carrying/trying to carry around anything that is very heavy.  He gets so frustrated that he can not pick it up even when he is using all of his might!

Helping us plant flowers!

Wearing Daddy's shades!

26 Weeks In the Raw

All I have to say is that I am praying the next 13 weeks fly by!  I am tired of feeling like this--the feeling of ugliness!  Please do not get me wrong I really do like being pregnant and I have not been sick, not one time, with either one of my pregnancies-I love the movements, the jabs, the kicks, the complete turns, etc but this pregnancy has been so mentally and emotionally draining for me.  (This title says "In The Raw" for a reason)  First things first, it has changed my hair and skin drastically!  My hair constantly sticks up, it is dry, dull, and disgusting to be quite honest.  I am on my third type of shampoo since I got pregnant just to try to find something that will put and keep moisture in my hair.  As for the hairs that stick up- not even gel will stick those down.  I have tried blow drying my hair straight down, I have tried hair spray, and don't even get me started on trying to straighten my hair- it just makes them ALL stick up more!!!!  AND I got the most awful hair cut ever!  I have to say I like the length, shorter hair makes my hair look thicker and not thin and stringy but it is a straight up BOB!  My hair lady said she was going to do a bob style in the front and stack it in the back, well..... she must have forgot to stack it in the back because there is not a single solitary layer.... it's straight up BOB--hideous, ugly, bob.  Some people look cute with bobs, don't get me wrong, but me----not so much.  I am so not the type to call my hair lady back and tell her I want to change it so I guess I will wait patiently for it to grow. 

My skin, mainly my face, is completely dry and broken out.  Just to put it into perspective, I found skin peeling off my neck the other day.  I mean really?!?!?  I have been lathering on the thickest most vaseline consistent moisturizer that I could find but it still looks and feeling so disgusting!  So I resorted to the cleanser that dermatologist suggested to me back when I was in middle school for my acne and the moistruizer that they suggested for my little niece's eczema (it's some thick stuff!).   

Let's not get started on how I laid in bed the night before last worrying  about my weight. HAHA.  FOR NO REASON!  My weight gain has been so much slower and really is not an issue but I guess the reality of gaining weight back after losing 62.5 pounds is a hard thing to swallow.  I just have to keep reminding myself that I lost it the first time and I WILL lose it this time too!

I know this will all pass and I am sorry for being so negative but this post is "in the raw".  I know in 13 short weeks we will be welcoming our second miracle and I really can not be more thankful for that but this is how I am feeling now and it "ain't" pretty. haha. 

Food Truck Park and a Surprise Birthday Party

Let me start off by saying I do not like my birthday-I have no idea why- I do not care about getting older, that's not it... I just don't like it. I don't want people to dote over me or feel like they have to buy me a gift, etc. I know I am weird but I just assume spend it with my immediate family maybe out to eat or with just my hubby than to make a big to-do about it. I know I know call me weird!!! Anyways, my birthday was quickly approaching and we heard about this new place in Fort Worth called the "Fort Worth Food Truck Park" (you should google it if you have never heard of it!) so hubby and I decided that we wanted to try it. We really had not declared this my birthday dinner but I assumed this would be it since my birthday is on a Monday (today!). Long story short--hubby had a surprise waiting for me when we got there....our whole family was there!!!!!!! It was so neat and the food was delicious. Basically it is the small strip of land with a drive way on both sides where the trucks park and picnic tables in the middle. I have to say that my hubby did an amazing job putting this all together and we all had a great time--or atleast I did, haha.

My mom, sister, Madelyn, and me

Brax enjoying playing on the table with Aunt Pat

My sister and me

Our attempt at a family picture--not so much, haha

The Munch Box truck gave us free cheesecake

Papa and Madelyn

Self Family Portrait--Brax was not having it

The park

Aunt Pat and my mother-in-law, Laura

One table

Some people walked around the whole time so they did not get their pictures taken. 

Sunday Happenings

We had a busy day and boy am I feeling it! (these are all out of order because I am not good at using blogger on my phone! Sorry)

An Evening Outside

What better way to spend a beautiful evening than outside as a family! Just a swinging, mowing, and having fun! Such precious family time. Sad that I did not take a picture of Brax swinging but I got one of him "mowing" with daddy! He wasn't a big fan .....

25 weeks, 2 miles, and a Double Stroller

After being down in the dumps yesterday I decided that every day it is nice out I was going to start walking! It was nice today so I made myself walk--even after getting home late from tutoring kids after school!!!!  Little did I know that we would unexpectedly need to keep our niece... so she got here and I loaded her in our double stroller that our friend got us for Christmas and I was heading out.  Well, as we were walking out of the driveway Buddy got home with Brax and all Brax wanted to do was push the stroller, etc so I decided to brave it and load him in the stroller too.  I was very skeptical at first because the double stroller is a sit and stand and Brax is still pretty young for it plus he is a very active boy so I just had a feeling I would get around the corner and have to turn around or call Buddy to come get us.  Little did I know they would love it and we would make it the whole two miles!!!! Here we are as we returned home.... (notice Braxton trying to get out--he was DONE!)

Life Lately

• I am 25 weeks pregnant!!!!  Only 14 more if I make it to my delivery date (5/30)--I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope that he/she would come a little sooner (not too soon of course!)!  I still feel wonderful for the most part-a little heartburn/reflux, aching legs in the middle of the night (ok so this is pretty annoying), etc but it's not anything I can't handle!
• Braxton is wonderful!  This little boy brings so much joy to our lives!  He is a growing boy and the last time we took him to the dr he weighed almost 27 lbs!  We go back in March for his 15 month check up--he turns 15 months next week, kind of, haha..  He does not ever have a birthday in February because he was born on the 30th so sometime next week we will start considering him a 15 month old.  
• EDIT (I am just being honest): I started this post Sunday and between then and now I have had a major break down.  Yesterday was a day of feeling like a defeated mommy.  I had all of these great plans to finally get some maternity pants so I could stop wearing this horribly uncomfortable belly band but Braxton had other plans for us.  He had plans to scream and throw a full fledge fit every time I tried to put him in the car seat, plans to scream when I put him in the cart at the store, and plans to scream the entire time we were in Destination Maternity.  I felt like I could not do anything right and on top of that I hadn't even made it to the grocery store for the week or to Papa Murphys to pick up the pizza that we planned on having for dinner last night.  Oh man, I know I was totally having a pity party, but I was exhausted and feeling so defeated.  Needless to say I cried all the way home from the mall, still did not have any dinner, still without any maternity pants that fit, and still no groceries for the week and let's not get started on my hair issue and the fact that no matter what I use, do, or the way I style it my new hair growth (still growing back from losing it after Braxton)will NOT lay down--it sticks straight up ALL the time.  I am so thankful for my husband who immediately took Brax and headed to Papa Murphys then home to drop off the pizza then straight to the grocery store which gave me time to just sit at home in silence, alone, and even order some maternity pants online (I got a GREAT deal on them too!!) and let's not forget that he picked me up a straightner while he was out too (my thinking was that I could straighten these hairs down but after trying it this morning it failed also).  By the time they got home I had the pizza cooked and was ready to eat and play for the rest of the evening.  I promise my days are not like this but yesterday was just one of those days.  So glad today is a new day and although I am squeezed in my pre-pregnancy pants with an uncomfortable belly band and my hair is still sticking up I am much better!!!    
• http://themommyhoodmemos.com/2011/12/having-two-under-two-is-easy/
• The link above is a blog I found the other day about having two kids under two.  More about the topic to come but I thought that it was a wonderful post and just what I needed to read the other day. 
• Blessings for a wonderful Tuesday!!!