Happy Birthday!

I'm dedicating this post to one of my very best friends, my neighbor for 25 years, my ace, my 'I can't believe we did that!'. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words what he means to me.

Happy Birthday to my brother!

Last week on this journey...

In case you missed it we just got back from a wonderful vacation. I feel like it was the pick me up that I needed. I'm more tired than I was before I left but I got to spend some time with my little guy in the way that I did when I was on maternity leave. And you know what? It felt GOOD. Scratch that- it felt GREAT! We went on walks, played, hung out at the pool and the added bonus is that I didn't have to worry about my domestic duties because- we weren't home! So here's our little vacation recap:

This is the third state my little guy has traveled to in his short 6 months. Wow, he's averaging a new state every 2 months! Too bad he won't remember any of it. I was excited (and nervous) because it was also his first plane ride!!!

He did absolutely wonderful. He slept for the most of it which was great because I caught a nap too. I get antsy on flights over 3 hours so I wasn't surprised when by the third hour hit he started getting antsy. We took him for a walk about the cabin while everyone oohhhed and aaaahhhed at him. He soaked it all up smiling at everyone smiling at him. I was disappointed because airlines (that I know of) no longer give out "flight wings" (or whatever they are called). And I couldn't save his boarding pass. So these pictures will suffice as his keepsake of his first plane ride.

Then it was time to land. I didn't know how the change in air pressure would affect his ears so I offered him a bottle but he was kind of full from eating during the flight so I gave him a pacifier and hoped for the best. He of course took it out of his mouth and began to play with it. So I was prepared for a screaming fit. Instead I got this:

Pretty right? Can you see those mountains in the back? I've never seen a mountain live up close and personal (yea I'm a city girl who doesn't get out much) Oh, and the baby wasn't phased by the landing (or the landscape) at all! And that arrow is pointing to our hotel.


So what else:

1. I decided that since I was going to rent the "baby furniture" I would try a convertible car seat. We have been thinking about going to the convertible for some time now, mainly because he seems squished when he's riding in his infant bucket seat.

He did relatively well. I think he liked being more 'upright'. But we are going to hold off on this purchase (unless a really good deal comes along) for now because when he fell asleep in the car my poor baby guy was really uncomfortable. He still needs a bit more time to master sleeping 'upright' and holding his head. I know when we all fall asleep in the car our heads dangle in some sort of way but he hasn't gotten the head lean to the side while sleep thing down yet and it made him very uncomfortable.

So there is this crazy story about the car seat situation and why he is in two different car seats. First, I researched every last second of this trip. I was going to be in an unfamiliar location and most of the time by myself with my little guy (while my husband went to his sessions) so I needed to know stuff. I wasn't going t be caught in some tourist frenzy and danger the life of my child. Part of this research included how we were going to get around- safely. The hotel's website stated they had shuttle service to and from the airport. So, I would hold him on the shuttle to and from the airport because those things aren't car seat friendly (at least most hotel shuttles aren't It could just be where I 'm from). We had a rental car for one day in which he would use the car seat. Any other trip would be on foot. WELL, when we arrived in Phoenix and called for our chariot shuttle they told us they no longer offered the service. WTF!!! I should have called. So now we're screwed right? Well apparently the cabs there come with car seats in them. At least some of them do. I've never seen that before. Then again it must have been 10 years since I've taken a cab... okay maybe only two but still who knew?? I wasn't completely comfortable with this because who knows if the seat was expired, had been in an accident, or what else went down- but it was our only option. Actually I was going to suggest we take the light rail but the chaos that would have ensued with our luggage just wasn't happening. So I said a prayer and we made it back and forth from the airport and the hotel safely.

Moving along...

We stayed in a wonderfully beautiful hotel with a pretty good view.

Then once our "baby furniture" arrived- we were off to stuff our faces.

I must say. Initially I was very leery about renting baby stuff but it ended up working out really well. Everything was very clean and well maintained. Our other option was to bring our stuff and let's just say it was way more cost effective to rent it. I procrastinated with the rental for so long that some of the items I really wanted to rent were already rented (which I've should have known because there was something like 5,000 attendees at this conference).

And speaking of food- I gave up meat for Lent. I intended to blog about this a long time ago but never got the chance although it's not too late. When I say meat- I mean everything except fish. It's been a journey to say the least. But anyway. Hooters was the closest eatery - with the exception of the hotel restaurant- that we found right away so there we went. I really like Hooters... no really I do. I think the food isn't half bad. I just couldn't indulge in any of the wings and that made me kind of sad. My meal options have been pretty much the same- lot's of salmon and shrimp. Luckily, Hooters has shrimp.

The whole reason we where even in Phoenix is because my hubby was attending a work conference. Since we began seriously dating I almost ALWAYS accompanied him to work conferences. And although he is there for work- we do manage to squeeze in some play time. Which is how we ended up at the Grand Canyon. It was a bot of a drive but we managed. The drive there requires us to drive through mountains- which are up to 7,000 above sea level. WHOA! I couldn't get any real good pics of the mountains or the elevation because we were in a moving vehicle but you get the point:

Again my little guy did amazing with the ear pressure thing although we did have to stop once because he was wigging out and could not be consoled. After walking around at a rest stop and a diaper change we were good to go again. The Grand Canyon was absolutely amazing! I've always been in awe of the seven wonders of the world (I guess that's why they are named that!) but to my surprise- the Grand Canyon isn't on the list. Well it was, but now it's not- at least according to that website. We started out at Mather's point in the south rim and then made a [30 minute] journey to desert something or another also on the south rim. Here are just a few of the amazing pics we were able to get.

We were able to stay until sunset which was another beauty in and of itself. It did get really cold after the sunset. Normally I would enter an absolutely hilarious story about my husband and the shorts he decided to wear but I'll spare him. I think one of the coolest parts of visiting the grand canyon is that we actually got to drink Canyon water. It sounds kind of side eye-ish but apparently obviously before filtration systems this is how people drank water and it tasted like water really refreshing. I'm sorry I can't give a better description but I do have some left if you'd like to try it. It was the only souvenir we bought back actually. And because I didn't know you can get the water I did have to use one of the baby's bottles to collect it.

The rest of our vacation was spent hanging out. It was so much fun.

Then plane ride home went as smoothly as the ride there. I think most of it is attributed to the fact the this is what he thinks of plane rides:

with this trip being such a success I'm looking forward to the next conference (even with a toddler)... in ORLANDO!!!!!

Greetings!

From the Grand Canyon!!

We're popping in to say Hi!!

We're enjoying ourselves and can't wait to fill you in on all the deets! But for now here's a picture of me all excited and my little guy not caring about the HUGE hole in the ground behind him. Well, at least he can say he's been. So I'm going back to enjoy the scenic views and the warm weather. Catch up with you guys later (plus it's time for his 6 month post- can you believe it?!!!)!

I got Tagged!!!

For some reason blog hopping and tagging excites me. This one isn't too much different from the Seven things tag. In fact I think I'll be answering some of the same questions. I was tagged by Erica over at Mi Todo (read: my everything) (thanks for the tag!!) She's due with her first- a baby girl any day now. Her last bumpdate was at 39 weeks so I'm sure we'll get a "She's here!" post pretty soon.

And then I got tagged by Shannon over at Crazy Beautiful. So I decdied to update this post and add the pictures that I was suppose to add but forgot.

There are five rules:

1. Post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

At my friend's May 2010 wedding. i was the Matron of Honor. Matron sounds so old.



1. I moonlight as a model. Okay, no I don't but you couldn't tell my alter ego that.


On out first anniversary trip in 2009. I forced my husband to take this pic. My alter ego is out of control!

2. I haven't named my alter ego yet.

This is who I think I look like on the weekends. Beyonce "Upgrade you"

3. My favorite season is summer followed by winter. I also think Summer isn't summer unless there are 90 degrees days, swimming pools, and cookouts. Winter isn't winter if there is not at least one snow day.

I have no pictures of me in winter so a gratuitious picture of my little guy will have to do. This amazing bikini bod is on my honeymoon in 2008. I hope to get that body back one day. #prayforme

4. I heart Atlantic City. I have no idea why but I get all excited driving down the AC expressway and you start seeing the hotel casino billboards as you approach Atlantic Ave.

Confession #1: My husband thinks I'm a loser for liking AC so much. Confession #2 I'm pretty certain that's where my son was conceived =). Unrelated to conception- I have an Uncle who lives in AC and I adore going to see him. Mainly because he's 92 and still living ALONE. I hope I inherited THOSE genes.

5. I can't wait to take my child(ren) to Disney World.

***You will NOT believe what happened since I originally posted this. I normally don't like to spill the beans about trips before they happen but... we are going to Orlando next year!!! I wouldn't normally plan to take a year and a half year old to Disney but it's for my husbands job so to Disney we go (while he's in sessions)!****

6. This is hard

*** And finding pictures for every random thing is proving to be harder.***

7. I haven't made anymore progress with my degree since I last randomly told you about it.

8. I took 2 out of the 4 cake decorating courses that is offered by Wilton at the beginner level. I had planned to finish while on maternity leave. Now I'm planning to finish over the summer. Then I'll plan to finish before Christmas. After that I'll plan to finish over the next summer.

I don't think this is too bad. Balloons and a border are pretty standard cake decorations, right?!

9. I really never intended for people in my personal life to know that I blog (but I'm glad y'all are here!). But then people kept asking me how my pregnancy was going so I just shared it. It was never supposed to go past family, but now 2 people at my job know and I think I am going to get found out by others. I accidentally linked my pinterest profile to facebook. Then when I created my fb page my brother put it on blast. So then one day I had a bunch of new followers from circles that wasn't "supposed" to know. In hindsight it's not really THAT bad, but now I filter my blog like I filter my mouth- and THAT wasn't supposed to happen. I added to the problem by linking my blog in my email siggy so clearly I wasn't trying to keep it secret forever.

10. I want to attend a blog conference. I was surprised when I found out they exist but they look like so much fun! However, since blogging is not my livelihood I doubt this will happen in my lifetime.

11. I missed National Pancake Day two years in a row :(

And now for Erica's questions:
1. If you could only listen to 5 songs for the rest of your life, which songs would they be?

Long as I got King Jesus by Vickie Winans,
Just got paid by Johnny Kemp,
Now/At the party by Maxwell
Dance Tonight by Lucy Pearl
Slow Dance by John Legend
... I think

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I really could not pick just one place. Either Spain or Italy. Maybe London, maybe Tahiti. I really can't pick just one.

3. What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
When I was young I would "chastise" my dad for drinking and driving. No really. I learned in school that drinking and driving was not okay and to me that met your beverage from the fast food drive through we went though. No matter how many times he would tell me that they didn't mean soda- I insisted that he shouldn't be drinking and driving. What can I say- I cared about my dad's safety! This isn't one of my favorites but it did pop into my head this morning as I was drinking my hot cocoa on the way to work.

4. If you were to get a new/your first tattoo, what would it be of?
I'm not really into tattoos. I've rarely seen tattoos in which the ink still looks vibrant after it has healed. It's also way too permanent. I'd like the option to change my mind later. My husband nearly has a half sleeve on his arms but me- not so much. BUT, if someone were to put a gun to my head I would either get a rose on my foot (very Kimora Lee Simmons-ish) or something in a very very discreet location that can't be seen when wearing clothes.

5. Were you in any clubs in high school? Are you still interested in the same things?
I was a cheerleader. That pretty much sums it up. I went to a very small private school and we didn't have money to fund extra curricular activities. Outside of 'school' I was a dancer and a pianist.

6. What is your favorite smell?
This is a tie between my little guy and CK- Be. They don't even make that scent anymore.

7. Do you believe in ghosts? Why?
I'm not sure. Because I've never seen one. However, I'm not totally convinced they don't exist. I've heard believable stories from relatives so I wouldn't rule it out.

8. If you could change one thing about your body would you change anything? What would it be?
I'd like to loose some weight and be healthier overall. I gave up meat for lent (not that I think vegetarians are healthier than carnivores- because I don't) (I had intended to blog about my fast) so I think that it has forced me to look into healthier food choices overall. I don't think I will ever get the time to work out- It's just not foreseeable.

9. What fictional character (movie, t.v. show, or book) do you most relate to?
I don't have answer for this- or enough time to think about it.

10. If you could meet any famous person from the past or present, who would it be?
I think Kimora Lee Simmons would be my choice in this moment. Although she is very wealthy and has a squad of people helping her- I just don't know how she does it!

11. Why did you start blogging?
To document My Journey from Mrs. to Mom :) It is one of the most memorable times in my life and not only did I not want to forget it- I also learned that when people share their experiences with one another it is very helpful.

At this point I am supposed to create 11 new questions and then tag some people. But every blogger I know has already done this. So, if you're a blogger and haven't done this please do so and let me know- I love reading new blogs :)

Okay, and now for Shannon's questions:
1. If you could travel to anywhere in the world where would you go?
Popular question, eh? So I'll just add Turks and Caicos, Hawaii and Alaska.

2.If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be?
I think it would be my maternal grandmother's biological mom. It fascinates me to konw where I came from. I'd also like to meet my maternal grandfather's mom. If I had had a baby girl I would have named the baby after her.

3. What do you think is your best trait?
I think I can talk people off a ledge. It all started when I was working at a hostess in a restaurant and all the wait staff used to come to the hostess boothe when it wasn't busy and spill their guts. One of my best friends comes from those 'on the couch' moments.

4. What is your biggest regret?
I'm not sure if I actually have regrets as they have all turned into learning experiences. As much as there are some things I wish I hadn't done- it's made me who I am so I accept it.

5.If you found out you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend it?
I would probably host a dinner and have all of my loved one come over. I'm a big family gal. In the last 2 hours or so I would ask everyone to leave so it will just be me, hubby, and my baby. This makes me sad thinking that there will be a point when I'm no longer here and we are not together.

6. If you had to choose would you rather sky dive or bungee jump?
Nethier. They are both extremely scary and black people really shouldn't be hanging from anybody's cord. #jussayin'

7.What are your top 5 favorite movies?
I don't really like movies. But...
1. Cadiallac Records
2. Final Destination (the first one only)
3. Love and Basketball
4. still working on these last two...
5.

8. Dogs or Cats?
I'm allregic to both. But I think cats are way more gentle than dogs.

9.Do you have any bizarre habits?
Yes, I'm pretty sure that I've told you that I have a bad habit of picking my nose mindlessly. I know it's pretty gross. Don't judge me.

10. If you had to switch careers what would you like to do?
Hard one. I tihnk I'm going to go with Event Planner/Wedding Coordinator. I recently started working with a wedding planner and it's hard work! I recently worked on this wedding and I'm dying to do more!

11. Do you have any fears?
Dying in a car accident. Being in the medical profession really screws you up. Glad I left that one!