The Anastasi's

Ha Long Bay and Hanoi with Mom...Good Times!

2011-06-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad were suppose to come for a 2 week visit to Vietnam but unfortunately, Dad got sick and could not make the trip. We were disappointed that Dad did not come but were happy to see Mom, especially Bryson. He sure misses his Mimi and Pop!

I wanted to make it a memorable trip and find the most interesting place in Vietnam to take them. This is why I chose Ha Long Bay. It is rated one of the top natural wonders to see in the world. I would have to agree, it was pretty spectacular! We stayed on a Junk Boat called the Bhaya for 2 nights and 3 days. It was a beautifully built boat, of which Bryson LOVED. All he wanted to do was 'drive the boat' as he would say. He did very well the whole time and had a blast with Mimi. We were able to explore a cave called Surprise Cave, and it was just that! I have never seen anything like it...truly amazing! Ha Long Bay was amazing in itself too, as it is composed of over 2000 islands that jet up from the ocean. I highly recommend this trip for anyone. One of my favorite points was when we went kayaking through caves that opened up to a large round water hole surrounded by the island. In one, there was nothing but different colored jelly fish all over the place...an amazing site! Bryson kept saying "touch it" and "hold it" because he thought they were 'cute'.

After the boat trip, we stayed in Hanoi for 2 more nights and toured the 'Hanoi Hilton' (the prison where our soldiers were kept during the war) and went to a classic Water Puppet Show. Bryson thoroughly enjoyed the show, which we were all happy about. I didn't know if he was going to last but he loves music and instruments so much that he watched more of the people playing and singing then the actual puppet show.

Mom had about 5 more days after our trip to the North to hang out with us in Vung Tau. It was nice to bring her back to our home, relax and show her around. We took her to our favorite dining spot, showed her the famous toilet (of which she refused to use), did a little shopping, went up the Big Mountain (one of Bryson's favorite outtings here) and hung out at the pool/beach. We all had such a great time and as always, it went by way too quickly. I was sad to see her leave but I know that we will see everyone soon enough!

Picture Time:

Banana Man

On our way to get on the Bhaya Junk cruise in Ha Long Bay

It was a beautiful ship with very nice, cozy cabins.

Love the big windows!

Mom enjoying her time with a gorgeous backdrop

Blowing kisses as usual...such a sweetie!

We are missing someone in this picture....Cory had to smoke a cigar alone...we missed Dad!

A floating village...amazing!

This one is for you Blake...hehe...are ya jealous?!?!

One of my favorite pictures!

This is a school

All Bryson wanted to do was 'drive the boat' as he would say

The gates at the Hanoi "Hilton" Prison

A picture of John McCain being captured

John McCain's flight suit

A beautiful Hanoi street

Kayaking through caves in Ha Long Bay

Jellyfish have taken over one of the caves...truly amaing to see! They came in all colors.

Tuckered out

Just like Daddy...

This is a picture of how some of the prisoners escaped...Bryson probably could not even fit through there!

John McCain

Water Puppet Show

Way Too Long!

2011-06-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a very long time since I have blogged and I guess the only excuse I have is that it took me this long to settle into our new life here in Vung Tau, Vietnam. There were many highs and lows about being here and thoughts about wanting to go back 'home' to Texas. I knew this move would be difficult and that we would miss family and friends tremendously but with Vietnam being a 3rd world country, I had many more concerns once we arrived. All those concerns have now calmed down and we are getting more and more confortable here every week.

We have some really good friends, Karen, Michael and Bryson's best mate, Logan. If it were not for them, I don't think that my positive attitude would be so positive. Logan is about 6 months younger than Bryson but they play well together and keep eachother busy...well really, they allow Karen and I to stay busy, entertained and happy! Its a perfect match and I am so grateful for that. Our daily lives consist of Karen and I working out in the mornings, taking the boys to the pool before lunch/naptime, hanging out at Karen's after naps, running arrands together or heading back to the pool....that's about it...we try to stay busy together everyday while the guys are at work. Once a week we try to head to Ho Chi Minh City for a day just to get out of VT for a while. It breaks the week up nicely. Luckily, the company that Karen's husband works for has a private boat that we are able to use so that we don't have to ride the nasty ferrys. The trip takes 1.5 to 2 hours one way, so its a very long day by the time we get home in the evenings but worth it! We were taking the boys to a Kindermusik course in HCMC but that is now over, so we are trying to figure out what else to do with them since there isn't much here in VT. Golf lessons might be the new thing! There is a new private school being built (Singapore International School) that we are going to check out for preschool classes. We shall see!

Since the last blog, we have been back to the States twice. We went for Thanksgiving/early Christmas celebration and back in March unfortunately for the funeral of Cory's grandmother, Charlotte. Bryson turned 2 while we were there, so it was nice to celebrate with family and friends at Zilker Park. He absolutely loved riding the train! Cory ended up having to come back after a week but Bryson and I stayed for 5 more weeks. It was great seeing everyone and being back in good 'ol Texas (the best place in the world!).

Soon after arriving back in Vietnam 3 weeks ago, we planned a trip to a nice beach town 3 hours away called Mui Ne. It was beautiful and CLEAN...for the most part. We went because I was going to do a triathlon but ended up not doing it because of the lack of training during our unexpected trip back home. Karen's husband did the race and we cheered him on! It was a fun weekend and much needed.

Enough chit-chat, here are pictures from the last 8-9 months:

Cousins!

Grandma Charlotte...we miss you!

We really miss our Lola!

Santa's Wonderland in College Station, Tx

He wants to be just like his cousins.

Christmas Day at Karen and Michaels...boy it was hot!

Bryson's room in Vietnam

Binh Chau hot springs and mud bath

Love a muddy kiss!

Gig'em! That's our boy!

Sunset in Vung Tau on Front Beach

Jesus on the mountain

Tet Celebrations

The boat. We take this almost every week to go to Ho Chi Minh for the day...thank goodness we don't have to take the ferry much!

The cows are out again! Actually, this is a completely normal event here. There are no barns, fences, corrals, etc.

A normal play date with the boys..Bryson, Logan and Jack

Singapore Zoo

This was a stunningly beautiful and well designed zoo...probably the best I have ever seen! It was amazing. Im not sure who had more fun, Bryson or myself.

The zoo had a night safari...incredible.

On the cable cars heading to Sentosa Island from Singapore

Singapore skyline from cable cars..not a great pic due to the weather

Entertaining all around him while he soaked himself in a fountain

The famous lawn-mower. Bryson continues to talk about it just about everyday and how "Pop does it"..that he drives it.

Sister trip to Fredericksburg...yum, wine country! We had a blast!

Ok, so maybe we had too much fun!

Trip to Mui Ne, May 21 2011...our 6th anniversary!

He just LOVES the water and is a little fish. He always says 'go swimming, hold breath'

Rice fields on our drive to Mui Ne

Dragon fruit plants

A little community on the beach

Settling in

2010-09-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

We are getting settled into our new apartment and starting to enjoy life here in Vietnam. We decided to stay at Sea View (I posted pics in the previous posts) but moved into a 3 bedroom apartment for more space. It is lovely. We still have amazing ocean views and the location is great! Cory and I love to get out and walk in the evenings to eat dinner, get yogurt or walk the busy streets for nightlife action. Shops don't close here until very late and some stay open 24/7, so if I need to buy some clothes at 3 am then I can! I don't think the Vietnamese sleep much, either that or they sleep during the day when its hot and are up all night drinking beer, having coffee or just hanging out on the boardwalk. Life couldn't be more different here!

Bryson is starting to get used to living here and loves his new nanny, Mrs. Vung. I have recently started to let him stay with her so that I can hit the gym or hang out with the girls and he doesn't seem to mind...actually, he says bye, bye when I leave and sometimes doesn't even want me to hold him when I get home. Mrs. Vung is wonderful and loves being around Bryson (hopefully she likes Cory and I too!). :) She is teaching us Vietnamese, of which Bryson can already say a few words...very impressive! I enjoy having her around not just because she cooks yummy food for us but also for nice company, friendship, and translation when we go out to find stuff. She is great!

We are having to get used to many cultural differences, some of which I will have to tolerate but not change my ways for. For instance, the people can be so nice yet so rude in certain situations. They LOVE to come up to us and ask questions, take pictures and play with Bryson but this all changes if we are trying to check out at the market or a shop. They will cut right in front of me even if I have a full basket of food on one arm and Bryson in the other...just flat out rude! So I have learned to push my way up to the register and make sure they know that I am not backing down (I am bigger than most of these people so its quite easy to make myself known!). Another irritant is how they jack up the prices on items because we are "Westerners" as they call us. An example is when we tried to buy a balloon at the park for Bryson during their holiday (Kinh Do) festivities. We were told by a nice lady who spoke english that she paid 10,000 Dong for one and when we asked the man selling them, he said 50,000 Dong. This is roughly $2.75 USD when it should have been only about $.50. A huge difference as you can see! So we ended up going to another lady selling them and paid 15,000 Dong instead.

Another aspect of living here that I don't think I could ever get used to is how dirty it is. People throw their trash wherever they want even if a trash can is starring them in the face. They pull over their mopeds to use the restroom on the street. Babies don't wear diapers and are trained to pee on command (the "ssss" sound). I have seen this in a restaurant where the baby went to the bathroom under the table and I see it all the time now out in the streets/sidewalks. It is hard to run sometimes when you come across a stinch that will turn your stomach! I have learned where it smells the worst and hold my breath as I run by. :) Bathrooms are not really bathrooms here, just a hole in the ground and a bucket. I took a picture of the restroom at our favorite restaurant, which I will post below. Living here you just have to ignore and be in denial that they probably never wash their hands. The food is great though and have yet to get sick...knock on wood!

One last interesting note...the nanny has informed me that they call the women here who "hunt" for men in the evenings (if you know what I mean) Chicken Girls. They come out at night in teeney-tiny outfits to attract men into bars/restaurants. They especially like the Westerners or Whities as I call ourselves. :) Morals are nonexistant for a lot of people and a stripper or prostitute is just another job in their minds. No big deal. The country also has a major drinking problem, especially with the young people. I have read articles that the government is quite concerned about where the country is headed because of this. Mrs. Vung's daughter has no interest in settling down due to the high instances of cheating. Drinking being a major factor. It's just shocking how different we all are! A funny story about Chicken Girls is when we went into a bar last weekend desperately searching for a bathroom. We had just eaten at our favorite place and were walking around town when we had to go (I blame it on the beer!). We were far from home and had no choice but to find a place and the only places with bathrooms were bars or restaurants. We came across a street with 2 bars next to each other....one called Pussy Cats and the other Honey (you can only imagine right!?!). Sooooo, we decided to see what Pussy Cats was all about. As soon as we opened the door, there were Chicken Girls everywhere in tiny outfits playing pool and gambling....awesome. While Bryson played with the Chicken Girls, Cory and I had a beer (we couldn't just walk in there and not buy a drink) and took turns in the restroom. Surprisingly they had a toilet AND a sink with soap! Amazing. We laughed all the way home about our newest adventure. I would definitely go back for a beer and a potty. ;)

Okay, enough writing and on with the pictures:

Bryson loves to help Mrs. Vung do laundry and ride in the basket

This is the mountain where we would like to find a house next year!

B's new friend, Logan was turning 1

He danced and partied so hard that at the end of the night he was rolling around and staring up at the stars

Diaper heads! Boys are so silly!

Waiting for the driver to pick us up

The main Square...shops, restaurants, bakeries and more are here and nearby. This area is where all the action is at night.

First haircut here

We didn't know how to tell them to leave it longer on the top so they shaved him! Im still trying to get used to it.

My handsome boys. Bryson was all decked out in Red, White and Blue to honor those we lost on Sept. 11th...we will never forget.

Our little roaring dinosaur

At our favorite restaurant...we see the same little girl everytime and she loves playing with B. He has his mouth full of eel. He loved it!

No words to describe this other than use your imagination...oh, and there was no sink or soap!

Playing with his cape made by his Kiki...thanks sis, he loves it!

Super Bryson!

Our nanny, Mrs. Vung and Bryson blowing kisses

Only here 2.5 weeks and already off to get medical help!

2010-08-23T02:55:00.000-07:00

Bryson came down with what I thought was food poisoning and teething problems....ohhh no, a few days of terrible diapers, fever and throwing up lead us to rush him to Ho Chi Minh City for medical help! Poor little guy. He is so tough.
We had just met some new friends and were hanging out at their house Friday night while all the kids were playing. It was the first time in 2.5 weeks that I could speak fluent English to someone and was REALLY enjoying it! Well, we had just ordered pizza when I decided to feed Bryson a little snack to tie him over and then....BLAAAHHHH, all over me and him!! It was so embarrassing to have that happen at the dinner table in front of my new friends. This happened to be the 2nd time he had thrown up in a few days along with diarrea issues, so we knew we had a problem. We immediately took him to the local SOS clinic (which we have heard horrible things about but it was open 24 hrs and it was 8 pm.). Like everyone had told us, it was terrible so we headed back to our apartment to get a change of clothes and off we were to Ho Chi Minh City to get good medical care. HCMC is 3 hours away and not a smooth ride. The roads are horrible with potholes, dirt roads and crazy drivers. I might add that it was dark and raining too!

We get there and were immediately taken care of and I couldn't have been more delighted. They tested Bryson and discovered that he had the Rotavirus. Apparently every child gets it by the time they are 5 yrs. and in the States most kids get the vaccine, us included. It is commonly referred to as the stomach flu. The problem is that with babies under 2, they can get very dehydrated which then can be life threatening. We were watching him pretty close but he was still dehydrated and had to be on an IV for 14 hours. My poor little guy was stuck to a bed that long with an IV but was a trouper!! He did great and are thankful we decided to take him in the middle of the night.

So for all you mothers out there, the Rotarix vaccine is NOT 100% effective! After doing much research, some say that it helps prevent and reduce the severity of the symptoms...so which one is it? Obviously none of the above for Bryson. There are 4 or 5 types of this virus so maybe we ended up getting the least common one...who knows. I am just glad my baby is doing fine and is happy! Let's hope we get to start having a little fun now!

Hanging with Daddy on the hospital bed

Mr. B with his little cast to cover the IV

Good Morning Vietnam!!

2010-08-09T02:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, it sure has been a while since I last blogged! A lot has changed in the last few months, all of which have been very positive and exciting. We sold our house in College Station and moved back to the Austin area to be closer to family until we heard news on going overseas with Cory's job. It took a couple months before we heard anything but the call did come and it was to let us know that we were moving to Vietnam..woohoo! This was probably our first choice too due to the positive feedback we were getting from everyone. We were very thankful to my parents for taking us in while we waited for the news. It was so nice to be around family again and to be able to call my sister to hang out with the kids at any time. Bryson really enjoyed spending time with his cousins and greatly misses everyone already!

We have been in Vung Tau since Thursday and are trying to settle in. Vung Tau is a beach town where the military used to visit for R&R back when the war was going on. It is still today a place where the locals and foreigners come for vacation and relaxation. The beaches are beautiful and the town is very nice. What is so amazing is how lovely the people are! They are so friendly and will try to talk to us even though there is a language barrier. I would have to say that this is the hardest part about moving here. I have so many questions to ask about their culture, the town and the food! I would absolutely LOVE to find someone who can speak English but in the mean time, I am trying to learn Vietnamese *notice the word 'trying'*. This is going to be hard!

Things we have learned/seen in the first week being here:

The Vietnamese are EXTREMELY nice and welcoming!
Not many people speak English. :(
Most of the locals ride mopeds...in fact, I saw a whole family on one...5 people!!
There are no traffic signals or rules on the road, just a lot of honking.
Pancakes are really crepes and served with honey.
We are constantly starred at...I have maybe seen a few other 'round eyes' in Vung Tau. I feel like we are their entertainment. :)
The women and even men love to see Bryson and touch him. They will even bring their children up to us so that they can see him!
It is common in a restaurant for the waitress to come scoop Bryson up if he is fussy and whisk him away to entertain him. This freaked us out the first time but are getting used to it. The Vietnamese adore children!

Here are some pics of the beginning of our adventure:

Bryson was excited about his new place!

This is the BIG Jesus on the island...very interesting!

Bryson's first time at a beach

He definitely enjoyed it!

This is our temporary housing. Our apartment is the 3rd one up.

This is our view

Bryson's First Birthday

2010-04-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I would have to say that Bryson's 1st birthday was a big hit! All the planning and preparing ended up working out perfectly and it looked like the birthday boy had a blast. He was so cute wearing his birthday shirt and not knowing what to do with all the people around him. He always made sure that he could see me, Cory or his Mimi at all times but he did play a little with the other kids. It will be wonderful to move back 'home' for a while to be around his nieces more! He is going to have to get used to being around all those girls. Hehe.

The cake turned out really cute (thankfully) and I couldn't wait for him to tear into it! He enjoyed putting his feet in it but wasn't so crazy about eating it. I won't complain if he turns out to not be a big sweets fan but come on...it's CAKE! I bet he will get more into it next year.

Since Easter was the weekend after B's big birthday, we decided to hang low for the holiday. We had a basket full of goodies waiting for him when he woke up and ended up packing up part of the house (yes, how relaxing). I couldn't believe that just last year Bryson was able to fit into his Easter basket...boy, he has grown!

New adventures of Bryson:

- He waves at everyone driving by now, since I do it. The neighbors love him!

- Dog poop is fun to play with (this one is for you Nikki!). I am more calm about these type of events than I thought I would be...this won't be the last time he discovers poop!

- I believe he is becoming a Foodie. This boy will eat ANYTHING! He loves salmon, squash, asparagus, and everything else I have given him...its great! Recently we let him experience spaghetti, which once again, I shocked myself with how calm I was during the whole 'mess'. Lola had a ball catching the noodles as he tossed them to her. He likes to share with his sister.

- Peek-a-boo is one of his favorite games and so far it never gets boring.

- Tex and Lola are fair game now...he is ALL over them! He says "dog" now. :)

- and lastly....he enjoys flashing Mama's tummy in the grocery store! This is all due to his obsession with his own tummy and feels the need to grab my shirt and lift it pretty far up so that everyone else can see it too...stinker...the cart is unfortunately at the "perfect" height.

Here are some recent pics:

The Big Birthday Boy

Cake table

Monkey business!

My sweet baby...I'm actually IN a picture with him!

The decorations and B giving Mama kisses!

Hmmm, not too sure about this....

The parting gifts/cookies!

Happy day!

SPAGHETTI!!!!

So much fun!

Easter Sunday

Grabbing the candy first...Below is Bryson in the same basket last year a few weeks old...

Lomg time no post!

2010-02-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's been FOREVER since I have posted anything and now I feel way behind. Time absolutely flies by when you have children and I'm not sure I like that! You spend your early years wishing it would go by faster and when you have children of your own, you wish it would slow down...life never ceases to amaze me....and Mawmaw, you are right, the older you get the faster it goes by (I won't ever forget you saying that to me and I probably laughed when you did)!

We had an amazing 1st Christmas with Bryson and family! He really enjoyed playing with the paper...go figure. Next year will be even better when he understands what the beautiful paper is hiding! :)

Milestones within the last few months:

He took his first steps a few days before Xmas, which was his 9 month b-day. He is a determined little guy...wonder where he gets that from?!?
By 10 months he was trying to run...and continues to try this even after many falls.
Four teeth have come in but in a unique (and a little freaky) way so far. The front bottoms came in first and then the fangs...yes, I said FANGS! I was expecting the top front teeth next but no, we can't do things "normally", so everyone gets a kick out of seeing his fangs.
At his 9 month appointment he measured in the 90th percentile for height! He just shot up, yet he was only in the 25th for weight. It's still hard to believe he came out so tiny!
"No" is a funny word these days. I need to work on keeping a straight face! Little stinker!
B knows some sign language and all kinds of animals. He really likes owls, cats, dogs, lions, horses, and monkeys...maybe because of the noises they make when we do flash cards! :)
AND finally my favorite....he gives Mommy kisses! He even teases me when I ask for one but caves in and gives the best wet kisses ever!

I am so amazed that in less than a month my baby will be a 1 year old. I am already starting to think back about how he made his grand appearance into this world. We are truly lucky and eternally grateful to all those that made it possible for us to be parents to such a beautiful child. I have a feeling his birthday will be a huge celebration yet an emotional one too. Cory laughs at me because I want to do his birthday up BIG, even though he is only going to be 1. If any, this one should be huge because we almost didn't have our little miracle a year ago. I am determined to make sure that my children know that every year is a celebration and that it should be fun and BIG!

Here are some pictures from the last few months:

Bryson's "squinty face" that I LOVE...he is already such a funny guy and a ham!

Happy boy!

Playing around with my camera

Reindeer butt...this outfit has been worn by all the kids...we laugh everytime!

Playing with his new toys from Christmas

Mimi and Pop got him a Retro Rocket that he absolutely loves to ride on

Yes son, you are surrounded by girls!

My 2 favorite guys

Go Falcons!! He likes wearing hats, especially his Air Force hat!

Kora turned 2 this year! Wow, time sure flies by!

Our traveling boy

With cousin Ava in her new ride

He has graduated to a big boy car seat!!

My Valentine. Thanks Kiki for the handsome shirt you made!

SNOW!!! It tastes so good.

Picture with Santa...not too bad!

2009-12-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

We took Bryson to Santa's Wonderland here in College Station, which is a really neat place! There is a drive-thru to see a ton of lights and a "santa's Town" where they have a huge fire pit, singing and dancing, shops, petting zoo, hayrides, carriage rides, pictures with the BEST Texas Santa and much more! Of course we couldn't pass up the kettle corn....yummy! We didn't know how Bryson would react to sitting on Santa's lap but he seemed okay at first. He just stared in confusion UNTIL Santa stood him up on his lap facing him so that B could get a really good look at him. At that point the lip curled and the wailing began. It was too cute!

We had to do the hayride to see the lights, which was so fun for Bryson! He was so excited, jumping up and down, and making all kinds of funny noises and faces. I can't wait to do this again when he can run around and play with other kids and really get into it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy Holidays everyone!

Silly/excited face!

So thankful on Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T10:14:00.001-08:00

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving for our family this year! It was Bryson's 1st and he had such a wonderful time with cousins, Kiki, Uncle Blake, Mimi and Pop. We decided to fry turkey breasts this year, which turned out to be pretty yummy! Along with the Thanksgiving turkey, we all brought our own to fry (while we had the oil!) so that we could take them home and eat off them..it was a great idea and hopefully we will do this every year.

This year was extra special for Cory and I because of our new addition. We are so thankful that Bryson is healthy and happy and may he be this way as he continues to grow up! Every year will be even more special as he learns to walk, talk, run, play sports, read and so on...there is so much to look forward to! Now I can't wait for Christmas to get here!! We have the tree and other decorations up, which Bryson really likes. I think we both enjoy having the tree lit all day while we are at home...what a wonderful and joyous time of year!

Happy holidays to everyone!

So handsome

Kora trying to get into the walker

Silly picture with Daddy

He can't stay away from that blonde, curly hair!

A Monkey Halloween

2009-11-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

Bryson and I celebrated Halloween in Austin with my family. Unfortunately Cory couldn't come with us due to work...so what's new?!? We went to my niece's school for a their Fall Festival, which my sis did a great job running (poor thing was exhausted after being in charge of something so grand!). Little Miss Ava ended up having to go to the doctor that day because she was running a fever and wasn't able to go to the festival...we all felt SO bad for her! I was really excited to go trick-or-treating with the girls and Bryson but since Ava was sick, we ended up going back to my parents for the night. I was so bummed to not get a picture of all the kids dressed up.

We had to still dress Bryson up for the big night in his cute monkey costume even though he had no idea what the big deal was. Dad and I decided to walk around the neighborhood so that Bryson could see how it's done! He was so cute and clueless but enjoyed watching other groups of kids laughing and running door to door. More than anything, it was just good quality time with Pop!

Here is the monkey:

7 Months of Joy!

2009-10-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Bryson just turned 7 months on October 25, which is amazing to us! He is progressing so quickly and getting big. When he was right at 5 months he was getting up on all fours and attempting to crawl...well, it didn't take long at all before he started moving and now we can't stop him! Just in the last week or two he has been pulling up on EVERYTHING. All he really wants to do is walk, which may happen sooner than we think. Cory and I are betting that he will start walking around 9 months--maybe right on Christmas! On top of trying to climb everything, Bryson's new thing is growling. He growls all the time, especially in my Junior League meetings when it's nice and quiet! Luckily everyone thinks he is funny and cute. :)

At Bryson's 6 month appointment he weighed 16 lbs and was 27 inches...so basically we had a tall, skinny boy. We have been trying to beef him up a bit to get some cute little rolls on him and it looks like it may be working! We took him in again at about 6.5 months due to a rash and he had gained almost a pound (16.13 lbs) in 2 weeks! I love naked babies and it cracks me up to see his little butt get an extra roll and more dimples (the only time in life that dimples are cute!).

I am so excited to hear that my AWESOME friend JoElla and her husband Brian are having a little girl! Bryson has a little girlfriend!! She isn't born yet but her marriage is already arranged...haha, just kidding Jo...maybe ;)! Congrats to you both! I can't wait until our kids can play together...yippy!

We recently got back from a "vacation" in Sedona, AZ. I put quotes around 'vacation' for all the moms and dads out there that know EXACTLY what I mean and for those who haven't experienced it yet, then you just wait. Basically it was more work than a vacation with a 6 month old but we did see some beautiful scenery AND the Grand Canyon!! I have been dying to see it in person and it definitely took my breath away. There are really no words to describe it...almost 2 billion years in the making!

Oh, and somewhere in the middle of all this activity going on, I turned 3-0! Woohoo, luckily age is just a number because I don't feel 30. I am already loving this age due to the fact that Mr. B is in our lives..he has made life so much more interesting and meaningful..I love you bugga!

I'm posting a lot of pictures due to me slacking on updating the blog...oops! Also my friend Kelly mentioned on her blog that there are companies that will bind all of your blogs for you...AWESOME (thanks girl!)! Enjoy! There will definitely be more to come after this weekend...Yay Halloween!

Our boy at 6 months

At 7 months with his Lola

He doesn't mind wearing hats, so he was happily playing one morning wearing one!

This is how I celebrated my 30th birthday...running in a marathon relay in Austin! These ladies rock!

Our view every morning at breakfast in Sedona, Arizona...beautiful!

My two favorite and handsome guys

So happy!

The Grand Canyon...incredible!

Pictures do not do the Grand Canyon justice! You HAVE to visit this magnificent place!

Bryson absolutely LOVES his backpack! He was all smiles and received more than enough attention from other hikers.

I'm always the photographer (as most mommies are), so Cory insisted he take a picture of me with the most beautiful backdrop!

Hiking is exhausting!

The resort had wonderful photo-opt areas, so I thought that I would try to get his 6 month pics

At the resort...Amaya

"Check out my shades...and drool"

The trees were turning fall colors and they were gorgeous! We don't get that here in Texas.

Red Rock State Park

A tower we were able to climb at the entrance of the South Rim. As if standing at the bottom wasn't good enough!

Pumpkin Patch...not too into it.

A different pumpkin patch where we stood him up...he LOVED that of course!

Monkey boy

Mommy's little monkey!

This is his growling face...I actually caught him in action and I laugh every time I look at it. I hope he isn't trying to take after the dogs.

5 Months Old...and movin'...

2009-08-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Bryson just turned 5 months old on August 25th! It's hard to believe how far we have come since he was born. We have gone from no sleep to a little more sleep, eating every 2 hours on the dot to everyone 2.5 if I am lucky, smiling to giggling, slumping over to sitting up straight, rolling over to rolling/moving around the room, and recently (as of yesterday) from laying on his belly to being up on all fours! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I was showing him how to do it by lifting him up and cheering him on as I let go. He would hold it for a few seconds and drop back down. I leaned over to talk to Lola (our dog) and looked back at Bryson to see him up on all fours all by himself! I just about screamed with excitement! After I went crazy clapping, laughing and kissing Mr. B I then realized that "oh man, this means that he may be mobile soon!"--panic set in for a split second. :)

This summer has flown by and honestly, I am kinda glad. This weather is too darn hot and a little depressing because we can't enjoy the outdoors much. I feel like we have been prisoners in our own house. I am looking forward to Fall (if that exists) to be able to play outside in the grass, go to the park, go for runs and NOT be inside all the time!

Bryson has his 6 month check up next month so I am not for sure how long he is but I did weigh him yesterday. According to my scale, Mr. B weighs 15.4 lbs (with clothes on). My guess is that he will be around 16 at the next appointment. He may weigh more because just this week we started eating food! First it was peas, which he wasn't impressed with, and now its sweet potatoes...yummy! He likes his Bumbo now because he knows its time to eat when he is in it. The doctor told me that there is no evidence that rice cereal helps children sleep better but I would have to disagree! I fed him cereal in the morning for the first time yesterday and he slept for 1.5 hours! This is a huge difference from his normal 30-45 minute naps.

Here are some recent pic:

Sucking on Daddy's thumb as always...he just loves this!

Playing with Pop. We think this is who he gets his blue eyes from!

Cory's Grandmother...Bryson's Great Grandmother!

Luke, the obsessed with babies dog.

These two are going to be inseperable!

JoElla and Mr. B having a good time!

JoElla (preggo!), her husband Brian and us

Goofy pic...Bryson loved little Sophie..not sure if she appreciated him pulling on her pony-tail!

As soon as we put this fire truck down he went nuts! He is definitely all boy, minus the pink blanket. :)

My grandmother Mawmaw...another one of Mr. B's Greatgrandmothers! Love it!

"What are you doing to me people?!?! This is suppose to taste good? Gross!"

4 Months and Growing...

2009-07-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Bryson is now 4 months old and we can't even imagine what we did with ourselves before he arrived! We just LOVE being parents and are so in love with our baby boy. That being said, to all you Preggos out there, TAKE ADVANTAGE NOW and go to as many movies as you can and have as many date nights as you can....DO IT NOW!! :)

We are amazed at how fast Bryson is growing up (I know he is only 4 months but it goes by fast!). To me, its incredible to see that one day he just lays on his play mat not moving much to literally the next day rolling over, moving like an inch worm and giggling! Babies are amazing! We are having so much fun and look forward to more surprises and advances in the near future...maybe tomorrow!

The last couple months we have been pretty busy! We went to Colorado for my Grandmother's 80th birthday, 4th of July in Austin at my parents and a couple more day trips since. Bryson is a great traveler, which I couldn't be more happy about. He was amazing on the airplane, having no ear problems and slept most of the time. I loved walking down the isle in the plane watching the faces of innocent passengers in fear that we may have the seat next to them...haha. To my surprise, those that were around us loved seeing my little man and were VERY helpful with our bags and stuff. There are still nice people out there! ;)

Also within the last couple months, I know of at least 3 friends that announced they were pregnant....woohoo, we are so excited for you! Congrats to all! It's hard to imagine that I was in their exact spot just a year ago. Such happy and joyful times!! My advice is to not wish it go by fast...enjoy this incredible journey as it flies by too fast as it is! I actually miss being pregnant...there, I said it!

New things our Little Man is doing:

Babbling/cooing a lot
Giggling
Rolling over front to back and back to front
Moving like an inch worm
Standing ALL the time - he may walk before he crawls!
Eating cereal
Fascinated by his new best friend, Lola AKA - Momma Dog
AND....sleeping in his own bed!!! Woohoo, not with Mommy anymore!

Here are some pictures of Mr. B and from our latest adventures:

Bryson with his Mimi and Kiki

Ava, Ashlyn, Bryson and I at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

Mi Familia at Grandma's 80th Birthday

Grandma with her Great Grandchildren! Kora wasn't having any of it.

Funny faces! Even Bryson joined in!

Ava and Bryson

Hmm, should I play for the Falcons or the Aggies?!?!

Happy 4th of July! Poor guy was partied out!

He fell asleep watching baseball in Cory's arms...so stinkin' cute!

First bite of rice cereal...not sure what to think of it and honestly I don't blame him, it smells and tastes (Cory tried it) horrible!

Time is Flying by!

2009-06-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but Bryson is already 10 weeks old! We had his 2 month check-up last week, which went well besides him getting 5 shots...poor guy! The doctor was impressed with his height and weight considering his early arrival. He now weighs a whopping 12 lbs 1 oz. and is 23 inches long. I have recently had to retire all of his newborn clothes, which was very sad for me. I never in a million years thought that I would be a sappy Mommy but it's happened!! He makes life so much more meaningful and full of love...I am so happy and grateful for my family!

We have already been extremely busy this Spring/Summer. Bryson has done quite a bit of traveling so far and it looks like it isn't going to die down anytime soon! So far we have been to 2 weddings and a Fancy (my middle niece Ava turned 5!) birthday party. We will be going to Colorado in a week for another birthday milestone....my grandmother's 80th birthday!!! This will be Bryson's first airplane ride and hopefully it will be a good one, for me at least. :)

Some recent things that Bryson does to make his Mommy and Daddy smile:

SMILES!
Teases me by looking away when I look at him then to look at me and look away again when I look at him...what a stinker...
Arches his back and curls his legs in to stretch when I pick him from sleeping...so cute
Puckers his lips when sleeping
Snuggles next to Mommy to sleep (his face has to be right next to mine)
Tooting! This cracks me up for some reason!
He thinks fans are funny
Likes it when I sing (poor guy is too young to know that I don't sing well!)
Smiles now when I have to suck the boogies out of his nose...gross I know, but funny!

Here are some recent pictures of our adventures and of our Little Man:

First smile caught on camera

I couldn't wait to get him in his board shorts, rash guard and sandals!

First dip in the pool

Cousin Kora and Pop

Aggie in training...Whoop!

Us at Ava's Fancy Birthday Tea Party

Onesie we made for Dr. Gayle...He calls Bryson his Super Hero

Of course we couldn't forget about all the awesome nurses!

Bryson's favorite Aunt...KIKI!!!

Bryson Allen is Here!!!

2009-04-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

We would love to announce that our little man has finally arrived! He was born on March 25th at 7:48 pm weighing in at a whopping 5 lb 15 oz. and was 18.5 inches long. He is truly a miracle and we are extremely thankful that he is here and healthy!

Unfortunately we ended up having an emergency C-section due to what is called a prolapsed cord. According to my doctor and all the information I have read since, this is extremely rare (1 in 300 births), which makes it a .003333% chance that this can happen to anyone...NOT EVEN A 1 % chance!!! How lucky were we?!?! This reminds me of a close friend of mine who had kidney stones really bad in high school and she ended up being in a 1% category of the chance that they would come back once they got rid of them (you know who you are!). She came to school the next day saying sarcastically "Cool, I am in the 1 % chance!" and we laughed it off...that's how I feel about Bryson's birth. I just have to think positive and be thankful that he is with us and hope that next time (I will need a few years) I can have a VBACK. Honestly, I feel like I got robbed of the whole birthing experience and it's hard not to think about the 'what if's' if we didn't have the best doctor in the world!

Here is the story (I will try to make this short and sweet): We went to the hospital with contractions at around 4:30 that day and the nurses didn't believe me when I said we were in labor. So they hook me up to find out that in deed I was and that the doctor would be coming after his day at the office. So Dr. Gayle gets there around 6:30 or so and said that I was progressing nicely and that we should go ahead and break my water. This totally freaked me out because we weren't there for very long! So he did and I couldn't believe how much amniotic fluid I had...I flooded the doctor right off the bed! TMI for some of you! The contractions started getting stronger but nothing I couldn't handle, so I didn't ask for an epidural yet. Within 15-20 of the doctor leaving, the nurses started coming in and I could tell something wasn't right. They told me to turn over because the baby's heart beat was dropping and when they checked me, they were shocked at what they felt. One of Bryson's arms had come through and they were shaking his hand. She tried to put it back in when it got critical...she felt the umbilical cord too! She started ordering Cory to take everything off of me and wheel us out of the room to the OR. She was ordering him to do this because she was on top of me on the bed holding pushing him (nice visual right!?!) up so that with every strong contraction the cord wouldn't get cut off of oxygen. Cory was white at this point because we both didn't know what was going on and he was watching his whole life be wheeled away without him.

We get to the OR and it seemed like the whole Labor and Delivery staff was in the room too. They had to bend the bed all the way back (I was practically falling off) to get Bryson to move back up. I heard everything that night...I could tell that the nurses were starting to panic and that they had called the doctor and anesthesiologist. Dr. Gayle was at church down the road, so he was on his way and the anesthesiologist at the hospital was caring for someone else at the same time, so they had to call another one that lived about 10 min. away. The nurses were yelling that they couldn't find the baby's pulse and that he needed to come out immediately. At t his point, I am trying to remain calm and breath as deeply as possible to try to get oxygen to the baby. The doctor finally gets there but no anesthesiologist! I could tell in his voice that it was getting extremely critical and that they needed to get him out immediately, so he ordered for the tray of locals. I told him to just do it and get him out! Right before he was about to shoot up my stomach the anesthesiologist walks in, slaps the mask on and within 2 minutes Bryson was out! He was not breathing and was blue. Within seconds they were able to get him breathing and was rushed to the NICU. According to Dr. Gayle, all the nurses started to cry when they heard him cry. I am so thankful to all of these people!!

I remember waking up to Cory, my sister, mom and 2 of my closest friends all of which looked teary-eyed. They had just talked to the doctor about the details and were all hoping that I wouldn't remember everything...Ha, yeah right! They told me that the baby was fine but that I couldn't see him until the morning. Come to find out later, he almost didn't make it and that the window of him either not surviving or having brain damage was between 1 to 5 minutes. This crushed me, especially since I couldn't see or hold him! My loving husband was able to go into the NICU and film him so that I could see Bryson for the first time. This was definitely NOT my idea of what labor and delivery was going to be like. I had imagined hanging out with friends and family until it was time to push and then being able to see my little man for the first time as he entered this world. It is amazing just how precious life is and that having children is definitely a miracle.

Here are some pics of our tough little guy:

Finally I was able to hold him!

His take-home outfit that was WAY too big!

We couldn't wait to take him home! Look, the buckle is almost bigger than he is.

A proud Pop with his first grandson...finally one with a 'stem'!

A proud Mimi!

Cory loves to read to him!

Happy Easter! Thanks Kiki for the basket!

Baby Shower Fun!

2009-03-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sister and Mom threw us a baby shower in Georgetown, which was a blast! I really enjoyed visiting with family and friends that I haven't seen in a very long time. The decorations down to the delicious cupcakes were perfect! I am just happy that the little man let me go. I will be honest though, on Sunday I was a little nervous that we weren't going to make it home due to having many contractions. Luckily, Cory and I got home from a fun-filled weekend with no baby-on-the-way!

We are so thankful for every one's love and support during this incredible time in our lives! All your gifts and well-wishes are greatly appreciated, as well as all the advice. I think that Bryson has more clothes now than Cory and I combined and it's amazing how much stuff he 'needs' for such a little person!! Who knew! He is already extremely spoiled due to all of your kind givings, so when he throws a fit I will pass him along to all of you to deal with...hehe!

Here are a few pictures from the shower: BTW, JoElla-we all missed you greatly and wished you could have been there! We hope you are feeling much better...

Cory and I with all the cute decorations behind us!

Yummy cupcakes that I was craving for weeks! They came from a famous place in Austin.

More decorations

My beautiful sister Kim (Kiki) and I

Andrea 'George' and Mrs. Mary Malone...childhood friend/Mom...and fellow softball star/Mom!

The weekend before last my friends threw me a shower, which they ended up moving to my house so that I could rest...it was awesome! I know that going into the hospital right before really threw them into a fizzy with planning and stuff but it all went smoothly and everyone had a great time. Like I have said before, I must be the luckiest woman in the world to have such wonderful friends and family! They did the whole 'Belly Tape' game where you have to guess how big my stomach was and my Evil Twin, Tamara won...the funny thing about it is how she came up with the measurement...she measured the circumference of her chest and it was practically right on! We all died laughing but it actually made me a little jealous...where are my boobs?!?! hehe...not fair!

Here are some pictures from that shower:

The hostesses: Sole (with baby Krystian), Allison, Rosa, Patty, Evil Twin, Nikki

Where's Tamara?!?

One of my favorite clients, Laura and Rosa

Sole, Kim (my 'younger' sis) and Jamie

Funny Question of the Month:

There is a sweet, young college girl who works the front desk at the gym that has been obsessed (in a good way!) about my pregnancy, always asking questions and wanting to feel Bryson move....everyday...so this question came from her-love you Dani!

She first started off with "wow, you look huge today!" (I just smiled) and then she asked "So, do you look funny naked?!" (I was speechless....)

My reply after a few moments to myself: Uh, well, hmm...yes, I guess I do! I then asked Cory that night if I looked funny naked and he started laughing, which indicated that he agreed...the more I thought about it the more I found it humorous and realized that I look sorta like an old man that has a huge pot belly and stick legs. So now I laugh every time I see myself in the mirror!

Already Full of Surprises!

2009-03-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well it has definitely been an eventful week so far! We are now 34 1/2 weeks pregnant and I am just glad to still have the little man baking a bit longer. Last Friday I went to the hospital with false labor (Braxton Hicks) contractions that were beginning to increase in number. Cory and I thought that we would be there for a little while so that they can monitor me and then let us go. We had planned a date night, dinner and a movie, but ended up having our "date" in the hospital for 4 nights!! It was going to be our Babymoon weekend of fun and relaxation...HA!

I was terrified that Bryson was going to make his grand entrance at 33 weeks...very scary. I ended up having a slight fever when I arrived at the hospital and the beginning of a bladder infection, which is what they say probably triggered all this chaos. I was on antibiotics and a couple other medications to help stop the contractions from going into real labor for 5 days. Needless to say, I am now thankfully home but on bed rest. No more work, working out or anything....ugh, this is going to be hard! I am extremely grateful that Bryson is doing well now and that my Mom and sister came in town to take care of me for a few days...Thank YOU!

They have helped out so much by getting everything ready for his arrival if he still decides to come early and they made sure that I was well fed and relaxed. They are awesome! Unfortunately they had to leave today but it was really nice to have them here for a while. Now I am restricted to the couch, the bed and the bathroom...that's about it...at least for a few more days.

I had an appointment yesterday with the doc and he said that everything looks great and that I will be able to move around a bit more next week. That is great to hear because I don't want to miss the Austin baby shower next weekend! I am determined to make it as long as I keep improving. I can't wait to get out of the house and see everyone!! Keep your fingers crossed that Bryson doesn't get too impatient (he already takes after him Mom!). :)

33 Weeks and Counting...

2009-02-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I have written and I can't believe how time has flown by! I still feel like I just found out we were pregnant but the more I see myself in pictures, the more I am shocked by the growth of the belly. Last weekend my mother-in-law threw me a baby shower, which was really nice. I was happy that my sister was able to stay the weekend as well and drive me to Houston...she completely spoiled me! She came in Friday and took me to get a pedi and then Sat. we went to the shower in Houston and that night she helped organize everything in the baby's room! There were piles of clothes (Bryson is going to be well decked out!), toys, diapers, wipes, and other stuff thrown in his room that she organized and cleaned while I watched and tried to help. Thank you so much Kim!! I am feeling like I have so much to do and so little time. Cory was so cute the night we came back from the shower. He had to open and put together everything that had pieces...must be excitement and the engineer in him. :) So now we have the Bob stroller in our dining room and the Pack n' Play in our living room as well as a swing. He cracks me up!

Recently I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions that initially scared the daylights outta me! I didn't know what was happening and if I needed to go to the hospital. After reading through all of the information, I decided to sleep them off (I figured that if they didn't hurt and weren't regular that I was safe). The doctor checked me yesterday and I am still all closed up and the baby is high, which I was extremely relieved to hear!!! I was given the "you need to take it easy" lecture though from my doc, so I am trying my hardest to rest. Thanks Dad for the need-to-stay-busy trait. :)

Other than the false contractions, I am feeling pretty good and BIG! Everyone at work runs up to me all the time wanting to feel him move...I guess the belly is screaming their names now and sticking out far enough to attract the hands...hehe. Here are some new symptoms and cravings:

I LOVE raspberries and bluberries in my cereal in the morning (or anytime of day really)
Dark chocolate pudding is a must daily (sugar free of course due to the Gestational Diabetes) :(
Crunchy peanut butter on cinnamon graham crackers hasn't gotten old yet...YUMMY!
Cucumbers are a new craving...I just love them in a spinach salad almost every night.
Braxton Hicks contractions
An Outtie belly button
and the newest one.....a leaky boob! I definitely plan on breast feeding, so this is a good sign..hehe

Still no stretch marks, knock on wood! This is the latest picture at 32 weeks preggers:

Here are some cute pictures of Kora's 1st birthday and Ashlyn's 7th birthday:

My sis made this special shirt for her 1st birthday!

Kora with her Uncle Cory

Ashlyn and Ava about to start dancing to their favorite singer (and Blake's too)...Taylor Swift!

Her first dive into a cake!

All 3 beautiful girls...I can't belive Ashlyn is 7!!

Third Trimester Here We Come!

2009-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I have blogged! The holidays are always crazy but being pregnant is going to be my excuse. I am just plain TIRED! I will try to continue to keep this up until our Little Man arrives but we shall see.

We had a wonderful family holiday and enjoyed every minute with our nieces! They are so cute and fun to be around. I believe Santa brought them everything they wanted plus some. New Year's was pretty wild...Cory and I were passed out by 9-9:30...we sure know how to PARTY!! I actually ended up getting sick the day before and am still trying to get over the congestion. I am sure many of you can relate. Here are some pics from the holidays:

Miss Kora loves her Pop!

Cookie Time! A family tradition that the girls look forward to every year.

Maybe Kora will be my softball player! I am determined to get one of them to play so I am starting her early!

The Wii was a HUGE hit this year...for all the kids as you can see...

Yesterday we had our first appointment in our third trimester. We are now 28 weeks with only 12 to go! Time sure is flying by and I am thankful...now. In my 1st and 2nd trimester I couldn't understand why so many mother's just wanted to get the pregnancy over with....ha, now I know! I still love and enjoy being pregnant but my body is definitely starting to feel the changes. My hips are definitely getting the worst beating, which may be due to weight lifting, so I have toned that down. Other fun surprises are back aches, not sleeping well, and HORMONES! Since the last blog I have had a couple breakdowns, of which I found hilarious because it's not me. I am also getting antsy and excited to see my little boy!! I can't wait to see his precious little face. We had an ultrasound yesterday and I think we may be having a little Cory Mini-Me. He definitely has his chin and nose! I love it! Here are a couple belly pics from the last couple weeks. I am amazed at how big I am and how I still have many more weeks to go...stretch marks here we come...(hopefully not!)

Week 26

Week 27 and growing....

So Much to be Thankful for!

2008-12-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are ready for the next big holiday...yea Christmas! This has definitely been a magical year for my family, especially with the latest news that we are expecting a boy! He (we still aren't certain what his name will be yet!) will be the very first grandson following 3 beautiful and vibrant granddaughters. He will definitely know how to be around/handle/treat women growing up! haha. My nieces have already told me that they can't wait to play with him and dress him up...this shall be fun!

Following being very thankful for my family, I am extremely thankful for my friends, co-workers and clients (who are more like friends now!) I honestly couldn't ask for a better job and support of those that I see everyday. It sure makes going through this pregnancy a lot more enjoyable and exciting! I appreciate all their kind words and encouragement when I am feeling very tired and not wanting to work out...way to keep me going!! Steve, the owner of the gym, threw a wonderful Xmas party last weekend, which was a blast...here are some pics:

My handsome hubby (the man behind the Belly!)

The Boss Man and his main squeeze Lindy (another trainer).

Beverly and Desha (the tough chicks). I train them plus they work in Childcare (aka, future babysitters!!)

The Baldies, Asim and Dave

Desha again...I just love this girl!

Well, it's hard to believe that we are now more than halfway through this pregnancy. Boy, time sure does fly by! The next thing I know is that I will be in the hospital trying to come to reality that I must push a watermelon out of a much smaller hole...I try not to think about it too much yet! (yes, I am in denial and happy in this place at the moment)

New Side Effects:

- For some reason I am unable to spell the simplest words these days. Writing has always been my thing and now I send emails to friends and family that have words misspelled...sorta embarrassing!

- The spelling issue is joyously joined with not being able to talk and make sense...AT ALL sometimes! I can't spit out what I want to say and then when it does come out, it's all messed up. You gotta love Pregnancy Brain!

- Sleeping is becoming interesting. I can't seem to get comfortable and my hips constantly hurt throughout the night...gee, I can't wait to get even bigger! I am going to need stairs soon to get in and out of bed. :)

- Ok, I will FINALLY admit it....I am becoming emotional...AAaahhhhh!! It's not bad and I don't have mood swings (ha, yet!) but I notice myself tearing up over silly commercials and movies. I am NOT a crier and it's so embarrassing for me, so I try to hold it back and hide it especially when Cory is with me! (hehe, this will be a surprise for Cory when he reads it if I have been good at hiding it!)

New Cravings:

- York peppermint patties!! They are the perfect size to grab and go. YUMMY! In fact, I need one right now! :)

- I still love the peanut butter and crackers!

- Blackened salmon...a must at least 1-2 times a week.

- FruSundaes! If you have an Edible Arrangements near you then you NEED to check this out! They have a fruit sundae that is to die for. You get to choose what kind of fruit you want (it is the best fruit you will ever taste...it doesn't compare to grocery store stuff!) and they put melted chocolate all over it....woohoo, my mouth is watering as I type!

Here are the most recent Belly Pics:

20 weeks

21 weeks

Boy or Girl?!?! ...Our Little Turtle

2008-11-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

'Tis the Season for Baby Showers

2008-11-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

Just this month, I have been invited to 3 baby showers but could only make 2. One of my most loved friends, Sole, is due in December around Christmas and my sister's sister-in-law is due about the same time. I also have a wonderful friend, Dani, who is due in January but unfortunately I could not make it to her baby shower. :( Congrats to all of them on their soon-to-be new arrivals! I find it interesting how baby's and weddings seem to clump together. I have 3 weddings to go to this year too, and have had none in the last 3 years! Crazy! I guess this is the year of LOVE...hehe.

Here are some recent pics of Sole's baby shower:

My Evil Twin, Tamara, and Sole. They are so beautiful!

Tamara, Patty, Rosa, and Sole. They are all sister's/sister-in-laws (soon-to-be for Tamara)

Nikki is starting to get baby fever after knowing so many preggers! She may be next!

On the pregnancy front, I have been feeling very good lately! I don't know how I managed to, so far, have a pretty easy pregnancy but I am VERY THANKFUL! I am sure that my sister and Mom are still in disbelief because they were so sick during pregnancy. It could be a clue that I am having a boy but we will find out next week for sure!!!! I am on edge and so excited! Woohoo!

New weird and surprising side-effects:

Allergies- I have never had problems with my sinuses but these days only my right ear will clog up, which is very annoying for hours on end. The only way to relieve it is to bend over, stand upside down, or lean backwards off the couch. Yes, this must paint a beautiful picture but if it works, I am going to do it!

PREGNESIA!- This is so true! I laughed at first when people would say that I will start forgetting things because I have never been one to right stuff down....until now. It only takes 2 seconds for me to completely forget what I was doing or what someone said. My co-workers are having a good time with it watching me space out and walk around the gym aimlessly. :)

New cravings:

- Peanut butter and Cinnamon Wheat Thins- My doctor actually suggested this combo because my iron count is low. I never really like peanut butter before but now I LOVE it!

- Dried blueberries- YUMMY!

- Whole Wheat bagels with light cream cheese- I have to have this as soon as I get home from the gym. My mouth starts watering as I am driving home!

Here are some new Belly Pics:

16 weeks and growing...My first pair of maternity jeans...love'em!

17 weeks

These stretchy jeans are my favorite so far...very comfy!

Tots and Tails Sell Out Sale!! Everything Must Go!

2008-10-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

Our family has decided to close down shop after almost 4 years designing and creating for Tots and Tails Designs. It has been a wild ride and we will forever have wonderful memories from this experience. This coming weekend we are having a Close Out sale of everything from finished luxury blankets, pet beds and accessories, to raw good like minky fabric, Michael Miller prints, cottons, suedes, boxes, bags and more!! If you like to sew or know someone who does, you won't want to miss out on our prices for cut fabric (especially our variety of colors and textures of the plush minky fabrics!).

It all must go and we would love to see you there! Check out our website for a look at our products! This is a CASH ONLY SALE!! http://www.totsandtailsdesigns.com/

Time and Place

Start Time: Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 9:00am
End Time: Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 3:00pm
Location: North Austin
Street: 13212 Woodthorpe Street
City/Town: Austin, TX

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=13212+Woodthorpe+Street%2C+Austin%2C+TX

Ren Fest and Going into the 15 week of Pregnancy!

2008-10-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago my family came to stay with us so that we could all go to the Renaissance Festival. We all had such a great time and it was so cute to see the girls dressed up in their faeries outfits! Cory and I love hanging around these girls but were exhausted when they left. How do you moms do it?!?! I guess we will be finding out before we know it...one at a time thank goodness! :) Here are some pics:

Ava and Ashlyn happily in their costumes

Little Miss Kora happy as always

I can't believe that Blake lets her do that to him...OUCH! She's a strong little thing!

Ava and Uncle Cory...they were so cute together that day (she wouldn't leave him alone!)

Princess Kora again. We are so glad that Kim and Blake decided to have a 3rd!!

On the pregnancy front, we are now in the 15th week! Time is really flying by and luckily I feel great. So far the only thing expanding is my waist, although I am a little disappointed that I have yet to see any enlargement in my chest. :( I keep waiting for these suckers to appear...just to see what it would be like to have a nice set. HAHA! My belly seems to grow overnight and yesterday I told Cory that the site of it makes me laugh. I think its funny...maybe not in a couple months from now. I am officially wearing the beloved B-Buckle at all times now with my pants. If you have been pregnant, are, or will be in the future then I highly recommend investing in this comforting piece of fabric!!!! Check out the website at http://www.mybbuckles.com/, I promise you will LOVE it! Thanks again to my sis for buying this for me!!

I think that I felt the baby move this past week as I was watching TV in bed. I told Cory and he said it was probably just gas (another wonderful side effect in the 2nd trimester). I still think that I felt it move. Here are some updates on the last couple weeks. I know that some of you are thinking about starting a family soon and like to read about a preggers experience (JoElla, hopefully!! ;) and then there are those who can totally relate!

My recent cravings: CHEESE!! I have to have cheese everyday all day long...string cheese, shredded cheese, Laughing Cow cheese, cream cheese, and of course baked cheetos (if this counts)! I am still josin' for orange juice and have it available at all times.

Cory's recent cravings: Beer and icecream...NO JOKE! He is also starting to feel as exhausted as me for no reason, so it must be sympathy exhaustion...haha, GOOD!

New surprises: Bladder seems to keep getting smaller...ugh. Stomach is also getting squished, so now I can't eat as much in one sitting. Acne on my face is getting better surprisingly BUT it has moved to my back...AHHhhh, I have never had back acne...great!!! Sleeping is getting more difficult and uncomfortable (tossing and turning all night). Dreams are frequent and vivid!

The #1 best side effect in the 2nd Trimester is: *Dad, if you are reading this then you may want to stop, I warned you*

SEX!

Ok ladies, first of all, we all got in this situation because of 'making love' so don't get all squimish on me. Second, we need to let all the soon-to-be mothers in the 1st trimester know that it DOES get better! And lastly, you know it's amazing (I can sense all of your smiles right now). A woman's libido in the 2nd trimester sky rockets like you wouldn't believe. I remember reading about it in books and online but wasn't sure I believed it after not feeling too hot in the 1st trimester but IT'S TRUE! For those of you who didn't have this joyous side effect...I am truly sorry! This makes me NEVER want to get on the pill again!!! WOO HOO! :)

*Ok Dad, it's safe now...continue on...*

Here are some belly pics: Week 13

While the girls were in town, we took a belly pic together. Stinker Miss Ava cracked all of us up the whole time with her poses and facial expressions...hince in the next picture!

Being silly

Week 14: This picture blew me away when I saw it! Cory just started laughing.

How did it get so big so fast?!?!?! Crazy!

Front pose with a bit of Lola and my beloved B-buckle! What a life saver!

Lola had to push her way between my legs to get in the picture...such a ham!

Officially in the 2nd Trimester!

2008-10-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but we are now 13-14 weeks along and just had our 2nd appointment yesterday! It went very well besides the fact that our doctor was running extremely late and we had to wait for over an hour. The good news was that he felt bad and brought in the sonogram machine on the house!!! We were excited to see how much progress Baby A had made and what a huge transformation...amazing! The baby actually looks like a human instead of a little jumping bean and it was relieving to know that everything looked great. He/She is now a whole 3 inches. :) He captured a lot of pictures for us to keep, one of which is my favorite....A GIG 'EM THUMB!!! The baby brought up his/her hand and gave us a gig 'em sign, which we all thought was hilarious. I believe this one could be a thumb sucker too...just like his/her mommy was. :) I will have to admit though, trying to break that habit was HARD! My poor Mom did everything she could to get me to stop and I think the one thing that did it was my dad saying, "you don't want to get caught in school sucking your thumb like a baby do you?" Way to go in scaring me Dad!

My latest meal concoction that grossed Cory out was: baked Cheetos, grapes, triscuits and cheese, and edamame....Oh yeah, it was good!

The one thing that I have to have everyday that I did not like before pregnancy: orange juice

The thing that I would love to change about being pregnant: My skin going through puberty all over again!! I thought those miserable days were behind me. I was greatly mistaken!

The Doc said that we might be able to find out what the baby is by Thanksgiving but we shall see. I am so anxious! I have not done any shopping yet and I think it is partly because I really need to know what we are having first. After we find out...the shopping begins! I can't wait to hit the Christmas fairs and festivals, especially the Junior League's Christmas Affair in Austin!

Here is a picture at 12 weeks:

Lola like to pose for pictures too! She is a mama's girl and wants to do everything that I am doing. Silly girl!

BIG NEWS!!!

2008-09-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally did it....WE ARE PREGNANT!! Cory and I are happy to announce that we are expecting a little one. I know, some of you are either completely shocked or you are saying "it's about time". We kept it a secret that we were even thinking about it back in May because we kept getting pestered (you know who you are!) to have children, so it was a huge surprise to my sister and parents...I guess I just busted you. :) Cory and I are extremely excited and ready for this new adventure. What a ride it will be!

Our first appointment was 2 weeks ago, which was so amazing. We were able to see him/her moving around and doing a little gig (I thought it was doing crunches) hehe. It was also incredible to see the spine, umbilical cord, heart beat, brain forming, and little arm and leg buds. We are now going into our 11th week, so the belly is starting to grow much faster it seems. I can't believe that we are already almost in the 2nd trimster! I am looking forward to it so that I will hopefully get my energy back, at least for a little while. I have been lucky in that I only felt nauseous for a couple weeks and recently that has gone away. I have my appetite back yet there are still some foods that make me cringe...especially BROCCOLI!!!! YUCK. My sister and Mom don't think it is fair that I never got sick, but maybe this is a sign that we are having a boy!! We hope to find out sometime in November if our guess is right. It would be nice to have some boys in the family! Either way, we just want a healthy baby come April.

I am still working as a Personal Trainer and plan on continuing until the end. My boss is wonderful as well as my co-workers, and they are all very excited. It is nice to work for someone who is supportive and encouraging...I think they just can't wait to see my belly grow. :) It is obviously known that working out while pregnant is beneficial (as long as your doctor says it's okay!) and I am going to have to agree 110%! I believe that it has helped me out tremendously just in this short time with symptoms. I am still doing my regular workout before I was pregnant, just taken down a notch or 2. I haven't been emotional or anxious and I feel really good. I just hope that I can keep it up and stay strong the whole way through!

I am going to try my hardest to keep up with this blog, as I have slacked this whole summer..oops! I hope that everyone is well and ready for some cooler weather...here comes Fall! This is a belly picture at 10 weeks:

Long time no Blog and The Astros!!!

2008-08-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a very long time since I last blogged! Sorry, it has been a crazy summer so far as some of you can probably relate. I hope that everyone is enjoying this lovely HOT Texas weather and I bet a lot of you are over summer and ready for Fall. :) Our poor grass is dying and my attempts at doing rain dances aren't helping. I only hope that this hurricane will bring us a couple inches! Other than doing rain dances everyday, I have been extremely busy training lately. I am starting to gain a loyal clientele, which seems to continue building everyday. On top of personal training, I have recently joined Junior League and am now a Big Sister to a wonderful little girl named Eve. I think that with all of this, I have my hands full! Cory is still busy working overtime with Halliburton, so some things never change. :)

Last weekend we had a very exciting trip to Houston! I had never been to a Major League baseball game even after all the years of playing softball and loving the game. We bought tickets to the Sat. game against the Mets and we WON!!! It was awesome...we were behind the whole time until the 9th inning when we tied....then we scored in the bottom of the 10th and took the game. A lot of people missed the best part by leaving early but I wasn't about to because I just knew they were going to pull through! I had such a wonderful time and was giddy at the site of the field. Cory made sure that he took pics for me (I am usually the photographer) so that I can blog about it. :) While we were in Houston we also went to the Galleria to shop, although both of us aren't shoppers (so you are probably wondering why we went huh?!?)....well, my favorite store is there called Bebe Sport, athletic clothes, which is the only "style" that I really have. We also love eating at The Cheesecake Factory, so that was a nice treat! Here are the pics:

Yes, I am a dork!

This beer cost $7.25! I enjoyed every sip!

My wonderful hubby! He made this experience for me even more memorable and special.

Minute Maid Stadium/Park

The All-American baseball park food tradition, minus the hotdog...Gross!

The Astros Won!!

Most women get excited about Louie Vuitton or Gucci bags, but this one does it for me!

Here are some other pictures from the 4th of July with my family. We all had a great time playing in the pool and just hanging out.

Family Time at the Beach!

2008-05-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

Our family just got back this week from spending some quality time together at the beach...South Padre! It was a blast and just by watching the girls, I think that they had the best time. It was Ashlyn and Ava's first experience playing in the sand and surf, which was so much fun to watch! Ava really enjoyed being buried in the sand and then burying her father. Ashlyn had fun boogie boarding and was so giddy that she kept saying "this is awesome" the whole time. The funniest part though was "crab wrangling" (well, that is what we eventually called it). Uncle Cory is now called the top Crab Wrangler because he was running all over the place trying to catch the fast little things on our night walk. He caught a couple and then chased some towards the girls, which made Ashlyn freeze up and scream. As my dad would put it, the screaming session could have easily put her in a horror movie because it was very theatrical! :) From that point on, Blake would say "Hey Ashlyn, CRAB!" and point next to her feet and she would once again scream hysterically. Poor girl, she did a lot of screaming on the trip...very entertaining though! :)

I think our last family trip was when I was still in High School, so this was a treat for all of us. My parents have finally moved closer to my sis and I, in Georgetown, so that we can spend more time together. It really has been wonderful! If only Cory and I could move closer then it would be perfect but I don't see that happening due to his job.

The trip was very memorable yet too short! I think next year we may try renting a lake house or something a little bit closer to home. I can't believe that it took us 7 hours to drive to South Padre and we live in Texas! Crazy! Here are some pics:

Okay, you are probably wondering why there is a picture of bug repellent with "Skank Off" written on it....well, this is my family thinking that they are being very funny. Actually, it is very funny and I have no problem sharing the story....My parents came to visit a few weeks ago and while they were here I was telling them about all the Skinks (a type of lizard) that we have around our house. Well, the night before or so, Cory and I were laying in bed and I was telling him about them because I had been mowing the yard that day. I said something like, "man we have a lot of skanks in our yard" and then I started laughing because it obviously sounded funny and I asked Cory if it was Skinks or Skanks and he was so tired that he just agreed with both. Unfortunately I made the mistake of telling my Dad and now its a huge family inside joke. When we were all getting ready to head to the beach, my sis brought me this bottle...I have to admit, it was pretty funny. Hey, at least I am good for something!! ;) So now my family will occasionally ask if we still have a lot of skanks hanging around our house.

Noche Bajo Las Estrellas!

2008-04-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend one of my favorite couples, above, put on an amazing show!! Alex and Tamara (my *evil* twin) are dedicated members of the Ballet Folklorico Celestial at Texas A&M University. Another wonderful friend and Alex's sister, Patti is also a member and all have been practicing very hard for the performance called Noche Bajo Las Estrellas. I know that they were engulfed in the planning for months and it seemed that they were constantly practicing and preparing for their big performance. In the end, it was professionally done and hopefully worth every sleepless night, all the frustration, and many worries. Cory and I definitely enjoyed ourselves and couldn't be more proud of our talented friends!!! I really enjoy the Hispanic culture and love to go salsa dancing, so I was on the edge of my seat in amazement watching them dance. The dresses they wore were so beautiful too! (FYI-Alex did not wear any dresses) HA! Here are some pictures that I captured...

The cute couple!

Beautiful dresses

Alex doing his thing

Amazing!

My favorite picture!

Patti with Mia and Brandon. They were so excited and proud of their Tia.

Cory, Aroldo, Alex, Brandon, and the Grandpa

And finally, here is a recent picture of me as a brunette again!!! Whoohooo! It was fun being a blonde for a few years but I am happy to be back to my "normal" self, whatever that means. :)

Yes, Spring is here!

2008-03-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be happier that Spring is finally here..well, sorta. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful but it is strange that just last week it snowed. That's Texas weather for ya! I am definitely looking forward to the warm days ahead, spending my days outside, driving past huge patches of spring flowers (Indian Paint Brushes are my favorite!), and having so many choices when it comes to the weekends with different festivals, celebrations, rodeos, wine trails, etc. I would have to say that Spring is the best season...for me at least!

And speaking of festivals and Arts and Craft shows, a couple weekends ago I was in Austin to visit my 3 favorite girls and we all had a blast!! It was the first time Kim had taken the girls out by herself since Kora arrived. I was there of course to help and we all enjoyed spending time together and getting out of the house. We went to an arts and crafts festival downtown and here are some pics:

This is about all Kora did the whole day...what a life!

Ashlyn and Ava got to make sand designs

A very happy Ava after she and I had a little talk. I told her that if she wanted to ride the horses that I would buy her a ticket if she repeated after me.."I will have NO more cranky pants"..we both won! I think that she is smiling for the both of us. :)

The girls are showing off their "Brandon Bracelets". Sgt. Brandon is my cousins husband who left for Iraq in January. Cortney made these bands with his name on them and we wear them all the time to remind us that there are loved ones over there fighting for our freedom to be able to enjoy days like these. We are always thinking of you Brandon and thank you for all that you do for us!!!

This picture was taken after our long day out on the town and what is so funny about it is that Ashlyn passed out holding her hurt shin. She banged it up at Central Market playing on the playground and was so dramatic, tired, and in a little pain that she cried and held her leg all the way home and ended up falling asleep like that. I about died laughing when I opened her door to get her out and found her like this. Oh the stories I can't wait to tell her boyfriends (when she turns 21 of course!).

She's Here!!!

2008-02-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

Baby Kora Ann Mashburn has arrived! She was born on Wed. Feb. 6th at around 3:15 pm. She weighed 7 lb. 11 ounces and is 20 inches long. Kim made the birth look way too easy and I was so excited to get to watch! I ended up getting a ton of great pictures to share....

Ashlyn's 6th Birthday

2008-02-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated Ashlyn's 6th birthday at an indoor inflatable park, which is always fun! She had a blast and we enjoyed watching her and all her little friends play (I love hearing their little conversations and how they interact with each other...too cute!). This year she wanted Bindi the Jungle Girl theme and I was in heaven! It was so much fun to do a water-type animal theme for the cake instead of horses...I was let off the hook this year!! Here are some pics of the festivities:

Ashlyn is a HUGE Aggie fan, so her Uncle Cory and I bought her this pink jersey and "Aggie Girl" hat for her birthday. She loved it so much and wore it the next day to the park. Gee, I don't know who the big influence is but she LOVES A&M! hehe. Everytime we see burnt orange or a longhorn sticker, she yells "Aggies Rule and Longhorns Drool!"....it cracks me up every time. I just love this girl!!!

AND...tomorrow is a big day for our family, as we will be welcoming another little princess to the group. Kora is scheduled to make an appearance tomorrow and we are all so excited (especially Kim due to feeling like she is as big as a house!). I am excited because I get to be there for the birth (hopefully it won't scare me completely away from having some of my own!). I will be posting pictures as soon as I get the chance.

A Mashburn Weekend

2008-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we threw my sister a surprise 30th birthday bash at their house and it went better than I had ever imagined!! I had been planning it for a couple of weeks hoping that she had not heard anything from anyone. Friday I called her saying that I was in Austin and was wondering if she and the girls wanted to have a "girls day" and go shopping. Of course that worked but I was still worried that she knew something UNTIL she kept saying things here and there that reassured me that she had NO idea! She would say how Blake has made no plans to celebrate her birthday except that he would "let" her go to her babyshower on Sunday without the kids and that afterwards, she could come home and watch football with him...haha. I was cracking up and playing along of course. She also kept telling the girls that as soon as they get home they need to take baths and go to bed...blah, blah, blah...I was thinking about how much fun they were going to have the rest of the night playing with cousins, eating cake, cookies, etc. We walked in the door and there was a wall of people waiting for us...it was AWESOME!!!! She was definitely surprised, along with the girls, and we partied the rest of the night. Here are some pics:

This is taken right as we walked in the door...Ashlyn is still trying to figure it out!

Everyone started coming towards her for hugs...HAHA, we gotcha!

Kim's 30th birthday cake made by her favorite YOUNGER sister :)

They happy couple, Blake and Kim, waiting on #3 to make her arrival (not much longer!)

Our grandmother, Mawmaw, Mom and Aunt Kathy

The sista's...the belly makes a great shelf, thanks Kim!

Joe Daddy being funny...we all had a blast!

On top of throwing the surprise party, on Sunday we had Kim's 3rd babyshower. Luckily with this one, Kim's wonderful friends hosted it! The only thing I had to do was design and make the cookies, which was fun. It was a very nice baby shower with yet again, a big turn out. We ate and just enjoyed everyone's company. Kim got a lot of nice things for the baby (I think the name will be Kora...at least I hope so!). It could have turned out to be another birthday party because Kim had been having contractions the whole time. What a weekend that would have been!! I can't wait to see my new niece and hopefully I will get into town in time to see the birth when she decides to make her grand enterance!

Mom, Kim and I

My first decorative cookies and they taste even better than Cookies n' Bloom! Well, that's what everyone was saying...

The Hostesses

Baby shower go-ers

Our beautiful and grown-up cousins, Katrina and Maggie

Katy had this made and it was the best gift given...it made us all teary-eyed...how adorable!

Nikki and Kirsten...Kirsten made the beautiful butterfly mobile. She is very talented!

Late Holiday Update

2008-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

It's been crazy around here ever since I started working my butt off...literally! Being a personal trainer is so much fun and I get awesome benefits...FREE training and bootcamp. Most of you probably think that I am nuts and I probably am but I love it! So, for this I am sorry that I have been slow on updating our blog.

We had a wonderful Christmas with the family. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my nieces and making wonderful memories together. We have a cookie-making tradition that we do every year where we make the sweetest cookies possible (hince, lots of icing, sprinkles, sugar, etc.) Here are some of the masterpieces:

Ashlyn and Ava both got everything they wanted and more from Santa and the family. While Ava was busy riding her new scooter around in the house and Ashlyn was playing with her new hand-held game (I forget what its called), Uncle Cory and Pop were having a blast with the girls Lincoln Log set....see below...too funny.

Here are a few other pictures from the holidays...

Cory and I had a blast on New Year's Eve hanging out at my boss, David's house. He had just built a nice stone fire pit, so we all hung out, ate a little, drank a lot and goofed off! It was nice to get to know the people that I will be working with a little better, plus we all got to express our "off the job" side of our personalities, which was a blast. Everyone is super nice and fun to be around. Cory and David decided to share a bottle of tequila all night, which encouraged them to dance...just imagine 2 white boys dancing who probably shouldn't minus the fact that they were feeling pretty good...it was hilarious! Too bad I forgot my camera that night...go figure!

This past weekend was Cory's 26th birthday party that we had at our house. It was a small group but a fun one, thats for sure! Once again, we ate, drank, and giggled our way through the night. We are so thankful for all of our wonderful friends...we love you guys! Here are some pics:

I am OFFICIAL!!

2007-12-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce that I am now officially a Certified Personal Trainer! My new title is CI-CPT and am already using it. I had been asked to work for a company at the gym that I workout at and have started training this week. I couldn't be more excited and have finally found something that I am extremely passionate about (well, I have always loved the fitness industry but for some reason never explored the option of training until now). I am ready to begin helping others to get fit, stay healthy, and live a happier life due to fitness/nutrition. Bring it on!!

As far as our family business goes, we are still selling Tots and Tails products on our website at www.totsandtailsdesigns.com until it all sells. SO, if you have a furry baby or a family member or friend about to have a baby, please take a look at our soft and beautiful products. We are closing down shop due to many life changes in our family and are selling our products at a discounted price...so hurry and get it before it's all gone!! Everything that we create are our own designs and use only the highest quality materials. Happy shopping!

Our First Thanksgiving...

2007-11-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

....at our house this year! I was so excited to host our first major holiday celebration and had it all planned out. I bought decorations, put up our 1st Christmas tree, bought the girls some stuff to keep them busy, had all the food ready, and was pumped up to go to the Renaissance Festival on Thanksgiving Friday. We were going to have a blast! That was until most of us got sick....fooey!

I had already come down with something early last week but I was feeling much better by Thanksgiving and was excited to have energy and was ready for some fun! Then my sister calls and tells me that Blake, my brother in law, had a stomach bug and wasn't going to make it...sniffle. So the rest of us had a nice dinner together and were very thankful to all be healthy and to enjoy each others company. So we all went to bed thinking that we were going to get up, have some pumpkin pancakes and set out for Ren Fest....ha, we only wished! That night I ended up feeling worse than the days before, my dog Tex was throwing up all night from eating turkey, my niece woke up with a fever, and my sister was surprised with the stomach bug that Blake had. Needless to say, we didn't make it to Ren Fest and my poor mom, dad, and Cory packed everything up for us and everyone left. I was so bummed. I wanted to have a wonderful family weekend full of fun and memories and it was all shot down in one night. I will have to say though that I am very thankful we were able to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner together and I guess that is all that matters. Here are some pictures:

Our first Christmas tree

Mom cookin' and Dad and Cory doing what they do best

Ashlyn with more missing teeth and Ava smiling (with a bribe)

Ashlyn taking Uncle Cory's picture and the

Holiday Dogs!

Always a Good Time in Austin!

2007-11-19T18:57:00.001-08:00

I just got back from house/dog sitting for my parents in Georgetown and I had a blast! Unfortunately Cory had to work, so he couldn't come with me...sniffle. While I was there I helped my sister throw a Bunko Party, which was so much fun! Its always fun to get the girls together and chat it up. Honestly though, I think that women are worse than men when they get together (All of you know what I am talking about too, so don't think you don't know!) hehe.

Here are some of the pics from our wild Bunko and Dollar Dancing game night:

Of course there is always a ton of food at these things!

Kim at 7 months (I thought she was only at 6 and I was quickly corrected but doesn't she look so cute?!?!) I think that pregnant women are so beautiful but for some reason I can't see myself in that situation yet..strange.. yes I am.

This is the Dollar Dance game, of which I DID NOT win...sniffle.

Since my parents live in Georgetown now, they live SO close to IKEA and the Outlet mall! I am beside myself with Christmas this year and have gone nuts shopping for decorations and gifts. I'm already almost done with my Christmas shopping and am completely shocked at myself for being so organized and prepared this year! Cory and I have moved every year since we got married, always around the holidays, so now that we aren't going anywhere (at least this year), I am going all out!! I can't wait to go through all my decorations that I haven't seen in years...it will be like Christmas for me just opening old boxes...yippy!

I went to see an old high school friend, Kimmy, at his relatively new house to see his new furry additions....miniature horses!! They are called the Boogie Twins and they are so adorable. I wish that I had pictures but I will take some next time. His dogs are bigger than these babies and it is hilarious to see them run because their legs are moving a mile a minute but their bodies are barely going anywhere...haha.

Here are some other pictures of my other favorite people:

Ashlyn with all her missing teeth!

Ava shying away from the camera as always. I thought I had her in this one but obviously not.

Mikey and I...yes ladies, he IS single! He is like a bro to me, so there is a strict screening process. ;)

Mikey, me, and Brendon (another wonderful guy that is single..just letting ya know)

Yea, a new computer and new blog!!

2007-10-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I was able to blog but I AM BACK! A lot has gone on since the last one, so I will try to fill everyone in with as short of a blog as I can.

Cory and I recently got back from vacationing in Cancun, which was a blast! We thoroughly enjoyed staying at the Royal Cancun, an all-inclusive resort with gorgeous rooms and plenty of things to do! We took a couple of fun trips....one to Chichen Itza, which is a world-known tourist destintation exploring the Mayan culture with the incredible pyramids, temples, scriptures, and history. My favorite adventure was the Zipline Jungle Tour. We had a blast flying down 3 ziplines over the cenotes/jungle, snorkeling in the pure cenotes, mountain biking, and doing a jungle walk. It was so much fun and I'm pretty sure that Cory and I both had perma-smiles the whole time! The only bad part of the trip was on our way back home. Unfortunately I ended up getting a severe case of food poisoning at the airport in Mexico and barely made it home. That was definitely the WORST day of my life! I didn't think I was going to make it but I somehow I did without thoroughly embarrassing myself on the plane. Those little bags they provide would not have been big enough...haha, TMI! Needless to say, we had a great time but I was SOOOO happy to get home! Here are some pics...

The beautiful guestroom

The view from our room of the ocean and huge pool!

A very happy hubby with his cuban cigar, red wine, and room service menu!

This is one of many pure cenotes. The lighting was just perfect!

Dinner at a hibachi grill...Yummy!

El Castillo "The Castle". This temple represents the calender year with each side, step, and corners representing each day of the week, month, year. It was amazing to hear about how well-thoughtout it was while they built it!

Weeeee...this was the highest zipline we went on and of course my favorite!

Cory with a huge smile!

Snorkeling in the cenote at the Mayan village. The water was so clear and beautiful.

Other big news is that my sister is having another girl!! I think I already told everyone but if not then now ya know. She found out when we were in Mexico, so as soon as we landed in Houston, I turned my phone on and called her. My nieces are so excited to have another sister and are cute when they talk about it. Ava will know how it feels to be a big and little sister...how lucky!

Lastly, I have decided to become a Personal Trainer due to the fact that I just LOVE fitness! I have recently signed up to take a course and exam at The Cooper Institute in Dallas and will be certified in December. I am so lucky and happy to have already found a job at the gym that I workout at. Now all I have to do is pass the exam and then I can officially kick some butt! hehe, I promise I will be gentle. I am so excited to be able to help and encourage others (especially woman and pregnant women) lose weight, get toned, feel good about themselves, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eventually I want to specialize in Pre/Postnatal and nutrition. I told my sister and mom that now they HAVE to listen to me when I try to help them out...HAHA!

That's about all the news I have for now but I promise to stay better in touch with everyone! We just got our new computer, so I have no excuse not to. I hope all of you are doing well and are getting excited about the upcoming holidays...I am! Take care!

New Blog Coming Soon!

2007-10-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I know that it has been a super long time since I have blogged and I do apologize but I will be writing one real soon! Cory and I just got back from vacationing in Cancun and will have some pictures to put up hopefully next week. Unfortunately, our computer screen is crashing on us and I can only see half the screen, so it's been real hard to get online and post anything. We just ordered a new computer that should be coming in soon and then I will be able to download the pictures. I hope everyone is doing well and I promise I will post as soon as possible!

The Glory of being Homeowners!

2007-08-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

There isn't much excitement going on around here, so I hope that I won't bore you too much with this blog. Lately we have found a new hobby...clearing our yard! Yeah, I am sure all of you would have volunteered to help if we had mentioned it..hehe. We have about 2 acres, most of which still hasn't been cleared or manicured, so it will probably be a project we work on as long as we are living here. Recently we have been trying to make the front look a little better and still have a long way to go but here are some before and after pics:

Before:

After:

I really don't mind working in the yard because it's a great workout and I don't have to go to the gym BUT the cons weigh in heavily too like the hot/muggy Texas weather, snakes, red-spikey spiders, yellow spiders, brown spiders, black spiders with freaky green eyes...you get my point. Here is one example of the MANY we have...Cory tells me that this one is a "good" one but I am sorry, anything with more than 4 legs creeps me out! I like snakes though...

The only other good news I have to report is that my parents found a house near Lake Georgetown and moved in a week ago! We are all so excited to be living much closer to each other. Now when I go into Austin, I get to see my sister AND my parents at the same time...YIPPY! Since they are moving from 15 acres to 1 acre, we have acquired 2 cats (one of which was mine in college, so we get him back...welcome back Frisco!). The other cat, Moochie, supposedly is a real &*#@!! As we were driving away last weekend my Dad laughed mischievously and told Moochie "good riddens". I am sure my parents did a little dance and laughed at us as we drove away. She definitely lives up to her reputation, as she has already bitten and scratched me numerous times. Cory won't even go near her (what a gentleman, he lets his wife take the beating). :)

Lola isn't too sure about the cats but they have been working on their relationship. She wants to play so badly but the cats don't find it "fun" when Lola (only 90 lbs) starts jumping around them...I just don't understand why...hehe. Here are some pictures of our family from this week:

Spoiled!

Haha, Tex blends into the floor!

This is Frisco...*notice Lola trying to get a peek and as close as possible under Cory's arm..all you can really see is her pink tongue, too funny!*

Fun at Tia and Uncle Cory's House

2007-08-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last week our nieces, Ashlyn and Ava, came to stay with us for a few days to give their mother a little break. Kim has been extremely sick with this third pregnancy, so I thought this would be good for her to just relax and sleep. Along for the ride and experience was Mawmaw, my grandmother, who hopefully had a good time amongst all the chaos....hehe. ( She did say that she enjoyed the trip, which I was glad to hear!)

We all had such a good time and there was never a dull moment. I got a good taste of what it is like to have a 5 and 3 year old 24/7 and now Cory and I are thinking that we may wait another year before venturing into parenthood. :) Ava was potty training and I thought that I could get her to use the potty on her own, but I failed miserably. I tried bribing, giving treats, high fives, dancing with excitement, punishment (saying she won't get to wear her panties..blah, blah), and finally I got so tired of trying all these things that I told her it was just gross, that nobody enjoys or appreciates wiping her butt, and that she was just going to wear her pull-ups because I couldn't handle it anymore. Even this didn't work that little stinker! She is definitely going to do it on her own time.

We all enjoyed searching for bugs, playing with Play Foam (this stuff is so cool and much better than Floam!!), playing at the parks, and painting our own ceramics. The U Paint It store was the most fun part...I think that we all had smiles on our faces the whole time! Cory was so cute too, really getting into creating his own mug...hahaha. Here are some pictures of our time together:

Searching for bugs for the "bug playground" we got them

Mawmaw and Ashlyn at Martha's Bloomers (a neat little garden shop and cafe in Navasota)

A rare caption of Ava smiling AT the camera...usually she turns her head or runs off!

I love this picture, it's so cute! They had so much fun feeding the ducks, except when the ducks started to come towards them.

I wish that I could still get away with doing silly faces!

This picture cracks me up because it shows Ava's funny personality. Her stares and looks are all for show to get us laughing and it works every time. How does she keep such a straight face?!?!

Our 4th of July week/weekend

2007-07-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

First of all, I just want to say that I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT AGAIN!!! My sister is pregnant with their 3rd and we are all so excited! Maybe we will finally have a boy in the family, but I have a gut feeling that it will be another girl...I can't wait to find out! Here are some recent pictures of the family...

My beautiful parents

Pregnant again!

Ashlyn dancing to the music of the live band...she does great spins!

Ava is already a bag lady...she just LOVES dressing up!

I had the most wonderful 4th of July weekend! The 4th was actually pretty low-key due to rain and the fact that Cory was on a job, but I did attend our neighborhood fireworks show that was amazing!! Of course we only got to see half of the fireworks due to getting rained out, but it was worth it! Tex absolutely does NOT like fireworks at all and I have to make sure that when I let him out that he doesn't just take off (I have lost him before and it scared the &*$# out of me!). The picture below is a rare caption because he kept freaking out and running to the door.

It happened to be Cory's 4-day weekend off and we headed to my parents to go furniture shopping at the Dallas Market. We relaxed as much as possible and just enjoyed each other's company. The last day we were there Cory was acting strange by standing underneath the atrium where we were married (it was an outdoor wedding at my parents) and he had his little sneaky/up to something grin on his face. I didn't know what he was up to until last night when we got home and went out for a romantic dinner alone. We had been talking about starting a family next year and I was asking him if he thought I would be a good mother and that's when he surprised me with a RING! (We had the most untraditional wedding, so I never got an "engagement" ring, just our wedding bands.) We already had the diamond but after 2 years of marriage, I didn't think that he would EVER surprise me. He handed it to me and said "you are going to be a wonderful mother and you have been a wonderful wife"....I just melted. He was so cute and excited. It was the proposal I never had. I am a very lucky woman and it was definitely worth the wait! I have tried to take a picture of it but it's too sparkly, so the pictures come out blurry...sniffle. He told me that he thought it would be romantic to give me the ring where we were married, so that was why he was acting so weird at my parents. The dinner idea could not have been more perfect though. I am not a crier, but I did get a little teary-eyed.

WAIT, I got a picture! This is as good as it is going to get.

I would have to say that this was the best 4th of July I have ever had! I told Cory that I can't wait to go on more romantic dates....hehehe!

JoElla and Brian's Wedding...she's a Reinhardt now!

2007-06-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend Cory and I drove to Waco to see JoElla get married! I was so excited to see her all dressed up and she looked so beautiful! The wedding ceremony was perfect and they both were beaming ear to ear. I loved it when Brian would rock back and forth saying his vows...it was cute. The reception was incredible! They had over 500 people RSVP, so they had it at a convention center type place. It was catered by a mexican food restaurant, which was fantastic and delicious! I was impressed with all the decorations too. I give everyone who helped out big props because I couldn't even imagine planning a wedding for over 500 people!!

Here are some pictures of the big event....

I still can't believe that this is her little bro, Austin. He definitely isn't the little skinny kid that I grew up knowing anymore!! He has turned into a handsome young man and doing very well for himself working for the Astros. I couldn't be happier for him...smarty pants!!

Ava's 3rd B-day and our SeaWorld Adventure!

2007-06-08T08:17:00.001-07:00

Early this week Cory and I went to Austin to celebrate our niece's (Ava) 3rd birthday. We had so much fun and I was excited because Cory actually had days off at that time, which is very rare anytime there is a family function or what not. His nieces were very happy that he could make it too and enjoy climbing all over him and playing hide and seek! I, of course, made the cake (that is my job for all their birthdays), which was the Backyardigans theme at the Sprinkler Park....I LOVE THEM! This is the only kids cartoon I actually like to watch...hehe.

I wish they had sprinkler parks when I was growing up! The kids had a blast running around jumping through water. I was tempted to join them but I didn't wear my bathing suit...bummer!

On Wed. we all went to SeaWorld, which was so much fun! I love all the shows and watching the girls faces when the dolphins, sealion, whales, etc. come out and do tricks. When I am with them and when I see their faces light up, I know that life is good! It was a long, hot day but we all brought our swim suits and took a dip in the lazy river. Ashlyn and Ava really enjoyed the rides and another sprinkler park. I was really looking forward to eating all the park junk foods like funnel cake, turkey legs, cotton candy, etc. but it was so hot that I passed on it...next time! Unfortunately we did have lunch and dinner there and I will give ya'll a little advice....DON'T DO IT!! The food was terrible AND expensive, which didn't help the horrible taste. My sister must have gotten food poisoning too because she was in bed the whole next day.

Even though the food was bad, we still had a blast! Here are some more pictures:

A Celebration of friends and neighbors!

2007-05-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Cory and I threw a little shin-dig to meet our new neighbors (acutally so they could meet us since we are the "new" ones). A majority of them showed up and we all had a great time! We had a crawfish boil, which we have never done, and it turned out to be a success...although I couldn't eat the corn, potatoes, or onions because the seasoning was way too spicey! I guess that is cajun food for ya. Even though it rained and rained Saturday, we still had a great time. I wish that we could have hung out in our backyard, which is what I had planned, but instead we set up shop in the garage and put a canaopy in the driveway.

We were so worried that we wouldn't have enough food and beer for everyone, so we ordered 2 saks of crawfish (of which are still alive by the way) and a keg of Dos XX. Of course we had plenty to go around plus some, which was unfortunately wasted (along with my husband who tried to finish off the keg with a buddy of his). The fun part of having way more than we needed was that we were all entertained by Lola trying to play/eat the live crawfish. I had not laughed that hard in a long time! She had no clue what to do with it and when she would try to grab it, it grabbed her back...hahaha...just thinking about it makes me laugh!! Here are some pictures:

A celebration!

2007-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend our good friends had something to celebrate! Aroldo graduated with a Physics degree (yeah, there are people out there that LOVE physics...more power to them!). I was so happy to attend the ceremony and of course the party afterwards. We just love Sole, Aroldo (dork), Brandon and Mia. Cory and I couldn't be happier for them!

The graduation part is always a bit boring but we spiced things up when we all went back to the Garza's and partied all night! Unfortunately Cory had to work and missed out on all the action but we all wished he could have been with us to help drink the beer..hehe. I am so happy to be back in College Station with all my wonderful friends and this night made it more clear just how lucky we are to have them in our lives! Actually, I would call them more like part of our family instead of just good friends.

The night was full of food, beer, dancing, and being silly (especially Brandon, Mia and myself). These two are so cute and fun to be with! Being with them makes me miss my two nieces (who are about the same age) greatly. I am still planning on setting up Ashlyn (my oldest niece) with Brandon. They would make a cute couple, plus I know Brandon has wonderful parents! I know that when it comes to dating, I will definitely be an over-protective Aunt!

One thing that I missed terribly when we moved away was the dancing. Sole actually was the one who taught me how to Salsa dance while we worked at the bakery together. Those were good times! We would turn up the music and dance all over the place while we spent long Friday nights decorating wedding cakes for the weekend. It got us through the work and we had a blast at the same time! Ever since, I have been addicted to Salsa and Merengue and can't help but shake-it when I hear the music. It had been a while since Sole and Aroldo went out dancing, so it was great to see them together having fun and letting loose.

Here are some more party pictures...

Alex & another Tamara(very weird for me...of course she spells it wrong...) hehe

Being goofy doing the Carlton..well, at least 3 of us are (nice moves Aroldo!)

Tornado or No Tornado?

2007-04-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Early this morning I was awoken by the most vicious winds and rain hitting our house. Tex and Lola (our furry kids) were staring me in the face with looks of panic. It was so bad that Cory even woke up, which is totally unheard of, especially when he hasn't slept in a couple days due to work! It didn't take long for Cory to pass out again, but I stayed wide awake for a while not knowing what exactly was going on outside. I tried to look out the windows but everything was completely dark and the power was out. Of course right before Cory fell asleep he mentioned how we would know when a tornado was coming because it sounds like a train...so, I was wide awake (by myself) straining to hear the possible "train noise", which luckily never came.

My mother called us in the morning to find out if we were okay. I had already opened our blinds, which looks out into the backyard and to my surprise, everything was still in place and no trees had fallen (we have a ton too!). I told Mom that everything was fine until I got up to get ready for the day and peeked out our front windows.....the BIGGEST and most beautiful tree in the front had snapped at the bottom (sniffle, sniffle), which fell onto our mailbox and crossed the street! I got Cory up and we discovered that not only that tree, but one on the side of our house near our cars had also lost some large limbs. How in the world did we not hear this?!?! Some how my car was spared but Cory's work truck now has a huge dent on the hood. We feel very lucky that our house had no damage but the rest of the area unfortunately wasn't that lucky. The news has not confirmed a tornado had done this but it looks pretty obvious to me! I just pray that the veterinarian's office that we use down the street and all the animals inside are safe because the whole roof was torn off and tossed across the highway.

Another blessing is that Lola found 2 baby raccoons (only about a week old with the eyes still closed) laying near our beloved broken tree in the front yard. Cory noticed her acting jumpy and cautious around something and discovered the little furry babies. We scooped them up and took them to a local Wildlife Rehab and Education center. They were so cute and I desperately wanted to keep them, but I knew it wouldn't be fair for them. They will be well taken care of and set free when they are strong and healthy.

I also want to mention how AWESOME Cory's co-workers at Halliburton are!! They came out this morning (about 8-10 of them) to help clean up the big mess. I really don't know what we would have done without them. YOU ROCK HALLIBURTON GUYS!! Things are now semi back to normal (whatever that means...hehe) around here and I am just glad that nobody in the area was hurt. My heart goes out to those near the most damaged areas like Eagle Pass, the Texas Panhandle, and other cities and towns close to these areas.

Adventures in Wine and the Texas hill country!

2007-04-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cory and I just got back from a lovely 4 day getaway to San Antonio and then to Fredericksburg to experience the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail. It was so much fun and what a great way to relax and get away from it all! We stayed on the Riverwalk our first night and met up with my long-time friend and softball mate, George (aka Andrea) and her husband and daughter. This meeting was absolutely wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast catching up on what is going on in our lives and laughing about fun times we had in the past. There is nothing better than rekindling a friendship that has meant so much to you growing up. It was also amazing to see Ashlyn, her daughter, who is so adorable and seems to aquire the batting skills to become the next famous softball player!

Our adventures continued on to Fredericksburg, which is definitely a place that everyone should visit at least once in their lives. Not only is this German town quaint, but the food is out of this world, not to mention the German beer too! We had so much fun walking up and down Main St. going into the boutiques and taking in the beautiful scenery. The bluebonnets were out in full bloom as well as many other Texas wildflowers. The winery trail was fantastic and will definitely return to those that were our favorite! It has sparked an interest to do a little more research on just how wine is made because it tastes so good. I think that we have officially become 'wino's' and hope to make it to the California wineries in the next year or so.