Keiko

I adore her blog!

  Miss Keiko.

Boy Meets World

This is the Valentine's Day card that I made for my hubby. We have been watching BMW for the past week and I thought this card would bring him a smile.

I also made one for that special someone you've been dying to ask to be your Valentine.

 

My Little Man

My baby's baby blues, at 7 weeks old.

Introducing Desmond Scott.

Born December 14th, weighing 9 pounds 8 oz.

I'm so in love!

My maternity photos

Back in October, my friend took these amazing pictures of my cute baby bump. I truly loved being pregnant. I have never felt more in tuned with my body. My son is now in my arms but I will cherish these pictures forever. 

Become a fan of hers on facebook.

Kate Bosworth + Vanessa Bruno = Love

For her second outing with Vanessa Bruno, Kate Bosworth stars in another video this time for Bruno's Spring / Summer 2012 collection.

Here it is...

Desmond and Ava's shared bedroom wall mural.

I love how it turned out and I have received so many compliments on it. Friends and family can't believe that it is actually hand painted on the wall. From start to finish, it took a total of 21 hours to complete. I actually painted this when I was 9 months pregnant, which is probably part of the reason why I was so frustrated with this project. Being massively pregnant, standing on a chair, stenciling and painting was not something I envisioned in my last trimester. I am the type of person that doesn't quit something, pregnant or not, this mural would not get the better of me. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend anyone to do this project. Even if you have amazing patience, it will be destroyed. I had so many temper tantrums from this mural... Remember, pregnancy hormones aren't pretty!

I still have to hang up some cute wall art. On opposite wall, I have another project in the works, nothing as major as this one though...thankfully. I told my husband that we better not plan to move anytime soon after this and that next time, we are going to use wallpaper. 

Thanks for reading!

Sigur Rós

My birthing playlist will consist of only Sigur Rós. Five albums
of complete brilliance. Desmond, you are very loved and I cannot
wait to hold you in my arms. Mommy and daddy love you!

Maternity Shoot

Over the weekend, my friend Tori did my maternity shoot and you could not

 have asked for more beautiful day. She is so talented and truly a joy to be around.

 She really makes you feel comfortable and her radiant personality is hard not to

 fall in love with. You can tell she loves what she does and it shows in her photos.

 This is just a sneak peek of what she took and I can't wait see the rest.

Tori, you are the best! I cannot thank you enough for these wonderful memories

 that I will always have to treasure.

View her photographery blog, here.

& become a facebook fan!

Later Gator

It was sad to say goodbye to these alligators but I have big plans for our kids 

shared bedroom. We decided to paint the walls Tiffany's blue, which I think the

 color screams girl yet it is still fitting for a boy too.

 I couldn't bare to post a picture of Monsieur André the Alligator being
 painted over. I would rather remember him like this.

My daughter loves the color but asked me where her alligators

 went. I told her they were now swimming under the water. She liked

 my answer because she tells everyone who comes over that her alligators are

 swimming. I decided that I will paint her alligators on a canvas for wall art.

 I think it will be a nice transition from the old room to the new room by 

incorporating the alligators.

I'm currently working on the mural for the bedroom and I feel like 

I might have bitten off more than I could chew. I tend to be a bit ambitious with 

projects and now that I'm in my 3rd trimester I feel like I'm losing motivation and

 energy. Originally, I would have liked to paint all four walls but I now I'm thinking

 one will be enough, at least for now. Who knows, maybe once my nesting comes

 in full strength, I might be able to complete the room. Let's hope that's the case:)

I will continue to post pictures of the room

 in the future so stay tuned kids!

Thanks for reading. 

28 weeks later...

Yay!!!!! I have crossed into LAP 3! In Mario Kart racing, there are 3 laps you have to circle before the race is officially over and winners are placed.

When it’s a nose-to-nose race, you feel this surge of intensity and adrenaline rushing through your veins the very moment you cross into Lap 3/3. The music speeds up, the racers use whatever items they’ve been saving, it’s a vulturous dash for the speed coins…

Hitting my third trimester at 28 weeks pregnant, I feel like I’ve steered my favorite - Princess Peach into that final, exhilarating round. I need a star. I need a red shell. Scratch that. I need a blue shell. I need a quick zip to the finish line!

I’m trailing in the back with the bullies, Donkey Kong and Bowser who keep knocking into me and robbing me of my coins. But you know what? Screw ‘em. I’ll get there! I am on lap 3/3, the third trimester, and the finish line is in sight at last!
Except instead of a trophy and an animated victory dance, I get a baby!

Take that, Bowser!

Some Good News for the 28 Weeks Pregnant Mark:
• Baby appointments will now be every 2 weeks instead of once a month! You know you’re getting close when your doctor want to see more of you.
• My glucose blood test came back… I passed! No gestational diabetes! YAY!
• Nest has officially begun. My house has never looked better.

Some Not-So-Good News for the 28 Weeks Pregnant Mark:
• I am absolutely exhausted. I just want to take a 3-month nap and be woken up when it’s time to give birth.
• I have had a lot of round ligament pain. It hurts most when I need to turn over to the other side. The pain has been so bad that I have just settled sleeping in one position all night long, which for pregnant women is NOT fun!
• I'm pretty certain I have a torn abdomen muscle. It's a sharp tearing/stabbing pain in the center of my stomach. I have trouble sitting up and turning over without feeling the pain. My baby thinks it's funny to kick me in that spot, repeatedly. I usually have a pretty high pain tolerance level but this hurts something evil.
Facts about the 28th weeks of pregnancy

• At 28 weeks pregnant, baby is about 2.5 lbs!
• Baby is starting to position himself for birth… although he may keep repositioning in the upcoming months.
• Baby’s eyes are starting to show some color, although it won’t be the permanent hue she has for life.

• Baby looks something like this:

Some fun facts about me...

1. I have childlike hands. Not joking, they are really tiny. Opening jars is something I hate with a passion.

2. I can pogo stick, with no hands and jump rope at the same time. I had much too much free time as a child to perfect this art.

3. I have 3 spider bite scars. Two on the right leg and one on the left leg. I guess spiders find me delicious.

4. I'm an arachnophobic because of it.

5. I not-so-secretly think my husband is one of the greatest people to ever grace this earth.

6. I have a habit of reading minds.

7. I'm awesome. There is no denying it.

8. The number eight is my favorite number.

9. I love lucid dreaming.

10. I cracked my head. I have a crescent moon scar from the accident.

11. My daughter is my greatest work of art.

12. I married my best friend.

13. I'm totally obsessed with Alan Rickman's voice.

14. My eyes are very strangely col­ored. I usu­ally say they are blue, but that’s only half true. Around the pupil, they are actu­ally yellow. Only the outer half of the iris is blue. From close up, my eyes look like sun­flow­ers against a blue sky. At least that’s what a few people have told me. I’m sure it’s not totally unique, but I’ve never seen anyone else with eyes like mine. Also, when I cry my eyes change to a bright green.

15. My favorite word based purely on sound is Tumultuous.

The Official Tooth Fairy Kit

Please note: This post may not be appropriate for little ones to see.

When it comes to imagination and keeping the magic alive in a child's eye, I

think it would be hard to beat The Official Tooth Fairy Kit.

The Official Tooth Fairy Kit contains one letterpress Certificateof Record for filing

with your local Tooth Fairy and one reusable silkscreened cloth deposit bag for your first

and all subsequent transactions. The offical certificate keeps record of name, age, tooth

lost, method of extraction and compensation information.

Official Filling Instructions: Simply place tooth in the attached envelope and insert

your completed certificate in the deposit bag. Place the full bag under your pillow.

The tooth fairy will collect the Certificate of Record and place your compensation

in the deposit bag.

http://www.officeofthetoothfairy.com/

Tooth Fairy Letter Kit

Made by Whisker Graphics

*Remember, this kit is for parent's eyes only, to aid you in bringing a little fun and joy to your child!

DIY: Lamb Costume

So cute for halloween!

These three little sheep can't wait to graze on candy. Their "fleece" is wool
batting, gathered and sewn to a sleeveless leotard, which is worn over a black
long-sleeved shirt and leggings. A cotton hat with floppy felt ears and a dot
of face paint complete the costume, which is also for children ages 3 and older.

Tools and Materials
1 sleeveless white leotard
Two 20-by-35-inch pieces of wool-blanket batting
8-by-10-inch pieces of wool felt in black and taupe
White craft glue, iron
A white cotton knit cap.

Lamb How-To
1. For bodysuit, place leotard on form or stuff it with something to give it
fullness as you sew, such as a pillow or bag of Poly-Fil. Bunch batting together
at 1-inch intervals, and sew to leotard with a tacking stitch. Trim excess.
Repeat with remaining piece of batting for back of leotard.

2. To create hat, use ear template. Use outer line of template to cut two ear
pieces from black felt; use inner line to cut two smaller ear pieces from taupe
felt. Use a small amount of glue to attach one piece of taupe felt to each piece
of black felt. Fold each ear in half lengthwise, and use a medium-hot iron to
steam a crease down the middle of each ear. Lay each ear over hat, 3 inches
from the bottom, with the taupe side in, and sew to hat.

It's the little things...

Tonight, my husband and I listened to this record while making dinner. Our House is my favorite from CSNY. As a little girl, I always envisioned having this song playing in the background while my family was going about their chores.

I have to say, that listening to this record on vinyl is the only way to truly hear and appreciate it. I'm quite proud of the vinyl my husband and I both have collected over the years. We have a passion for music, it's what attracted me to my husband.

If music be the food of love, play on.
William Shakespeare

I'll light the fire

You place the flowers in the vase

That you bought today

Staring at the fire

For hours and hours

While I listen to you

Play your love songs

All night long for me

Only for me

Come to me now

And rest your head for just five minutes

Everything is done

Such a cozy room

The windows are illuminated

By the evening sunshine through them

Fiery gems for you

Only for you

Our house is a very, very, very fine house

With two cats in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now everything is easy

'Cause of you

And our

la la lala la la la lala la la lala lala la lala

lala lala la la lala la la la la la

la la lala la la la lala la la lala lal

a la lala lala la lala

Our house is a very, very, very fine house

With two cats in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now everything is easy

'Cause of you

And our

I'll light the fire

While you place the flowers in the vase

That you bought today

22 weeks

22 week bump

My pregnancy is still going great. Desmond is very active. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a soccer player. My belly button has popped out this week. David thinks it's cute, me... not so much. It never popped out during my 1st pregnancy, so I find it funny it's out at 22 weeks. No stretch marks...yet, thankfully... knock on wood.

Lately, I have been preoccupied with the design of Ava and Desmond's shared bedroom. I want it to be perfect for the both of them, nothing too girlie nor too boyish. I like the simple, clean look. These are some ideas of what I'm hoping to do.

I adore the bright blue crib, the retro chair, not to mention utilizing the corners.
Ooh, and the ikea lamp is super cute!

Paper Baby Origami Mobile. I will be making this, except in blue and white.

Serena & Lily Spring Green Florentine Crib Sheet by Poshtot.

Starfish wall stencils or crabs?
Both are charming! Ava's bedroom is currently a bright pink with green alligators painted on the wall. I'm even tempted to keep that theme but change the color of the walls to either a light blue or a bright Tiffany's blue. I can't wait for the decorating to begin. I will continue to keep everyone updated with pictures:)

Thanks for reading!!!

Don't Be Koi

My greatest work of art standing next to my painting.

On Sunday, I got to finally paint the koi fish pond that I have always wanted to hang in our living room. It took almost a full day to complete but it was totally worth it. The fish are symbolic of our family. The biggest fish being David, than myself on the opposite side, Ava being the bigger of the two small fish and Desmond as the baby fish. When Ava woke the next morning and saw my painting her exact words were, "That's cool mommy!" It was the best compliment I have ever received because A.) she is my daughter and I love her to pieces and B.) she is so brutally honest. She will always tell me the truth and she has many times about my cooking....believe me.

This is David and my favorite hobby to do together. He is an amazing abstract artist. Together our art hangs on our walls and it's a nice little reminder of our time spent together. When I look at a particular painting I can remember the fun times we had while creating it. It's like looking at a photograph of us and seeing memory that no one can see but us. It's something so special that I will treasure forever.

Reason #207 Why I Love My Husband

Last night, David serenaded me to this song.

He knows how to woo me:)

20 weeks!

My night was rough, didn't catch a wink of sleep. Neither did Desmond, he was up all night kicking and moving all over the place. David finally got to feel him kick. I woke him up and put his hand on my tummy and he felt him. He was happy, then fell back asleep and left me to battle my insomnia. When the sun was starting to peek through the blinds, that's when I fell asleep but it wasn't for long.


This morning, woke Ava up and fed her breakfast. We were meeting Mimi at the theater for a free kids movie. We saw Yogi Bear but Ava didn't like it. She said she liked Winnie the Pooh better and I couldn't agree more with her. My little movie critic, her daddy will be so proud. So we ended up walking out half way through the movie. After leaving, Ava wanted to go to her Mimi's house to play. That left me some quiet time, which I don't get often but relish when I can get it. I decided to take a swim, get some exercise and some sun. It was so wonderful to relax and enjoy this beautiful weather. Then we came home and took a nice nap, something I needed since I didn't sleep the night before. After the refreshing nap we joined Jeff and Marcella to Clematis, where Ava could play in the fountains. It's so much fun watching her face light up with joy. She loves being around other little kids and she is quite the water baby.


Now, it's time for me to get into my cozy bed and read my book. Goodnight world

Ring My Neck!

The Lovebird is a 18" adjustable link style chain with secure heart clasps to display your ring in a fabulous way! The Lovebird has the smallest opening of 1.5mm for your ring to fit through. Take a peek at what else they have, here.

During pregnancy, emotions are one thing that you are sure to have no shortage of. Oftentimes, this means feeling a stronger connection to your partner, and a renewed sense of love for the person who helped you create that growing little blessing in your belly. Unfortunately, during pregnancy you will likely find that more than just your heart starts to swell.

If you find yourself disappointed that you can no longer squeeze your rings onto your newly plump fingers, no need to despair! Just try wearing your rings a little closer to your heart instead. Available in three fashionable styles, these specially designed necklaces will keep your special ring securely on display, no matter how much your ring size fluctuates over the next nine months. In fact, you might find yourself loving the look of these necklaces so much that you'll carry on this trend postpartum, too!

This pregnancy I will be prepared!

Almost to the halfway point!

19 weeks 3 days

Little Desmond has had so much fun this past week. His kicks are getting stronger and more constant each passing day.

Things that make him kick:

• Daddy's alarm clock going off in the morning.
• Music. He likes rock music, I think he can feel the vibrations better than other music genre. Desmond's music favorites: Lenny Kravitz, Interpol and Depeche Mode.
• Hearing his mommy and daddy talking. Also, when David kisses me, Desmond gives me a kick. It's hilarious!
• He is a night owl. When I'm relaxing or trying to sleep is when he is up and moving the most. It's like my tummy is a dance club and my boy's got some moves! Most likely inherited by his father.

Ava got to feel her brother move this week. When she felt him, her reaction was priceless. She had a huge goofy grin on her face, something I will remember and cherish forever. It's all she has been talking about for the past couple of days. She has been telling me that Desmond kicked her. Somehow, I think I will be hearing a lot of this in my future. My husband has yet to feel him move. Every time I put David's hand on my belly he stops and moves away. Funny enough, when I was pregnant with Ava, she did the very same thing to her father. I have stubborn babies, I tell you!

Other than that, my belly is getting bigger and breathing is getting tougher. I have had a few asthma attacks here and there. When it happens, I stay calm and the attack usually clears up within 15 minutes. I have had asthma most of my life, so I know how to handle it when I feel it coming on.

As for the cravings, they disappeared and my appetite is under control. When I was pregnant with Ava, nothing could satisfy my ravenous appetite and my cravings were all over the place. Now, I'm thirsty ALL the time and can't seem to quench it. I'm constantly hydrating, drinking well over the recommended 8 glasses of water a day. My weight gain has been steady. I've been continuing to lightly jog daily, which is OBGYN APPROVED for anyone that has their worries or concerns. Exercise has been one of the best thing for me. It gives me more energy during the day and that is something I need to keep up my rambunctious daughter.

Oh and I'm pretty sure the linea nigra starting to show. With Ava, I got it around the 19 week and I wouldn't be surprised if I had it again. I truly could not have asked for an easier pregnancy. My little boy has been very kind to his mommy. Just 4 more days till I'm 20 weeks and half way there!!!

p.s. I'm not sure if this is possible but I have been craving Lenny Kravitz's music. Desmond loves it more than any of the other bands I have played for him. I think his voice and the beat, not to mention his mommy loves to dance to it. So I'm guessing all those yummy endorphins from dancing probably contribute some:)

LOL!