10 Favorite Things

So I thought it would be fun to post a blog that is not baby/family related in any way, (since pretty much all my blogs are about Chad, Tyler, Aubrey, Preggo bellies...ect) Its a blog completely about me and my 10 favorite things that have nothing to do with kids! All thought I do have more than 10 favorite things, I didn't want to blog to be TOO long so lets start with 10 and maybe sometime I will continue it :)

Annie's 10 Favorite Things:

(in no particular order of course)

1: Leopard/ Cheetah print...I can't seem to get enough of it lately. I have slippers blankets, purses, wallets, clothes, and I always find myself drawn to it whatever it may be in a store. I am a little picky about what kind I do get tho because some of it does look cheap and trashy, so I guess I like the more "expensive" looking print lol.   All though I do love a good Zebra print, and I do have a few things in that, Cheetah is defiantly hands down my favorite of the 2.

2:  Diamonds.  This just is a no brain-er. I LOVE diamonds, The bigger the better is my motto, My wedding ring is full of them and I love it, (I also dream of the day when my 1 caret center diamond can be upgraded probably not for 10 years or so) You can never go wrong with Diamonds for a gift, I am not picky, I will take earrings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, anything with some bling and I am happy (thankfully my husband knows this)

3:  The color PURPLE.  I love it, I have ever since I was a little girl and I shared a room with my sister, my side was purple and hers was pink.  That was pretty funny considering that HER birthstone is purple and mine is pink, so we were opposite, but I didn't care because I loved it!  I had purple shoes and purple flowers at my wedding, and now my Hubby and my daughter's birthstones will be purple so I will always get to have my favorite color in my mother's ring...whoo hoo!!!! (that is if I don't go into labor before Tuesday and I am not planning on) 

4:  Stargazer Lillis are hands down my favorite flower.  It was a tough decision not to have these as my wedding flowers (instead I chose purple to match my shoes) I would take a bouquet of these over a bouquet of roses ANY DAY! I also wouldn't mind having some in my garden this year...even though I not much of a gardener. 

5:  Lip gloss.  My obsession started in high school and at one point I remember being bored in class and counting all of my lip glosses and having over 20 in my purse...I have scaled my collection down but I still do have I would say almost 10 in my purse now.  I will take any brand/color/flavor...as long as it looks fun and makes my lips shiny. (I wonder how many tubes I have ingested in my life)

6:  Books. (hopefully someday it will be a Nook)  Seriously it is crazy how much I love to read now. I used to only read magazines because I could never get into a book, or I would rather be doing something else, but now that I am a Mommy (and I don't go out and party all the time) I LOVE sitting in my chair with a blanket and a book.  I have even started to read some that my sister (who we have different taste in books) suggests to me.  It is a great way to escape your everyday thoughts and it is relaxing! 

7:  Starbucks Coffee.  MMM, I love all types, frozen, hot, iced, tea, seasonal flavors, whatever it may be I will drink it.  I can't say that I have ever ordered something from Starbucks and not liked.  If I could afford it, I would go there every single day of the year to start off my morning!

8:  Romantic Comedies.  OK not all of these in this picture are comedies, and I haven't seen all of these but its the only picture I could come up with, there are a few on there that I absolutely LOVE. Just Married, Hitch, Music and Lyrics, The Wedding Planner, and Step up are some of them, There is nothing better than to sit down with your sweetie and watch something that will make you both laugh and feel good after watching :)

9:  Hearts...Part of the reason why I love Valentine's day so much.  I think they are so girlie and cute and I actually used sign my name with a heart to dot the I in Annie, but I have matured out of that :)  (maybe I should bring that back lol) I still do love them and They make me happy to see.

10:  Last but not least is Kenra 25 Hairspray.  Not only has this been my best friend for doing countless up-dos, but I use it in my own hair almost everyday whether I'm just trying to get a little volume or I am just trying to get the flyaways under control. Its firm enough for like I said an up-do (if you use a heavier amount) yet it is light enough to not make your hair look all crusty and hard when you just curl it and need some hold. Not to mention I LOVE the smell. If I had to pick one hair product to use for the rest of my life it would defiantly be this!  (and being a hairstylist for 6 years I have a boatload of favorite products)

So there it was, some of my favorite things! Hope you enjoyed!

look alike

Ty and Mommy

So when Tyler was born all I ever heard was "Tyler looks like his Daddy"  Although I do agree, I have to say, the older he gets, the more I think he is starting to look like Mommy. 

This is a recent pic of the boy too, he can be such a little cheeser!

this is a pic of me when I was probably 3 or 4.

I have a couple pictures of me that make me wish I owned a scanner so I could post those too, just seeing how your babies turn into little spitting images of yourself is so fun! I will say, Chad's baby pictures do look like Ty too, but he defiantly is starting to look like me finally! :) YAY!! I can't wait to see who baby Aubrey will look like. They say that little boys look like their Moms and little girls look like their Dads so I can't wait to see what she looks like! I hope she looks just as cute as I think Tyler is, I'm sure she will be! 15 more days until my dude date!!!!

Puma

This is gonna be a hard blog for me.

So his name is Max, but he picked up the nickname of Puma from little Tyler, I fell in love with him right away. He was my brother and sister-in-laws cat and they had to get rid of him so we thought we would take him and give him a good home, all though I am glad we did, I also wish we didn't because of how attached I got to him.  Not only did I love him, but Chad did too and that was amazing to me because he had a hatred for cats before Puma, This cat was the best cat ever, he snuggled, he greeted you at the door, he let Tyler rough house with him, and he put up with Lucy always trying to hump him. (weird I know because Max was a boy and Lucy is a girl)

Anyways, we made the decision that we needed to find a new home for him because Chad had some allergies around him (really only when I let him sleep in our bed) and he jumped in the baby crib and laid in all the baby stuff, If he did not shed it would of been not as big of a deal, but he was getting hair all over the car seat and crib and a little bouncer chair, we also have some onesies in this little roll out drawer under the crib that was his favorite spot to lay. There were many reasons but those were just a few, so we found him a home. Now I will say, and I am not trying to bash my husband, but he was more ready to part with him than I was, a couple days before we had to say goodbye I started to get really depressed about it an cried to Chad that I did not want to go thru with it.  My husband saw how upset I was and told me he would support me if we kept him, but I didn't want my emotions to hinder what was best for the family.  I told him I wanted NO part in the "hand off'" and I gave Chad a list of things to tell the new owner when they came to get him. They came and got him 1 week ago today and it has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. My emotions have been sad, mad, regretful, and hopeless.  I keep wishing that they would just bring him back. I have not had one day where I did not cry just thinking about the cat.  I felt like we didn't give him a long enough chance and we gave up to soon. I told my friend that this has been harder on me then I think if he would of passed away, because of the regret I feel. 

Chad told me that the little girl (she is 5) who came with her Dad to pick up the Puma was soooo happy when she first saw Max that he had no doubt in his mind that he would be loved and cared for properly, but that just was not enough for me to hear, I have had everyone tell me how we did the right thing for the family and in time I will feel better about it. Well today I think I finally am starting to feel a little better about it. Chad called the guy to see how he was doing and the new owner said Max fits right in, and gets soooo much love and attention. He already has his favorite spots in their house to lay and cat nap and he said that if we ever wanted to go there and visit the cat that we are more than welcome to...with this offer, it did make me feel better even tho I really just wanted them to say to come get him. But now I know that he is in a good spot, they love him so much, and if I ever miss him he is just a phone call away. All though I don't think I will visit him because I think it would just be to hard for me to leave him again.  Thankfully Tyler has not asked about him very often and I think Lucy is starting to feel normal again with the parting of the cat.

I don't think that I will ever have another cat (meaning down the line when Aubrey and Tyler are older) I just don't think I will find a cat that is as good as Max. He really was the greatest Cat I have ever met!

A baby "Sprinkle"

Although big brother Tyler has plenty to share,
We're having this "sprinkle" to show that we care,
As you know girls are made of sugar and spice,
So a little something pink would be quite nice!

 

 So I was not planning on having another baby shower, because some would say you only should have one for the 1st child, I felt like I wanted to have SOMETHING because my 2nd pregnancy to me is just as special as my first one, and since they are different genders,I thought  it would be fun just to get a few friends together and not have an all out shower but a little sprinkle :) My sister's helped me organize a little party that we had today and it was a great time, Thank you again for everyone who made it! Here are some pictures of how it turned out. (did I mention I love sharing pictures on this blog? I think it will be great to look back on a year or so from now)

how cute is this table of sweets???

 

 Cupcakes are so girlie to me, I think they are so cute! Beth made them just as i requested with the heart gummie on them :)

 

 Tyler had to run around and show everyone the "cute" balloons :) he must hear me say cute a lot,..also notice how cute the Tom and Jerry shirt hes wearing, I found it at Old Navy. I used to LOVE that cartoon when I was little :)

 

 Andrea, and Jess, 2 of my very best friends!

 

 this is the group shot we got, not very great lighting for it, and it was a little far away (it was a self timer)

 

My preggo buddy Paige, she is due to have her baby girl a month exactly after me :)

Joanna and Shawn, love these ladies! 

 

This was later on, Tyler made us open this present Aubrey got, he kept giving it hugs and kisses, he used to have a blue one when he was a baby so maybe he remembered it :) (I think we are going to have to get his back out so he doesn't get mad when we tell him this is for his sister)

So the sprinkle turned out to be a great time :) Thank you to Emily and Beth for helping me with it. And Thanks again for everyone who made it! I feel like a special lady and Aubrey is going to be one cute little girl in all her new outfits! 

 

I am almost 37 weeks now! This has been going by faster than I thought it would, I have been trying to pack my hospital bag "just in case" but I just have not gotten around to it! I keep saying "oh I still have time" but you never know! So that is my goal for the week :) I go to the Dr. on Tuesday for my first "check" oh joy! I get to go every week until she comes now so now I know it is almost that time! I feel like she has no more room to grow!!!!! At the end of the night my stomach feels like its going to explode open!!! (too much information????? possibly) Anyways, I hope everyone had a great weekend!!!!!!!!

Aubreys Room!! :) :) :)

We did it! Everything is pretty much ready for baby Aubrey! I can't believe she will be here in just 1 short month. I am not gonna lie, I'm getting a little nervous about labor and delivery. You would think since I already did it I would be a pro, but no...I am even more nervous this time because I know what to expect! EEK! Anyways, that is getting off the subject, and it will all be worth it in the end. Here are some pictures of our hard work! (Chad did the labor, but I did all the picking out and figuring out where I want everything)

This is the view right when you walk in, I was standing in the doorway to take it

There is the crib, you can't really tell but the crib skirt reminded me of a ballerina tutu :)

polka dots!!! :) and her singa-ma-jig, my Mom got Tyler one for Christmas so I had to get Aubrey one too, they harmonize together and it is super cute! lol

Her changing station/dresser. I want to get more of those baskets for the top shelf, but that will come in time :)

We got a new boppy cover because Tyler's was just a little too boyish...

I got this flower pillow and blanket, BUT the other side of the flower is a lavender color and I like it better with the wall color, so I am going to get a new lavender blanket for the rocker, but that will also come in time and it looks fine for now :)

This is one of my favorite corners of the room. I am still going to get a little mirror for behind the ballerina Isabel Bloom and I also am going to get a little diamond to set on the shelf like the center pieces at my wedding.

I painted this shelf and put little diamonds on it

I found this at Target. I loved it, it is the girl version of the alphabet. (we have the boy version in Tyler's room if you didn't get a chance to look at his room pictures)

This is actually my favorite part about her room. my mom found this in downtown le claire a few years ago and I found it in her basement and she let us take it :) Thank you Momma!

This is a memo board I found at Kohls. I liked it because we can add pictures and keep it for years, I was trying to decorate so it wasnt too babyish so we don't have to redo it when she grows up a little Of course there is our video monitor...yes they are a little tacky on the wall but they really really come in handy!

I tried to get a closer shot of her letters, I painted them and added pink diamonds to them. They are from Hobby Lobby and such and inexpensive way to be creative and make the room cute!

this I also found at Hobby Lobby, it was 50% off and I just love it!

A little ballerina that my mom got Aubs for Christmas it came with magnets of different outfits but of coarse the purple one was my favorite :)

Last but not least, the dollhouse bookshelf!!!! I love this so much, she can play barbies in it when she is older, but for now we are going to use it for books and stuffed animals. We need to get some girlie books, but those will also come in time :)

So there it is...I really am happy with how it turned out! You really have to see it in person to get the full picture because it is so cute!  I can't wait to meet my little GIRL :) :) 

 This could possibly be the last belly picture I ever post (because I am getting so big and am embarrassed of it) but we will see how much bigger I get. :) Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!

Chad

Chad, my hubby, my one true love. Sometimes I don't give him enough credit for everything he does for me and Tyler which is why one of my new years resolutions is to be more patient with him, and not be such a nag! Looking at pictures today made me just remember why I love him so much, (even tho I never forgot, its nice to be reminded by going down memory lane) So I thought I would share some pictures (my favorite thing to do) that made me smile or laugh, and make me realize how lucky I am to have found someone who just adores me as much as I adore them! I LOVE YOU CHAD!!!

 This is Easter 2010. One thing I love about Chad is he is always down to dress however I want him too, I have always worn Easter "Peep" (the marsh mellow chickie things) colors on Easter, because I really like to be festive with every holiday, yes it is a little dorky but I like it and I think it makes it fun! :) A lot of guys who I have known would just not be down with dressing in a theme or a like for something, so this is one thing I  love <3

 Again for Easter, 2009

 This is for the 4th of July 2009, Red White and Blue :) this year we were at a wedding so we dressed up for that but next year trust me we will do this again :)

Thing I love about him number 2: He is a softy...(sorry Chad for outing you) My hubby cries...and I like it. He cried when Tyler was born, He cried when he saw Tyler being pushed down the isle at our wedding, and when I walked down the isle of coarse (actually it helped me not cry because I felt like there had to be one non crier at that moment, but I did cry saying my vows to him), and sometimes he tears up at movies. I just love that he has such a huge heart and is not afraid of showing it. I knew early on when we actually started dating after being friends for years before that I was madly in love with this guy and I knew he would be the one I ended up with forever (good thing since we got pregnant with Tyler only 2 months into dating) :)

One of the happiest days of my life!

 

 Thing I love #3:  Chad is the best Daddy ever!  He loves his boy so much you can just see it. He loves taking him places and he has always been super involved with every "first" Tyler has had and any other time. One of my favorite things to do is watch Chad read to Tyler or play games with Ty. I really could not have asked for a better father for my children. I know he is going to be just as great with Aubrey.

Ty learning to walk

Daddy and Ty at the car show, I believe this was Jan 2010

Looking at some "boosh" as Ty would say, summer 2010

AWWWWWWWWWWWW

This could go along with the first reason I said, but I also love the way that him and Tyler dress alike. It is too cute. This was Spring 2010

Thing I love #4:  I love how Chad and I have date nights. I think it is really important when you have kids that you get out and do stuff with just your significant other. It keeps the relationship fresh :) This was us at putt-putt Fall of 2009.

This was date night for my birthday 2010

Thing I love #5: Chad is a silly goof ball just like me! Sure we can and know when to be serious but we spend most of our times making jokes, laughing, and just plain acting goofy together, (it has also rubbed off on a certain 2 year old I know as well)

Halloween 2009, he made a great Popeye

I am seriously laughing out loud at those last 2 pics...we really are weirdos

LOL this was in Mexico on our honeymoon

So anyways, those are just a FEW reasons (in no order) why I love my husband.  He is my everything and I am happy to spend the rest of my life with him. (Sorry about the cheese-ball blog, but you gotta do them from time to time)

Ok there were a few normal ones...I could add pictures all night if I wanted to!