Boppies, Bottles, and Bibs, OH MY!

This is for all my mom friends out there...

It's time to register and shop for baby items, and I have to admit that I'm a bit overwhelmed.  Where to start?!  Every product that I need gives me a gazillion choices.  And they all come with good and bad reviews.  I've spent a lot of time on Consumer Reports, researching the best and safest products for our baby girl.  There are worries of BPA, carcinogens, suffocation risks, etc...I thought this would be easier with more obvious choices in products!  For years, I've been tucking away thoughts while having conversations with all of you about your babies, so I feel somewhat prepared when it comes to caring for and raising children.  However, I could use some help in the baby products area.  So, I turn to you...all of my mom friends who have tested products.  What do you recommend?  Are there any products you found that you couldn't live without?  Or any products that you thought you needed but never used?  You're the pros, so I know you'll steer me in the right direction!  :)

It's a...

...GIRL!!!

Our ultrasound today revealed that we are going to have a precious baby girl!  To say that we are excited is an understatement.  I woke up this morning between 5 and 6 a.m...it felt like Christmas morning and I just couldn't sleep any more!  I was excited, emotional, and nervous all day long...in hindsight, I would have made our appointment earlier in the day rather than waiting until the end.  ;)  But, instead, I spent all day feeling queasy with an accelerated heart rate.  The wait was worth it, though, when SHE came into view.

After checking in, we were called back immediately and a wave of emotions hit me again.  We were about to find out if we would be parents to a son or a daughter!  What a huge deal!!  The ultrasound tech wasted no time and found Baby Baker right away...she's grown a lot and her heart was beating strong.  The technician had to poke and prod my belly a bit to get her to "reveal" herself, and she complied!  I've looked at enough ultrasound pictures online to know what a girl looks like versus what a boy looks like at 16 weeks (yes, I've been a bit obsessed with the subject).  I knew what she was as soon as that area came into view, and about that same time the technician said, "It's definitely a girl!"  She took several shots and each one looked just like the other pictures I had researched.  Blaine and I were ecstatic!  I cried (I was crying before we even made it to the appointment ;)) and laughed...to think of God blessing us with a little girl of our very own!  This is so surreal, I feel like I'm dreaming!  We left our appointment with pictures and a video in hand...and I'm sure everyone in that office knew what we were there for by the way I was carrying on while walking out.  :)

 So, a sweet little girl...we can call Baby Baker by her name now, Samantha Elle Baker.  Baby Sam, for short.  ;)  We are in love with her and this baby already has Blaine wrapped around her little finger.

Sweet little face with her hands up by her cheeks.  Is it just me, or does it look like she's trying to scare someone...perhaps preparing for Halloween?  ;)

Laying face down...she moved around a bit after the technician poked at her.  Look how she's grown since her last picture!

It's a girl!

16 weeks (tomorrow)...my belly is starting to feel really round and hard.  I actually look pregnant now!  And, yes, there's only one in there.

I'm so glad we decided to find out what we're having...I feel like I have a better sense of who this baby is and I already find myself dreaming about what she'll be like.  We can't wait to meet you, Baby Sam!!

We're ALL Still Here! :)

I know I have taken a serious hiatus from blogging...and at a time when I really have had so much to write about. For one, we have settled into our new home in Alabama after two weeks of fun in Montana and Texas!  But the real reason I couldn't get onto our blog is the fear of letting our little secret slip early...WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!  I got teary-eyed just writing that.  :)  I'm due on April 4th, which puts me at 12 weeks this past Thursday.  Believe me you, I wanted to blog about this when we found out at 5 weeks.  ;)  Now I feel comfortable sharing our wonderful news with my blog family, so exciting!

We couldn't be more thrilled and we feel so blessed to have been given this gift.  We found out while we were in Texas and it was so much fun to be able to tell my family in person.  Shortly after arriving in Alabama, we made the trip to Atlanta to tell Blaine's family in person, too.  I will forever cherish the memories of our families' reactions.

After having the medical clinic on base confirm my pregnancy, I was able to make an appointment with the midwife we wanted to see off-base.  Our first appointment was at 8 weeks, followed by the first ultrasound at 9 weeks.  I imagined it would be amazing, but I don't think we were prepared for just how awesome this would be.  I was so nervous, I guess I just didn't believe it...until we saw with our own eyes!  Our baby came into view immediately and all I could do was laugh and cry at the same time.  Baby Baker's tiny heart was beating strong and fast (178 bpm), which is what I really needed to see to calm my nerves.  And then the image moved!  No one told me that I might see the baby move at just 9 weeks!  The more I laughed with amazement, the more baby moved around.  It was incredible.  We left that appointment with so much joy, I can't even describe it.

Our precious baby at 9 weeks!  I can't stop looking at this picture, I just love him/her so much.  

I just had my 12 week appointment (Blaine was in class and couldn't join me) on Thursday and all went well.  My widwife tried listening for the heartbeat again (we couldn't hear anything at 8 weeks) and she found it!  Of course, I cried again.  I was not prepared for how much emotion a little heartbeat could evoke.  And then we heard these "thumps", which my midwife said were little kicks!  To imagine those little feet already kicking...I'm in love!  

Not sure if my belly is due to baby and my "rearranging" body or the yummy foods I've consumed.  ;)

Our next appointment is October 17th when we will already get to find out what we're having!  I always thought I'd be the kind of mom who would want to wait and be surprised, that just sounds so exciting to me.  But we are so anxious and like to plan...that idea flew out the window weeks ago.  ;)  I've been very disciplined and haven't bought a thing yet ( I know, that is SO not my personality)...but you can bet I'll be in the stores the afternoon of the 17th!  

I will keep you all posted on baby news...and I might just blog about our move at some point.  :)

Moving...

I cannot believe it is already July...the very month in which we will depart our home in Hawaii and make a new one in Alabama.  Our packers have come and gone and we are living on 'Aloha furniture' (loaner furniture) and loan closet items.  (Side note: I am loving that we have these benefits while moving!)  It is very bittersweet...while we are so thrilled that we have been given the opportunity to return home to the South and for Blaine to continue his education with the Air Force, it is really hard to leave such a beautiful place with awesome people.  Our time these days is filled with farewells, lunch dates with friends, and all the joys that come along with moving.  ;)  Which brings me to what I really want to talk about...

Blaine has been incredibly busy this week with our wing commander's farewell...yes, the same week we shipped a car overseas and had all of our household goods packed up and shipped out, too.  I lost focus for a moment (okay, maybe several moments ;)) and felt stress and  frustration when our move did not seem to be the first priority in our household.  But then I took a deep breath and put everything into perspective...

As a supportive military spouse, a job that I view very seriously, I take care of things at home so that my husband can be effective at his job.  After all, it's his job that gives us this lifestyle that we so treasure and love.  Sure, without his job, I wouldn't have to deal with the stress and frustration of the moves.  But I love our life...the life the Air Force has given us...so much and can't picture living any other way.  Our wing commander spoke recently and his words resonated with us...he said that he and his wife decided a long time ago to stop focusing on and talking about the difficulties of the military way of life, but rather on the amazing opportunities the Air Force has provided them.  We have been afforded wonderful opportunities at the hands of the Air Force, not to mention that Blaine and I would have never met and fell in love.  :)   So as we sit in our nearly empty house this week on the 4th of July, I will give thanks for the blessing of being born in this amazing country and the military as a whole for keeping us safe...but I will be especially grateful for our Air Force in particular.  The Air Force is so good to us, and we really owe much of our happiness to it!  

Have a Happy 4th of July!!

G'Day, mates!

A trip to Australia has been in my sights since we moved to Hawaii, so I was thrilled when Blaine agreed to take some time off to make this vacation happen. After much thought about where to go and what to see, we decided to stay in Sydney and tour the surrounding area. There are so many other places to see, such as Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane, Melbourne, the outback...you name it! But seeing all of these places in eight days is like touring the United States in eight days...that seemed overwhelming to me. We decided to pace ourselves, stay in one city, and we will go back to see the others in separate visits. Here's a recap of our trip!

Day 1: After missing the Space A flight over (no seats due to cargo), we booked our tickets for the next morning and were off on our 11 hour flight. We stepped out of the train station in Circular Quay to see all kinds of lights and street artists...much to our delight, we just happened to choose to visit the week of "Vivid Sydney", where artists put on amazing light shows all over the city! It was beautiful! Our first full day in Sydney, we headed straight over to the famous Opera House for a tour. We saw a rehearsal for a show the following night, which piqued our curiosity...more on that later. We also walked around The Rocks area and made our way to the Sydney Observatory, where we learned about the "Transit of Venus"...more on this later, too.   I fell in love with Sydney the first day...what a beautiful city!

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Observatory

 Day 2: We visited the Taronga Zoo to get a glimpse of some of the wildlife since I was sure we wouldn't be spotting any kangaroos in downtown Sydney. It was a nice zoo, and we really liked being able to walk amongst the kangaroos and wallabies in their enclosure. After our zoo visit, we went back to the Opera House for the show that we had seen in rehearsals the day before. "Stop the Virgens" was touted as a "psycho rock opera"...I can't believe I just wrote that. I'm still not sure what it was about and found myself scanning the audience to try to figure out what I was missing. It was an excellent people-watching venue, however! And quite an interesting experience. ;)  The main attraction was Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs...yeah, I don't know who that is either.

Koala!

Lazy kangaroo

 Day 3: We spent our third day walking around the city, taking in the sights and sounds. If I had to describe Sydney, I would say it's a mix between New York City and Charleston, with a little bit of Europe thrown in...perfect for me! Have I mentioned how much I LOVED all of the outdoor cafes lining the streets...and my daily (sometimes multiple) cappuccinos? :) We visited the National Maritime Museum and then cozied up to a blackjack table in the neighboring casino afterwards.  ;)

Adorable market right around the corner from our hotel...and an outdoor cafe!

Same market at night...not so adorable.  ;)

City Centre

National Maritime Museum

 Day 4: We took the train to the Blue Mountains, but didn't get to see much of anything due to the rain and fog. The little town, Katoomba, that the train stopped in was super cute and was the perfect place for a yummy breakfast, though...and yet another pub visit!

Cute town of Katoomba!

The yucky weather...and why we didn't get a glimpse of the mountains.  :(

 Day 5: The rain continued so we decided on a veg out day, checking email and surfing the Internet while sipping on cappuccinos at our hotel. Sometimes you need veg out days on vacation.  No pictures of this day, obviously.

Day 6: Perhaps my favorite day!  We decided on a "Boutique Wine Tour", which sounded nice but I was completely prepared for a "touristy" and cheesy tour.  NOT AT ALL!  Our driver picked us up that morning in a little Mercedes van with only three other people!  He was funny and knowledgeable and even asked if there were any specific wineries we wanted to visit.  The Hunter Valley wine region is about two hours north of Sydney and looks just like the Sonoma Vally in California.  We tasted wines (MANY) at four different wineries: Savannah Estate, Iron Gate, Constable Estate, and Ernest Hill...you may have not heard of any of these because they are boutique wineries.  They typically sell out of their wineries and really don't ship anywhere.  Of course, we brought six bottles home with us.  :)  AND we even pulled over to see a big mob of wild kangaroos!!  We thought it was SO cool, even though they view kangaroos like we view whitetail deer in Texas.  ;)

Savannah Estate

Iron Gate

One of the vineyards...one of my MOST FAVORITE sights in all the world.  

Constable Estate

Ernest Hill

I light up any time I see vineyards...I just love the way they (and their wines) make me feel!  ;)

Blaine's tasting notes...did I mention they gave us A LOT of tastings?  Sweet Awesomeness?!  HA!

KANGAROOS!  In the wild!  Awesome!!

Day7: I'm glad we saw just about everything we wanted to see at the beginning of our trip because the weather did not cooperate this day.  We caught the ferry over to Manly Beach, such great views and a beautiful area!  Of course, it began to rain as soon as we got there, so we found a couple of breweries to spend some time in.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Manly Beach...and storm clouds rolling in.

Day 8: Remember our visit to the observatory on day one?  Well, while there, we read about the Transit of Venus, when the sun, Venus, and Earth align just right so that you can see a tiny, black dot (Venus) traveling across the sun.  It only happens twice in a lifetime...eight years apart (2004 and 2012), but won't take place again until 2117.  If you are super bummed you missed it ;), you can check out the Transit of Mercury in 2016.  Blaine HAD to see this, as this is what drew Captain Cook and his crew to Australia in the first place.  And it was quite popular in Sydney...they sold out of the viewing glasses all over the city!  We were bummed about that, until we had the idea to walk up to the observatory that day where I just asked some guy who had already seen it if we could have his glasses!  We paid the good deed forward and gave the glasses to a guy we met later that day.  :)  After the transit, we strolled over to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and climbed up one of the pylons to take in the views of the city and harbour...gorgeous!

Viewing the Transit of Venus!  (We are SUCH nerds.)

View from the bridge pylon

Blaine taking in the transit one more time before giving away our glasses to another guy on the pylon.  I love this picture.  :)

Another shot of the bridge

Sydney...notice the historic buildings in The Rocks area nestled in front of the big City Centre!  Too cool!

We had a great trip and I'm so glad we made it to Australia!  Our next trip will definitely be a diving excursion, though.  :)

Two days after we returned, we island-hopped over to the Big Island with our dear friends, the Amidons!  Since Blaine won't have many spear-fishing opportunities in Alabama, he and Nate chartered a "deep blue" fishing trip, where they went out into the open ocean for some spear-fishing.  They saw a lot of fish and some whales, but even more sharks.  : /  While they fished, Elizabeth and I enjoyed relaxing by the lagoon in our cabana, sipping our new favorite drink (see recipe below!), reading books...everything a beach vacation should be before I get my hands on it and make one of my infamous itineraries.  ;)  It was AWESOME to spend four days in Kona with the Amidons...with NO itinerary...just relaxation in the sun.  Thanks, Nate and Elizabeth, for a very memorable vacation!

And if you've made it this far in your reading (sorry for the lengthy post), you will now be rewarded with one of the BEST recipes I have stumbled upon!  

SKINNY PINA COLADA

2 oz. coconut rum

2 oz. pineapple juice

5 oz. coconut water

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice.  Garnish with a pineapple slice and/or a maraschino cherry (optional).  ENJOY!  This makes two drinks at under 100 calories each!!  So yummy!  :)

Hot Air Balloon Baby Shower

When I recently took on planning a baby shower for a dear friend, Ashley, I asked her what she was interested in so that I could get an idea of where we wanted to go with the theme.  After getting her input, we decided on a hot air balloon theme, of which was a bit out of my comfort zone as I had never seen a party with that theme.  Little did we know that this would turn into one of the most beautiful showers any of us had ever seen!  :)

We had a lot going for us to begin with, which made this the perfect event!  First, I got to work with an AWESOME team of ladies who brought their A-games in every way.  Many thanks to Allison R, Elizabeth A, Lana P, Lauren K, and Lauren R for the time they spent planning, decorating, and preparing food...and tolerating my OCD tendencies!  ;)  Second, we scored THE PERFECT venue!  After taking a "field trip" around Hickam AFB to scope out the possible shower locations, we decided there was only one place that could offer the ambience we envisioned...our Wing Commander's backyard and lanai!  Now, three of our husbands, including Ashley's, work for our Wing Commander, so I felt comfortable asking him and his wife if they would entertain the idea.  We were beyond thrilled when they happily agreed and were honored to help!  Many thanks to them!!  As Allison put it, she felt as though someone just accepted her proposal for marriage when they said yes!  I agree, HA!

This venue was the perfect setting and MADE for a magical and whimsy baby shower!  And the covered lanai provided some relief to the unexpected Hawaiian shower that decided to show up.  ;)

3D hot air balloons cut with Allison's cutting machine and glued together.

We asked guests to bring their baby photos for a fun game of "guess who"...photos were displayed on a burlap-covered board with twine and tiny clothespins!

Guests left sweet thoughts of encouragement and words of advice on hot air balloon and cloud shapes.  These, along with pictures from the shower, will be put into a scrapbook for Ashley.

We tied ribbon around mason jars and added these pretty paper straws for the drinks.  I just love these colors together!

Our lovely food spread...backed by an awesome fabric swag created by Allison and Lana!

Lauren R ordered yummy cupcakes from Hokulani Bake Shop...they recently won Cupcake Wars on The Food Network!!  Allison made these adorable food labels, which added such a nice touch to our tables.

All of our hard work paid off for THIS reaction!  :)

Isn't Ashley gorgeous?!  Lauren K presented her with a fresh flower lei that coordinated with our shower colors.

Love this girl!!  :)

Allison cut letters so spell "BABY BAIZE" and attached them to twine with tiny clothespins...adorable!  And you can see the board that we displayed the baby photos on in the background, too.

An amazing team of ladies!  Jen, Lana, Allison, Lauren R, Elizabeth, Lauren K, and, of course, Ashley, in front!

We had a great turn out of about 35 ladies!

Allison suggested a fun impromptu game...we wrote some of the phrases down as Ashley exclaimed them while opening gifts.  Then, I read them back to everyone...but this time, thinking of them being said when Baby Baize was conceived.  HILARIOUS!!

Ashley poses with her shower sign...she had such a great time!

Allison made these adorable chocolate hot air balloons from candy molds for guests to take as favors...they were such a hit!

So incredibly cute!  :)

We had so much fun hosting this shower I didn't want it to end!  Most importantly, our goal was achieved...to make Ashley feel like the most beautiful, special, and loved girl in the world that day.  I'm glad to have been a part of something so memorable for her.  Love you, sweet friend!