End is Near Friday's Fancies

I haven't linked up with {AV} long distance loving in awhile!!
We are celebrating the end of summer
this Sunday with my side of the fam.

They have a pool, so I will definitely be in there most {if not all} day!!

I look forward to good food, great times & lots of sun!!

I am sure I'll be in my maternity swimsuit more than a cute dress.
I can't wait to just float around and soak up that last of the summer sun.

Week 22 Bumpdate

How far along:

22 weeks tomorrow!

OOTD:
Skirt: ON (non maternity)
Shirt: Target maternity
Cami/sports bra: Wal-Mart
Necklace: Aldo Accessories 
Baby is the size of:

A Papaya!!

 {bump.com}

Clothes:

Refer to yesterday's post...

mostly maternity or XL sized.

If I'm home, I'm in comfy over-sized sweats or shorts.

I'll put a real bra on ONLY if I'm trying to feel normal!!

Otherwise?
I love me some tank top bra/sports bras.
Yesterday's fashion attempt:

 OOTD:
Shirt: Maternity @ Kohl's clearance $10
Shorts: Motherhood maternity
Necklace: Antique store
Infinity Scarf: Express
Sandals: Aldo
Makeup: BE
Bag: Coach 2009

Symptoms:
Still very itchy breasts.
Like they might be growing again.
#Icanttakethemgettinganybigger

I have had an issue with heartburn/reflux/indigestion/sour stomach.

After much reading, I've discovered I should change some habits 

{and it worked!}

I was feeling so gross, I was afraid to eat anything for fear of feeling awful.
Clearly not eating is not an option, and so I texted my acupuncturist and she suggested food changes.

1. Eat 1/2 the amount you want to at a meal.  In other words, eat smaller amounts, all.day.long.

2. Don't drink liquids as you eat; drink in between the meals to avoid the slow down bloated feeling.

3. Don't lay right down after eating a meal. {if you have to, lay on left side}

4.  Eat 'neutral or cool foods': yogurt, milk, melon, banana, pb&j is my bff. 

5. DO NOT eat oatmeal, cherries, citrus, or heavy acidic foods like heavy tomato sauces, spicy, greasy, fatty

6. Drink hot tea--I enjoy the Earth Mama Heartburn tea here

7.  Eat your last meal 3 hours before you go to sleep.

8. Tums before sleep & elevate your head.

9. All else fails? Eat ice cream!! It does make you feel better. In every way possible.

Sleep:

 I think I failed to eat enough yesterday as I woke up at 4 am 

and had to go eat something by 5, since I was still wide awake.

I had a fiber bar and some Gatorade, and by 6 was sleeping, only to hear hubs get up...

I'm still in my pjs and not doing much today.

Other than that, I have been sleeping well;

I get up 2-3 times to use the bathroom.

I had switched sides of the bed with hubs, but he wanted his side back....

so I am back to walking an extra few feet.

Best Moment this Week:

Seeing our little girl during our ultrasound!

She cooperated at first, then flipped right over.

  Love her adorable nose and little fingers.

The tech kept poking with the damn tool, and I was laying on my back...

I quickly felt hot/clammy and thought I was going to pass out.

Luckily I did not, and we made it through, 

with a few pictures and a DVD.

*Little hand by her nose*

 *Hand on her head.*

 *She smiles*

After her appointment, we picked out the carpet for the nursery.

Yesterday I had lunch at Macaroni Grill with 

my mother in law, step-mom, and girlfriend Alison.

I enjoyed a side salad and the Margarita pizza

We then headed over to Buy Buy Baby and spent the next several hours registering.

I got a little worked up in the bib section, since I really don't care what bibs I get....

and I had to pee, and when I have to pee, I can't think. My brain literally stops.

We got through it though, and baby girl is all set now!

I'll do a separate post on my registry items.

I enjoyed my goodies!!

Miss Anything?

Nope!!

Movement:

Oh yes! I think she had the hiccups the other night, 

as there was a rhythmic thumping for a few minutes straight.

She moves at night, louder music & Daddy's voice.

Cravings:

Sweets.

 Love glazed donuts. 

I need to make some cookies this weekend too!

I still love fruit, yogurt & cheese.

Belly Button:

Seems to be stretching and working its way out...so weird!

Wedding Rings:

On

Stretch Marks:

Still no!! 

My favorite lotion is Mama Bee's Belly Butter. 

Mood:

Tired today, but very relaxed.

 Doing a lot of this today with lil miss Holly.

I am also super excited everything is coming along!! 

Looking Forward to:

Daddy being able to feel baby girl move.

She's getting strong at kicking, so any day now!!

Styling My Bump W/ Non-Maternity

Well, hello there Wednesday!!

I am loving this week.

It's been a busy one...
Today I'm focusing on Maternity Fashion.
Something I've been slacking on.
It's harder than I thought to not feel frumpy.
I love my growing belly,
I just need to spend a little more time dressing it better!

Yesterday I started my morning off running to Target and buying hubs the latest

Madden 2013

He doesn't ask for a lot, so when there's something he enjoys I love it!
If you bought the chips with the game, you get a $10 gift card towards your next Target purchase.
He posted that picture on Facebook and exclaimed he had the best wife ever.
Not gonna lie, I felt pretty bad ass.
I love him.
So of course after I made sure to get a copy of the game,
I was left to peruse the aisles of Tar-jay to
day-dream,
and
drool,
over the cute new fall coats and looks, that this big ol' bump ain't gonn' fit.
That's OK.
 There will be plenty more Falls in the future,
but I am struggling with my wardrobe!
And as much as I loathe spending money on maternity clothes,
I am not fitting into things I really thought I could make work.
Dresses are riding too high in the front,
regular leggings are too tight around the tummy,
and my tops & bottoms just don't fit.
Oh, and if you've taken note of my husband,
he's built very European.
Tall.
Thin.
#Iweighwaymorethanhimnow
and I would stretch out his stuff as badly as I would stretch out my own.
I don't consider myself a "fashionista"
however, I love fashion.
I adore trends mixed in with classics.
I will admit when I got pregnant,
I was beyond excited to buy the scrunchy sided shirts & panel bottoms.
Yeah, well I'm over them.
Sorry.
I am mostly over the cost of them!!
I went over to the teeny tiny maternity section,
and was less than impressed with the gaudy floral prints
and over-priced t-shirts.
So I went back through the regular section and thought about what I really needed
vs. what I really wanted.
I ended up with a few new tank tops;
I just bought XXL & XL.
They're long enough
& my curves are kickin', as Sir-Mix-A-Lot would say.
I got over my fear.
I've been a small or medium since forever, but now is not the time to worry about size.
I'm most concerned with comfort then style.
Maternity Tanks = $12.99
Regular Tanks = $8.99 {more of a selection too!}
I looked through the clearance section, and found a pair of XL capris leggings.
Maternity leggings = $24.99 {not capris w/ panel}
Clearance leggings = $5.00

I wore this yesterday.
I threw on a skinny belt
{thanks to AP over at ILYMTC & her bump styling tips}
and I had cute strappy jeweled sandals too.
I felt great!
I loved the sparkles in the shirt, which are hard to see through my pic.
Funny how a few little added pieces can re-boot your wardrobe!
I looked at yoga pants.
Maternity yoga pants = $24.99
Regular yoga pants = $12.99 {so I bought two XL}
I figured since they're big on me right now, great!
I'm gonna get bigger & hopefully get use out of them post baby, right?
I don't think you can have too many pairs of black yoga pants.
I also picked up:
A trendy orange polka dot cardi.
I just got a large and it seems fine.
I don't need to button it, for it to work!

$22.99

I thought this little addition to my wardrobe will help accent the bump.
I can pair this with a white tank & skinnies with above cardi and voila.
Adorable!

$12.99

And I have been so hesitant to purchase shoes,
as I have heard so many women's feet grow during pregnancy.
It's due to the hormone relaxin, and my mother's feet grew
a half a size each kid.
Well, I always try on shoes at Target, but for some reason they never quite work.
Nor are they comfy whatsoever.
These however?
I felt like Cinderella and the glass slipper.
I put them on and felt like a new woman!!

$29.99

{Images are all from Target}
I can totally see myself rocking these on a date with hubs,
and even in my maternity photo shoot, whenever I chose to do that.
So what did I buy that was "Maternity"??
Not a damn thing.
I've decided it's a lot like the wedding industry,
and somethings are essential, while others are a waste of money.
Luckily I've been racking up those Target Gift Cards with certain purchases,
so that helped.
As for tips to not feel frumpy with your bump, but rather fantastic?

• Makeup--it works miracles!
• Jewelry--more is more!!
• Hair--style it!
• Dress up for no reason--makes you feel better, even if you feel lousy.
• Embrace that bump. 

It's only with me for another 18ish weeks, so I really try not to get down on myself. 

 It is crazy to think about how hard I was on my body before I got pregnant, now I look back and laugh.

I would slap my former self, if I could.

 I am so blessed to be pregnant with our little girl 

and while it may be a little challenging to feel like a hot mama, 

I view this challenge as a good thing. 

I'll get back to my old clothes...eventually, but for now I'll rock what I can.

Today I'm overly excited it won't hit 80 degrees, so I can rock a 3/4 length shirt
as I have lunch with some fab ladies & go register for this lil bean!!!
Feel free to share your Bump Fashion tips, I am all ears!

What's Cookin This Week

I definitely do a lot better when I write my meal plans down!

I find it hard to stick with a Sun-Sat plan,

but if I have a list of meal ideas to choose from,

grocery shop for, and offer my hardworking husband,

Life Is Much Easier!!

Where do I get my food ideas?

I pull from every place I can think of!

• Have the Food Network or Cooking Channel on TV a lot; you'll be amazed at how many ideas you can get just listening to those pros! I then google their recipe {easily found} and re-create. 
• Subscribe to at least one food magazine {currently, I get Food Network but you could get Cooking Light, Kraft, Taste of Home, Glamour--OK, so that's more fashion not food, but believe it or not, the recipes in the back are pretty tasty!}
• Cook books: I have a lot....from Giada, Rachel Ray, Julia Childs, Williams Sonoma & even Teresa Guidice from RHONJ
• Ask friends what they're having for dinner & share ideas! It's easy to forget about simple recipes that we don't always make, but bringing up food in conversations with friends always helps! I can't tell you how many times my friends and I text each other, "What's for dinner?!"
• Beg for family recipes! I am not above this. My husband's Italian family are all amazing cooks. I am so lucky that they share their delicious recipes with me!  I think it's silly to keep secret recipes anyway; if it's a great dish, why not share the joy?!
• Monthly Gatherings like GIRLS' NIGHT!! Once a month my 3 friends and I get together. We each take turn hosting, and whomever is hosting provides the main meal.  The rest of us rotate with appetizer, salad, & dessert. Great way to try out new recipes & get ideas!! {Some posts here}
• Facebook pages: whether they are blogs or company pages, you just may get an idea brewing from something you see while scrolling your news feed! "Like" your favorite products and come up with new ways to incorporate them in the kitchen.
• Instagram--I think we mostly post pics of our food on there and how great is it when someone share's what it is that they made?
• Pinterest--I must admit I haven't had wonderful luck with it. It looks great, but the meals usually come out, 'just ok' compared to when I pull from other resources. I have a feeling it's because there aren't 'reviews' and I love reading how people change things up! Great site:{http://allrecipes.com/}

So, for this week, here's what I'm hoping to cook up:

Tonight {Sunday night} Manicotti--recipe is on the back of Barilla box. For realz.

[click on links below for recipes]

Boef Bourguignon--Julia Childs

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats 

Tomato, Mozzarella, Pesto Panini 

served w/ homemade tomato soup

Company Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta {Saw this on Paula Deen this am!}

Chicken cransters [what my husband calls them; simply panko chicken fingers!] 

Tomato, zucchini, white bean & basil soup {thanks Tricia!}

Taco Pie

Phew.
I'm sure there will be some PB& homemade peach jam thrown in there too...
as well as fresh veggies, fruits, and lots of salads.
What will you be cooking this week?

What I'm OK with Today

Woooo It's already Thursday!!

Just a few rando thoughts crossing my mind this beautiful morning...

• My new fall pedi. I'm ready for the cooler weather!

 We'll Always have Paris.  

Le sigh. 

And yes, we will, as well as Rome, Amsterdam...

• That I'm mostly ready so I can switch up my wardrobe since I am getting a tad bored with tanks & panel shorts! I cannot wait to wear more scarves & cardis...and boots 
• But I also cannot wait for Pumpkin Spice Lattes--I heard September 4th they return?!
• I'm counting down the days until I can decorate for fall {hubs isn't ready yet!}

 A few new Jo-Ann's purchases 40%!

• To have made comfort food a lot this week; ie: Linguine w/ clam sauce, Pot Roast, Ribs -recipe
• To send good luck and positive thoughts to my sister on her knee surgery today
• That I may have bought a few or quite a few clothes for my baby girl this week!
• To not find it weird that I'm so excited to wash her clothes & fold them up!! 
• That I can't believe we're already halfway there to meeting little baby Brooke!
• I've never been so excited to pick out carpeting, paint colors, & such.
• To be researching a mini weekend babymoon, since our original plans didn't work out...ideas?
• That I'm NOT down with the high temps again this weekend; boo!
• To be hungry all.the.time. 
• To hope we get to go out on a date night again soon!
• That I think Joe & I should switch sides of the bed so I have easier access to la toilet
• To hope that baby girl gets used to Holly barking at everything walking by outside!
• I am loving these tasty bagels right now--

• To wonder why my neighbor across the street has a garage sale on a Thursday? She did it a month ago too...not like a Thurs-Sun or even Thursday & Friday. Just one day...seems odd.
• To wonder why I even care?!
• That I keep thinking of things to write so I don't have to go clean up breakfast dishes, unload the dishwasher, do the floors, start laundry, make the bed, get lunch ready...#procrastinator
• To want to see this movie, but worry it may be too silly stupid to waste money on in a theater?

What are you OK with today?!

Bumpdate 20 Weeks

It's been a few weeks since my last update, oopsies!

How far along? 20 Weeks (and 4 days)

Baby is the size of a banana

 {according to The Bump.com}
Maternity clothes? Mostly maternity, some non...very far and few pieces still fit comfortably.
I'm still trying to hold out for fall/winter, as I just don't know big we'll get!
I did get my maternity 49ers shirt woot woot!

Stretch marks? Nope!! I keep lubing up. :)

Sleep: I seem to fall right to sleep,
however I wake up twice to use the bathroom...
and sometimes I can't fall back to sleep for an hour or two?!
My mother suggested getting some audio books to listen to.
I also keep having weird vivid dreams...
last night the world was ending?!

Best moment this week: This was a great week! 
Felt her move & saw her moving.

Found out she's a girl!!

Miss Anything? No

Movement: She seems to move more at the sound of Joe's voice or louder music. Love it!

Food cravings: Chocolate, fruit, cheese, yogurt, kalamata olives, cookies, and spicy foods.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing, yay!

Gender: Baby Girl

Symptoms: Still very itchy and a little bit emotional...ok a lot emotional. 
Heartburn seems to come and go, mostly worse at bed time.
My back has been a tad sore; I may have slept funny?
I believe my pre-natal yoga has helped me tremendously 
and I always feel better after walking.

Love my bumpity-bump!

Belly Button in or out? Innie but it's beginning to look different...

Wedding rings? They are on!

Mood: Happy happy joy joy!

Looking forward to: Painting our nursery, picking out decor & finding bedding I love.
I also cannot wait for Joey to feel baby girl move!
I bought this iron on sticky at Hobby Lobby & the shirt.
The shirt is very very thin, but it's fun!

 I also don't know what's getting bigger, my belly or my booty...
why all the extra cushion in the back yo??
PS the stripes don't help me look any less wide hehe

Somehow I still fit my crazy ta-tas in this small maxi dress...
I go to the Dr's today for my check up, so we'll see how much weight I've put on...
I may be at the 25 lbs already, and we're only halfway there.
We'll see!!

And We Shall Name Her...

Happy Monday!!

I hope you had a great weekend.

We had a very productive weekend;

the nursery is cleaned out & the paint has been purchased!
Joe covered all the holes in the wall yesterday
and we are ready to rip out the old gross green carpet.
The carpet guy is coming today to measure and we'll pick out the carpet within the week!!

As for her name, I never thought I'd be able to pick the name until I saw her...

but my husband and I had two girl names we really liked,
{and NO boy names, go figure!!}

and I really felt like he needed her to have a name...like now.

So, why wait?
We love it and now I can use it to decorate her room/clothes/accessories with!

We decided that our little baby girl will have the name:
Brooke  Lynn  Delle Fave

We felt that it wasn't too trendy and growing up with a dozen Jennifers,

I figured it'd be nice to give her a name that was not so popular,

but rather classic.

We love the sound of it and we wanted to use my middle name for her as well.

We liked the name Brooklyn, but this way she can go by just Brooke

or add the Lynn if she wants to be called that too.

It is just a name both of us have always liked;

it sounds peaceful and serene.
Yes it means a small stream.

Brooke.
I feel that it's a strong name,
it will exude confidence,
beauty,
love,
compassion,
generosity,
honesty,
and
happiness.
Brooke.

I'm in love!!

I am in search of beautiful items that would say

BDL
or
Brooke

Any suggestions??

Here are some of my pin-spirations...

Source: etsy.com via Regina on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: evie-s.com via Kyra on Pinterest

Source: sweetcsdesigns.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

And these but with her initials/name

Source: etsy.com via Pamela on Pinterest

Cute for outside her door

Source: journeychic.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Put this in her nursery colors:

Source: cuteasafox.com via Christina on Pinterest

For her newborn photoshoot! 

Then decorate with her photos...

Source: flickr.com via Mary on Pinterest

I could on and on forever, but just a few more ideas...

Source: bhg.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Source: thecraftingchicks.com via Petro on Pinterest

Those of you mamas out there, 

where did you find a lot of your fun nursery decor?

 I don't want to have it all matchy-matchy.

Barn and jungle animals just aren't my thing.

Cutsie animals here and there are fine,

I just don't want an overall "theme".

We don't want to overload on the princess thing either...

I assure you she'll be spoiled enough with all of our friends & families!

I am thinking Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Jo-Anns...

and even Etsy may have some great finds.

My mother-in law is so amazing, she's going to help make 

Brooke's bumper, crib skirt, & some decorative throw pillows!
I love that we can customize it to however we'd like!!!

I want her room to feel magical and peaceful.

This will keep me plenty busy for a bit.

I'm so excited!!

Just Fishin'

What a beautiful day!
It's only 52 and I loooove it!

I just had some hot tea,

folded some laundry,

and am getting ready for my yoga class

I have lots of ambition to finish switching the guest room over,

as we finally picked our baby's furniture out!
We went to Buy Buy Baby and were able to use 20% off coupons,

and they had the matching changer/dresser we loved as a floor model = extra discount!
There was literally one scratch and it's white furniture so I am sure there will be plenty more 

as baby girl grows.

We were very excited!!

I also think I narrowed down to a stroller I want,

I spent hours last night researching joggers vs travel systems...

wow.

I feel like all is coming into place!!

On Monday I will share her name, as already picked that too.

For now, I'll leave with you my current song obsession

{that may make me tear up and make my husband go 'awww'}
I know Joe is going to be an amazing daddy.
I also know how important it is to have a great father role model as a little girl.
My dad did tons of fun things with me growing up and it meant so much to spend time
with him. He worked 6 days a week but never missed a single dance recital, basketball game,
chorus, piano, or band concert. 
Although I never really went fishin' with my dad,
 just running errands with him and talking about life is
what helped keep me on the straight and narrow.

Happy Saturday!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday today to a very special lady...

My mom!
It's funny how things work out.

It had been awhile since we had seen each other, 

but when my husband and I visited her and her boyfriend

this past April in Charleston,

all went so well...{brief post here}

It was nice to close the door of hurt & negativity

and embark on a new beginning.

Call it fate,

God,

a sign,

or what have you...

But on that trip my mother gave me my baby album

and my baby blanket.

It was as if now that we had mended our relationship,

I was now ready to have one with my own daughter.

Joe and I aren't convinced that lil miss baby girl didn't happen in Charleston!

Just a few weeks later, I took that pregnancy test and it was clear as day.

We had our first baby on the way!

My mother loves butterflies, as they're symbolic of her grandmother...

I hope she showers our girl with them and that can be one of their connections.

My mother was a stay at home mom,

attentive and had me reading before I was off to school.

She read me stories day after day,

took me on trips to the library,

sang songs,

made playdough,

and always had time to curl up and relax.

She had me baking and cooking in the kitchen when I was just toddling around.

She signed me up for dance classes,

Spanish lessons at age three,

and spending lots of quality time with my grandparents.

She taught me how to be a big sister,

care for others,

show compassion,

and care about my education.

She insisted I go off to college and live my life for me,

before settling down and starting my own family.

There are so many memories that are truly flooding back

from when I was a little baby girl,

that I want to instill in my daughter.

There are so many things you did right mom,

and i hope you realize that I am mostly the woman I am today

because of the values and lessons you taught me since before I was born.

I love you and look forward to your next visit in January when baby girl has arrived!

I love you.

I want to get a pair of overalls and re-create this picture in the Spring!!

1981

 2012

Love Life

Thank you for all the of the congratulations!!
We are beyond thrilled and I don't even know where to start!

I'm currently searching for the perfect bedding...
I'd like to find something girlie and organic,

but I don't want to overload on pink, if you get my drift!
I am looking forward to spending some time with Joe tomorrow,

as it's his day off!
Maybe we can do a little baby shopping!!!

I also want to watch The Hunger Games this weekend.

He's been working his tail off;

his assistant is still out on leave and the poor thing barely has time to go to the bathroom!
I know he loves working hard and making money,

and I think lil baby girl has given him even more of a reason to knock it out of the ball park!
The dealership is so busy; it must be that time of year for car/truck shopping!

I thank God every day for giving us this beautiful life we lead.

I am so thankful to be by my man's side and be the wife he always wanted.

**Yesterday morning I saw & felt baby girl movin!!**

After working a 12 hour day, 

and not even coming home for lunch

{I had to bring it up, he nibbled on it, took an hour to eat in between customers}

baby girl really started movin around...

I wonder if it's because she heard daddy's voice?!

It was so nice to curl up and have his hand on my belly,

and have him talk to her.

I'm so in love with our family and couldn't be happier.

As for today?

I'm off to make some Peach jam;

I just LOVE opening my pantry cupboard in the basement and seeing 

my growing collection of homemade jams!!

What better thing to have when it's winter and I won't want to run to the store for some.

Make the most of your day,

and most importantly,

life.

Love life & it truly will love you back.

Thanks again for all the well wishes and 

welcome new readers!!

Gender Reveal

Thanks for all of the love ladies!!

We had one of the best days of our lives yesterday.

I woke up teasing my husband with 'It's a girl' texts

and playing daughter-like songs on the iphone.

He loves Jay-Z and so I was playing Glory {about his baby girl}

I got ready as if we were going on a date.
Curled my hair.
Did my makeup.

I felt so pretty!

 Hubs came home from work,

and off we went to see our baby boy or baby girl.

We always take pictures at the Dr's office...

 The ultrasound went well and all looked good,

from what the tech could see.
**A Jay-Z song played while in the office,
we both looked at each other as if it were a sign**

She said she knew the sex of our baby for about 10 minutes before she told us.

She kept asking, do you know what it is?

I'm like, no lady I have no idea what part of baby I'm even looking at!!

Finally she pointed the baby's bum,

and lo and behold, 

baby is a girl.

Unfortunately the little diva would not cooperate for her profile shots,

so we only walked away with this photo!

She is looking down and the tech didn't get all that she needed to.

So, we have to go back in two more weeks.

We get another ultrasound and then we'll get better pictures & a DVD!

Baby girl yawned during it, as if we were boring her.
It was so cute.

She also kept turning away every time the tech tried to get a good angle of her.

She's already a little handful!

We were both a little shocked, since my husband always seems

to manifest what he wants, I thought for sure this baby would be a boy.

However, I guess my dreams {and wives tales} were right on!

As were most of you my lovely readers!
So while it seems to be the season of boys,

Our little girl will be making her debut January 2013.

I came home and finished my cake-pops/cake balls.

I didn't change the recipe, and the sticks did not stick,

so I'll have to try those again.

 Luckily I had pink candy wrappers in the cupboard haha.

I finished working on my Gender Reveal Activity:

The poem says:

Boy or Girl  

What will baby be?
You have one guess,

Then we’ll count to three.

Whether Mohawks or pigtails,

Football or ballet,

This baby is lucky

To be loved,

In so many ways.

Write your guess here:

                                                

They each wrote their guess.

 I think I'll always be a little teacher at heart.

Then I tallied up the responses...

My brother-in-law & our waitress guessed girl.

Everyone else said boy.

 Each pink cake ball was wrapped up in yellow tissue.

We passed one out to everyone at the table.

Counted to three and they opened them up at the same time...

 Proud parents-to-be!!

It was so fun and everyone was so happy.

Before dinner hubs and I made our first baby girl purchase...

Pottery Barn Kids

 It's a super soft changing pad cover...

And a growing family shot outside of PF Changs

And another cute girlie song, when I told my bloggy bestie Amber

I was pregnant, she said this song was playing...

 So here we go...

We are having a beautiful baby girl!!!
Let the fun truly begin.

I love her more than words can say, 

and I cannot stop tearing up at how amazing this all is.