Sitting, Music, Friends, and Cuddles

My boy is 99% there with his sitting. I'm still cautious with him sitting on harder surfaces because he occasionally gets lazy/tired and falls over. I'm so insanely proud of him! Today, for the first time, we noticed him on all fours!!! We've been waiting for this one! I tried to get  it on camera buuuut...NO.  

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J is getting major exposure to music. We've decided he'll probably play the piano or be a drummer...or both! He'll have the perfect teachers! Last weekend, he went to his first James Davis gig. Mr. Boo played with his dad and their friend (also named Jim!) at a bar/restaurant. James had a great time and even got some drumming lessons.

He mostly likes to eat the sticks but that's a good start!

We also went to the Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest that weekend and James got to hear some great music and watch us eat some great food! The boy doesn't know what he's missing.

(My favorite picture this week)

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We had some good friend time this week! Our friends, The Hatti, invited us over for dinner. We grilled burgers and veggies, drank margaritas (my fav!), and topped it all off with cake! J got to play with his friend Charlotte  (10 days younger than James) and take notes on her yoga skills.

Later that week, we met our life group at Schiller Park in German Village for bible study. It was an amazing evening outside. We enjoyed a yummy Mexican style salad for dinner and sipped on Blue Moon. 

Finally, this weekend was The 5th Annual Davis Hillbilly Party! It's funny to see how the party has evolved over the years. It used to be a bunch of drinking 20-somethings partying the night away and now it's this:

LOL. Not that I'm complaining! It just cracks me up! Different and still fun. You can't go wrong with food, drinks, and friends!

Who says your life ends when you have kids?

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My boy is becoming a cuddler. Needless to say, I'm LOVIN' it!!! After I feed him or when I pick him up and carry him, he just gives me these sweet little hugs that put the biggest smile on my face. :) :) :)

Baby Shower #2- Marysville Style

If you're a regular follower, you know that I had my first shower in West Virginia in late September. I wrote about it HERE. Yesterday, I had my second shower which included friends from church, work, and/or Hip Hop Fitness. I was initially concerned because the shower was held in Marysville and my friends live in various places around Columbus. I've made that drive so many times that it's nothing to me...but for those who don't make it out that way, it may seem like an eternity! I am so blessed that a good group of women were able to show up!

The girls minus Sarah G. Two of my planners are on each side of me (Lindsay and Jenny).

The same group but including Joan (yellow shirt, my mother-in-law and other planner).

 

My obsession with themes was greatly satisfied yesterday :) I love the fall and the book "The Giving Tree." My shower planners played off of those themes (My friends, Jenny and Lindsay, along with one of my mothers-in-law, Joan, planned the party). They did an amazing job! Here are some pics of the décor:

Cute plates/napkins!

That's an actual tree that was given to me...now I just need to plant it!

The flowers were given away as gifts to game winners.

 

It was a relaxed environment that included some appropriate games (guess the baby food, guess the size of Lisa's belly, and name songs with "baby" in it). I was glad I didn't have to guess melted candy bars in diapers!

The food was amazing as well! We had chili, veggies, and a cheese tray along with apple cider to imbibe (the guests had the option of adding carmel vodka...I'm sad I missed out on that one!). There were also wonderful fall desserts including this apple granola bake, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. YUMMY!!!

The only time I felt awkward was during gift opening, of course! I felt my face turn SO RED! And my pits were sweating like crazy! I appreciated every gift that I received and can't wait to use them with Baby Boo!

Thanks so much to the planners and the party attenders for everything!! I felt so loved!

Derby Dinner

Warning: You are about to see a bunch of pictures of food. I like food. I like to make food for my friends/family (and take pictures of it). Very well then.

Our friends, The Hughes and The Lobbs, joined us for a derby themed dinner tonight. By the way, we didn't even watch the race! It's all about eating and fellowship :) HERE'S the link to my pinterest board where I found my menu ideas. There were a few things on my original menu that I intended to make but, with the smaller crowd, I decided to down-size the menu.

Pretty plates and bowls :)

Sweet tea...a must-have

 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Salad. YUM.

 

Watermelon. There is something about it that screams "Summer!"

Mac-n-cheese

 

Dessert. Strawberry cupcakes.

 

We ate dinner on the patio. It was SO NICE outside. That is my Mamaw's old table (notice the yellow legs!).

 

Not pictured, but also on the menu, was baked beans and the pork that Mr. Boo smoked in the smoker pictured above. Luckily for us, we have left-overs :)

 

 Random note: My friend, Jenny, brought me this tea:

 

Thanks, Jenny! Can't wait to try it!!!

 

 

The Glo Run: Running's Not Always Serious!

You MUST do The Glo Run! It was a blast!!!

The swag from my race packet

 

The glow gear I bought at Dollar Tree. My favorite? The glow trident!

 

This race was good for me for a few reasons but, most importantly, it was good for me to learn to JUST HAVE FUN! It's hard for me not to take my race times seriously. For this race, I didn't wear a watch or use my phone apps...I just enjoyed the breezy night, the gorgeous downtown view of Columbus, and the conversations with my friend, Dela!

Dela and I pre-race

 

If you do this race in the future, show up early! They were having a huge dance party...a good warm up for your run! Dela and I, along with our family and friends, had a great time dancing. Here's a picture my friend, Mandie, took of us and our support crew from Sanctuary Columbus Church.

 

Dela and I did a mix of running and walking. It was so dark out that we were glad we didn't fall on our butts! There were a couple of hills that, if I were running the whole thing, might have challenged me a little. Other than that, the course was really nice. We had a great view of the city the entire time!

Me and my tridents

 

Dela and I trying to finish and dance at the same time...not an easy task :)

 

 

Overall, it was an awesome experience and I would do this one every year!

The crazy lights on my face show you how crazy the party was at the start/finish line!

 

Next race: Race for the Cure on May 18th. I haven't registered but I'm 100% sure I'm running it! It was an amazing experience last year that I can't stand to miss. Monday, I'll begin a half marathon training program so my mileage should increase...wish me luck!

 

 



Haters Gonna Hate!

I'm pretty sure this day could not get more exciting!!!

 

My excited face that you could have lived without.

• I finished work early which means I get to go to the gym earlier (there is an interval workout in my future!!!).
• I ate Panera for lunch.
• Mr. Boo invited me to Chili's for Happy Hour...can I get some chips and salsa?! Woot, woot!
• My sister and family will be here in TWO DAYS!!!

 

AND, FINALLY...

 

• Mr. Boo gave me permission to throw a Kentucky Derby Party!!! I'm not sure where my obsession came from but I love it! Big hats and bow ties!!!

Lindsay's Baby Shower Part 2: FOOD!!!

Jimmy and I love hosting get-togethers so, naturally, I get excited about the theme of the party. After Becca and I agreed on the Rock and Roll theme, we went straight to Pinterest for ideas! Becca was able to borrow a couple of things from a friend. We then used our creativity for the rest of it.

 

This isn't food but some fun decorations we put up (from Party City):

We also used these to decorate (made from sheets of music):

 

Here's the spread:

 

The contraption holding the goodies is made from old school records (not real ones) and various plastic drinking glasses. Let's see some detail (ALL CAPS=links to recipes)...

 

Cupcakes using Funfetti cake mix and HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

 

CINNAMON BUN POPS. We made these GF style but, if I ever made them again, I'd want to try regular style. P.S. We stuck them in a styrofoam disc that we painted black.

 

Sugar cookies shaped like guitars. We just used a Betty Crocker pre-made mix. Becca found the guitar cookie cutter at Sur la table at Easton. We had a music note cookie cutter but it looked more like a pterodactyl! Luckily we burned that batch :)

 

GF chocolate cupcakes with HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE FROSTING. We used a GF pre-made cake mix from Kroger. These were so delish!

 

Blue m&m's!!! I think these were Lindsay's favorite! We bought these at Party City.

 

Finally, for drinks, we had a variety...hot chocolate, water, and some yummy Starbucks coffee provided by our friend Jenny. The greatest thing about the coffee was the Heath creamer! YUM! Overall, I enjoyed the desserts and it was worth the 4 1/2 hours spent with my baker friend, Becca! Thank you so much for your help, Bec!!!

 







Lindsay's Baby Shower Part 1: Festivities

Lindsay's shower will come in two posts: Festivities and Food (of course there is food!). Let me start by saying, Lindsay is the happiest looking pregnant lady I've ever seen!

 

Look at that cheese! The shower included a group of ladies from church...a good mix of women with kids and women without kids. It was nice to hear some perspective from the experienced mothers! Because we all know each other, there was lots of mingling. My co-host, Becca, brought a Polaroid camera/film she had left over from her wedding. How cool is that?!

 

Our first game, which appropriately suited our guest of honor, was "Pin the Sperm on the Uterus."

Our uterus.

You can find the templates on THIS site. We used poster board.

 

 Basically, all guests put their name on a sperm and place it anywhere on the uterus. The guest of honor is then blindfolded and places her egg on the uterus. The person whose sperm is the closest to the egg wins a prize! In the situation pictured above, we decided that Megan was the winner because her sperm was about to eat the egg and the other sperm looks like it's running away! :)

 

We also played baby bingo for the gift opening.

I just printed off blank bingo sheets and everyone filled in each square with a different baby gift they thought Lindsay might open. The first to get a bingo won a prize! Our friend Jen won this game!

 

We also did a raffle for the last prize (Go Linda!). I can't forget to mention the Pandora station used for our background music:

 

WHITNEY HOUSTON!!!

 

This is one of Lindsay's favorite artists so it seemed very appropriate. Can't wait to post tomorrow about the menu!

The card says "BOOTIE CALL!"



Karaoke and Dancing

I must start by saying, late nights aren't what they used to be! I don't know how I survived grad school! We went out every weekend and I don't remember it making me feel this tired!

 

Last night, we went out with some friends to a bar in Grandview (Mickey's?) for some karaoke. I never participate in the singing part...I just like to laugh at the others singing :) We had a grand ole time despite some of the weirdos. I promised Amy I would edit this photo but, after looking at it more, I think it's awesome the way it is:

Pay special attention to the look Andrew is giving his wife, Mandie. Amy's like "NO FLASH!" Mandie's sayin' "HOLLA!" Ross is just playin' it cool...and then there's Andrew :)

 

After Dan sang his song (the song that he chose was a very random pick but it ended up being a hit with the cougars and creepers at the bar), we got bored and went downtown. We ended up at Park Street Cantina. That place was a lot of fun...I would probably enjoy it more in the summer when I don't have to hold my coat and sweat like an Arkansas Razorback the whole time. Besides dancing, we got to enjoy 2 for1 tequila shots and great people watching courtesy of the Arnold Expo (can we say Jersey Shore?!).

Doesn't Mr. Boo look cute with his tie on? :)