room: a novel

Talk about a quick read. I just finished Room by Emma Donoghue in a mere 10 days. It’s a story about a 5-year-old boy named Jack and his Ma. To Jack, Room is the world. It is where he was born, where he & Ma eat, sleep, play, and learn. Room is home to Jack. But [...]

mission: accomplished!

My sister Melia, has spent the last 13 months in Bolivia, volunteering at an orphanage for girls ages 0-18. This Saturday was her last day working in the orphanage and, while I’m sure it was bittersweet for her, I am so happy it is coming to a close. It has been difficult having her so far away from [...]

14 weeks

Here I am at 14 weeks and getting ready to take Baby to their first Seahawk game. I’m feeling really good. The fatigue of the first trimester has subsided and I’ve even had the energy to start running again! As much as I like to push through difficult moments in a run, I’m keeping in mind [...]

baby fever

There must be something in the water. It seems like all of my close friends are winding up pregnant! My friend, Kerri, is due in November; my friend, Michelle, is due in February, I’m due in March; and 2 of my other close friends (who shall remain nameless, as they have yet to officially announce [...]

our cotton anniversary

The first anniversary gift is traditionally paper. Matt and I creatively went along with this tradition by giving each other plane tickets (made from paper) for Napa. Yesterday, Matt and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary, and while it was a fun night, I’m a little bummed that I didn’t spend more time trying to incorporate the traditional gift of cotton. [...]

13 weeks is just peachy

I am now 13 weeks pregnant and as the first trimester comes to a close (thank God!) I am getting excited to start “showing.” When I look at my belly, I’ve been able to tell a difference since Week 8, with regards to the bloating and “thickening” but recently I’ve started noticing an actual bump forming! Luckily, all [...]

devil in the white city

I finally finished The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, which intertwines the true story of two men – the architect behind the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair, and the seriel killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Personally, I thought this book would be a lot more interesting [...]

ridin’ in style

We made our first “baby purchase” over Labor Day weekend…Baby’s got their first set of wheels! Typically we would never have bought something this early, but the Bob stroller is awesome and rarely goes on sale. That, coupled with their lifetime return policy, we figured we had nothing to lose. We love it. Matt has laughed at [...]

goodbye first trimester!

It is hard to believe that I am now 12 weeks pregnant and only have 1 week left before entering the second trimester! To some of you, perhaps still reeling from the big news, this may not seem as overdue as it does to me. However, I have been anxiously counting down these days for over 8 weeks [...]

a second chance

Let’s rewind back to July 17th. A typical day, like any other…Matt and I were getting ready for a friend’s wedding and praying that the rain would hold off long enough for the outdoors ceremony and reception. I honestly cannot tell you what prompted me to take a pregnancy test before I hopped in the [...]