Last Vegas

Oh, my love affair for Vegas.

I have been hooked ever since I went back in 2006. In the past 4 years, we make an annual pilgrimage to the city of sin. Last year we even went twice!

Back in June, hubs and I booked a trip to Vegas a little bit on a whim. We got a fabulous hotel deal through Amazon and our flights were dirt cheap through southwest. We would be going in October, during our two week break.

**Fast forward to October**

I have been asked if Muggle is a Vegas baby. Nope! I was actually already 5 weeks pregnant with Muggle butt. I figured this would be an interesting trip. I definitely couldn't partake in any fun drinks and I knew I probably shouldn't wear my sky high heels (partly because I am klutz). I was still BEYOND excited. I figured this would be my last Vegas hurrah, FOR NOW. I am hoping to go back sometime!

Vegas definitely didn't disappoint. It was fun and we of course had some good ol' fun adventures. Some highlights were eating at some of our yummy fave places, enjoying the sights, and of course, partaking in the nightlife scene, even better we walked in with ease and for FREE (Lavo and Marquee were so fun!). DON'T JUDGE, lol! I wasn't even showing yet, LOL!!!!!!!! Though now, it would look terrible if I did go, haha!!!!

We stayed at the Venetian, which was SO fancy! We usually cheap it out by staying at cheaper places, but thanks to our great deal, we were able to be fancy pants and stay there. Holy cow, it was gorg! I didn't want to leave our room! I made it a point to wear all the robes, sit on all the furniture, watch something on all of the TVs, etc. LOL! It was so fun!

One of my most favorite moments was our Cirque Du Solei experience. Every time we go, we set aside some money to see a Cirque show. Its seriously worth the money y'all! We chose to see Zarkana, at the Aria. We purchased our tickets at the half price ticket booths (seriously you save money) that are on the strip. We went to the Aria to pick our seats.

Now, I would like to point out that hubby and I aren't the type of people who get lucky, like being bumped to first class or a fancy hotel suite. I wish we had that luck, but we don't, lol! So I was pleasantly surprised when the guy helping us moved us up closer (we were in the balcony section) so we would be sitting in the front balcony area, rather than the middle. The ticket prices for those seats were much more pricey,  so we were thrilled for the free upgrade. Then, it got even more fun! Upon arriving later that night, a nice older gentlemen led us to our seats. We were chatting a bit with him and he must have liked us. He took a look at our tickets and said, "How would you feel about sitting on a couch?" We didn't mind of course, though we didn't know what that meant, lol! He ended up taking us to a special couch seating near the middle front! We quickly looked up that those ticket prices were over $300! We were so thrilled and beyond excited for our good little fortune. We thanked him profusely. Our seats were incredible, we could see everything perfectly! I felt so excited, I even cried a little. OH pregnancy hormones, LOL!!!!!

Overall, it was fantastic! As usual, it was a bummer to come home!

Here is some of my Vegas pics, enjoy!

           From left to right...Our flight over to LV/ /Excited to be at Venetian! //Gorgeous lobby and the hub// another shot of the amazing lobby

Being fancypants poolside//before heading out. Hot dang I am small!//crazy hub at dinner// outside of Lavo

  

Inside Lavo, so amazing can't you tell//hub wife shot//wearing a drink band and showing I can't use it lol//cool shot from Lavo dance floor

Serendipitous lunch//my adorb hub with the huge menu//yummo lunch//how I wish that Eiffel was for real!

On our way to Zarkana//in front of the theater// our view!!//dinner after at Mon Ami Gabi

Our view of the Bellagio water show// my yummo dinner// Ah, Marquee was amazing!// inside of Marquee...can't see jack

Don't ask what hubs is doing lol//yummy desserts after a good lunch//one last strip view//bye byeVegas

Wait, what's happening in 5 months?!?!?

Hi all!

I think its safe to say that this pregnancy has been great and wonderful so far. Everyday I say thanks to God for allowing this amazing miracle to take place, and I still can't believe a human is forming inside of me, holy crap! 

And before you keep rolling your eyes over my cheesiness, don't worry, reality set in over a week ago.
In a mere, quick 5 months, our precious miracle will be here.

Wait...what?!?!

Reality really struck over a week ago. It actually happened at Target. I went by myself to pick up a few items. I had to pee, so I  went to the bathroom, decided to get a Starbucks after, and started to go through the racks and aisles, feeling peaceful and calm.
 Then I heard it.
The screaming, the crying. One poor mom was struggling to appease her crying baby while  trying to deal with her other two very small children. Another little one was throwing a fit over not getting a certain toy. I mean, we all know these scenarios.

Then, it hit me...
 No more looong leisure Target trips unless I'm alone. The days of pacing the aisles and racks with zero time constraint will soon be over. Days of sleeping in, taking long showers, etc are all numbered. Don't get me wrong, I am OVERJOYED to be a mom. However, I realizing a big change is a-comin'.

 Then to top it all off, yesterday one of my kid-less friends jokingly posted this picture on IG saying, "this why I am not having kids anytime soon."

I saw this picture and balked. Oh s--- (no pun intended) this could be my child! AHHHHHHHH!!!!! Pee, stinky poo and throw up will be a part of my life. The throw up part freaks me out the most. I can hardly stand myself throwing up. I know, I hear the mommy gene kicks in and you get over it. I am counting on that!

This is why I took my time (4 years) to become a mommy. Because of one word: CHANGE. You see, hubs and I have had a fast paced life. We were (still are) constantly on the go, doing things on a whim. If we decide to do at 10 pm movie, we do it. We would wine taste almost every weekend. We would spontaneously go out with  kid-less friends, have fun dress up nights out in downtown, and we love(d) to travel. Our dream is to travel Europe and while that hasn't happened YET, we would still make it a point to do travels within the country and go on fun road trips. I loved our spontaneous life, because I knew once we had kids, things would have to slow down. This is why I took my time, and didn't rush babies.

 It probably sounds like I am complaining/whining and I don't mean to. I probably sound very negative nancy like, and I'm not trying to be. I am just fully realizing that life is going to HUGELY change and yes, for the better. And yes, I know kids are 100% a blessing, its worth it, etc. I truly believe that, because I already love the snot out of my unborn child. I can't even begin to comprehend how I think I will feel once I hold him/her in my arms. I also understand we are very lucky, as I have known friends and family (even now) who are struggling with major infertility, and would kill to have a baby. I don't take this baby for granted. However, I am realizing what is to come!  A lot of it is fear of the unknown, will I be a good mom, etc. I am still beyond thrilled and excited. I can't even wait to see his or her precious face, I can hardly stand it :). I did just need this post to express some slight worries and fears I'm having. I feel that this is a good outlet for me to get it all out, and get myself ready for this beautiful baby!

I'm certain I'm not the only one who had these fears the first time around...mommies, what were some of your fears?

Till next time!

4 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy canoli! 16 weeks today, AKA 4 months!!!! What the heck, it is flying by so fast! I can only imagine once Muggle gets here, time will still fly!

This has been a fantastic pregnancy so far, and I am still so incredibly thankful for this amazing miracle that is happening in my body. It still blows my mind that I am taking part of creating a human. WOW!

Here is the round up of my pregnancy so far:
How are you feeling: Pretty dang good! I know, some people are going to be irritated. Sorry. However, I got hit with  a horrible bouts of round ligament pain (another post about that) that was so severe and lasted for 2 1/2 days straight non stop. Docs told me the pain I was experiencing was close to contractions, because mine was that bad. YUCK! Must have been a rehearsal for the final performance? LOL! Beyond that, I have been feeling pretty great! I'm super loving my more thick hair, yay!!

Belly popped yet? Heck yeah it has popped! I know some first timers don't show until way late, which made me feel self conscious at first, not sure why! My mom and sister both have showed early and were ALL belly. I am wondering if I am following those steps as well. I don't mind though! My tummy is very tight (doesn't feel like chub and bloat anymore) and I LOVE rubbing it, as well as hubs!

Cravings? Aversions? Did you ever get ANY morning sickness?My few food aversions have slowly gone away. Meat and I are speaking again, lol. I still am not a fan of salad, lol! I haven't had any wild cravings. In the beginning all I wanted was sugar, but luckily that went away. Recent cravings have been cheese, chocolate milk and shakes. Pretty much dairy lol! And no sickness. How the heck did I get so lucky? I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thankful beyond measure for that. For all my peeps who dealt with that, you deserve an extra jewel in your crown!

Wearing maternity clothes? Yes, some. I'm officially in maternity jeans. I can still wear my pre-preg jeans with a band, but maternity jeans is where its at! They are SO comfy! I still fit in most of my tops and sweaters, but I got a few maternity tops. I have had fun putting together cute preggo outfits! So fun!

Any baby movement? No and I think I am too early. I'm sure soon though!

Weight gain? I have gained only about 2-3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. YES, I am eating, that's for sure. Not sure what that all means but my doctor hasn't said anything. So, I'm not worried.

Any names? Yes, we have a few for each gender! Not revealing quite yet!

Gender preference? No way. Either would be a blast in a glass. My biggest concern is that Muggle is healthy from the top of his/her little head to his/her toes. I just want a healthy baby!

Are you having crazy mood swings? Um, a little. Certain things bug me that prob wouldn't have before.  Beyond that though, I am happy as can be. OH, I am still uber sensitive. Everything makes me cry.

How is your sleeping? Wow, I wake up with my hips, back and joints KILLING me! I hear it only gets worse, lol! I'm sleeping with a body pillow. Still sleeping well, except for the need to pee at 3am ( rehearsal for late night feedings? LOL)

Stretch marks? None yet...though I am just waiting for it, lol! Isn't it too early to get marks anyway? I feel like I have heard most don't get any till late in their pregnancies. I used to be petrified about getting them, but I am learning to just embrace it if it comes. This is part of the process and I won't die if I get any. There are worse things that can happen!

Have strangers made comments or try to touch your belly? Can people touch your belly? Actually no! I thought  people would point out my belly (since I feel huge) but it hasn't happened much, so no one really rubs my belly then, lol! Only one person has made a comment, a sweet older lady. She was very cute! I think strangers touching my belly would be a bit odd. However, I don't mind family and friends rubbing, maybe if they ask first? Lol! I don't mind, :)

So happy for our precious little one! This is Muggle's latest portraits, lol!!

Disneyland and the preggo

I have a lot to blog, so bear with me as I try to catch up!

Last week, we had Thanksgiving break and it was wonderful. One of the fabulous perks was going to Disneyland with my sister and her little family. We went Saturday through Monday.

I have grown to love Disneyland. I loved it of course as a little one, but as a grown up, it didn't seem as fun, thanks to my silly annoyance for the crowds.

However, I love it now! It was a jam packed, very busy weekend. Despite the crowds, we truly had a good time. Again, my hats off to my stroller parents. I don't know how y'all keep your cool pushing these huge strollers with sometimes crying little ones. YOU ROCK.

One interesting thing was going to DL as a preggo. Now, we went back in October, and I was barely 5 weeks. I still went on the big rides (DON'T judge me) for the exception of Tower and the California Screamin'. Now that I was a little over 3 months, I knew the big rides would be a no-no. I was a little nervous if the trip would still be fun. Of course, it totally was! I went on a ton of stuff, minus the big ones. I only had to sit out a few rides, and at that time I caught up on reading and enjoyed getting to sit for a minute.

Some interesting things on this trip:

-I think I know where every single dang bathroom is in Disneyland and Cal Adventures. My family deserves awards for putting up with my 1,000 trips to the bathroom.

-So Cal "winters" are glorified springs. It was so freaking warm! As many of you know, I am a weirdo and I don't like feeling hot. I LOVE cold weather, so this was annoying. It did get cold at night! 

-I felt like all the kids at Disneyland were more "behaved" than the adults. I had a lot of "SMH" moments at so many grownups.

-The lighting of the castle and the Christmas World of Color is truly magical. I may or may not have cried at both. Dang hormones!

Some sweet pics of the trip. I am not featuring my sis and co., as my blog isn't private. It was so fun! So thankful for the opportunities to take these trips!

Hubs and I, what a great shot of us, HAHA

us in the midst of the crowd chaos

Babe found an old swimmer from Galt. We always see people!!!

Baby Muggle and I!!!Ha, my bump looks non-existent! I was so surprised how much I "popped" over the last 2 weeks!