Just back from vacation :)

And it was awesome!!! Just wished we had more time, but isn't that always the case?! Hee!

We were gone for 9 days. We started off by driving to Mount Dora, FL on Feb 18 for our annual weekend getaway to the Renninger's Antique Extravaganza. We were there Sat and Sun and we found a few good buys (it's basically a HUGE flea market). We love going there and although it was hot this year, we walked a LOT and don't forget that I am five months pregnant! Richard was like, "Aren't you tired yet?" LOL!

R actually bought our baby girl her first gift from daddy :) It's a little skunk figurine... it's quite special, you see. There is a significance to the skunk, as it reminds R of the time he spent living in Philly and his cousin who passed away and the little butterfly reminded him of me and the baby because I LOVE butterflies. Skunks are not easy to come by so this was a great find!! So happy to put it in her room.



We then drove 7 hours to Atlanta, GA to take care of some personal business. We (okay, Richard, not me) worked on our house there, painted and fixed a few things so it's now brand new and in move-in condition for the renter/buyer.



To my credit, I went to Home Depot TWICE and to the paint store and bought R everything he needed and I hate Home Depot! And I supervised his work :) The second day I rewarded myself with a trip to Archiver's, where I bought some new Echo Park For the Record paper, a white shadowbox frame, a pink AC album for baby layouts and some other goodies. In the evening we went to our ALL-TIME FAVE restaurant, McKinnon's Louisiane Cuisine (TWICE). Yum!!! I so wish this place was in Miami - or maybe not! The owner, Aziz, always remembers us when we stop by and it's such a treat to dine there. If you are ever in the Atlanta area, this is a must!!

On Wed morning, we headed to Savannah (YIPPEE!!), a four-hour drive from Atlanta. What can I say? Our four days there were magnificent. We stayed at the Mansion on Forsyth Park. We walked around the historic district, taking in all the picturesque squares and the natural beauty all around us.






We walked a lot, explored the city, dined at some delicious restaurants, took a trolley ride, hopped on a riverboat cruise, took a ghost tour, shopped, ate some more, you name it!

Here you can see a LITTLE bit of my baby belly - I'm definitely getting pretty BIG now and fast! I am 23 weeks along and I am starting to feel her move around a lot more... what an amazing experience!





Savannah is such a treasure. It's got this fun, artsy vibe, but it's also full of history and culture and southern charm. LOVED it!

We also got to stay in a restored house that was amazingly beautiful and comfortable. And it was in the heart of the historic district.







Before heading to Miami, we stopped at Tybee Island yesterday. It was a beautiful day, but the beach was packed with both locals and visitors so we didn't stay long.




I know we will definitely be back to Savannah, with a baby stroller :)

Have a great week!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hope you've had a wonderful day!! I enjoyed a nice dinner with my hubby and I got some new big and fuzzy bunny slippers :)



Lots going on over here...

I am 21 weeks pregnant already and I am feeling so happy and blessed. Praying that the next 19 or so weeks go smoothly and that my little baby is healthy and happy! I tell you, I am so excited to meet her!!! :) I can't wait!

Last week, my BFF and I had a fun girl's day out. I picked her up and we did some shopping and baby shower and gift registry planning. WOW, that was overwhelming but so fun. Hee!! I am starting to make lots of plans and preparations, beginning with the continuous process of clearing out our guest room to convert it to the baby's room. Purging, purging, purging!!! It feels so good to declutter the house.

My bloggy friend, Dawn, presented me with this award.



Now I am supposed to link back to the person who gave me the award, share 7 things about myself, pay it forward to 7 recently discovered bloggers, and share the news with them.

Here are 7 things about myself:

1 - I was a HUGE baby!! I found my hospital card that my mom saved in an album and it says I was 8 lbs 13 oz and measured 20.5 inches. YIKES!
2 - I have always wished I had a sister (thank God for BFF's).
3 - I think I will be the disciplinarian and my hubby will be the "fun" parent, but who knows. We can both be fun, right? Hee!
4 - I am very organized and I hate clutter. My family laughs at me sometimes because my home is so neat. The only place I have a mess/clutter is in my scrap room :)
5 - I will be married 7 years this October.
6 - My favorite color is yellow, but I also love green and red.
7 - I am craving fruit all the time, especially berries. YUM!!

Now I am passing this on to 7 ladies who inspire me (not necessarily newly discovered but very cool blogs!).

1 - My BFF, Ady, who is like my sister
2 - My scrappy idol, Stephanie Howell - love her craftiness and inspiring stories
3 - Ali Edwards, who makes scrapbooking so cool
4 - Suzanne Sergi - love her crafty projects
5 - Damaris Rios - scrappy diva under the influence
6 - Caryl Hope - so glad we've become friends through this hobby
7 - Maritza - a talented quilter, scrapbooker and sweet friend

Hope you pass this on ladies :) xoxo

Pregger's Brain: it DOES exist!

It's been a crazy week!! We had to pack up our home last weekend so it could be tented for termites — oh yeah, that's one of the joys of living in the Sunshine State. You can get termites and then you need to treat the house. We opted to use Terminix instead of Orkin because we liked their service guarantee better and the rep was a nice, professional, knowledgeable guy (unlike the Orkin guy who was annoying and didn't even go inside of our attic to do a proper inspection!) who let me ask all the questions I wanted to. Trust me, you don't want to mess with a crazy Puerto Rican pregnant woman when she is worried about her baby's health and the security of her home while away. LOL!

Well, thankfully the treatment is over and my hubby has been back home getting things in order and airing everything out before I go back today. My honey bunny is such a wonderful man!!! He worries about me and takes good care of me and our little baby :)

In the midst of all this, I showed up for my monthly doctor's appointment and the receptionist couldn't find me in the system... She asked for my name again, my date of birth... nothing. I thought to myself, "That is so strange. I come here ALL the time. What is wrong with this woman?" I mean, of course my appointment is TODAY! Then she says she has me down for an appointment the following day... Really?! No, that's not right. I look for my little appointment card... then I find it!!! OOOPS!!! She was right. I totally messed up the days. I felt like an idiot, the hormones kicked into high gear and I started crying. I told her I'd be back the next day, but she offered to check with the nurse to see if my doctor could see me anyway. And my doctor did see me :) And I cried again when the doctor was doing my check-up even though there was no reason to cry. My doc was like, "Are you crying? Oh my, let me find you some tissues."

The nurse was very understanding and said that since I'm pregnant things like this are completely normal. But I have never been scatterbrained!! Heee!!! To make this even funnier, I actually had the correct appointment date on my planner and on my work calendar.

So yeah — pregger's brain is no myth ladies!!! I have more examples of this... I forget people's names, confuse myself, ask silly questions, you name it! As I am only 19.5 weeks, I am sure I will experience more of this during the second half of my pregnancy.

Have a wonderful day!

I want (NEED) this!

Hi there,

I've been seeing some of the latest CHA releases and there are two scrapbook collections in particular that are going to find their way into my house very soon. LOL!

I cannot wait till they become available!

First up is Emma's Shoppe from Crate Paper (click on the link to see entire collection). It is perfect for little girls and absolutely divine :) Check out all this gorgeousness with vintage touches!!!





Click here for more sample projects (that printer's tray is adorable!).

The second collection that I will be getting is Countryside by Studio Calico. The color scheme, the embellishments, the wood veneer, notions and more are beautiful! (I'm having problems pasting the images on my blog but you can visit the links to view everything).

I'm also liking State Fair a LOT, but that one can wait a bit.

What do you think? Aren't these gorgeous? What CHA releases are your favorites so far?

P.S. I am 18.5 weeks pregnant!! Whoohoo!!!! Almost at the halfway point. A little swollen but doing well these days :)

One Little Word: FAITH

Thank you SO MUCH for your sweet comments regarding my baby girl!!! Richard and I are OVER THE MOON!!! I am 17 weeks pregnant now so I am counting down to the 20-week midway point. Hee!!! Everyone says this time just flies by, but for me it has not. I am learning so much about life and about myself these days and worrying a LOT (but that's just me — I'm a worrywart!). Praying every day that all goes well. Trying to enjoy this time. I cannot wait till I feel the baby moving!! Should be any day now... :)

That brings me to my One Little Word. I chose a word that I want to focus on and reflect upon in 2011: FAITH. It wasn't the very first word I thought of. Since I am pregnant, I first thought of nest, nurture and grow. But they didn't seem right to me. Something didn't click. Then I started thinking about what's most important, what I am feeling and what is going to help me through this exciting, but sometimes trying time... What will help me get through the loneliness, the dark times and the journey ahead?

My FAITH, that's what.

I loved this quote that I found online: "Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore

And this one by Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Definition of FAITH
(Taken from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

1
a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty
b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2
a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3
a : something that is believed especially with strong conviction

I have faith that God will help me along on this journey.
I have faith that my parents and grandparents who have passed away are with me, guiding me and giving me strength when I don't feel very brave.
I have faith that I will make the right decisions and do the right thing during my pregnancy in order to stay healthy and strong for me and my baby.
I have faith that if today is not a good day, then tomorrow will be a better day.
I have faith that everything will be okay (even when I have my doubts!); that my angels are watching over us.
I have faith that this feeling of loneliness will eventually go away (that's the hardest part for me right now: not having parents or siblings to go to for support, for help, for encouragement).

My faith gives me the courage and will to thrive, to succeed, to be thankful, to be the best that I can be. Richard and I have a good life. We are truly blessed!

In 2011, FAITH will be my fortitude.

If you haven't heard of One Little Word, this is something created by the artist and author, Ali Edwards. Ali is so talented and so inspiring. Click here to read more about Ali's OLW idea. If you'd like to sign up for a cool OLW workshop, go to Big Picture Classes.

Enjoy your week!

Baby Girl or Baby Boy?

I was going to blog about my One Little Word, but something came up...

Today, Richard and I went in for an ultrasound. I am 16 1/2 weeks now. They checked the baby up and down. We saw the brain, the kidneys, spinal cord, belly, fingers, legs, you name it :)

The baby is doing well and growing fast now. I was told the baby is 8 inches from head to toe. WOW!

So exciting. Such a blessing. So real.

And then the technician asked us, "Do you want to know the sex?"

I answered, "We're DYING to find out!"

So she checked. Richard thought he saw a penis and said, "It's a BOY. You could see it." I thought I saw something, too.

Hmmm...

The lady then checked and said, "Looks like a GIRL to me! There's nothing hanging out there so I am pretty confident that it's a GIRL."

And she zoomed in and we saw her private parts and then I realized it really does look like a GIRL.

My beautiful baby girl. The baby girl my Mom always talked about before she passed away. My little angel girl.

How lucky are we? I'm thrilled and excited and just praying that I stay healthy and strong throughout this pregnancy and that our baby is healthy. I have a lot of faith and that faith gets me through each and every day...

6.2 miles

That, my friends, is the distance I can walk now (again!) and it feels GOOD. Before I got pregnant, my hubby and I would go walking often and we would walk 4-6 miles — usually in Key Biscayne, but sometimes we like to change it up a bit.

Then I got pregnant.

And, well, I did NOT feel so good. OK, let me be honest... I still do NOT feel so good!!!

I'm tired/sleepy, achy, nauseous and cranky most of the time. But I've tried to keep walking, even if it's just 2 or 3 miles, depending on how I feel and what my energy level is on any given day.

Last week, I was back up to 6 miles. Yippeee!!!

I am looking into prenatal exercise classes now to see what else I can do to try to keep myself healthy and not gain too much weight. I am especially interested in prenatal yoga and I have a contact that a friend gave me that looks promising so I'm excited! Wish me luck and say a little prayer for me and my little one :) Pretty please? I need it!!!

On a different note, I chose my One Little Word for 2011 and I will blog about that very soon... I've also been working on my December Daily album (at a snail's pace) and I am up to Day 21 (4 more days to go!). Photos to come soon. Promise.