Hearts on Fire

Well, yesterday was the last day of landscaping in the backyard.  I can't even begin to explain how relieved I am that it's all done!  It's been countless weeks of stress, money, and absolutely no privacy.  When you can't relax in your summertime pajamas in your own house without the fear of a "wardrobe malfunction" it starts to really wear on you.  Or maybe just me.  Anyway, I snapped these shots right before our landscaper's final day.  He cleaned up, filled the holes in our lawn from the application of the grass (as you can see above), and left us with a beautiful backyard.  I am one happy home owner!

Pregnancy: Week 20

I'm officially halfway there!  If you can't tell by these pictures, I'm feeling great.  While my energy isn't fully there, I feel like I'm getting much more done these days.  Which is actually quite the blessing because work has been insane lately.  I don't know how many more months I'll be able to work at this pace but I can say that I'm looking forward to maternity leave!

There's no mistaking whether or not I'm pregnant.  My belly has grown with every week and I'm steadily gaining weight.  Studies show that the second trimester is where I should be gaining most of my weight, about a pound a week!  It sounds a little daunting but I'm keeping track every week to make sure I don't gain too much.  Not only is it unhealthy for me and my daughter, but it gaining too much can actually cause problems after the delivery.

I started feeling her kick at about 18 weeks.  It was the most wonderful feeling!  It seems like they get stronger everyday.  She likes to kick and move around a few minutes after I eat a meal and especially in the middle of the night.  Kevin has also had the pleasure of feeling her kick as well.  When it first started it was only internal so he felt a little left out.  Now that it's been a few weeks he can feel it from the outside.  She's quite an active little girl, I can't imagine what she's going to be like when she's actually here.

Baby is doing just fine as well.  At our 20 week appointment we got to see her again.  Unfortunately, my doctor's ultrasound machine is really old.  She couldn't even fully confirm the sex ("It's most likely girl parts")!  I'm more than grateful that I went to an ultrasound center at 16 weeks to get some great pictures.  Kevin and I plan to go again when I'm closer to 30 weeks so we can get another set of great pictures.  Until then I'm happy knowing that her measurements are on point and that she's happy in there.

I'll be updating again next month at 24 weeks.  Hopefully by then I'll have some more baby pictures to show you.  Maybe I'll even give you a sneak peek into her nursery?!  You'll just have to wait and see!

xoxo

Ashley

Living the Dream

Yesterday was such a wonderful day.  I had the chance to celebrate the marriage between one of my closest friends and her new husband.  Well, not so new.  She was actually married almost two years ago in Australia and didn't tell anyone until a few months ago.  While some people may find that strange, it's definitely something my friend would do and I think their private ceremony was perfect for them.  Since they were already married, we got to skip the boring ceremony part of a normal wedding and went right to the reception.  It was a such a great time!

Room For One More

I know I barely brushed on my new rescue on my last post, so I decided to dedicate this one to our new little boy.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that I've had chihuahuas all my life.  I lost my 16 year old chihuahua (I had him since he was 8 weeks old!) in 2010 and I can't even begin to describe how devastating that loss was.

In 2011 we rescued out first chihuahua, little Paczki, and he really filled that huge hole in my heart (you can read about that experience HERE).  Then a year later we rescued yet another little boy, Tommy.  It truly felt like our little family was complete.  Our dogs get along perfectly and we couldn't imagine adding any other furry family members to our home.  That is, until now.



Last week one of Kevin's coworkers found a little chihuahua on a busy Los Angeles freeway.  He was starved and pretty much left to fend for himself.  She posted a picture of him on her Facebook and I (of course) fell in love.  Kevin has been pretty adamant about not having any more pets so I wasn't expecting to adopt him at all.  But after hearing about his awful story my husband came home with him the next day.  Surprise!  We decided to take him for the weekend to see how he does with our two boys.



Rocco is such a sweet chihuahua.  He has a cleft right front paw (which resembles a lobster claw) so he only walks on three legs.  He's definitely an older dog and looks like he has glaucoma in one of his eyes.  He looks like he's been through a lot in his life but it definitely hasn't affected his demeanor.  He's not really used to kisses and cuddles but he's surely gotten used to it these last few days.

The boys were not really excited to get a new member in their pack.  At first they wanted to kill him!  But after a few hours they accepted him into the house.  While they don't really hang out with him yet, they do acknowledge him as a member of the family.  I'm sure in a few weeks (especially after he gets neutered) they will all be best buds.



As you can probably tell, we decided to keep the little guy.  Even if it had been more difficult, I don't think I would have had the heart to pass him off to anyone else.  I don't think many people are ready to adopt an older dog with a deformed leg!  I think having Rocco in our lives was surely destiny and I love coming home to a chihuahua brigade.  I'm pretty sure that what I've always wanted.  Three dogs and a baby on the way!



xoxo

Ashley

It's Not Over

I know everyone's blog posts these days are talking about the end of summer.  Thankfully, summer doesn't actually end here until October.  Which is probably why I'm so opposed to wearing pants, it's almost a crime to wear them when the weather is wonderful 90% of the time.  Here is another gem from Jessica's closet.  I loved how she styled this dress on her blog and I was excited/a little scared to try it out.  Since there is a definite height difference between us, this waistline hit above mine which allowed me to wear it without my belly trying to rip the seams.

Guest post: Crossed Lines

Happy Friday!  Just letting you know that I guest blogged for Ashley over at The Tiniest Firecracker this week.  Click HERE to check it out and have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

Ashley

Sugar Girl

Sometimes I work these awful six day work weeks and I really hate life for those six days.  Then I get that Monday off and I remember why I subject myself to such torture.  On a regular week I work eight to twelve hours a day and I pretty much collapse on the couch at night.  Then weekends are spent with my husband running errands and conducting little home improvement projects.  So that rare and special Monday off, alone at home, is really worth it.

I decided to spend this past Monday getting out of my comfort zone and going on a mini road trip to take these pictures.  There are many reasons why I love Jessica's blog, Midwest Muse, but her photo locations always amaze me.  I wish I had the time/motivation to do this all the time because I really love all the potential photo locations just blocks away from my home.  I'm going to try to make this a more frequent thing but don't count on it.  These days I'm lazier than ever!

Flock Together: For the love of swans

Hi there!  I'm posting over at Flock Together today, make sure to check out how I styled Jenna's swan printed dress.  Full details of my outfit and Jenna's styling are available HERE :)

xoxo

Ashley

Oh, Boy....

The time has finally come!  And we are having a...