Rabbit Rabbit:

Are you superstitious? 

Is there anything you do to bring you 'luck'?

Well my husband is probably the most superstitious person I have ever met...

He has countless of things he does or doesn't do because of superstitions, but one of the big ones is on the first day of every month the very first words out of his mouth before he will say anything else is: 

"Rabbit Rabbit"

I of course think it is the funniest thing and every morning on the 1st he will look at me and say Rabbit Rabbit until I finally say it too.   

So I guess you could say it is now a "family tradition"?

Steven doesn't remember exactly when he started saying "Rabbit Rabbit". A quick google search reveals that Nickelodeon used to show commercials on the last day of the month during the early 90's to remind people to say rabbit rabbit for good luck.  So he most likely got it watching commercials during  Hey Dude and Salute Your Shorts and being from an Irish family once he shared his knowledge of a new superstition it was most likely encouraged.

Further research of the "Rabbit Rabbit" superstition goes back to the early 1900s when it was popularized and there is research dating the luck of rabbits back over 2,000 years ago. Even famous figures have lived by the Rabbit Rabbit superstition such as Franklin D. Roosevelt!

Although I don't believe in superstitions I do believe in the power of positive thought. Perhaps if you truly believe that you will have good luck you will create your own good luck and vice versa if you think you will have bad luck.    

Back in June Steven forgot to say "Rabbit Rabbit" and he was devastated.... I told him not to worry about it and everything was going to be fine... Well, I was wrong... Within a week Steven had his cornea torn open in a freak accident, I was put on bed rest, was sicker than ever, someone backed into his car in a parking lot, and we had several unexpected bills and expenses come up...

July 1st approached and Steven and I both said "Rabbit Rabbit" first thing in the morning before we said any other word and we have had amazing luck all month...

Is he making me a believer? 

I don't know.

But what I do know, is that it makes him happy when I say it and like I said above, we did have a pretty great July! 

So what will you decide to do as the morning sun awakes you... 

Will you too say "Rabbit Rabbit"?

It never hurts to try, especially if it could possibly bring you a little luck for the month! 

Bumpdate: 36 Weeks:

Hello 9 Months! 

How Far Along: 36 Weeks (Officially 9 months pregnant!)
Size of Baby: Big! ;) I won't have another growth Ultrasound for another week, so I don't know how big baby boy is. I would assume close to 7lbs since he was almost 6lbs a couple of weeks ago. They say about the size of a head of romaine lettuce.
Weight Gain: I put on another pound, so 14lbs maybe even 15lbs overall!
Maternity Clothes: Maxi dresses and maxi skirts are still my go-to's when I actually get dressed for the day! ;) I can't wait to be able to walk into my closet again and pick whatever I want out and it fits!
Sleep: Thankfully the past week I feel like I am getting good sleep. I still get very uncomfortable and I feel like it takes me forever just to roll from one side to the other or to get out of bed. It is still uncomfortable at times to breath and get to sleep, but once I am asleep I am good.
Movement: Baby boy is still in there kicking. I love that Charli has finally felt her bubba move and she loved it! She has felt him move a couple of more times and now she thinks that when he moves it is called "hittups" (because he had the hiccups when she felt him for the first time!)
Any Pains: Yes, all over. Baby boy is extremely low and still causing a lot of pain and pressure and tremendous back pains. Thankfully I have been getting prenatal massages a few times a month which really help. The past week though, his head has been hitting nerves that have caused excruciating pain shooting down my inner thigh (not a fun feeling, let me tell ya). The only thing to make it stop is to lay down on my other side that isn't being affected and to wait until he moves off.
Food Cravings: Chocolate milk, I still want fruits; watermelon has been big this week, and again just whatever I am feeling for the day. I haven't had huge cravings for either of my pregnancies.
What I Miss: Oh you know... breathing normal, sleeping normal, being able to sit without having to stretch out so I can breath, not having pain shooting in my back or down my leg, and of course adult beverages... Ohhhh I can't wait! ;)
What I am looking forward to: I am looking forward to an amazing, relaxing weekend as a family of 3, as it may be our last! And my appointment on Monday! My Doctor has planned to go ahead and sweep my membranes on Monday to get things started and see if I can go into labor next week on my own! And with that comes no more bed rest... He said I can do anything and everything I want to starting next week! If baby boy is like his sister and does not budge, I will be going back in the following week for a full growth ultrasound and scheduling an induction for that week! So needless to say, this will be our last week or 2 before we welcome our son into the world! Craziness! 

We are getting so close and I can't even believe it! 

Part of me feels like we were just announcing that our family was growing, but part of me feels like I have been pregnant forever. 

We are so excited to meet you little man! 

We love you! 

Twenty-Nine:

Another year down and another year older...

Hello 29!

Thank you everyone for all of the thoughtful and wonderful birthday wishes I received throughout the day! You all truly know how to make a girl feel special!

***

It is crazy for me to think that I am already 29 years old. 

How am I already this close to 30?
Twenty Nine holds a special place in my heart. For me, it was the age I had set in my head that I wanted to be married and have children by. So here I am, writing to you as a 29 year old woman, who is a happily married stay at home mother to a beautiful little girl and who is about to welcome her son into the world in a couple of weeks. As I reflect on everything that has brought me to today, I feel incredibly grateful and thankful that my dreams are coming true!

My life of course isn't perfect, I have things I deal with and struggle with just as anyone else. But the thing is, I wouldn't change it for anything. Everything has brought me to today and the life that I live, and for me, that is perfect! 

So even though I may still feel like I am a young 22 year old girl, I am happier to be 29 and fulfilling the dreams I had set for myself.

So here is to my last year in my 20's...
I am looking forward to everything that my 29th year has to offer...

Of course starting with the most amazing birthday I had today...
It was filled with love, family, balloons, flowers, chocolate chip waffles, presents, and the perfect family dinner date at my favorite Mexican restaurant Basico, followed by the perfect Gluten Free red velvet cupcakes my amazing hubby got for me!

Thank you Steven and Charli for making this day so incredibly special.
I love you both so much!

Birchbox: July Delivery:

How fitting that my July Birchbox arrives on my birthday week!! 

Yay for goodies! 

 Birchbox teamed up with Women's Health magazine to power up the month for us- starting with of course beauty supplies, but also including samples to energize our routine, and plus 12 Power Up Challenges to inspire workouts, sleep, and everything in between!

In The Box:
* Beauty Protector- Protect & Treat Mask: An argan oil treatment that restores strength and megashine to hair.
(Looking forward to trying this out!)
* Benefit Cosmetics- Posiebalm: A mango butter balm that hydrates lips and provides a wash of sheer, just-right pink.
(I am an eos kind of girl, but I am wearing this balm as we speak and am loving the way it feels and looks. This will definitely be added to the daily routine!)
* NAOBAY- Body Radiance Lotion: This Spanish favorite uses olive oil and avocado to naturally hydrate and soften skin.
(Looking forward to trying this out!)
* Real Chemistry- Luminous 3 minute Peel: An acid-free peel that gently exfoliates for instantly softer, smoother, brighter skin.
(I am really looking forward to trying this after baby boy gets here!)
* Skyn Iceland- Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels: Peptide-packaged cooling treatment to hydrate and refresh stressed skin under the eyes.
(What mom wouldn't love this!! This sounds divine and we all know we could use a little boost for our under eyes, right?! So excited about this one, although I may save it for after baby boy gets here as well! ;))

Another great box!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Birthday Eve to me! ;)

Weekend Update: A Three Day Weekend & The start to my Birthday Week:

Is July really almost over? 

The only thing that makes it OK that we are already at the end of the month is that it's time to celebrate Momma's Birthday! ;) 

(Even though I get "No Momma, not Momma Happy Day... Happy Charli Day") haha

And an extra day spent with Daddy this weekend made it even better!

Friday started pretty low key and consisted of playing, reading, and a little backyard time. Charli also felt baby boy move for the first time and it was pure joy! He had the hiccups and Sesame Street was on so I knew I could get her to sit still for a minute. She was sitting right next to me so I grabbed her hand and placed it on my stomach and told her to feel bubba, he had the hiccups. A moment later her face lit up and she looked at me and said "awwwww cute, bubba hittups" and she laid her head on my stomach and gave him a kiss... My heart was happy! 

Steven got home a little early Friday afternoon so I could head to my massage appointment. Thank you again honey, it was much needed. After my massage I headed home to find this waiting for me...

Charli serenading the cul de sac...

And my little grit helping Daddy work on and clean his bike...

 (Seriously, she is always so dirty when I get home... I don't know how I am going to handle a little boy! ;))

 And my little grit baby trying to get to Mommy... haha

Friday ended with me and my hubby cuddled up in bed before 8pm!

Saturday morning was the perfect kind of lazy weekend morning... 

Family breakfast, Jammies, Coffee, and Saturday morning cartoons. 

As I sat there adoring my little family on this perfect weekend morning, all I could think about was in a few short weeks there will be another little member snuggled up on us making life even better!

Steven headed out for a morning bike ride before it got too hot and Charli helped me clean the doors and windows and dust (she's such a little help)! 

After Steven got home we decided to check out a place near by called Monkey Joe's. It is an indoor play room/arcade with bounce houses everywhere. 

We actually weren't too impressed by it as it seemed to be catered more towards older kids and with it being a Saturday, it was packed with older kids. They had a couple of different areas for children under 3 but Charli did not seem too impressed. 

Oh well... At least we tried it and she seemed to enjoy herself a little bit which was good! 

After we left we headed over to the outlets to do a little shopping before heading home. 

Saturday evening consisted of a little movie date night; Lone Survivor. 

And another early bedtime!

 Sunday morning Steven was up before the sun to head to his 4th race of the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series. Charli and I snoozed and then headed out later that morning to meet daddy after the race. 

 Steven won the bike portion of the race out of the over 250 racers with the fastest bike, averaging over 24 mph. Way to go honey! We are so proud of you! 

After the race we headed to the campgrounds to hang out with some friends for a little bit before the heat got too much for this preggo and we headed home.

Then family nap time it was! 

After we all woke up we headed out back for a little fun in the sun...

Afternoon snacks and sprinkler time!

To make the weekend even better, Steven had today off, which meant he was able to join me at my OB appointment this morning while Charli played with the nanny! It was a pretty quick appointment that went really well! We got to hear baby boys heart beat, I got checked out again, and everything is looking good! We could possibly be welcoming baby boy next week! We shall see! 

Since the appointment was relatively quick we decided to enjoy a morning date just the two of us! 

It was the perfect morning with my favorite man, strolling around downtown, walking hand in hand, and doing a little shopping before the Heat Advisory went into effect. 

It has been a scorcher of a day with feel like temps of up to 115 degrees, so needless to say we were inside the rest of the day since I can't enjoy the pool or anything to stay cool. 

So it was a lot of playing, napping, playing hide n seek with Charli (her new favorite game), and putting baby boys car seat in the car (we are definitely ready for him!) 

We ended our perfect little three day weekend with a pizza dinner as a family and are now buckling down for some Severe Thunderstorms that are about to roll in. 

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend as well and a Happy Monday!

Here is to my last couple of days being 28! 

Crafting Chronicles: Driftwood Sailboat:

It is no secret that I love the natural/nautical look, which is probably why I love Pottery Barn oh so much! Pottery Barn Kids had the most adorable driftwood sailboat mobile that I fell in love with back when I was pregnant with Charli, but since she was a girl we didn't get it. Ever since then though, I knew that I wanted to make a sailboat out of driftwood one day. 

Well, as soon as we found out we were pregnant with a little boy this time, my mind was set on what I wanted for his nursery and a driftwood sailboat it was! Oh, and my best friend and her family got baby boy the driftwood sailboat mobile as a gift... They know me too well!!! 

So that brings us to today and one of my favorite crafts we have made thus far...

A Driftwood Sailboat

Things you will need:

*Driftwood (We actually had two large pieces of driftwood that we found on the beach while living in Monterey and they made the move with us to Charleston. Like I said above... I knew I wanted a sailboat one day) ;)

*Drill

*Wood Glue

*Sander

*Fabric

*Scissors

*Rope or String

*Two Hooks

*Oh and that sexy handy man again

Steven actually got this project started for me without even telling me as a surprise

(so no pictures of the pieces of driftwood before he started)

But what a great handy man I have! ;)

First:

Start by hosing off the pieces of wood and scrubbing it down to get the pieces clean

Then sand the pieces of wood to your liking

Second:

Drill a hole into the piece that will act as the Hull (bottom of the boat)

Next:

Pour wood glue into hole

Place smaller piece of driftwood that will act as the Mast into hole

(Steven also hammered it down to make sure it was secure)

You can then use extra driftwood shavings to fill in the hole (shown below) 

 Next:

Cut out your sails from the fabric of your choice

Lastly:

Cut tiny holes into all 3 corners of each sail

Run rope or string through holes

Tie the top two ropes around the mast

And for the bottom, I used little hooks to tie the rope to

And voila!!

The perfect Driftwood Sailboat!

You can make this in any size, just depends on the size of driftwood you are using.

Our Monterey driftwood was pretty big and I loved that we could make a floor piece with it.

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out!

Happy Friday and Happy Crafting!

Maternity Pictures:

It is still so surreal to me to think we will have another little love in our arms so soon, but we are beyond excited and ready. We can't wait to welcome our son into this world and to start our life as a family of 4! I am so excited to see his sweet face, sniff his sweet head, and look into his sweet eyes.

We are ready for you little man and can't wait to meet you!

All photos were taken by us and I couldn't be happier with what we captured! 

We are ready and waiting! 

We love you baby boy!