Thursday, May 31, 2012

And the Parenting Advice begins...

Until I got pregnant, I had no idea how opinionated and outspoken some people could be. Especially on things like what you are/or are not eating, how much weight you are gaining, what you MUST have before baby arrives, your test results, etc. I read this post on Kelly's Korner about getting parental advise and I feel she is spot on with exactly how I feel up to this point.

I'm mainly referring to unsolicited advice. Part of being a new mom (or mommy to be, in my case) is figuring some of this out for yourself. I am the first person to ask those I trust for advice when I feel like I need it. In fact, I have gotten some really good tips on books to read and product reviews from friends and family. But I do not appreciate people trying to give advice just to make themselves feel better about their parenting style. I realize that many people have good intentions and may really want to help, but it still doesn't make it any less annoying. I've discussed this with a few of friends who are new moms and we all have a good laugh about it because it seems to happen to every mom.

And, I know it's only going to intensify once she is born. I'm so thankful for Clint who has said on numerous occasions (while trying to calm down my pregnancy hormones) that we are just going to do what we think is best for Anna Ruth and what we know to be right and if that happens to go against what someone else says, that's okay. I do love that man!
Photobucket

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Nursery

For some reason, last night it hit us that we have roughly around 3 months to get in gear for our new arrival. How did it sneak up on us so quickly? With that being said we starting ticking off things that we needed to get finished sooner rather than later. The biggest project- the nursery. The picture below shows what the room looked like the first week after we bought the house. The previous owners had their 2 little boys stay in the room- hence the blue and ever so lovely BRIGHT yellow! But, it did already have a chair railing, so when we put the house on the market, we simply painted over the offensive yellow.

Fast forward to now...below shows what we have so far. Since we always are looking for ways to save, we decided to go with a faux board and batten look. We both did some research and looked at other blogs that had DYI step-by-step instructions. Clint has almost finished installing the wooden strips and I cannot wait to see what it's going to look like once it's all painted and finished. The plan is for the bottom to be white and the top to be a light pink.
Photobucket

Monday, May 14, 2012

Seabrook Island, SC

We just returned from our long weekend getaway to celebrate our 5th year anniversary in Seabrook Island, SC. And, I think we have found a hidden gem. The town of Seabrook Island is a gated community that is right next to Kiawah Island and only about 40 minutes from Charleston. We rented a condo for the weekend that was absolutely perfect! We spent about 80% of the time on our back screened in porch that overlooked the marsh. The weather cooperated for us and we had days with both sun and clouds but always a light breeze...which made for my kind of day on the beach. The island had so many other activities besides just lounging on the beach. We had access to 3 outdoor pools, an indoor pool, great fitness center,  tennis, racket ball, basketball courts, horseback riding and bikes. Unfortunately, pregnancy held me back from the horses and the bikes, but I can't wait to go back and bike around the island. Since all the homes and condos are built in between the moss covered oaks and magnolias there are so many different kinds of wildlife to see while driving around. Saturday was our anniversary and we headed into Charleston for a nice dinner. This island is so unbelievably beautiful and peaceful. The beaches only had a handful of people on them each time we went out, granted, it is still considered off season. It also made me feel good because we saw 3 other pregnant women on the beach...we must have all had the same idea. I certainly do not want to be out on the beach during the hottest part of the summer.

I highly recommend Seabrook Island to anyone looking for a great place to visit. It would also be perfect for kids too since they have numerous playgrounds and pools just for them. We are already talking about going back when Anna Ruth gets older. One of my favorite beach trips for sure!
Of course the old pregnancy brain forgot the cameras (I'm lucky that's all I forgot), so I had to settle with a few phone pictures.

Screened in porch where we ate our breakfast each morning.

The other end of the porch where we spent hours just reading and talking.

Back from our anniversary date night in Charleston...where else, on the porch!
Photobucket

Friday, May 11, 2012

It's Already Been 5 Years!

My, how time flies! I cannot believe we are celebrating our 5th year wedding anniversary. I've said it before but I'll say it again, our wedding day was the most wonderful day of my life. It was perfect in every way, but of course, mainly because I knew after that day, Clint would be all mine!!

We made the decision when we got married that instead of spending money on "things" for each other, that we wanted to make memories instead...and I'm so glad we did. We found out quickly that we love to travel together and like the idea of not staying in the same place twice. This year for our anniversary, we are going back to South Carolina, not the same place but close by because we adore the low country.

Over the past 5 years, we have been to some beautiful locations and did just what we set out to do, made memories of just the two of us. Some couples decide to have kids right away or after the first few years. But I know for us, our time together without children has no doubt strengthened our marriage and now we are ready to move into the next chapter of our lives with little Anna Ruth.

Over the next few years, I certain our anniversary trips and vacations will slow down a bit and take on a whole different travel agenda. However, I do know that we will continue on our plan to make memories, this time not as a couple of 2, but as a family of 3 (okay, 3 and 1/2-can't forget Chloe!).

I thought I would share some of our travels thus far. These are mostly from our favorite locations or anniversary trips. (They are all out of order because I cannot fix them on my computer right now):

2011- At Serendipity in NYC

2011- DC

2011- Dewey Beach, DE

2010- Savannah & Tybee Island, GA trip

2008- Mt. Pleasant, SC B&B

2008- 1 year anniversary cake topper

2011- Another DC trip

2010- Texas trip to visit Clint's family (with his sweet grandmother)

2007- Our amazing honeymoon in Cancun (don't we look so young!)

2008- Gulf Shores, AL at my favorite B&B- The Beach House

2008- 1 year anniversary weekend back in Murfreesboro

2009- Biltmore visit while staying at our Asheville B&B

2011- Christmas in DC, so fun!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Early Summer

Yesterday, we celebrated Brooke's birthday (Clint's sister). It was the first swim in the lake for me (and Anna Ruth) this year. The weather was so nice that we ate dinner and opened presents out on the deck. I love that it is already warm enough for us to enjoy it outside, but I am cautious that it might mean we are in for one HOT summer. If that is the case, you know where to find me...I'll be the one right next to the air conditioning vent inside! :)
Happy Summer!
Photobucket

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Yum!

In an effort to make our dinners a bit more exciting and avoid having the same things each week, I have been trying some new recipes. Most of the time they are either pretty good or just okay. However, what I'm about to share with you was a big hit in the Davis house. So much so that Clint requested to have it the very next night (this has never happened before). We even polished off the remaining leftovers a few days afterwards. I would think this would also be a winner with kids too. Without further ado, I give you the recipe for BBQ Chicken Cheddar Mac:
(*Note- I cut the recipe in half and we were still able to get almost 3 meals out of it. Next time I think I am going to make the full recipe and then just freeze half of it.)

1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)
5 Tablespoons butter

5 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

4 Cups milk, I used skim
5 Cups shredded cheddar cheese (you could use any I used sharp cheddar)
2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken (I boiled the chicken, shredded it, then poured BBQ sauce over it and let it simmer in a pot on the stove for an hour or so)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes (if you can even stand to let it sit that long!) and serve.

BBQ chicken and homemade mac n' cheese, how could it not be yummy?!
Photobucket