Frazier Shower

I am so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful school family.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the past five years working at Frazier Elementary.  I have thought several times about how nice it would be to work at one of the schools in my neighborhood, but I just can't even think about leaving Frazier.

I had my first shower today - thrown by my team of support folks.  They did such a good job putting it all together, and I am so blessed to have such sweet friends.  Here are a few pictures from today.

First off, check out these awesome invites that my sweet friends Katie and Charity made!  So cute!

They did a great job decorating Mine and Charity's HUGE open office - open concept classrooms can be difficult to make look pretty.  They did a great job.

They had people bring in baby pictures ahead of time, and everyone tried to guess who was who as they came in.  It was tough!!

Isn't this cake awesome?!  One of our parents made it and the cupcakes, and the cake was AMAZING.

 LOVE the balloons!

 I love this little idea to have them write a note on a diaper.  They were pretty hilarious.

The shower was all day - come and go, so teams came in and ate and hung out during their lunch.  We were allowed to wear jeans for teacher appreciation week, and sports shirts today for the shower.  Here's our Kinder team, all sitting down eating, while trying to figure out the baby photos.

I got some much needed gifts and LOTS of gift cards.  Aiden is blessed.

Look at these super cute little outfits my team got me to display!  You can't see it very well, but there are some super cute personalized Texans items up there Charity ordered from Etsy.  I LOVE them!  She knows me too well!

This is one of my favorite activities that people worked on as they came and went.  I LOVE this, and had to post several of my favorites:

Maria was one of two who addressed the wish to me and not the baby, and I love it.  :)

 Erica, one of the four Frazier preggos, and a sweet friend.  

 Sweet Allison, one of our ABLE teachers, and one of my support teammates, who helped to set up the shower and make it look amazing.  I don't think he'll have a choice in whether or not he loves the Texans, and I sure do hope he loves to read too!

 Sweet, sweet, sweet Sarah, who I team taught with every year except this year.  She's golden.

 Of course, my sweet friend, and partner in crime this year, Charity.  She worked so hard on all the details of the shower to make it PERFECT.  She made these little cards, and they look amazing.  I will miss being PF with her next year, but I am excited for her to be back in First Grade doing what she is so talented at - teaching.

 And my other sweet friend Katie, our Resource teacher who worked along with Charity to make the shower amazing.  She has been such an encouragement to me this year, not to mention a complete goofball.  I have loved our little lunch group, and all three of us (Katie, Charity and me) being in the same pod.

My Principal, Wendy.  She has done a great job leading our school, and has always made sure we have what we need. 

And here's my little foursome - My lunch bunch, and wonderful friends.  They are pretty special.

Susan Blue, our Counselor; Me; Katie Belus, our Resource Teacher; Charity Boone, our Math Coach.

Goodness I'm HUGE.  UGH!  It doesn't help that I squeeeezed into a non-maternity Astros shirt.  Nevertheless, the shower was very special, and I am very blessed.  I can't wait for Aiden to meet all of the wonderful Frazier folks.  THANKS FRAZIER FAMILY!!

A Shield About Me

If your volume is up, you may or may not notice that the opening song on my blog has changed.  My mom is quite possibly the one of the only people I know of who reads my blog and sits and listens to the music on it (She always lets me know how much she loves the music on my blog).  I myself mute the computer if a site I go to makes noise since most of the time I'm multi-tasking - watching TV while I read.  BUT I still wanted to share my thoughts on my new playlist, or rather my new opening song.

Today's worship was particularly uplifting.  The song choice was a perfect mix of old hymns.  I grew up singing the old hymns in harmony in church, so it really resonates with me when we sing some of those old songs in church.  Quite possibly one of my most favorite songs, however is not an old hymn, but a newer song I learned in church I think last year - A Shield About Me.  It's playing now - if your volume is up.  It is the most beautiful song sung in harmony.  I always have a hard time singing the chorus in church when all the men join in.  It's incredibly moving.

There is just something about voices lifted up to The Lord in harmony that is so beautiful.  Sometimes I just have to stop and listen.

The words of this song are of tremendous encouragement to me.  There aren't many.   In fact it's the same lines repeated over and over, but they speak right from the heart, as if having a conversation with God.  It's a statement of extreme joy and gratitude for The Lord and his faithfulness - in all things.  It makes me think of David - I am currently in 2 Samuel in my bible reading.  I can imagine him lifting these same words up to the Lord in thanksgiving for his faithfulness and deliverance so many times.

Thou, Oh Lord, art a shield about me,

You're my glory, you're the lifter of my head.

Thou, Oh Lord, art a shield about me,

You're my glory, you're the lifter of my head.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

You're the lifter of my head.

Week 25

I've gotten way behind on my chalkboard pics.  I really haven't liked having pictures taken of me as I've gotten bigger, so it hasn't been at the top of my to-do list, BUT I know I will regret not having the pictures to look back on.  So...here I am - week 25:

Week: 25

Stretch marks? So far, so good.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Best moment this week:  We painted the room, or I should say Eric painted the room.  I felt so bad I couldn't help him, but I made sure to replinish his water and paintbrushes as needed.  We really wanted to paint stripes, but our walls have this annoying texture that makes it next to impossible to paint straight lines, even with tape, so we settled for one wall navy, and the others light blue. Here are a few pictures:

Picking out paint colors at Home Depot

Eric did such a good job.

Brinkley was as curious as ever.

Touch-ups

Don't Fall!

Finished!

Eric worked all day painting, and I LOVE the end result.  He did a very good job.

Miss Anything? Everything normal...my body, being able to go running, margaritas, A full night's sleep...the list goes on.

Food Cravings: I'm addicted to watermelon.  I have it twice during the day - my morning snack, and afternoon snack, and then I always have a bowl after dinner - and share with Brinkley. 

Movement:  I am feeling him move all the time, and it is the coolest feeling ever!  I am even starting to see my tummy twitch sometimes when he moves.  I try to get Eric to feel when he starts to move, and he always seems to stop right when Eric puts his hand there.  He has been able to feel a few times, though.

Belly Button in or out? It's starting to pop out.  So weird.

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Pretty Happy.

Looking forward to: Getting the room put together. Here's what we've gotten so far:

Ordered the crib bedding from Etsy.

Got our glider and matching ottoman.  Navy Pinstripe!

Ordered these four prints from Etsy.  They will hang above the crib.  This was part of our gift from Eric's parents.

Picked out our crib, but haven't bought it just yet.  We will soon.  This will be our gift from my parents. 

We got our stroller/car seat.  This was our gift from Eric's parents.

Yummy Yummy Fish Tacos

I made THE BEST Fish Tacos last night.  Seriously.  Even Eric agreed.  I have been craving Fish Tacos pretty much this whole pregnancy, but can't get them when I want because I'd be spending $15 a plate at Fish City Grill every time.

SO I searched Pinterest for some good Fish Taco Recipes, and ended up putting THREE recipes together to make my Fish Tacos.  This is for me to have it all in one place and not have to flip between three different websites.

I made my fish from this recipe.
I made the Mango Salsa from this recipe.
And I made the YUMMY sauce from this recipe.

The product was AMAZING.  I'm drooling just thinking about it.  Here's the recipe for the Fish Tacos I made.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients for the Fish:
1 pound tilapia filets
2 T Olive Oil
3 T Paprika
1 t salt
1 T Onion powder
1 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Cayenne Pepper
1 t Thyme
1 t Oregano
1/2 t Garlic Powder

Mango Salsa:
1 Mango, Peeled and cubed
1 Avocado, cubed
1/2 Red onion, Finely Chopped (I didn't use this, but I bet it would be good - if i liked onions)
Juice of 1 Lime
Chopped fresh Cilantro
Salt and Black Pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, cut in half
1/2 t Cumin
1/2 t Ground Coriander
1/2 t Dill Weed
1/2 t Dried Oregano
1/4 t Chili Powder
1 T fresh chopped Cilantro

Other Ingredients:
Flour Tortillas (I don't do corn - yuck!)
Shredded Lettuce or Cabbage

Instructions:

1. Start with gathering the ingredients for the sauce, so it can chill.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise.
3. Squeeze in the lime juice from one half of the lime, and mix.  You will want the consistency of a pourable, creamy salad dressing, so if it's still too thick, add the juice from the second half of the lime.
4. Add in all of the spices, and mix thoroughly.  Add the cilantro, and mix.
5. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate - the longer the better.
6. Gather the ingredients for the mango Salsa.
7. Mix the Mango, Avocado, Onion(if desired), and the juice of 1 lime in a bowl.  
8. Season with Cilantro, Salt, and pepper.  Refrigerate.
9. Gather ingredients for the Fish.
10. Preheat oven to 425.
11. Combine the spices in a small bowl.
12. Line a sheet pan with foil and add 2 T Olive Oil.  Brush it over the foils in any area where the fish will be.
13. Rinse and pat dry the fish.  
14. Place on the pan and brush with olive oil.
15. Cover the fillets with the spice mix, and rub it in (both sides).
16. Give the fish a light spray of PAM, and place in the preheated oven.
17. Cook until nicely brown and flaky - about 10-11 minutes for big fillets, and a minute or two less for small to medium fillets.
18. While the fish cooks, warm Tortillas on a skillet.
19. Make your tacos as you wish.  I like to spread the sauce onto my tortilla first, then cut my fish fillet in half and put half in my tortilla, then the mango salsa, and finally a little shredded lettuce.  Roll it up, and enjoy! Mmmmmm!  

I got two fish tacos out of one fillet.  Also, apparently peaches and pineapples are good substitutes for the Mangos if there are no fresh Mangos at the store.  Good to know.
I wish I had taken a picture of this yummy goodness, but my hands were dripping with the delicious juices.  Maybe next time.

Registering Fun - and my Etsy Wishlist

Eric and I registered this weekend.  I was so excited when I woke up on Saturday.  We went to Starbucks and had a nice breakfast together, and then headed off to Target to start the registering process.  It was a bit overwhelming, but I had e-mailed several young mom friends before to get their suggestions, so I thought that I came prepared...I was wrong.  I can't tell you haw many times we came to an item and had this exact conversation:
"What is that?"
"Do we need it?"
"How the heck do I know?!"
"Well, let's just scan it."

There are just so many things that you never think about needing.  Here are just a few:
A bottle warmer - Never thought about the fact that I might wanna warm up my milk quicker, since apparently you can't microwave breast milk.
Bottles and nipples for different ages - Who knew?!  I just thought a bottle was a bottle.  Apparently not, because this was quite possibly the most stressful isle for us.
Nap and Play Sleepers - Didn't even know what this was, but apparently you need them.
Car Safety Mirror - At first I thought it was just silly, but then as I looked at it more, I realized it would probably give me peace of mind in the car - so sure, scan it.

Anyways, it was kinda comical.  Eric was in charge of the scanner and by the end of our Target run, he ended up in the Nerf section - there may also be some Hulk hands on our registry.

After a yummy lunch, we headed to Babies 'R Us, and were immediately overwhelmed the minute we walked in.  And we thought Target was rough.  While in Babies 'R Us, we definitely took advantage of the gliders in the back.  My feet were killing me by the time we were done - and I still didn't feel like I registered for everything I wanted.  I ended up adding and deleting when I got home.

I do wish I could register on Etsy though.  All of the necessities are covered with Babies 'R Us and Target, but all of the cutsie things that I love, and the things to match his room are all on Etsy.  I decided to add some of my Etsy wishes on here...you know for family and such. ;)

First off, I bought my bedding from Etsy today.  It's custom bedding, so there's not a picture of the whole set, but this is the bumper pad and the cute little pillow that would obviously have an A for Aiden:

From this Etsy shop: Dandelion Baby

Below are just some of the items that I've favorited in my Etsy Account:

This changing Pad Cover in Grey from this Etsy shop: Jungle Jacks

This Boppy Cover from this Etsy Shop: Designs By Christy S

This Car Seat Cover from this Etsy Shop: Kit Cars On Blue

This precious blanket from this Etsy Shop: The Posh Pea Boutique

This sign, but with different mileage from this Etsy Shop: Travel Signs

I LOVE these signs from this Etsy Shop: Gemini Studio

These size thingys from this Etsy Shop: Krackling Kauldron

This vintage baseball picture from this Etsy Shop: Shawn St.Peter

I LOVE this Baseball Stadium picture from this Etsy Shop: Gemini Studio

These are a MUST.  From this Etsy Shop: Ryan Bird

This wipe case in Navy with Orange letters - From this Etsy Shop: Jenny Candy Designs

These Cardigan Onesies are all over Etsy, and I just LOVE them.  This one is from this Etsy Shop: Haddon Co.

This Onesie from this Etsy Shop: Sew Snazzy by Brook

This Astro's Onesie from This Etsy Shop: Layla's Runway

This Grab and Go Diaper Bag from this Etsy Shop: Moments to Sew

These Burp Cloths from this Etsy Shop: Moments to Sew

This print fromt his Etsy Shop: Two Four Five Designs

These Bibs from this Etsy Shop: Mamies Baby Shop

This precious little beanie from this Etsy shop: OCI Crochet Creations

This Newsboy hat from the same shop as the above beanie: OCI Crochet Creations

I love all of the little Tie and argyle sock sets from this shop: Chic Couture Boutique
They go perfect with these Newsboy hats from this shop: Knot Moxie :

I love this Texas Onesie from this shop: Homeland Tees

This Onesie is just so perfect.  From this Etsy Shop: Mumsy Goose

Binky Clips like these from this shop: My Handmade Loves

More cute bibs - I typed in "Bibs" in Etsy and found tons of cute ones like these from this shop: Hazel Love

This shop: Ryan Bird  has so many cute vintage baseball baby items like this.

I LOVE this blanket from this shop: Dragonfly Summer 1

And I Love this one from this shop: The Posh Peanut Boutique

This Wet Bag from one of my favorite shops: Jungle Jacks

There are so many cute things on Etsy for Babies.  These are just some of my favorites.  I can't wait to get the bedding in and put it up on the blog!