Nashville's Melrose

Oliver’s Newborn Pictures

2014-08-15T18:26:00.001-05:00

When Oliver was 6 days old, Candice of Candice Lynn Photography made a trip out to our house to take these adorable newborn pictures for us. I am so glad we had these made…even though it was hard for me to believe before he was born, I really was so, so tired during that first week that I don’t have a lot of memories of that time. I’m so glad we have these photos to remind us how sweet our little guy was…and still is.

Oliver Bailey–2 Months!

2014-08-09T09:25:00.001-05:00

Height & Weight: 10 pounds, 4 ounces and 22.5 inches long

Sleep: Just like last month, you sleep GREAT at night! You usually go to bed between 8:00-10:00 and wake up between 4:00-6:00. An ideal night at our house involves bath time and your last bottle at 9:00, then a little cuddle time and then to bed for approximately 7-8 hours.

The daytime is another story…you usually take a 30 minute to 1 hour nap after each feeding, but you certainly love to be entertained during the day. =)

Diet: You are currently eating 5 bottles per day with 4-6 oz. of breastmilk or formula.

Diapers: Size 1s all the way! So far, I think Pampers are our favorites…although, the Target Up and Up brand are a close 2^nd.

Clothes: You officially fit into MOST of your 0-3 months clothes. I couldn’t be happier about this because I feel like we have an entire closet full of this size. You can still wear some of your newborn clothes, too, so we are trying to get a few more wears out of those cute items before it’s too late.

Favorite Things: Activity mat, Boppy (for propping), bouncer, swing, Bright Starts Cozy Coos Deluxe, Chicco Baby Carrier

Likes: You really are a happy baby these days! You still love to be held and entertained, but you also love laying and playing on your activity mat, relaxing on your Bobby, your swing, taking a bath, going on walks with Mommy in the Baby Carrier, being out and about, and watching TV (I know there are many different opinions about children watching TV, but we have decided a little TV won’t kill you). =) Finally, you LUV Hip Hop music and it’s sometimes the only thing that will calm you down when you’re grumpy!

Dislikes: Being hungry (me, too baby boy, me too) and being tired…the only other thing you HATE is not being picked up as SOON as you decide it’s time…I suspect daycare will break you of this spoiled, rotten habit. =)

Social: This has been another busy month for you! You absolutely love to be out and about and Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t have it any other way. This month, you attended church, went to several lunches with Mommy and some friends, and also went to several restaurants with Mommy and Daddy in the evenings and on the weekends. In addition to that, you also went on your first road trip this month when we all traveled to Knoxville for Daddy’s 20 Year High School Reunion. You and Mommy decided to stay and visit with Mimi and Pops for the week; during this time, you also visited your first 2 states outside of TN (North Carolina and South Carolina) when we traveled to help Aunt Laura pick out a wedding dress.

Milestones: This has been a very exciting month! Not only are you now officially sleeping in your crib full time, but you also rolled over this month! It scared you to death because you couldn’t figure out how to get your head turned around so you could breathe easily…thank goodness I was right there to turn you onto your back; you haven’t been brave enough to try it again, and I suspect it may be awhile before that happens. You also had your 2 months shots, so you are officially ready to go to daycare. You smile all the time these days, and we just love to see your happy face, and you coo all the time as well. You are continuing to work on holding your head up and it gets stronger every day. You are such a joy these days and Mommy and Daddy feel so fortunate to have such a sweet baby!

Monthly Comparison Pics:

Weekly Comparison Pics:

Professional Hospital Pictures

2014-07-23T09:52:00.001-05:00

When Oliver was approximately 24 hours old, a photographer from Bella Baby Photography came to our hospital room and took some complimentary pictures of our new, sweet prince. I had every intention of allowing them to take the pictures, but had no plans of ordering any of them since we had already scheduled a photographer to shoot newborn pictures at our home just a few days after arriving home from the hospital. However, there was something so sweet about professional pictures of him so young and the pics turned out great, so we decided to go ahead and buy the CD of all prints. Here are a few of my favorites:

I’ve heard many people say they don’t even remember their baby being this small, and now that Oliver is a month and a half old, I know what everyone is talking about. He had changed a lot by the time we had his newborn pictures made when he was 6 days old, so I am so glad we were able to capture some pictures of our sweet boy at only 24 hours! I will cherish these pictures for many years.

You are probably wondering why there are no pictures of me…WELL, as you can imagine, I wasn’t loving the way I looked at 24 hours post partum, so I didn’t really like any of the ones of me. However, throughout this entire experience, I have really tried to embrace the camera despite the fact that I am no where even close to my goal weight. I know that one day I’ll be glad I have these shots…SO, here is the ONLY picture I will post of myself…it’s a little hard for me to look at and I really hate it, but like I said, I know one day I’ll be glad I have it.

Also, Mimi (my mom) happened to be at the hospital visiting when these were taken and the photographer somehow talked her into stepping into a couple of pictures herself. My mom HATES to have her picture made and therefore, I have very few pictures of her and Oliver. This picture has become one of my favorites even though I’m certain she hates it. Ha!

My advice is to have the hospital pictures taken regardless of whether you have photography plans after coming home from the hospital. If you’re like me, you will be so tired and exhausted and out of it, that you probably won’t get anything decent with your own camera, and these may become some of your favorites!

Oliver Bailey–1 Month!

2014-07-17T07:50:00.001-05:00

This post was written and all of the pictures were taken on July 7, 2014, which was Oliver’s 1 month birthday. Nevermind, that it’s taken me 10 days to actually getting it posted. =)

Height & Weight: 8 pounds, 8.5 ounces and 21 inches long

Sleep: Depends on the time of day…at night, you sleep great! You usually take your last bottle of the day between 9:30-11:30 pm. You wake up between 2:00-4:00 am (on nights when we are really lucky, you’ll sleep for 5-6 hours straight) to take another bottle and then fall sleep again until 5:30-6:30 am.

During the day, though, you are bright eyed and bushy tailed! You LOVE the morning time and usually stay awake for 2-3 hours in the mornings (this is when you and Daddy get some of your best one-on-one time). You will usually fall asleep for a few hours and then spend the rest of the day fighting sleep and only taking 15-30 minute cat naps. What can I say…you have 2 parents who are very social and don’t like to miss anything…I think it’s in your genes. J

Diet: You are currently eating around 7 bottles per day of about 4 oz. of breast milk or formula.

Diapers: You are still wearing Newborn diapers, but since we are almost out of those, you are about to move up to Size 1s…especially since you are over 8 pounds now.

Clothes: We have a very petite little boy on our hands! Mommy failed big time and didn’t buy many Newborn sized clothes before you were born! That was a mistake! You were so small in the hospital that even Newborn sizes were too small! You are finally starting to fill out your Newborn clothes though and you are even starting to wear some of your 0-3 Month items even though ALL of those are way too big!

Favorite Things: Bassinette, Bouncer, Activity Mat, Boppy, SwaddleMe sleep sacks

Likes: Being held, taking a bath, being swaddled, going on car rides, being out in public

Dislikes: Diaper changes, clothing changes, being hungry, being laid in your bassinette without being rocked to sleep, dirty diapers

Social: You are quite the social butterfly, sweet boy! In your first month of life, you have already been to a few restaurants, your first pool party, a birthday party, the mall, Mommy’s office to meet her co-workers, and your first church service. While you slept through most of these activities, I can tell you are going to LOVE being out and about where you can see the world.

Milestones: The milestone that Mommy and Daddy are most proud of is that when we lay you on your activity mat underneath one of the toys that hang from the bars, you will hit it with your fist…it’s pretty much the most adorable thing to us. J You also lost your belly button when you were just over 2 weeks old, and you slept for your first 6 hour stretch at 2 weeks old as well (we are still waiting on this to happen again).

Monthly Comparison Pics:

Weekly Comparison Pics:

The Day I Became a Mommy!

2014-07-10T21:29:00.001-05:00

We won’t even discuss the fact that my last post was almost a year ago! Let’s just ignore this (and also ignore the fact that I likely won’t get any more consistent at this blogging thing) and move right along to what’s been going on in our lives over the last year.

Patrick and I discovered in early October that we were expecting a baby! We were both SOOOOO excited and anxiously awaited June 10, 2014 (our little boy’s due date).

After a fairly uneventful pregnancy, I had my 39 week doctor’s appointment on Wednesday, June 4. Even though my blood pressure has never been high in my entire pregnancy (or my entire life, for that matter), it had spiked pretty high at this appointment. The doctor suggested I do a 24 hour urine test (I won’t go into the details of this, but I will say that it was very un-fun). I was also told that I wasn’t on bed rest, but I did need to plan on working from home on Thursday and Friday, and I also needed to stay out of the heat and plan on taking it easy for the remainder of my pregnancy.

On Friday, June 6, I received a call from my doctor around lunch time stating that based on the results of the test, I had mild preeclampsia and would need to be induced that afternoon. After getting off the phone, Patrick and I proceeded to rush around like crazy people trying to get everything finalized and prepared to head to the hospital. We also managed to take one final bump pic!

We arrived at Williamson Medical Center at 4 pm and immediately were checked in and taken to our labor and delivery room.

After getting settled, the nurse came to introduce herself, and at around 6 pm they started an IV…Issue #1: It took THREE tries to get my IV in…OUCH! They also took blood and started a drug that was intended to thin my cervix and prepare my body for labor. The rest of Friday was rather uneventful as we were just playing the waiting game.

Around midnight, I started having some light cramping, and at around 2:00 am, they decided I progressed enough to start Pitocin. As soon as they started the Pitocin, I began having some seriously painful contractions…they weren’t necessarily that intense, but they were a minute and a half to 2 minutes apart…being that close together, I could hardly tell when one ended and another began so I never really got a break at all. The nurse suggested I take some pain medication and that worked wonders! Again, it was pretty uneventful for the next couple of hours.

Around 4:30, they came in and broke my water and decided I was dilated enough to get my epidural…Issue #2: It didn’t take the first time…but no one was convinced of that in the beginning (other than ME) and they made me try to get my catheter before they would try again…Issue #3: TWO tries later, the catheter still isn’t in and I’m still feeling LOTS of painful contractions. In goes the 2nd epidural which works like a charm. This also allows me to get the catheter without any problems.

From 5:30-8:00ish, we were able to get a little sleep…Around 8:15 is where things got very interesting, very fast! My doctor came in and said (in the calmest tone I’ve ever heard anyone speak) that it seemed that the baby’s heartbeat MAY have lowered slightly and she was going to put an internal monitor on him to determine his exact heart rate. At this point, she looked at Patrick and said (again, in the calmest tone I’ve ever heard), “If the heart rate is too low, we may have to do a C Section and things could get a little hectic in here, okay?” Within about 20 seconds, she says, “Okay, the heart rate is very low and we need to do an emergency C Section immediately.” Next thing you know, there are what seems like a bazillion people in our labor & delivery room, they are pushing Patrick back into the corner and telling him to put on scrubs, and they make me turn over on my hands and knees with my rear end in the air. I seriously don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life!

Off we go down the hallway toward the operating room (yes, my butt is still up in the air…apparently, this helps gravity do it’s thing and makes the baby’s heart rate go back up), and they make Patrick stay out in the hallway while they wheel me inside. This whole experience is all a blur and all I remember is the following:

1. FREAKING OUT and one of the nurses getting in my face and telling me to breathe on each breath…thank goodness for this woman…she seriously kept me from having a panic attack.

2. Hearing the doctor say, “The heart rate is back in the hundreds, so we can try to do the delivery with the epidural instead of putting her to sleep.” Apparently, rolling down the hall with my a$$ in the air worked! Ha!

3. Asking everyone that would listen if my husband was okay…I was so worried about him because he was out in the hallway all by himself…nevermind the fact that I was laying on an operating table about to have surgery. Ha!

4. The anesthesiologist doing a “test” to see if my epidural was working enough for me to stay awake during the delivery…thank goodness it was, not only did this allow me to experience my son being born, but if I had been put to sleep they would not have allowed Patrick in the operating room.

In addition to all of the above, the most important thing I remember about this entire experience was laying on the operating table with Patrick sitting next to me, and the anesthesiologist standing on the other side of me looking over the curtain saying, “You’re going to become parents in about 10 seconds.” All of a sudden, the doctor and several nurses yell out “Congratulations!” Patrick says, “Is he here?” All of a sudden, there is a HUGE, loud cry that breaks out in the room…and that sweet little boy doesn’t stop crying for at least a full minute or more. Yes, at 8:42 am on June 7, 2014, Oliver Bailey Sun made his world debut…and he was perfect, weighing 6 pounds 13.7 ounces and 18.75” long.

After being wheeled back into my room, Oliver was brought to me and I immediately got to hold him. He was the sweetest little boy I had ever laid my eyes on. Here are a few more pictures that were taken in the hospital:

We were in the hospital until Tuesday morning. After going over all of the necessary paperwork and having Oliver’s hearing screening (that he passed with flying colors), we were finally released to head home and start our new life as a family of 3!

One Year Stronger!

2013-07-14T21:52:00.001-05:00

July 14, 2013 – Our one year anniversary! In some ways, it’s hard to believe that we’ve been married a whole year, and in others, it seems like this has been our life forever! I have to say it has been the best year, yet, and I can’t wait to see what the future years have in store.

Because Patrick and I just got back from a 2 week vacation (that I plan to recap soon…right after I FINALLY finish the wedding/honeymoon posts! Ha!), we were pretty tired and busy all day unpacking and doing laundry. SO, how does a married couple who has spent wayyyy too much money on their travels and is wayyyy too tired to do something uber romantic celebrate 1 year of wedded bliss? Why they head to Jim ‘N Nicks, of course!

As you may remember, Jim ‘N Nicks catered our wedding reception and since everyone raved about the delicious food, we decided that would be the perfect way to celebrate. Can I just say that It. Was. Delicious. In fact, it was so fun and yummy that we decided to celebrate there every year…So, Jim ‘N Nicks, don’t go closing down on us anytime soon or anything…Ha!

Anyway, we came home had the dreaded year-old wedding cake as dessert and to be honest, it was really yummy, too…not quite as good as I remember it a year ago, but still tasty none-the-less.

All-in-all, it was an excellent anniversary! I can’t wait to finish up the wedding/honeymoon posts and tell you all about our most recent West Coast trip, but in the meantime, this jet lag is killing me…think I might go hit the sack for the evening! Good night all! Have a great week!

Wedding–First Dances

2013-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m back with more wedding posts! I know…you’re shocked! Ha! Today, I’m reliving the kickoff to the reception, which was the introduction of the bridal party, our first dance, the father/daughter dance, and the mother/son dance. All were very special moments for Patrick and me.

We started off the reception by introducing the wedding party and having them enter to the song “I’ve Got a Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas. I know, it’s a little cliché, but it’s one of my favorite songs and one of those songs that every time I hear it, I am immediately taken back to the early days of our relationship!

Next, it was time for our first dance, which was one of my very favorite parts of our wedding day! We started out dancing to “Marry Me” by Train, then after the first verse, the music scratched and jumped to “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” by Usher. Patrick and I (along with our MOH and Best Man) had been scheming for quite some time to surprise everyone with a choreographed dance. Since being a very young girl, dancing has been my favorite thing ever, so I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the best day of my life than dancing with some of my favorite people! Check out a few pics and also the video that was captured of the dance.

First Dance, Usher Style

Next up, it was time for the Father/Daughter dance. I can remember being much younger and dancing with my dad at weddings (because my mom HATES dancing and would never dance with him) and this time was pretty much like all the others…except this time it was MY wedding, which made me it much more special! We danced to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

And, finally, it was time for Patrick to do a dance with his mom! She was really looking forward to this part, and I think she really enjoyed it. They danced to “A Mother’s Song” by T. Carter Music.

One last thing, because our DJ is a rockstar, a Nashville blogging bride, Ashley’s Bride Guide, decided to do a feature on first dances and custom wedding tracks and we got to be the featured couple. Here is the link if anyone wants to check it out!

http://ashleysbrideguide.com/the_wedding_scoop/article/custom-first-dance-song-dj-photobooth-nashville-wedding-reception-rocketown/

Weekend Update!

2013-06-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Long time, no see…I apologize for my lack of posts lately…do you ever have those times in your life that are so draining (both emotionally AND physically) that you just can’t muster up the energy to do anything that isn’t absolutely necessary? Well, that was my week last week. Don’t worry…nothing tragic was going on…just a lot on my mind and a lot going on both personally and professionally, and I just needed to take some time for me! So, without further ado, here’s what last weekend was all about…

Nikki (a friend that Alysia and I used to work with) was in town for the weekend and the three of us met up on Friday night for some after work drinks. It was so fun to get to spend time with them…reminded me of the good ole days when we were all meeting up on the reg!

Saturday, after thinking it was going to rain all morning, I finally decided to just take the risk and head to the pool…it ended up being a great day for soaking up some rays…four hours and a mean sunburn later, I was officially baked! That evening, Patrick and I had a little date night. We headed to The Sushi Train for dinner, then to Trader Joe’s, then to get some froyo! It was a great night! We both liked The Sushi Train, but neither of us thought the sushi was amazing! Still, it was a cool concept and a lot of fun. That evening, we came home and tortured Zoey with some treats we had picked up at Trader Joe’s! This is one of my favorite tricks of hers…she would sit still for hours if we made her waiting for us to tell her she can have that treat!

On Sunday morning, after sleeping in, Patrick and I finished up the front yard project we started on Memorial Day weekend. It feels good to have all those bushes gone…now we just have to figure out what’s going to go in their place! That evening, Patrick and I headed to church at Crosspoint and then to Chuy’s for dinner.

This weekend was equally as wonderful! Friday night, we had dinner with Jason and Amanda at Shabu Shabu House. For those who have never eaten Shabu Shabu, it’s like The Melting Pot for Asian food. We had a great time! The food was really good and the company was even better.On Saturday, I ran about 985 errands and then it was time to head to the Gooch’s Annual Pool Party. Apparently, this was the 7th year of this awesome shin-dig, and this year may have been the best year, yet! It was so fun to relax by the pool with some of my favorite people.

Sunday was spent laying in bed too late, watching Crosspoint Church on TV because we were too tired to get dressed and go to the actual service, and some laying by the pool that afternoon. That evening, I cooked dinner and we just relaxed and prepped for the week.

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend as well! Cheers to a great week, too!

After Pics

2013-05-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

As you may remember, despite the fact that there was a huge drought and it was record high temps for about 3 weeks leading up to our wedding, the week before our wedding AND our wedding day was both fairly mild AND really rainy. However, after the wedding and all of the family photos, somehow, the rain stopped for about 15 minutes and Patrick and I headed outside with our photographers to try to get at least a FEW decent pictures outdoors together.

These pictures are some of my most favorite Patrick and I have ever made together. Something about those moments really helped finally calm my nerves from the stresses of the entire day and really allowed me to relax and enjoy being Mrs. Sun. Take a look for yourself.

This last pic was taken at Rocketown inside the skate park that inhabits the other side of the building! The guys in there were so fun! They loved skating for the sake of being on camera!

Stay tuned for all the reception fun one day next week!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

2013-05-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all are having a wonderful week! Here’s what I’m loving today:

1. Short work weeks! And, yes, there is a theme here…last week I was loving 3 day weekends…since that has come and gone, I choose to focus on the fact that I get another weekend in 4 work days instead of 5!

2. Vacation Planning! It’s official…Patrick and I have picked our summer vacation. We will be flying to Los Angeles, renting a car, and making our way up the coast up to Seattle over a period of 2 weeks! Our stops along the way include Los Angeles, Fresno (Patrick’s dad, stepmom, and sister live here), San Francisco, Napa, Redwood National Forest, Portland, and Seattle. Needless to say, I can’t wait! Now, we just need to book hotel rooms in each of these cities!

3. Dinner with Old Friends! I found out today that my friend, Nikki is going to be in town this weekend visiting from Nebraska, and she asked Alysia and me to meet her for happy hour on Friday! I am so looking forward to a little bit of girl time…just like the good ole days when she and her husband, Mark lived here!

4. Turkey Pepperoni! I know this is a very strange thing to LOVE, but I really do…even more than regular pepperoni! And I can eat 15 of them for only 1 Weight Watcher point! Now THAT’S my kinda snack!

5. And finally, I’m always loving my beau and my Zo!

Weekend Update!

2013-05-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! We certainly did at our house! After work on Friday, I treated myself to a summertime pedicure. It was just what the doctor ordered and extremely relaxing! I love the color: OPI’s Red My Fortune Cookie!

After a Saturday morning workout, I headed to the pool for the first time this season…and man, was it wonderful! Since last summer was filled with lots of wedding activity, I decided this summer is going to be the summer of the pool! Here’s to spending a lot more time doing a lot more of this:

That evening we took in a Nashville Sounds game with Chase and friends! We had a great time, and even stayed for the fireworks after the game!

On Sunday morning, Patrick and I tried out a new church. We had heard many great things about Crosspoint and even though I’m not really used to non-traditional church services, since I was raised in a very traditional Methodist church, I was very pleasantly surprised! I definitely think we will be heading back to another church service soon!

After church, we headed over to East Nashville for a yummy lunch at Nuvo Burrito and then hopped on our bikes and took an 8 mile bike ride over to the Shelby Bottoms Greenway and back to 5 Points. I have to say that this was one of the most fun things I have done in a long time! Was it exhausting? Absolutely! But we had such a great time and were really able to spend some QT together!

That evening, we headed over to Clay and Amber’s beautiful, new house for a cookout! It was a great way to end the day and was also great to catch up with friends!

On Monday morning, I was back at the gym for another Zumba class, then Patrick and I spent a few hours in the front yard chopping down some massive bushes in front of our house! When I say “we” I really mean that Patrick chopped down the bushes, and I carried stuff away and did whatever he told me! These bushes are so flippin’ big that I SWEAR they look more like trees! We will both be so glad when they are gone! I think it will make the house look so pretty! And, yes, I could kick myself that I forgot to take a before shot…oh, well, I’ll definitely post after pics once we get mulch laid and flowers planted…

After that, it was back to the pool for some more relaxation and sunbathing. That evening, Patrick grilled out fish tacos, corn on the cob, and zucchini and squash. It was delicious! Oh, and I MAY have had tried the Crystal Light Margaritas…they are OK…I wouldn’t give them 5 stars or anything, but let’s face it…low calorie drinks usually don’t result in tasty drinks, no?

Well, that was it for the Suns’…I think we need a vacation weekend from our vacation weekend, but alas, work is calling and it’s not going to do itself. Here’s to a nice productive week! Happy Tuesday everyone!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

2013-05-22T23:06:00.001-05:00

Hi Ladies! I hope you are all having wonderful weeks! I definitely have a lot to love this week, including all of the following:

1. Impromptu Date Nights! My Beau and I made a last minute decision on Monday night to head downtown and check out Nashville’s new Music City Center. For those that don’t know, Nashville got a big freakin’ convention center…like massive! And I have to admit, my Nashville pride came out in full force! I’m so proud of this wonderful city we live it and I think this center is going to be one of the big things that puts us on the map! As you can see, the views of downtown are pretty impressive!

2. Three Day Weekends! Yes, I am a little more than excited about Memorial Day weekend! We have lots planned…including pool time, cookouts with friends, and even a Sounds game! And, it looks like the weather may actually co-operate, too! Take a look at this 7 day forecast!

3. My New Patio Lounging Area – I can’t wait to show you all the work I have planned for my little patio area on our back deck! I hope to do any entire post on it one day next week (once everything is finished), but here is a sneak peek of what I have planned! I found this on Carolina Charm and I just love it!

4. Scandal! Yes, I know I am way, way, way late to the party on this one, but I watched part of the first season back in April when I was working so much, and I have since caught up and watched the entire series so far. After the season finale, I am dying for September to get here so I can see what happens next!

5. And, last but not least, my beau and my Zo:

Weekend Update!

2013-05-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another successful birthday weekend is in the record books. It’s so funny to me how much they have changed over the years, but while this birthday would have seemed pretty uneventful to my 23 year old self, it was just downright perfect to my 33 year old self! Ha! =)

Friday night, Zoey and I had a little girls’ night since Patrick had plans with the fellas! We just hung around the house and relaxed. And I’m not saying that we DID go to bed at 9:30, but I’m also not saying that we didn’t. =) I think being sick earlier this week is still taking it’s toll on my body!

After sleeping in on Saturday, I spent most of the morning doing chores and running errands. That evening, several of my favorite people all met up at The Local Taco for my birthday! We had a great time and I loved getting together with everyone. Also, just to brag on their service for a minute, this restaurant was amazing! The manager reserved an area on the patio for our large group, they were very attentive to any requests we had, they checked on us several times, and they even told me Happy Birthday about 10 times! I definitely recommend checking this place out. Anyway, I didn’t take many pictures, but here are a couple I did get:

After dinner, a few of us headed next door to Neighbors for a few drinks before calling it a night.

On Sunday, I slept in again (this is becoming a bad, bad habit) and then I relaxed in bed with my coffee and Kindle for awhile:

That afternoon, Patrick and I put my bike together (finally get to mark another item off the 101 Things list) and I took it for a spin.

That evening, we both agreed that we haven’t done a Sushi Date Night in quite sometime, so we decided to take advantage of all the veggies currently in our fridge and we whipped up a few sushi rolls. It was yummy!

After that, the weekend was pretty much done, and it was time to get ready for a new work week. Boo! At least we get a 3 day weekend after this one, right? Hope you all have a great week!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2013-05-15T09:41:00.002-05:00

Hi Ladies! I hope your week is going splendidly! Here is what I'm loving on this beautiful day:

1. All the Birthday love I received yesterday! I swear...all you people out there make getting older not so bad...Everyone from my hubby who took me to dinner, to my co-workers who went to lunch, to all of my family and friends who called, texted, or Facebook commented...all of you are wonderful!

2. That the Birthday celebrations didn't end last night...this weekend, a group of my friends and I are heading out to The Local Taco to eat some Mexican grub and drink some margaritas! So fun!

3. That other than my fun Birthday dinner this Saturday, our weekend is pretty much wide open! That should be nice since I have a long list of house chores I'm hoping to knock out!

4. That one of the "chores" I want to accomplish this weekend is to secure and officially start planning our summer vacation! Not going to disclose the location just yet...I want to make sure it's 100% before I get my hopes officially up, but it should be tons of fun!

5. And as always, last but not least, I'm loving my beau and my Zo:

That's it for me...what are you loving today?

33

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Thirty-three years old. I’m not sure how that happened. I swear it was just yesterday that I was 26, settling into my new life in Nashville, running around with Kathleen, hitting up every happy hour I could find. =) Since then, many things have changed. I passed the CPA exam, bought a condo, got a doggy, became a wife, and traveled to many different places. Hard to believe how different my life is from that naïve girl from back in 2006.

I’ll keep it short today…lots of cake to eat! However, just know that I am very thankful for every blessing in my life. Cheers! Here’s to 33 more years of fabulous!

Weekend Update!

2013-05-13T09:17:00.001-05:00

Patrick and I both agreed that this was a super fun weekend! One of those weekends that you maybe didn’t expect to be this fun, and it pleasantly surprised you! Friday night, nothing too exciting occurred. We had lots to do to get ready for Saturday’s fun, so we just went to the grocery store, did a few chores and called it an early night.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning though, because Steeplechase was finally here! Many people wait all year for this day, and even though Patrick and I aren’t quite THAT die hard, we were still excited to be getting all dressed up and head to the horse races. We arrived around 10:00 and several of the people in our group were already having a GREAT time…just to put it nicely. =) I had named myself a designated driver this year, and even though I had a few drinks, I never really got to the point of “fun” that many of our friends were having. The people watching is pure enjoyment though, and thanks to other DD’s in our group (thanks Reca and Kathleen), I would consider the day a really fun success! Here are a few pics of our adventures.

It ended up being a beautiful day despite the clouds in this picture which was taken early in the morning.

Reca and me when we were walking around trying to track down the “boutique.” BTW, they lied about a “boutique;” we found no such thing.

Me standing on the same track that horses would be running in just a few short hours.

Me with my beau; Reca snapped this shot when I was fixing his bow tie and it turned out to be one of my favorites…sometimes candids are so much better than posed pictures, no?

Patrick and some of the guys:

And, last but not least, Patrick and me with Mickey and Kathleen.

Oh, one more…just because the back of my dress was my favorite part, I have to share this photo:

Around 4:00, Patrick and I had to pack up and say goodbye to another year of Steeplechase. Our friend, Teona, who happens to be from the Republic of Georgia, has moved her mother to the US and was having some friends over to have a small Georgian feast. It was great to catch up with Kirk and Teona and their little girl, Adriana. It was also great to meet Teona’s mom. Here are a few pics of me trying my hand at making dumplings…FYI, I think Teona’s mom tried to tell me not to quit my day job…I didn’t do such a great job!

I love this picture of us with Adriana…so glad Patrick decided to photobomb us!

I think these 3 are naturals…either that or they have had a few more years of practice than I have! Ha!

All day on Saturday, I felt a nasty cold coming on…well, sure enough, I woke up on Sunday feeling like crud! So, instead of getting all kinds of chores and errands done (like I had planned), I laid around and did absolutely nothing! I have to wonder sometimes if getting sick is God’s way of making sure I get don’t take life too seriously and sometimes I just SLOW down! It was so nice yesterday to just relax and spend time with my beau and my Zo. I definitely wouldn’t have been that relaxed had I been feeling well.

That evening, Patrick and I had reservations to Rodizio Grill. The purpose of the trip was my way of thanking him for being so good to me and taking care of everything at home during tax season…however, because my birthday is tomorrow, too, and I received a coupon in the mail for a free meal, we sort of started my birthday celebration a couple days early. The only unfortunate thing is that when you have a birthday coupon, they MAY come out and sing to you in front of everyone without even asking if you want that! Patrick and I both agreed that next time we are celebrating a birthday we will tell them on the front end that singing isn’t necessary. My embarrassment didn’t stop Patrick from snapping a picture though!

Well, that’s it for me today…I’m off to the doctor to try to get some meds! I can’t be sick on my birthday! Have a great day ladies!

Happy Mother’s Day, Mama!

2013-05-12T11:03:00.001-05:00

I don’t know about you all, but after reading all the sweet Facebook updates today from all the people wishing their mom a Happy Mother’s Day, I am a blubbering mess! No clue why this Mother’s Day is making me so emotional…maybe it’s because I am seeing more and more friends have babies and see just how big of a responsibility being a mom can be…maybe it’s because the older I get the closer I become to my mom…maybe it’s because I am not in Knoxville with my mom today and am not able to celebrate with her in person…and maybe it’s because I hope to have a child feel the same way about me one day.

No matter the reason, I realize today that I am a very lucky woman! I have a mom who is so much more than a mother to me! I have a mom who I talk to every single day, who I share things with and laugh with and complain with. I have a mom who will go shopping with me, or help me with any task or undertaking I request. I have a mom who now treats my husband (and my doggy) like one of her own. I have a mom who I know beyond a shadow of a doubt puts my siblings and me second only to God. I have a mom who is my best friend!

Now for a few pics of my mama and me. This is my favorite picture of us…it is on my 6th birthday and my mom is about 8 months pregnant with my sister. I think she looks so pretty in this picture…she looks exactly like what a mom should…and P.S. I hope I look that good at 8 months preggo one day!

This is my siblings and me with my mom and grandmother. My grandmother was the other “mom” in my life and one of the reasons my mom is so fabulous!This is Senior Night in high school. I think my mom and I look so much alike in this picture:As you can see, there is a big gap between high school and all of the following pictures, which obviously happen to be wedding related. My mom HATES to have her picture made, so this is the best I could do, Ha!

And, before I go, I want to take a minute to wish every mom a Happy Mother’s Day! There isn’t anything easy about being a mom; however, so many of you do it so gracefully, and make it look so easy! I hope that one day I can be half as poised and confident when being a mom is one of my job titles!

Wedding–Family Photos (Post Ceremony)

2013-05-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Because Patrick and I didn’t see each other before the ceremony, we wanted to take some additional family pics after the wedding. Here are some of my favorites with my family.

First up, a family of 5 is now a family of 6:

Next, a sibling pic:Everyone from my family who made the drive to Nashville for the wedding:Patrick and me with my aunt, Carole:

Now, for Patrick’s family…First is a pic of us with his mom:

And a picture of his dad and sister, Kristine!

And another sibling pic with Kristine!

And, last but not least, all of Patrick’s extended family:

Patrick and I are sooooo lucky to have such loving families! So happy that we get to start our own family traditions to add to all the happy memories we have made with the above people!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

2013-05-08T21:29:00.001-05:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve linked up with What I’m Loving Wednesday, so I decided to get back at it today! Here’s what I’m loving today:

1. That Steeplechase is this weekend! I have a love/hate relationship with Steeplechase…every year I feel like I am too old and I declare that this year will be my last…however, I think there is just something so sentimental about it for me…afterall, it was the FIRST Nashville outing I attended when I moved to here back in 2006. I have to say that I’m really looking forward to going back this year after taking a break from the event in 2012. Here’s a pic of my beau and me at my last Steeplechase:

2. That Sunday is a very special day for my Mama! I hate that I can’t be in East Tennessee to celebrate Mother’s Day with her, but fortunately, I was able to get lots of time with her this past weekend! She knows I think she’s the best Mama a girl could ask for!

3. Speaking of East Tennessee…I’m loving that I got tons of cute clothes on my shopping excursion this weekend! Can’t wait to wear all of my finds!

4. That next week is my birthday and it appears that my week is jam packed with all kinds of fun birthday celebrations!

5. And, finally, I’m always loving my beau and my Zo:

What are you loving today? Can’t wait to find out!

Bridal Party Pics!

2013-05-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, it looks like I’m finally back on the wedding pictures…and I promise to eventually finish these up. I have to admit, at this point, I’m mainly documenting this because I want to make sure it’s in here for me in the future…I’m fully aware that the rest of the world has moved on from my wedding…that was almost 10 months ago! Ha! Anywhoodle, here are pictures of our bridal party…our best friends!

Patrick and I signing the Marriage Certificate…I guess we really weren’t married until AFTER the ceremony, huh? =)One of my favorite wedding pictures!Our sweet guest book attendant, Lauren!And our reader, my sweet friend, Elaine! Fun story about Elaine, her son got married the very next weekend in Colorado, so she and her husband, Ken, flew out of Nashville the next day to get to Fort Collins to prep for his wedding!

Stay tuned next week for more family photos! Have a great Tuesday, friends!

An East Tennessee Weekend Update!

2013-05-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

My weekend started early, as I took Friday off. I still was up early though to head to Knoxville. I had to meet my mom for our pedicure appointments! We had a great time getting our toes ready for sandal weather, then we headed to Market Square to do some shopping. I just love the Market Square area downtown. I wish it had been that nice when I worked there!

That evening, I met Andi, Rob, and sweet Kennedy for dinner. I love being able to play with this adorable little girl..isn’t she sweet?

Saturday, my mom and I headed out to do a little more shopping…this time we went to West Town Mall. We shopped ‘til we dropped and then we took our exhausted selves home for some dinner and R&R with my dad.

Sunday morning, we went to church and then it was time for lunch with my parents and brother. We had a nice time catching up and then it was time for me to head back to Nashville. I was sad to leave, but I also missed my beau and my Zo, so it was time to get back. After heading to the gym for a quick workout, my beau and I decided to head to Las Palmas for dinner…it was, afterall, Cinco de Mayo!

That’s it for my weekend! I had a great time, but alas, it’s back to work this morning! Hope you all have great weeks!

Happiness Project-Work!

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a very difficult time for many CPAs workwise. We have just come off of a very busy time and quite frankly, it’s sometimes very hard to get back in the swing of things when you virtually have 5 months before another big deadline. That’s why I decided this month would be a great one to work on my work guilt. Here are a few of the changes I plan to make this month:

1. Wake up every morning at 6:15. I have a terrible time getting myself out of bed in the morning…in fact, that is 100% of the reason that I am never on time to work. SO, every work day this month, I plan to get out of bed at 6:15…this should give me more than enough time to get to work by 8:00.

2. Spend only 15 minutes in the morning getting ready for the day. For some reason, I always have a hard time getting going in the morning…mainly because of the normal distractions of getting coffee, eating breakfast, and checking e-mail and voicemail. This month, I resolve to spend only 15 minutes first thing in the morning “getting going.” After that, it’s time to pick up the first project and get started.

3. Use the 50/10 rule. One of my biggest problems is distractions such as e-mail and phone calls coming in. This month, I resolve to try to stick to the 50/10 rule. Spend 50 minutes focused on one specific activity. Then, spend 10 minutes dealing with any tasks that came up during those 50 minutes that could have been distractions. After that, it’s back to 50 minutes of focus.

4. Make a To Do List for the next day before I leave the office at night. Another issue I always have with getting my day started is not having a clear project in mind to work on when I walk in the door. My resolution is to take 10 minutes to make a to do list for the next day before I ever leave the office at night.

Here’s to hoping this holds me accountable.

Happiness Project–March/April Wrap Up!

2013-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, apparently, I’ve had in my head all week that today was the last week of April…not yesterday…SO, this update is a day late. That’s very fitting seeing as how March and April weren’t the greatest months for me Happiness wise. I don’t mean that I wasn’t happy because I was…I just mean that I had a very hard time keeping up with the project. March and early April are pretty self explanatory as to why, but the last half of April I was just plain unmotivated. I didn’t fail completely, and I still feel very strongly about working on my spirituality. Let’s review, shall we?

1. Treat others how I want to be treated. I think this is one that’s so hard to measure that I don’t know if I will ever feel that I “win” at this one. I will say that I think much more about what I say, and I try more than I used to treat others how I want to be treated. However, sometimes I’m sure I still stick my foot in my mouth.

2. Go to church 2 times during the month. Well, I made it once…on Easter. I know, this is pathetic. I really hope this is something I can do more often during the summer months!

3. Read The Upper Room devotional every day. I did this about half of the time. I think I just had a hard time remembering it every day. I really enjoyed it most days, so I also intend to keep this going.

Clearly, I still have a lot of work to do…here’s to next month, right? Stay tuned tomorrow for the May Happiness Project goals!

101 Things in 1,001 Days

2013-04-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 1,001 days (well, really 1,003, but who’s counting) since I started my original 101 Things project! I have to admit that I didn’t come anywhere close to finishing all the items on the list. Some just weren’t financially feasible, some weren’t feasible because of time constraints, and some I just changed my mind about. I decided to start a new list that begins tomorrow, May 1, 2013. This list will be complete on January 26, 2016. You’ll see that this list is a little on the short side…however, I fully intend to get to 101 items. I just want to make sure that I include things that really interest me and not just adding items to get to 101! If anyone is interested in helping/joining me on any of these, please let me know! I’m always up for partners-in-crime!

Arrive at work on time everyday for a month.
Exercise 3 times per week for 2 months.
Visit the Hermitage.
Make a "cookbook" with all of my favorite recipes.
Add 3 more states to my "states I have visited" list.
Frame my diplomas and hang in my office.
Frame my CPA certificate and hang in my office.
Find a church in Nashville that I LOVE.
Serve a meal to the homeless.
Go watch a movie at a Drive-In Theater.
Learn to make homemade ice cream from my mother.
Fill up my Pandora bracelet with charms.
Save a pretty hefty down payment for our house.
Either rent or sale Patrick’s house (that we are currently living in).
Buy a new house!
Give up caffeine for a week.
Go on a NashTrash Tour.
Take a 1-week Facebook sabbatical.
Teach Zoey to "Say the Blessing."
Visit Cades Cove again.
Take a hike in the Smoky Mountains.
Move my old college textbooks out of my parent’s basement.
Refinish my Grandmother's cedar chest.
Go horseback riding again.
Visit the Frist.
Have some wedding pictures printed and framed.
Complete the Provisional Year of the Nashville Junior League.
Have a baby.
Buy a new car.
Have my wedding dress preserved.
Make a “yearbook” for our 1^st anniversary.
Make a “yearbook” for our 2^nd anniversary.
Make a “yearbook” for our 3^rd anniversary.
Change my name on all important documents (i.e. bank accounts, credit cards, passport, etc.)
Buy dining room furniture for our house when we buy one.
Get to my goal weight.
Finish decorating our outdoor seating area.
Organize our spare bedroom.
Organize our garage.
~~Assemble and ride the bike Patrick got me for Christmas 2012.~~
Create a Home Management Binder to help Patrick and I with organization.
Create an Emergency Binder with all of our important documents.
Create an Owner’s Manual Binder so they are all in one place.
Read The Upper Room devotional every day for a month, without missing a day.
Pay for someone’s meal in a fast food drive-thru.
Complete all long runs in training for a half marathon.
Run another half marathon.
Spend a day not looking at my To Do List!
See Rock City.
Leave the United States again.
Go on a picnic.
~~Take Patrick back to Rodizio Grill.~~
Take a Nashville Food Tour.
Take a Grand Ole Opry Backstage Tour.
~~Visit the new Music City Center.~~
Volunteer at Second Harvest Foodbank.
Eat dinner at The Sushi Train.
Eat a meal at Bobbie’s Dairy Dip.
Pretend to be in my 20s again and head out to The Stage.
Have our letter from President and Mrs. Obama framed.
Do something cute with all our wedding cards.
Host a Bridesmaids' Reunion to get my girls back together again.
Attend a Justin Timberlake Concert.
Take a girls' trip.
Take a Mother/Daughter trip.
Take a photography course...not a "class" but a "course."
Visit Circle G Ranch in my hometown of Strawberry Plains, TN.

Weekend Update!

2013-04-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Despite being exhausted and having no energy, this turned out to be a really great weekend! Friday night Patrick and I just hung out at home and had take out. I had to get to bed early because on Saturday, I was up EARLY to volunteer at the Mile 10 water station of the Country Music Marathon. As I left the house that morning, it was pouring rain, and I’ll be honest, it didn’t really let up the ENTIRE time. Fortunately for us, we were under a bridge most of the time. I felt so bad for the runners; by the time they waited in the rain for 30 minutes or more for the race to start, and then ran 10 miles, they were soooooo drenched. However, despite how wet and tired each of these runners had to have been, I was amazed at how many thanked us for coming out and volunteering. How nice is that?

Kat and Me before the runners started keeping us busy:

All the water stacked up and ready to hand out:

This guy was the leader at the time he came through Mile 10…so fast!

After I finished volunteering, I took my cold, tired self home to thaw out…it was perfect weather for just laying around and watching TV. Later that afternoon, Patrick and I ran to the grocery store, then out to dinner for Amber’s birthday! I tried to take some pics at dinner but my camera died, and I only got one:

On Sunday, Patrick made me breakfast, then I went to see The Big Wedding with Alysia. We had a fun time! After running a few other errands, I headed home to cook dinner. We also put together our new patio furniture! I am so excited to have a nice area on our deck to relax at the end of the day. I’m not showing the space until it’s completely finished, but here is what we bought! I love World Market!

That was it for my weekend…guess it’s back to work I go this morning…only 5 more days until we start it all over again! Have a great week ladies!