Mardi Gras and more!

This is a catch up picture post. I finally decided to upload pictures from my camera! The first few are from Christmas. I'm not too far behind...it's not February yet:)

The McCormick boys made it impossible to get a picture with all 3 looking in the same direction...

How cute is Landen? Super cute, I know. She is growing up so fast! Everytime we see her, she has fun new tricks. But...she needs to slow it down. I don't get to see her often enough for her to grow this fast.

Here are a few of the bibs I've been making. These are "droolers." I discovered them in my recent Etsy search, so I ordered one to see what all the fuss was about.

These bibs are shorter and meant for the drooling moments instead of feedings. I didn't make too many, but they are super cute!

And now...Mardi Gras madness! I had an amazing Mardi Gras baby shower this weekend. And, I remembered my camera! And, I remembered to take pictures with it! My friends did such a great job with decorations and amazing food and fun games:) Here are a few pics...

How festive is this diaper cake?! It makes a great centerpiece on our table for Mardi Gras season:)

King Cake, straight from New Orleans!

Nicole made Dirty Rice Balls...and they tasted fantastic! She had a few challenges...but I think she did a wonderful job. She used the recipe that I blogged about last year. She would like for everyone to know that she needed more than 2 eggs for the batter. Nicole would recommend 4:)

Gina invited "Piper and Hayes" to the shower. They had a lot of fun. Here they are before the "parade".....

and after the "parade." Everyone got to cast a vote with their beads for boy or girl. Boy won...

I had great help opening my gifts:)

The wonderful hostesses!

Week 35, here we come. Fluid retention is at an all time high, regardless of the drastic decrease in sodium. According to the doctor, this is normal. Unfortunate, but normal. I get so annoyed by it because it fluctuates so much. One hour, I look normal. The next...4 times my normal size. Ugh.

Ryan is finishing up the amazing laundry room renovation. Of course, I didn't take before pictures. But I will post after pictures! On the agenda for this week...a diaper shower with Ryan's co-workers! And maybe fish tacos...

Enjoy your week!

Babies, Babies, and more Babies!

So sorry for the blogging delay. I have no good excuse. Just exhaustion.

I have so many things to update this week though! Hopefully the cute pictures I have will make up for it:) My nephew, Brady, turned 1 September 23rd! We were able to go to LA for his first birthday. It was so wonderful to be back home and see friends and family. Brady has grown so much! He is constantly moving and has started using quite the collection of consonants for communication. His speech therapist Aunt is so proud. Here are a few pictures from his birthday...

The weekend after Brady's birthday bash, our niece and my goddaughter, Landen, was baptized! She is growing too fast! I think she's almost ready for a weekend sleepover with Aunt Katie and Uncle Ryan. Almost.

And now for a baby update on baby McCormick. I will be 20 weeks on Monday! I had an appointment this past week and the doctor said that everything looks perfect so far. No, I do not have any belly pics yet. Sorry. Taking pictures of my expanding stomach is not on my list of priorities when I come home at the end of a long work day. We do have an announcement that will hopefully make everyone happy. We have officially chosen our names! If we are blessed with a baby boy, his name will be Hayes Patrick. And if God gives us a girl, her name will be Piper Lee! We won't be finding out the gender before...we haven't changed our minds:) But, we will be taking a poll! So cast your votes! Will we have a Piper, or a Hayes? You have until February!

We have an ultrasound scheduled on Thursday! Be looking for Hayes/Piper's latest picture!

Geaux Tigers and Go Irish!

My wish came true....

...we are getting a niece in August!!!! I cannot wait to create amazing things for that little lady:) Congratulations Kristie and Scott!

To my husband...

So my wonderful husband, Ryan, had a birthday this weekend. I had planned on doing a post on his birthday about our story...but a stomach virus got in the way:( So I will do it tonight!

I guess I should start this story with how I ended up in Ohio. When I was finishing up Grad School, I started searching for jobs on the internet. I somehow reached the conclusion that I would move anywhere, as long as I found the job I wanted...which was working as a speech therapist in a hospital with adults and pediatrics. That job presented itself in Springfield, Ohio. So, after graduation, I packed up everything and moved to Ohio. The first friends I made in Ohio were Ashlea, Nicole, and Amy. Ashlea lived across from me and we met when I went over looking for a drill. Nicole worked at the apartment complex we all lived in and Amy was hired at the hospital around the same time I was. The four of us started a tradition the summer I moved to Ohio...Ladies Night! We would go to a local Mexican restaurant, then move the party back to the apartment complex. One particular night, Ashlea's boyfriend...soon to be husband...decided to bring some friends over. One of those friends happened to be Ryan...and the rest was history!

We exchanged numbers that night and spend the next week texting. This is a particularly entertaining detail because Ryan did not have a texting plan at that time:) We hung out again the next weekend and were pretty much inseparable from that point on. Our official first date was actually a double date with Matt and Ashlea at an Italian restaurant. I don't know if I even remember our first actual date though....Our dates consisted of us cooking dinner for each other at our apartments. It was a great way to fall in love. For those of you wondering...Ryan was the first to drop the "L" bomb....but I was quick to follow. We admitted that we were scared at how fast it happened, but we wouldn't change a thing! Being in love has been better than I ever thought it would be and I am so excited about the adventures we have ahead of us!

Mail Time!

Big day in the McCormick mailbox. Our wedding pictures, Mardi Gras decorations, and my SEWING MACHINE were all delivered today! Here are a few of our favorite wedding pictures for now:)

Later this week, Chicken Broccoli Couscous and the introduction of my sewing machine!

Funny Face

The adorable baby in this picture is my nephew, Brady. If Brady could talk, this is what I imagine he would be saying.

"Oh my, really Mom? I am so concerned right now with what is happening. The worry is eating at me. This look is not very becoming."