Monday, June 27, 2011

Playing with Photoshop

I downloaded some free photo filters today and was playing around in Photoshop. This is my 26 week baby pic that Nick snapped in Hawaii.


Original Version

Black and White and Color
This ones called Lomo
This is supposed to look Vintage
And this is called Double Editoral
And now it's 11:55 P.M. and I'm officially concluding that I am suffering serious jet lag despite my multiple naps. I guess I'm still on Hawaii time, where it would only be 6:55! I need to get to sleep but unfortunately pregnancy heartburn has also reared it's ugly head. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Aloha Hawaii! Part One

Nick and I just returned from an amazing "babymoon" to Hawaii with our friends Kristen and Craig. We had the chance to stay in Kauai using my wonderful principal Michelle's timeshare. It was FABULOUS. It was the exactly what we needed before we start the next few months of major prep for Lexi's arrival. We flew into Honolulu on Saturday and spent the night there. Then we flew out the next day and spent the rest of the week in Kauai. Our condo was beautiful with a wonderful view overlooking the ocean. We had many amazing adventures, but here are a few of the highlights.





On the first day, we arrived in Kauai, picked up our Jeep and explore the area around our hotel. We checked out the beach, walked around the cliffs and hung out by the pool, where the boys enjoyed some happy hour Mai Tais and I enjoyed a virgin Lava Flow. That evening we went to a delicious pizza place, called Brick Oven Pizza, that was highly recommended by anyone we knew who had visited the island. We had a Hawaiian pizza (even though there is it just called smoked ham and pineapple). We were a little jet lagged and called it a night rather early.


The next morning, Nick and I being the early risers that we are got up in time to see the sunrise. We took a stroll along the coast of the hotels property and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the sounds of the ocean and a great view! Later that day we decided to venture out a little farther. Since we were staying on the south shore in Poipu and we drove up the coast to the north shore, but we made a few stops on the way. I'm a guidebook junkie, so the first place we went was Wailua Falls. We had to stop on the side of the road to get this picture, but it was beautiful. Our next stop was a fruit stand Kristen and I found in our "Ultimate Kauai" guidebook called Moloa's Fruit Stand where we got delicious fresh fruit smoothies. We stopped to see the Kilauea Lighthouse and Wildlife Reserve, but sadly the lighthouse was closed for renovation. It was a pretty view, where you could lookout and see the protected bird habitat, built up on the cliffs.










Then we drove up to the north shore and stopped at a lookout and found these wild roosters roaming the parking lot. I had read that Kauai had roosters all over the island that were released during the last hurricane. Sure enough, we found them everywhere. They are a pretty dumn and aren't entirely sure when they are supposed to crow so they do it at random times throughout the day.

After that we went drove to Hanalei Bay and stopped for lunch at Pat's Taqueria (which was really a taco truck). I have to say this was the best food I had all trip. I got a fish taco and a kalua pork taco and Nick and I went back for seconds and tried the carne asada taco as well. They were to DIE for! Then we drove to see a tide pool called Queen's Bath. We had to hike through the woods, climb over lava rocks, go past a waterfall and a scary warning sign, but the trek was totally worth it. It was an amazing tide pool that was completely protected from the ocean waves. The water was so clear I thought it was going to be shallow but it was about 8 feet deep. Nick, Kristen and Craig jumped off the rocks into the water while Lexi and I stayed safely below and snapped photos. After our busy day we drove back home and took a nap, then woke up and went next door to the Grand Hyatt for dinner.












On our 3rd day, everyone else went ziplining while I stayed at the resort and lounged by the pool. Nick didn't take any pictures so you'll have to imagine what he looked like zipping through the trees. That evening we went into Lihue for a traditional luau. After feasting on many traditional Hawaiian dishes (including poi which was disgusting), we sat through a show featuring a Hawaiian story, hula, and fire dancing.


Saturday, June 4, 2011

24 Weeks


Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along are you: 24 Weeks

Total Weight Gained: 15 pounds

Maternity Clothes: I have been mixing maternity and regular shirts. I'm in mostly maternity clothes, except dressses. Certain non maternity styles still work. It's getting hot here in Texas so lots of shorts and sleeveless shirts.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well right now. I just wake up a lot to go to the bathroom

Gender: It's a girl! Alexis Taylor Mauldin (or Lexi) has already become the center of our world.

Movement: Tons...it's amazing how quickly it went from tiny little pops to full kicks. She is active in the morning when I wake up, whenever I sit for more than 10 minutes and in the evenings.

Food Craving: Sweets! I am trying hard to resist, or only have little treats here and there.

What I Miss: My regular clothes, sushi!

Symptoms: Indigestion, especially if I eat cereal for dinner, which I've been known to do often. I'm tired, but that's mainly from the school year ending.

Best Moment this Week: My shower at school and going to the doctor and finding out she is right on track. We have our 3D ultrasound schedule for July 12th.

Showered with Love


This week on Wednesday, we had a shower at my school. My team (and Hillary) put such thought in all the details. It was decorated in pink and black and had a Paris theme Nick and I were engaged in Paris so it's where this all began :). There was a beautiful cake and diaper cake, pictures of Nick and I on the tables, sweet notepads for people to write notes to the baby and I, and a delicious punch. Everything, down to the most minor detail, was so well thought out and beautiful. I couldn't believe all the time and work they put in to making it such a special shower.

Lexi and I got tons of cool gifts and so many things that we REALLY needed. We also have some amazingly crafty people who grace the walls of Donald, so we got a few beautiful handmade gifts as well. Olivia, our music teacher, crocheted a beautiful pink, green and white quilt. My friend and AP Stacey, made Lexi an adorable tutu, two cute onesies and a tab blanket for her to play with. My friend Kristen made this precious OU owl toy (which Nick also LOVED!). And Diana and Patsy, who are no longer at Donald but came to the shower, made precious burb clothes that are embroidered, a bib, a stroller blanket and an adorable apron towel, that I can wear when I'm bathing Lexi. On top of those handmade items we got some awesome loot, like a feeding/bottle supplies, a bathtub and grooming supplies, a Diaper Genie, our baby monitor, a bouncy seat, a cute pink and green polka dot travel/mini diaper bag, a sleep machine, swaddle sets, a bobby, toys, gift cards and more. I also got a basket full of books and a sweet poem about encouraging your child's love of reading inside. I was SO touched by the thoughtfulness of everyone at Donald. I am so blessed to work at such an amazing school!

Sweet LEAP Friends

I've been so blessed to have wonderful work friends who decided to shower Lexi with love and gifts these last couple weeks. Last week at my LEAP meeting, my LEAP teacher friends surprised me with a mini-shower at lunch. They had coordinated everyone meeting at a restaurant near where our meeting was being held and they set up the table ahead of time with gifts, a cute basket with pink polka dot fabric filled with goodies, a cute rabbit stuffed animal that doubles as a container and a tray of pink cupcakes! Sue Feenstra (who I took over for at Donald when she retired) even came! I was so overwhelmed and grateful. These ladies have gotten me through my first year in the LEAP world. I couldn't have made it without them! I only had a chance to snap one picture on with my Iphone, because we were tightly crammed into the restaurant.
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