Mexico!!!

Okay, I'm finally getting around to the recap of Mexico!  This is going to be a bit long so I don't plan on editing this post, I'll probably just type it up and hit publish.  We stayed at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya (which deceivingly is actually in Playa Del Carmen).  It was a great location!  Very close to Playa, right on the beach and close to the ferry that takes you to Cozumel!  The resort itself is an all inclusive which was great.  The food was hit or miss at the buffets for breakfast/lunch but the dinners were always superb in my opinion. 

The swim up bar is the best for obvious reasons.  You're in the water AND drinking!  :) 

The bartenders were always nice and prompt and would make you ANYTHING you asked for.  We drank countless amounts of pina coladas, miami vices, mudslides, margaritas, etc.  And they would whip up their own concoctions once you got bored of the above!  I think I lived the entire vacation in a constant haze of a buzz.  :)

We flew out there Sunday, March 18th, took a cab ride to the resort (about a 45 min drive from the Cancun airport) and immediately hit the beach.  Kyle lost his sunglasses 2 seconds after entering the ocean.  The waves were intense and I'm not sure we were prepared for that but we were drunk from our flight and van ride (the drivers will stop at the gas station and let you pick up beer if you ask and we totally asked) so we didn't care and jumped right in!

That night we had dinner at the resort's Japanese restaurant.  The sushi was just so-so but the shrimp tempura and chicken teriyaki I had was wonderful!  We ended up calling it an early night since it started raining and we were all a bit bushed from our flights in.

Monday was beach/pool day!  The bars don't open until 10:00 am (gasp!) so the ladies lounged around on the beach soaking up the scenery and reading as the boys waded in the ocean.  Once 10:00 came we hit the pool bar!  We were in there the ENTIRE day.  Water logged, drunk and pruney, we eventually got out to clean up for dinner.  We ate at the resort's Brazilian steakhouse that night.  The best way to explain this place is to compare it to Fogo De Chow.  Endless meats on sticks coming at you (that's what she said).  Again, very tasty!  We enjoyed some of the resort's night time entertainment (80's night!) and went to bed fairly early again that night.  We were exhausted since we'd been drinking since 10 am and, who are we kidding, we aren't kids anymore.  Day drinking is great but it rarely leads to all night drinking anymore!  :)

Tuesday Wade and I met up with our friends, Bob and Amy, who just happened to be staying at a resort down the beach from us at the same time.  We took the ferry over to Cozumel and rented mopeds for the day!  SO fun!  Bob and Amy are Cozumel veterans and knew all the good places to stop so we circled the island, which is fairly small, only 9 miles by 12 miles, and made several pit stops. 

Cozumel

Rasta bar

The best place by far was the Rasta Bar.  The view from there was unbelievable, the drinks the tastiest and the fish tacos were the best I'd had.  We stayed there for quite a while before heading off to a couple more stops. 

The scooter gang

By the end of our loop I was feeling pretty dang good (they do not hold back on the drinks they make on the island!) and I got off our moped only to stagger backwards and fall into Bob and Amy's.  Um, yeah, ow.  Mega burn from the pipe is now on the back of my right calf.  Hurts like hell.  But, I was in Mexico and wasn't feeling the pain at that point so oh well! 

We finally made it back to our resort but not in time to join the rest of our group for dinner so Wade and I just hit up the buffet.  I should mention the guacamole and pico here were un-freaking-believable!  I think I ate my weight in that alone.  Could be the reason I came back 2-3 pounds heavier.  Well, that combined w/ a massive amount of drinking.  Ha!

This evening we decided to take a walk down to one of the other Riu resorts in the area, since we had access to all of them with our wrist bands, and go to their disco-tech.  We watched a bit of their evening entertainment before entering the club and then wore out our dancing shoes!  So fun!  We finally made it back to our resort around 2:00 am so we proved we weren't always lame early nighters!

That's a lot of alcohol.

Wednesday we decided to walk into Playa to do some shopping and eat lunch.  Of course being the typical tourists we ate at Senor Frogs.  However, only because we got a coupon for buy 1 round of drinks, get your 2nd round free!  This would be the end of me!  We ordered our drinks and were surprised to see they ended up being yards!  I had ordered a sex on the beach so by the time we started in on the 2nd one I was toast.  We walked the beach back to our resort where I ended up taking a much needed siesta.  One could say I passed out, however I like to say I fell asleep for a bit. 

Dinner Wednesday night was at the resort's steakhouse and we all ordered their surf and turf.  The turf was wonderful however my surf was a bit chewy.  Although everyone else's seemed to be good.  We ordered champagne to toast our last night there and the wait staff was very nice to promptly bring it out.  We chugged that down and then hit the entertainment area for the night which just happened to be a compilation of Michael Jackson songs.  AWESOME.  :)  We danced and drank and drank and danced.  So. Much. Fun.

The whole gang

Ang, Kyle, Andrea and Matt left early the next morning.  Luckily Wade and I's flight was later in the afternoon so we got to sleep in a bit b/c for the first time of the whole trip I was hung over.  We had laughed earlier that we didn't think it was possible to be hung over in Mexico since we were all waking up fine, however I proved that wrong on the last day!  I think it just meant it was time to head home.  I missed my little peanut and was so anxious to see her!

Modeling her new Mexican shirt!

My parents were nice enough to come up to our house to watch her for our entire trip and my dad picked us up from the airport while my mom kept Charlie up so she could see us when we got home.  Her face when she first saw me was priceless!  I loved it!  A complete look of surprise/shock/happiness!  She squealed and ran over to me and then followed me around the rest of the night before she finally went to bed.  I missed that girl so freaking much!  Mexico was/is awesome but nothing compares to my little peanut!

But we did decide that an annual (or at least every other year) trip is needed.  It doesn't always need to be Mexico, but it does need to be somewhere warm where the drinks are readily available.  Those are my only 2 requirements.  I'm easy like that.

Sorry for the long winded recap!  I want to be able to look back on this trip and remember it since so much of it is hazy from constant alcohol consumption.   It was so much freaking fun.  I also decided we have some of the greatest friends ever.  I love you bitches.  :)  xoxo

Kel

We are family!

Some pics from this last weekend.  My cousin Ben got hitched and we got to see a lot of our family.  It was a lot of fun and so good to see them all!  By the end of the night after drinking wine and beer I thought it would be a good idea to have a Crowne and ginger for some idiotic reason.  Um yeah, not my smartest moment.  This mama can't drink like she used to!  I had a hangover for the better part of Sunday!  Oh well.  It was still a superb night out!

Me & my sis - isn't she the cutest prego lady?

Aunts, Uncles and parents looking fly!

Cutie Langston and my mom

I wanted to eat him up!   Isn't he the cutest?

My cheeseball parents :)

Playing w/ the fish eye lense on my camera - big head, small body!

Kara & Mom

We've got good genes.  :)

Weekend in Des Moines

Last weekend Charlie and I drove down to Des Moines for a friend's wedding. Since Wade was doing the MS150 I had to make the drive alone and was a bit nervous. It turned out to be the worst drive going down there. Charlie slept for the first 1 1/2 hours but then it started pouring rain which woke her up so she started crying. I was white knuckle driving b/c the rain was so heavy and with a crying child in the back and a whining dog in the passenger seat it was a bit stressful. Needless to say the glass of wine I knocked back when I finally got to my parents went down fast.

Friday was spent shopping and relaxing w/ Charlie and my mom until the rehearsal dinner. Kara, Todd and I went to the rehearsal dinner which was held at the Tavern. It had been years since I'd been there and I was drooling over it. And now that I'm thinking about it again I'm drooling some more. Some of the best taco pizza ever!!!

Saturday the weather was gorgeous so we headed downtown to the farmer's market. Otis, the lazy dog, sat in Charlie's stroller since she didn't want to. I think he liked it, what do you think?

We decided to eat lunch down there on a patio since it was so nice out which w/ 3 dogs and a baby turned out to be quite the production. We had quite a few stares as we tried to get organized and situated which took a good 30 minutes at least. What a hassel! It ended up ok in the end though and Charlie got to eat some quesadilla and french fries. She loves it!

The afternoon turned out perfect for Sarah and Jason's wedding. It was beautiful! Not too many pictures were taken but here are a few from the evening. The red wine was flowing and some of us may have had a little too much. I won't name names but I'm included. :)

Congrats Sarah & Jason! You are too cute and we love you guys!

(Me & Ade, my date for the evening. xoxo)

This weekend my in-laws are traveling up to see us. Who am I kidding? They are coming up to see Charlie. :) Hope the weather is good and we can get some more outdoor time! Maybe even get the zebra pool out again and live in luxury! Haha!

Xoxo~

Kellie

Twat did you say?

The MS Walk was last weekend and it turned out perfect! We woke up to rain and were worried we'd have to be walking in it the entire time. Me being the ever prepared Mom of the Year (haha, right) had heard it was supposed to be raining so I'd gone out and bought a rain cover for Charlie's stroller so that at least she'd be dry for the walk but we never even needed it. Guess I'll be returning that b/c I'll never be out walking in the rain again! Just minutes before the walk was supposed to start the sun came blazing through the clouds and it stayed that way the rest of the day! Gorgeous!!! Charlie loved the stroller ride and it was great to get out in the fresh springtime air and contribute to such a worthwhile cause!

You know that is Arbor Mist in those bottles, right? Tasty! :)

Thanks to all who donated! Although I ended up raising $125 I'm sad to say this was my worst year yet fundraising but this just means I can pester everyone even more next year! :)

After the walk Kara, my mom and I went to our friend Sarah's bridal shower where we sipped mimosas and had some excellent food. She's got some great friends and family and it was a lot of fun! Can't wait for her wedding which is coming up fast!

The rest of the weekend was spent w/ family and friends relaxing. We got Charlie a zebra blow up pool for this summer which I can't wait to get out! She loved staying up late and hanging out with the adults. When there are people up she does not want to be the first to go to bed! She fights it like a champ! She's such a little social butterfly and loves getting all the attention. She's starting to mimic people more and is so silly and she knows it too and keeps doing it to keep getting the laughs. Such a ham ball! All in all a great weekend. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Some new Charlie milestones:

• 
  
  She can now drink out of a sippy cup all on her own!

• 
  
  She waves hello/goodbye, but is picky as to who she will do it for. She almost always does it to herself in the mirror. What a goof.


• 
  
  She'll tilt her head to the side and wait for you to do the same and then immediately tilt it to the other side and go back and forth like this w/ a huge grin on her face.


• 
  
  She has a new sit and spin move where she sits and spins in circles on her butt. She now has the complete 360 view wherever she may be.







• 
  
  Her first tooth (bottom middle right one) broke through May 12th. She handled it like a champ although her tongue is now more often sticking out of her mouth than staying in it.


• 
  
  Still not crawling but you can tell she is getting anxious to be mobile. I don't think it will be much longer before she has learned some way to get around although I'm not convinced it will be by crawling...


• 
  
  She has started trying to clap her hands but usually does one or two claps and then instantly brings them together up to her mouth all excited and makes little squealing noises.


• 
  
  Her babbling is starting to sound more and more like actual words. Sometimes she'll really get on a roll and talk non-stop for what seems like forever. She gets really excited and worked up and it is hilarious.

• 
  
  She's very ticklish. :)


• 
  
  She loves to play peek-a-boo w/ her blankets and toys.


• 
  
  She loves these Gerber puff chip things and inhales them! She also likes pastas, cheese slices, cheese tortellini and quesadillas. She does NOT like green peppers. We found this out last weekend when she took one bite of one and immediately puked it and whatever else she had eaten up all over me and her. Not fun.


• 
  
  The second we take her outside she sticks her tongue out. We say she is "tasting" the air. We really have no idea why she does it but here is evidence:



She's perfect. :)




Happy Tuesday!!

Nothing but happiness!

I've been behind on blogging! Kara and Todd's wedding reception was 2 weeks ago. They got married in Puerto Rico in January and then had a reception back home in Des Moines April 30th.

Isn't this picture gorg? Perfection!

Anyway, the reception was absolutely perfect! The ballroom was gorgeous, the beer and wine were flowing, the food was delicious and there was all kinds of dancing and fun! One thing is for sure, we have some great friends and family and we definitely know how to have a good time!

Charlie was the flower girl even though she didn't make it to the actual wedding in Puerto Rico and didn't do anything w/ flowers or anything else other than go to the reception. But wasn't she an absolute doll!?!? She looked so perfect! And she made it until about 9:00 at the reception before having a small meltdown. It all got a little overwhelming for her when she got tired. She got to meet so many people though and was a big hit! :) Other than that I'll let the pictures show the rest. We had an absolute blast and wish Kara and Todd nothing but the best in their promising future together. They are perfect together and I love my new brother in law!!!

My dad knows how to party - it's in the genes. 4 of the 5 bridesmaids - We rock. Continuing the party back in our hotel rooms. Just cause the party ended doesn't mean we stop! :)
The happy couple
Great family!
Getting warmed up on the dance floor
The greatest girlfriends on earth!

A GREAT evening!

*****************

In other news, Charlie's first tooth broke through the surface on Thursday! Her lower right tooth is the first to show it's top (although it isn't showing much yet) and she's been a trooper through it all! She's definitely drooling more than normal and chewing on EVERYTHING and is a little more clingy than usual but other than that you wouldn't even know she was teething! Such a good girl! I can't wait for it to come out more and see that cute little tooth. When it does I'll be sure to post some cute toothy grin pictures! :)

I've got a, I've got a pocket full of sherbert

I know, I know. My posting is seriously lacking lately. It’s just that I don’t have anything exciting to share with ya’ll. I think I’ve definitely reached the boredom stage of pregnancy. I can’t play volleyball this summer, I can’t drink, I can only minimally work out now since I tire so damn easily, I’m congested, I feel huge yet know there is still so far to go (15 more weeks still!!!!) and I’m exhausted 95% of the time. Also I feel like I'm waddling. Sometimes my hips will hurt and when I start walking I can feel myself waddling but it hurts to walk normal. Not hot, I know. But whatever. I did score this cute ass onsie that says "Rock Me" on it w/ some baby leg warmers. How's that for cute? And Nugget's wardrobe is growing faster than uncontrolled herpes so it's a good thing her dresser came in over the weekend!

My MIL bought me a pregnancy “journal” before we even became pregnant b/c as she said “it was on sale”. Ha! In it there are spaces to fill out how you are feeling and how much weight you’ve gained and how big your belly has become. Today I measured my belly from the widest part around and I am just shy of 35 inches. I feel as big as a planet. I think things are going to start orbiting around me soon in their own path w/ my gravitational pull. And I’m not even going to tell you how much I weigh b/c even though I know putting this weight on is for a good cause (grow little Nugget!) it’s still hard to see that scale keep rising higher and higher and higher.

Currently I am craving strawberries. Or even just strawberry flavored stuff. Strawberry pop, smoothies, ice cream, slushies, taffy, desserts, anything. I can’t get enough of it. Strawberries are like crack to me. Luckily I convinced Wade to buy me some strawberry sherbert last night so I’ve got a bucket full of sunshine in my freezer just waiting for me.

This past weekend the weather was BEAUTIFUL. Perfect really. We spent the majority of it outdoors and I even got a little sun. I gave my car a thorough cleaning in and out, read a book on the deck, went to the gym, took Kobe on a walk and helped (by helped I mean watched) Wade and Keith unload rock into our garden we planted last spring. (Thanks Keith!!) So the garden is finally complete. Although 2 plants didn’t come back so I’ll need to buy something to replace them. The damn rabbit ate them into the ground. Of course you realize this means war you wascally wabbit.

We did get to go out and be social Saturday night when a group of about 16 of us met for dinner at Buca di Beppo’s. Good time and delicious food. I even had a small glass of wine. I think I can still taste it b/c it was so good. :) Other than that nothing new in our neck of the woods. How bout ya’ll? Was your weekend weather as nice as ours? I’m hoping this coming weekend will be equally as nice and my allergies stay away! One can dream, right?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I passed my glucose test w/ flying colors so one less hurdle and pass me the chocolates.

Cheers!