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Monday, December 31, 2012

2nd Annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Enchilada Night

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, but I will say that Nicole, my stepsister, takes the cake for her homemade Christmas Tree Sweater.  It was awesome and Jason already stated that next year we are going to step up our game! 







 
 



Tacky Sweater 2012
Tacky Sweater 2011

 
 

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Baby Jack's Gender Reveal with our Families

Now that we knew the gender, it was time to share the good news.  The timing could not have been more perfect to share since we would be seeing all four of our families within the course of a few days.  We ordered 4 cakes from Maureen's Bakery in Sugar Land and off we went to celebrate Christmas and our baby boy. 

All of the cakes looked the same and I must give credit where credit is due!  I used the same design that Meagan used here.  I told the bakery to be as creative as they wanted, but they took my example picture literally and made an exact replica which was fine with me!  Hope you don't mind Meagan (who is having a girl also due in May!!!). 



Reveal #1 - My Mom and Stepdad, LE (Mimi & Papi) + afterwards we called that side of the family
Saturday, 12/22:  My mom couldn't wait until the next day when we were picking up the official cakes, so we let them cut the leftover cake from Frank's.  Don't worry, that cake didn't go to waste...we used it at our "fifth" Christmas that we couldn't make, but sent the cake anyway. 

They also win the award for best reaction...pure joy!






Reveal #2 - My Dad and Stepmom, Karin (Pops & Name TBD) + Grandma, Brother Carter and step sibs
Saturday, 12/22 at my Dad's annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Enchilada Night.  We were also celebrating my grandmother's 90th birthday!





Reveal #4 - Corsicana, TX for Jason's Mom Susie and Stepdad Matt (Noni & G-Daddy), sister, uncle and grandmother
Monday, 12/24:  Christmas Eve in Jason's hometown.




Reveal #5 - Arlington, TX for Jason's Dad Bruce and Stepmom Denise (Gramps & NeeCee), siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents
Tuesday, 12/25:  The last reveal occurred on Christmas Day while it was snowing outside!



Whew...anyone else tired!  Next time we are skyping.  This is what Tucker thought of the whole thing!

 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

20 Weeks: Halfway Point!!!




How far along:  20 weeks
Size of Baby P:  10.08 inches,  10.58 ounces (according to Pregnancy App)
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Mango
Gender:  Boy
Showing: Yes!
Maternity clothes:  Yes!  
Unglamorous body changes:  No!
Sleep: Great once I'm asleep, but lately it's taken me a long time to fall asleep just thinking about baby stuff.  I wouldn't call it anxiety.  Just more like excitement. 
Movement: Still feeling small movements, but no major kicks and nothing for Jason to feel yet.
Food cravings:  Spicy food, apple slices, grilled cheese, eggs
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood: Good
Best moment this week:  Sharing the baby's gender and name with friends and family
Strange experiences: Can't think of any this week     
Milestones:  Baby boy is starting to develop sleep patterns this week.  I can definitely notice him moving more at night and during or after I eat or drink.
Looking forward to:  Doing a 3D ultrasound knowing our baby is a boy this time, having Jason be able to feel kicks
Thoughts:  We love you so much already baby boy.  Learning your gender and naming you made it so much more real than anything else to date.  I am actually buying things for you now and cleaning out your room whereas before it just felt too soon.  Daddy better keep an eye out on my wallet! 

Baby Jack's Special Gender Reveal

Before we shared the news with our family, Jason and I decided to do a special reveal for just the two of us.  Jason arranged for the reveal to occur at dinner at our favorite restaurant in Houston, Frank's American Revival (formerly known as Frank's Chophouse). 



My coworker called the restaurant to let them know the gender (only she knew) and they planned the rest!  We had the best meal, but could feel the anticipation growing knowing what was coming.  Finally, a cake was delivered to our table and the host slowly (very slowly) cut into the cake to reveal we were having a boy! 





Jason and I with the "cake-cutter" James

We sat and talked for awhile about the exciting news and ended the night by staying at the St. Regis in Houston.  To make the night even more special, we were upgraded to a huge suite for the night...I love that Jason works in the hotel industry! I could barely sleep that night from the excitement of learning our first baby would be a boy...what would the name be, how will we decorate...???

We spent the next morning having breakfast in bed then we were off to share the news with our families over the next few days...plus, you know, Christmas!

Thanks again to the amazing team including the owners Michael & Chris Shine at Frank's for making our gender reveal so special.  It was a night we will never forget!  And if you visit Frank's you must try their famous pork chop, shrimp & grits or fried chicken! 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Blue or Pink...What Do You Think?

He or She...What Will it Be?
 
Drumroll please...
 
We are having a sweet baby BOY
 
 
 
And he will be named
 
Jack Grayson Purifoy
 
We had a wonderful  (four) Christmas's and hope you had a great holiday too.  Not only was it great to celebrate Christmas with each of our families, but we were able to "reveal" Baby Jack to each of them in person.  Lots more on that to come in the next post...but to give you a hint, we ended up celebrating with 5 seperate gender reveal cakes!  I do not want to even look at a cake for a year!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

19 Weeks



How far along: 19 weeks
Size of Baby P:  6.02 inches,  8.47 ounces (according to Pregnancy App)
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Grapefruit
Gender:  We found out at the end of 19 weeks
Showing: Yes!
Maternity clothes: 100% Maternity pants and 85/15 in tops/dresses. 
Unglamorous body changes:  Nothing really, still just getting bigger.  My neighbor asked me this week if I was sure I wasn't having twins...lovely!  My veins are a lot darker than normal. 
Sleep: Great
Movement:  Still feeling small movements, but no major kicks and nothing for Jason to feel yet. 
Food cravings: Wing sauce, peanut butter and bananas mixed together, spicy foods like lots of jalapenos
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood:  Good
Best moment this week:   Finding out the gender at the end of the week!!!
Strange experiences:      
Milestones:  The baby can start to recognize voices at this stage   
Looking forward to:  Getting the nursery designed and ready
Thoughts:  So happy to finally know the baby's gender and finalize the name.  I'm announcing those details tomorrow!

Right before heading to dinner for our gender reveal!

Jason didn't want to be left out

Big gender and name announcement tomorrow...
 

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Card 2012

I was super stressed this year because I intended on having a professional picture done of our family of 3 (meaning Tucker) one last time for our Christmas card.  But of course time ran out so I ended up using this picture we took in Belize.  Even though it's missing Tuck I still like it!  The year of Chevron needed just one more use of it!

Merry Christmas!

Designed and ordered via Tinyprints

 

Friday, December 21, 2012

Kendra Scott Grand Opening Party



Last night I attended the Kendra Scott Grand Opening Party in Rice Village with Sara and Adrienne.  We knew that the first 100 people received a gift bag with rumored jewelry in it so we arrived about 30 minutes early just in case.  We did have to stand in a line outside in the cold for those 30 minutes with other crazed KS fans, but it was so worth it when we got our bags!





The store looked amazing.  All three of us did something Christmas shopping for others...and maybe purchased a thing for ourselves too.  We justified it with the 15% off coupon we also received in our goodie bags! 

We can't wait to go back on a normal day to shop.  It was a elbow to elbow last night. 

We ended the night with dinner at Tiny's #5 with Erin.  A perfect little ending to a perfect girls night out!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Chelsea's Hair Tips

I'm not claiming to be a hair expert by any means...I can't even do a proper french braid, however, I've always rocked short hair: simple, classic bobs.  Currently, my hair is the longest it's probably ever been and I've learned a few tricks (all through trial and error) along the way!

Dry Shampoo is your best friend
If you skip down a few tips, you will see that I recommend not washing your hair everyday.  This is how you can cope!  A second tip for using dry shampoo is to use it even on clean hair when you want to curl it.  The texture that the dry shampoo gives, keeps my curls in place all day (even on clean hair). 

I've tried several different brands, even expensive ones like Bumble and Bumble and the highly praised Pssssst Brand, however the Suave Keratin Infusion is hands down my favorite (and even better, the cheapest).  This just proves that money doesn't make the product good.  I love the scent, the texture it gives and have found that it doesn't flake later in the day.  When applying product, I shake the can really good, spray on my roots (especially around the front of my scalp) then rub into my scalp using my fingertips to remove any excess residue. 

Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo


A Great Roller Set Should be your next best friend
On the days that I don't wash my hair, I usually roll it.  This gives me the volume I want after sleeping on my hair, plus it's just so darn easy.  If I have an extra early morning, you better believe this is how my hair will get styled.  My hair is super thick so blow drying it takes forever.

On my "roller days" I plug in the rollers as soon as I wake up so by the time I'm showered and dressed they are super hot.  Pop in the rollers and let them set while I apply my makeup.  By the time my makeup is on (usually 10 minutes) I remove the rollers, spray immediately and let them cool for 5 minutes or so (this is normally when I put Tuck up and start gathering up my stuff to leave for the day.  By the time I'm ready to walk out the door, they are cooled so I do a little finger styling and off I go!

The Conair Jumbo rollers I've had for years recently bit the dust so I purchased this set below.  So far I LOVE them!  They heat up fast and have heated clips.  Since I have so much hair I appreciate that this set has 20 curlers, whereas most sets have around 12.  My curls stay all day.


T-Studio Ceramic Pearl Heated Clip Setter



Don't wash your hair everyday
As I previously mentioned, it's been so great for my hair not to be washed everyday.  I used to get greasy hair after just one day so I didn't think I had an option.  Maybe it's my hormones, but in the past 2 years I've trained my hair to go 2-3 days without a wash.  The result is healthier ends, better growth, stronger hair and a happier me...I hate blow-drying my hair.  It usually takes at least 20 minutes. 

Don't wear a ponytail when you sleep
A year ago, my hair started breaking off in the back.  I'm talking a huge chunk of it.  I never 100% found the answer as to why it was doing this, but it may have been from my constant high ponytails and sock buns.  Recently I cut down on the high do's, but also completely stopped wearing it up when going to sleep.  Switching to twistbands (below) rather than a standard elastic also helped.  No more breakage for me!


Buy a few of these guys
For reasons stated above, I love these Twistbands rather than traditional elastics.  The colors are fun, but I also have a lot of black and brown ones that you can't see in my dark hair. 


Twistband Hair Ties


The best hairspray of my life!
I will always choose the cheaper product when I can (see dry shampoo) but I will make the splurge when it's really, really worth it.  This hairspray by Bumble & Bumble is.  It is the perfect weight and hold, isn't sticky and keeps my style in place all day.  I buy this stuff in threes so I never run out.  I hope this hairspray isn't toxic for babies, husbands or dogs because I spray so much of it on a daily basis, my whole household ingests lung-fulls of it!

Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode Hairspray



Favorite shampoo/conditioner
I've used this shampoo and conditioner for about a year now.  It smells great and it very creamy without being too heavy for my hair.  I would say it's moderately priced.  Suave and Herbal Essence are cheaper, but this stuff, priced around $7/bottle isn't as bad as salon brands.  You can usually find a deal on it too at CVS, Walgreens or Target. 

L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo and Moisture Conditioner



Best Styling Product
This stuff is hair crack.  It's also just plain expensive.  My hairdresser turned me on to it after I complained about having dry ends.  I apply a few pumps to my wet hair before blowdrying and one pump through my hair, especially the ends after drying.  I only use it on the days I wash it.  One bottle will usually last me about 3 months.  Another way that I justify the expense is by purchasing it through Birchbox, using my accumulated points for a discount!  (although I just check Birchbox and it isn't available anymore).  Hopefully they will restock soon!

Kerstase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil


I hope some of these tips help you.  Please share your hair tips and fave products too. 

Happy Styling,
Chelsea

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Saturday, December 15, 2012

18 Weeks





How far along: 18 weeks
Size of Baby P:  6.70 inches, 5.59 ounces (according to Pregnancy App)
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center):  Large Tomato (the actual App we use said Dragonfruit, but who the heck can find that at the grocery store!)
Gender: Don't know just yet
Showing: Yes!
Maternity clothes: 100% Maternity pants and 85/15 in tops/dresses. 
Unglamorous body changes: Just continuing to get bigger, but I'm not finding it all that unglamorous...I kind of like it!
Sleep: Great
Movement:  Lots of flutter feelings this week!  No major kicks just yet. 
Food cravings:  Wing sauce, peanut butter and bananas mixed together, spicy foods like lots of jalapenos


 
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Gum and things that are really minty
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood:  Good, especially as a check more and more items off the Christmas shopping list
Best moment this week:  The baby went crazy this week when I turned on Vampire Weekend in the car.  This kid already has great taste in music!  Jason and I also went to see The Santaland Diaries this week at The Alley Theatre.  It's becoming a fun family tradition to see a Christmas play and eat dinner at Birraporetti's...a tradition we did when I was growing up and one I hope to share with Baby P. 


 
Strange experiences:    This isn't really a strange experience, but I find it funny how one person will look at my stomach and say based on the shape or how I'm carrying it's definitely a girl.  The next will come up to me and say it looks just like a boy.  People are so silly!  I also had someone this week tell me I better have a girl because she didn't think I would know what to do with a boy.  Thanks a lot for the confidence boost!
Milestones:  Feeling all of the action in my belly throughout the day 
Looking forward to:  Finding out the gender this week!  Hopefully Baby P will cooperate then let the celebration begin! 
 
Thoughts:  As I write this it's hard not to think about the horrible tragedy in Connecticut.  I may not be able to truly understand a parent's love yet for their child, but I feel like I almost can.  It's just so sad how innocent lives can be taken away so quickly and without merit.  Baby P is definitely coming into a scary, scary world.  We are praying for the victims and their families, for the families of those who take the innocent lives and finally, we pray that our country and world can find peace and learn there are better ways to deal with issues than killing. 

Monday, December 10, 2012

17 Weeks




How far along: 17 weeks
Size of Baby P:  5.12 inches, 4.94 ounces (according to Pregnancy App)
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center):  Navel Orange
Gender: Don't know just yet
Showing: Yes!
Maternity clothes: 100% Maternity pants and 80/20 in tops.
Unglamorous body changes: Just continuing to get bigger
Sleep:  Great
Movement: Not many
Food cravings: Grilled cheese, lemonade and Gatorade
Anything making you queasy or sick: No!
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood:  Feeling really good this week.  Excited about baby, but also anxious that I should be getting more done at this point regarding registering, buying things, putting shower dates on the calendars, etc.  I just keep telling myself that we will get it all done after the holidays. 
Best moment this week:  Doctor's visit.  It was a super quick appointment this time, but we got to hear our baby's heartbeat again.  Nothing sounds better and is more reassuring than that. 
Strange experiences:  This week I had my first experience of someone touching my belly without asking (and it was a male)...a little strange, but I got through it politely. 
Milestones:  This week I noticed kindness in people.  I had someone look at my belly and then make an extra effort to open the door for me.  I had a couple of women give me extra big smiles after noticing my bump. 
Looking forward to:  Our 20 week ultrasound to learn if Baby P is a boy or girl!



Thoughts:  The books were right about feeling better in the second trimester.  I'm not nearly as tired as I was in the first and I don't feel nauseous most of the time. 

I have noticed that Facebook makes me more anxious than I need to be...let me explain.  I guess because of my age I feel like EVERYONE in my Facebook network is pregnant.  This is awesome and I'm so happy for everyone who is, however this makes it easy to compare my pregnancy with others, which I know is silly because all pregnancies are different.  For example, someone announced their baby's gender who is also due around when we are so I immediately felt behind like we should already know.  Someone else stated that they already purchased baby items for the nursery and that made me feel like Jason and I are behind and need to run out and go get registered. 

I know it will all work out and I shouldn't be making these silly comparisons.  I'm hoping this is just normal anxiety since this is our first baby.  I just want to do everything right at the right time for Baby P. 
 

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