Hey, friends! Life has been so crazy this last week and I’ve completely abandoned my little blog. But I’ve gotten a few emails asking if I’m okay and I would imagine that when a blogger just disappears for periods of time, people might start to wonder if something is the matter.
Fortunately, everything is going great! We just have a lot on our plates and we’re trying to get it all done. This is my absolute favorite time of year and I am always so sad at how quickly it flies by and at how jumbled up it can get with obligations, responsibilities, and stress. I can’t back out on any of my commitments, but I can try to simplify my life as best as possible in other ways. One of those ways is to do a little less blogging if I don’t actually have time to blog that day.
But right now I’ve got some time and I want to catch up!
Birthday
I had a fantastic birthday. My handsome groom and sweet baby boy brought me my cards in bed. Hudson gave me a trip to get a pedicure that morning. In the card, he indicated it was because he wanted to spend some time with his Daddy. So off I went to get my pedicure.
I came home to a cookie cake- yes!- and my boys sang to me. TC went off to work and Hudson and I had fun hanging out until we met our friend Emily for lunch. Emily brought cookies and they were delicious! I finished the last one yesterday and was so sad to see them go.
That night, we met our friends A & J for dinner and enjoyed great conversation and good food. TC and I made it home just in time to watch The Apprentice together before falling asleep on the couch and dragging ourselves up to bed at 1:00 a.m.
The Gamecocks Win the SEC East!
We didn’t go down to Gainesville this year even though we really wanted to go to see Kristin, Robert, and Georgia Kate! But we stayed home because we had a few activities going on at church. But I so wish we could have been in The Swamp for this historic victory for the Gamecocks.
I’m not going to be able to go down to Atlanta for the SEC Championship against Auburn, but TC will be there. And we played a really great game against Auburn earlier this fall, so I’m thinking we can do it again.
We’re already getting excited about our possible New Year’s Eve plans in whatever city we’re playing in a bowl game. Maybe New Orleans? Maybe Atlanta?
Holiday Market
The reason I’m not going to be able to go to the SEC Championship game is because I’m the Tickets Chair for our Junior League Holiday Market. This week has been really crazy with our various responsibilities. But I am looking forward to the market to see what fun gifts I can pick up this year.
There are a couple of great events that I highly recommend attending with either your girl friends or your children if you’re in the Columbia area or are within driving distance. Ladies Night Out and PJs With Santa are both so much fun and reasonably priced for a fun night out. Visit the Junior League of Columbia Holiday Market website to find out more.
TC isn’t coming to Preview Party with me this year because I’ll be too busy to get to spend any time with him, but I am searching for a dress. It has to be a maternity dress and I’d like for it to have sleeves. I’m thinking I’ll go with black because I don’t need the dress to be anything special- I just need it to make me look skinnier than I am and be semi-comfortable.
I found this Olian dress from Nordstrom. What do you think?
Thanksgiving Plans
Hudson and I are leaving tomorrow to go to Dallas for Thanksgiving. TC will join us later, but I needed to get on to Dallas because I’m helping host a baby shower for one of my best friends in the world. She’s having her first baby and it’s a little girl. I couldn’t be more excited.
This will be Hudson’s first time flying where he has his own seat and doesn’t have to ride on my lap! We’re both really excited about that. My friend from Magnolias, Marriage, and Manhattan sent me the link to this great item called the Cares Harness. It makes it so that I don’t have to haul Hudson’s car seat onto the plane, but he is still securely strapped in. I’m so excited to use it and so excited that he’ll be comfortable and safe in his own seat.
NOT HUDSON! This is the child from the Cares Harness website.
Did I mention I’m excited? Think I could come up with another word? Does anyone have a thesaurus?
Pregnancy
I’m feeling okay. Still not great, but I’m hanging in there. If I stay really busy I feel a lot better, but then I end up really tired. I’m going to try to post the 14 week bump picture tomorrow– I just have to take one!
Fun Night in Greenville
TC and I love Greenville so much. He went to Furman, we got married in Greenville, and we try to make it to Greenville once every couple of months for a fun night away. The restaurants are amazing, it’s beautiful up there, and we always find something fun to do.
We have tickets to The Peace Center’s Broadway series and so far this year we’ve seen Wicked and Dreamgirls. On Sunday night we went to see White Christmas. White Christmas is one of my favorite movies of all time and I had never seen the stage production. It was really cute and we both had a great time.
Before the show, we went to dinner at Rick Erwin’s Nantucket Seafood Grill. Oh my word. I think we’ve found a new Greenville favorite. I can’t wait to go back and meet up with Anne and B at this amazing restaurant!
So glad to know that we aren’t the only couple who falls asleep watching tv on the couch, only to wake up and drag ourselves to bed in the middle of the night too. 🙂
Yum, cookie cake! Growing up my sister, brother and I always got a cookie cake for our birthdays. Whatever the center decoration was (balloons, dogs, batman, etc.) we got to keep that all for ourselves. No one else could eat the middle part. It was one of the best things!
Okay, I busted out laughing at “NOT HUDSON”. I happen to think your little man has a lot on that kid. 😉 Have a great Thanksgiving with your family! Speaking from the experienced place of living far from family, I know it’s so wonderful to be with them during the holidays!
It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday! I’ve used the CARES harness with my 29 month old. I think he was 26 months old at the time. It was easy to attach and use. My only rec would be to make sure and board as early as you can. If there is a person already sitting behind you, it’s a pain because you have to ask them to put their tray table down and be all in their business for a minute while you put the harness over the seat.
Happy travels!
Hi Erin! I love Greenville, SC too! My good friends just got married at the Peace Center last month and the night before my boyfriend and I had a wonderful dinner at Larkin’s on the River. I would really recommend it if it’s new to you. I was so impressed and the restaurant has a great ambiance.
Greenville is our favorite area as well. The hubs is from there and his parents live right down the street from the Bilo Center. We are spending thanksgiving in Greenville so we can do our black Friday shopping. Great to hear you are doing well and are keeping busy.
Hey, Tess! We like Larkin’s on the River a lot, too! We love all of the downtown Greenville restaurants including Saffron’s, Larkin’s, Soby’s, and High Cotton- where we had our rehearsal dinner almost 3 years ago. 🙂
I’m working Market for JTT on Thursday and Sunday and shopping on Friday with my mom- I hope that I’ll see you one of those days!!
Word is, if we lose to Auburn we may go to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day- so NYE in Orlando. ALthough, my sights are set on New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl- especially if the NCAA finds the dirt on Cam Newton before our game! (Because I’m convinced it is there to find!)
i really like the black dress! maternity clothes can be so tricky to find and love. my local theater is playing wicked and i’m going again tomorrow night. i can’t wait! ooh, and i can’t wait to see your little bump. glad to hear all is well.
So I laughed as well at “NOT HUDSON”. So glad that you are getting some Dallas time- and that dress is adorable and very very versatile. We just had our “Tinsel and Treasure” holiday market, but it’s just a weekend and pretty small.
Wow that cookie cake looks good 🙂 I’m glad that you had a great birthday and get to spend time with your family over Thanksgiving! I’m a member of the Junior League in DC and our “A Capitol Collection” holiday market is this weekend so we’re all gearing up for a lot of work and fun 🙂
Can’t wait to see you SOOOOOON!
I recently flew with my 18 month old using the CARES harness. But, we ended up using the car seat on the return flight because he was not happy with the CARES harness at all. Maybe I installed it incorrectly, but he wasn’t comfortable in it and he wasn’t able to nap at all while in it. I think he was still too little to be really comfortable in the harness, I will try it again when he’s older/taller.
Small World! My daughter has an interview at Furman Tuesday. She stays for lunch and a tour, she is very excited! So thrilled about your baby # 2 …you are catching up to me…5. LOL
You have been busy girlie! It’s so sweet that you got your cookie cake and your boys took good care of you 🙂 I love the dress and think it would look great. I would love to meet you if you ever have time while in Dallas, but I know you are busy busy! I’ve been following your blog for a long time and I love meeting other friends in blogland…..I hope you don’t think that is strange. It’s always so much fun & I think you are such a good person and Mom!
I am so jealous you saw the stage production of “White Christmas”!! I watch it every year while putting up my Christmas tree!
Glad you had a great bday and got your cookie cake!
glad you had fun in Greenville! I wouldn’t live anywhere else! I worked an event at Nantucket this summer and the food was amazing!! Come back soon =)
Oh Greenville! I am still trying to convince J to look for tech jobs there. I think I’d make a good South Carolina girl! And let’s be honest, it’s the cutest little city!!
Also…I’d like some of that cookie cake NOW. Thanks 🙂
Love that dress! It’s just perfect!
Love the dress!
Happy belated bday! And that was a good choice on the cookie cake–I love those!
I’ve heard mixed reviews from some of the locals here about Nantucket so I’m glad you enjoyed it. We still need to go and give it a try. Rick Erwin’s is our all time favorite downtown followed closely by High Cotton.
LOVE the black Olian dress! It’s perfect for you and I think the black color with the sleeves and beaded detail will give the slimming look you’re looking for.
Oh I am from Greenville! I was born and raised here and love it- can’t imagine living anywhere else. Happy Birthday!!
Erin – didn’t know if you knew about this and since I know you like Starbucks…
http://www.starbucks.com/share#/redcups
Buy one holiday drink get one free Thursday – Saturday from 2-5 pm!
I’m so glad you mentioned your travel plans. Since you seem to travel quite a bit with your son, I’m wondering if you have come up with a solution for dealing with the new full body scanners. I am flying tomorrow with a one year old. I’m not really interested in the full pat down and I’m certain that she cannot follow directions well enough to go through the scanner (even if radiation were not an issue). Really TSA? Are these your only options for people traveling with small children? Flying with a fidgety, just learned to walk, cannot sit still child was not challenging enough?
Happy Belated Birthday!
Sounds like what we need is a double date!
Also, can I second Tonya’s comment above about flying with a one-year-old? Are my only options the full body scanner, which may or may not be safe for a child that young, and a wiggling toddler strip down? Double blah.
Travel safely, friend!
Glad that you’re back to blogging! Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy!!!
Glad you had a good birthday! I hear you on feeling tired. My due date changed, and you and I are very very close together!
I was looking for a party maternity dress too and I was considering renting from this website: https://www.rentmaternitywear.com/