Here we are again at the close of another wonderful weekend. These last couple weeks have flown by, and I have a feeling the rest of April is going to be fairly busy. Sometime this week Ava is getting her very first picture taken with the Easter bunny (so excited about this), I have some shopping to do for a sweet little girl that is turning one in a couple weeks, and I am on the hunt for a new family car. On top of that, Easter is almost here, and so is my dad's birthday. All of these events on top of school, Justin's schedule, and Ava's, needless to say, the Howland's are busy. We also started some Friday night family traditions as well. Friday may very well be my favorite day of the week. I know Justin is going to be off for the next two days, it's the start of the weekend, I mean who doesn't love Friday?

Anywho, today was great, so let's recap the weekend. Friday night we went out to menchies (I'd never been before), and that was a real treat. The restaurant was decked out in eighties decor, and it was just so cute. The food was amazing, and the kicker? It's right down the street from our house. We spent the night watching old movies, cuddling, and talking about baby names. I don't remember when we knocked out, but everyone (including Cooper) was out before the norm. Saturday we got an early start, and then we went to my hometown to find a new location for Ava's birthday party. The venue I finally decided on is actually booked for the day that we'd need it. I was a bit devastated, but we've got options for other venues. I came across a couple that I really like, so hopefully when I call tomorrow, they have some availability.

We ended up going to the Muckleshoot Casino for brunch, and that was a real hit. I keep taking Justin to these places I went when I lived in Auburn years ago. He enjoyed it, and was shocked that the buffet was open to everyone, not just those who are gambling. Shortly after, we finally made our way to the only Sam's Club within fifty miles of us. It's right next to the mall I used to work at, so naturally, Justin got suckered into some shopping. Ava is seriously set for next winter! I hit up Osh Kosh and Carter's for their spring deals, and managed to get such a great haul. I think we wrapped up Saturday with a trip to best buy (for a tablet) and watching the second movie to Thor.

Today we went out to Tacoma to do some exploring, and to have lunch with a friend of ours. Downtown Tacoma has always had some pretty fun murals, so it was great to get a look at those today. We hadn't seen Jennifer in almost four years, so it was definitely great to catch up. Ava took to her so well; I was shocked. At one point, Ava bug even refused to come back to me when Jennifer was holding her (if you know our Bug, you know that never happens). I think that's a sign for Miss Jennifer on the baby front! After our Greek lunch we went out to the waterfront in Tacoma. The last time I was there, I believe I was 19 years old. It was so beautiful. I seriously forgot how perfect Washington state is. There were people jogging, walking their dogs, and walking with their kids. Such a perfect environment. 

This past weekend was perfect. I can't remember the last time I had a complaint about my day. It feels good to be happy, and active!

Happy Sunday all! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. 

♥- Leilani

3-30-14

This weekend went by too fast (like every other weekend), and we actually had something in this house go wrong for the first time. We didn't notice it until late Saturday night, but first let's recap on our weekend. . Friday night, Justin got called in, because of something with a stryker, and one of his soldier's got into a really bad car accident. It was raining so hard, thank God that the soldier and his family are okay. I was glad we had our pizza night and partial movie in before he had to leave, but he missed bath time with Bug, and he didn't see her go down for the night. I know he was bummed. It's always the small things in our family that have the biggest impacts.

Saturday we ran errands on Fort Lewis, and seriously bought over 30 lbs of meat for less than fifty bucks! I was seriously impressed with our meat haul. Justin has been bringing up couponing a lot lately. It kind of makes me giggle, but saving is important. We ended up going to the Old Country Buffet for the first time, (we have never gone together), and that was interesting. Ava decided to socialize with everyone around us. She kept waving, and saying, "Nana" it was so cute! One woman came up to us and says, "I know you probably hear this a million times a day, but she is beautiful." I've heard that one before, but it makes me all warm and fuzzy each time someone says something so sweet about our girl. Ava is beautiful. Mama Howland got some shopping in. So many good deals on clothing for Ava from Old Navy. $5 bermuda shorts, and $3 tops for our Princess.I even managed to pick up a few things for myself, and a couple shirts for Justin.

On the drive home we discussed buying a house. We are ready to buy our first house, and spend our money on investing, rather than renting. There are a ton of neighborhoods and subdivisions that we love in this area. With Justin making this last contract his final contract, I don't see why buying wouldn't be great for us. There is definitely a lot more to discuss, but I like where we are at with the idea right now. When we got home we realized that our heat wasn't working, although it was on. I was nervous, because if you know my husband, you know he doesn't fix things.

He went out to the garage, and I just started praying. Praying that he wouldn't make the issue worse! Apparently our pilot light is out, among other things. We called maintenance, and they said they'd be out first thing Sunday, and wouldn't you know that they are here as I type. Yesterday Ava also smacked the back of her head against the window seal. I still can't stop crying over that. It was the first time she's ever cried like that, and it broke my heart to pieces. She got a lump on her head, and I stayed up almost all night watching her sleep. I was half tempted to take her to the ER, but she seemed to be fine. Thanks to a friend, we ordered some protection cushion for the sharp wood edges of the windows.

Something amazing also happened Saturday evening.. but I can't blog about it on here. I really have tried to keep this as PG as possible, so in light of my experience, I started a blog on tumblr for the one millionth time! I guess that was kind of tease, not to share. But if you want the tumblr link, just ask! Today Justin is grilling baby back ribs for the first time, and the sun is out. I'm hoping Sunday is a smooth, relaxed day.

I hope all my blog readers enjoyed their weekend! Happy Sunday all! If you are a Washingtonian, enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!

♥- Leilani

Ready for the Weekend

I am so ready for this week to be over. Nothing major has happened, but I am ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, for my finals (for my current courses) to be over, and to start crazy shopping for Christmas. We started our Christmas gift list this afternoon, and I'm really excited to be making unique, and creative gifts. I'm trying to figure out if we should hand out gifts that are more baby geared, (from Ava) or something they'd like. I haven't completely decided yet. On a high note, I think I'm going to start receiving new cloth products, for sponsored reviews. I am fully committed to cloth diapering, and I think I'd like to see what other types of cloth are available to me. I will post all my reviews on this blog, and include links from every merchant.

Oh, I forgot to share my "freak out mama" moment of the week. Anyone who knows me as a mother, knows I am beyond careful with my daughter. I don't take Princess A out to socialize when people are sick, I don't let little kids near her when they have harmful toys in their hands, I'm just overly protective of my daughter. Last night, Justin turned in his sleep (unaware that I had decided to bring Ava in our bed) and he elbowed her. It wasn't hard, but it startled her, and it caused her to bring out the bottom lip, and start crying for all of three seconds. I was really upset, and I did something I REALLY shouldn't have done... I googled, "my six month old was elbowed in the head" yeah.. not the smartest idea. I decided to inspect for a lump, and wake my child up every two hours to ensure that she was alright. Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so hardcore about things like this. My bug is so much more resilient than I give her credit for.

This weekend is pictures for Ava bug and her daddy! I'm so excited. Her Thanksgiving tutu looks awesome! (thank you Victoria) and it matches perfectly with her "my first Thanksgiving" onesie. I took the time to actually calculate all the holidays Ava has left in her first year of life, can you believe she only has five more? It's crazy! I plan on doing the " As I grow" photos, even once we move to wherever we move (still no news on that) It'll be a great addition to her first birthday, to have our favorite photo from each month of her life.

Well that's all for now. My husband came home from a Battalion motorcycle ride and he isnt' feeling very good. Poor thing, looks like I have two babies to take care of this evening!

Happy Thursday all!



♥- Leilani

You & Me

I can't believe it's the weekend ALREADY! It's going to be a busy one. Justin is getting some custom things done to his motorcycle, we've got a Savannah day ahead of us, and hopefully a beach afternoon if this weather holds up (SO SICK OF GEORGIA & IT'S RAIN) One thing I love about the weekends, other than Justin having a couple days off work, is our time. Ava goes to bed an hour or so before us, and sometimes it's nice. We have our couple time. It reminds me that things haven't changed all that much, even with our new addition. We still have our pillow chat, cuddle time, playing in the dark, stuff like that. It's still there. Tonight, for example, instead of going out with the guys, drinking beer and what have you, he's home. He's like, "Tonight is your night babe" I love that about him. He's got a great balance between guy stuff and family stuff. I think that's important. We both have our social lives with eachother and without eachother. There are a ton of things I'd rather be absentee with, you know, "guy stuff"  Well I'm off :) I forgot the whip cream for our home made banana splits! Off to the store I go! Enjoy your family this weekend guys! These are the times of our lives!

Maniacal Monday

My Morning

I woke up in a really weird place. Actually I fell asleep in a really weird place. Not location, but my thoughts and energy were way off last night. I'm not feeling any less excited about giving birth or Justin's homecoming, but I'm feeling some definite regret for the way I've behaved this deployment. Justin and I have a lot of family members that care a great deal about us. Instead of allowing them to help or be apart of my pregnancy, I kept them at a distance. Trying to prove to myself that I could do everything alone, and while I have managed to not separate at the seams, I realize how many hurt feelings there have been due to my selfishness. I want Ava to know how important family is, I'm not off to a good start. This may be the reason for my less than peppy attitude the last 14 hours. I plan on turning that around.

Ava

On a much happier note, I've got 48 hours until I will be admitted into the Army hospital for induction. I'm still at this surreal phase where no words are really doing me any justice when trying to describe how I feel. This human being, this perfectly innocent little girl, that's been growing inside of me all this time will be making an unforgettable entrance in my life. In doing so she will be filling a void in both Justin's heart and mine. Voids we were unaware existed. I've never experienced a greater blessing in my life, and I am completely honored that the lord has allowed me to carry such a precious gift. 

Recap

This past weekend, I got my car detailed, finally. Twenty dollars well spent.
I had my final set of maternity photos taken by Victoria Simmons. Once again she did a phenomenal job! I become more impressed with her, every shoot. I laid back in some refreshing water. I love the pool but I'm not excited about how dark I'm getting. My skin is so uneven ! Tan lines are NOT flattering for me. I did a final clean up of the house before Ava gets here. Thank goodness I had a friend helping me. Cleaning products like comet, really aren't good for me to be inhaling at this point. I regained my love for Italian food. In my first trimester, I avoided Italian cuisines like the plague ! So it makes me happy that I was able to eat it without the sudden urge to hurl. My husband is a hardcore Italian food lover and I'm sure his first weekend back will consist of something Italian based. I watched safe haven. It's based off of a Nicholas Sparks book. Can I just say this movie was not only entirely predictable, but very boring to watch. I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in theaters ! Not my ideal romantic love story and those are super cliche within themselves! On a really random note, I feel it's necessary to share this bit of musical goodness, considering I've played this song 217 times on my itunes. (kissed you) Goodnight by Gloriana is thee best country song I have listened to in weeks. I can't get enough of it ! I'd suggest giving your ears a delightful listen. Yes, it was a pretty divine weekend for this expectant mama.

Moving Forward

I'm hoping my day turns around. Actually, I know it will. I never allow myself to sulk all that much. I plan on having a mellow Monday. I'm getting ready to head out and have lunch with a fellow Army wife here in a little bit. Excited to see her ! Haven't seen her in over a month, I believe. I may do a little last minute shopping today as well. I'm anticipating not leaving the house for the first couple weeks after my sprout's arrival. I hope all my blog readers have themselves a fantastic day! Also, please excuse my completely anal, type a, organizational posts. This is what I do in my mind before I even start writing. Lately, I've been finding it easier to categorize all that I want to say rather than just free flow writing. I promise, this is not going to be a habit that will occur for much longer.