The Transformation Thus Far

I'm cleaning out some photos on my phone and would like to share my transformation so far. It's hard to believe how much my body has changed and that I will continue to get bigger over the next 3 months! And even more amazing is that this is what I'm designed to do and I will bounce back! Incredible, right? I'm proud of my healthy baby belly and the little girl growing inside me. More updates to come! Her nursery is almost complete and every day plans are being made for her, items being bought, names being discussed....

5 weeks pregnant

27 weeks pregnant

Quite the transformation so far! Looking back I can't believe I didn't think I had a flat stomach. This experience is certainly going to change my body image in the future!

Travel Bucket List

There have been many conversations in the Stewart household about all the amazing and ambitious things we want to do with our lives. We've accomplished a lot so far, but we both have an insatiable desire to do it all, see it all, and be the best. So although at times it feels like a curse because, realistically, you just can't accomplish it all, I do enjoy being a dreamer. My dreams always get bigger, progress with my life, and push me to do better.

This weekend Doug and I are at Sebring International Raceway. Doug was in FL earlier in the week for an Audi track event (this lucky man got to spend 2 days racing Audi's for work...life is tough), so he planned a head and trailered his Porsche down. After 2 days in West Palm with Audi we met up in Sebring so he could spend 2 days driving on one of the most famous tracks in the US. Please let me add that this is immediately following a three day weekend in which he drove his Audi at Virginia International Raceway.

We're having a great time and meeting interesting people. In this racing community there are a lot of Europeans, which reminds me how badly I want to travel to Europe. I wanted to travel everywhere, really (see an older blog post about this). I decided to finish this blog, which I actually started 2 months ago, about my all the places I want to see before I die. I'm sure this list will grow, and I may be leaving out some pretty important places already. There's just so much and I want to take it all in! So I figure, by putting it down I'm making some sort of a commitment. I can read this later and feel good knowing I'm crossing some things off.


First, let's start with the places that are at my disposal in the US. According to Budget Travel these are the 20 places every American should see in their lifetime (I have crossed through places I have already visited):


1. Grand Canyon

2. Yellowstone National Park

3. Highway 1, California

4.
Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Florida)

5.
Times Square, New York City

6. Las Vegas Strip

7. Hollywood Walk of Fame

8. South Beach (Miami, Florida)

9. French Quarter (New Orleans, Louisiana)

10.
Gettysburg National Military Park

11. Nashville, Tennessee

12.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.

13.
Independence National Historical Park (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

14. Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

15. Fenway Park (Boston, Massachusetts)

16. Civil Rights District (Atlanta, Georgia)

17. Architecture in Chicago, Illinois

18. Pearl Harbor

19. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

20.
Ellis Island, New Jersey



Outside the US I'd like to visit the below places. Please keep in mind that this limited list is based off of what I've heard, seen online, seen on TV etc. I'm sure with a little more research it will change and grow. The places in BOLD are the places I'm sure will be completed, either because I have a friend with a home there, plans are already in the works, or it's simply an easier trip to plan.

1. Plitvice National Park in Croatia

2. Meteora, Greece

3. Rome, Italy

4. Southern France (particularly during the Le Mans 24 Hour Race)

5. Amsterdam

6. Berlin

7. Paris

8. Hiking in Switzerland

9. Albanian Riviera

10. Lake Geneva

11. London

12. Barcelona

13. Budapest

14. Alaska

15. Bali

16. Egypt

17. Venice

18. Thailand

19. The Gold Coast in Australia

20. Prague

21. Yangtze River, China

22. Beijing

23. Tibet

24. Mount Fuji

25. Honduras

26. Quebec

27. Mazinaw Lake, Ontario

28.  The Glapagos Islands, Ecuador

29. Buenos Aires, Argentina

30. Paraty, Brazil


Quite the list, right? I have a lifetime to work on checking things off! Are there any places you feel like you MUST see in your life?

Sweet Healthy Bites

A few days ago I wanted a quick and sweet treat, but I wanted it to be healthier than grabbing a cookie out of the cookie jar. Let's face it, it's easy to get carried away when you're pregnant and have something to blame the extra weight on. And since my pre-pregnancy cravings have always involved sugar, it's no surprise that my during pregnancy cravings do as well.

I follow a blog, Purely Twins, written by 2 twins in NC who are dedicated to healthy living, fitness, and some really interesting food. I say really interesting because MANY of their recipes involve ingredients I don't have in my house, and some I've never even heard of. But they are healthy, usually gluten free, sometimes raw, and the photos make them  look delicious. They even have cookie and donut recipes! A friend of mine is vegan, so I forward her a lot of the vegan recipes they post. But again, since many of the ingredients are not common in my household I've yet to try many of their dishes.  I finally came across one recipe that I found a link to on their blog that seemed easy enough for me and it only has 4 ingredients:

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

I didn't save the link to the recipe and I'm not having a hard time finding the exact one that I used (though there are a TON of variations). The recipe I followed had 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder,  natural peanut butter, cocoa, and organic honey. That's it. I mixed it all together then rolled 4 balls by hand. Simple and super fast! I ate one immediately and refrigerated the other 3 for later. They made a great addition to my morning breakfast for the next few days. I'm sure I will be making these delicious little balls more often :)

Amazing friends, Delicious Cake and a Good Cause!

As I sit in my office, sipping on my decaf coffee (with almond milk and stevia) I can't help but feel overwhelmingly blessed today. Even with this Jack Russel/Pug mix wining and jumping into my lap every 5 minutes (more on that later), and even though I'm incredibly sleepy and probably should have stayed in bed another hour, I feel happy, loved, and complete.

Meet William

Let me tell you, those are incredible feelings. I was fortunate enough to be able to take 2 days off to celebrate my birthday. Yesterday was productive and relaxing at the same time. I woke up to my first birthday text (love you, Ryan!) and they just kept rolling in all day long. I was able to take the 9 am spin class, followed by a 9:30 am boot camp class, which I never get to do b/c of my work schedule. It was an awesome workout and I was able to keep up despite my growing belly! I then stopped by my favorite local coffee shop for a free latte (decaf, vanilla soy) and enjoyed it at home while catching up on some work and buying some much needed baby items online (thank you gift cards!).  I also made an incredible egg white, black bean, tomato, bell pepper, avocado and spinach breakfast wrap. YUMMY!

A shot of me at the gym. Check out that baby bump!

After purchasing a new crib mattress, crib mattress cover and curtains for our little girls room, I feel like things are finally coming together. We got her bedding the other day from Serena and Lilly (and I am obsessed with how adorable it is), her towels from The Land of Nod, and some more awesome hand-me-downs from our friends Emily and Tracy. Her dresser/changing table also arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Once I find curtain rods and some wall decor her room should be all set! I now totally get nesting. Any empty room is being turned into a nursery, a room where we will spend a lot of time nurturing, nursing and caring for our daughter. I'm turning into a mother, and Doug is turning into a father. Together we are transforming from partners into parents. The transformation of this room, then, takes on some significant meaning.

So after working on some nursery decorating and wrapping up some work, I started to get excited about a fundraiser later that evening at the Bluffton Oyster Company. The event, where all proceeds benefited the Palmetto Animal League (an organization that I occasionally volunteer with and support greatly), was a big outdoor party on the water with food, drinks, live music and great people. We all brought our dogs, PAL dogs came wearing their "Adopt Me" vests, and luckily the weather held out. But this event turned into much more than I expected. Doug invited all our close friends, set up a special tent just for us and turned it into a birthday surprise!! I had no idea he was planning something and was so touched.

Quite the successful fundraiser!

It was great spending time with all my friends (and Karma and Pepper) and knowing each of us was contributing to a good cause. Our best man Nick even drove all the way down from Washington D.C. with his dog Willie for the event. We enjoyed an AMAZING cake from my favorite bakery, Ronnie's, and had a wonderful evening.

A little baby girl for the mom-to-be

Adorable Footprints!

I'm so thankful for having a thoughtful husband and such incredible friends. As usual, I only wish I had taken some photos! T0 top it all off, I also had my cubicle at work decorated on Thursday and received a sweet audio clip via email of my niece wishing me a happy birthday(I tried to add it so you could hear how adorable it is but had some trouble). All the love is almost overwhelming! But the celebration doesn't end there. We're spending a relaxing day on the water today and hopefully picking up the Hunger Games DVD tonight! I still haven't seen the movie which is a sin considering how much I loved the books. Happy Saturday everyone!

Birthday Decorations at Work on Thursday

Babymoon...Wait, baby wha?

Doug and I are certainly not new to the idea of hopping in the car on a Friday night and taking off for a quick weekend trip. We are firm believers that you HAVE to take vacations. What's the point of working so hard if you can't enjoy the time you have off? Now, this isn't to say we don't have our responsible weekends at home. But we do prioritize and work in fun times with each other and friends. It could be a weekend in Asheville, spending the day at the beach or taking the dogs for a hike. Heck, we even flew up to PA for a skiing weekend last winter (which if any of you remember was ruined by us both coming down with the flu). We like adventures.

But from what I understand, these spontaneous and impromptu trips will lessen with the arrival of a new baby. We're certainly not going to become hobbits: I plan to continue to take my dogs and my baby as many places as I can. But in the beginning, our new parenting responsibilities and our financial situation will most likely keep us spending spare time locally and maybe even at home.

It's for this reason that several blogs, magazines and apps have recommended taking a babymoon, A babymoon is a trip you take before the baby comes to relax and spend time with your significant other and whoever else you choose. When I first started thinking about babymoons I wanted to go back to Azul Beach Hotel where were were married for our 2-year anniversary in October. But with the purchase of a new home and our other obligations, I'm afraid the chances of going to Mexico are getting slimmer and slimmer. So instead, I'm thinking we make the most of what we have locally and really cherish the alone time we have together.

Although we both have to work weekends, we're figuring out ways to work it out. For example, I switched a day off with my assistant manager so I can have my birthday (which is on a Friday) off as well as the following Saturday. This way Doug and I can enjoy a nice Friday evening and all Saturday together (hopefully boating!) September is going to be a BUSY month for both of us as well. One thing I'm looking forward to is joining Doug in Sebring for a racetrack weekend. We'll stay in a hotel, enjoy dinner out, and I can catch up on some reading while we are at the track. In October we may be able to stay at a friend's house on Daufuskie Island for a quiet and secluded weekend.

The point is we're planning in advance to make sure we have time for one another and ourselves. We can't just wait for a day to roll around, because it might not. Instead we're scheduling time and trips and looking forward to them! I'm marking days on my calendar to take the dogs to the beach and lay in the sun. I'm squeezing in time with friends that I may not see as much the first few weeks the baby is here. Soon our little girl will be here and our time will be greatly decreased. So now is the time!

Little Milestones and New Home Adventures

It's not really news to anyone that I've been feeling lots of movement from out little girl over the last several weeks. Honestly, feeling her kick and move around never gets old (or at least it hasn't yet). I absolutely love knowing she is healthy and active. 

But today I witnessed another pregnancy milestone. While sitting at work I noticed pretty consistent movement every few seconds for several minutes straight. I stopped from my daily work flow to feel it with my hand. As I looked down at my growing belly I actually saw her push through my skin (well, through my blouse because I usually work with a shirt on, lol). I have no idea if it was a foot, hand, elbow....but I know I saw it and it was incredible!

We're narrowing down our baby girl names and I can't wait to make a final decision. I know we shouldn't rush it, though, because it's something she and we will be saying for many years to come. So in the meantime I'm brainstorming ideas for her nursery. Doug's mom is coming to visit this weekend and I'm planning to have her help me with some baby room projects. I'll be sure to post pics on the progress. 

In other non baby-related news, Doug had an interesting owl confrontation last night. After I got home from work we ran out to Lowes, Home Depot and Target to pick up a few necessary items for the new house. As we were unloading the truck, Doug and I were talking about all the cool wildlife we get to see at our new house. So far I've seen deer, lizards, squirrels (including a black one which I'd never seen before) and a snake. Someone even saw an armadillo in my driveway! Doug asked if I'd seen the owl yet that is always hanging around. Apparently they are pretty territorial and will inhabit the same place for a very long time. As he's explaining exactly what the owl looks like to me I see the owl swoop down from behind Doug and come within 3 feet of his face! He was actually at eye level with Doug before turning and landing in a nearby tree. He was very fast, and appeared to be flying with a purpose! It was almost like he was challenging him for some reason! I asked Doug what he did to piss off the owl but all we could come up with was the perhaps he's irritated with us moving in to a space that had been vacant for a few years. The owl sat perched in the tree staring at us for a few minutes while we stood int he driveway. It was crazy!!

I wish I could have captured it on video. It was just too bizarre. I'll try to snap a photo of my new owl friend at the very least. After looking online I think it may have been a Barred Owl which is common to our area. Below is a photo of one I found in my search.

Have you ever had any crazy wildlife encounters like this?

Mom's Expo at Island Playground

Last Thursday Ashley and I attended the 2012 Mom's Expo held at Island Playground. We attended as vendors and set up a fantastic Arbonne table! This is the first time I've done an event like this, and I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Still, any opportunity to get in front of people and tell them about the fabulous products we offer is worth our while. So we loaded up products, fliers, a fold-up table, and more and headed to Island Playground.

Ashley and I have become pros at setting up and it took us only about 15 minutes. In addition to having our products on display we also put together an Arbonne Baby Care basket to raffle off. Ladies at the expo just filled out their contact information to be entered into the raffle. Extra bonus of the raffle: having 30+ women to now reach out to about Arbonne products! YAY!

The raffle was a definite success! It attracted people to our table and many were interested to learn about Arbonne. As we suspected, hardly anyone had heard of us before. Ashley and I are looking forward to following up with all our new prospects.

Some other perks of the expo were TONS of freebies and fun! Most tables had their own raffles and Island playground also raffled off items. Arbonne (Ashley and I) donated a few cosmetic and nutrition samples for Island Playground to include in their raffle. The also happily participated in Zumba and free chair massages!

Although I didn't win anything (I only entered my name into 3 raffles...I was busy chatting it up!), I did enjoy some tasty veggie wrap samples and trail mix. I also really enjoyed talking with the other vendors and the mom's who came to the event. All-in-all I'd say the event was a great success for us! We're hoping to really expand our Arbonne business here in Hilton Head. Our company has so much to offer. All we need is the opportunity to tell people about it and they always fall in love!