Destination Weddings: A Success Story

Now, I LOVED my wedding! I loved planning it, I loved the DIY projects (and they were mostly DIY projects), and I loved having my friends and family there.

HOWEVER, once we were about two weeks away from the big day, I suddenly appreciated the appeal and attraction of the "destination wedding." No seating charts, no invite lists, no DJ, no caterers (although I LOVED my caterers over at Toast Catering)... no craziness.

My brother and his adorable wife took that approach this month, and they're still celebrating!

So, they got married officially at the San Diego Courthouse (which, by the way, offers services outside by the ocean under a beautiful arbor during the week of Valentine's Day). Amongst them were a handful of their closest friends and family.

(Oh, and how CUTE does my sis-in-law look????)

After the ceremony, we all went to dinner and had a great time. Two days later, my brother and his wife flew with their 4 closest friends to Thailand. They travelled and partied for a few (which could be crazy in Thailand, let's be real) before having a marriage ceremony on the beach today, February 29th. This ceremony had everything they wanted - a sunset, close friends, beautiful weather and a lantern-lighting ceremony!

(Not my brother's pic, but found it here.)

This, followed by two more weeks of traveling, is how my brother and his wife decided to get hitched. And they've had no regrets!!

Pregnancy: Week 13

GOOODBYYYYE Morning Sickness!!! (Hello, Exhaustion..)

Woohoo! It feels SO good to not be sick anymore! As many soon-to-be moms in the first Trimester, I feared this day would never come! Luckily for me, it did! (Although I can't tell you how many women I bumped into over the past few weeks who said, 'I was sick the entire pregnancy.')

Which brings me to a very important point: when you're pregnant, don't take pregnancy crap from other women! Don't let them tell you how your pregnancy is going to be! And don't let the dramas of their pregnancies overwhelm you!! For better (or worse), no one know what pregnancy will be like for you - you have to trust that your body will do everything in its power to create a healthy baby and try not to stress yourself out.

This week, Baby Center gave me this description of junior's development:

"Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce."

Wow! If I'm having a girl, she's already got all of her eggs! It's amazing!


(By the way, What to Expect says baby is the size of a peach this week, which I find slightly cuter...)

Other notable info for this week:

1. This is officially the last week of Trimester 1. People commonly call Week 12 the transition into the second trimester, however, that is based on the assumption that a pregnancy lasts 9 months and not 40 weeks.
2. Increased libido around this time (Watch out!)
3. Food Intake: Pregnant women really only need an additional 300 calories a day. Considering the fact that that's basically a bowl of cereal, it certainly takes the fun out of stuffing one's face. 
4. Headaches: Now, one must confirm this little gem with one's own OB/GYN, but I was elated to be told by my doctor that a little caffeine can be used to help with headaches! She, of course, prefaced this by saying that I need to be drinking 2 liters of water a day (yikes!), but a small amount of caffeine can take the headache away (and boy did it!).

Pregnancy: Week 12

My hubby felt the baby kick for the first time tonight!!

This week is the marker for the end of the first trimester. I wish my morning sickness was over! Alas, it seems to be getting worse! I manage to live off of croissants and Costco-size boxes of Cheez-its. (That's right, don't judge me!) If I manage to avoid gaining more than 30 pounds by the end of it, it'll be a modern miracle! My gag reflex is on high alert, but hopefully it'll pass soon. I miss veggies...

This week, the baby is the size of a... PLUM!!! (Yum... plums!)

Wow, how fast they grow!!!

Pregnancy: Week 10

Oh, man! The first trimester is almost over! I hope the nausea ends soon!! Seriously, it's getting beyond old! Thank goodness for spearmint gum and mouthwash - they're only things saving me these days.
This week, baby is the size of a lime!!

Flowers

100 Layer Cake featured these beauties from the "The Little Branch" floral shop in LA:

Pregnancy: Week 9

Woohoo! One more week under the belt (Errrm... the high-waist belt). This week, junior is almost an inch long! The food association for this week is the....

Grape!

 While the morning sickness is still far from over, it seems more manageable. Perhaps I'm getting used to it? Perhaps it's slowly ending?? Who knows! I just hope the end is near. It typically ends at the transition between the first and second trimester.

This week, we've got the tongue, lips and nose developing, as well as eyelids!