Babymoon

Jonathan and I decided to take advantage of the long Memorial Day weekend and take our last trip before the baby makes her arrival! Just like for our honeymoon, we wanted to pick somewhere that would be relaxing but still have a lot to do. Of course, wherever we went would have to be driving distance because I'm too far along to fly! It took a lot of debating because we've been to all the major cities within 3-6 hours away. We settled on a general Texas Hill Country trip. We stayed at a B&B in Canyon Lake which is about 20 minutes west of New Braunfels. That way, we could see some of the smaller towns we've skipped over in the past. We headed out Thursday evening since I could use my 9/80 schedule to take Friday off and Jonathan only had to take 1 day vacation. As per usual, we got a late start but that only meant we missed Houston rush hour! We got there pretty late so Thursday evening was pretty uneventful. Friday morning we woke up to lots of rain. We knew there was a chance of rain this weekend but I thought it was mostly forecasted for Monday. Well we got more rain than we expected but we still made the best of it. We decided to head to the San Marcos outlet mall since they have a Motherhood store. I figured if we were going to go we might as well go on Friday while people were at work and avoid the crowds. I got a few things to last me the next couple of months, including a dress for an upcoming wedding. Jonathan successfully found a few things at the Caphalon outlet store too. From there we decided to drive to Texas State University just because. I'm sure many of you know our weird obsession with visiting college campuses. Although I figured we wouldn't be able to blend in as well with my large baby belly haha. We mostly drove around because it was still rainy but we go tot see all the main sites. We decided to get out and walk to Old Main which was the original building of campus. It's supposedly known for it's gothic architecture but we were a little underwhelmed.

We found a pretty park!

Behold! Old Main!

TSU's stadium

From there we stopped for coffee before heading to Gruene, TX for dinner. We had dinner at Gruene River Grill which was really good! Afterwards we walked around and looked at all that Gruene has to offer. It's a pretty lively town! We found a few shops that were open and stopped at a few places that had live music. It turned out to be a surprisingly eventful evening!

Seriously good coffee!

My yummy dinner!

The view of the river from the restaurant.

They had pretty lights everywhere. Very romantic!

I loved the cool eclectic looking buildings!

On Saturday we drove out to Fredericksburg. The drive was scarier than we expected because it was all back roads full of curves and weird turns but we made it! We were plenty hungry when we got there so we knew our first stop had to be a good German restaurant! We stopped in at a place called Der Linderbaum and I got the weiner schnitzel and Jonathan got the sausage plate. It was so good I ate the whole thing! Ok maybe that normally might not be that big of a deal but it was seriously the most meat I'd eaten in one sitting since before I was pregnant. Delicious! From there we headed to the Pacific War museum since it was still raining some and it's a surprisingly famous museum. We had no idea how much they had there so we had to rush through some of it but it's really well done. I didn't realize how little I knew about the Pacific side of WWII and my grandfather was stationed in Okinawa during the war so it was really interesting to learn more about everything. We thought some of the museum was a little too much information overload and some parts went through things too quickly. We might suggest they make a few adjustments but overall it's a very well done museum. After we finished at the museum, the rain had passed and it was really beautiful outside. We had a little time before we planned on going to mass so we decided to browse a few stores. There's actually a lot to do in Fredericksburg and even more historical stuff we didn't get to see so we'll have to go back eventually. We went to church at St. Mary's which is one of the Hill Country's famous painted churches. It's a really pretty church but still feels quaint and homey. We were even asked to bring up the gifts. Made me feel special and was a first for us to do together. We still have firsts haha!

The museum had a gorgeous memorial courtyard area.

Plus really cool ship stuff from the war!

It's a really pretty area just to walk around even in drizzly weather.

The gorgeous church where we went to mass.

And just a little more German food before heading out!

On the last day of our trip we stayed in Canyon Lake, just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather! We've been to Canyon Lake before but didn't see much of the scenery. The day was pretty much just relaxing and enjoying the scenery and awesome weather! Check out our pictures!

Figured we had to get in some belly pictures!

One of the parks is along the dam and it's a great walk with quite a view!

We tried to figure out a way to get all the way out there but were unsuccessful :-(

View to the left!

View to the right! Amazing!

 

There are deer everywhere in Canyon Lake!

We ended the trip with a very tasty meal at an Italian restaurant and I took absolutely no pictures lol. You'll just have to trust me! We headed back to Houston just after breakfast the next morning. The drive home wasn't the easiest because we were followed by a huge storm the entire time! We were very happy to get home safely and spent the rest of the evening sprawled out on the couch. We were so grateful for having this opportunity to take a trip before baby girl arrives. Things have been so busy with work, doctor appointments, classes, getting stuff for baby, etc, it was really great to have a long weekend to spend so much together time. Traveling will definitely be different with a kid but we're so excited to get to take our baby girl on trips. We want to show her the world and can't wait!

-Chelsey

2nd Anniversary

It's crazy to say this but Jonathan and I just celebrated our 2nd anniversary last month! I know, I'm behind in my posting but I want to make sure to document this momentous occasion! What an old couple we're becoming! So much has happened in just 2 years but it still seems like yesterday. This year's celebration wasn't huge since we're just so busy but we definitely wanted to make it special. We set aside Sunday to celebrate meaning no housework, no chores, etc. We started the day with brunch at Phoenicia. Phoenicia is a great mediterranean grocery store that now has a location in downtown with a restaurant. We had never been to their brunch before so we wanted to try it out. We really enjoyed ourselves and they had a great live band.

Afterwards we headed to Hermann Park because Japan Fest just happened to be on our anniversary weekend again this year. I wonder if the timing will work out perfectly every year! We were able to see almost all of the festival before it started raining. I knew it was supposed to rain so I was just happy we got to shop around a little. We made our way back to the car and decided to stop at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and browse their gift shop while we waited for the rain to slow down. I know it sounds random but they have some fun things, including pretty cute onesies. We didn't get any but it gave me some ideas to DIY my own. We did end up getting an anniversary gift for both of us and the baby. We've come up with an animal/tree theme for the nursery and we came across an adorable embroidered owl. The 2nd anniversary gift is supposed to be cotton so we figured it fit the bill. I've tried not to buy too many things for the baby because I know she's already going to be spoiled. It was fun to buy something for us and her.

We came across this new art installation that we hadn't visited yet!

Next was mass and we made sure to go to St. Michaels where we got married. It's not our home parish anymore but we wanted to go and reminisce about our wedding day. We're pretty sappy lol. We finished the night with dinner at Benjy's. I make it difficult picking a restaurant with my pregnant food aversions (especially the no meat on it's own thing) so Benjy's seemed to have some good options for me to choose from. Jonathan got a cocktail and I ordered a shirley temple to toast to 2 years of marriage.

Lighting was difficult but they put my shirley temple in a wine glass so it looked all fancy!

On Monday, our actual anniversary, we decided to pick up a pizza from whole foods, have dinner on the couch, and watch our wedding video. I have to say our wedding was pretty awesome. I can't believe how much fun we all had! It was perfect to just relax and reminisce that day.

We picked up sparking tea from Whole Foods, so good!

Anniversary dessert!

I can barely believe that next year we'll have a nearly 1 year old on our anniversary! God is so good to us. We're still loving marriage just as much as day 1. It's interesting to think how much things are the same but different. We've definitely gotten into the groove of marriage. I know our groove will be completely thrown off when our girl arrives but it's exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Just like when we got married haha. Thanks to all our friends and family for always supporting us! We couldn't do it without you.

-Chelsey

We're homeowners!

Last month we closed on our very first house! We found an adorable 50 year old house that was recently renovated in the cutest little neighborhood. Best part is that we're still in central Houston, or inner loopers as people in the know would call us (since we're inside the 610 loop). The house is full of character and has plenty of room for our growing family! It's 3 bedrooms plus a study and an added on game room. Here are the pictures that were on the listing:

Our house! Look how pretty!

The dining room is at the front of the house.

Then the living room behind the dining room. The renovator opened the wall between the two rooms.

The study with gorgeous bay windows!

Awesome kitchen and breakfast nook!

The sunroom which is off the living room and the back of the house.

What will be the baby's room!

The guest bathroom, master bath is smaller but still very nice!

Master bedroom which is at the back of the house.

The backyard! Ready for our baby girl to run around in!

And that's our awesome house! I still can't believe it's ours! We're still unpacking and working on getting things like blinds but it's coming together well! I can't wait to have everything done so we can have a house warming party!

-Chelsey

Baby is growing!

Sorry for not really posting lately. Things have been crazy busy! Just to catch you up, we bought a house! I'll have to post pictures later but I'll just tell you that our house is awesome! Can't wait to have our little one running around in it (I'm sure I'll take back that comment later). So between buying a house, moving, and unpacking, I haven't been the best at documenting my pregnancy. I'm sure everyone's dying for some belly pictures so I will make you wait no longer...

17 weeks!

23 weeks!

Baby girl is definitely growing! I'm not feeling huge yet but I'm getting there. We had another ultrasound at 20 weeks and she was moving around a lot! It was really exciting to see her so active! It confirmed that it's definitely a girl! At the beginning of the ultrasound she was in the right position for us to confirm that. Then right after she crossed her legs like a good modest girl! It was hilarious and adorable! Everything looked normal in the ultrasound so that is great news!

I thought I would give a recap of how pregnancy has been for me. It hasn't always been the easiest but it's been exciting nonetheless. During my first trimester I didn't get too nauseous but I definitely had the chills. They would come more at night and were definitely tough to deal with seeing as this was the coldest winter in pretty much forever! The chills are normal with pregnancy though. It's actually more common to have hot flashes but chills are not uncommon. I was also super tired, another normal pregnancy symptom! I'd come home from work, put together dinner, and then crash at around 8:30. Jonathan did many dishes early on in my pregnancy haha. I couldn't believe how tired I was all the time. Growing a human being really is hard work! Nausea wasn't too bad for me early in my pregnancy but really ramped up at the end of my first trimester/beginning of second trimester. It wasn't really subsiding like you'd expect it to during the second trimester. Luckily my doctor had a few over the counter suggestions that helped a lot! I'm happy to report that I'm now feeling mostly normal and have been able to be productive and do things again! I'm not the type of person who just lays around so it was a bit difficult for a few months. Jonathan was the most supportive husband though. He would say all the right things when I was feeling bad and took care of everything while I spent a lot of time on the couch! Lately my main pregnancy symptom has been headaches. According to my doctor this is caused by all the hormones going through my body. Headaches are a nuisance but they are much easier to deal with! I also have another great symptom to report: kicks!!! It took me awhile to realize that I was feeling kicks as opposed to gas bubbles. They surprisingly feel very similar. It's really exciting to feel her move around! She goes crazy sometimes! Jonathan is really anxious to feel her too. He's tried but I think she's too small still for others to feel her. Well I think that gets me up to date with how she and I are doing. I'll be back soon with pictures of our new house!

-Chelsey

We have some news...

We're so excited to announce that we're expecting our first child sometime around July 24th! We've gotten to see our beautiful baby a few times on ultrasound. It's the size of a lemon already! Lucky for us, because of modern technology we've already found out the sex of the baby! Our amazing friends decided to throw us a gender reveal party so we could find out with a few close friends friends and family. They baked a cake that was either blue or pink on the inside so we'd cut into it and find out! Our place was decked out in pink and blue. It was adorable!

Is it a boy or girl???

According to the votes more people though it was a boy but....

It's a girl!!!!

We can't believe it! We're having a girl!!! She'll be the first Nassar girl born in over 60 years! We can't wait to meet our baby girl. Now we have to pick out a name! A task that seems very daunting to me lol. We'll keep you updated on her progress. Get ready to be bombarded with baby pictures once she arrives!

-Chelsey

One for the books!

This past Sunday was my birthday and boy was I spoiled! (So this is how long ago I started writing this post. Then I got a little behind so I hope you don't mind stepping back in time 2 1/2 months with me!) He started my birthday celebration early and we went straight from work on Thursday to the Bayou Bend Gardens and Collection for their Sip and Stroll event. We got to tour the entire house (previously owned by Ima Hogg) and munch on cheese and wine while strolling the gardens. The weather was amazing and I could have sat out there forever! Afterwards Jonathan insisted that we pick up tapioca tea which happens to be my favorite before we headed home. I didn't want to ask too many questions since Jonathan was being all secretive so I wasn't sure if we were in for the night or not. Well around 9 Jonathan said that we had to get going, to where I didn't know. Turns out he had made reservations for us a Uchi, a restaurant I'd been dying to go to forever! The food was amazing! Unfortunately none of my pictures came out too well since the restaurant was really dark.

I had Friday off so Jonathan took the day off to spend time with me. I started Friday with a boot camp class in the morning and it totally kicked my butt! Afterwards, I rushed home because Jonathan had made sure that I knew that I had to be home before 11. He brought me kolaches for breakfast, I quickly changed, and after 5-10 minutes we were back in the car. We didn't drive very far until we got to my next surprise: a couples massage! Jonathan was definitely spoiling me! We had a lovely 1 hour super relaxing massage. Afterwards, we went to lunch at Revival market and surprise, Rachel was there! She brought me flowers and a cross that she bought when she was visiting Zagreb, Croatia. Ok so after all of that I was sure we were done with the surprises. Except Jonathan and Rachel were acting all weird. Jonathan took my presents from me and said that I should ride home with Rachel. That was quite suspicious.... turns out Rachel took us to get our nails done! I think this was the most I've ever been pampered in one day! Funny story, while I was getting my nails done the lady was asking me about something but she didn't speak very good English. She said something about there being 2 so I nodded thinking she meant my hands or something. Yes I do have two hands... But then she said, there used to be 3. I kind of looked at her in horror but she explained more pointing at me then Rachel and saying, 'where's three?' She was referring to Colleen who often joins us. I tried not to laugh too much to make her feel bad but I was cracking up inside lol. Plus I was much relieved to hear she didn't think I had three hands. After all that pampering I was wondering if there could still be anything left but the rest of the day was pretty chill. Just what I needed because I was pretty much in a tranquil state after all that pampering. That night we went to my parents for a birthday dinner. They gave me really cool gifts from Alaska!

Saturday was day 1 of 2 of the scavenger hunt extravaganza! We signed up for 2 scavenger hunts that weekend that were both on foot and in the Midtown and Downtown areas. If you haven't noticed by now we're pretty obsessed with scavenger hunts. I especially like these official ones b/c you just show up and participate, no planning involved. It was really fun and the weather was beautiful! We were all exhausted by the end of it because the sun was so bright and zapped our energy. Sunday morning Jonathan surprised me one last time with a birthday brunch at El Real. He just told me that he thought he wanted to go there and then Rachel, Colleen, and Christine were there waiting for us! If I learned anything from that weekend it's that if Jonathan's decisive about where we're going to eat then something's up. We finished the weekend up with another scavenger hunt and I'm pretty a sure long nap for each of us. We were pretty spent. I think we'd walked about 10 miles total that weekend. So I think this birthday was truly one for the books! I truly have the best friends in the world and can't believe they'd do so much just for my birthday! I'm a pretty lucky girl! Check out our photos!

Chelsey

Opa!

This weekend we celebrated my dad's birthday by going to the Greek Festival. I had only been once before on a rainy day so I wanted a do-over. This morning was dark and rainy but around noon the clouds parted and the temps dropped to an amazing mid-50s! I have been waiting for this day since the temps moved to the high 90s in June and stubbornly stayed there for over 3 months! So with such great weather we had to head off to Greek Fest. We enjoyed gyros and baklava while listening to greek music and saw Greek dance performaces. It was well worth the trip. 

In line to get our gyros!

We got  the cathedral which was gorgeous.

I loved the stained glass.

So many people!

The dancers!

Their costumes were awesome!

We had a great time. Houston has so many festivals and I haven't found a bad one yet. Coming up next weekend is the Bayou City Art Festival. Hopefully we'll make it out to that one too! Ren Fest (Renaissance Festival) starts up soon too which is a required event for us every year. October's going to be a fun month!

-Chelsey