being a new mom means...

My sweet baby girl has been here for just one month now, but life before her is becoming a distant memory. She brings so much joy to my days. She's sweet and cuddly and is starting to smile. She's interacting with us and is so expressive now! She sleeps pretty well for the most part, and we seem to be getting into a good night time routine of just one middle of the night feeding. I love her more than I ever thought possible and my heart seems to fill up more and more every single day watching her change and grow. Cute doesn't even begin to describe her!

I've only been a mom for a short time, but I've learned a lot already and I thought I'd share my thoughts with my friends that are thinking about having kids or are patiently awaiting their little ones' arrivals. So, here it goes: Being a new mom means...

1. Emotions are at an all-time high. I'm not talking about postpartum hormonal emotional breakdowns (although those are REAL, too). I'm talking about the ugly crying that takes place while you're simply rocking your baby to sleep and just thinking about how quickly she is going to grow up, or while you're reading her "On the Night You Were Born" or "Love you Forever." I've cried more in this last month than I have in the last 25 years. 
2. Making eggplant parmesan with one hand because your baby doesn't want to be put down but you insist on making a good meal so you can feel a little bit normal again. Good news - it was just as good as if I had made it with both hands!
3. Learning to control your bladder. When you finally get your baby to sleep after hours of whining and crying, and all of a sudden you have to pee... too bad! Hold it!
4. Feeling like you can grow 2-4 more arms at any point in the day, depending on your to-do list. I thought I knew what multi tasking was... until I had Madison. Pumping both sides while feeding her a bottle, talking to a doctor on the phone, and throwing a toy for the dog. I wouldn't believe it could happen if I didn't experience it!
5. Cherishing the sound, or lack-there-of, of a sleeping baby. It's amazing how nap time will motivate you to move mountains! Or just clean your house for the first time in weeks...
6. Not getting upset when your baby outgrows her newborn clothes. I'm still working on this one.
7. Laughing at the gross stuff. The poonamis, the spit up, the snot, the cough/farts. For some reason, it all ends up being cute when it comes out of your baby!
8. Fighting back the tears when your husband asks you out on a date for the first time after the baby is born. Best feeling ever.
9. The hours in the day seem to go faster than they did before. Before you know it, it's dinner time and you haven't even had lunch yet. Thank goodness for patient husbands and freezer meals!
10. You won't even think about shopping for yourself anymore because buying clothes for your little one is so.much.more.fun. You won't have any money leftover for yourself, anyways.
11. Lastly, being a new mom means sacrifice. Sacrificing your bikini body (ha!), your hygiene on some days, your sleep on some nights, your alone time, your freedom to go anywhere or do anything you want to, your budget, and so much more. But, I can whole-heartedly say that the happiness, joy, and love that this baby has brought to our life far outweighs the sacrifice that it takes. She is the light of my life and my biggest accomplishment. I'm so proud and honored to have the privilege of being her mom.

There you have it. My first blog post in a long time! Number 12: You have very little time to do anything "extra." I can't believe my baby is one month old already. Time is flying!

glamorous

35 days just sounds shorter than 5 weeks. However you want to look at it, that's how far away we our from our baby's due date. We are so very ready for her to get here! We have everything she could possibly need, and then some. She can choose to sleep in a bassinet/pack and play, a rock and play, a swing, or her crib. She has a lot of clothes in all different sizes (thank you Carter's clearance sales), just in case she's a miniature or giant baby. She has enough blankets to build an epic pillow fort and still have some leftover to cuddle with. And I have a pretty impressive stock of diapers already. I know the "stock-up" prices for each size, so I've been clipping my coupons and doing my research for a few months now. Call me a nerd, but I'm saving us money! Her hospital bag is totally packed and ready, mine is half-way there, and I want to install the carseat ASAP. Mostly just so I can stare at it and imagine a baby being in there...

She is always on the move - not so much kicks and jabs, but more rolling or wave motions. She gets the hiccups about four times a day. Adorable and annoying. When she's stretching, I can feel her whole body through my stomach and I like to pretend I'm holding her in my hands. I just cant wait to meet this sassy girl that has completely stolen my heart! Everyone keeps telling me that she's dropped, but I don't feel any different. At my last appointment the doctor said she was head-down, which I figured because of where I feel her hiccups. Hopefully she stays that way! I'll be going to the doctor every week now until she's born. I'm starting to feel more and more anxious about delivery day, because I just know that there's nothing I can do to really prepare myself. Anything could happen - good or bad - and all I can do is try to remain calm and trust that my body will know what to do and that my doctors and nurses will take care of me and my baby. I've kept a really good attitude during this whole pregnancy and committed to the "go with the flow" mentality very early on, and I think that's helped to keep things going smoothly. I have a general idea of what to expect, but I refuse to stress myself out over the endless possibilities. We are preparing to experience a whole new normal in our lives, and it's so very exciting. We're as ready as we can be.

I've finally started to feel pregnant and let me tell you, it's as g-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s as Fergie. I fall asleep on the couch before 9 every night. I can't wash the dishes or brush my teeth facing the sink - I have to stand sideways. Scout can't sit on my lap in the car because there isn't enough room between my belly and the steering wheel anymore. I grunt and my face turns red every time I sit down or stand up or bend over, and rolling out of bed takes even more preparation or warm up than it did before. Speaking of standing up, every single time I stand up I have to pee. It doesn't matter if I went 10 minutes before - I still have to go again. I gave up on my wedding rings, which makes me a little sad. Some days they do fit, but I just don't want to risk getting them stuck. My feet and ankles swell every.single.night. and it's extremely uncomfortable. It makes cooking or cleaning up after work difficult and that frustrates me. Luckily they do go back to normal by morning. I'm fortunate to have a nice, helpful husband on those rougher days! They're also not kidding when they say your feet can grow during pregnancy. I have only been able to wear my electric blue crocs or a 10 year old pair of flip flops for weeks now, but those flip flops broke this weekend. I had to go buy new black crocs so I had something to wear to work. Like I said, nothing but glamour here! Soaking my feet in cold water or laying on the floor and putting them up on the wall does help, but I just don't have enough time after work to do all that most days. I HATE these long 10.5 hour summer work days, but I do LOVE having Fridays off. It's a toss up! These are just the PG things that happen when you're going into your ninth month of pregnancy... you don't want to hear about the other glamorous stuff...

In other news, we changed her name. I'm glad I didn't tell anyone too many people because I had a feeling this would happen! We just feel better about this name (a name we've been thinking about since day one, actually), but I guess we won't know for sure until we meet her! Maybe we'll go back to the original, or maybe we'll pick something totally new... like Janice or Electra.

I won't be mad if she decides to come a little bit early. I don't want to wish this time away and I don't want her to come before she's ready, but I think I'll be much happier with her in my arms instead of in my body. I'm already not sleeping well, so I'm ready for those long nights. I do think I'm going to miss feeling her move inside, but the joy of having her here in real life totally trumps that. I have so many hopes and dreams for this girl, but most of all I just hope she always remembers how loved she is. I hope she's brave and kind. I hope she's always grateful and light-hearted. I hope she's outgoing and open-minded. And I hope she has her daddy's smarts and green eyes. Whoever she is, I will love her forever and ever amen.

the great migration

Settling into our new house has been so easy. Don't get me wrong, we loved our house in Garner - but this new place just feels like home. It's big, it's bright, and it's comfortable. I love that there is a closet or a cabinet or a spot for everything. Nothing is crowded or hidden. I absolutely love our neighborhood, too! It's small, but it's full of sidewalks and it's so well-kept. I'm not afraid to walk Scout alone now! It makes me excited for all the walks we will take pushing our little tiny in her stroller. And one day, her daddy will teach her to ride a bike on those streets while I stand in the driveway screaming and crying. Oh, the feels.

We had some really great help moving - nine additional sets of hands! I'm so grateful for those friends and my parents because I just couldn't be all that helpful. I did supply the food, though! Equally important if you ask me. We were able to get all moved out/in in roughly four hours with very few dings or scratches and only one casualty... the washing machine. I'll just tell you, finding out your washing machine is broken AFTER you load it and add soap and water isn't really the best situation. But, my mom came to the rescue in the meantime and then we were able to get a new one in just a few days. Crisis averted, and I love my new one!

I think my favorite room in the house is the master bedroom/bathroom/closet. It's double the size of our old room, and the closet fits more clothes, shoes, and accessories than we could ever own. Just to give you perspective, my clothes were spread out in three closets in our old house. Now, every single item I own can fit in a little more than one half of this closet. It's will be a great place for me to hide (and nap) from my children one day. As for the bathroom, the fact that we each have our own sink brings me joy like I can't explain. We can brush our teeth at the same time! Taking second place in the favorite room competition is the pantry.

We've gotten most decorations up, blinds installed, and we've purchased the few pieces of furniture we needed to complete some rooms; a kitchen table and an awesome flea market dresser for me. We also found a changing table at our favorite thrift store for $11 and it was in perfect condition. Payton threw a coat of paint on it and voila! Our fence will be going up within the next month, and I can't wait for that to be done. Poor Scoutie misses being able to run free! And, the best news of all... we rented our house in Garner! I can't tell you how good it feels to have that stress gone. The property management company we hired to handle the rental process has been absolutely terrible. Including, but not limited to, the fact that they told us the renters were moving in on June 1st, when in fact their contract said July 1st...

Here are a few pictures on the house (mostly from closing day). It looks much more lived in now!

Kitchen

Kitchen

The Glorious Pantry

Dining room

Front entrance

Hall bathroom

Living room

Living room - Payton made all of the tables

Back deck

Messy master bedroom - showing off my flea market dresser (the white one)

seven months!

Now that things have calmed down on the home front(s), we've been able to dive into some important baby things! I'm working on a post all about the house, but I need to remember to upload pictures.

Most importantly, we've made it to the third and final trimester! I passed my glucose test so I'm just hoping we can continue to have a healthy pregnancy for these last 10ish weeks. This girl is moving like crazy these days. I can actually see it happening, which is a little creepy but also really awesome. In fact, I think I could actually feel the outline of her leg the other night which made me scream a little bit and freaked Payton out. She's getting so big! We are so excited to meet her and kiss her and squeeze her and share her name and dress her. I'm still having shopping problems. The only purchase Payton isn't mad at me for is the $11 changing table we bought at our favorite thrift store last weekend. He put a fresh coat of paint on it and it's the perfect addition to her nursery! Our baby shower is next weekend and I'm so excited to share this excitement with so many of my wonderful friends! And to eat cake...

We've toured two daycares already, and we are seeing two more tomorrow. It's bittersweet for me, because I've always dreamed of being a stay at home mommy. I've fully accepted that I'll be going back to work after 12 weeks at home with her, but it doesn't make it any easier. I do know that I'll cherish every single second with her in those 12 weeks, though! I am, surprisingly, getting really excited about the daycare options. Every baby in those rooms looked so happy, content, and loved by the teachers. They were so social - even the tiny ones! We're on a waitlist (yes, a waitlist for NOVEMBER) for one place that we absolutely love, but we'll see how these next two visits go. We also have our hospital tour next week!

Things are getting more and more real as the days go on, and I'm also feeling more and more pregnant. I had sciatica last week, but luckily it's gone now. My feet have outgrown all but two pairs of my sandals, and my ankles (cankles) stay swollen. I'm feeling more tired lately so I wish napping at my desk wasn't frowned upon. Also, pregnancy has given a whole new meaning to the term "rolling out of bed." I literally have to roll out of bed. But even if things just go downhill from here, I have gone seven whole months without any complications or pains or complaints and I couldn't be more thankful for that!

25 weeks

I hit the 25 week mark yesterday. That just doesn't seem possible! Almost into my seventhh month and third trimester. I have been so unbelievably fortunate to have such an enjoyable pregnancy (so far), which is probably why it feels like it's gone by so quickly! I might be kicking myself here in a few weeks for saying that :)

I'm sporting quite the baby belly these days, and I love having a *very* visible reminder that I'm carrying our precious little girl. She moves the most after meals or when I drink apple juice. Payton has been able to feel her a few times, but she gave him a big old kick last weekend and it was so much fun.

Baby No Name (she really does have a name, but that's for us to know and you to find out... when she's born. Or, you can just hang out with my mother. She's let it slip a few times...) is somewhere around a pound and a half and more than a foot long this week. That is just plain weird. She has way too many clothes already, but at least I've been good to get all different sizes. I've had no self control with baby clothes or bows, but I'm getting better. I told myself at the beginning that I wouldn't be that girl, but I am. I totally am. Now I'm freaking out a little bit because I don't have anything she'll actually need! Her crib arrives at our new house today - we waited to order it so we wouldn't have to move it, and she gets to use her mommy's bedroom set that she got for her 16th birthday (thanks Grammy and Big G!), but those are the only things we have covered.

ATTENTION ALL MOMMY FRIENDS: What the heck to babies REALLY need? I would absolutely love any and all input. And, if you have recommendations of brands or products to stay away from or that I simply must have, PLEASE share! I've done a lot of research, but I know I can trust you people! I love the zipper sleeper and baby gown advice, so keep that coming!

Still sleeping well, aside from the 3:00am potty break. And supposedly I've taken up snoring. But that's debatable. Still no real cravings other than pink lemonade and pickled jalapenos, but I like juice with seltzer water. It's like a fake mimosa! I miss Jersey Mike's subs and sushi... a lot. I do believe a sub will be my first post-birth food request. That, and a Magic Hat #9. No weird symptoms, very little weight gain, no unusual mood swings. One stretch mark on my stomach. I'm telling you, I cannot complain about a dang thing. Sometimes my feet hurt after standing for a while, and they seem to be a little fatter than normal. And yesterday I peed like 47 times. That's about as bad as it's been. Everyone always asks me how I'm feeling, and when I say, "Great!" they say, "Oh, you just wait." Why? Why can't they just say, "That's wonderful!" instead of telling me how HORRIBLE it's going to be to be pregnant in the summer. I'll stay inside. Or how TERRIBLE it's going to be to have a Leo baby. Thanks, because I can change that now. And what the hell is that even supposed to mean? Or how DREADFUL it is to raise a girl. Seriously? I'm a girl... Or how AWFUL I'm going to feel any day now! So it's unheard of for someone to enjoy a pregnancy? I just appreciate the positive comments so much more now, and that's all I'm going to say.

A post on our new house coming soon! We officially move in on Saturday, with the help of some really, really awesome friends and my parents. I can't tell you how excited and grateful we are...

so many questions.

It's true what they say... you'll KNOW when you start feeling your baby move. I've been questioning it for about a week now, but in the last few days I've realized that this is without a doubt the real deal. As I'm typing this, she's either swimming laps or practicing somersaults. It's the strangest, creepiest, most wonderful, amazing thing I've ever experienced. The reality of this whole mommy situation has skyrocketed. Her daddy isn't very happy that he can't feel it yet, but he'll get his chance soon enough! I just love her so much.

It's about time to for us to start thinking about the important things. A list of questions race through my mind every day, and without fail, I add at least five more by the time I go to sleep at night.

Do we really need to take a birthing class?

When do we tour the hospital?

What is my birth plan? Do I even have one?

What gear will she actually NEED as a newborn?

What diapers will fit her best?

Do I really need a $800 stroller/car seat for her to be safe?

How many outfits will she go through in a day? Will she ever even wear half the crap people buy her?

Will daycare or a nanny be the better option for her?

Should I meet multiple pediatricians before I commit to one?

Will Scout eat all of her toys?

Do I really want people visiting us in the hospital?

Will I be able to keep her name a secret until she's born? Will Payton kill me if I let it slip?

What the heck do I put in my hospital bag, realistically? Shouldn't Payton have a hospital bag, too?

I've had such an easy pregnancy so far... will this baby give me a run for my money when she's born?

Shouldn't I be more worried, stressed, freaked out, or panicked? Why am I so calm?

Where do we start? It's completely overwhelming. But, for some very odd reason, I'm not stressed and I'm not scared. Sure, I'm anxious because this brings a level of responsibility you can't exactly prepare for, but I'm at peace. I never thought I was a "go with the flow" type of person, but that's the attitude I've taken on with this pregnancy. Maybe it's because our lives are crazier than ever and there are a million other things to think about. Maybe it's because I'm confident that we're as ready as we'll ever be to become parents. Maybe it's because I have a husband that is already the best daddy I could ever dream of for my children. Maybe it's because I've never been more excited about anything in my life. I don't know. But I do know that all of these questions will get answered and we'll handle every bit of it to the best of our abilities. We'll love this girl as hard as we can for the rest of our lives, and that's never been a question.

sugar and spice...

... and everything nice; that's what little GIRLS are made of!

At our anatomy scan ultrasound last Thursday, we found out we are having a baby girl! More importantly, this tiny human is measuring right on track for her August 10th due date. She looks absolutely perfect, which is the best news we could ever hear. I could have watched her squirm on that screen all day long. We saw her cross her legs and put her hand behind her head, and I just enjoyed seeing her as they measured every little piece of her precious body. How can I love something so much just by a black and white image on a screen? I can't wait to meet her.

Everyone thought she was going to be a boy. I didn't have a "feeling" either way, but we have had SO MANY girls in both of our families recently (and by so many, I mean eight in a row with only one boy in the mix...) that we just assumed it was time for a boy! I saw that she was a girl before the tech said it, and I was surprised that I felt so shocked! I don't think I would have been shocked if she said boy. After that, all I felt was pure excitement and happiness. I have dreamed of having a daughter for as long as I can remember - what girl hasn't? I hope she loves me as much as I love my mom. I also secretly hope she loves horses, although Payton feels MUCH differently :) To think that Snowy could teach my daughter even some of what he taught me brings tears to my eyes. I love that my mom and I will get to share that with her (even if she decides it's not her cup of tea - we've got to try!). Also, my brother never once accepted the fact that he could possibly have a nephew, so I'm absolutely thrilled that I get to give him the niece he wanted. I can't wait to see him as an uncle! As for my dad (you can call him Big G from now on) and Payton, I can't wait to laugh at them as they try not to cry. She's going to steal their hearts from the second she's born, I just know it!

By the way, she does have a name. A really good name. But, we aren't sharing it yet. Sorry!

I will say, though, it seems like everyone else in the world feels bad for us because we're having a girl. I have pretty much only gotten the, "Oh, you're in for a treat! Girls are a handful!" comments. Why do other women feel like they can say anything to pregnant ladies? Just because you had a certain type of child, doesn't mean everyone else will have the same experience. If I wanted your opinion or advice, I'd ask for it. I try not to let it bother me, but I've wanted to slap a lot of people in the last four months. That will probably get worse as the weeks go on...

In other news, we got the official closing date for our new house! Dry wall is up, siding is up, and it's all so exciting (and beautiful). We also put our current house up for rent yesterday - yikes! There is so much going on in our lives right now and I'm trying not to stress about it. Let's just hope it all continues to go smoothly!

Also, Scout is doing much better. We finally figured out that he sliced his chest open on a rolled up pile of old chain link that was buried under a pile of leaves. We had no idea it was there - it must have been there since we moved in. He's been wearing his tshirt to prevent him from messing with the wound, so I think that's helped to heal it. He's going to the vet today to get it checked, but I think we'll get a good report. Poor baby... that was not a fun experience!

house and baby update

The ice and snow may have prevented me from going to work for the last two weeks (#freevacation), but life never stopped moving! Our house is looking amazing - the weather slowed them down a little bit, but I believe our predicted closing date remains the same at this point. We have been able to walk through the house a few times now and it is so much fun to see each room! My favorite "room" is the pantry...

Our pre-drywall orientation is next week, which means the plumbing and electrical will be finished and walls can start going up! I'm sure the builder will just LOVE Payton - I imagine he'll be bringing his tape measure, level, square, and many other tools to make sure everything is perfect. I laugh, but he's pretty nice to have around :)

Here she is, in all her glory!

As for LBC (Little Baby Craddock), he/she is g.r.o.w.i.n.g. People at work are starting to ask me if I'm expecting and claim that they "noticed a few weeks ago." Really? Because I wasn't showing a few weeks ago... rude. Anyways, I definitely look pregnant now. I'm 4 months (or 17 weeks) today. We find out if we are having a boy or a girl in 9 days, 21 hours, and 50 minutes. Or March 12th at 8:45am, whatever. For some reason, we're both feeling girl this week. We've kind of thought boy all along, so I don't know what changed - we're just so excited to finally know!

I'm still feeling great. I'm not sleeping as well as I used to, but I have always slept like a rock so that really isn't so bad. It might have something to do with the fact that I fall asleep on the couch every night for 2 hours before bed. And I definitely have lots of strange dreams! I haven't really had many cravings, but my current favorite food items are pickled jalapenos, pink lemonade, and pineapple (not all together). I really miss sandwiches, but a veggie sub can satisfy that if I'm desperate! Water is my friend. I can absolutely tell if I haven't had enough water because my fingers start to feel swollen and I get a headache. That seems to go away as soon as I drink a glass, but my body definitely tells me when I need it. I'm most excited about feeling baby move here in the next few weeks, and finally being able to call him/her by a (real) name! 

Stay tuned for gender announcement next week! Are you team boy or team girl?

Little Baby Craddock!

I feel like I've been keeping our big, exciting news a secret for an eternity. We found out I am pregnant on December 8th... literally one day after we found the land for our new house. So within a matter of five days, we were not only signing papers to build our brand new house, but we also became parents! I don't think I could ever explain in words how excited we are. Payton and I have been talking about this for years, and it's finally here! It's so surreal. Our tiny human is due August 10, 2015. We close on our house (hopefully) on April 28th, so we should have plenty of time to get settled and FINALLY get a nursery set up! It's basically done in my head, but I'm trying really hard not to buy anything much until we move. We'll see how long that lasts...

I am 12 weeks pregnant today. Overall, I have felt really good! Right around Christmas I was exhausted and a little nauseous, but I absolutely cannot complain. Baby has been very easy on me so far! I'll have to remember to thank him/her when he/she is here and keeping me up all night :) I've been to the doctor a few times, but only have pictures from our first visit when we had an ultrasound. We heard the heartbeat and saw the little peanut - an experience I will never forget! Even though we don't have more pictures to share, we do know that the baby is still doing really well and everything looks great. I don't think I'll have another ultrasound until our anatomy scan in March... where we will find out the gender if he/she cooperates! I have had dreams about a baby boy, but I truly have no feeling about the gender. We will be completely thrilled either way. All I know is that we are so freaking excited to find out what baby is!

Thank you all so much for the congratulations and well wishes. It means so much to us to have the support of our friends and family during this crazy, exciting, beautiful time in our lives! We are more than happy to share some baby cuddles with all of you, come August :)

year one: check.

I haven't blogged in months, mostly because life has just been pleasantly boring. I also haven't quite come to terms with the fact that we've been married for OVER a year now.What? Let's rewind a bit...

October is my favorite month. I love fall colors, clothes, and weather, and I also love that it marks the beginning of holiday season. And now, I have even more to look forward to when October arrives. Our anniversary! We decided to splurge and celebrate our first year of marriage with a trip to Mexico. We booked this trip back in March or April, so we looked forward to it for so long!

We stayed at the Valentin Imperial Maya resort in Riviera Maya. It's an adult only, all inclusive, b-e-a-utiful resort and we enjoyed every minute of our time there. Part of that might have been because they accidentally gave us a swim-up suite (a room that normally costs an additional $100 per night), but the rest of the place was pretty nice too! We arrived before lunch on Friday and met our friends who also decided to celebrate their anniversary at the same place! It was SO nice to see familiar faces when we arrived! We ate at the Japanese restaurant the first night, which is how we discovered just how big the resort was. You see, we got lost. Really lost. The map said the restaurant was "building 13," but it wasn't until we went to the opposite end of the resort that we realized there were 2 "building 13s." Did I mention that it's hot in Mexico? We finally made it and had a yummy Kanki-type meal. We then went to the sports bar where the boys got to play darts and we played drunken Jenga for hours. On Saturday, we went on an excursion to snorkel with sea turtles, ride ATVs, and explore an underground cave called a cenote. Despite the fact that we were in the van for about 2 hours there and back, it was an amazing day. You guys KNOW how I feel about turtles. Oh.My.Gosh. We snorkeled in Akumal Bay and I was beside myself - screaming through my snorkel - when I saw my first turtle. They are huge and adorable and it took everything in me not to hug them. I really didn't want to go to Mexico jail. The best part was when they swam up to the top and poked their heads out of the water. I'm squealing now just thinking about how cute they were! After snorkeling, we went to the jungle where they fed us an authentic Mexican lunch (amazing) and then we went on a lame ATV tour. We had some idiots in our group that made us stop every 2 minutes, so I know it would have been better if they weren't there. Finally, they took us to swim in the cenote. Y'all, pictures can't do it justice. The cave is filled with crystal clear, freezing cold freshwater. We had our snorkel gear on and just floated through the cave looking at the awesome stalagmites. It was like nothing I've ever seen. We got back to our resort and had another yummy meal at the French restaurant before our friends headed home the following day. Our anniversary day was my favorite - minus the sun burn. We spent the day lounging in our quiet little pool and then had dinner at the Italian restaurant. I may or may not have had 1-8 glasses of wine, but I swear it was the best meal I've ever had. Payton keeps making fun of me because I couldn't stop talking about the pizza or the balsamic they put on the caprese salad. Whatever! Balsamic is my jam.

The rest of the week was uneventful, and so incredibly relaxing. The resort also had a Mexican restaurant (one word: churros), an Indonesian restaurant, and two buffets for breakfast and lunch. The food was great overall! The service was fine, but I preferred the service we had at Sandals in Jamaica. As much as we loved this place, Sandals is the way to go. No one bothers you at a Sandals resort, but there are TONS of tour companies at the Valentin. They call your room and try and sell you crap all week long. It's easy to avoid, but still annoying.

I think about our trip daily. It was paradise! We couldn't have been more relaxed. I'm sure we won't be able to go on trips like this forever, but I hope we can do something every year to bring us back together and remind us to appreciate each other. I love being married to that man. He truly is the best.