Sharon Loves This: personal

Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts

Friday, June 6, 2014

first month

Hard to believe we've had Hazel for a whole month already...it still all seems so surreal! Yeah sure, there have been some really tough moments so far (and maybe a few more breakdowns than I'd like to admit), but I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of being a mama - not to mention some of my energy back, hence this blog post. I do have to say that it has made me realize just how strong and amazing all of the millions of moms (and dads) who have already done this are. It truly is a humbling experience and I'm so thankful we have Hazel in our lives, even if it means sleeping in 2-3 hour blocks, cooking/eating/doing chores with one hand, and having not brushed my hair in over a week:)

I know it's a little silly to say, but I'm so proud that we survived the first month!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

she's here!

It's official, I'm a mom! Meet Hazel June Thomas - she arrived three weeks early on May 5 (cinco de mayo!) at 7:57pm. We could not be more thrilled to be new parents. To say I am completely and utterly in love with her is an understatement...more like obsessed. I can't stop staring at her!

Recovery is going well and I'm so thankful to have my mom here as well as Kyle's mom helping around the house. I'll be back to post more photos when I get a chance...

First family photo:)

Thursday, April 10, 2014

baby shower

Last weekend, Kyle's mom, Linda, my mom, and my sister threw me a lovely baby shower for close friends and family. It was such a sweet gesture and I was constantly amazed by all of the little details and how it all came together!

Loved the girly, French-inspired invitation:)

Gorgeous, fresh flower wristlets that Linda made for all of the guests to wear.

The food spread was delicious and a combination of American food as well as Chinese food...my poor mom was up making eggrolls from scratch until late the night before. Now that's love!

We played a few baby games that were pretty hilarious and not too painful (thank you Megan), and ate some tasty petits fours...the chocolate ones had a marshmallow creme filling inside...delicious. I may have had two...or three, shhh.

It was a beautiful baby shower and Kyle and I are very lucky parents-to-be to have such thoughtful family and friends to celebrate with us. If only our baby girl knew how loved she was already:)

Friday, April 4, 2014

busy busy

Things have been so busy around here lately that it's been hard for me to keep up with blogging. I wish it wasn't the case but sometimes life just gets in the way. We spent the last week and a half living out of a hotel room while our only bathroom in the house was being updated. I'm happy to say it's close to being finished!!! It feels so good to no longer have to worry about a rotting wood floor, pale pink tiles, or a plastic tub anymore (be thankful I didn't take a 'before' photo). I hope to have some photos soon to show you all.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Monday, March 3, 2014

this guy

What can I say? I've officially entered the third trimester and cannot believe how fast time is flying by. In between cleaning and organizing our entire house like a crazy person, we've also started going to Lamaze classes and researching local day cares. It's madness, I tell ya!

One of the things that has kept me going is being able to curl up on the couch each night with this sweet little guy...he used to love sleeping in my lap but now that my belly has gotten in the way, he's adjusted to sleeping beside it with his arms outstretched. Almost as if he is trying to hug his little sister! I'm not sure if Pancho actually knows that she's there but I think baby girl sure does, judging by the number of kicks I get once he starts snoring next to her....I have to admit, the whole thing does melt my heart a little:)

Thursday, February 13, 2014

vacation recap: sedona

We were lucky to be able to spend a long weekend in Sedona for our babymoon and it was exactly what we needed. The surroundings were simply breathtaking - from the scenic views of the red rock canyons to the cool crisp air and starry night skies - it was all so relaxing. Here are some photos of our trip if you'd like to see...

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Friday, February 7, 2014

babymoon in sedona!

Kyle and I are off on a quick little weekend trip to Sedona and we couldn't be more excited. Have you been before? We are staying at the Enchantment Resort, which is nestled in a secluded canyon..."surrounded by red-rock formations known for inspiring the mind, body and spirit." Eek, how relaxing does that sound?! At least I hope so...we've heard good things and can't wait to just sit around and do nothing.

I can't believe I am already six months along (well, my giant belly says otherwise)...our baby will be here before we know it. I'm going to try my best not to think about all the things we still have to do before she arrives and just enjoy our last trip as a family of two:)

Have a great weekend!

Monday, January 13, 2014

baby girl

Last week on Instagram, I told the whole world that Kyle and I are expecting a baby girl! We've actually known for several weeks now, thanks to all the new technology around prenatal testing that's available out there....and while I'm still as excited as on the day we found out, it's only now starting to really sink in. Maybe it's the hormones, but I get weepy inside when I start thinking about her and just how much she will change our lives. I can't wait to be there for her as a mom, to dress her up as my mini me:), to teach her how to bake blueberry muffins (among other things), to help her get over her first broken heart, to see her succeed and fail at various obstacles in life, to watch her fall in love, get married, and maybe even have kids of her own someday.

At the early stages of the pregnancy, I was mostly scared at the thought of me not being ready to raise a baby...but now all I can think about is how much I wish I could just fast forward through the next few months and have her be here already!! It's funny how quickly things can change...;)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

happy 2014!

I'm back!! And with some exciting news to share as you can see:)
I don't want to blame my blogging absence entirely on my pregnancy, but let's just say it did play a large part. Thankfully, I'm now in my second trimester and the constant nausea and throwing up is no longer an issue, hooray!

Kyle and I are over the moon about this baby and we can't wait, even with all the general craziness and sleep deprivation that comes with being new parents (or so we've heard). Poor Pancho doesn't know what's in store yet but lately, he's been resting his head next to my growing belly each night...so I'm thinking deep down he knows and is getting ready for his role as furry big brother;)

Wishing you all a safe and happy new year!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

our first kiss

Yesterday was our 11 year dating anniversary...I know I shouldn't be still counting but I can't help it. There's just something romantic about the fact that we had our first kiss ever on this day 11 years ago. I still tease Kyle because I had to be the one to ask for it, as he was dropping me off in front of my dorm. If you know Kyle, you know that he doesn't get nervous very often...but he was! That and the day he proposed were the only times I've ever seen him so flustered. It was pretty cute:)

As you can see, we celebrated to the max last night with fast food and a trip to Petsmart. Pancho cracks me up...he's such a ham sometimes, always ready for the camera!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

college roomies reunion!

My good friend, Kristin (far right), who was also my potluck roommate freshman year turned roommate for all 4 years was in town from Spain! We drove to Austin for the weekend and hung out with our other friend/college roomie, Runi, and shopped and ate to our hearts' content. It felt so good being back in our old 'hood together again...

Runi introduced me to the cutest little shop that reminded me a lot of Japan...

I've been on a green juice kick lately so we found a local place where I ordered a broccoli, spinach, and banana smoothie. It was so delicious!

Shopping for clothes on South Congress...so very Austin:) Here I am trying on a pair of faux leather shorts and looking like I was ready to go out clubbing afterwards haha. Can you believe I actually bought them??? Oh boy...

Seriously, the best brussels sprouts I've ever eaten (from one of my favorite restaurants too). Maybe the best thing I've eaten so far this year and I don't even like brussels sprouts.

So happy I got to see this girl and catch up, even if it was only for a few days. Living on different continents can be challenging when it comes to keeping in touch and I miss her all the time...but I'm very thankful she's only a Skype chat away, pending time zone differences:) Love ya! xx

Thursday, August 15, 2013

home

There's nothing quite like the feeling of coming home after you've been out of town for a couple of days...and even though I enjoyed seeing my friends, family, and coworkers very much, I think there was always a part of me that was counting down the hours/minutes/seconds until I could leave again. Seriously, I was even having trouble sleeping at night (at my parents' house, in my old bed even)! Maybe I'm turning into a sappy old woman, who knows...

All I know is I felt like my heart was literally going to explode after coming home and seeing Kyle and this little guy:

Yes, his slobber, fur, and nose smudges all over my car windows may drive me crazy sometimes...but it's ok, because he's worth it;)

(Photo via my Instagram)

Thursday, August 8, 2013

best buds

This past weekend, my good friends Runi and Thomas were passing through town, so we all went out for sushi and had a great time. I'd be lying if I said seeing them didn't make me miss Austin (and all of our other good friends) terribly. Even though I've lived in Fort Worth for three years, working from home and having my close friends only ~3 hours away has made it difficult for me to find the motivation I need to make a ton of new friends. I do have a few pretty awesome friends that I've gotten to know here...but why does it have to get harder and harder to make friends as we get older?

This article (though a little old) pretty much sums it up. I particularly liked the example of the guy who tried to walk his cat in hopes of meeting new people:)

Monday, July 1, 2013

cooking class

Instead of exchanging gifts for our anniversary this year, Kyle and I thought it would be fun to "give" each other a cooking class that we could take together. The theme was American Steakhouse, so we learned how to prepare a wedge salad (with fresh blue cheese dressing!), beef filet with béarnaise sauce, creamed spinach, and pan roasted mushrooms. We partnered with a lovely couple, Gerald and Elishia, and got to work...

Kyle being judged on his technique...can you guess what the instructor was thinking??

Gerald and I whipping up the béarnaise sauce...I was assigned the official "pan-holder" role.

Uh oh...the eggs in the sauce look like they are close to scrambling...

Yep. Scrambled. So embarrassing since we were the only table that failed, but for some reason I could not stop laughing...

After the second sauce attempt, we finally finished and plated everything...not too shabby! Actually it was pretty delicious and totally worth all of the blood, sweat, tears, and embarrassment that went into making it:)

Overall, the class was an amazing learning experience and I'm glad we were able to do something different other than the typical 'date night'. Kyle and I both agreed that we would be up for taking another class in the future (the Spanish tapas class looked especially exciting to me).

And if we happen to invite you over for dinner in the next few weeks, you can guess what we'll be serving...!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

three years

Happy 3 years Kyle! Thanks for another incredible year filled with lots of laughs and happy memories, including:

*Cooking for two (yum, yum, yum and yum)

*Laughing at our goofy dog (1, 2, 3, 4)

*Celebrating 10 years of "dating"

*Exploring Japan and meeting my family in Taiwan

*My 30th birthday

*Our third xmas card (here's year one and year two!)

*Eating beignets in New Orleans

*Relaxing on the beach in Mexico

*Pancho turns two

*And Kyle's 30th!

Love you so much babe...can't wait for #4. xo.

(Photo by Nessa K Photography)

Thursday, June 6, 2013

nyc with megan

Here's a short video I made of our trip to New York...hope you like it! Mmm...pizza...oh, and I may or may not have forced my sister to randomly dance while we were waiting for the subway;)

Monday, May 20, 2013

goodbyes are hard

On Friday, I said goodbye to my lovely friend Sarah...her husband (EJ) got a big promotion at work, which also meant a big move to Chicago. While I am ecstatic for the both of them and their new adventure, I can't help but feel like bawling deep down inside. I don't know why, but I guess I always thought saying goodbye would get easier as you get older. I still remember how end-of-the-world it felt when I had to leave all my close friends in Florida and move to Austin, TX...in 7th grade. Maybe it's especially hard because not only did Sarah and I keep each other company at work, but also outside of work while we were both in long distance relationships - her husband working overseas for the military and Kyle (fiance at the time) working in Fort Worth, while I was still in Austin. Or who knows, maybe it's because I haven't really changed that much since I was 13...

And while I know it's not impossible to still keep in touch and visit, etc., I know it will be different. But maybe different in a good way?

On the plus side, our pups got to hang out with each other one last time before they left Texas...here is Pancho, Eli, and Winnie lookin' all cute and wanting to come inside and enjoy the chilly A/C:)

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

kyle's birthday surprise!

Back in January, I decided I wanted to throw Kyle a birthday party in Las Vegas and have all of his closest friends fly in and surprise him. Fast forward to this past weekend and it was a total success! Despite a few minor hiccups...

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Friday, May 10, 2013

happy birthday, kyle!

Happy Birthday, babe! It's your big 3-0 today and I especially love celebrating your birthday because it means we get to be the same age again (and you can no longer tease me for being six months older than you)...

We love you very much and are so lucky to have you as a husband and dog-dad! xo Sharon & Pancho

Monday, February 25, 2013

vacation recap: cabo

When Kyle and I first started planning our vacation, we were really only looking for one thing: that the trip itself be relaxing and as stress free as possible. Originally, we had thought about visiting the beautiful island of Curacao, but figured Mexico in the end would be easier. Turns out, it was the right decision for us because it was hands down the most relaxing trip we've ever had. Here's why...

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