a little life update

this week, we enjoyed warm sunny days in our jorts, and cold rainy days in our jammies. i'm really not complaining about this roller coaster though.  i'm getting extra wears out of her baby jorts and her reindeer christmas footie pajamas.   

each day is becoming more fun than the day before.  baby girl's personality is definitely starting to shine and it's quite entertaining.  

this week, eg helped her daddy win a few rounds of bananagrams, entertained us on her piano, and helped her juju sew up some new pillows for our couch.  #busybee

oh, and we're seven months old now. is this real life??

 

emma grace: six months

dear sweet emma grace, 

you're a growing machine at 15 lbs, 15 oz and 23 1/2 inches long! 

this month, you discovered your voice, and boy, do you love to hear it! i can't even begin to imagine what opinions and stories you're trying to tell us. you're sleeping a little better, but it's still one of your least favorite things to do. you're a little giggle box and the smiliest baby on the block. even when you're a little fussy, you somehow manage to have a smile on your face. you bring so much joy to everyone you meet! you're a expert in pushing backwards in your walker, and you flipped from your back to your tummy! you had a fantastic first christmas and were spoiled rotten. you have a giant family that loves you more than you know. 

love, your mama

emma grace: five months

sweet baby girl,
we are so thankful for you.
i love watching your curiosity and just love watching your little brain discover new things.
your sweet smile lights up a room and you charm everyone you meet.
and even though you're still not a huge fan of naps or bed time, i really don't mind. more snuggle time for me! :)

baby bump and baby beats

emma grace and i are officially in the home stretch. don't get me wrong, i love having a little buddy with me all day every day, dancing and wiggling around like a fool. pretty positive she's got some baby beats on and is practicing for her audition for step up 6...

i'm just ready to see her little face!

now that the end is in sight, everything is becoming so much more real. for the longest time, her arrival felt forever away. but now that we've crossed into the less than one month mark, we feel a definite sense of expectation and excitement. it's been so much fun getting her room ready, putting together her furniture (well fun for me to watch bub-hub at least...) and hanging up all of her tiny little clothes.

i've really been loving our family time and have been enjoying this season of stillness and calm. i'm so guilty of being a busy-bee and a multi-tasker, but lately, i've been trying so hard to sit still and soak in every minute we have left as a family of two.  i really think my level of exhaustion is a real blessing from the Lord to teach me to step back and let go.  i'm just tired enough to need to sit and do nothing, but not too tired to spend time hanging out with bub-hub and raider.

now the real test will be to see if i'm still feeling calm and relaxed a week from now. :)

two years down, forever and ever to go.

our second year of marriage was full of new things and big grown up decisions. 

we moved to a new city, into a new apartment,

and then into a our first real home.

we found out our sweet baby girl would be joining our family.

we started new jobs and took on new responsibilities,

joined a new church and met new friends.

two years ago, i said "i do" to a beautiful life with my best friend.

i can barely wait to see what this next year will bring.

happy anniversary bub-hub.

you're the bomb[dot]com.

life lately

life just seems to be speeding by, which is good and a little bit not so good. good because tax busy season is over and we have bub-hub back (notice how he's missing from every single photo...oops...) and a little bit not so good because i'm realizing how unprepared we are for baby girl's arrival. that's what prayer and family are for right?



lately

bub-hub
has a love/hate relationship with the mavericks.
somehow talked sg to watch sherlock, and now they are both hooked
has officially dominated tax season and life has returned to normal-ish once again.

raider
won't stop drinking water out of the toilet.
has designated the closet as the most comfy location for a nap.
has completely forgotten his leash-walking-manners. #rebelliousphase

sarah grace
is getting used to her ever growing baby bump and puffy cheeks.
loves using sweet baby girl as an excuse for chipotle and fro-yo.
can't quite cope with season three of scandal being over already.

emma grace
is 28 weeks old and the size of an eggplant.
has a growing collection of the most adorable wardrobe, ruffles included.
is completely worth every backache she's giving her mama.

life lately

lately

bub hub
has been inching his way closer and closer to the tax deadline.
is love march madness.
is an expert curtain rod and picture frame hanger-upper.

raider
has spring fever.
is glad all his toys made it to the new apartment safely during the move.
loves his recently rediscovered rope toy.

sarah grace
is obsessed with her pre-natal barre workout dvds.
loves getting to wear comfy cozy clothes all the time, even to work.
has been rocking her grocery budget goals, but not so much her fun, shopping ones.

baby emma
is already 25 weeks old.
is swimming around and kicking up a storm, especially when we were at the mavs game!
can't get enough frozen yogurt, topped with almonds and m&ms and blueberries.

pregostyle // feeling stripey

i'm definitely not a fashion blogger, and i definitely wouldn't consider myself a fashionista, but i do appreciate fun clothes! and if i'm being completely honestly, i've been struggling with learning how to dress this sweet little baby bump of mine. so when i feel like i hit a win, i'm going to celebrate it by getting out of my comfort zone and snapping some selfies.

darcy swing tunic from anthropologie // love the structure of this shirt. it's fitted on top and flowy where it needs to be. i love that it's long enough to be worn with leggings or jeans, and that it can easily transition from a casual to cute. also, since this isn't a maternity top, i'll be able to wear it after baby arrives. yay for multipurpose-pieces!

black skinny maternity jeans from gap // i love leggings as much as the next girl, but some days, i just need a little bit more structure. these are really comfortable and have just enough structure to make me feel productive. plus i found them on final clearance. #forthewin

nude patent flats from target // let's be real. i own these in about half a dozen shades.

hampton necklace from crave jewels // i won this little beauty in a giveaway a few months back. she probably thought i was a stalker because i entered EVERY giveaway she was doing, but it paid off and i eventually won! :) a little miracle worker to help perk up an outfit.

p.s. let's be instafriends please and thank you! :) @mrschastain_gmd

instagram // etsy // pinterest // twitter

i'm perfect for this job, oh, and i'm pregnant.

it seems little strange to say it, but i think the hardest part of my pregnancy to date has been telling my new employer about baby.

after a lot of prayer, here's how my "telling the boss" situation went down.

i started my job hunt in january, and began interviewing when i was about 12 weeks pregnant. as i went into the different offices, i tried to put feelers out for any hints of "family-friendly-culture" and get an idea of what the job structure and schedule would really be like. 

after a lot of prayer and reading a lot of articles, i knew i wanted my interviews to be focused on my job skills and my professional capabilities, not my pregnancy. bub-hub and i decided that if i felt the appropriate time came up in my second round of interviews, i would share my news with them. as much as i wanted the job, i wanted to be upfront and honest. thinking ahead to the doctors appointments and other situations i would need flexibility for, i wanted assurance that my workplace would be a supportive environment.

my first round of interviews (for my final position) couldn't have gone better. i met with three different women from three departments. each of them had fantastic personalities and i just knew it would be a great work environment. immediately after i left, i felt a wave of anxiety hit me. i was so nervous to see if they would call me back for a second round.

soon after, i received a call from the recruiter with an offer. uhhhhh say what? nuts. a total gift from the LORD. after talking to the recruiter about a few job details, i decided that i needed to tell her. she told me not to worry at all, that pregnancy is an exciting part of life, and it is not something to cause stress. she encouraged me to give it a few weeks and establish myself within my position and then, once i felt comfortable, reach out to my co-workers.

and that's what i did.

i started my position 16 weeks pregnant and disclosed my pregnancy at 20 weeks. i was blessed with a reasonably small bump, which gave me a little more time than some. the extra few weeks gave me a chance to get to know my co-workers and feel more comfortable sharing my news with them.

i understand that each and every situation is different. not everyone has an understanding work environment. not everyone has strong, working moms in leadership roles within their office. luckily, the LORD provided me with both. although not ideal timing, interviewing while pregnant does happen, and after reading dozens of articles and blogs, i realized that each and every situation is unique. cue the signature pregnancy situation answer...

overall, i think the best piece of advice i read was to make sure the interview remained focus on your job skills. if you're a hard worker, and you have the skills and abilities to do the job well, you can't lose.

what have you had to overcome in the interview process? and interviewing advice tips?

life lately

lately
bub-hub
is studying for his next certification test.
is hooked on chuck and (i think) secretly training to become a spy for the CIA.
handles tax returns like a champ.

sarah grace
is enjoying her new job, especially all of the office birthday cakes & treats.
feels optimistic about the forecast this coming week. bring it on 70*!
can't get the songs from frozen out of her head and doesn't hate it.

raider
loves the outside but is hating the cold.
can't get enough greenies.
has perfected his "please give me crumbs" look.

baby chastain
is twenty weeks old.
is the size of an heirloom tomato and growing more and more every day.
has a fantastic love for chipotle and girl scout cookies.

lately, life has been really busy, but so full of fun and celebration. we are so very blessed and are just soaking in every minute we have together in this season of life.

what have you been up to lately?

high five for friday! // january 31

happy friday!

the cold weather this week had me stuck inside a little more than i'd like, but it definitely helped with my productivity. if only i could make it through the day without taking a nap, or thinking about how badly i want to take a nap…

one. i recently downloaded lightroom, and i've been trying to get my brain wrapped around it. i know everyone says is so simple to use, but i'm not gonna lie, i'm pretty intimidated. but i bet all the free tutorials i've been finding online will make me a pro in no time!

two. i've started my first project life album. i got one for our family and one for baby! i'm obsessed. i can't wait to share more layouts and pages as i figure it out.

three. raider and i have been training for the color run. after not being able to run for four months, it's been quite the task getting back in the swing of things, but it's great to have a running buddy! even if he doesn't quite know what he's getting himself in to.

four. bub-hub and i took our first expecting parents class last weekend. i didn't think it would be possible to feel more prepared and less prepared at the exact same time, but that's where we are! i feel so encouraged knowing we have such a supportive church body. and know i have a list of things to figure out. but at least i have a list now! :)

five. is it wrong to blame my addiction to thin mints on baby? i'm the worst future mom.

how was your week? have you given in to the girl scouts yet?

disney family vacation: epcot

epcot is such a fun place and so full of experiences. we met so many characters including mickey and his gang. we also found alice & mary poppins in london and even aladdin and jasmine in morocco!  

going through each of the countries was the best.  we took a stop in norway to see the scenery that inspired frozen, and chased down the three amigos in mexico. and did i mention the tour of colonial USA?

i loved seeing the different styles of building, hearing the different accents and languages, and trying the yummy new food!  although, i'm not sure if croissants and creme brûlée in france and pizza from italy really count as stepping out of my comfort zone!

we also had a blast trying out the new test track ride, talking to bruce the shark, and experiencing mission space. 

walking log: 11.1 miles
favorite memory: dinner in italy was my favorite meal of the trip. i also really loved getting to see the behind the scenes inspiration for the movie frozen in norway!