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I’ve been meaning to catch myself up on photo posts for a while now and I think I am pretty close. My goal being, to be able to post current happenings in photos right after they take place rather than wait till I get through the backlog of photos. This is sort of a photodump. As much as I try not to do it, it is sometimes necessary. Next up: my first solo fun outing with girlfriends (which really happened in August, oops) and of course THE REST OF THE DISNEY POSTS (I promise they are coming)

1. Birthday Beaching

These photos got lost in the mess that my TAOMAB folder is at this point. But Lexi is so cute in some of them I couldn’t leave them off the blog. This was the morning after AJ’s birthday. It was stormy and overcast, so we had only a short swim but the beach was gorgeous in its frowny state.

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{some of the photos below were taken by Teagan, the rest- as usual some by Andrew, most by me}

The best part about having friends ALL OVER the US is that while you miss them so much on most days, the times when they are able to visit become incredibly special. Our house is ALWAYS open to our friends, everyone knows it. And most of our friends out of state have taken advantage of the open door policy ( in a good way) as frequently as they can. We love that! There’s something special about having people you love spend a week or two living in your house, having fun, waking up and going to sleep with you, watching movies, taking trips to the beach. It’s like a big adult and sometimes co-ed slumber party. Actually, now that I think of it, I need to buy like 10 sets of Victoria’s Secret pjs of all sizes just for guests, so that we would match too :)

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As I mentioned in the post about our birthdays, the morning after my birthday fun, we woke up and hurried off to the beach before the sun got too high and too hot.

This was officially Lexi’s first dip in the ocean and I was super excited to see how she’d react. She absolutely loved the water. There were smiles and giggles and lots of splashing.

There’ s really not much more to say, it’s all captured in the photos below.

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I am trying to catch up with all the photos posts that I’ve planned, so I am hoping once they are all done, I will be more current on things and events. The way Alexis naps, cooking and cleaning have to go by wayside, as I try to get at least 10-20 minutes of blogging during each nap. Sometimes I luck out, sometimes I can’t even get that. That’s life.

So for a few days/weeks you’ll see older photos and posts from when Alexis was 2.5 months and on.

Here we go:

We live relatively close to the beach, about 15-20 minutes to the closest public beach, or more to some other fun ones. Right now, when Alexis is small, beach trips are limited due to many factors. Up until now we couldn’t really take her anywhere without a major meltdown in the car seat. We got a new convertible car seat and another one coming for 2 week trial review, so we’ll see how she does then, but I am very hopeful. Another reason is this is Florida, which means 8 am and it’s too hot to go anywhere with a small baby. So when we can do baby sunscreen at 6 months and swim in the ocean is when I can expect to go back to weekly beach trips. Lexi is like mama, she LOVES water, so I am excited to see how she reacts to the ocean. The key will be to make sure she is comfortable in the heat. My plan is to get a beach tent plus 2 strong battery operated fans plus baby sunscreen plus early mornings and a lot of nursing sessions to keep her hydrated. I am crossing my fingers that will work.

Anyways, our first trip was selfish. We really really wanted to go to the beach, even if just for a few minutes and a few photos and the sunset. Thankfully, Alexis was doing just fine that day and handled the car well and I actually managed to get her to sleep sometime during the walk to the beach. Looking at these pictures, she was soooo little… It’s only been 2 months and she’s a different baby.

The day we went was unfortunate: very windy and kind of chilly, so I held Alexis close and shielded her from the wind and the sun. We spread a blanket on the sand and sat shoulder to shoulder, relaxing for the first time since the birth of our daughter. It was nice to not be so focused on things and just lay back on my husband’s chest with our 2.5 months old baby girl in my arms. It’s a shame there isn’t a picture of the both of us, but I am still trying to get the hang of doing self-portraits while juggling a baby. Eventually, I’ll go back to being able to include our whole family into the picture, not just one of us + Alexis.

She eventually woke up and I nursed her leaning against my hubby’s back. It was getting colder so we pulled out her adorable terry hoodie from My O Baby that she only manage to wear once.

And then the fuss train arrived and Andrew strapped her into our Nordic carrier (btw, I just noticed that it’s on sale for only $79  and this is my favorite carrier, so I wanted to point that out in case someone is looking)  walking around singing to her while I took pictures of the beach and people around.

There was some prayer group at the beach or something along those lines, raising hands in the air and chanting. It’s amazing how the beach changes with seasons and times of day. During season, the beaches are crowded with tourists, and at sunset the locals come out, summertime comes and you won’t see a soul on some of the beaches, those are my favorite times to go.

Finally, the sun went down and we rushed home. For the next week, we’d remember how nice it was to get out and go to the beach and feel normal again. It only gets better from here on out.

A month or two later, we took another trip to the beach, however by the time we got in the car and got there, the clouds gathered and the wind picked up indicating the inevitable Florida shower, so we had to quickly pack back up and go home. It was just as I closed the car door that the rain starting pounding on the windshield.

I feel so blessed to live near the beach. I cannot even begin to imagine the fun times to be had when Alexis is big enough to swim and play in the water. We got a sneak peak of what it’s like to have a “beach daughter” with Gabby (and another one here) and are looking forward to repeating it with Lexi.

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Finally getting around to posting the photos taken at the beach the other day.

Life is still busy. You think “Oh as soon as I am done with this big project, I’ll have more time for other things”. And then magically another project gets thrown in your lap and you’re still scrambling.

Aside from that, I am loving life right now. Alexis, head down and in the proper position, constantly jabbing me with her feet in my side is one the best parts of my day :) I just think it’s so cute.  I am feeling better than ever, aside from minor fatigue and heartburn, looking forward to January and my mom coming. Our Xmas cards have arrived and I’ll probably spend the whole day addressing and signing them. And going on a hospital tour this evening, which is something I’ve been looking forward to. I hope I don’t get freaked out in the process.

So these photos are from a beach trip a week or two ago. I felt like I needed me some wind in my hair and ocean smell in my clothes. So we took off. Hubby came with us and sat on his laptop working while we spent a few hours taking pictures and chasing a pre-toddler :)

Christine pretty much spent the entire time running after Emma, who is a curious fun little girl. And I spent my entire time devouring delicious fries ( that place has amazing fries and the only place I ever get to have them), snapping pictures and thinking about how in just a year, it’ll be me running non-stop as Alexis tries to explore the world.

Hope you enjoyed a little coastal moodiness and I will see you for my 34th week update on Thursday.

This week is full of appointments with pediatricians, hospital classes, errands and other craziness.

Oh and now that the Pregnancy Goodies giveaway is over ( and yes I do have the winners, I just have to check their entries), you should see another Pregnancy With Style post for a Christmas/New Year dress and a giveaway.

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{Don’t forget to post the Photo Share Tuesday button, if you’re linking up}

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We have more beach goodness for today.

I cannot stop gravitating towards sunny beach shots. Maybe it’s because it’s been gloomy and rainy this week due to a low pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico, or maybe it’s because  I haven’t been to the beach since I was 5 weeks pregnant. Something about having a huge belly and being uncomfortable almost 90% of the time that keeps you from going to a hot, sticky, sandy place no matter how much you love it otherwise.

These photos are courtesy of my friend Leeka, edited by me, shot 2 years ago. It’s strange to see myself looking normal. When my husband glanced at these while I was editing, he exclaimed “Look at you! You were so skinnnnnnnny!!!!”  To be honest, I can’t say that was my best shape, but compared to now- hell yeah! I’ll totally be there again, though, and I can’t wait!

Are you digging this view? Makes me want to drive there right now!

I really think that our beaches are the most beautiful beaches in Florida.

I also love that Andrew likes me skinny. I know that’s not the case for some men. They tend to like T&A and more “junk in the trunk”. But I love that my hubby prefers me thin, because that’s where I am the happiest too. I asked him if he’d rather keep these preggo boobs and this body (minus the belly of course), or go back to my small boobies AND as thin as I was before I started getting ready to get pregnant. His answer was “THIN”!
He’s loving the boobs right now though, so I say let him enjoy- they aren’t permanent.

Oh…. the coolest thing about Alexis’s due date being end of January is that, assuming that I go overdue, she’ll be born in February- exactly when it starts getting super nice and warm for beach outtings. To be honest I can’t imagine taking a tiny newborn to the beach, but a few months later, it’ll be so much fun! Let’s just hope she likes water as much as I do.

I have been thinking about a push present for a while… and while I think the concept of a push present is really silly ( how about the daughter I will have as a present?), I decided that I want a new lens. I want to take gorgeous yummy photos of Alexis and the lenses I have just don’t cut it. So it’s more of a necessity than a “present”. I’d have to get one anyway, but this way I can justify the money spent on it.

So on this note, Photo Share Tuesday is over. If you’re new to this, Photo Share Tuesday is a day when you can share any and all photos you want (anything goes!). If you link up make sure to use the blog post URL ( not your blog’s main URL) and include the Photo Share Tuesdays button in the post.

A few more things:

• Don’t forget to enter Shabby Apple giveaway and check out the review.
• Wednesday: I will try to write the 2nd part to Multilingual Upbringing - I have a lot to say and ask.
• Thursday: 26 Week Update
• Friday or Saturday: I will do MY BEST to post the nursery update. Not much is done- but walls are painted and crib is assembled.
• Sunday: Pregnant with Style project and another awesome maternity company.
• Today: Can you guys vote for us by clicking this link: TopBabyBlogs? Thanks!

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I find days like these  the most magical.

We’re always in a rush, always working, never seem to have time to just relax and go somewhere. Plans to meet up with friends or go to the beach are always viewed as an inconvenience or obligation until we actually get there….ahhhh. And then we remember what life is about.

It’s so easy to get lost in the “work work work” mode, or the “baby” mode, or whatever currently occupies you. So hard to step back for a second and remember why we are here. And that is to enjoy life to the fullest. For some people that might mean food, or alcohol or smoking or fast cars. For me, it’s the easy laid back days at the beach like yesterday.

When people find out we’re vegan/vegetarian and we don’t eat most processed foods,they  say “You only live once! Enjoy it! Stop being so strict with food. Live a little!”

But for me THAT IS LIFE! I love being healthy and feeling healthy and I want to continue enjoying beach days like this well into the old age. I want to look good and feel good forever. That is why taking care of my body, being mindful of what I eat, how much  exercise  is not a chore for me. It honestly brings me joy. Joy that I am doing the absolute best for my health.

How did this post turn into a health post? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that moments like yesterday is what really makes me feel alive. And photography prolongs those feelings because I get to bask in those moments for a few more days while I edit the photos, and then a few more when I share them with you, guys. And then when I’m old and wrinkly, I will look at my young hot self and for a second remember what it felt like.

Linking up with

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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This past weekend we went out on to the beaches and canals for a little boating trip with our friends. The weather was glorious and despite my attempt to cover myself in spf, I got burned and didn’t even notice until I got home ( damn wind that masks sunshine).

{All the photos were taken with a really shitty camera that I brought just to take pictures in the water since it’s waterproof and my iPhone. The funny thing the iPhone pictures were much better quality than the point and shoot. The only reason these are still acceptable at this point is because I edited the crap out of them. Anything can look good with proper editing.}

We drove the boat to a resturants mainly accessibly by boat. I barely found a vegetarian meal there. Out of a HUGE selection there was 1 (!!!) vegetarian option ( come on!): portobello sandwich. It was even more difficult for Andrew- there was NOTHING vegan, so we finally found some beans and veggies on the “sides” menu. Haha!

Every Sunday a ton of boaters gather by this one beach around Keewayden Island. The current is so insane there, that you can easily float out into the Gulf of Mexico.

And finally, I am walking on sunshine… Oooohhhh-oooh!

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We don’t really EVER go out on St Patrick’s. I mean, we don’t drink, don’t eat in restaurants ( the whole fresh eating vegetarian thing), so what’ the point.
But this time I felt i wanted to get out and take some pictures. Naples is such a beautiful town, it’s hard not to. It’s a shame I got too tired and decided to leave the camera in the car when we went to the place with all the partying going on.

Believe it or not, I had trouble  finding a green shirt. I had 1 (!!!) in the whole closet.

Hubby talking business. We’re never off the job, I’m telling ya.

Ok, so his pose is totally goofy, but it’s better than the face on the non-goofy picture LOL
And I got honked at in that picture by some old dudes haha

One of the most beautiful post sunset pictures I’ve ever taken. To be fair I did a lot of post-processing on them. To see the original, click here

Another selfie. I love being able to take pictures of the both of us, wherever we go. It’s such good memory.

Got totally stared at and smiled laughed at making this shot. It was crooked and sort of out of focus, but oh well!We’re young and careless only once!

SEE GORGEOUS PHOTOS OF THE SUNSET THAT DAY

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I had asked this question on my other blog hosted on a Russian website of my Russian friends and co-bloggers.
And I got really amazing inspirational and insightful answers from both single people and married women with kids, married women without kids, those that decided they didn’t want to have kids and those who don’t want to have kids just yet.
I understood each person’s point. I’ve been there: single not being able to imagine having a kid, where pregnancy would be about one of the worst things that could happen to me. Married but so happy with our married life that I felt absolutely no need to have kids just yet. Also wanting kids but not sure if we should have kids, that we should change our life drastically.

So now I thought I’d ask the same question of my blog readers: moms and future moms alike.
What made you want to have a baby? Was it planned because  the time was right? Was it unplanned and how did it change your life? What would you tell yourself a few years ago when you were childless and having fun now that you know what it’s like to be on both sides?

All answers are welcome, whether you’re overwhelmed with responsibility and not sure if life would have been easier without or if it’s the best thing that could have happened to you!
I’m not looking for religious answers or that children are gifts from God. I want to hear true-life feelings and emotions, rationalizations and doubts.
Share your stories!

In the meantime I’d like to post these pictures of a beautiful family I know who has their second child a months ago ( both unplanned). These were shot by me behind the scenes  of a photoshoot by my friend Leeka from MM Works. It was freeeeeezing that day on the beach. I felt so bad about little baby Alex who was only a few weeks old. In between the shooting, i’d take him from his mother and hug him tightly to warm me up and he’s fall asleep in my arms each time.

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