5 on Friday

It's been a super crazy time between moving and starting school back up but I'm finally feeling settled. No better way to recap than with a 5 on Friday linkup :)

{ONE}

We are unpacked and loving our new place! Saying goodbye to our first home was bittersweet but the closing went smoothly and we actually love the sweet little home we are renting! It's one story which I love, the neighborhood is fantastic, and the old charm is so different than what we had. The 3 days it took to move everything were absolute torture but once we were settled it didn't seem so bad :)
 

Saying goodbye to her first home

Nothing like fresh flowers to make your new place feel like home!

{TWO}

I am a mere 8 days out from my first half marathon in 4.5 years. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. This last weekend I ran 9 miles, and it was pretty tough. During the run around mile 7.5 I thought to myself "I am NEVER going to be able to do this" but afterwards I think... ok it wasn't THAT bad. I am hoping the adreniline of all of the people and the new sights will help me push through it. I will run 10 miles this weekend and I am going to make it a "practice run through" by eating what I plan to eat next week in the morning and I am going to try out some GU blocks around mile 7 as well. I have been meaning to try them out earlier than now but sometimes life just happens.

9 miles. Slower than normal. But I did it.

How I have been feeling after my last couple runs. Whoomp whoommp.

{THREE}

Going back to number 1- Can I tell you how much we love our new neighborhood? Even though living downtown we were only 15-20min away, it has been so nice being this close to all of our friends. I feel like we see someone almost every day. It so nice being around all of our church friends. It makes babysitting, D-group, or staying up late after a festival so much easier because we know that we are just down the street from the house at all times.

Babysitting Halle one night. Macy LOVED having a friend to play with all night. ((insert baby fever here))

Of course we had to have datenight with Macy's boyfriend our first weekend in the 'hood.

{FOUR}

School is back in session! And it is my LAST YEAR in this Nurse Practitioner program. My 4th year. Holy Moly it seems like I have been in grad school for an eternity. I am at clinicals 2 days a week and my oh my this first week was EXHAUSTING! It is definiretly a new role I have to learn to be in and my brain isn't quite conditioned for it yet. Plus I worked and had class this week so today I am *stoked* to have the day off with my little babe.

Feeling "official" in my long white lab coat. =)

{FIVE}

This man. Sometimes I just have to brag! I always talk about how cute and amazing my sweet little Janie Girl is but I rarely give credit where credit is due- to my hubby! He is seriously the glue that holds us all together. He pretty much single handedly moved our entire house himself (he did the moving, I did the unpacking), is the sweetest most precious daddy in the whole world, and spoils me undeservedly. I am a lucky lucky girl! And so is Macy.




Date night last week. Handsome man!

Have a great weekend everyone! We are having garage sale tomorrow... wish us luck!


On the Move

The Regals are on the move! After months of prayer and discussion, this spring Kyle and I decided to put our house on the market. We currently live downtown in a 2 bedroom townhouse. The perfect first home... Right in the middle of the action and manageble for first time home owners. But clearly not our "forever home". Once I found out what my schedule was going to be like the last year finishing up my Nurse Practitioner degree I realized that I would be committed to school 4 days a week. So that left me two options: work full time (and be gone 7 days a week) or back off work and focus on school. I chose the latter, but not lightly. This meant we were going to be a one income family while I finished school. Selling our house was no the hard part, but the fact that we were going to be downsizing and possibly living in an apartment was hard to accept. I knew it would be worth it though because I would be able to spend time with Kyle and Macy. My ultimate priority.

We originally planned on living in an apartment as renting a house seemed too expensive. I was super bummed about this. It felt like we were "taking a step back", even though I ultimately knew it was for our future. If we rent we could live off one income plus put money away for a down payment on a house to buy after I graduate. Clearly this was all meant to be as God has cleared the path for us in this endeavor. First, we had an offer on our house within 24 hours of putting it on the market. Wahoo! Second, we wouldn't have to close until the end of the summer, which left us one last summer to enjoy living downtown. Also, we found a house in the perfect neighborhood! We are going to be moving to Broad Ripple, which is only 15 minutes north of downtown, and is packed full of young families, culture, art, and local restaurants. The house is within walking distance to many yummy places and we have several friends with kids in the area, as well as the Monon trail that I can run on or we can go on family bike rides on it as well. The house itself is an old bungalow, only 2 bedroom 1 bath, but it has a dry basement for storage and a fenced in backyard that Macy will be able to play in. AND it's about $100 cheaper per month than the apartment we were looking at! I truly could not have asked for a better option (well maybe a dishwasher, but beggars can't be choosers!)

It all seems surreal as we are currently in the thick of it all. This was the first house we bought together 4 years ago, the home we came to after our honeymoon to start our lives together. Where we put together Macy's nursery and made so many memories. But I am definitely looking forward to this next step in our lives. I definitely feel blessed that it all worked out so well.

Where it all began....

A Texas Getaway

We finally got to take our one family vacation for the summer, and boy were we ready! Since I had school all summer we had to wait until the end to take off anywhere. We headed down south to Dallas, TX to see my family and spend the week in my dad's backyard oasis. All we wanted was to relax and lounge by the pool, and all of the extra hands loving on Macy were an added bonus!

I was SO nervous about flying with Little Miss. When we flew down there over Christmas she was so easy. But she was also only 7 months, took a bottle still, and could easily sleep anytime. We had plenty of snacks (squeezies, yogurt melts, goldfish, water and juice), our ipad downloaded with tons of new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes, her blankey and her bunny. This was a recipe for success! Both there and back we changed planes in Kansas City so the flight was broken up a little bit. I think that helped too.

Drinking a squeezie on take off. (no, we didn't buy a seat, there was an extra!)

Wahoo! Made it to KC with no tears, screaming or breakdowns!

Daddy on duty in the airport.

I think another huge factor to our success was the fact that both times we flew it was first thing in the morning. Macy is her most calm/sleepy/chill in the mornings so that helped.

Once we got there we headed straight to my dad's house and set up shop for the week. His backyard is truly like a resort, a free resort, so it just seems silly to go anywhere else when we can spend the week here!

The pictures just don't do the landscaping justice.

I also loved that we got to spend time with family all week. My dad, step mom, little brother and sister all ADORE Macy and fight over who gets to feed her, hold her, change her, walk with her, put her in her car seat, sit by her in the car/at a restaurant, etc. Them loving on her makes me feel loved AND it gives me a break!

Playing on the piano my grandma brought over for her. She loved it!

I wanted to make sure I kept up with my training schedule while I was gone too, especially since I skipped last weekend when we were in Nashville. I texted my friend Brandi a couple weeks before hand and told her I needed her to go run with me while I was down there to keep me accountable. She put a running group together and we all met early Saturday morning for a 9 mile run around White Rock Lake. Oddly, the weather was perfect. It was cloudy with a cool breeze which NEVER happens in Texas summer! I had only planned on running 7 miles, because that's all I needed to according to my training schedule. Once I hit mile 7 I stopped my Garmin and started walking. About 3 minutes later I hear Megan approaching me and says, "How are you doing?" I said "Ran my 7 miles. I'm good" and she was all "Oh heck no, you can't waste this awesome weather... let's go!" So off I went with her for the last 2 miles. It was nice getting to run and chat with her since I have read her blog for awhile but had never met her. She is super sweet and was a great motivation. If preg-Meg can run 9 miles, dang it so can I!

Skinny Meg's picture of our group after our run. I didn't have one on my camera

That night was the annual Fields' pool party. Boy do my parents know how to throw a party! First and foremost is the food, the Texas bbq that my dad starts cooking the night before. Next comes the margarita machine, their best friends' helped and brought their DJ booth set up with lights and karaoke machine, and the rest is history! We ate, drank, and danced in to the wee hours of the night. It was so fun hanging out with family and friends in Texas that we don't get to see often.

My Texas family

The girls! And of COURSE we had to color coordinate our outfits!

My handsome hubby and handsome little bro, also matching

Fun with the Laughlins

Dance party on the patio!

The rest of the week was spent relaxing poolside. Macy LOVED the pool and would often go to the backdoor and scream and cry to go outside.

Besties

The beach entrance in to the pool was absolutely perfect for her. She is not a fan of being in a float, or in deep water. She hung out right here all week.

Water baby

A little naked piano playing. Completely normal.

It was such a great week relaxing and enjoying quality family time. I loved being able to go watch Taylor at her tumbling class and take her to cheer camp in the mornings.  I was 15 when Taylor was born, and Taylor was 12 when Macy was born. Taylor and I are so close and I can't wait for her Macy to have a relationship like ours one day. Trevor and Kyle got some good QT together as well and did their own "guy" things during the day together. It definitely makes the geographical distance between us sad!

Basically the same person, 15 years and a hair color apart.

Eventually we had to head back home and get back to our daily lives. We are moving in a mere short week and we should probably start packing. Although, I could have stayed for the rest of the summer!

The ultimate set up on the way home. Lucky for us, we got another seat for her!

Annnnnd they're out.

14 Months of Macy

I couldn't stay away too long from posting all about my Macy girl. I feel like she has changed so much, even from her 1st birthday. No one told me how fun having a 14 month old would be!
Since turning one she has really learned a lot and has become a lot more coordinated.

-She is OBSESSED with her shoes and loves to find a matching pair and bring them to me so I can put them on her. Or she will sit there and try to put them on herself. They don't even have to be her shoes either. Small or large, she is sticking her feet in them. She really likes to carry around a matching pair of anything. Like 2 little people princesses, or 2 sticks of deodorant, 2 tubes of mascara. It is super cute.

-She is in to climbing on top everything too and gets frustrated when she can't make it up to her destination, like the bed or couch. She is really good and matching things and placing pieces where they are supposed to go, like puzzles or shape toys.

-She is a great eater and even better sleeper. For the most part she doesn't wake up until about 7:30 or 8 which has been so nice. There isn't much she wont eat but we mostly stick with the same foods for her each day.

-We only give her her paci at night and for naps and she doesn't seem to miss it all. I don't even bring it out of the house with me anymore so I'M not tempted to give it to her (like when she gets fussy in the car). We turned her car seat around in one of our cars and she loves it! It made me nervous at first but my pediatrician said we could at any time given her size. It made the drive down and back to Nashville, TN a piece of cake! She had her head cocked to the side and was looking out the windshield most of the time (that she was awake)

-She can point to her nose, ears, eyes and her "button" -which of course is the cutest because she lifts her shirt all the way up.

-She loves to laugh whenever other people are laughing and has yet to meet a stranger. She walks right up to other kids or adults in restaurants, stores., etc and starts jibber jabbering away, greeting them with a wave hello or goodbye. She has however learned that the church and gym nursery are now associated with mommy leaving and pretty much starts crying as soon as she sees them. But luckily with distraction of a shiny toy or familiar friend I can sneak out and she is fine.

-Negative side of being 14 months: home girl can have a temper for sure! I think it comes from her frustration of not being able to communicate yet. When toys get stuck or she can't get something she wants she screams. Ugh. I can't wait until she has words to communicate with so we can avoid that.

Here are a few pictures of the last 2 months with Macy girl. I wish it wasn't such a pain to upload videos because there are some pretty hilarious ones.

Sucking on a peach. LOVES loves them! (or nectarines, plums, etc)

Giving herself kisses

More peach eating!

Fun at the park! She LOVES the slide! 

Flexbreak with mommy at the gym. And yes, she is wearing work out clothes- just cuz.

Not so sure about the life jacket at Splash Island. She loved it though!

Learning to love her shades!

Being a good girl at the doctor's office. She loves puzzles!

How could I not post this (semi inappropriate) picture. She literally slept like for 2 hours

There's nothing like having to take your 1 year old to your annual pap. Luckily the sweet nurses kept her entertained!

Holiday Weekend

My absolute favorite time of the year is July 4th/my birthday. To me it is what summer is all about. I have so many fond memories growing up being around family and always thinking these big get-togethers and the fireworks were all for me. The older I get the less excited I get around my birthday but this year I felt really loved! Kyle really went out of his way and was very thoughtful all day.

Even though he had to work on my bday he woke me up with my first gift- a bag of goodies that spoke to my heart. Sunglasses, nail polish, chevron hair ties all that "Macy had picked out"- so cute! He also stocked the fridge with my favorite things so the first thing I did that morning was pour myself a mimosa! Even if the only person I cheers'd with was Macy.

Breakfast of {birthday} champs

Later that day we met my brother's gf Carol to get our toes painted! She offered a pedicure but I knew my time was limited with little miss by my side, so I settled for a polish change. I brought along a peach and put Macy in my lap. We BOTH managed to get our toes painted in a matching hot pink color. I loved it! There is something about little pink toesies that make my heart swoon!

Getting our toes done!

After that I dropped the babe off at her sitter's house, her "Mamaw". Then I headed home and got ready for dinner!I opened the rest of my very thoughtful presents from the hubs then we headed to a yummy restaurant- his choice! (There is nothing I hate more in life than having to decide on where to eat dinner) Delicia in Broad Ripple had a great atmosphere and the food was super delicious!

My sweet sweet hubby!

Great dinner!

When I got home Kyle had surprised me my getting 8 different slices of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. 8. Surprisingly I held it together and only took a few bites from each.

Our famous "?" candle. Its become a family tradish that we use for everyone's bday each  year

Yes. This really happened.

The next day we woke up and headed straight to Mamaw's to pick up Little Miss! After having a relaxing morning we got ready in our Red White and Blue and went over to my brother's house for a cookout, card playing and relaxing.

Love my sweet family of 3.

I can't handle the cuteness. Heart=exploding!

The weather was only o.k. on the 4th. Sprinkling here and there. So for the most part we stayed inside. Around 8 we headed home and I really wanted to keep Macy awake for the fireworks. Now that we've sold our house I knew this would be the last year we would be living downtown. But to my avail, homegirl was EXHAUSTED and there was no way we were going to keep that beast awake any longer. So we laid her down and did what any responsible parents would do. Left her at home sleeping in her crib, locked the doors, and walked down to the corner of our street to catch the show. We had the monitor with us, which didn't pick up where we were standing, but every couple of minutes one of us would walk back towards the house and check on her.

It was kind of romantic just standing on dark street corning with my husband watching the fireworks. Once again a memory made.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday as well!

5 on Friday

5 on Friday

All I needed was another link up to get me motivated to write a post this week.

{one}

Macy girl is 11 months ((ok just re read this... hello!! she is definitely 13 months)) old now, and seriously she is the most hilarious person I have ever met. She cracks us up daily and every day is up to new shenanigans. We have tons of videos of her doing silly things, ones that I will cherish forever. I am not going to lie, I don't miss the baby stage at all!

{two}

I have a hair appointment and I am in the mood for a big change! I have soooo much hair and I am ready to get rid of some of it! Nothing crazy like a short bob, but hopefully I can pull of a cute shorter 'do with out feeling like I have a "mom haircut".

straight hair is a rarity

{three}

Macy had a lunch date this week with her boyfriend Hank. And she screamed at the top of her lungs the whole time. Not crying, just screaming. For fun. To entertain herself. Yikes, hopefully that doesn't happen often!

Macy and her future baby daddy, Hank

{four}

Half marathon training has been off to a great start! I ran 5 awful hot humid miles last weekend and I loved every minute of it! I haven't ran 5 miles in over 4 years! I can't wait to do it again this weekend. I have thoroughly enjoyed challenging myself daily and have that feeling of accomplishment.

Slow as molasses but I did it!

{five}

I took progress pictures this week was a)disgusted at what I looked like and b) proud of where I am. I still have 7 lbs to go before my goal weight, but I actually feel good in my summer clothes this year- a far cry from how I felt last summer. Post-partum bodies are no joke!

Do I spot some abs?!