Hello March

Happy March! February came and went by in a flash and now I can officially say that our baby is coming next month. WOAH. March is a wonderful month. We say goodbye to winter and welcome Spring {on March 20th}. I love the renewal and rebirth that we experience in the months of March and April. The flowers bloom, our Lord and Savior rises, and the weather warms.

We had a wonderful February indeed. My mom came to visit for a weekend to celebrate our first baby shower, Paul and I got to share a couple leisurely three-day weekends together, and we began our baby preparations. I’ve been doing some interesting and complex procedures in clinic and I realized how much I love dentistry and patient care. I have about three weeks left in the clinic before I start my maternity leave of absence. I am looking forward to resting and preparing for the baby in the weeks leading up to my due date then spending quality and uninterrupted time with my little one. This month, I am looking forward to the start of Spring, finalizing baby preparations, our second baby shower, and Paul’s birthday.

These are some of my favorite posts from February.

:: My 7 months pregnancy belly. 

:: Photos from my SF baby shower.

:: My instructions for brewing the perfect cup of tea.

:: The secrets to our happy marriage. 

:: My thoughts on interracial marriage.

Have a wonderful March! What are you looking forward to most this month?

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Links I love {V.6}

Happy, happy Friday to you all! This has been an exhausting week! The pregnancy fatigue has set in full force. I have a whole day at school ahead of me so I hope I do not fall asleep on my patient. 

I haven’t posted a Links I Love post in a quite while! I have been exploring Pinterest for recipes, infographics, and advice about pregnancy, labor, and my postpartum life. What did we do before Pinterest again?

1 :: I am obsessed with naked cakes. They are just so elegant and beautiful. When I start maternity leave, I’m going to try out a naked cake recipe like this Lavender and Lemon cake, I mean come on.

2 :: Speaking of beautiful things, I hope I can make it to one or more of these ultimate places to stargaze.

3 :: This infographic about the shelf life of food is going to come in handy one day, I’m sure of it.

4 :: This is one of the most comprehensive and complete guides to labor and delivery that I’ve come across so far. Breathe, this is really happening. 

5 :: Over the next few weeks, we will be packing our hospital bags for baby, Paul, and me. There are some very helpful ladies out there with their hospital bag packing lists {here, here, and here}.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Stay warm and dry!

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The seven blessings project

Oh goodness, we all know that one person who can go on and on about all the negative things going on in his or her life {of course I’m talking about imagined woes and not actual hardships}. I, myself get into bad habits and start to harp on all the problems and miseries of my day. Well, I do not find that a particularly attractive quality in others and even more so, I really dislike it in myself.

I believe that we need to spend more time thinking about all the great things going on in our lives and the amazing people we share them with. I stumbled upon this quote that sums it up rather nicely.

I invite you all to participate in a little project with me - The Seven Blessings Project. Every week, count seven blessings in your life {one for each day of the week and because seven is such a magical number}. Write them down and reflect on them when life gets tough and you are feeling a little blue. They can be big or small or anything in between.

I will be sharing my Seven Blessings each week on Twitter and occasionally on my blog. I would love to hear what your blessings are too! Leave a comment of where I can find your blessings or use the hashtag “#7blessings” on Twitter or Instagram.

This week, my blessings are: 

1 :: My growing baby in my belly.

2 :: Living in a beautiful city.

3 :: Foot rubs from my husband. 

4 :: Frozen blueberry waffles from Trader Joe’s.

5 :: Text messages from my mom.

6 :: Flower arrangements.

7 :: New baby clothes.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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Currently coveting / 2

I’ve been quite the shutter bug the past year or so and I’ve been learning a lot about photography techniques and editing. It’s been the perfect hobby to pick up since living in the city. I’ve always been one to take pictures, but I have taken it to the next level and I’m very excited about it. 

Here is what I’m currently coveting - the photography edition. 

1 :: I am obsessed with this individual photo printer. It prints 4x6 color photos in a flash. Although I usually order photo prints in bulk, it would be so nice to be able to print individuals here or there. 

2 :: You can’t forget the photo paper and ink! 

3 :: I NEED this shutter remote for my iPhone. It will sync to all my devices with bluetooth. No more awkward holding-my-arm-out photos. It’s only $40 - I am going to save up my spare change to treat myself. 

4 :: This mini SLR flexible tripod is definitely on my wish list. I plan on taking a million photos of our new little three-some. 

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Word of the day :: Alacrity

I am so excited to share with you my new blogging series - Word Of The Day. I will be sharing a word which resonates with me and on which I want to focus. I hope to be inspired to live more thoughtfully and purposely while ruminating on this week’s word of the day.

[uh-lak-ri-tee] - noun; origin - Latin

1. cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness.

2. liveliness; briskness.

Syn - eagerness; fervor; zeal.

This week’s word of the day reminds me of the importance of living enthusiastically and with eagerness. It becomes easy to dread what may come and to hide in the shadows instead of focusing on the positive. Sometimes, all it takes an attitude shift. I may not be able to change how things turn out or what will happen, but I can definitely change my reactions and attitude. I will focus on approaching situations with alacrity and I will be receptive to accept new challenges. 

What does alacrity mean to you? What is your word of the day?

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