he’s six

Posted on October 19, 2013 by tandem in love

little reagan is growing up!! i can’t believe he’s six, already! i’m such a proud auntie, he is such a smart little man! he’s always so entertaining & funny!

i headed to rainforest cafe right after work. there was a little bit of traffic but not so bad. hc was already there and i got there right after him. we had a drink and a snack at stir crazy before we met everyone at rainforest. we figured no one would be on time {hey, it’s a doan outing…we never seem to gather together on time ever :)}.

kim and famille arrived early, so we skedaddled on over to the restaurant. i got cute little hugs from the nephews. kids just love places like the rainforest…it’s so entertaining for them! we browsed around the retail shop for a bit and then we were called to be seated. we sat ourselves down and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. we ordered drinks and apps and perused the menu to figure out what we were going to feed our empty bellies.

[froggie fun]

[aren’t they adorbs?]

[food and fun]

slowly but surely, everyone found their way to the table and greeted reagan with lots of happy birthday wishes! the conversation flowed and the food came readily. it was a very enjoyable time with everyone! reagan was really looking forward to the volcano dessert! there were plenty of birthdays being celebrated there that night, so we saw many, many volcano desserts go by!

[goodies]

[reagan’s most favorite gift!]

after dinner, r opened up his presents! he got a lot of goodies from everyone…i think his most favorite gift of all was from aunt thuy! a very large power ranger!

[i love b’s face in the background]

well, reagan received double the volcano dessert! we sang happy birthday and dug in. it was super yummy, decadent, and delicious. after demolishing a lot of food, we were stuffed and ready to go home. it was a very happy birthday for r!

thanks kim and terry for hosting! happy birthday reagan…we love you lots!!!!

xoxo

maternity sesh

Posted on October 16, 2013 by tandem in love

i was beyond excited for our maternity photo session!! oh the anticipation! i was hoping the weather was going to be fantastic. i mean, it’s october…it could be chilly, it could be rainy and honestly, the weather app was looking like the first two were going to be true! well, lo and behold, it was a gorgeous, warm day!

we headed to lincoln park’s lily pond for these fabulous photos. it was so perfect, so beautiful out to a beautiful setting. our photographer, tricia, was so relaxing and great to work with! she made us feel so comfortable and, of course, knew how to capture the belly bump perfectly! our minds had collaborated to create these romantic photos. her creativity and my vision combined, equated to some absolutely lovely shots of the bump.

after the session at lincoln park, we headed back to our abode for some more intimate photos. the belly bump in the raw! i wish i could post more of the photos but that would be too risqué {they are a little more private and personal}! i wanted it to be more of a clean, dreamy, romantic, classy boudoir style session. it turned out perfect!! please enjoy the photos…as much as we have enjoyed this whole process!

[bump love]

[me + my love]

[my absolute FAVORITE…such a pretty backdrop]

[another bump FAVORITE from the boudoir session!]

[i fell in love with this chair! borrowed from tricia’s studio. thank you to hc for transporting it!]

a huge thank you to tricia for capturing such a special moment in our lives! we are so pleased with how the photos turned out; you captured the bump so beautifully! we can’t wait for our baby girl to arrive and to capture those cute first moments as well!!

{all photos by patricia anderson}

xoxo

m & m’s wedding

Posted on October 13, 2013 by tandem in love

the day had finally come for matt and michelle to tie the knot!

we were so excited to see them and see them get married! we grabbed a cab and we were on our way to the church, they were married at old st. pats! the ceremony was at 5 pm…we were just a wee bit late {by 3 minutes!}, she was already walking down the aisle as we stood by the door waiting to go inside. they finally let us in and we snuck up to the front! the ceremony was beautiful and sweet.

[husband and wife!]

i love weddings! it’s just so exciting seeing another couple in love, saying their vows, and experiencing the joys of getting married! or maybe it’s because i loved, loved, loved getting married and hope that every couple that does, goes through the same beautiful high of emotions like we did. i always say, if i could bottle the euphoria you feel on that special day, the wonders it could do for the world to experience such happiness and love!

[the beautiful bride]

[the bride is wearing lazaro]

[the handsome groom]

after the lovely ceremony, we ran into some friends, from rich’s old job, outside the church. we snagged a ride with them to the reception, although matt and michelle had transportation for everyone.

their reception was held at the allerton, at the tip top tap ballroom. we gathered together for cocktail hour…i was hungry! i sampled every hor d’oeuvres they offered. they were all so yummy! after the boys had a few drinks, the chimes were rung and it was time to enter into the dining area.

[the yummy food]

[table decor]

[mr + mrs clark]

[our name is correct 😉 ]

[awwww, so cute!]

it was cozy inside. pretty table decor, cool lighting, and lovely flowers! the speeches were sweet and hilarious. it was so great to see matt and michelle so happy! the food was delicious and the cake was scrumptious!!! i loved the pear and red wine cake, it was heaven! so stinkin’ good! after dinner, the dancing ensued. we took turns in the photo booth, boogied a bit, and had a lot of fun!

[photo booth fun – rich in a golf hat and myself with a black veil fascinator]

it was after 10pm and this pregger lady was dunzo. I had worked so early and was on the go, go, go…i had to say adios. we said our congrats and goodbye to matt and michelle and headed home sweet home!

we love you, matt and michelle!! congrats on the beautiful wedding, the wonderful journey you are now on, and we felt blessed to have been able to celebrate with you guys!

xoxo

saturday afternoon

Posted on October 9, 2013 by tandem in love

we had a lazy saturday afternoon with grace.

just the four of us. we hit southport nail bar for some pedis for our tootsies. as we were heading there, we saw that they were setting up a festival on southport! after we got our nails done up, we cruised through the street. it was the first ever taco fest in the area! the boutiques down southport were having discount specials for their stores {yippee!}, there were food stands, and fun kiddie stuff to do. grace wanted to ride the ponies and the camel. um, we said you ride horses every week…no to the ponies but yes to the camel!

we got grace to take a picture with her dad in front of her favorite team {we wish! she is a stinky loving whitey sox fan…boo!}. after enjoying a beautiful afternoon, we headed home to do some more relaxing. yes, it was a great, calming day for us.

[camel riding]

[grace’s favorite team 😉 ]

[pedis]

xoxo

bump status

Posted on October 7, 2013 by tandem in love

timeline of the bump.

[photo by hc]

how far along? 32 weeks! the baby weighs about 4lbs. and it’s starting to get a little tight in the womb! her movements will start getting a little strained! can you believe, technically i could deliver 5 weeks from now?! but i know…every mom has said first timers are usually delivering at 40 weeks or more.

weight gain: 27lbs. a two pound weight gain since my last appointment. it’s a gradual process!

maternity clothes? still a mix of maternity and regular. i haven’t purchased anything new. whatever i can throw together to make it work. i test out all of my regular clothes to see if i can pull off a ‘maternity’ look. sometimes i’m successful, sometimes it’s freakin’ redic i thought it could possibly fit over my belly. hehe.

sleep: it’s alright. not too bad, not absolutely great. it’s much better than it’s been before. i am actually having more restful nights of late and it feels fantastic! i do get the random days of sleepless nights but it’s been very few of late, which i am so grateful for!

physical state: i am still clumsy but i am taking my iron pills which helps overall. though, being clumsy in my state is a big belly pain, literally! if i drop something, which is quite often, it is very difficult to bend down to pick it up! i’m finally starting to feel the pinch. i huff and puff a lot more, it’s hard to just get up from anything {ex. couch & bed}. everyone says my belly is small but, boy, does it feel huge! also, baby brain has kicked into full gear. i’m aloof, i’m forgetful, and i’m lost in translation. i’m amazed it’s true…i seriously have baby brain and it’s something i can’t fight off!

miss anything? the usual. i sporadically make the effort to get a fancy decaf coffee. tis the season to get a fancy coffee at starbucks. i love getting one when the weather turns chilly!

baby movement: oh my goodness. her movements are getting more strong and rowdy! it’s shocking, sometimes, how hard she kicks. and so uncomfortable when she does kick hard and at the same time rolls her head back and forth over my bladder. yowza. but it is absolutely amazing. i am fascinated by it. poor hc is intrigued but he told me it’s not the same, which is true. this baby inside my belly is a true miracle and i am amazed by it.

food cravings: still a lot of fruit. fruit filled jello. fruit flavored jello. fresh fruit. canned fruit. fruit yogurt. sprite zero. yum.

bump status: itchy belly. the feeling has become tight already. just when you feel like your skin can’t stretch anymore, it does. oh, and she loves sliding all the way to my right side of the belly into a little ball where it feels likes she is going to explode right out my side. oh little baby.

gender reveal: it’s a girl. totally in love.

heintz baby shower

Posted on October 4, 2013 by tandem in love

i felt very blessed to be attending my baby shower hosted by jane and missy! it was so kind of them to want to throw me a shower! it was mainly the biondo side of the family and as usual, quite entertaining!

me, grace, and rich started out our day by getting ready for church. we had to drop off some goodies {sea salt caramel pretzel brownies} i baked for fall fest {a fun event where the programs at church advertise what community work they do & sign up volunteers}.

after mass, grace really wanted to collect some goodies on all the tables, so we patiently waited around while she practically trick ‘o treated all the tables with some homemade goods! we finally had to reel her in and head on our merry way to grandma’s house!

we arrived just right after 12pm and the party was in full swing…i think we were almost the last to get there [oops!]! we mingled and gleefully talked a lot of baby talk {hello, it is a baby shower!}. the food was served and we sat ourselves down to munch on some lunch.

[hostess with the mostess, jane and missy]

[pretty pink roses]

[me and lori]

[decor]

[rich, colin, and nancy]

[kathy, rich, moi, and ruth]

[sitting down to eat]

[punch]

[lunch goodies]

[sweet treats]

[dessert time!]

[yummy cookies]

[kim’s pov]

[cake and ice cream]

soon, we proceeded onto the opening of presents! it was so much fun to open up all the cute gifts for little baby heintz! so many adorable items for her! we felt so blessed to be showered with so many clothes, gear, and toys for the little girl!

[ready to open gifts for baby]

[how adorbs!]

[super excited over carrie, nancy, and pat’s gift!!!]

[missy’s cute gifts]

[absolutely LOVED grace’s gift!]

[sisters]

[kathy and carrie]

[morgan and darci]

[aunt vicki]

[favors]

thank you to everyone for attending and being so kind and generous! a huge thank you to missy and jane for throwing such a wonderful shower for our little baby girl!

each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 corinthians 9:7

xoxo

lunch date with a cute boy

Posted on October 1, 2013 by tandem in love

i had a lunch date with a cute boy! his name is brady and he was so adorable!

i was excited to have plans with kim! she went out earlier than expected {pregnancy can be so unpredictable!}, so i was totally missing her! we talked practically everyday and so it’s been different not having her around all the time! although, on the flip side, she is totally enjoying being a mommy! i’m so happy for her & mikey…little brady is so cute! he does look so much like his dad!

we met up in schaumvegas for lunch. it was so much fun! it was great catching up and seeing cute little brady sleep. i still can’t believe she’s a mommy! being able to be by her side throughout her pregnancy, it’s amazing to see lil’ brady as a little person. oh, there was so much to talk about! time was just flying by! before we knew it, we had to part ways {bummer}!

[kim + my 7 month bump!]

[sweet brady]

our time together was fabulous! until next time!

xoxo

happy anniversary

Posted on September 30, 2013 by tandem in love

it was our two year anniversary! my how time flies and how things change {aka having a baby!}.

we started our day with a delicious brunch at bite cafe. very yummy. i just wanted some good old fashioned breakfast goodies. we had a very relaxing morning…chill & calm.

[anniversary breakfast]

we headed back to our place {it’s just around the corner from bite} and rested for the afternoon. we logged onto the computer, we watched some t.v., we chillaxed our time away. before we knew it, it was time to get ready and i couldn’t get off the computer! ya know, pinning can be addictive! hc kept nudging me to get ready but i had a plan…i knew i could whip myself together in 15 minutes {noooo problem!}. so there ya go, i jumped off the computer, freshened up the face, threw on the dress, and voila! i was ready! hc was doubtful of me, he really thought i wasn’t going to put in any effort for our anniversary night out! ha!

we headed to boka, a michelin star restaurant, for a lovely evening of noshing and imbibing. it was calm and serene inside. we were greeted with a “happy anniversary” welcome by the hostess. we were seated at the corner table {a favorite of mine in any resutarant}. who doesn’t love the best seat in the house?!

[at boka!]

[menu]

we ordered drinks {my mocktail was concocted by the bartender through my request of having something fruity!} and perused the menu to determine what were we going to eat at this fabulous place! once our orders were placed, we dived deep into our conversations and really enjoyed ourselves on our special night.

[cheers!]

[ready to order]

[complimentary sweets]

it was a perfect day and a perfect end to our two year anniversary celebration. we can’t wait to celebrate next year with our little one in our lives!

xoxo

bump status

Posted on September 25, 2013 by tandem in love

timeline of the bump.

[photo by hc]

how far along? 30 weeks {this pic was just a tad delayed, a bit over that mark}! the baby weighs about 3lbs. and is practicing her breathing!

weight gain: 25lbs. a one pound weight gain since my last appointment. i was a bit scared of that scale! this pregger lady’s anxiety!

maternity clothes? a mix. i love my work maternity pants. i bought two cute maternity dresses. otherwise, it is a blend of regular clothes and maternity pants. i still rock the kiddie leggings of mine, an essential piece in my wardrobe!

sleep: i figured out that if i sleep a little later in the night, i’m more apt to sleep through the night. phew. it’s helped a lot. I sleep straight through and it feels so great!

physical state: well, i am borderline anemic. some of the effects are sleepless nights, clumsiness {oh yeah…i’ve been dropping stuff like it’s a contest i have to win}, & feeling tired.

miss anything? sushi. wine. coffee.

baby movement: oh, she’s a kicker! she is getting stronger by the day. she swirls, kicks across my stomach, smushes herself into a ball on one side of my belly {the pressure is a bit uncomfortable}. she dances after i eat. and now she hiccups. at first i wasn’t sure what it was but then i realized since she ‘practices’ her breathing, it causes her to hiccup.

food cravings: hmmm, not really craving anything specific. i’m eating regularly. i snack a lot, i love mott’s fruit snacks, luna bars, & nutrigrain bars.

bump status: big tummy! feeling fussy and round. although the belly feels way out there, peeps have been so kind in their compliments. a pregnant lady makes everyone around her so super friendly!

gender reveal: it’s a girl!! it’s been really fun lately! i’m really enjoying the cute little outfits, decorating her room {hopefully i will post a sneak peek soon!}, and getting to know her better and better becoming a little lady in my tummy.

cha quyen’s 40th

Posted on September 23, 2013 by tandem in love

well that time had come, it was father quyen’s 40th year as an ordained priest! we celebrated at the altar villa banquet hall out in addison. it was quite a fete! i could be exaggerating but i think it was close to 600 folks at the event.

[mingling]

[coaster favors]

[me + hc]

[honoring cha quyen]

[with tricia!]

[vietnamese entertainment]

[with chu thong!]

[with the man of the hour]

[dad, mom, old friend, + dan]

i, as usual, cruised there straight from work. i waited in the parking lot for my hubby charming to meet up with me, he was driving in from the city. once we were together, we walked in and ran straight into my mom and dad. yay! we were immediately pinned with a rose flower {identifying us as family of cha quyen’s} and shuffled to our table. although, we were amongst only a few who had tables reserved for us, i still have to fight off a bunch of vietnamese peeps from stealing the table! they don’t care it says reserved, they will steal it from under this pregger lady! so there i sat, waiting for the rest of my family to arrive.

[old friends]

in the mean time, i was so excited to see my grandma [in from l.a.} and my parent’s old friends, di thu and chu thong {in from texas!}! it was a total reunion that night! we saw so many people we haven’t seen in awhile, it was so good to catch up! it was a great evening except for the singing {oy…it was so loud, it was uncomfortable!}, it’s not a vietnamese event without some loud music and loud singing. my brother dan said all vietnamese music/songs sound like a james bond theme song {funny statement of the night!}.

[love!]

[family]

[grandma! as huy calls her, ‘lil shorty]

anyhoo, after much socializing, eating, and picture taking, it was time to go home! we said our goodbyes and jetted out! it truly was a good night!

xoxo