9 months

9 months. 

As many months as he cooked away inside of me, he has now lived beside me. As much as I miss my newborn baby, I am simply in LOVE with this little man of a boy I have. 

Today, he had his 9 month doctors appointment. 

Weight: 22.5 lbs - 75%

Height: 29 inches - 80%

Head: 92% {No wonder each 12 month hat I get him is too small!}

Impressive stats my son!

How did he do the rest of the appointment - which also included a flu shot and toe prick?

Umm amazing! He cried for literally 3 1/2 seconds then was so happy! 

He just played with his straw and laughed at himself in the mirror. LOVE.

Now that he is 9 months old, let's look at Preshy Pie's loves and dis-loves.

Major loves:

*Anything and everything DORA! Swiper no swiping, swiper no swiping! {Nick and I know the words to this one episode by heart. Often we break out in song in the middle of random tasks. Nick is also learning Spanish by way of Dora. "We love to dance. Nos encanto bailar."}

*Daddy!

*Bianca and Liam

*Crawling all over the house!!!
*Playing with straws. Anytime I need an extra 5 minutes of entertainment, that is my go to toy!

*Hanging out with his cousins. Lucy always gives him the best hugs. The other day when we got to Em's house, Lucy met us at the door and said, "Hey Bubsie!"

*Emily can still make him smile on contact when it takes me a few minutes. 

*Mimi's high pitched voice

*Sitting on Papa's lap

*FOOD! This boy is his father's son in that dept. He is a double fister! The second he sees food, both hands grab as much as they can hold and go straight to the mouth! Food loves: pancakes, apple chunks, noodles...wait a second. I could seriously list 10 million things. Let's just say he eats EVERYTHING put in front of him even spinach, pea, pear puree. SICKKKKKK.

*White grape juice

*Binkie and orange star blankie

Major dis-likes:

*Actually, this guy doesn't dis-like much but one thing for sure is this one family at church. Like an entire family. A mom, son, daughter..actually he does like the dad but that's it. I know, weird right? We are taking a Love and Logic parenting class at church each Sunday from 3-5 so we put him in the church daycare.

Can I first say that during normal church service, he does amazing in the nursery (different volunteer team). We have only been called out once and that was when he was 4 months old due to a VERY over tired little baby.

Anyway, this family? Well all I can say is he goes in fed, well rested, changed...and every Sunday afternoon about 10 minutes in we are called out to a red faced, sad, screaming child. It is kinda the saddest thing.

I even did an experiment the last time I was called out. I put him in the excersauser with his sippy and some banana puffs. I sat with him for a minute next to the daughter volunteer. As he was smiling, laughing, and double fisting his puffs, I got up and stood behind him. 2 seconds later he looked around and took one look at the volunteer daughter.

Boom - sobs.

Here are some more shots of my model baby showing off his jeggings at 9 months old. Fashionista? Yes. 

Let's not forget the faux North Face, jeggins and converse high-tops. 

 Work it Cruz. Worrrkkkkk it. 

Oh and lastly cause I never want to forget this - 

You can't miss the minute Cruz gets tired and is ready for bed or his naps. 

What does he do? He starts to play with his hair.

Much like the Count of Monte Cristo, he will lift his hands above his head and start to pull and twirl his little spikey locks. It is the cutest thing ever. 

This was a picture of him in the car on Sunday minutes after getting called out of Love and Logic class due to a screaming baby.

2 minutes later, he was sleep. 

He also sleeps with two hands above his head. Yum. Love my delish Preshy pie.

Cruz Nicholas:
When you grow older I hope that know without a shadow of a doubt:
*your mom and dad love you CRAZY and 100% unconditionally
* your mom and dad are so proud of you
*you are capable of every success in the world
*you have gifts and talents that make you uniquely you
AND
*God, the Father and Creator of this universe, knew you before you were created in your mama's womb and loves you more than you could ever be loved.

You are such a blessing to us! Thank you for being the joy in our lives.
Hugs and Kisses sweet beautiful boy,
Mama

House Beautiful KOTY

Ever since the 2010 House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year designed by Jeff Lewis, I have been a fan of the magazine. 

I know I am late to the party - but the 2011 Kitchen of the Year designed by Tyler Florence??? 

AHHH-MAY-ZING.

You can see the whole kitchen tour here. 

 Ummmmm, that spot lighting above the sink...DIE! Nick , I need those in our new kitchen please.

Black and white. Yum. What a beautiful, classic combination.

Obsessed with the non matchy matchy-ness of that table scape. Stunning. And Easy. 

25 gazillion17 foot center island? Uh, YES.

I love the mix of dark and light of new and old or rustic and contemporary. 

Love Love Love LOVE.

D to the E to the L. L to the T to the A.

My dad once told me - Go to College. It will be the most fun you will ever have. 

He wasn't kidding. 

The reason my time at WSU will forever be my most favorite is because of the decision I made to go through recruitment and ultimately pledge Tri Delta. 

If you didn't get to experience life as a member of a sorority, you won't truly understand...there is something about it...

The sisterhood, the ritual, the memories. 

Nick and I were talking about college the other day. I can't remember most of what I learned in class in fact I couldn't tell you most of the classes I even took (which I DID attend BTW) - besides FSHN (food science health and nutrition) - and the only reason I remember it so well is that I took that class with about 6 other pledge sisters. We took up an entire row, annoyed everyone cause we didn't know how to shut-up, and impressively all got Bs due to our amazing DDD FSHN test file. ;);)

What I do remember most about my college experience was the amazing times I had with my sisters. 

The pee-your-pants laughs, the fraternity boys, the DID-that-just-happen moments (for example: MC pouring a red alcoholic beverage on a certain someone for hurting me too many times), the good-just-let-it-out cries, the loyalty, the drama, the sisterhood, the many Sunday morning brunch okay-it's-time-to-dish-it talks. 

I love Tri Delta. I love and dearly miss my sisters. 

{as a baby..before Tri Delta chose me}

Nick's love for Liam

Liam is so big that he never gets to participate in Salzwedel family love time. The time of the day when we all gather into bed and talk, read, snuggle, and lick. Oh yeah, up the nose and in the mouth (Bianca). Even if love time only lasts 5 minutes, we had it and that is all that matters. No distractions. 

Last night Nick, all of a sudden, rolled off the end of the bed. 

All I could hear is some SERIOUS licks. 

Liam honestly has a foot long tongue. 

The next time you think of  a $5 foot long from Subway, think of Liam.

I bent over our large king and found this. 

Nick sure loves this dog. 

Two big firsts

This last week Cruz experienced two VERY BIG firsts!

I am so proud of my very big boy.

1. He got to ride like a big boy in the Target cart!!!!!!!!

He is so stinkin' presh. Seriously, the only time the guy is not happy or quite serious is when he is hungry or tired....Ashley??!?

2. He went to the pumpkin patch with his cousins! 

Cruz,

You are getting to be so big and so smart and so handsome each and every day. I love you a milly trilly and can't wait for more red-plate firsts. 

Hugs and kisses Preshy pie, 

Mama

Favorite paint colors

Each morning after I have been able to log-in, check my messages - phone and email, deal with any fires and grab my morning cup of coffee, I turn on my foot heater open my web browser and hurry  into town. In this case town is Blog Town, USA. 

I have 4 design blogs I check each morning.

Danielle Oakey Interiors

Design Darling

First Time Fancy

Young House Love

One reason I love these blogs, other than some flipping amazing content, is the fact they they each subscribe to the best and hottest blogs out there. AND they are all listed on the side of each blog (besides YHL, they are King and Queen of Blog Town) complete with pictures of the most recent post. DANGER. I am sure you can see where I am going with this...each morning my intent is to check 4 blogs. At the end of my "blogging time-out", I have checked 20.

The one thing I love with a capital LLLLLL about the world o' blogging is how it opens my eyes. 

I am always one click away from finding my newest obsession. As stated above.

Case in point: today.

Today I found my kitchen backsplash tile.

Through Danielle Oakey's blog, I found: 

Make Them Wonder

I about fainted in my black pleather office chair. 

A post about trendy backsplash options? Love.

A post about trendy backsplash options featuring a Moroccan inspired backsplash tile??? STOP IT.

I am so into Spanish/Arab inspired design, I could DIE! 

A post written just for me. 

I sent this little beaut to Nick - he DIED and that's it. Emailed the manufacturer and this baby is all but ordered. 

This happens to me at least twice a day. 

Yesterday, I stumbled onto a new little blog I am way obsessed with.

Favorite Paint Colors

Paint is the easiest and cheapest way to completely change the look or feel of a room.

What FPC does is takes reader submissions and Blog Town inspiration to create a paint color guide you can actually see. Not just a paint swatch. A completed room.

Even better - you can search by a specific color or exterior vs. interior. LOVE.

Ohhhh watch out.
I have a 3,700 sq foot house to paint. Best be believin' I will be visiting OFTEN.

Do you have rooms in your house in need of some paint love?

Happy Birthday to my Nick

To Nick Salzwedel, the man who has changed my life in more ways than one:

Happy Birthday.

Thank you for making me completely and utterly happy.

To many many more. 

Jessica Simpson + Roc and Roe

I mean seriously, Jessica Simpson. 

Come out with it already!

There isn't even another LOGICAL explanation for this other than you are with child. 

Can I just say I have loved Jessica Simpson ever since the virgin-wait-till-I'm-married-Nick Lachey-Newlyweds time. 

Random fact #1,880 about me: when Nick and I were first married he asked me who I would be if I could look like anyone else on the planet. I said Jessica Simpson. 

Having the opportunity - just for ONE DAY - to have ocean colored blue eyes, bright long blonde locks and white skin could honestly throw me over the edge. 

Too bad it will never happen. Ever. 

Dyed blonde hair + my dark Mexi facial features= dirty Mexi from the barrios.

In other celebrity news we finally were able to get a good look at Roc and Roe Cannon - the twins of Mariah and Nick. Can I just say that I was not anticipating to see ABSOLUTE GOREY-NESS!???! Holy beautiful.

My post-interview analysis: divorce is imminent. 

Was that not the most awkward?

Not that I was anticipating they last a lifetime but at least some good came out of it. 

Nick and Mariah, Bravo! 

You may not be eternal soul mates but you have managed to create some of the most stunning creatures to grace our planet. 

I can't wait to see Roc and Roe at 18...along with Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Suri Cruise, Franny Bateman, Tabitha Parker-Broderick, Flynn Bloom, Nahla Aubry and every single Seal-Klum child. Lou Sulola? OMG.

{Pictures via here}

House Tour - Dining Room

Welcome to House Tour. 

Where we take you into the home of two self-professed design junkies and watch them transform their beater from drab to Maaaayyyy-Jorrrrrrr fab.  

I am your host, Ashley Salzwedel. 

Last week we got a glimpse of the kitchen. This week?? Its all about the dining room. 

The dining room of this house has amazing potential. It is connected to both the kitchen and living room which is amazing yet still stays a smidge private due to a HUGE stone fireplace splitting the living/dining room in 2. 

There are a few things I need to point out.

1. Look at those wood floors. BEAUTIFUL!  

Thank you Floyd and Betty for loving the floors like we would. I really hope you don't turn over in your grave when I say - as amazing as they are right this minute, we do have plans to re-finish them. Black. Yep. Black.

2. Aesthetically, the stone fireplace is a big ball of UGLY. The little ledges protruding from the top half must immediately be sledgehammered off and the brick MUST be re-covered. Think sparkle tile - like a mixture of white carrera marble and a metallic glass mosaic. This mama loves sparkle. Didn't I say I wanted my kitchen backsplash to be sparkle too?

Ohhhhh I am having visions of the day where Nick has laid his last sq foot of tile and we can step back and be awe'd. This baby has that potential.

Here is the other side of the dining room. 

I would now be standing in the kitchen to take this picture. 

The partial door you see on the left hand side of the pic is the door to the laundry room, basement and to the garage - which will eventually be turned into our family room.

This big wall here will also be blown out to a half wall so that you will be able to see through to the amazing staircase we will be adding that will lead down to our basement. This means the ugly built-in - outta here. 

I have to admit, I was really hoping to be able to create an amazing focal point on this wall.

A black wall with an amazing piece of fuchsia inspired art. 

Black stripes.

Black and white photo gallery.

Wallpaper.

BUT all of that would take away from the sparkle fireplace...so maybe its okay. 

Thinking to the finished room I see black (DUH!), pops of color and a long 8ft solid wood dining room table.

 Currently the table I am COVETING is sitting in Nick's mom's dining room. I am beyond obsessed and have GOT TO HAVE it in my dining room. She told me I could have it if I found her something just as long but a bit more narrow. Search is on Cathy....please don't shoot me though when you come to my house, see the BEAUTIFUL $4,000 solid walnut custom table and you see it has been painted white.

Yelling at the computer screen? Contrast, people, contrast!

Also, I see a mix of traditional and modern chairs (acrylic, wood, fabric), LOTS of art (on other walls) and a GORGE chandey like this one:

DIE!

Well, that concludes this week's episode of House Tour.

Next we look at some stunning pink tile bathrooms....goodie.

{pictures via pinterest}