round up: Mother's Day gift ideas.

although I was told "Happy Mother's Day" a few times last year when I was pregnant with Ronin, I'm pretty excited to really celebrate this year. being the awesome husband that he is, Sean already bought me a gift (something from Etsy, apparently, so it should be good!) this year.  

I was inspired by Jessica at Little Baby Garvin to put together some gift ideas for those still looking for the perfect gift. unlike her themed gift guide, I went the route I normally travel - the practical gift. I'll be honest - I don't want flowers for Mother's Day. I want something that I can wear, drink, or use to relax. I'd be ecstatic to receive any of the items on this list for Mother's Day. oh, and as a bonus, they're all under $40!

1. for the technology lover: cell phone case ($39.00).

2. for the sentimental: unique greeting card ($4.25).

3. for everyone: NAKED basics palette ($27.00).

4. for the wine lover: wine of the month membership ($34.00/month for classic series).

5. for the beauty product fanatic: birchbox subscription ($10/month).

6. for the jewelry lover: personalized initial necklace ($36.00).

7. for the busy mom who needs a break (aka everyone): LUSH bath bomb ($6.35).

8. for the fashionable: mint hobo bag ($32.99).

our little seal has chubby cheeks!

we had an elective 3D ultrasound this morning. I always thought they looked kinda alien-like, but I guess it's different when it's your own kid. Ronin, of course, was not cooperative in the slightest at first. he was sleeping like a rock and would not change positions... and when he did show his face, his put his hand up in front of it. he even put his hand in front of his face and FLICKED US OFF. 

anyway, after moving around and poking him, we finally got some decent shots of his cute face. remember how my bump watch update said that he should be weighing about 2lbs? yeah, this chub weighs about 3lbs 10oz. the sonogram tech estimated that he will probably be over 8lbs at birth. 

he has a large head (no surprise there... have you SEEN my husband's dome?), fat feet, and big hands. he's also got a pretty long torso, which is probably why he's weighing so much already... it also explains why I feel like he's cramped in there. 

I may be biased, but I think he's pretty damn cute already! I can't wait to meet him! :D

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for anyone in the MD/DC/VA area looking to have an elective ultrasound, I highly recommend That's My Baby Ultrasound in Bowie, Maryland. the facility was spacious, clean, and comfortable. the cost is very reasonable and there are several packages available to choose from based on what you want. Jen was a pleasure to work with and gave us plenty of time to try to wake Ronin up to ensure that we could have a great experience.

disclaimer: I was not paid or compensated for my review of the services performed at That's My Baby; these are just my honest opinions based on my experience. 

tidbits, yo

• UGH. slacker blogger. very busy weekend for this girl - beer night Friday, errands Saturday afternoon, birthday celebration Saturday evening, and hanging out with friends/writing a paper Sunday. 

• as you saw in this post, I finally upgraded my phone. I was the proud owner of the LG Dare for almost 2 years. my upgrade day was St. Patrick's Day (luck o' the Irish, say what?), so on Friday, we ventured out to Verizon to get the Droid X. I was torn between that and the Thunderbolt, but I just couldn't justify paying $250 for a cell phone... and the extra memory and the kickstand was just not worth $100 to me. so far I'm really loving my Droid. if you have any recommendations for apps, let a sister know! 

• check out my sweet birthday card I got from Kaycie. does she know me well or what?

• I went out with friends this weekend to celebrate my 25th birthday! we started out with a small group and dinner at a local Japanese Steakhouse, and then moved next door to Cadillac Ranch. I was so happy to have so many people come out to celebrate with me - we had an amazing evening full of laughter, flowing drinks, and memorable conversations. I am a lucky girl. here are some pictures (most were not taken by me, and I'll have more to post once Kaley uploads hers! AHEM!)

• on the other hand, I don't know if I'm ready to turn 25. I know that 25 is not old by a long shot, but I just feel very "adult" saying 25.

• I'm slowly moving through my 2011 Reading Challenge. I've now read 9 books this year - I finished two of Emily Giffin's books within about a week. I loved the first, Something Borrowed... I was really drawn to the narrator, Rachel, and was thrilled with the ending. The second book, Something Blue, was... alright... it's from the perspective of the other main character, Darcy, and I honestly hated her. I ended up liking her a bit more by the end, but overall, I was kind of underwhelmed with the story in comparison to the first. I'll be doing lengthy reviews for both books when I have the time. 

• speaking of reading and writing - I wrote an 800 word essay on the reliability of Nick Carraway as the narrator of The Great Gatsby for my English class yesterday during my lunch break. I started it Sunday and emailed it to myself to finish and send over to my professor from work. went to save the file, and it was corrupted. instead of copying & pasting like an intelligent person would do, I just x'ed out of it. lost the WHOLE thing, minus the measly two paragraphs I had written the night before. talk about pissed... I had to re-write the entire thing last night. 

• Bear is really ridiculously good looking. just sayin. 

• spring is officially here and I am SO excited. that's pretty much all I have to say about that. 

• since I had my last training session in February, I've only been to the gym once, and that was for a spin class. last week. I really need to get back into the swing of things when it comes to working out, but if I'm being honest here, that month off felt amazing. I'm still doing well with my eating habits... still staying away from fatty, greasy, and non-nutritional food. I need to stop making excuses as to why I can't work out, starting with tonight!

Happy Tuesday!